the sonics make me happy, frank chopp does not

contact the governor!
http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp

My email to Gregoire:

Dear Governor Gregoire:

Hi, I'm writing to encourage you to take a stand in favor of the recent proposal by the potential Sonics investors who are offering to contribute half the cost to a Key Arena renovation. As I understand it, the City of Seattle would chip in another $75 million, which only leaves $75 million for the state. And since the bonds for Safeco are expected to be paid off early--right?--that means no new taxes! For $75 million I think this is spectacular, must-do high priority.

I'm proud that Washington state hasn't caved to Clay Bennett's extortion attempts, but this deal is our chance to say YES! to the 40+ years of memories, the jobs, and the civic pride that is the Sonics.

And I am counting on you to take a leadership role and make the legislature consider this sweet bill before the NBA Board of Governors meets in April. Frank Chopp and Jeff Morris are fond of saying that there isn't time or that other issues are more pressing, but quite frankly, it's the 11th hour and now is the time.

Governor Gregoire, if you don’t do all that you can to embrace this bill and keep the Sonics in Seattle, if you don't rally for the legislature to fund the state’s portion of the proposal before this session ends, I will be very disappointed. Please don't let your legacy suffer; don't make me vote for Rossi in the next election; make our state ecstatic and proud.

Thank you for your time,
Andrew

my synthar blurb

as usual, my latest image update blurb, a review of synthar's evenings and weekends, is kind of a gamble.

i'll explain the gambling later, but in the meantime, here it is:

Synthar: Evenings and Weekends

In this season of last caucuses and primaries, with the names of presidential candidates on our tongues and a foretaste of change on our lips, the pop-indie band Synthar has come out with just the album to match that extra kick in your step—or that worried furrow of brow—that may accompany this historic time. Synthar’s debut album, Evenings and Weekends,is a genuine, synthesized consideration of change and transformation. Its sound lies somewhere between electronica and folk—as the Jackson Free Press says, Synthar has taken “synth-pop into singer-songwriter territory.” Synthar is an internet band: its members—spread around the world from Shaoxing, China, to Jackson, Mississippi and from New York, New York, to Stanford, California—huddled their laptops together to create an irresistibly catchy mix of Moogs, vocoders, guitars, and sad, understated vocals. The tracks of Evenings and Weekends range from themes of changes in landscape—“Hurricanes” is lead singer Johnny Bertram’s firsthand response to Katrina and Rita—to the hiccups and tragedies of relational change in “My Heart Is a Beating Drum,” “Stabbed by an Unseen Blade,” and, most traumatically, “The Phone Call.” Synthar also asks us to question how our dollars and cents impact the world. In “The Robots Among Us” they warn that “in the land of milk and honey / where we walk the thin line between / what we need and greed” there are “robots among us” who “don’t understand the warmth of human touch”—and the song builds to a chilling climax when the robots join in the chorus. But most extraordinary is Synthar’s uncanny juxtaposition of generally dark, meaningful themes with spritely, upbeat melodies. The combination of thoughtful lyrics with playful synthesizing and vocal harmonies results in moments of happy-pop-bliss, making Evenings and Weekends an album that is not just smart, but indeed, as they sing in one of their happier tracks, gives you “the urge to dance… dance the morning away / and when the day finally turns into afternoon / you’ll flip the record and dance to new tunes!” Because Synthar is an independent band in the truest sense, the best way to buy Evenings and Weekends is directly from them on their website (ours even came with a handwritten “thanks.”) Plus, the handsome CD and packaging are individually screen printed by hand.

For more, visit Synthar.com. You can also listen to a few tracks on Synthar’s Myspace page.

OK, how is this a gamble? it's not that i'm hesitant to recommend the album; evenings and weekends is seriously really good. it may even be my favorite new album of 2007.

no, it's because i write these reviews for an arts journal that focuses specifically on work that somehow engages faith. therefore, i always feel challenged to center my thoughts on some theme or idea that is relevant to the image vision--faith, art, mystery.

sometimes that's a breeze--the culturally savvy christian, for instance--but often it's a stretch. it's not that i walk the plank of clear, accurate critique into the surging waters of creative interpretation, but that i sometimes have to dive beyond the patent responses of other reviewers. i have to lay all of my cards down on the table and say, "you know, i haven't heard anyone else say this, but the road sure strikes me as an incarnation story," (yikes!) and that's a scary place to be.

so here's where things get dicey with my evenings and weekends review. every other e&w review explores the synthar sound. they reference bands i've never heard of. they describe how andrew, johnny, matt, and joel have built a bridge between new wave 70s (?) and synth pop. occasionally a reviewer mentions synthar's socially conscious lyrics, but the only reviewer to mention subject matter says that he was initially turned off by the "futuristic, sci-fi themes."

(futuristic, sci-fi themes? as far as i can tell, only one song, "the robots among us," taps the sci-fi genre, and as i suggest in my blurb, it does so in a satirical, now-focused way.)

the problem is, i'm no music critic. i can confidently rank e&w among my top three 2007 albums because i probably only listened to three 2007 albums. and so my only chance of saying something profound and worthwhile about a band is to listen to those words, those strange syllabic formations that some listeners may deem a musical afterthought. and those words tell me that change is in the air. so when i say that my blurbs are a gamble, i really mean that i hope the synthar fellows won't be surprised to learn that their tracks are about change. i hope a few dozen readers will buy the album, nod their head--in time to the beat, of course--and hear the change.

save the sonics!

Legislative Hotline 1.800.562.6000

Call it, tell them that you are calling in response to the articles last week and the ones you’re going to see tomorrow morning. Tell them to be supportive of local investors attempts to buy the team.

This is important.

See the article "Business titans try to keep Sonics here" in Tuesday's Seattle Times for more info.

i want a clinton-mccain-obama hybrid

in case you missed it, here is tonight's democratic debate. russert seems like a pretty tough moderator. i kind of wonder what it would be like if this debate was hosted by the daily show.

i'm busy

a few weeks ago someone asked me whether i had any prayer requests. i thought for a moment and settled on the impossible. "i need more time," i said, "perhaps an extra hour every day, or an extra day of the week."

i wanted a miracle.

another friend demanded that i write more on my novella. "but i don't have time!" i replied.

i happened to have some highlighters handy, so i sketched him a seven-day calendar and then started filling in the squares. by the time i finished, there were about six hours free. so where does all my time go?

1. 40 hours a week at my old full-time job editing psychiatric stuff.
2. 8-25 hours a week managing the imagination section of the other journal.
3. 3-7 hours a week taking editing courses at the UW.

and then this sunday pastor richard encouraged the congregation at bethany to examine how we spend our time. he warned that a bulging calendar is sometimes the harbinger of an unpleasant paradox, sometimes we cram our lives with stuff in order to avoid a clash with meaning, truth, and emptiness.

well, i'd love to take some time to consider this, but i have an essay on capitalism to edit.


photograph: andrew david. "revelations." mount st. helensish, wa.

a pot of blog

"a tea pot!"

"no, a little blue tea pot."

"a little blue tea pot!"

"right, little because the latest reincarnation of the 17 point scale endeavors to be brief."

[quizzical look]

"a blue teapot!"

andrew david. "the roommate on pot." seattle, wa.

movie ratings

13.tristram shandy: a cock and bull story - funny; inventive filmmaking

inside man - i don't remember
the break-up - i liked it more than others at the time

07.the lake house - the house that eponymizes the lake house is a fitting image for the film itself. the house balances precariously over the water on whisker thin stilts. these stilts are a great physical representation of the poorly-considered sci-fi premise that supports the lake house, and the coolest scene from the film is when the weight of bullock and reeves's unfortunate careers proves too much for the little stilts and the house tumbles and crashes into the big blue lake of failure. okay, that scene may not really happen but the meaning of my metaphor still strikes true. and the thing is, the lake house has no qualitative pretensions. the synopses and previews don't attempt to hide the ludicrous nature of the film (and you already know that it stars bullock and reeves!) thus, as the s.o. and i sat down to watch the lake house, i suspended any and all cinematic expectations for the evening. however, the s.o. was unable to restrain her brain; her logic wouldn't leave her alone to enjoy the film. consequently, the horrors of the lake house were turned comedic as she punctuated the scenes with her sighs and mockery. indeed, the lake house is a chick flick for illogical chicks.

left to rate (2006)
who killed the electric car?
the devil wears prada
a scanner darkly
half nelson
jesus camp
the science of sleep
little children
babel
a good year
deja vu
the pursuit of happyness
the painted veil
the good shepherd
children of men
pan's labyrinth

left to rate (2007)
freedom writers
dreamgirls
seraphim falls
breach
amazing grace
black snake moan
reign over me
hot fuzz
the invisible
next
once
pirates of the caribbean: world's end
knocked up
ocean's thirteen
sicko
live free or die hard
ratatouille
license to wed
transformers
harry potter and the order of the phoenix
the simpsons movie
the bourne ultimatum
stardust
michael clayton
american gangster
no country for old men
i am legend
charlie wilson's war

does your stomach purr when you're pregnant

"does your stomach purr when you're pregnant?" was an actual query on ask.com today, and the query returned my blog as the second hit! unfortunately, the 17 point scale isn't a particularly good resource for someone wondering about the likelihood of future kitty litters. if you have any answers for she of the purring stomach, please leave a comment in case she returns.

also, while i'm asking for advice, if anyone has any wise words about rats, i would be delighted to hear from you. there's a rat loose in our house, particularly in my room, and it doesn't seem to care much for mousetrap peanut butter.

recipes for the not-so-food-savvy bachelor: tacos

in 2005 when i first designed the 17 point scale, i described the blog as "an excuse for [me] to ramble, feign perspicacity, and post pictures; possible topics might include art, quirky observations, and cooking tips." as the blog took shape, i refined the description a bit, proclaiming it "the world wide web's home for cooking recipes, travel pictures, and random thoughts on life, grammar, and that other thing you're really interested in." the descriptions were my attempt to promote and summarize the disparate inklings that i posted in this odd corner of cyberspace. they also amused me.

i am not much of a cook, and i certainly haven't use the blog for sharing cooking tips or recipes. in fact, over the last few years, the closest i've come to a 17 point scale recipe is the caption on a photo of guacamole. and when i was experimenting with blogger's features, i even posted some text at the bottom of the blog that read: "by the way, i lied. there are no recipes on this website. if it's cooking you want, take a bowl, a spoon, a box of cap'n crunchberries, and some milk; mix 'em all together; and voila! cereal du jour." i kept the text there because, again, it made me laugh. and although i may be the only living soul to scroll to the blog's bottom and read this confession, i don't feel that my lie is an act of malice--while googlers may reach the 17 point scale in search of "blood meridian chickens" or lewd sexual phrases (to name some of the last 100 searches), i can't recall seeing a single hit for cooking or recipes.

now, however, i find myself at a strange precipice. i've decided to post a recipe. and not just one recipe, perhaps several. i think this means that i may need to revise the 17 point scale mission statement:

food			ingredients	method		time		result
#1 mini tacos			4 mini beef tacos (trader joes brand), a handful of shredded medium cheddar cheese (gen), pace chunky salsa (gen)	microwave tacos in paper towel (30 s) and thaw cheese on counter (1 m), add cheese and microwave for 45 s		less than 7 m		tasty, simple; requires a side dish (e.g., christmas cookies, satsumas)

as you can see, these recipes will not be fancy. they will merely chart the learnings of a lazy, cooking-challenged kid with some blog space to spare.

back page: blood meridian or the evening redness in the west

xii.

blood meridian or the evening redness in the west by cormac mccarthy**

12/27/07
according to bauercount.com, jack bauer, the protagonist of 24, has killed 185 people over the course of six seasons. yet the glanton gang of mccarthy's blood meridian could teach bauer some things about killing; they eclipse this feat without the benefit of automatic weapons, and because mccarthy writes so matter-of-factly of violence and brutality (not because of the sheer number of murders), these indian scalpers make bauer seem like a harmless saint nick. biblical commentators speak of the earth groaning as it awaits the expulsion of darkness, and no novel offers a grimmer account of the pulsing menace of humanity (and our complicity with satan and, for that matter, nature) than blood meridian (not even the road). read it if you dare.

14 out of 17*

*the 17 point scale panel of experts--andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, andrew, and, yes, andrew--rated blood meridian between 13 and 16 and have yet to formally declare their rating tried and true. they still have some thinking to do.

**i think the cormac mccarthy lemonade is flooding hollywood. i just read that ridley scott will be directing blood meridian. i can't imagine how this could be filmed tastefully yet with profundity. do dark, dark, bloody epics translate well to film?

backstreet's back!

after the demise of my sufjan stevens cover band, i ceased to practice the piano and began to experiment with some new musical talents: voice and dance. therefore, i was ecstatic when sean invited me to join his boy band.

here is our first live karaoke performance:

last-minute xmas needs? try beth's book!

buy this amazing book, god with us: rediscovering the meaning of christmas, and do it now. god with us features profound christian authors like beth bevis, scott cairns, emilie griffin, richard john neuhaus, kathleen norris, eugene peterson, and luci shaw--did you catch that? beth bevis! yes, beth wrote descriptions of each of the advent feast days, and i've already seen examples of random web-folk admiring her work.

but what is god with us? as one five-star amazon review proclaims, "We started using this book at the recommendation of a friend and whole-heartedly recommend it to you. We are being prepared this Advent and this book has much to do with it. The paintings, Scripture verses, discussions and prayers have been a great help to us . . . "

i haven't had a chance to pore over the text closely yet--my copy just arrived--but the art work is spectacular.

tell me your favorite writers and poets!

maps are a simple metaphor for almost anything. i recently wrote an article that discussed some new findings regarding alzheimer's disease and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, and what did i use as the article's primary conceit? a map.

and now that i have a few dozen pictures of steve and his map, what better way to solicit advice than to reapply the map metaphor?

i'm looking for some amazing writers that tackle issues of faith and redemption in their work, and i'm hoping that you can be my map. i'm looking for big names and small names, novelists and poets--anyone that writes powerfully and writes well.

i'm particularly interested in writers that might creatively engage topics of atheism (i.e., faith, doubt, superstition, and science) and education (learning, growth, self-ization), but any literary scribe will do.

i'm gathering these names as part of a list of potential writers and interviewees for upcoming issues of the other journal.

if you think of someone, please let me know, and if you peruse my tentative list (including such longshots as david james duncan and marilynne robinson), and are in agreement or disagreement with my inclusion of some particular writers, be sure to tell me.

thanks!

obama on faith

here's a clip of barack obama speaking of the separation of church and state, the way in which faith could and should inform politics, and his own conversion to christianity. it's a long speech, but i think it's worth a listen.

blogging hiatus and my novella

in addition to work, christmas shopping, my part-time editing gig, classes at the UW, caring for my ailing house, and rereading the road, i've decided to try and write a novella. therefore, i have even less time for the 17 point scale. historically, however, i've found that the minute i declare a prolonged absence from blogging, i come roaring back with more posts, so i expect that i'll be posting some tidbits in the near future.

(what do you think, should i have written "i've decided to try to write a novella"? the and seemed to flow better, but to strikes me as a better grammatical choice.)

the road: casting call

in case you haven't heard, cormac mccarthy's postapocalyptic masterpiece, the road, has been gobbled up by hollywood. producer nick wechsler and director john hillcoat have signed on, and the online buzz links either viggo mortenson or guy pearce to the role of the father. but who will play the son?

how about a seattlite? or even better, a greenwoodite! it's possible--the s.o. did some craig's list snooping recently and found this surprising nugget: a greenwood casting agency is "seeking Caucasian Boys, ages 7-10, with a thin build . . . to audition for a lead role opposite Viggo Mortenson . . . for the Feature Film, 'The Road' [sic, sic, sic]."

see: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tfr/457653687.html



andrew david. "homage to violence and light" somewhere in alaska. i selected this photograph because i couldn't find any photos of dark, desolate roads or emaciated father-son scavengers in my portfolio, and fire plays a very, very, very important role in the book.

me and theology

What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this. Emergent/Postmodern 79% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 68% Neo orthodox 64% Roman Catholic 57% Reformed Evangelical 54% Classical Liberal 43% Modern Liberal 43% Charismatic/Pentecostal 36% Fundamentalist 32%

norman mailer died

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=webmailerobit10&date=20071110&query=norman+mailer

i read his book about jesus. i remember being annoyed. anyway, this is big news in the literary world; he sounds like quite a guy.

art show tonight!

natalia is the graphic designer for the behavioral neurosciences group at the university hospital where i work. she spends her days creating sciencey posters, newsletters, and recruitment flyers, but her nights are filled with paintings and prints. it's been exciting to find a fellow arts advocate (close call, i almost called myself an artist there!) in an office where numbers and neurons tend to take center stage.

now onto the news--natalia is displaying her art as part of the ballard art walk tonight. her show, entitled GRAVITY WINS, features 15 or so prints. as you can see from the announcement, natalia's art is being showcased at sugartown vintage (2421 NW market st, seattle, wa, 98107) from 6pm-9pm. stop by and say hi; i think there's even free wine and hors d'oeuvres.

if you're looking to buy a condo...

check out my buddy's condo. you can click the link or use the MLS number (27191157) on a real estate site like johnlscott.com. i've never thought about buying a condo, but if you're in the market for something nice and affordable that's in easy walking distance of basketball courts, tennis courts, and a baseball field, this is a good one. the living room is nice for eating nachos and watching seahawks games (and the kitchen is nice for making the nachos).