http://greasy.com/november/index.html november's Blog en-us © 22:42:03 Greasy.com All rights reserved. Sun, Jul 22:42:03 6 GMT 30 http://greasy.com/november/storage.html Organizational gurus say that if you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it. Pictures are hard to get rid of b/c they tell stories that mark milestones and just the way life was . . . but I have 9 plastic containers worth that will have to be thoroughly downsized. That's the hard part. I use to teach homeschooling, so there's an inventory of various curricula, learning materials, and of course, all of our son's artwork. Why is this so stressful to me? Imagine 9 full boxes of recorded lif ... Sat, 5 Jul 2008 18:31:23 GMT http://greasy.com/november/independence_day.html In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States, but is often also viewed as ... Fri, 4 Jul 2008 16:59:34 GMT http://greasy.com/november/euro_gig.html This is some info on one of our son's European shows with Sergio Mendes. The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held each second weekend of July in The Netherlands. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it's being held in Rotterdam. The founder of the three-day festival was Paul Acket, a businessman and jazz lover who had made fortune in the 1960s with his pop magazine publishing company. When Acket sold his company in 1975, he was able to start up and sponsor the North ... Thu, 3 Jul 2008 17:30:22 GMT http://greasy.com/november/student_counselor.html I applied for a position at an upcoming college of design in Monrovia. It's less than 10 miles away, but the description is helping students map out their classes as they pursue design. It may not be paying much, but by now, any income would be a contribution, so . . . Noticed there are 8 alumni from my school on their faculty - so perhaps there is a pretty good chance? Meantime, waiting to hear from one design group in Culver City. Am also hoping to land the job that is less than a mile a ... Thu, 3 Jul 2008 00:53:43 GMT http://greasy.com/november/eligibility.html It used to be that graphic designers worked primarily on printed matter, i.e., flyers, album covers, posters, etc. Today though, the digital age has broadened the description to include web design, animation, motion graphics. 2/3 of the job postings require the latter skill set. Very few positions want the graphic designer who adheres strictly to print. It seems that for every position I apply for, several before me were "let go". Competition in this metropolis is great. July marks the 6th ... Tue, 1 Jul 2008 04:22:54 GMT http://greasy.com/november/subscriptions.html In the 70s, I subscribed to: -Apartment Life Magazine -National Geographic -Rolling Stone the 80s: Time the 90s: -Time -National Geographic -Consumer Report -Martha Stewart Living the early 00s: -Time -Martha Stewart Living -Oprah 2008: -Time -Dwell Having moved as many times as we've been married, it had been incumbent upon me to cull significant articles from all these subscriptions. I bought 3-ring D-binders and sheet protectors to save these articles. Of course, these are tomes, but th ... Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:42:43 GMT http://greasy.com/november/reinvented.html - well-defined biceps - thicker hair - more moxie - less ambition - more libido - less anxiety - new car: Mercedes Smart or Prius - 2 armoires - live on banana cream yogurt - low blood pressure - live near beach - strong back - solid will power - more tolerance - less "stuff" (or sh*t per George Carlin) - everything wireless - no debt - more time - less regret - unlimited patience - mid-century modern atop a hillside w/a view - 20/20 vision - working at home Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:02:38 GMT http://greasy.com/november/counterbalance.html 26: a) voices that consider the immediate environs b) 75 degrees c) rain/shower/ocean scents d) Cibelle e) Diana Krall f) lilting voices g) restrained commentary i) applewood bacon j) Charlie Rose, Tavis Smiley, Conan O'Brien k) respectful drivers l) well-behaved children (not silent but well-mannered) m) ladybugs n) L'air du Temps for women; Gendarme for men o) al dente pasta p) music that builds crescendo q) originality r) well-designed things s) zero landscaping t) humility u) hummingbi ... Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:48:41 GMT http://greasy.com/november/26_dislikes.html a) loud people b) extreme heat/cold c) vanilla candles d) Kenny G e) Michael Bolton f) whining g) being interrupted h) liver i) boom box overload j) cloying talk show hosts (Elizabeth Hasselbeck) k) tailgaters l) parents who don't m) aphids n) strong-smelling perfumes o) undercooked asparagus p) repetitious songs q) copycats r) badly designed utilitarian objects s) unkempt landscapes t) haughtiness u) patronizing v) dirty fingernails x) most trends y) bad typography z) dut-dutta-duh!!! mos ... Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:05:33 GMT http://greasy.com/november/1214779887.html Looserobes inspired this and my last post. Here goes... I enjoy lounging in a beautifully designed chair while drinking a Mojito and listening to bossa nova. and sometimes I love to sew or draw portraits with my colored pencils Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:51:27 GMT http://greasy.com/november/35.html 1. Where is your cell phone? on my computer table 2. Your significant other? watching a video 3. Your hair? recently cut like Victoria Beckham 4. Your mother? lives 2 blocks away 5. Your father? deceased since '71 6. Your favorite thing? my hydraulic desk from DWR 7. Your dream last night? babysitting a girl doing graffiti in her mom's dining room 8. Your favorite drink? Midori on ice 9. Your dream/goal? Living it 10. The room you're in? my studio 11. Your ex? have none 12. Your fear? heig ... Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:23:41 GMT http://greasy.com/november/taiko_performance.html This Saturday, our instructor and the advanced class will be featured in the 3rd Annual Makoto Taiko Performance at the Shumei Hall in Pasadena. The press will be there and PBS will be filming. Our 'sensei' (instructor) is famous in Japan and was sent here two years ago to teach taiko. PBS has been compiling his life story which is to air around the holidays. I just learned at Tuesday night's class that he only teaches once a year, which is the time table for students from beginner to adva ... Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:12:20 GMT http://greasy.com/november/hannas_blog.html This is for Lynnie & RedImpala: http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/?p=814 After reading about her, you might get a better sense of her overall mental/emotional well-being. I believe she overall dispositions herself as a happy, creative person who SOMETIMES (key word here) allows her "ugly" side to come out and treats it as a friend rather than an enemy. I think the way she expresses her feelings is constructive and healthy. Only reason I posted what she wrote about Ugly was b/c she seemed to acknow ... Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:35:53 GMT http://greasy.com/november/play_ugly.html I read this on a blogsite today: Art shouldn't have to be all pretty and cute. On bad days I make ugly doodles. And on some days I feel like skulls and skeletons, death and disaster. Why not bring out your journal and paint a page black? Or write other words than play, create, smile. Write about death, rage, and panic attacks. Write about your fears, your troubles, your pain, your loss. I use my diary to write everything and sometimes my pages are unreadable, but still, I'm glad I made the ... Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:37:59 GMT http://greasy.com/november/carnegie_hall.html Our son said he has an 18-hour day helping to set up the sound for Sergio Mendes' entourage at Carnegie Hall tonight. He's so stoked about being part of them and continues to share his adventures w/us. The original lineup of Brasil '66 was Mendes (piano), vocalists Lani Hall and Janis Hansen, Bob Matthews (bass), Jose Soares (percussion) and Joao Palma (drums). John Pisano was the guest guitarist. This line-up recorded three albums between 1966-1968 (including the best-selling Look Around ... Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:49:50 GMT http://greasy.com/november/109_pasadena.html Main headlines warn: a) keep hydrated b) never leave kids or pets in a locked car c) check in on senior family/friends d) carry a water bowl for your dog e) don't overexert yourself Creative solutions: a) carry a spray bottle & spritz as needed b) wet a washrag & put around your neck c) eat/drink cold things d) take a nap w/a cold washrag across your eyes e) suck on menthol candies (Lifesaver's Pep-o-mint) Be Cool! Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:03:10 GMT http://greasy.com/november/taiko_project.html The TP is one of approximately 10,000 groups in the U.S. They have had the most publicity but other groups are gaining on them. Many top tier performing artists are beginning to feature taiko drummers. This is becoming a phenomenon somewhat. As you can see, dancing is often incorporated into the song, requiring audio visual coordination. Our instructor has toured the world and his advanced class is booked for shows until mid-2009. We are beginners, then there is an intermediate level, and ... Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:57:14 GMT http://greasy.com/november/3rd_taiko_class.html Wow. Tonight we learned a very complex song. It had 9 parts. We do exercises before and after the class to make sure we are stretching and loosening muscles. We have to hold our abs tight and stand in a position that keeps our spines neutral. After class, our sensei showed us a PowerPoint history of his years learning taiko. He's sort of famous in taiko circles around the world. He started when he was 22 y/o and they practiced 9 hours/day. His taiko ensemble played Europe for 6 months and ... Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:37:47 GMT http://greasy.com/november/stuart_2.html Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:31:03 GMT http://greasy.com/november/stuart_matthewman.html Special thx to James for helping me post this: Sade and her band are my favorite of all time. She is backed by superb musicians. Stuart is her main guitarist (acoustic on King of Sorrows), electric on Paradise (Lover's Live). His driving sound can be heard on this version of YouTube, however, more of his talent can be seen on Sade's DVD, Lover's Live, which is sensational. It's worth listening to and watching (if you're a Sade fan). The audiovisual quality is so much better - especially if ... Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:18:42 GMT