Moving At The Speed of Life

Things are really moving along. Faster and faster now. Jacksonville hasn't been really that good to me for the past year and a half, but I'm actually feeling a little bittersweet about moving. I have family, and now many friends here now, and there's always the beach. But I've got to follow the job. All the friends in the world are great, but they're not paying the bills, and I won't be able to either if I stay with this current job. I'm also excited. Bring on the adventure, the new experiences, the optimism. Let's see what happens.

It Burns, Burns, Burns

I'm not a huge American Idol fan. In fact, I really only tune into the first several auditions to see all the freaks trying out for it, but I can't get into the pre-molded mass-produced insta-pop stars that the show creates. I did, however, happen to hear this season's runner-up, Adam Lambert, put a really middle-eastern, sexy spin on the Johnny Cash classic "Ring of Fire". Check it out on YouTube. Hell, I may even have to put it on my iPod. It's sultry and steamy. Johnny Cash never felt so dirty. Anyway, in homage to the man, here's the original version performed in 1968. I love the "look" of old variety shows from the 60s.

One More...

Check out this one too...

Just Maybe The Best Band Ever

I know I'm getting old for two reasons: 1) When I'm driving, I listen to talk radio (specifically National Public Radio) more than I listen to music, and 2) One of my most favorite bands in the world now is Belle & Sebastian, a very folky, effete, almost limp-wristed, ragtag collective of outsiders and artsy intellectuals from Glasgow, Scotland.

The first time I had heard of them was maybe in an issue of CMJ (which I used to subscribe to regularly) or maybe it was when I saw one of their CDs in the Yokosuka NEX. I was immediately taken by the purposeful, introspective cover photos of their albums - definitely reminiscent of the cover photos on all of the old Smiths singles, which typically featured forgotten film stars or obscure celebrities. Seeing those covers piqued my curiosity, so I checked out some song samples online back when I was in residency (2001-2003). And it's funny, because I didn't immediately like them! They were way too folky for me at that time. I guess I was in a different state of mind, being constantly under the gun of my training program. But the attraction lingered, and I ended up purchasing "Storytelling" toward the end of residency in 2003. I was mesmorized again by the cover art and also by the fact that it was music written (but in actuality, never used) for the Todd Solondz ("Welcome To The Dollhouse") film of the same name. I enjoyed the music, but it was just a spark. Then I got "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" in 2005, which was cutesy and amusing. Then came "The Life Pursuit", a CD I bought the same day I found out my father passed away and I wanted new music to distract me while on my emergency flight home from Japan. So the groundwork was laid. About a month after that I found out that they were going to perform two nights in Tokyo, and I knew I had to see them. So I made a deal with my buddy Paul. He's a huge Ben Harper fan, and Ben Harper just happened to be performing the same weekend. If I went to see Ben Harper with him, he would go see Belle & Sebastian with me at the Stellar Ballroom in Shinagawa. After that, something snapped in my mind and I couldn't get enough of them. And still can't. Isn't it funny how our taste in music evolves? I remember being a freshman in college listening to Nine Inch Nails, Front 242, KMFDM, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, and techno-house (of course, interspersed between Smiths and Pixies), and wondering what I would be listening to at 25, at 30, at 40, at 50, at... Now all of that aggro stuff just bores me. Not that I'm some nebbish cardigan-wearing librarian, but that stuff doesn't really interest me anymore. It feels like a lot of wasted energy. I can't even listen to so-called "alternative" radio stations anymore. All they seem to play is crusty, self-righteous bubba-rock (see - Creed, Staind, Nickelback, Saliva, whatever, etc., etc., crappity-crap-crap) or whiny emo. What is it now with radio programming in America? Take your pick - trailer park alternative, hardcore rap, or country. And don't even get me started on all the shock-jock morning personalities.

Anyway, a long diatribe with too much information just to post this brilliant live version of "Sleep The Clock Around" by Belle & Sebastian. Discover for yourself just what Belle & Sebastian are all about.

Akemi's New Do

Check this out. Akemi's friend Hiromi came over and cut her wild mane of hair. What was left after the hair carnage was about the size of one of our chihuahuas! Hiromi had some training at a salon in Japan, and the result was gorgeous. Akemi looks so sassy, spunky, and Japanesey!

Biding My Time

This week was a fraction busier than previous weeks, but that was only because my "boss" has been gone from the office. I'm excited about our upcoming move, but also nervous about putting in my resignation letter. How will they react? And why should I care? They should understand that business is business, and a person has to make a decent living. I don't why that kind of thing makes me anxious. Actually I do know why -- I tend to avoid confrontation at all costs. I need to move past that!

The weather here is coming along so beautifully! I must be insane, moving to the polar ice caps! But I hear Spring and Summer up there are gorgeous. Well, we'll be able to wear lots of cool winter clothes at least. Also looking forward to snowboarding more. I'm debating if I should move my surfboards up there with me; no use for them up there (unless I plan on surfing in Lake Superior - it could happen). But I'll need them if we take a surf vacation somewhere. I would love to get back to Costa Rica some time.

In other news, our friend Hiromi cut Akemi's hair today and it looks incredible! So sharp and pixie-like! I'll post a pic soon. Later friends.

Root Canals And The Oneness Of Being

So I've been kicking around the idea of taking the same intensive Teacher Certification Program for power vinyasa (a very athletic but spiritual school of yoga), the same course that Akemi is almost done with. It entails 8 full weekends (Friday night and all-day Saturday and Sunday) spread out over about three months. How cool would it be to practice endodontics during the day and teach a yoga class at night? I could totally get into that. And even if I didn't teach it, I would be much better off as a well-grounded individual for having gone through that. Unfortunately, the next course here in Jacksonville doesn't start until July and runs through September. I have a hunch we're going to high-tail it out of here in June. So those plans may have to go on the back-burner until we're settled into our new home.

Here's the link to the Mark White's studio here in Jacksonville where we practice. He now has two incredible studios. Namaste.

God Love The Smiths

It's always good to get back to your roots. I hope you enjoy these two videos. One is Radiohead covering "The Headmaster Ritual", the other the classic "Panic", which basically sums up how I feel about a lot of current pop music.

I Am Back...

So facebook pretty much runs my life these days, and that's not good. I'm taking my life back into my own hands. I vow to continue blogging in a more meaningful manner on this site. Things are looking on the up and up. The past year and four months has been an emotional rollercoaster due to my job. It looks like things are finally going to take hold for the better with a very real possibility of moving to Minneapolis, MN. I know, the arctic winter, but it seems like a great city. Tons of culture, great diverse restaurants and bars, professional sports, and lots of outdoor activities when the temperature isn't sub-zero. In fact, Minneapolis is a very 'green' city with tons of bike and pedestrians everywhere. It's also a very clean city with no major traffic issues (as far as I could tell). I could never imagine myself living in a place like that, away from the balmy weather and the ocean, but hey, Akemi and I make a great life anywhere we go. And with a stable job with good pay and benefits, I'll start to feel like a real human being again. It's time to start living again. I'm making 2009, 2000-mine! (alright - so that's pretty cheesy - Akemi and I love coming up with different corny motivational sayings).

Hoooo My Lord

I love Morrissey but I don't know what to make of this pic from the inner sleeve of his new album.

Mr. Gladwell Does It Again

I just finished Malcolm Gladwell's third book entitled "Outliers", and as with the previous two, I was totally enthralled. Not to bore you with details about the book that you can look up on Amazon or Wikipedia, it essentially digs up the ol' "nature vs. nurture" argument in how and why people become high-achievers in their respective fields, or so-called statistical "outliers". The book is filled with fascinating theories on such things as why things such as date or year of birth and ethnic background play a huge role in how we as humans succeed (in everything from hockey to rock stardom to billionaire computer conglomerate CEOs). Gladwell takes social science phenomenon that we take for granted and bends them in his classic manner, as he did in "Blink" and "The Tipping Point", and makes you view the world in an entirely different way. Sounds cliche, but his unique vision is a major paradigm shift in many everyday accepted facts. He's been criticized as being a "pop sociologist", but so be it - it's absolutely brilliant. I breezed through the book in about a week and a half (and I've got two other books going also!). The man's a genius.

Coolorado

So last weekend, actually Thursday through Monday, I went with my friend Rob (owner of Bikram Yoga) to Colorado - my first visit there. It was fantastic! We flew into and out of Colorado Springs, but we spent the majority of the time in the town of Silverthorn, about an hour west of Denver near Copper Mountain. The first night there we ice skated at Keystone Village on the largest outdoor ice rink in the U.S., actually a natural lake frozen solid - that was really cool! Then we snowboarded for two solid days straight at Copper. I haven't been snowboarding in two years, but I felt extremely confident and comfortable, like I had been doing it all along, falling only a handful of times and not seriously. The great snow conditions probably had a lot to do with that (compared to the icy, hard conditions we encountered in Nagano two years ago). My equipment worked great, and I was hardly sore at all after two days. The family we stayed with included two guys that graduated from my high school shortly after I did, but whom I hardly knew back then. Rob is our mutual friend (the Philipino connection at its finest!). But it really is a small world because I and those guys and their family know a lot of the same people. Six degrees indeed! Plus, on day two of snowboarding another high school friend that I haven't seen in 20 years and who now lives in Denver doing pediatric nursing came out to spend the day with us on the slopes. It turned out to be a mini-reunion! Coloradians (is that correct?) were so pleasant and laid-back, also; especially in the stores and restaurants. When you get away from the East Coast, you realize how high-strung, aggressive, and OC people are here. I really think we'll end up living in the West Coast area at some point in my life (and eventually back to Japan!). Now I just need to plan my escape from Jacksonville! Who's onboard for the prison break?

Momentary Lapse of Blogging

Yes - I've taken some time off from this blog site, but I'll resume again soon. I'm trying to ween myself off facebook a little bit - it's a time-vampire. The holidays were good and work is picking up. I have a snowboarding trip coming up this weekend, so I'll post again after that. Happy New Year!