Peter is oh so famously-dressed

Quick thoughts

San Francisco is a funny place to live. At first everything is new, than after a few months your expected to know a few things. Here are a few things that I have picked up on.

1). Your constantly getting asked directions whether you know them or not. Maybe I just have that face of a person who looks like they know the city, (hint: I don’t but I’m getting better at it).

2). Chinese people (specifically women in China Town), no matter what age will go grocery shopping and take the bus everywhere, everyday. I don’t care if it’s a brand new mom with 2 kids or a 90 year old grandmother. They’re on that bus, they’re riding where they need to go and they really can careless what anyone else thinks. It’s great.

3). When you start seeing the same people on the street, someone needs to grow some balls and say hello…but no one really says hello. Maybe I’ll start a trend, maybe I’ll be the grownup in this forced awkward situation. Come on man, you’re older than me, we see each other all the time, get over yourself.

4). When you live in a specific area/district you tend to stay there. This is horrible, I need to branch out more like I did when I was here the first 6 months. The thing is, people know what they like, and sometimes can be scared of something new. This is not the point of San Francisco, you live here because you are the opposite, don’t forget that.

5). Rooftops are amazing.

New years fucking resolutions

Some of these are common sense, something people like you, me and the guy sitting next me should do in life. This life we live is too short and sometimes its easy to get caught up and forget what really is important. I think the #1 thing I want to do on this list is travel.

1. Design more on my free time
2. Launch project “Rainbow”
3. Read The 4-Hour Body
4. Travel
5. Dont be a scrub and buy new clothes more often
6. Eat salads often
7. Create goals list (i.e. make life goals, make work goals, make health goals).
8. Buy a leather jacket and rock that shit hard
9. Go to the big musical festivals (i.e. Coachella, SXSW, Outside Lands, Treasure Island).
10. Buy a nice camera and start taking pictures

The Music that was 2010 - list

It’s that time again kids. I’ll try to explain the best I can but my limited grade 3 level vocabulary will somehow get in the way of what I’m trying to say, so bare with me.

The first thing you can tell when you look at the album list is hip-hop is clearly still a big part of my life. I cant deny something that grew with me at such a young age. I’m somehow still I’m drawn to it.

I learned a few things about my self while listening to music this year, and here I am to share:

1). Shuffle has been, and will be essential for me on a day-to-day basis unlike how I use to play an album front to back. I’m always walking or taking public transportation and sometimes you just want to be surprised. I started making and naming my playlists depending on the month (ex: Dec 2010). My iPhone/iPod was never full this year. I had 20-40 albums at a time so I could shuffle cds that came out last month I knew and loved and new cds I was warming up to. If something caught my attention right away I would then listen to the album…And that sort of became my way of checking out new music.

2). Consistency. I learned this year it was about the bands that I kept putting on that shuffle. It wasn’t about the hot new band or the catchy new single. It was about the lasting value for each special moment every album brought to me that kept my world spinning.

3). Indie music is now mainstream (and has been) for a few years now, so deal with it. Nowadays I cant get passed a single fucking Toyota commercial without hearing edward sharp or freelance whales or vampire fuck weekend. The time has changed how to make money and that’s okay with me, I’m just letting you know it doesn’t make it fucking cool, it’s sort of embarrassing, so stop fucking acting cool you fucking hipster and go shave your beard.

I’m no music reviwer, I just enjoy throwing my headphones on while i enjoy the city. I listened to (xx) many bands this year probably (xx) songs this year and I’m disappointed to tell you that most of them were shit. I tried hard to get into bands people shat their pants about. I tried hard to find some sick bands. And that’s when I realized, there wasn’t that many great new bands this year. Maybe because it was hard not to love what was most popular this year.

Best Albums: This was hard because this year I’m going with how these albums affected me in my life and the experiences I shared with my friends.

1. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

This is a great album, but where this album shines is when you see this band live. I’ve constantly had this album on rotation for the better part of the year, and theirs no denying it was the most consistent album I heard all year.

Why:
Cochella 2010 performance

2. Kanye West - My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy

Always have been a Kanye fan, and some of these tracks just blew my mind. The ‘little’ things make this album great in my opinion. For example, the Chris Rock verse in Blame Game is amazing.

Why:
My friends came up to visit me from San Diego when Good Fridays first hit and we had one of the best weekends of my life. This album was a soundtrack to that weekend. Each Friday came with a new song and I knew this album was going to be amazing, and it is.

3. Vampire Weekend - Contra

I had no idea they would follow up with such a good sophomore album, and they did. Kudos to them.

Why:
One of the funnest albums to listen to in great weather. For some reason, I found my self always throwing this on when it was hot out and it just put a smile on my face.

4. Yeasayer - Odd Blood

I knew for sure this album was going to be #1 on my 2010 list. I was wrong. They got lazy with the second half of this album and that is a fucking shame because this album and band have so much potential.

Why:
Catchy pop songs of the year hands down, nuff said, put the fucking conversation to rest.

5. Spoon - Transference

This band has one of the most raw, real sound that most indie bands have given away the past few years. They’ve stuck to their roots and I applaud them for that. I want to keep seeing this style of music from them because it keeps me coming back and I’m starting to get spoiled and expect it from them.

Why:
Because I could always throw on Written in Reverse on in the party mansion and feel okay about it.

6. Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon 2 

I find is great when you are in the mood. What I mean by that is his rap is pretty different from any other mainstream hip-hop artist out there. I enjoy that. In this one, he tells you a bit more about himself…but not enough. It as he got a bit more cocky in this one. It seems like the first album’s success went to his head because this album feels a bit like a rock star hangover. I like it though, I love the realness you get from a guy like him. His beats are slow and they’re dope, just an all around good one.

Why:
Because this guy has a lot of potential to be a great rapper and all around great artist.

7. Tokyo Police Club - Champ

This is strictly a fun “sing-out-loud” album.

Why:
I respect them for doing what they do best and that is making simple, quick, fast-paced songs with catchy choruses. I’ll take that every 2 years, no problem.

8. Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today, I’m Sorry, They Washed Away

Mew came out of left-field for me and strangely enough with a name like Mew, I wonder why that is the case…In all honestly, this cd rocks. It’s intricate, its rock, it’s progressive and there are so many satisfying little tidbits of trash that each song brings that keep me coming back for more.

Why:
Late night couple glasses of wine cd with headphones

9. The Roots - How I Got Over

I’ve always been a fan but this cd brought something out of the Roots that I had never seen before. Brought my “fandom” to a whole other level.

Why:
This was my first cd I walked the streets to in San Francisco and the cd felt like it was made for that.

10. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening

I strictly like this cd because its drawn out and complicated. Does that make me a bad person? I just respect that in an artist that has those kind of balls and that can make it work, ohso well.

Why:
I had no expectations and this cd blew my expectations out of the water. Instant love

Runners:
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs This is a great cd particularly because I didn’t get into the Arcade Fire until a few years ago. This was the “next” thing for me to listen to them from and it came with a lot of hype and I really think they came through. This cd front to back is a fun ride. You get certain emotions from this cd that you have to be ready for when you press play. They have one of the best second-track songs I have heard in a while that just leaps you into the experience.

Black Milk - Album of the Year Very Surprised by this on all cylinders. I felt this was the first organic hip-hop album in a while especially this year. It was refreshing to throw on the headphones and just get lost in it. The beats are illusive but dangerous, and I think the simplicity is what made this such a strong cd.

Wild Nothing - Gemini I can put this cd on repeat all day and all night.

Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty He proved he could do it without Andre3000 once and for all. Some of these tracks were just mind-blowing and fun. I think that’s what big boi does best though its even been proven more now. He made a great cd.

Just missed:
Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring
Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame
Wavves - King of the Beach

Songs

1) Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
2) Kanye West - Christian Dior Denim Flow
3) The Morning Benders - Excuses
4) Onra - Long Distance
5) Cee Lo Green - Fuck You
6) Vampire Weekend - Diplomat Son
7) Local Natives - Cubism Dream
8) Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round
9) The Roots - Now or Never
10) Sufjan Stevens - I Want To Be Well

Runners:
Geographer - Kites
Arcade Fire - Ready to Start
Tokyo Police Club - Wait Up:
LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
Grum - Turn it Up
Mew - Beach

My guilty pleasure album:
Yes Giantes - Sirens
My huge 80s pop fix of 2010. I would never listen to this cd with my windows open because it’s sort of embarrassing but such a great cd to tap your feet to and sing along with.

Best EP:
Geographer - Animal Shapes
Best moment: in track 2 “Kites” the very first vocal breakdown (which is the chorus) might be my favorite of the year. It begins so gentle and pure and grows into something so beautiful. It goes hand in hand with the synthesizer perfectly.The beat machine is subtle enough that they both work together in such a great way before the breakdown. It gets me every time.

Runner up:
Girls – Broken Dreams Club

Most annoying (instant iTunes “next”) song of the year:
Drunk Girls from LCD Soundsystem

Worst song on a great cd:
Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame

Best Surprise:
Kanye West - Good Fridays

Biggest Disappointment:
Minus the Bear - Omni

Most potential:
The Morning Benders

Best Song I Heard This Year That Wasn’t From This Year:
Ray LaMontagne - You Are The Best Song

On to the Stats:

This seriously blows my mind: Albums
Songs

Where I stand on the Chris Patterson’s Vegas story

What a weekend that I wasn’t even apart of.  I physically wasn’t there, yet I felt like I was. My friends went down to Vegas for a good weekend. This was planned for about a month and everyone was quite excited. Most excited, probably Cake and Wise but thats beside the point. I did not attend so this is told from an outside perspective:

In short, Friday night they lose one of my great friends Chris Patterson. Well to be fair, no one ‘loses’ him, he ‘loses’ himself. Well I don’t even know if that happened. He just never shows up. Ever. Josh Drucker was the last person to show up in Las Vegas Friday night. He calls Chris when he’s about 20 minutes out of Vegas to let him know he would be there soon and to meet at the hotel. Chris agrees and says he’s on The Strip and he will be at the Hotel in 10 minutes.  Josh gets to the hotel but Chris never shows up. Josh calls Chris and asks where he is, and Chris only replies with a frantic “I have to go I’ll call you back” then hangs out never to be heard from again. Everyone takes this pretty lightly at first like they should, why worry about something that is expected from this soon to be Navy Vet? They have a good Friday night but they’re still wondering where the PATTMAN could be. On goes the next day. 

Saturday happens and still no sign of the kid. They wait around all day for him to arrive but he doesn’t. Around 10pm that night (24+ hrs later), his parents are informed he is missing. The last thing we heard from him was on the cell phone early friday night where he frantically ‘needed to go’, without any sort of call/text back. What would you think at that point? It’s been 24 hours since you talked to him and the last thing he does is hang up on you with no explanation of his whereabouts or names. He just ‘needs to go’ and doesn’t answer the phone again…

His parents pull an all nighter and try to find their son early Sunday morning after a 7 hour drive. The police are now involved. Missing persons report filed. They search hospitals and jails all around Nevada. People back home in San Diego and San Francisco and soon to be all over the US are eagerly awaiting any form of news. Everyone at this point is hoping for the best but can only think of the worst, especially since a few months back we had a terrible incident similar to this. Everyone is still on edge. RIP BJM. 

Now there are facebook posts being made, twitters being tweeted, people are really starting to feel this. Flyer’s start getting posted, facebook groups started being prepared and now everybody who doesn’t know Chris personally is even chatting about this. I’m getting calls and constant txts from all sorts of people. My friends, my friends parents, my parents, everyone wants to be updated with every move of this investigation. Everyone is not only worried but feeling sick their stomach.

Next thing you know, around 2pm Sunday, Chris shows up. We’ll let’s not give him that much credit. He actually never shows up nor calls us (still hasn’t it’s Wednesday). His sister actually calls me to tell me he is safe. Of course I ask ‘where was he’ and she replies slightly embarrassed but relieved, ”with his navy friendz.” Wow. I couldn’t say much more than that, everyone was on a roller coaster ride for 2 days and it wasn’t fun man. Speaking of roller coasters, remember Star 100.7 did that contest? Those people were out of their fucking minds. 

To recap: He never once shows up to vegas with the friends he planned the trip with. He doesn’t tell anyone he’s going with a different group of people even after the 2 calls that were made early Friday night. The last call was made around 9 on Friday night when he was supposedly heading to the hotel to meet up with our friends, then he frantically had to go. After that, he never once answered his phone (it rang sometimes and went straight to voicemail other times). He never once called his parents, friends, or asked his navy friendz for a phone to do so. You would think at age 23, you wouldn’t pull this type of immature shit. It’s not something I can be particularly mad at, I could be a lot more mad. I could had been one of those people that went to Vegas ‘with him’ and had my trip ruined because of the retardation that flocked in the air like a powerful plague. Sometimes you scratch your head but at the same time, it’s expected from Chris. 

Never what it seems

There are days that take you by surprise, and I think today was one of those days. You have a day planned, iCal set up with accomplishments to come, yet something or someone has altered the original vision. I don’t know but I think that’s what life is about. We have plans to keep us moving, but not once do we think about what happens when plans alter and why. Every time I have something to think about, I post on here. I know nobody reads it, but I write it for me believe it or not. Anyways lets get back to the story. 

So you wake up with something in mind, and something in the course of that day alters it. You have to then sit and ask yourself; if what is going to change your day is worth it? It’s one of those split decisions where you make it subconsciously, then talk yourself into the decision you made throughout the next hour. Usually, it’s the decision you didn’t plan. it’s between the day you knew and the day you wonder about. Of course your going to choose the rabbit hole. So that’s what I did today and I enjoyed it. I feel different today, I don’t know what else to say but I’m gonna get my shit together, it’s now or never. 

I think some days are meant for learning and I would say today is one of them.          

For my friend Brandon

Mack,  I don’t know where to start really. —————-Okay fine, ill start with topic started our first conversation back in summer school (cause we were trying to get ahead right?). Anyways, you were that quite kid. Yeah, that was you, hard to believe now but you actually wouldn’t talk much in class. I remember we were out on recess and I came up to talk to you cause you looked like a cool cat, and you mentioned you had a drum set. From that point on, I was in. I knew that if I could go over to your house, just once, I could play drums for the first time in my life. Something that I dreamed about…for about a month. I remember my dad dropped me off at  711 in Garden Road (GR WHAT) and with my skateboard in hand. You were already waiting with yours. I grabbed a coca cola Slurpee you grabbed a cherry and we skated back to your house. I remember we walked in, there was an over abundance of babies walking around. You didn’t say much about it, you just walked right in. Then we got to Billy. Billy was a crazy baby. You could tell he was one your favorites. You picked him up, did a weird scrunchy face that followed a high pitch voice scream, put him down, and walked along. Like it was normal. I soon began to realize, it was normal. We went to the backroom (good thing Linwood wasn’t watching his Skate videos) and we began to wurl away at the drums. We took turns and had our 10 minutes of fun and then moved onto something else. This was the first day our friendship began, little did we know what we would go through with the years that followed.  

We got into mischief at an early age. I seriously think by 5th grade we aged carol 10-15 years. She became a second mom to me. She use to “baby sit” me while my mom went to work and me and Brandon just went to town on city of GR. We did everything, we knew everyone in that small area. If we weren’t skateboaridng, we were biking, or paint balling, or fireworks or making stain bombs…Speaking of which, this time I know you will never forget. We obviously were board, so what we did was grab the biggest zip lock bag we could find. We went around to big Linwood’s cabinets, grabbed shaving cream, soap, shampoo anything we could find that we thought would stain and started mixing it up in the bag. I even think one of us pee’d in it to top it off, don’t worry I wont let anyone know who it was ;). We had to sneak it past carol, so you created a diversion with baby Shelby while I snuck it out the front door. Then we were on our way to a victims house. No one in particular we just wanted to see if it would actually work. After walking a block or two we found a house that was at a four way stop. We thought it would be a perfect house to present our surprise. We both grabbed the bag (it was a really big bag) and we threw it high in the air going toward the person’s driveway. IT splat everywhere and we ran to the garden road fields. Soon enough I see my mom in her car right outside the Garden Road fields, waiting for us with dark dark stare. THEY FOUND US? How could this happen? We’ll the geniuses that we were left a stain trail the ENTIRE WAY from Brandon’s house, the scene of the crime and then to the fields, i guess there was a leak in the bag.  :/ 

Our later years began very normal…you know the Toilet paper days, our first girl experiences, our first party, snowboard trips, Disney land trips, our first cigarette, our first beer, it all happened with me and you. I don’t think i would have ever wanted to do it with anybody else. You and me GOT each other. We understood each other. I would start a joke and you could finish it. Sometimes we wouldn’t even have to speak and our facial expressions would do the work. It’s crazy how you can connect with somebody in that sense. I spent countless days at your house, you slumbered at mine and we would just do the craziest shit man. Wrestling, REMEMBER WRESTLING. I like made you do it and you thought it was gay the whole time. Look how wrong you are NOW buddy. We did  radio show and recorded it on cassettes. Remember we gave Jared San Nicolas a copy of our rap tape and he actually jammed it. I remember we skated by his house and he was outside and he was actually singing the lyrics. I was big Pete you were little Mac. I could never forget the childhood which was us. It was pure, it was fun, and we made a whole lot of life friends out of it. Think about it, if me and you never met, how could we have switched from the Skate Group in middle school to the Preppys and meet Ryan Koerper or Jeremy Velarde. Remember how Stan was in every ones group and always had funny hair to be like “woah look at me I’m the crazy kid whoe’s in all the groups, look at my hair”.  

High school was a different story now wasn’t it? No “purene’ss” to high school was there? Those were the years were all became who we are a little bit today. We both started dating, you took on Brenna then Mandy, I took on Wise and when we all hung out and it was super fun. Like dances or movies or just when I had people at my house when Kris was gone. It was all really fun. But nothing compared to when US boys all hung out. Me, Kerp, John, Stan, Druck, Patty, Ray, and countless more homies. We all became a big family…But I have to give it to you, you always had the craziest ideas man. Palm Spring trips where we would rent out a house, Big Bear Snow Trips, Building Club Houses, Gumball Machines to be Millionaires, Puff Clothing, Mexico trips, the list goes on and on and on. Sometimes the ideas didn’t work out, but the processes were a blast. And that’s what mattered, spending time with everyone, having fun, laughing and just enjoying our time before we were becoming adults. You were a fun kid to be around. You never made anyone feel uncomfortable, you always had your friend’s back, you always were the first to cheer at Charger games, you were always the first to tell a joke. You were a funny, great hearted guy. You loved working with children, you genuinely cared about people and you cared how they treated you. You were outgoing always looking to make a boring situation into a fun one. I cant ever take that away from you. That was who you are. 

You are Brandon James Mackey, aka Mack Attack aka Lil Mack, Big Ol Poway Kid, aka Bobby Jameson. And we all love you, and always will. And when the Chargers do actually go to the Super Bowl and actually win it, i’ll be thinking about you, and I know you’ll be the first one up there giving  all those Raider punks the finger. Love you buddy.

Eight Days a Week

Sometimes you think your tired to find out that you have gotten past that sleepydos, injected an electric burst and for some reason, whatever it might be, keeps your eyes intrigued to write such a continuous long  run-on sentence. And thinking back on it, It was probably the music, the song, that inspired me to write my thoughts down. So here we go again:

Girls with huge boobs, who run are extremely distracting. Nothing sexual, just in general. It’s weird for me to view, it has to be weird for them to run. That sucks, what do you do then, ellipticall only? Probably.

I realized in the past month that I think my human instinct, like a lot of you, need change. Maybe I’m in for change more frequently than others. I think this because ever since I’ve been 18 I’ve been roaming around the San Diego area. I can never stay in a place longer than a year and when I have (once) it was only because I needed to complete school which also proves my point. I cant tell you how many times I changed my major, actually I can, it was once. I didn’t know what I was going to do for three years. I found out in my fourth year that graphic design w/ emphasis in web design was truly what I wanted to do. I seems to be my destiny. I can’t get enough, I always feel like I’m failing and never doing anything good enough or to my potential. I always feel like I can do whatever I am doing better the next time. I look around and see so much inspiration from others but never stop to look at myself and check my progress. I still don’t, I just continue for some odd reason. Keep myself down, it’s kind of pathetic. I’m still young, I’m still learning, I’ll figure it out.

If I take a day off, and what I mean by that is, I don’t (in one way or another) work on a project, a website, or go to work, I seriously feel sick to my stomach. Is that normal for a 23 year old? Do I want it so bad, that it truly is making me sick. I can taste it, but it taste like something I want to throw up. Say I work 35 hours a week in the corporate world, I’ll go home and work more. For some reason, it’s never good enough. I need to take a breath and not let each week pass by so quick. It’s wrong, and I’m too young to not stop and look at the world once in a while.

Switching up your routine isn’t that bad either, people are just afraid of it. They end up turning into Jack Nicholson in “As Good As It Gets” but in a mild version. You drink the same coffee, you eat the same lunches, you go to the gym on those specific days, and you count the seconds till freedom hits on the weekend. Though for most of us, you know we still work on the weekends. When will it end, when will I be content in turning away from work and not trying to better myself. I enjoy it though, maybe I enjoy it too much, maybe I’m afraid of failure and I’m going to avoid it at all costs. It reminds me of soccer, If practice makes perfect, well give me a call on my phone to let me know if I have duty for fruit snacks this weekend.

Last Sunday of the year creates controversy

Sunday I understand you, you don’t like me and I’m okay with that. I really would just like you to know that I am trying to get to know you. I tell you things at night and even though you are ignoring me, I continue to talk hoping a word or two will get through. Sometimes I even make a list, numerically to see what I have to do in the coming week. I never really write it down though which is ironic. I for some reason, think I know everything and nothing gets past me. Yeah, you could say that’s ignorant, perhaps wrong? I am who I am and I can’t change the past only what the future holds. I want to change the future, but I’m a day away.  I vow to be the best I 2010 mind, body, and personality that I wasn’t in 2009. I really need to try a few new things. Maybe revisit some old.

1. Think of a new name
2. Create it
3. Continue w/ concrete details
4. Finish
5. Follow through with daily routines
6. Stay in on weekend nights
7. Eat more breakfasts
8. Work after work
9. Play and take pictures
10. Buy clothes when you want to

That’s probably my 2010 wish list.

This is the first year that I have payed attention to seasons changing around me. I’ve taken a notice at lights, smells, nights, degrees, conversations, and more. I’m thinking of the year rather than just a past moment. I try and take it 1 day at a time, that usually turns into 1 week at a time though and that really sucks. We need more hours.

And that’s where I am with you on Sunday. I’m telling you that you will listen, and when you are ready, you’ll respond. I have great confidence in that.

Top 20 of 2009

1. fun. - Aim and Ignite 
2. Passion Pit - Manners
3. Say Anything - Say Anything 
4. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest 
5. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
6. Castledoor - Shouting at Mountains
7. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
8. Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement
9. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
10. Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanist
11. M83 - Saturdays Youth
12. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Up From Below
13. Dirty Projectors -  Bitte Orca
14. Matt and Kim - Matt and Kim
15. Real Estate - Real Estate
16. Augustana - Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt
17. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms
18. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
19. Brand New - Daisy 
20. Freelance Whales - Weathervans