The Parish

not the parish

Living in the live music capitol of the world will make you spoiled and even jaded when it comes to seeing shows. The to-much-effort-to-park-downtown-I’ll-see-them-next-time-they-roll-through attitude. Last night as we rolled up to sixth street I was having that moment. Excited about the show but less than thrilled with all the bullshit I was about to have to tackle (yes I’m turning into a cranky old fart).

The parish is something else though – step through the door, climb the over sized antique stairwell to the 19th century industrial loft space – This place is a music venue first, with a soundboard to rival most opera houses and a broad planked wood floor that bounces just little bit when crowd is getting into it. What Made Milwaukee Famous put on one hell of a show playing a mix of old and new with a fervor and pump that was shaking bricks out of the walls and setting up mildly alarming oscillating vibrations in my nostrils (I have a big nose, this happens when i stand next to large speakers).

There are a multitude of places I could live and be happy. Shows like that – performances that physically and creatively blow the doors off a venue that does it’s level-best to support and embellish their endeavors  – that’s why I live here.

Windows Free

mac pro

Christmas came a little early this year – I now have (with the exception of my xbox) a Microsoft-free existence. Weighing in at 55 pounds, this dual Xeon Mac Pro will pair nicely with its G5 and G4 cousins back at the house.

On the Border

Texas will keep you guessing, that’s one of the reasons I like living here. In a state as Red as this, something like the proposed border fence would pass with flying colors. Or maybe not. Several Texas border towns are quietly refusing to allow federal workers on to their lands to begin preliminary construction work.

Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada said Tuesday that he refused two weeks ago to sign documents granting federal workers permission to begin work if it was to be on city property. Del Rio granted limited access and El Paso allowed workers only on its outskirts, said Monica Weisberg Stewart of the Texas Border Coalition, a group that represents local officials.

“This is exercising our rights. This is our property,” Ahumada said. “We are not going to make it easy for them.” – Houston Chronicle Full Article

Let me be clear – the immigration problem is a clusterfuck. No one has presented a viable solution for immigrant/human rights while securing the borders from various nefarious elements (and to be sure there is some wacky business going on down there). But a wall, a $1.2 billion fence? There was a town in Germany that tried this for while – Berlin was the name, I think ? I seem to remember that not going too well, but I’m sure that Mike Chertoff and the gang at Homeland Security will be able to do a better job than an oppressive Soviet regime. Look at the bang-up job they did with Katrina…

Calling the Race

Calling the Race – Slate uses Google suggest and other web-trend metrics to take stock of the presidential race.

Hills. Lots of Hills

elevations2

Just in case you thought I’d be slacking on this 90 mile ride I’ve been asking for donations for – think again. Miles 30 through 50 might kill me. Really.

Sputnik

Fifty years ago the soviets pushed the technological envelope by doing something we now take for granted – launching a satliete.

Each of these first rockets was like a beloved woman for us,” he said. “We were in love with every rocket, we desperately wanted it to blast off successfully. We would give our hearts and souls to see it flying.”

Read More from Wired News.