bridge school benefit 2008

Published by
Jon
at September 22, 2008 in Music. 1 Comment

the line up for this year’s bridge school benefit was just announced and the lineup is amazing. i should admit that i have been a huge neil young fan since i was like 15, so the price of the ticket would be worth it to me just to see neil again. but this year death cab for cutie, wilco, and the smashing pumpkins among others will be there. it’s also for a great cause. if you didn’t know, the benefit is organized by neil young and his wife, pegi. neil has two kids with cerebral palsy (by two different women, which they say the odds are astronomical of happening). so if anyone wants to donate to my concert fund, feel free to contact me.

the lineup so far is as follows:

Saturday, October 25th at 5pm:

Neil Young
Jack Johnson
Norah Jones
ZZ Top
Sarah McLachlan
Death Cab For Cutie
Wilco
Cat Power

Sunday, October 26th at 2pm:

Neil Young
Jack Johnson
Josh Groban
Norah Jones
Wilco
Smashing Pumpkins
Death Cab for Cutie
Cat Power

it’s at shoreline amphitheater the weekend of october 25th. tickets go on sale this sunday, september 28th.

here’s a little info hot off the wire:

“San Francisco, CA (September 22, 2008) – The highly anticipated details of the 22nd Annual Bridge School Benefit concerts at Shoreline Amphitheatre have just been announced. Taking place at Shoreline Amphitheatre on Saturday, October 25th and Sunday, October 26th, this year’s lineup features acoustic performances by Neil Young, Jack Johnson, ZZ Top (performing on Saturday only), Sarah McLachlan (performing on Saturday only), Josh Groban (performing on Sunday only), Smashing Pumpkins (performing on Sunday only), Norah Jones, Death Cab For Cutie, Wilco and Cat Power. Hosted by Neil and Pegi Young, The Bridge School Benefit concerts are some of the most anticipated musical events in the Bay Area each year and provide a major source of funding for The Bridge School, a program for the communicative and education development of children with severe speech and physical impairments.

This year marks the first appearance at the Bridge School Benefit concerts for ZZ Top, Josh Groban and Cat Power.

The first Bridge School Benefit concert took place at Shoreline on October 13th, 1986. Past performers have included Paul McCartney, Green Day, The Who, Metallica, Brian Wilson, David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen.

Tickets for the 22nd Annual Bridge School Benefit concerts go on sale Sunday, September 28th at 10am at www.LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 415-421-TIXS, 408-998-TIXS, 510-625-TIXS or 925-685-TIXS. Reserved seats are $150.00 and $75.00 and general admission tickets are $39.50 plus applicable charges. To purchase tickets with no service charge, please visit the Shoreline Amphitheatre box office on Sundays between 10am and 2pm.

About The Bridge School :

The Bridge School is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that individuals with severe speech and physical impairments achieve full participation in their communities through the use of augmentative & alternative means of communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) applications and through the development, implementation and dissemination of innovative life-long educational strategies.

The Bridge School is an internationally recognized leader in the education of children who use augmentative and alternative communication and has developed unique programs and trained highly skilled professionals in the use of state of the art assistive technology.

For more information, please visit www.bridgeschool.com.”

bigger is not better (unless you’re a coke head)

Published by
Jon
at September 19, 2008 in Rants. 3 Comments

i saw this in the news today, and had also the other bust a few days ago:

“An Alameda-based Coast Guard unit intercepted $196 million in cocaine at the high seas.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett and a U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft teamed up to interdict a stateless, self-propelled, semi-submersible vessel Wednesday with 7 tons of cocaine aboard approximately 400 miles south of the Mexico-Guatemala border.

The Coast Guard quickly boarded the ship and found 295 bales of cocaine, valued at more than $196 million, in a huge forward compartment, the Coast Guard said.

The submarine became unstable and began to sink during the transfer of the bales of cocaine from to the Coast Guard ship, the Coast Guard said.

The condition of the vessel made it unsafe to tow and Midgett’s crew sank the vessel as a hazard to navigation, the Coast Guard said.

Wednesday’s interdiction follows a daring nighttime boarding and seizure of another ship on Saturday in which the Coast Guard seized cocaine as well

‘I’m proud to tell you that over the past five days, Pacific Area Coast Guard units, with the help of our U.S. Navy and interagency partners, seized more than 14 tons of cocaine with a street value of more than $383 million from two self-propelled, semi-submersible vessels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean,’ said Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.”
-nbc11.com

it strikes me that the admiral was “proud” about over $383 million in cocaine attempting to be smuggled into the U.S. all that really means to me, and i think that this is the logical conclusion, that this is just another blow to the catastrophe that is the “war on drugs.” if the busts were getting progressively smaller, then i would say that’s fair evidence that the war on drugs was succeeding. are the people in charge really that dense, or do they think we are for gobbling up their propaganda? there is much more informed literature on the internet about the fallacies of the drug war, but i thought this was a pretty basic observation that anyone could make from reading this story. it scares me how many people will read that and not even grasp the real meaning. whatever your feelings on the war on drugs, the much more terrifying thing is people that can’t or don’t want to think for themselves.

The Great Gig in the Sky

Published by
Jon
at September 16, 2008 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

ready for number 7?

pinched nerve brutality

Published by
Jon
at September 16, 2008 in Life and Rants. 1 Comment

this pinched nerve thing is getting more brutal by the day. it seems to not hurt as bad in the morning, but as the day wears on it gets worse. by the time night rolls around, it’s harsh. forget sleep. i don’t think i’ve had any good sleep in about three days. also, eating seems to make it worse, so i haven’t been doing much of that and i think i may give it up until i can get some resolution. it’s also making it quite difficult to look for a job, and i’m very tired of not working. the days get looong. especially when you’re broke and in pain.

i’m sorry, i guess i’m kind of wallowing in it today. hmm, lemme think of something positive…. still thinking……. still thinking…..

i’ll get back to you.

[update]

ok, ok, i thought of something and i feel really terrible that it took me so long to think of it. i guess i just had to get my head out of that mode. there are a lot of people around that really do genuinely care when things get rough. they say prayers and help you in any way you can. maybe i’m more fortunate in that area being a pastor’s kid. i’ve got a whole church behind me, and that’s pretty positive.

whales

Published by
Jon
at September 12, 2008 in Life. 3 Comments

my dad and grandfather were sailing up the coast from santa cruz to half moon bay and found themselves in the middle of a pod of feeding humpbacks. they were about two miles from shore in around 120 ft. of water a little south of pigeon point lighthouse. now i think whales are some of the coolest creatures on the face of our awesome planet, and it would be just my luck that i missed out. but, he did get some pics. it was hard to time it right, but there’s some neat pics. my fave is the one with the seal in mid leap right next to the massive head of one of the humpbacks. one day i’ll see it first hand. one day…

Breach
breaching
Flukey
Heads up
Seal, too
Whale head

almost out of cigarettes

Published by
Jon
at September 11, 2008 in Life. 3 Comments

i’ve got a lot on my plate at the moment, and it’s giving me knots in my stomach. you know the kind of anxiety that feels like a bowling ball or maybe a small animal rotting away in your stomach? unpleasant. i really need and want to find a job, but this pinched nerve thing is making it tricky. i feel like i wouldn’t exactly inspire confidence in perspective employers hobbling in to an interview, so really that kind of kills my own confidence in myself, and interviewers can smell anxiety on you like sharks can smell blood. on top of that, i’m waiting patiently for government money (which makes me feel kind of slimy) while may bank account slowly becomes more overdrawn. i think i’m ok there because everything has posted. i’m still like fifteen bucks in the red, and i’m sure citibank will soon take advantage of that.

i have a $225 bill due this saturday for the joke that passes as county healthcare. the advantage of this bill, though, is that if i pay it, i won’t owe the thousand plus dollars for the ct scans and bloodwork form when i had some kidney stone issues earlier this year. i’m having trouble seeing a way to make this payment. i guess i’ll have to borrow and then probably sell the amp i had waited so patiently and worked so hard to save for. ah, world. you win again.

i’m also planning on moving in with a good friend of mine next month, so i want to be in a position to make that a comfortable transition. the guy i’m moving in with is a cool, sort of laid back, down to earth philosopher/theologian and musician who for the most part appreciates good music (he didn’t really dig yes, but i guess like most of the finer things in life, they’re an acquired taste). i’m really looking forward to it, and i certainly don’t want to let him down. i can’t let myself be a slave to imperfect circumstances, though; just got to make it happen.

the cherry on top of this bitter sundae would be my broken phone. for the past couple of weeks, at&t’s service has been as appalling as the quality of public health care. it’s almost impossible to have a conversation on the phone and the call almost inevitably drops. it’s very odd because i’ve never had a problem with them until now, and fixing it doesn’t seem to be much of a priority for them. i was on hold for about forty-five minutes on a very important call, was finally connected and in the process of speaking with the man on the other end, dropped the call. in a fit of pain induced passion, i somehow managed to put my phone to the wall and watched it explode in a sweet, cathartic release. i pieced it back together, and while it still works, the display is shattered. it doesn’t really matter too much; it’s still about as functional as at&t’s miserable service.

so i know sound like i’m wallowing in self pity, and i guess i am letting my circumstances get the best of me at the moment. i’m confident that these issues will resolve, it’s just a matter of weathering the storm, to invoke a cliche. and there are positives; namely i do have a lot of great people around me that are more than willing to help me out, and for that i am eternally thankful. and i know that there’s the one or two people that will take the time to read this, and that makes me feel better, too.

pinched nervous

Published by
Jon
at September 10, 2008 in Life and Rants. 2 Comments

so, it’s been quite some time since i posted here (or anywhere). i think, though, that i’m going to try my damndest to post at least semi-regularly. admittedly, i have been inspired by my buddy tony’s (noodle) sweet blog. check him out. also, the beautiful and talented shalina has inspired me. she regularly posts her great photography. so i guess i just want to be hip and cool like them. when it comes to blogging, obviously there’s no point in posting if nobody is reading. you might as well just keep a diary.
it’s about 2 in the morning and i’m having trouble sleeping because of a pinched nerve in my back. not having having health care makes it quite difficult to get the necessary help to expedite the healing process. i’ve been trying to get on with the county health care, but it’s a joke, really. it’s like the fast food equivalent of health care.
“shuffle you in, shuffle you out. send in the next desperately ill immigrant that we’ll do our bare minimum to treat.”
believe me, i could write an eighteen page post about the rigors of seemingly chronic health issues and not having access to health care. good health care. you would think that i would favor some manner of universal health care, but my experiences in public programs have left me feeling quite the opposite. don’t get me wrong, i would love if everyone could get the care they need, but what’s the point if it’s not quality? from what i’ve seen and experienced first hand (which is more than i care too), it’s all bandaids and maybe they’ll kiss your boo-boo if you’re lucky.
fortunately, as there seems to be an epidemic of chronic conditions as the population continues to grow, especially among the lower class and immigrants, we have the internet. though i don’t necessarily like the idea of diagnosing yourself and wouldn’t recommend it, sometimes that’s the only option many of us are left with and the internet has made that as easy as spelling webmd. at the very least, one can hop online and learn ways to live healthier lives, even though actually implementing that change is much easier said than done.
i know i’m rambling, so all that to say there’s really not shit i can do about this pinched nerve that’s had me hobbling around for the past few weeks except putting ice on it and looking up stretches and exercises online. i feel like i could spend more time on this topic, so even if i can’t summon the motivation to start working out everyday, maybe at least i can work myself up enough to write another post. maybe.

strawberry shortcake

Published by
Jon
at January 15, 2008 in Poetry. 2 Comments 


low cut jeans and sun through a basement window
knit wool dusters
headaches and hand rubs Heart
the taste of strawberries
	and clean teeth
something new in a small town

i said your name wrong

wet and awkward
wooden music filling concrete rooms
soft blue LEDs
	on the sheets pushed aside
our heads full of future
our bodies new and firm
our skin still smooth
	every part perfect

we watched lives gain momentum
	we saw them fade on the horizon

our eyes full of computer screens
our bodies covered with art
electricity to pass the time
	to make our work easier
		to give us more time to pass
humming with anxietyStreet
	hands wet
long sober from the chemicals of our lust
feeling ugly
bad habits we started
	bad habits we quit
control our urges
	attempt to postpone self-destruction
remembering how happy we were
	forgetting how miserable it really was

we guard against the disappointment
	of the world in our heads
we say shit and fuck and ass
we spit on the sidewalk and smoke cigarettes
socialize in bars
	waiting
meeting too many new people

we wonder how we moved on
	from things we used to care so much about
dreaming of conquests
	wanting every love to be the one
		every time to be the first

Steaming Hot Bowl of Dead Beet Soup

Published by
Jon
at August 27, 2007 in Music. 2 Comments

So my little bro and and his band laid down a little piece of Motown in the middle BFE, Northern Michigan. Actually, a small town in the Michigan north woods called Grayling. Admittedly, I was not there. But, like a rose among thorns, I can imagine how they compared to the rest of the music. I wouldn’t want to be too loose with words like “music” or “quality” or “bands”. But I know that Dead Beet Soup stand out as original, naturally talented kids with rock and roll in the blood. You can get a little sample of the band at http://www.myspace.com/beetsoup. The recordings are a little rough and dated, but certainly a reflection of the killer live show they put on. Photographs compliments of Tony and Jenni Barger.

dbsovercontrasted.jpg

Trevor

Stevie Fox

wooostephen.jpg

You can see more photos of the rock at http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=14314293&blogID=303241475.

There are some pics of other bands that played as well, a good example of northern Michigan burnouts. Don’t let it detract from the experience.

Peace, love, and rock and roll.

Jon

Question Marks

Published by
Jon
at August 20, 2007 in Rants. 3 Comments

So I have this tiny little corner of cyberspace that nobody looks at, but that’s ok. Maybe better, depending on the level of revelation contained van-gogh-vincent-starry-nightwithin. I try to keep it clean, try to think of normal things, try to be motivated. I try to find the value of the variables in the equation of which I am the sum. Find a way out or find a way in. Maybe find out whether i’m outside or inside first. Is it cold or is it hot? Is it wet or dry? When is a reason not motivation, even if you think it should be good enough? Or even the most cohesive train of thought is impossible to follow, when thought begets thoughts ad infinum. Maybe trying something different, but that begs the question of motivation again. Or not trying something different, just trying something. That’s still proactive, right?

The dilemma: to accept the muse in a black cloak? Indulge to create? It’s a self-destructive process, but worthy of evaluating the psychological economics. How much of your sanity can you afford to spend? Maybe I could be less vauge? Or maybe… I’m being chased by question marks. ??

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