No Chaser

New Blog

By one of my bros --  featuring his fab spam poetry.

posted by: NoChaser at February 26, 2007 19:46 | link | comments |

Hellbent for Tuba

Okay, so we go see hellbent, and I'm pretty much there because I know Steven Bernstein from Sex Mob stuff because I like Briggan Krause, so I was pleasantly surprised to find my attention almost entirely focused on the drummer and tuba player.  And, while I could say some good stuff about the drumming, I tend not to get what they're doing as well as I get most other instruments, so the tubist ended up being my favorite. 

His name is Marcus Rojas, and he is sharp, funny, rhythmic.  This guy is fantastic.  He's playing bass and melody and cracking wise through his horn.  Fucking brilliant.  If you ever have the chance, see him; he will bring you great joy.

posted by: NoChaser at February 25, 2007 11:45 | link | comments |

Another Amazing Job Opportunity

You know you have made the right career change decision when, in the course of a month, two amazingly perfect jobs pop up for you in cities you really like at institutions you respect doing work you really enjoy and are invested in.
 
This latest one is at a research library I have long fantasized about working in.  Seriously, since I was doing my MA in the mid-90s, I have wanted to work at this place.  And today, over ten years later, I read on their website a job description that looks written for me.  It is quite thrilling.

posted by: NoChaser at February 23, 2007 13:44 | link | comments (5) |

New Blog

I've started a new themed blog.  I'll keep writing this one of course, but I hope you'll check out the new one, Earworm, as well.

posted by: NoChaser at February 21, 2007 12:50 | link | comments |

"Doctor"

Walking the dogs in the park down the street, I often meet a man, Dr. X, who is on occasion wearing a fleece jacket with his name "Dr. X" embroidered on the left just above his heart and just underneath a patch identifying the pharmaceutical company that so graciously provided him with this personalized garment.

And, as great as is my horror at pharmaceutical companies and their unethical financial wooing of medical professionals,  I shudder more completely at the idea of walking around with one's name pronouncing itself from one's chest, and not only one's name, but one's title as well.

Now, I can also append "Dr." to my name, and while I have no one wooing me with embroidered fleece jackets (or cheese baskets or scuba vacations for that matter), I could easily find some service that would embroider my name on any item of apparel I liked.  But, why would I?  What does sporting "Dr. NC" on my person do for me?  What does wearing his "Dr. X" fleece do for Dr. X, aside from keeping him warm?

I only know what it does not do.  It does not endear me to him.  It does not fill my mind with pleasant thoughts about his character.  It does not make me want to engage him in conversation except perhaps about his personalized fleece jacket.
 

posted by: NoChaser at February 20, 2007 13:00 | link | comments (2) |

The week-end

I know you think my life is all salsa and frivolity, and indeed there is plenty of that, but there is also work work work. 

These on-line classes are much more work than the in-person classes, and Librarienne will back me up on that one.  I do admit to loving my reference assignments even though they are amazingly time-consuming.  I have long been a closeted reference librarian, eager to find the answer to any random question that comes up.  In fact, I like the internet primarily because it provides ready reference when you are just hanging out at home drinking beer and wondering how tempeh is made, who designed the Tate Modern, and just exactly where Natalie Barney is buried.  So, I do enjoy my reference assignments, and it's a good thing since I've applied for a reference position, and it seems they are the jobs that I seem most qualified for at this early stage in my library career.

In dance news (yes, of course there is dance news!), Boise and I convinced M Didi to come dancing with us Friday night even though she has been very resistant to a month of entreaties.  Her partner was especially pleased since she loves to dance and hasn't been able to get D to budge.  Because they had just bonded over a shared primal motorcycle lust, I am convinced it was Boise's ease and apparent joy in dancing during our brief demonstration at the local tavern where the four of us were gathered for drinks prior to dancing that gave M Didi the confidence she needed to try it out.  Once we got her on the floor for swing, salsa, waltz, and two-step (which I suck at by the way), she had a good time and even decided to sign up for Salsa lessons.

This OutDancing night was far superior to the regular themed nights because it is less crowded, the people are more interesting and not desperate, and there is a variety of music and dances, including various random dancing to really bad music from the late 70s and early 80s.  People go crazy during these songs performing insane, impromptu routines to such classics as the theme song to Fame.  Good clean fun and remarkably good exercise.

posted by: NoChaser at February 18, 2007 19:03 | link | comments (1) |

I know, I know

I haven't posted in ages.  That's because I am too busy doing curls to beef up my biceps so my tattoo looks cool.

But, really, I have been writing some other things -- poems, schoolwork, journal entries. longish emails -- and so my blogging has been lax.

Here's some of what's been going on:

I went salsa dancing with a friend, Boise, from class, and mainly I danced with her, but then this guy named Darwin kept asking me to dance.  While he was fun to dance with, I was a bit put off by his repeated efforts to get me to go to Miami with him ... that and his pants falling down.  The whole scene was a little too desperate het pickup for me -- lots of women in "strappy sandals," filmy dresses with spaghetti straps, and red lipstick -- and Boise and I have vowed never to attend the regular salsa nights again.  Salsa 2 class starts next week.  Yippee. 

I applied for a great job in a great city and am daydreaming about it on occasion. 

I watched little bro and his free jazz group play at the Blue Moon.  I was able to drag a couple of friends along, and they seemed to enjoy themselves.  The band had lots of fun and even included a blues-rap number and a screamy, out-of-whack Violent Femmes cover.  At last call, the bartender came out and sang along to a improvised song about beer beer beer.  I stayed out late after the gig talking with the slimmed-down horn section about politics, particularly fun since one of them is a professional lobbyist and the other is an idealistic stoner.

I've been taking long walks around town, and have been enjoying the flowering trees of late.  The Camellias are in bloom, the Daphne has just opened up in sunnier spots, and there's great stuff in the arboretum.  My favorite thing so far has been the Witch Hazel.  It has really pretty frizzly little yellow or red flowers and smells amazing, like citrus or punch depending on the color of the flower.  I also found a flowering shrub that smelled like bitter melon, but I don't know what it was.

I am enjoying season 4 of The L Word, which has improved dramatically.  It is actually better than it ever was. It's funny, kind of smart, not so soapy, has fewer cheesy sex scenes, and is doing some clever filmic things as well.  Another good thing is that the most annoying character is getting far less time on-screen, and when she is on, the other characters acknowledge her total lameness. And, you know what else?  People's clothes and hairdos are better too.

I got a new computer.  My first laptop.  I think it totally rules, and I'm not one to get very excited about a computer.  TT helped me decide what to get and even showed me where to get a very good deal.  Yay for TT!

I also found the most comfortable pair of jeans I have ever worn in my life at a local thrift store.  They are kind of weird-looking, but feel amazing.  When I mentioned to my brother that these are the best jeans ever, he said, "Hey!  I have a pair of those.  Those are the best jeans ever!"

posted by: NoChaser at February 12, 2007 19:37 | link | comments (5) |