R e - P e t e

Where music can take you

Sometimes I marvel at the power of music. It can take you to new places and people. And the great thing about music is that it’s all connected! One artist’s influence or collaboration takes you to another artist’s work which can be from a different time, place or genre.

One night, back in 2000, a couple friends and I were going out. I think it was me, a guy named Peter Chan (oddly), Amy and Becky. And I remember that as we were crossing the Bay Bridge I heard a very interesting song. I asked Peter what genre it was. “Jungle Jazz, I think.” he responded. When I asked him the artist he said he thought it was Amon Tobin.

I looked up all of Tobin’s works and downloaded many of them but I could not find the song I was looking for. I did find many interesting songs from Tobin, whose work primarily consists of “industrial” samples, jazz and off-rhythm beats. His work sounded similar so I often went back through Tobin’s work looking for this song.

What really sucked about this search for a song as that it appeared on a Volkswagen commercial! I tried to use that as an avenue of search but was unsuccessful. Curses to Volkswagen and how it teased me.

So, on and off, I’ve been looking for this song. Finally, I heard a snippet of this song on All Things Considered, an NPR show. It must’ve been fate.

I happen to be driving home from work and my CD player was giving me problems. I wasn’t sure if it was a badly burned CD or my player reaching old age. I must’ve fumbled with it for 20 mins when finally I gave up and switched to radio. And that’s when I heard the song! For 20 seconds I was enraptured as I heard the song used as a segue into the next part of the show. I listened carefully because this was not the exact same song. It sounded almost exactly the same except it must’ve been playing at 1/2 the speed of the version I know. But this was a clue! Furthermore, music played on any NPR/KQED show can be found online. Yes! I would finally find this song.

I checked the website but the song was not there. I looked twice. I looked three times. It was not there. Drats! I checked the website a couple days later to find that they had updated the information. And there it was: Moondog, with the London Symphonic, does Bird’s Lament. CD: Sax pax for a sax.

I’m still not sure I’ve found the song. The song itself is the song I’ve heard but the tempo is much slower. Perhaps it was a remix I’ve heard. Meanwhile, I’ve found Moondog, a famous streetperformer originally from the streets of New York City.

Complaining works..sometimes

Sometimes being a baby works. This is ironic given the last post I made.

About a month ago I ordered a bag from eBags. My order didn’t come on the date they said it would. I gave them an extra couple days but when I checked the website and it said that my bag had not even shipped yet I began to worry. I called them to find out what had happened and found out that the color I had ordered was out of stock and my order canceled. Bah!

eBags was cool in that they had sent me a 20% discount coupon. I called back, and ordered the bag. Because it was already 15% on sale I only got an additional 5% discount. Pooh. The cool thing was that I complained of the whole ordeal and got free overnight shipping. Yippee.

Now I ordered a camera (Canon SD300) from Dell. Ohh how long have I waited for this. The anticipation is killing me. Unfortunately every other deal scavenger found this deal and now it’s on backorder. The estimated shipping date was the 15th but now they are telling me I have to wait until the 29th simply to get an update of the status of my order. A call to India (Dell Customer service) led me to find out that, “no order is ever guaranteed to arrive on any date.” Great.

Anywho, I tried to complain and get more money back since I don’t mind the wait if I could get more $$ off. Unfortunately Dell has a policy that, “no concessions can be made items that are backordered.” Double-pooh. He did give me free next-day shipping. Bleh.. I want more!

Frankly, it seems like the more you complain the more you’re likely to get something. At least with eBags they initially offered a 20% discount while Dell makes me wait and wait with an offer to cancel the order. Sux0rs.

(On a follow-up note: at least eBags customer service answered the phone right away, whereas I waited at least 10 mins for Dell. Ugh. Hate Dell. Dell is evil. Gimme my camera! Please?)

(Follow-up 2: It’s slow at work today so I tried using the online support. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get through but I did receive an email from them. I liked this part:

Thank you for choosing Dell customer care. My name is Neelanjan but you may call me Norman.

Norman?! What if I want to call you Neelanjan! C’mon! I can pronounce it!)

People are such BABIES

(From Saturday) This story began on the 15th hole on the Skywest golf course with me playing alone.

I was at the tee and there was a group of 4 ahead of me. They looked like two pairs that don’t know each other (one couple and 2 guys who are buddies). Their excessive practice swings begin to annoy me and since they appeared to be 330 yards out I figured I would hit. (When I’m lucky I can hit it 250 and I was hooking anyway.) At worst, the ball would roll behind them but it definitely would not reach them.

Of course Murphy’s Law kicks in. I ended up driving this baby about 240 yards and it rolled another 20-30 yards. It lands, from what I can tell, about 20 yards behind them. No worries. Plus it landed on the other side of the fairway. One guy with the long hair yells something that I can’t make out. It’s obvious he’s not too happy with me.

Instead of yelling out like a bumbling idiot (since I am over 270 yards away) I figure I will walk up and apologize and explain how I thought they were further away. I balk for a split-second since the guy looks like he may have a few nuts loose. But I brave on forward thinking that a simple apology will do.

His buddy takes his shot. Then they both walk back and to the other side of the fairway in order to pick up the ball and throw it at me. Yes, they THROW it at me. Of course I’m over 200 yards away still so I simply gesture with my hands a motion that says, ‘wtf?!’ (If I were witty I would’ve yelled out, “You throw like a sissy!”) They motion back and yell out another unintelligible comment. At this point I’m infruriated, but know that I am in the wrong for having driven on them. I yell out that I had thought they were further away and apologize for hitting onto them. The loud one responds with, “Did you say you thought we were further away?” “Yes,” I reply. “Next time don’t think before you hit!” he says. What the hell does that mean?!

I pick up my ball and walk up to the spot where I thought I hit it. Then I walk another 10 yards and reward myself for an awesome drive. At this point I’m going through my head what I will do in the case that this should come to fisticuffs. From that distance I can’t tell if they are any bigger than I. Since I’m by myself it would be a two on one (the other couple seemed to have a bewildered response by the whole exchange of words). I figure I will need to wield a club in order to make the odds even.

I determine that my weapon of choice will be my putter. It’s one of the heavier clubs and I don’t mind if it gets damaged. I’ve been thinking about getting a new putter, anyway, and this would be a perfect excuse. I can’t use my driver because that costs more than my putter.

On the next two holes, I give them my steel gaze as they tee off using any sort of extrasensory power to ruin their shots. When they hit poorly I’m laughing haughtily on the inside but simply grin to myself.

On the 17th hole, I find a golf towel by the green that one of them must’ve dropped. My initial reaction is to throw the towel in the lake. (Oddly, this is Audrey’s initial question when I told her this story. Am I that predictable?) Throwing the towel in the lake would surely give me a good laugh and would make for a great story. But what if the towel belongs to someone in the couple who seem to be decent people? I’d surely want to return this to them. I figure I’ll take my chances. If it belongs to the nice couple, fine, but if it belonged to one of the punks then perhaps my kind gesture will impart some guilt in them. If it’s the latter situation, I find myself on the fence between putting forward a truly kind gesture and sadistically wanting the person to feel like an ass.

It turns out the towel belonged to the yelling man. He grudgingly mumbles a “thank you” as I give his towel back to him and as he turns away I imagine him with a tail between his legs. Victory is mine!!

Dr. Seuss ain’t got nothing on me.

Here’s an excerpt of a conversation Bryan and I had today:

[ First, the conversation started normally...]

Session Start (FootFunk510:SuperHILAC): Fri Mar 11 18:32:45 2005
SuperHILAC: hmm…you heading to the city soon?
FootFunk510: dun know
FootFunk510: thinking about dinner
FootFunk510: not sure where

[ But then the combination of Dave Brubeck's jazz and a phrase by Bryan unlocked something in me]

FootFunk510: k
FootFunk510: kkkkkkkkk
FootFunk510: k
SuperHILAC: tick tock
FootFunk510: said the doc
SuperHILAC: when did you want to be in line?
FootFunk510: preferably by nine
FootFunk510: that would give us some time
FootFunk510: before which we should dine
FootFunk510: we might also want to thinka bout what to do after
FootFunk510: for such activities are a thinking matter

[ And there it did not end.. ]

SuperHILAC: toronado is a bar that serves belgian beers
SuperHILAC: i like to consume / the haight it is near
FootFunk510: it’s the dave brubeck i hear that causes this..i’m being sincere!
FootFunk510: belgian beers on a warm night? what a delight!

[ Maybe some music tonight? ]

FootFunk510: hurry quick! her, you should query. otherwise our times may not be merry.
SuperHILAC: did you hear her idea? a brazilian band to see-a?
FootFunk510: no, this i did not hear. what is this idea she cheers?
SuperHILAC: [18:45] aspatia23: my friends are watching a band (brazilian or funk, something like that prolly) play at the Capoeira Arts cafe on shattuck
FootFunk510: ah. brazilian i would enjoy lots. funk is somethign that puts my stomach in knots.

[ Or maybe alternate plans? ]

SuperHILAC: being lazy i suppose, go ahead and thumb up your nose
FootFunk510: brazilian woudl get me groovin’. but if it’s funk they play then it’s the movies i’m a doin’.
FootFunk510: no offense you see. it’s just that this movie is what calls me.
SuperHILAC: you are destined to see this movie, for you’ll have no other opportunity.
FootFunk510: indeed!!
SuperHILAC: proceed!
FootFunk510: but for dinner we can still meet!
SuperHILAC: this is true if the east bay will do
FootFunk510: capoiera is something of an interest i have, so if perform they do then the movie i may pass.

[ Dinner plans declared! ]

SuperHILAC: i’m thinking dinner 7:45-8 in berkeley/oakland
FootFunk510: any restaurant you have in mind where at which we shall dine?
FootFunk510: a cuisine you desire, some foods you admire? this, I do inquire.
SuperHILAC: japanese i do crave for my health it does save
FootFunk510: but where? for a place I cannot declare.
SuperHILAC: isobune?
FootFunk510: this idea sits well with me. at 7:45 shall it be?
SuperHILAC: agreed.
FootFunk510: we have done the deed and now the people can eat.
FootFunk510: i shall see you then and there for no longer my stomach can bear.
SuperHILAC: isobune has floating boats that travel along a circular moat

Wheeeeeeee