music alert: black cab sessions

everyone needs to check this out. the black cab sessions basically consists of bands getting in a cab and playing one song in one take. the idea is super simple, but provides for an extremely intimate performance from some amazing musicians. i have attached performances by my morning jacket and spoon, but please check out the website. there is a whole slew of awesome performances. check out sunset rubdown, fleet foxes, and the cool kids. all of these are pretty good.

......does anyone find it weird that jim james is wearing a cloak????



black cab sessions

blog alert: hypebeast

i don't really know how to describe this blog, but it basically consists of just about anything to do with style. it features a lot of shoes and clothing designs, but it also touches upon music and other urban trends out there. i find it pretty interesting. most of the stuff is pretty out there. anyways.....i guess the only way to truly understand is to check it out!!!

hypbeast.com

interesting!!!

i was surfing the net last night and i came across some pictures of this dog. a picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case...two pictures are worth two thousand words!!! enjoy!!!!

the death of rolling stone!!!!

back before the internet became the ultimate source of knowledge i frequently read magazines. one of my favorite magazines growing up was rolling stone. i looked forward to every issue due to the fact that it provided pretty reliable music stories and recommendations. i can remember my freshman year of college by what issue of rolling stone i was reading at a certain time. well i don't know if anyone else has noticed, but we are witnessing the death of a legendary magazine. the same magazine that produced the unforgettable photo of lennon clinging to yoko naked in bed has now almost completely abandoned music. i can barely even flip through an issue anymore without feeling complete disgust for the magazine. it is now almost completely dedicated to politics. i love politics, but lets let the political magazines handle it. rolling stone needs to get back to its roots and rededicate itself to music.

ps. i wonder who rolling stone endorses!!! hahaha.

pss. this will be my first and most likely only ranting i do on this blog. sorry for being such a complainer.

album alert: department of eagles: in ear park

so this one might be a little late, but i still think it deserves to be mentioned. about a month ago a friend sent me a copy of in ear park by department of eagles. i just barely got around to listening to this album and it is literally amazing. many of you might be familiar with grizzly bear. department of eagles is somewhat of a side project of daniel rossen from grizzly bear. the sound is similar to grizzly bear, but i personally feel this album is even better and more creative than grizzly bear's critically acclaimed yellow house. seriously this stuff is pretty interesting. i swear it should be illegal to listen to this on anything but vinyl. every listen seems like some kind of time warp. this is definitely one of those albums that takes time to grow. give it a couple listens and i guarantee you will see the genius that is department of eagles.

ps. if you've never heard grizzly bear, you should also check them out. my friend and i saw them live about two years ago and it was a very impressive show.

video alert!!

I know i have posted a ton of stuff lately, but i was in idaho all weekend so the stuff kind of built up. i just saw this video on a track bike blog. the video is pretty interesting, but it mainly caught my eye because of the cinematography. there is a part within the first minute where it shows an overhead shot of the bike messenger cutting through traffic and then completely zooms out. check this scene out. it is pretty amazing!!!!

a letter to iraq!!!! (please read this!!!!!!)

i was reading through old opinion posts on the new york times website and i found this article by thomas friedman. most of you that follow this blog have probably realized that i really like thomas friedman. he offers a pretty straightforward evaluation of politics and economics. he wrote this article as if he were george w. writing a letter to the iraqi people. i love the way he wrote this piece and it is safe to say that most of us can agree with his point of view concerning iraq. please read this article. it is very short, but very interesting!!!!!!!!

a letter to iraq

style alert: handlebar mustache

in case you guys haven't realized the new fall fashion is definitely the handlebar mustache!!!! after a full week of not shaving, i think i received some kind of personal revelation......the handlebar mustache. i entered the bathroom with the intent of shaving my whole face, but some kind of strange force just wouldn't allow me to complete the job!!! i think i might keep this wicked beast of facial hair for halloween. what do you guys think about that???

i think my diet of slim jims and corn nuts is starting to reflect in grooming standards!!!! hahahahaha!!!!!!!

cool pic!!!!!!

this is a pretty sweet photo of my friend matt messing around on his track bike. i really liked the pic so i figured i would swipe it from his blog. to see more sweetness like the pic above check out his blog!!!!

matt's blog

writer alert: john folker

i have recently been trying to include some art from my close friends and family..... my freshman year of college i lived in the dorms with a good friend from high school named john folker. we soon became friends with a kid that lived across the hallway named stuart. i am proud to say that stuart introduced john and i to a whole new world. never had we thought about poetry, art, or literature. years later after returning from a mission i continued to exchange creative ideas with john. most of the time we would talk music or art, but every once in a while we would exchange a poem or some other kind of personal writing. rarely did we ever show these poems to people other than our small circle of friends. this is a poem that he sent me two years ago. i really love the honesty of this poem. as you can see, this poem has stuck with me. two years later i feel like it is time to share this with everybody. simply an amazing piece of creativity!!!!



A Crystal Ball and a Calculator

When I ride away today
I won’t wear my seatbelt
Because I would rather die today
If the crystal ball intends it

And I’ll leave behind this parking lot
Of countless calculators
Who plan their whole lives to perfection
But turn out no surprises

If that’s what you call happiness
Then you can gladly have it
For happiness is never grand
Content is never glamour

So I’ll drive this creepy road myself
Since no one will come with me
You call it a waste of gas
I call it adventure

And I may leave a mess behind
From years of instability
But happiness is never grand
Especially if it’s scripted

food alert: corn nuts

ok so when i was driving home to idaho over the weekend i decided to stop at a truck stop and get some snacks for the long trip. for some reason corn nuts looked especially appetizing. since i was driving home alone i decided that the putrid smell of corn nuts would not be a problem. after my purchase i was left to think about my decision. after four hours of driving i came to the realization that there is something seriously wrong with my diet!! i am pretty sure that i am going to add a section to my blog called "trucker food." it is going to feature food items that can only be purchased at truck stops like slim jims and corn nuts. the true guilty pleasures of the road!!!

program alert: morning becomes eclectic

morning becomes eclectic is an excellent radio show done be kcrw in california. the show plays host to a whole variety of bands. the great thing about the site is that it allows you to search through a whole data base of earlier shows. the shows are great quality and usually feature the band playing in a very intimate atmosphere. i suggest checking out bright eyes, tv on the radio, and especially sufjan stevens. these are all great shows.

morning becomes eclectic

artist alert: nolan olson

well those of you that truly know me, know that i am the son of an oil painter. i figured i would finally put some of his stuff on the blog. his style is very loose and colorful. most paintings are done on location (plein air). His medium of choice is oil, but he has recently branched out into oil pastels. unfortunately, i don't have any pictures of his oil pastel pieces, but lets just say that it is incredibly creative. rather than using normal white paper for the pastels he has chosen to use black. this creates a pretty interesting effect. hopefully i can get more of his stuff up on the blog here soon. i will also keep everyone updated about his future shows. if you are interested in any of his work just let me know.

watch update!!!

we just got done checking the status of our watches. unfortunately, shipping is going to take 7-14 days!!! the watches are being shipped directly from JAPAN!!! these things are the real deal! can't wait!

ps... i will for sure be posting a real picture of my own watch when i get it. the hand pictured above is absolutely disgusting, but i guess that adds to the mystique!!!

artist alert: banksy

banksy is an anonymous street artist. his work has started to receive worldwide recognition. most consider banksy the leader of the guerilla art movement. his work is a combination of stencil and standard painting techniques. i especially find it interesting what he said about his recent trip to new orleans.

------when he arrived in new orleans he took a taxi from the airport into the city. while driving he noticed that the neighborhood was in pretty bad shape. he made a comment to the cab driver about hurricane katrina saying that the area looked quit damaged. the cab driver answered by explaining that the neighborhood they were in was untouched by katrina. it had always been like that.

sad!!!!!!!!

http://www.banksy.co.uk/

writer alert: joanne olson (round 2)

Here is another piece of work from my mom. This short poem is great. personally, i think her stuff just keeps getting better and better. The efficiency of this poem is incredible. With only 11 lines she paints a vivid picture. Check it out!!!

It Now Takes Two

Holding hands they walked across the parking lot with a slow and measured gait.
He shuffled over asphalt, cowboy boots clicking in a muted rhythm, his straw brimmed hat sitting tall.

Her steps were slow and measured just like his.
The task of buying groceries is now a task for two.
He’ll push the cart and she will read the labels.

Each knows their partner well, but neither sees the other as a burden or a weight.
One fits the other’s niche and in the blend they’ve created harmony.
It now takes two to do what once took one.

They’ve been a team for many years in the harness side by side.
Still his hand is what she seeks and what she wants in spite of age.
How nice to see they’ve grown together and not apart.

food alert: slim jim

also while wandering aimlessly in walmart i worked up a serious appetite. needless to say, i proudly bought a slim jim!!! hahaha!!!! what a tasty, budget friendly snack. i felt so dirty after eating this i instantly scheduled a bishop's interview in order to start the proper repentance process.

style alert: remote watch

well last night i went to walmart with two of my good friends. we were so completely bored that we spent over an hour in walmart simply browsing. i am proud to say that the time was not spent in vain. we made an amazing discovery. remote control watches!!!!!!!!!!! i am sure most of you remember the popular calculator watch that mathletes wore in junior high and high school. this product has now made a metamorphosis for the better. rather than being a calculator, the watch now doubles as a tv remote control. this is brilliant!!!! once we got home we logged on to ebay and bought three of them!!! one for each of us.

song alert: the clash:straight to hell

many of you might have heard m.i.a.'s song "paper planes." after being used in the preview for the movie pineapple express, the song has shot up the charts, even though the actual album was released over a year ago. i agree that the song is actually pretty good. i find m.i.a. pretty entertaining. what you might not know is that the song is based off of a sample by the clash. the actual song is called "straight to hell." this song is great!!! when i went to the tv on the radio concert this song was played between sets. my friend and i were both amazed by the song. go to itunes and download the song (the clash - straight to hell). it is worth $.99!!!

blog alert: the sartorialist

last year while interning in d.c. a friend introduced me to this blog. the idea is rather interesting. the concept hinges on one man traveling between some of the world's most fashionable cities like new york, paris, milan, idaho falls, etc hahaha......and snapping pictures of normal fashionable people on the street. whether you give a dang about fashion and design doesn't really matter. it is just interesting to see how people are creatively pushing the limits of fashion. check it out. maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't.

the sartorialist

album alert: foals: antidotes

ok ok i know i am a little late on this one, but for some reason this album slipped through the cracks. i remember when foals released this album a few months back. it received great reviews, but for some reason i ignored it. last night i was watching tv and i caught the last few minutes of a repeat episode of the jimmy kimmel show. it just so happened that foals were the musical guest. lets just say they blew my mind. after seeing the performance i instantly went to itunes and bought the album. after buying the album and doing a little research about the band it all came together. this new album, antidotes, was produced by dave sitek of tv on the radio. all of you that know me understand that i love tv on the radio. please check out their performance on the jimmy kimmel show, but even more importantly go buy their album!!!!!!

style alert: joe maddon

ok so this might be a little random, but i have been watching quit a bit of baseball due to the present playoff race. while watching the devil rays whip up on the white sox i realized that joe maddon has some serious style. check out his glasses!!!! what other baseball coach has style like this. it is like a wicked mix between rivers cuomo and lisa loeb!!!!

photo alert: paul newman

so i'm sure everyone realized that paul newman recently passed away. i am proud to say that i love cool hand luke. it is a great movie. yesterday i saw a celebrity gossip magazine with paul newman on the cover so i decided to take a look. the magazine contained some of the legendary pictures of paul newman. i was personally struck by this picture of him and his wife. to me this picture is amazing!! it ranks right up there with the picture of john lennon laying naked with yoko. paul and his wife were known for being madly in love with each other. this is one of those pics that seems to perfectly capture the moment. i wish i would've taken this picture!!!!!!!!!!

broken social scene: juan's basement

pitchfork recently posted some special live footage of broken social scene participating in an ongoing series called "juan's basement." these shows have a very intimate feel. it is almost like we are watching the band practice. for those of you who aren't familiar with broken social scene they are a canadian collective that has spawned such famous talent as feist, kevin drew, and brendan canning. please take time to get to know the music of broken social scene. also please check out this footage from "juan's basement."

juan's basement part 1
juan's basement part 2

artist alert: frank gehry

i few months back clark and i decided to watch a documentary about an architect named frank gehry. overall, the documentary was pretty boring. i think we both fell asleep. needless to say, i feel like his actual architecture creations are amazing. i really don't know how you define his style and inspiration, but i really like it. most of you will likely recognize his most famous piece of work; the guggenheim in bilbao, spain. please take time to look at some of his stuff. enjoy!!!

watch conference!!!!!

i know everyone is busy, but try and catch a session of conference. i'm not demanding all four, just watch what you can and we'll call it even.

movie alert: nick and norah's infinite playlist

this movie is great!! it is based off a book with the same name. the basis of the movie is a simple love story between two high school kids a la garden state. maybe this is the garden state of 2008, i'm not sure, but it is a great movie with a pretty ggod soundtrack. i suggest this movie to everyone, especially if you like music. it finds a way to weave love and music into one progressing story line, without being too cheesy. for any of you planning to go see it pay attention to the cameo by devandra banhart in the ny deli. enjoy!!!!

style alert: pf flyers!!!

these shoes are pretty awesome and amazingly comfortable. believe it or not, pf flyers are making a come back (remember sandlot?). after being bought out by various major shoe companies the pf flyer brand has reinvented itself as somewhat of a high fashion shoe. the pair pictured above are the number 5's. these are personally my favorite style of pf flyers. they come in various colors, but i especially like the plaid pair pictured here. the shoes are a little expensive, but definitely worth it. i bought a pair about two months ago and they have been worth every penny. my friend chase also bought a pair and he has nothing but positive feedback. check em out!!!!!!!!

http://www.pfflyers.com/

road to the fall classic

so let's be honest.....the baseball season is way too long. i think they could cut out a third of the games and still be perfectly fine. anyways.....after a long and somewhat interesting season we are finally rewarded!!! october has arrived!! the world series is near!!! i am the first to admit that i love post season baseball. i am proud to say that i am a red sox fan, but actually this time around i have found myself to be more interested in the phillies. this team is pretty fun to watch, mainly do to the chase utley factor. please take some time out of your busy schedule to enjoy some baseball this fall!!!

vp debate!!!!!!

please watch the vice-presidential debate tonight!!!! whether you are into politics or not, this one is going to be interesting. will biden make palin cry or will palin continue to create buzz for the repubs? let me know what you think!!!

art project

i started working on an art project that consists of a three canvas series. i have finished the first canvas and i am half way done with the second. i made the designs simple on purpose. it is basically a combination of red paint, torn up book pages, and modge podge. i will post a final picture when i am completely done with the series.

writer alert: joanne olson

as many of you know, joanne is my mom. apart from being a dandy mother, she has spent nearly 20 years dedicated to the education of young children. i can proudly say that she did this because she loved the children, not because she needed the money. the public school system needs more people like her!!!

this year my mom retired. about two years before retiring she decided to start writing. now that she is fully retired she has plenty of time to dedicate to writing. i feel like we are seeing the fruits of her labor. she recently won second place at an idaho writers conference. Most of her work consists of short stories, both fiction and non-fiction. I have posted the short piece of work that brought her the second place prize. i love the way this story illustrates life in idaho. i grew up on the edge of a potato field, yet i am not a country boy.

please comment on my mom's writing!!!! enjoy!!!

Suburb Meets Farm

I live in a subdivision that was once part of a large productive farm in Southeaster Idaho. Streets in my neighborhood weave back and forth and turn back again to cul-de-sacs. They have names like Gleneagles, Inverness, Tapitio and Pervero. All names of golf courses.
I suppose when the farmer sold his land to developers he was torn between the large sum of money he was offered, which would afford him a comfortable retirement, and the loss of a way of live. In an attempt to not completely surrender to the encroachment of the town moving toward the once rural area, he kept a few acres of land and his house.
The new homes went up around him and gradually embraced his small holdings, yet he dug his heels in and stayed his course. The grain silo sits empty beside abandoned trucks and rusted and broken machinery. The old barn sports a bent basketball hoop that once saw countless hours of use from his sons.
Twice each summer he starts up his tractor and mows down the weeds on his unused land. But, this spring he stared up the tractor and plowed the weeds under. Several days later I hear the sound of equipment in the field. Looking out my kitchen window I see Mr. Butikofer planting. Now, by the first week of summer he has a thirsty crop of wheat. With the price of a bushel of wheat reaching skyward and the emanate loss of water rights, if not used after this year, the retired farmer has resurrected his land. In his zeal to once again make his land productive, he has forgotten that he is no longer isolated and unencumbered by neighbors.
Mr. Butikofer is now farming in the middle of a housing development. The irrigation ditch that runs behind the line of neat, white vinyl fences has been untended for a number of years. When he opens the head gate water pours into the field on one side and races toward the houses on the other.
I was the bearer of bad news---poor Mr. Butikofer. "The contractor must not have done something quite right," he tells me. Mean while the water keeps creeping ever closer to my basement windows, as well as those of the house next door. With some gentle persuasion, I finally convince the independent farmer that he needs to close the head gate.
My husband and our neighbor meet him at the head gate and have a friendly conversation about the situation at hand. Mr. Butikofer does agree that the ditch has some structural problems unrelated to the development surrounding it.
Later that evening, I once again hear the sound of machinery coming from the field. A backhoe has arrived. It is moving dirt and dumping it on the embankment of the ditch to reinforce it. The thirsty wheat must have water. The next day he again opens the head gate and most of the flow is to his field. The backyards see only a small amount of water this time.
In spite of the difficulties Mr. Butikofer has encountered, I hope he does not give in and concede defeat. I want him to hang in there long enough to see his grain come to fruit. In late August I would love to look over my white vinyl fence and see a field of gold, ripe wheat. I will try to imagine it as a large, wide open space with wind rustling through it, rather than a postage stamp encompassed by two story houses.
The suburban farmer will eventually have to acquiesce to the changing times. He like so many others has been pulled into the traffic of change. His town finally reached the boarders of his land and he gave it permission to continue on. I am sure it was not an easy decision for him to make, but in the end it was made.
We co-exist together in this process of change. He continues to hang on to a small piece of who he was and I try to carve my small niche out of the bigger piece he let to. As I attempt to grow flowers and struggle with frail trees, the rocks seem to multiply and divide before eyes. I am left to wonder how Mr. Butikofer coped with such rocky ground so many years. Perhaps, that is why he kept only a few acres. If he wants to nourish his mall patch of land a little longer I am willing to accept a little bit of his irrigation water in my flowerbeds.