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The internet is not just for porn…

it’s also for things that are “cute.”

So my friend linked me to this Puppy or Chicken video on YouTube – which is basically where all my entertainment comes from nowadays. So this couple uploads videos of their adorable white French Bulldog. They’ve disabled embedding of their videos so you’ll have to click to it. Observe here.

It makes me wonder how long these guys just sit around and wait for their dog to do something cute, and by all means, it’s definitely cute. I just don’t think I’ve ever sat around trying to get my dog to do cute things on camera. This is why I love gay guys. They’re so excited about every little thing their baby does, just like new, hetero parents.

Here are more good videos of Percy the French Bulldog/Chicken:

Puppy or Chicken II (Note the indifferent “and here’s Kevin” moment. classic.)

Percy attacks the camera 

Percy uses his hands

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Oh the places you’ll go!

At this moment I have three friends scattered across Europe. All are there independent of each other and all are probably in different countries.

My friend Andy is in the USAF and is there working. He’s either in Berlin or Paris. He’s usually in Berlin but last he told me he was headed to Paris, for what reason I’m not sure.

My cousin is backpacking through Europe right now. Last I talked to her she was in London but that was about week ago. She was traveling with a friend but when they arrived in London her friend was sent back to New York, for what reason I do not know. Taking time to travel through Europe is something I’d really like to do. I know this is probably true for a lot of liberal Americans but I just thought I’d mention it.

My friend Sean is currently in Italy for a wedding. Can you imagine getting married in Italy (and not living there). Better yet, getting married in a castle in Italy. I think that’s what they’re doing anyway, or maybe the reception is in a castle. Either way, I’ve never been to a castle before, let alone a castle in Italy.

Meanwhile, I’m here, in Los Angeles…which may seem glamorous to some but it really isn’t, or maybe I’m just jaded. There is something to be said though about sleeping in your own bed. Sometimes you’ll sleep in better but more often than not it’s hard to fall asleep in a foreign bed.

Like I said before, I really want to travel through Europe some time. I had always thought that I would do it once I graduated from college, but I just went right into working. It’s not bad, I love my work, but I now have to find time to do the Europe thing.

I think the last time I used my passport was when I went to Puerto Vallarta for my senior trip. I can’t believe that was five years ago. Five years. Saying it out loud makes it unbelievable because it feels like I just left high school. The memories are still fresh. Does that mean I’ve done nothing as memorable since then? Or perhaps I spent so much time there with those people that it will take longer to forget. I like to think it’s the latter.

Anyway, I know I’ve done this before (not here) but I’ve compiled my travel wishlist:

  • London
  • Fiji
  • Paris
  • Rome
  • Greece
  • Denver
  • Tokyo
  • South Africa
  • New Zealand
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Iceland

I can think of more but at this point I’m just naming places. I’d also like to revisit New York and San Francisco. Always San Francisco. Now I just have to find the time and money. I guess I’ll be reading 4-Hour Work Week.

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Welcome to the, how do you say, show?

Welcome to my mid-year show review. It’s actually not quite mid year yet but I have free time right now and who knows when I’ll feel up to the task again. So here we go.

I was pretty happy with the number of shows I attended last year. I was even able to cross bands off my “must see before I die” list, the list isn’t very long so it was relatively easy to do for me. Living in Los Angeles, helps quite a bit too.

My first show of the year was actually not until February when I saw The Blow at The Echo with Julie.  Actually it was just Kaehla from The Blow, Jona was touring with Yacht at the time. Still it was a pretty high energy, feel good time and I even got to meet Kaehla.

Next was Do Make Say Think at The Troubador with Sean. That was a really relaxed show, how can you not be with DMST? This was the show where I realized one of the best places to sit at the Troub was way in the back behind the bar. Not only do you have a seat but generally it’s far back enough that you can see over everyone, with the exception of maybe unbelievably tall person.

Then South by Southwest came and it was a big “showfest” for me. I tried to take photos of each band I saw. The flickr set is here if you’d like to see.  The most notable band for me was The Faint. I’ve loved them for years and was ecstatic when I heard they were going to be playing SxSW. Of course, I have no proof  of this because my computer and camera didn’t want to talk to each other that night and deleted all the pictures from that show. I’m going to do this list style:

  •  Yacht
  • The Mae Shi
  • Ghostland Observatory
  • The Black Lips
  • Andrew Bird
  • Tokyo Police Club
  • Bloc Party
  • Apes and Androids
  • Apostle of Hustle
  • Thunderbirds Are Now!
  • De Novo Dahl (I’d never heard of them before)

from the party we threw:

  • Deep Sea Diver (really great local band from Long Beach, CA)
  • Chuck Ragan
  • This Providence
  • Limbeck
  • MC Lars
  • Brazil
  •  The Oohlas

There might have been a couple more bands that I just don’t remember or didn’t catch their names.

Upon returning, I’m not sure if this counts but, I went to a club to see Prince Paul do a DJ set. I think that sort of counts as a show.

Then Man Man at The Roxy to start April off. That was an awesome show. I’d never heard Man Man before and it was a pretty great introduction. They have so much energy. It was so fun with lots of yelling and stompyness. I’ve started listening to them regularly since that show.

The next night I went to see Dntel (the non-Gibbard half of The Postal Service) spin at The Natural History Museum. I also caught a set by The Submarines and Plaid while I was there.

The next week it was Triple Chicken Foot in Pasadena. They’re this local  twangy banjo threesome I found online. Sort of bluegrass, folky, Appalachian music. It was quite pleasant.

The week after that I saw Lavender Diamond at the Disney REDCAT theater. They played with Indian Jewelry, which I wasn’t too fond of. I think I actually took that time to take a nap. Totally disrespectful, but it really wasn’t my cup of tea. However, Lavender Diamond was so entertaining and cute. It was quite an experience, I was a little bored at times but I’m sure any Diamond fan would have been thrilled to have been there.

Art Brut at the Troub three days later. Then Sunset Rubdown and Xiu Xiu at the Troub again about three days after that. April appears to have been a busy month for me! I didn’t even realize until now.

Next on the list is one I’ve been anticipating for awhile now. Arcade Fire at The Greek. I’m hoping it will be amazing, how could it not be? But I’m trying to play it down in my head, not get too over excited for this. I’ll let you know how it goes.

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This and That

Updates, list style (because who has the time anymore?)

This:

  • new bike as of 5/19
  • new bike injuries as of 5/23
  • my iPod is officially deceased as of 5/22
  • I’ve started reading more comics (Optic Nerve, Stephen King’s Dark Tower series)

That:

  • Julie is moving to Austin, TX
  • Joss and Jeremy are moving to San Leandro, CA
  • Rachel and Randy are moving to Seattle, WA
  • Sean is moving to San Francisco, CA
  • I’m staying put and need to make new friends
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Chicken Scratch

I’ve recently discovered that I love Appalaichan music. If you’re wondering what that means well, it’s a form of banjo strummin’, fiddle fiddlin’, harmoninzin’, knee-slappin’, yeeeehawin’ country/folk type music that originated in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States.

I hadn’t always known that I liked it or even what it was called. My appreciation of music has come a long way since I started developing my own tastes and discovering music back in grade school. I think I’ve always sort of liked that sound but until now I never really took it seriously as a genre of music that I could listen to or identify with as a music lover. It’s not something that you usually hear on the radio. It’s not really commerical – unless you’re defining “commerical as a commerical for mother’s day at the Chicken Scratch Shack. Or something.

I’m Chinese American. Well, I’m full blooded Chinese but I’m a first generation so I really consider myself an American (not only because I literally am but because I don’t really identify with anyone from China). This love for the sounds of twangy instruments makes me wonder what in my childhood could have inlfluenced my taste in music. How does a little girl growing up in America with traditional Chinese parents fall in love with a genre of music like old- timey Appalaichan music?

How did that happen? I wonder if these tastes and preferences are inherent in our DNA from birth and it just takes some experiementation to find them or if this is something competely learned. Is it another case of Nature Vs Nurture?