Do Nothing

That was my plan for the day. To do absolutely nothing. I wanted to go to a park and sit under the shade of a big tree and relax. And I did that...for 10 minutes. I spend the other 14 hours and 42 minutes with Marie. Enjoyed some fresh Jamba Juice, checked out the boats in Shelter Island, took a long walk in Mission Bay, and hit the movies. Saw Troy and The Day After Tomorrow. Enjoyed Troy for the most part and also a couple of the special effects in The Day After Tomorrow. Then when I got home I got back to getting some work done. I don't know why.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Changes Are No Good" by The Stills

Big Time Movie Experience

Thanks for letting me see Big Fish, Chris. The film is great. Brilliant. Amazing. It has quickly made it's move up, way up, to my list of top 5 favorite movies. Why? There is so much to this movie. Plot, creativity, characters, imagination, substance, humor, drama, and surprises. It is truly a perfect film. I am at a loss for words to describe the experience of watching Big Fish. The visuals are rich and surreal, the characters memorable and entertaining, and the message behind the story grand and moving. I was brought to tears at the end. Chris had advised to "get the tissues ready at Chapter 27 of the DVD", but I didn't take his warning seriously. I had to wipe my crocodile tears off my cheeks using my hands. Was pretty much bawling like a four-year old lost in a big city. Was moved. Lost it. Had no control over the emotional effect the film had on me. It was a beautiful feeling nonetheless.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Sleepy Language" by Layo & Bushwacka

Time To Relax

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Staring at the Sun" by U2

Ready. Set. Go.

Checked out some drag racing at Qualcomm Stadium. The event was put together by Race Legal. This is a great idea to keep the wanna-be racers off the street. My favorite was this beat up Volvo station wagon. The guy was having fun with his mom's old car and didn't care to worry about anything. I also loved the speeding motorcycles. I need to get myself on one and enter the competition. Looks and sounds like a blast! (What's it like falling off a motorcycle speeding at 140mph. One probably doesn't feel anything at all, huh?)

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Exterminator" by Primal Scream

Sleeping Is A Waste Of Time

Made some noise with Koa. We play well together now. It's a good feeling. We need a poet.

Edwin's place is cool. Listened to some Super Furry Animals, reminisced about the past, and made plans for the future.

Hit Borders with Marie and lost myself in the pages of Architecture and Graphic Design books.

Got home and tried to take care of a couple of items on my million-item to-do list. Not enough time. The clock is ticking in the midnight hours. Have to sleep again. God, you got food and sleep backwards. Instead of sleeping eight hours a day and eating for two, I would love to eat different foods eight hours a day and sleep for two. Sleep is a waste of time...unless you have an amazing dream. But that amazing dream comes once a week at best. The other six nights it is either nothingness or some nightmares. My favorite thing about sleeping is waking up.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Pale Blue Eyes" by The Velvet Underground

Fidel's

Great company. Great atmosphere. Great food. Fidel's Mexican Restaurant, a one-time barber shop, often attracts for a bite and a chat. A nice place to unwind...take me back another time.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Movin' On Up" by Primal Scream

Are You Done With That?

I finished all my food. Delicious. The waiter comes over and points at my empty plates and then says "are you done with that?" I don't know how I managed to refrain from bursting out in laughter. I was so ready to respond with "Nah...let me lick them dry and then I'll be done!" I swear I almost heard myself say it, but am glad I didn't. And was that really hair in your plate Bello? Or did you plant that on there for a joke? By the way, thanks for putting on some KISS for me to listen to. I had no idea KISS wrote and played music. I thought they were only action figures and comic book characters who sold a bunch of t-shirts.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Walking In My Shoes" by Depeche Mode

Newsmap

Where do you get your news? I kinda really like totally dig newsmap

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Anecdote" by Ambulance LTD.

Sterilized

A sold out show at the Casbah tonight, but Ben at the door welcomed me with a smile on his face. Witnessed Clinic's performance. Groovy. Surreal. Weird. A bit psychedelic, perhaps, and definitely hypnotic.

Saw Panda who was bar tending. Also ran into 91X DJ Tim Pyles and Casbah owner Tim Mays. I guess I didn't realize that after all these years of playing and seeing shows at the Casbah, I have become part of the local music scene family. I can definitely feel the love.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Suedehead" by Morrissey

School Of Rock 2

I felt like I was in School Of Rock 2 today. Koa brought this guy over to jam with us and he was like "ok, guys, want me to teach you a song? Here we go, 1, 2, 3..." Guitar face. Next, he asked me to play a 10/8 rhythm. If he had asked me to run through the Chinese alphabet backwards I probably would've had a better chance. Well, not entirely true, actually, because I managed to keep a 7/8 or 13/17, or whatever that beat for him after he taught me how to count using "Superman"(3 measures) and "Batman"(2 measures). Next, he asked us to play Jimi Hendrix' "Purple Haze" but with a country feel. Already then. My gosh! This guy was unreal. He had the rock moves, and everything. He could definitely be a contender for Jack Black's role in School Of Rock 2. He was a great bass player too, but just too comical of a character.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix

GuitarPC

Bored of the plain box look of your PC? Why not get the GuitarPC then?

Visit Envador.com to check out other wacky PC designs.

Chestit 60ti rozhden den, chicho. Broi spomeni i mechti a ne godini.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "The Only One I Know" by The Charlatans

Shrek 2

Brilliant! Shrek 2 rocks. And like the first one, it is definitely not just for kids. Most of the humor is adult humor and Pixar has managed once again to make grownups feel like children. Shrek 2 has so many subtle references to contemporary pop culture that I would have to watch it again so I can see what I missed when I was blinking. There were scenes where Marie was noticing a "Farbucks" building while I was laughing at Pinocchio doing Michael Jackson dance moves.

Besides the incredible animation, goofy characters, and great humor, what I like about all these cartoons for adults is that they embody the "lesson to be learned" of the traditional fairy tale and reminds adults to do the right thing. Yes, all such lessons are for children to learn at an early age, but it seems like so may adults never learned some basic moral values.

Thank you,Pixar, for the 2 hours of pure entertainment and I can't wait to see The Incredibles (the trailer for it looks awesome!)

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Loops of Fury" by The Chemical Brothers

Disc Golfin'

Hit Morley Field with Koa and his friend Eric for a nice round of Disc Golfin'. I couldn't get a par on a single basket, but kept a consistent 5 on all. There are so many damn trees all over the place. My disc kept hitting them all like as if I was playing pinball. Anyway, what my consistent 5 means is that once I get better at this whole disc golfin' thing, I'll be a consistent 4 and then eventually a consistent par. There were so many people at the course, considering it is a Wednesday night; and the 3 of us were the only ones without disc golf bags. I witnessed some amazing throws. Some people are way too serious about this game. Apparently, Disc Golf is gaining popularity not only nationwide, but all over the world. Check out the Professional Disc Golf Association.

By the way, I finally got a chance to take some pictures of the infamous shoetree at Morley Field:

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Writing To Reach You" by Travis

Man on Earth?

Andy Kaufman Returns. I would like to believe but am still not convinced. We'd have to wait and see, I guess. If true, this is one of the most elaborate hoaxes ever, bigger than the big foot hoax, and much more than just performance art. Is it true that Andy Kaufman is still alive? I don't know, but apparently if it's really him, he is blogging about his return.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Doo Uap, Doo Uap, Doo Uap" by Gabin

Aicha, Aicha! Woo Woo...

The REAL American Idol. Classic! The world would be a better place if we had more soulful singers like this dude. As Simon would say, "this is exactly what this competition is all about!"

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Things Behind the Sun" by Nick Drake

Done. How To Fold A T-Shirt In One Move.

Doing the laundry's fun. Not. It's fun when it's done...or when you find that 20-dollar bill in that pocket that you almost never use of that pair of pants that you almost never wear. One thing that's important when you do laundry in a public place, is to show some serious skill. Folding a t-shirt in one move could make you look really cool at the neighborhood Laundromat.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Once Around the Block" by Badly Drawn Boy

Chillin' At Da Yard Houz

After the sad sad news of Kelly's big party being broken up, joined a group of Bulgarians celebrating someone's graduation at the Yard House. This place offers between 130 and 250 beers on tap. I wasn't in the mood for even one. Rocked out to Snoop Dogg, Deee-Lite and some old school Run-DMC. Emo, Pavlina, Daniel, Teo, Meto and Pedro, were all reprezentin'. Ran into KC and exchanged music stories. The lucky dude has Pro Tools at his house. That's dangerous. I hope he doesn't forget to step outside and see the light every once in a while.

Downtown rocks. I love the crowds and the random noise.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Stay Together" by Suede

Fat Sabbath

What a trip! Saw Fat Sabbath at the Casbah and it was scary how close to Black Sabbath they sounded. Caught the tail end of Bad Credit's show and also a couple of Bartender's Bible's songs. The proceeds from the cover charge to tonight's event go to "Notes for Notes 2: A Fundraiser For Art Scholarships." I'm glad to be a contributor.

Ran into Andy Panda and Adam the Gimbel. Funny chats. Also met Lisa, Anna, Alan (dude with a Depeche Mode tattoo), and Ryan and his girlfriend from Hawaii. Fun times.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Last Goodbye" by Jeff Buckley

Sunshine Blinds Me At The Beach

...the Beach Bar at the W Hotel, that is. This is a wild night that I am sure will remember without a need to write about in here. Nice. Very nice.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Please Stay" by Röyksopp

Firefox Rox

Mouse Gestures for Firefox. How cool! You can install this extension that allows you to trigger different browser functions by right-clicking your mouse and "drawing" on the screen the corresponding "mouse gesture sign" for a particular function. Here's a full listing of Firefox Extensions.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Bang Bang" by Nancy Sinatra

Thrilled!

I got the goosebumps when Marie delivered the great news that her sister will become a mother in 6 months. I am Thrilled! There is so much life being created around me. It is wonderful. My friend Kristina had a boy a month ago, then my friends in Bulgaria Yuli amd Misho were gifted with newborns a couple of weeks ago. My good friend Joel from high school just had a third child, and now here is the news of Marie to become an aunt in November. Life is beautiful.

I strolled down to the Casbah tonight to check out Ambulance LTD.





I liked the relaxed sound of the band. Some very pleasant melodies in there. I need to check out some more of their music. At the show I ran into old friend Alex. I haven't seen him in probably 4 years. Time really flies these days. It was great to catch up. We had a nice chat at the bar as I was wiping the countertop with my arm, only to realize it when I walked away and beer was dripping off my jacket.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Plans" by The Thrills

Rock Out, Munch Out

It is time to write some songs. Had another cool jam session with Koa tonight and we both feel that we've become comfortable enough with each other's playing that we need to get some songwriting done. I am having way too much fun behind the drum kit. I was never a drummer and never will be one, but I just love to play the drums.

This has nothing to do with drums, but it is worthwhile to mention that Henry's on Midway Dr. is running an incredible special on Anthony's fresh Stuffed Salmon. It is ultra cheap and super easy to prepare (turn on the oven and bake on 450 degrees for 15 minutes). As for the taste - can you say de-li-cious!?

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Capitalism Stole My Virginity" by The (Internationl) Noise Conspiracy

Springtime Web Cleaning

As I go through my thousands of bookmarks related to web design and development, I run across an excellent piece of work that will keep me busy reading. MDN Studio have made available a free 72-page download titled The Designer's Guide to Brand Strategy. I'm intrigued. It looks great. Can't wait to print it and read it.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Woman" by John Lennon

BG Euphoria

JJ and Georgie with their new hairdos are showing some serious party potential. They will be ready in about 20 years or so to hit BG Euphoria - the Bulgarian party in San Diego. Marie and I joined about 150 Bulgarians at Il Forno in La Jolla for some serious partying. Bulgarian DJs from New York flew in to San Diego to spin the latest Bulgarian hits. Watch out America - BG Euphoria is ready to take over dancefloors across the country. Or maybe not.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Bingo Bango" by Basement Jaxx

Nazdrave!

One more time, Happy 14th Birthday, Dominique!

Krassy Can Listen To It: "D-D-Don't Stop The Beat" by Junior Senior

Why I Love Cliché Phrases

They are imaginative. They are clever. They are abstract and almost entertaining. Cliché phrases demonstrate how creative language can be. Just as a picture can be worth a thousand words, a cliché phrase can be worth a thousand images.

Many people don't like cliché phrases because it is, oh so cheesy to use them. People who don't like clichés say "I've heard that phrase a thousand times before" or "why would you use a cliché? You're borrowing someone else's saying." Well, cliché phrases are almost like music hits. People have heard them a million times before, but they still sound good. The first time you hear a cliché phrase, your imagination goes wild, you "get it", and you go "Cool! That's a great way to illustrate a point!" Next time you hear it, you replay that image in your head and feel comfortable knowing what the message is.

It's a better way to communicate using cliché phrases than to use plain and simple boring language. People say "Don't use clichés because we've heard them a thousand times before." The fact of the matter is that if you don't use a cliché but a plain phrase instead, that plain phrase you have heard a million times before.

So if a child asks you "What are cliché phrases?" Don't answer "They are popular phrases that everyone knows and have become overly familiar" but rather say "They are phrases that were old when God was a kid."

So please, don't refrain from using clichés because they are gems of not only language but also of social imagination that are worth passing on to the next generation. Use of cliché phrases don't only spark imaginative thinking but can also inspire for creative thinking. Who knows - in a few years maybe one of your favorite expressions that you share with friends might become a cliché phrase. Your time!

My favorite clichés? Here:

Read between the lines
Let the cat out of the bag
Read him like an open book
What goes around comes around
Easy come, easy go
I need your help like a kangaroo needs a purse
His elevator doesn't reach the top floor
Better safe than sorry
Bite the bullet
Put the cart before the horse
I see the light at the end of the tunnel
The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of a train
Your Time

Looking for a cliché? Try Cliché Finder.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Storm Warning" by I Am Kloot

He Bangs The Drums

I love playing the drums. I wish I had started playing earlier in life. Koa has some new hi-hats and and a new ride for the drumkit that sound great. We rock out louder now. Koa's been coming up with some killer guitar riffs and the 2 of us play tighter. We are getting used to each other's playing. The few moments that we're in synch are so special that make the whole jam session worth the effort. What we need now is to get some more sounds in the mix.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "She Bangs The Drums" by The Stone Roses

Sharing A Birth Date

Happy Birthday Dominique! Happy Birthday Joel! Dominique is my cousin and Joel is one of my best friends from High School. Tonight I raise a toast to both as I chill with B2 at the Rice Lounge of the W. To you two -- Mandarin Absolut and Red Bull up in a clink. Love ya both!

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Good Beat" by Deee-Lite

Important Announcement: Rock'n'Roll is NOT Dead!!!

Dear reader, in case you were concerned that Rock'n'Roll has been dead and long gone, please be advised that this is no longer the case. Rock'n'Roll has been resurrected in the image of the English band MUSE. I was aware of MUSE a couple of years ago, but was not impressed back then. I thought the singer was trying to be Thom Yorke or Jeff Buckley and the music simply didn't do it for me back then. I have been listening to 3 of their new songs in the past couple weeks and started getting into them. On a recording, the music of MUSE is definitely the type that grows on you over time. Didn't care for it too much at first, but little by little found myself throwing on "Stockholm Syndrome", "Time Is Running Out" and "Butterflies & Hurricanes".

Tonight I met Eric and Sandra and reunited with old friends Bob and Marta at Moondoggies in La Jolla. It is nice to catch up. It's great to take a walk down memory lane back to the legendary summer of '94. So much has happened in everybody's life, yet we are all sitting around the table and interacting the way we did 10 years ago -- as if we were all frozen in time and the world around us is the one that kept changing.

Ok...so what about the Rock'n'Roll, you ask. Where do I start? What do I write? How do I capture in words an experience so unreal and abstract? Well, I get in my car to head back home and crank MUSE's "Stockholm Syndrome" which has got to be one of the greatest rockin' tunes. I'm into it. I'm feeling it. Rocking out. Speeding. I am rolling down the windows and I feel the wind engulf me and whisper in my ear "go to the show." I am listening to the music and picturing the band on stage at Brick by Brick for their sold out show. I am thinking that they must've gone on stage at exactly the same time that I started the ignition of my car. So I reach Sea World Drive and without hesitation exit. I am going. My chances of getting in are one in 1000, but what the hell - I'll sit outside and listen to the show the way I used to listen to shows outside the Velvet and the Casbah back in the day before I turned 21. So I park my car and move towards the entrance. "Krassy!!!", I hear my name called out. I am not wearing glasses so I can't recognize the face of the call. Security checks my ID and as I answer his "may I see your ticket?" question with "I don't have one," the person that was calling me turns out to be Mike Halloran, who moves close to me, grabs me by the arm and tells the doorman "He is my plus-one." My wrist is stamped and as I look at Mike with confusion and disbelief, he tells me "Go on! Rock out!" Everything happens so fast and I am almost delirious.

Inside the club the atmosphere is electric. Charged. Hot. Loud. Flashing lights augment the thundering sounds coming from the stage. I move up closer and am pulled in front of the stage by the invisible force of music. The crowd is ecstatic. Arms in the air. Shuffling feet. Screaming and singing. Everywhere I turn I see energy, excitement and delight on people's faces. MUSE deliver some of the greatest live Rock'n'Roll I've ever had the luck of experiencing. Loud. Tight. Symphonic. Emotional. Powerful. This 3 piece delivers a noise wave that either drowns you or picks you up and carries is you on a wild surf ride. The singer is a true musician, switching between electric guitar and piano. His guitar playing is as good as Rock'n'Roll needs it to be, but his piano playing is close to virtouso-like. His singing is heartfelt, soulful, powerful and fills the air. The drummer and the bassist provide the solid backbone for the powerful arena rock sound of the band. Live, MUSE is a ten-ton truck moving towards you at a speed of 120mph.

I have moved closer to the pit now where Irish, British, Mexican and American fans are having the time of their life. The vibe is so incredible, that I've surrendered and control of me is in the hands of the band and the crowd. Eyes closed. I am lost in the music and don't realize I've been lifted off the ground and thrown above people's heads. I am now crowd surfing. Loving every second of it. And the 7 seconds I was carried on a sea of hands feel like a lifetime. The band leaves the stage for a few moments with the crowd screaming in demand for their return. The wait is short. MUSE plays 2 more great songs projecting more and more energy which is not absorbed but charged back by the erupting crowd. The closing song of the show is "Stockholm Syndrome," the song that I had been imagining seeing live so many times in the past couple of weeks. It is the song that felt great on my speeding drive down to the venue. It is the song that, performed live, threw me over the edge and made me lose myself completely. In a trance...

I am standing outside, sweat running down my face, my head still spinning, and my heart still pounding. I feel some itching and as I lift my shirt I find a cut on the side of my waist. I must have caught on someone's belt or watch or bracelet while crowd surfing.



I feel like I stepped into some magic world for a half hour and came out a new person. Younger, stronger, tougher, and alive. And the cut on the side of my waist makes me feel so punk. I look around for Mike so I can thank him, but no luck. How cool is it that he got me in? He must've known I was to experience this. It boggles my mind. "Coincidences" in life have boggled my mind for a long long time. Such turns of events reinforce the belief that everything happens for a reason.

I don't know what more to say. I need to get some sleep. MUSE play LA on Wednesday, but the show is sold out. But so was tonight's. And I was lucky to get in...so who knows, I might drive up Wednesday night to experience this natural high again as the band conquers the Mayan Theatre.

Good night.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Stockholm Syndrome" by MUSE

10:15 Sunday Night...

...and the lights shine under the desert sky.

Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2004.

The event I had been looking forward to for a long while. First night sold out so I missed The Pixies reunion. Bummed out, but maybe I can catch them at this year's Lollapalooza. Sunday night, however, finds me only 100 yards from Robert Smith and The Cure. A 2-hour performance by one of my all-time favorite bands takes me on a wild emotional ride. The past. The memories. The lyrics. The music. A band that I grew up listening to means so much to me. It has left a lasting impression on me and has in some way contributed to the shaping of the person I've become. The Cure has had an enormous influence on my life. I am challenged as I type all this in an attempt to write something meaningful that would measure up to what this band has meant to me. Standing next to Marie at the show intensifies the experience ten-fold and makes me go on an emotional rollercoaster ride. I am even throwing my arms in the air...screaming.

The Cure still deliver. 25 years after their debut album, they still sound inspired. Robert Smith is in high spirits and his wailing crying desperate voice pierces the thick desert air and the heavy pounding hearts of many, I am sure. Song after song the live set holds the excitement of the 50,000 strong crowd. Highlights of the show for me were "Fascination Street", "Lovesong", 'Lullaby", "Push", "Love Cats" and "A Forest".





As for the rest of the live acts, there's really too much to digest right now, so I'll just keep it short. The Cure were great. Flaming Lips not really, although that bubble walk on top of the crowd was pretty cool. Air were great. Belle and Sebastian were pretty good. Bright Eyes were boring. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club rocked, but were better at Canes last night. The Cooper Temple Clause were rockin' and so were The Sleepy Jackson. Missed The Thrills and Muse because we were stuck in traffic outside the venue waiting to enter the parking lot. Will try and catch them when they come back on their own tours. Also missed The Basement Jaxx and Mogwai because we tried to get a decent spot in front of the stage for the Cure. It would have been nice to see more bands, but the Cure alone made for an amazing experience.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "10:15 Saturday Night" by The Cure

BRMC, Someone Lied When They Told Me...

Spent some time at the "Blade Hole" with Marie, Jason, Chris, Glen, Ken and Jackie. Hopped in a taxi and headed over to the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club show at Canes. On the way had some entertainment with Chris teaching the cab driver how to curse in English. We also witnessed a car accident that was totally caused by stupidity. No one got hurt and the car just made a nice tight "crunch" sound upon impact, so we laughed about it.

BRMC's live set was hit and miss. There were some great moments: the new acoustic song that they opened the show with, "Love Burns", "Stop" and of course "Whatever Happened to My Rock'n'Roll." I was really hoping to hear "Riffles", my favorite BRMC song, but no luck.

And then there was the rocker "Spread Your Love." I Loved it but it also left a sour taste in my mouth because of a certain association with it. For some reason the song sounds awfully familiar...or rather, some other song sounds awfully similar to it...hmm...it really kinda made me disappointed for what I discovered. Like Morrissey sings in "Cemetery Gates":

don't plagiarise or take "on loans"
there's always someone, somewhere
with a big nose, who knows
and who trips you up and laughs when you fall

anyway...

Hit the legendary Denny's in PB at 1am, just like in the old days, and let's just say that the place has remained a magnet for weirdos. They really need to just mount cameras in there and broadcast this reality life freakshow 24 hours a day. It will be an instant hit. Trust me.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "The Recluse" by Cursive