right on roger

Courtesy of Pop Zeus – here is the setlist for the Cincinatti Boston Spaceships show:

1. Psych Threat
2. Zero Fix
3. To The Path!
4. Father’s Favorite Temperature (The Takeovers – Bad Football)
5. You Satisfy Me
6. The Blondes
7. Ready To Pop
8. The Butler Stands For All Of Us (from upcoming Pollard 7″ of same name)
9. Heavy Crown (from next Boston Spaceships record)
10. No One But I
11. Love Theory (Psycho And The Birds – We’ve Moved)
12. Rat Trap
13. The Original Heart
14. Brown Submarine
15. Headache Revolution (Guided By Voices – Suitcase 2)
16. Weatherman And Skin Goddess
17. North 11 AM
18. 1 Years Old
19. Two Girl Area
20. Still In Rome
21. Winston’s Atomic Bird
22. Catherine From Mid-October (Robert Pollard – Zoom EP)
23. First Spill Is Free (The Takeovers – Turn To Red)
24. Andy Playboy
25. Blue Gil (Guided By Voices – Suitcase)
26. Little Green Onion Man (The Takeovers – Bad Football)
27. Confessions Of A Teenage Jerk-Off
28. Ate It Twice
29. Soggy Beavers
30. Dorothy Is A Planet (Guided By Voices – Suitcase)
31. Hound Has The Advantage (Psycho And The Birds – We’ve Moved)
32. Western Centipede
33. Go For the Exit
34. Wealth & Hell Being

ENCORE
35. Hello There (Cheap Trick cover)
36. Sensational Gravity Boy (Guided By Voices – Briefcase / Red, Hot & Bothered comp)
37. Carnival At The Morning Star School (Guided By Voices – Suitcase)
38. Crutch Came Slinking (Guided By Voices – King Shit And The Golden Boys [Box])
39. Gratification To Concrete

HOLY CRAPOLA what a set! And even better, Phil (who runs Pop Zeus) says that they have been playing GBV songs such as “Tractor Rape Chain” and “Cut Out Witch” in the encore. I’ve been trying to stay off the GBV message board “Disarm The Settlers” so I keep some surprises – but hot damn I really need to go look at the rest of the set lists.

My favorite song on Brown Submarine is “Psych Threat,” and I’m very excited they are using this as their opener – it is a balls out rocker and will be the pitch perfect opener for what is sure to be the best concert I have ever been to… and I’ve been to a few.

Oh.. and “Crutch Came Slinking” in the encore?!? OH MAAAAAAAAN AWESOME!

I drank girl drinks last night

Sue me.

this gun’s a frozen light gun

Debates tonight.

Drinking game: drink everytime you see an old rich white man who is politically impotent and same as the old boss.

You’ll be drunk in minutes!!!

Fringe: The Formula

I’ve discovered the formula for that television show, Fringe.

Here is an episode:

1. Weird, ghastly thing happens to a person or group of people, loud horn/strings section plays sustained (but intensifying) note as it heads into the first break.

2. Hot, talented Australian woman hangs out, gets phone call about ghastly incident. She gathers the team.

3. Cut to crazy old kook scientist being fascinated by something like a cellphone (even though he will do something later in the episode like take pictures out of a dead eyeball using a top-secret high tech camera).

4. Team shows up at ghastly scene… questions abound!

5. Crazy old kook realizes that ghastly scene is just like an experiment he did with Professor so and so way back in the day. Perhaps they should find him/the files/the experiment to see if it has any bearing on ghastly incident.

6. Hot Australian looks hot, Australian.

7. Team knows the problem, but they are lacking one key bit of evidence! Fortunately crazy old kook has an idea of a highly experimental but imaginative way to retrieve information. Crazy old kook’s son is flabbergasted. It will never work!

8. IT DOES WORK!

9. Team finds bad guy/thing, but all the questions aren’t answered.

10. Hot Australian girl throws boomerang, slams a Fosters and blows a kiss at the screen.*

* Robert wishes

If you’ve spoken to me before about television, you know how I feel about the format and the way it uses (manipulates) the viewer into drawing out simple stories into 6 seasons worth of cliffhangers and silly romances. But hey, I’m watching this show at work. Also – I have a crush on the hot Australian.

Let’s talk beer

Man, I love beer. I love it so much. It is so delicous and cold and delicious! I love beers! It is a social drink. Buy 36 beers and invite over your friends! Sit around and watch a Steven Seagal movie and drink beers!

Here are my favorite beers.

Newcastle! A delicious brown ale, smooth with an almost malt vinegar finish. I have a friend from the UK who says Newcastle over there is like Budweiser over here – it’s pretty much the stock ale. That’s ok by me!

I’ve had Newcastle all three ways. On tap is of course the best, but inexplicably it is the best from an authentic British pub, like my favorite: The Cock and Bull. At home it is always available to you in its autumn colored bottle. HOWEVER, if you go to a Laker’s game and go into one of those private booths that overlook the arena, they serve you Newcastle in a can! WEIRD. Newcastle is also quite prominent in Quadrophenia.

But sometimes I’d like something lighter, for the warm Los Angeles weather.

Well, lately I’ve been drinking a lot of Bud Light. Yes… seriously. And I keep it so cold, it is probably the most refreshing beer I’ve had in a dog’s age. But it has to be ice cold. Of course you know I’m a fan of the Miller High Life as well. But if I’d like to have a lager that’s a little more.. well.. tasty.. I usually go with:

Rolling Rock! Which has a sneaky sneaky way of kicking your butt all the sudden. I always enjoy a Rolling Rock because of the wonderful bottle, and CVS constantly has them on sale for 8.99/12.

I’ve recently tried Birra Moretti, an Italian lager very similar to Stella Artois. Stella Artois seems to be Los Angeles’ most favorite beer of all time, but I really am not a fan of the Belgian pale ale.

I also miss my favorite Oregon lager: Henry Weinhard’s Blue Boar ale. Another lager in a skunky green bottle – I used to drink these by the dozen in college. Oregon friends: I’d love to have a Blue Boar with you right now!

Then of course I really enjoy the stouts – chocolate stouts or imperial stouts or anything so dark you can’t shine a light through it.

Basically – I’m at work right now and very very thirsty. I have a list of delicious beers I’d like to try, and here are a few:

Old Speckled Hen, an English ale.
Belikin and Litehouse Lager, beers from Belize.
Orval Beer, made by monks!!!

What are some of your favorite beers, dear reader? What should I try? Why?!?!

My Experience with Mac Performance

WARNING: THIS IS VERY LONG, AND VERY BORING.

I’ve ranted on here before that I have less than desirable luck sometimes. And yes, to put everything in perspective, at least I don’t have a deadly disease etc etc etc. But that still doesn’t negate the fact that something in my stars just doesn’t line up sometimes, and pretty much everything goes to crap.

Take for instance my experience with Mac Performance – a custom exhaust shop out of Temecula, California. They make all sorts of pipes for cars, motorcycles, etc. They also are one of the only places that still makes aftermarket pipes for the CL/CB 350.

As my scrambler pipes are shot, I decided to order a set of 2 into 1 pipes from them. I first placed my order about 3 weeks ago, on a Thursday. I called and asked if they had them in stock, and they said yes. I said “that is wonderful news, I would like to order a set of these very nice, very chromy pipes.” “No problemo – they will be there on Tuesday, because of the holiday weekend.” “Ok, I said. Thank you very much.”

Tuesday comes around, and no pipes. I check my bank account, and they haven’t even charged me for them yet. So I call them up and ask them what the deal is with my order. The man on the phone says “you know those are out of stock, right?” I reply calmly (with a minimum amount of snark) “no – why would I order something that is out of stock? You guys told me you had them in stock. When will they be back in stock?” He answers “I have no idea.” You have no idea? You are the manufacturer of these pipes, and you have no idea? I cancel my order.

Everywhere else on the internet is completely out of stock of these pipes as well, and every place I call doesn’t know when they will get them back in stock, because Mac Performance doesn’t know. So I resign myself to having to get stock CB headers and replacement exhausts – something that is undesirable to me because I don’t like the look. However, a smooth running bike is more important to me.

(Way more boring junk after the jump)

Had the tools, not the talent

yes siree, you bet your bob

They have “famous Surf Dogs” here.

Tomorrow should be unprecedented!

First off, if UPS does me right, this should be the last day with my spotty idle and my exhaust stained jeans – my 2:1 pipes should be here this afternoon. Pictures will follow, because I know you are dying to see what a scrambler looks like when its been descrambled (short answer, it turns a CL into a CB).

Lots of stuff happening on the CB750… this will be a separate post completely. It is a doozy.

“What the hell, Robert. Is this just a post telling me about upcoming posts?”

Yes. Sometimes you just need to start writing stuff down, so you can remember what it was like to want to write stuff down.

The new Boston Spaceships album is really, really good.

Will I teach my kid cat math someday with examples like this?

Boston Spaceships : Brown Submarine :: Guided By Voices : Propellor

“Were you at the very first Boston Spaceships tour?”

“You betcha, right here in Austin, Texas.”

“Yeehaw!”

Ninja Cat!!!

This video cracks me up.

oh dear

More at Isabelle’s blog.

YESSSSSSSSS!

Finally – I got my tickets for Boston Spaceships in Austin, Texas next month.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

THIS WILL BE THE GREATEST VACATION OF ALL TIME!!!!!

Over two years on two wheels

I was talking with Jaxon last night about cars and car shopping. Jaxon is currently shopping for a new car, and he was talking about Camrys and Volvos and whatnot. Reliable cars. I had a flashback.

I’ve never really owned a cool car. The closest was a 1990 Chevy Cavalier that I put shiny rims on, and it had a sunroof and four doors so we could all pile in and turn up my wicked-awesome 300 dollar stereo. That car was a lot of fun, but it wasn’t cool. It didn’t get compliments on the street or anything. The next car was a Geo Metro. Now, I’m not one to bad-mouth my Geo Metro even though everyone gave me a lot of shit for driving one. But it was functional and it fit 4 people and I moved a freaking couch in it – so I love the car. But it wasn’t a desirable car.

So I guess I’m trying to make up for lost time with my motorcycles. I always get compliments and questions about my bikes – once a week at least and sometimes everyday. Mostly because both my motorcycle and scooter are older and uncommon, and I ride them every single day. It makes me happy when I’m at a stoplight and some stranger gives me a thumbs up. Going places is fun, and I feel a little more unique in the sea of cars on the road.

Yesterday I was watching traffic at the crosswalk to the library. I think I counted about 40 mid-size SUV’s, most indistinguisable from each other despite being different brands and different colors. It was depressing to me, and I couldn’t figure out why. I’m not one to think that a car defines the driver – I think that is ridiculous. But something felt weird and disposable about all these cars driving by.

Anyway – it has been over two years riding on two wheels only, and I love it. I still get the same questions:

“What do you do when it rains?”
“How do you buy groceries?”
“What if you want to carry something big?”
“Isn’t that dangerous?”

And of course, the answers are always the same:

“I get wet.” (Andrew WK reference!)
“With a debit card.”
“I’m always carrying something big… (wink).”
“Isn’t everything?”

Only sometimes I pine for a small pickup truck. But that is what friends are for.

In conclusion – National Ride Your Motorycle to Work Day is for Harley riding Dentists.

The saddest scene

in Quadrophenia is when Jimmy crashes his Lammy into the postal truck. Also, when he finds Ace Face’s Vespa GS. What a freaking beautiful scooter!

Too bad about the cliff.

go for the exit

don’t think, just go

First day on the CB 750

I’ve started a Flickr photo set for working on the Honda CB750. All the work today cost this much money: $0. (Well, I spent 9 dollars on some High Life).

Anyway, I wrote a lot on the photos I took, so if you are interested in this project, I recommend heading over to the photo set.

I’m going to invest in some serious motorcycle tire irons.