Author: Sara

Dorkdom

Sara 2 Comments

Straight from the Urban Dictionary:

Dorkdom (Not to be confused with geekdom, or nerdocracy)comes from achieving a mere fraction of the coolness that one believes they are emmulating.*

I believe that everyone has a bit of dorkdom — i.e. Knows way too much about something in particular, be it a movie, TV series, author, game, toy, location, time period, etc.

Lately I have been pondering my own geekiness while listening to The Dork Forest with comedienne, Jackie Kashian. This show focuses on the dorkdoms of various guests on her program. Most are comedians but some come from the comic and gaming industry while others have science and engineering backgrounds. The past few shows have included a cat dork and a food dork.

Here are a few of my dorkdoms, the proud and the lame:

Music: specifically local San Diego music. I have been known to be the wiz kid in answering music trivia on our local music artists. My husband and I own about 200 albums of local music. (Note: I don’t count my CD’s so I really have no idea how many we actually have. 200 sounded reasonably correct). Compared to the likes of Rosey of SD Dialed In, Tim Pyles from the Local 94.9 and Bart Mendoza, I can’t compare. But it is a subject and an art that I love and know a little too much about. And I don’t mind sharing.

Local San Diego History: One of my collections (of which I have very few), is a library of books focused on the history of San Diego. I love the city I live in and it’s history, although short is very rich of interesting tales. From the Spanish to the Mormons to the Navy, cultures shaped the ideals. From Wyatt Earp to Ulysses S. Grant to Dr. Seuss, individuals shaped the landscape and identity. My favorite of all of my collection is San Diego Legends: Events, People, and Places That Made History by Jack Scheffler Innis. Although, not a comprehensive history, it is a good read.

Disney: I worked for Walt Disney World for a month at the end of 2000. I was already a bit of a Disney dork before working there, but they really do brainwash you. I was always interested in the behind the scenes stories, but never a collector of Disney stuff. I feel anyone who likes Disney is a bit of a Disney dork. Walt hides so much in the magic that people are compelled to know what is behind the curtain.

Ray Bradbury: This man is my hero and really should be at the top of my list for dorkdoms. I have read nearly all of his works (except for the newest stuff). Last September, I shared about my inspiration from his writing genius. He is connected to San Diego through his design of Horton Plaza and connected to Disney through his animatronics creations. He is the reason that I am a dork.

Semi-Dorkness: Muppets, Roller Derby, Beer

I am aware that I am not an extremist or an expert on any of the above. There are many more individuals in this world that take dorkdom to new heights including the collection of random crap, interrupting conversations with random facts, and sometimes stalking others to “understand them more”.

I am one of those people that retain various little factoids about a variety of topics so as to remain somewhat aware and knowledgeable in various discussions. This sometimes gets me in trouble with true dorks, where they truly believe I care about their collection of comic book action figurines. Sorry, really, no offense.

*Note: Emulating is spelled incorrectly. What does that say about me?

Coachella 2010

Sara Leave a comment

I love me a festival. Art festivals, comedy festivals, film festivals, any large scale massing of purpose. Of all festivals, music festivals top them all. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the biggest and baddest of them all happens each spring (April 16-18, 2010), kicking off the summer music festivals. I have yet to go, but man, at some point, I’ve gotta make this happen.

The excitement and speculation begins at the start of each year, as bands begin to post their tour dates. Is there a gap during the festival? Who is reuniting for this year’s festival? Lots of rumors flying on blogs and Twitter. Everyone wants to know.

The day finally comes. Tuesday, January 19. Bloggers and music nerds alike were on the edge of their seats as fake event posters with fake line ups circulated late Monday. The anxiety grew as people who wanted to be in the know, stayed up past midnight to find out who was playing. Coachella organizers chimed in on Twitter stating,

@coachella: “when we said tuesday, we really meant Tuesday, like during normal waking hours. xxoo”

After waking twice during the night, due to a fussy baby, we awoke in the morning to the ominous message:

@coachella: “the time has come”

Radio stations and media outlets were released the line ups to be broadcast out to the masses.

Diversity in the schedule means that there is something for everyone. Just like Kristian with SD Dialed In, Sunday is my preferred choice out of any of the days. I have seen Muse on several occasions and can’t imagine  I really could care less about Jay-Z.

I remember the first time that I heard Gorillaz, “Clint Eastwood” off of their first album (self titled), when I was in New Zealand. Knowing that most music varies per country, I bought the CD, soaked in what I could and came back to the states. The second album, Demon Days took over the airwaves in the states with Dirty Harry, DARE, and Feel Good, Inc. So excited to see these guys.

Some of the other bands I am excited to see on Sunday’s line up: Phoenix, Spoon (love, love), Julian Casablancas, Sly and the Family Stone, MUTEMATH, the Big Pink, and Sunny Day Real Estate.

The rest of the weekend is decent with my interests including: MGMT, Coheed and Cambria, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Frightened Rabbit, Vampire Weekend, She & Him (I’ve been wanting to see them since they started), Them Crooked Vultures, Lucero, and Hockey.

“So are you going?” you ask. I would like to. But I will not be the first on in line to by tickets this Friday, January 22 at 10am. $269 for a 3 day pass, plus $55 for camping, plus money for food and drinks is way outta my league right now. Although… I am always looking for a sponsor, let me know if you can score something, otherwise, I will be forced to attend EarthFair for the um-teenth time in my life.

College Success Story… SF Sketchfest

Sara 1 Comment

I am so proud of my friends from college. They took what they love and decided to share it with the world. Upon graduating from San Francisco State University in 2001, Cole Stratton, David Owen and Janet Varney decided to collaborate creating SF Sketchfest as a way to showcase the work of six Bay Area sketch comedy groups: The Fresh Robots, Kasper Hauser, The Meehan Brothers, Please Leave the Bronx, Totally False People (their own sketch group, along with our friend, Gabriel Diani) and White Noise Radio Theatre.

In January of 2002, the first festival kicked off at the tiny 300 seat Shelton Theatre in downtown San Francisco with two weeks of sketch comedy sets. Rapidly the festival has grown into a nationally recognized comedy festival mixing national headliners, local favorites and the best up-and-coming groups from throughout North America for a month of sketch, improv, stand-up and alternative comedy. The festival has grown substantially to become a favorite among critics and fans for it’s artistic showcase that consistently delivers top quality comedic performances, tributes and panel discussions.

Recently featured in Paste Magazine, this year’s festival starts tonight and goes for three weeks. I’m bummed I am going to miss this year’s event since it features a Tribute to Conan O’Brien, Monty Python’s Terry Jones, Cinematic Titanic with the peeps from MST3K, Reno 911!, Comedy Death-Ray and more (click here for the full line up)!

In the past they have had acts such as performances from Saturday Night Live, The Kids in the Hall, Mr. Show, Arrested Development, The Upright Citizens Brigade, The State, Strangers With Candy, The Simpsons, The Daily Show and more. I have been back for the festival twice: once in 2003 and once in 2008 and already have plans to be there next year for their 10th anniversary. It is an awesome experience similar to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. With multiple venues and several shows per night to chose from it is easy to hop from show-to-show to fulfill all of your comedy needs and desires. You NEED to go.

I love my friends and love to see that they are doing so well. On a side note, Cole Stratton also writes one of my favorite entertainment blogs, Riverbottom Nightmare Blog, named for the gang our favorite Christmas special, Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas.

The Future of Radio???

Sara 2 Comments

The new year (and the end of last year) has so far brought a bit of chaos and rumbling in the air waves with the departures of radio personalities: Dave, Shelley and Chainsaw, Jeff and Jer, and Mikey. In addition, the contract for Halloran from FM94.9 was not renewed in the new year. I know that much of the San Diego community has been shaken by one or more of these not-so-fond-farewells. I know I have. Here are a few insights on the current situation and the vision for the future:

Chris Cantore’s appearance on NBC capturing the the state of things perfectly.
SD Dialed In sharing her empathy and vision.
SDRadio’s Tribute to the DSC with comments on the various parties to blame for the ducks being shot out of the water.
Chick Rawker re-post of the ChrisCantore video and details of Halloran’s departure (coming soon).

All of this madness made me go digging through my archives to find a previous post on the subject. Here is
Radio Nowhere from October 7, 2008.

I will end with what I said then:

So those in radio, I feel for you but this is the life you have chosen and I admire you for it. It is definitely not for me. Those who listen to radio keep on… it is you who drive the market.

Top Ten Songs of 2009

Sara Leave a comment

So I feel a little bad for no doing my top ten list 12 hours before the end of the decade, but really, no time. Anyhow, I have thought about it… a lot. I’ve done my homework and realized that I can’t sufficiently give my top ten albums of 2009 (and the top ten of the decade is just unrealistically mind-blowing).

“What?!”, you say… To my defense, I barely bought ten albums in the last year. Mostly of my listening time has been spent with podcasts or radio. I don’t feel that I could give a list that covers what should be the top of the year. But since I have been listening to some music this year, I do feel I can give to you my top ten songs of the year.  So here they are:

10. Fiction Family “When She’s Near” – Bringing me into the new year… This song is like a warm fire in my soul. Yes, I mean it. I can imagine curling up on the couch next to a warm fire in the hearth on a cold winter day. Now, how’s that for a song description?

9. Phoenix “1901” – I have yet to get tired of this song. So sad to have missed them at the FM94.9 Holiday Hootenanny earlier this month. I heard they blew everyone away.

8. Metric “Twilight Galaxy” – Although “Help I’m Alive” was the hit off the Fantasies album released this year, I fell in love with the lyrics and melodies of this song. “I’m higher than high, lower than deep.”

7. Owl City “Fireflies” – I can’t resist. As much as people have a love/hate feeling toward this band, I have fallen in love with this song just as much as I love Death Cab and Postal Service. Cute video too.

6. Company of Thieves “Oscar Wilde” – I think I fell in love with this song after Thomas was born and as my grandfather’s health was fading. My recognition that time is a precious thing connected me to this song instantly. “Time keeps on ticking away, always running away, always running from time.”

5. Fanfarlo “The Wall Are Coming Down” – Beautifully organic. I originally heard it on the Paste Magazine Sampler #55. I love every small xylophone tap, trumpet blow and violin pluck. I was lucky to have gotten a chance to see them as they rolled through town at the Casbah earlier this month.

4. Harlem Shakes “Sunlight” – This song was also on the Paste Magazine Sampler #55, good solid mix. Similar to Langhorne Slim but more upbeat and dancy. Love.

3. Pearl Jam “Just Breathe” – Favorite radio play of the year. Listening to this song grounds me. It makes me introspective and start thinking about those that I love. One of the DJ’s  from FM94.9 stated that it sounds like it should be on the “Where the Wild Things Are” soundtrack. I totally agree.

2. Flaming Lips “I Can Be A Frog” – I love this. Karen O. on the other other end of the line making the craziest animal sounds. I would love to know how this song came to be. Ultra silly and fun.

1. Jonathan Coulton “Blue Sunny Day” – I heard this song as the intro to Kevin Smith’s and Scott Mosier’s Smodcast a few months back. I new that I had to get it and you should too (here). It is the first time that I have bought just a song. Though if it was available on an album, I would have bought it. Super catchy. Somewhere between Ben Folds and Brian Wilson. Listen to the lyrics. It is about a vampire about to die. Awesome. PS… Ignore the cheesy video.

And with that I leave you to enjoy your new year!