2011, here we go!

Happy New Year, lovers!

I'm on my way to Starbucks at Holland Village to do my freelance work, but I'll write something tonight. :)

Wish me luck!

The Morning Snooze

The other night after a long day at the office, I settled in on the couch to watch a movie when my doorbell rang. There, standing in the dark shadows was a large, intimidating man selling subscriptions for the Springdale Morning News.

It is no secret that the Morning News is not really a newspaper about news in Springdale. The front page today is about a lady that moved from Cincinnati to Fayetteville. That's right, Fayetteville. The online edition isn't any better: Houston man relocates to Arkansas. Exciting stuff, no doubt.

I did learn that the city's No Knock Ordinance is as useless as the local paper. According to Ordinance 82-1:
Prior to engaging in the practice of peddling or soliciting at private residences, all persons must first obtain a copy of the list of residents who desire no peddling or soliciting at their private residence. Any peddler or solicitor who contacts any owner or owners, occupant or occupants of said private residences who are on the list, shall be in violation of this section.
After contacting the newspaper and the authorities I quickly found out what the punishment is for violating the ordinance. Section 1-9 claims:
...a person convicted of a violation of this Code shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000.00, or double such sum for each repetition thereof...
There is no punishment for a violation. Not even a slap on the wrist. What I did get was an obnoxious phone call from someone at the Morning News who advised me it is their "constitutional right" to send Guido out to peddle their rag door to door regardless of any list the city clerk keeps. The man told me they partner with the city and the police department and the police are sick of people calling them about this! Besides, he said people move a lot and the new residents probably don't want to be on the no knock list.

Really?

Our local paper is a waste of time and trees unless you can't live without knowing where the Chamber of Commerce and Mayor are traveling this week.

Changes.

When I was four, he used to beat me up with belt and duster whenever I behaved badly.
When I was five, he poured milk all over my head because I didn't want to drink a well-prepared glass of milk.
When I was six, he locked me up in the bathroom to teach me a lesson to not be disobedient again.
Somewhere along the line, he stopped punishing me for my mistakes.
Maybe I simply grew up and finally got my act together.
But a part of me believed he has become softer as he aged.

During my junior high, I always turned to him whenever I wanted something so badly.
During senior year, he was unable to say 'no' even though what I wanted was simply trivial and materialistic things.
When I turned seventeen, he asked me what I wanted and how I wanted to celebrate my birthday.
Somewhere along the line, he became my biggest supporter and fan, and someone who would always take care of my problems.

Over the years, he became my only parent and it changed everything.
I'd like to think that after everything that's happened, it only brought us closer together.
Because now, he is just as hurt and broken as I am.
Yet, he continues being a strong figure for our sake.
He's not perfect, but he tries.

I know it is still far from the truth,
But I hope that to you, I have become someone that you could be proud of too.
I hope you could see how much I have changed and trust me for my judgment.
Although, there is so much more that I haven't seen and so much more I have to learn.

Some pics to celebrate the end of fucking christmas.








You know, I can't really complain about the holidays being annoying too much..I did leave NYC for a short time..but came back and went to see what A Very Mars Bar Christmas was like.a lot of people there..pretty mellow night. I don't shop at freaking Kmart or RiteAid much so I barely heard any christmas music..I went to cafe's to sit and write and talk to nutters that were NOT playing that crappy music..but i'm still glad it's over. Now to get through Puke Years Eve and I can look forward to spring again-only a million more weeks!

Here are some random pics..Someone at Jalopy Theater really likes Tom Waits I guess..I find him annoying really. Being into old timey music everyone assumes you love Tom Waits and Old Crow Medicine Show..Well I DON'T love them. At all! Only 1 or 2 Waits songs can I stomach..the only modern musician I honestly will go pay money to see is Aimee Mann which I do whenever she plays in NYC. Unless it's that christmas album she put out which I pretend does not exist!

Then a searched bathroom at the health clinic..what the hell does that mean? And some slabs of meat displayed at a deli with lovely words written on them with ketchup..Peta should be out there..that shit looked gross and the ketchup looked kinda like blood dripping..Plus, the guys working in there thought I was taking THEIR picture and kept hooting and hollering at me. Yes, hooting AND hollering both! I guess I had it going on that day..

Then the dump bucket..the Prik with crazy sauce..and last but not least the cutest rat ever! He was as big as my dumb mexican cat Delgado and was practically making love to the camera..show off that he was..I named him Moishe cause he looked Jewish..He had no fear of me whatsoever and I'm not freaked out by rats so we hung out for a while. He's a gemini who enjoys long walks on the beach and eating shit from the trash!

~ Celine, "Before Sunrise"

I always feel this pressure of being a strong and independent icon of womanhood, and without making it look like my whole life is revolving around some guy. But loving someone, and being loved means so much to me. We always make fun of it and stuff. But isn't everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?

At the Bowery Open MIc..Lunar Eclipse Madness.





Went to the weekly NYC talent show at Bowery Poetry Club monday..I go to this quite often and will be there tomorrow as well for a bit for Reverend Jen's Anti-Slam night...It was a fun night..weirdness was all around the streets..for a Monday it was crowded at the bars. After 1am, most people were walking around looking up watching the lunar eclipse including me. I like this lame picture I took of it with my crappy camera-it looks like a fake bad backdrop.

Here's some pics of my friend Patrick Bucklew AKA Mangina whom I adore. He performs with his girl Lauren and later they howl and play keyboard as the moon slowly disappeared. He also had on one HUGE mangina that he made..and asked people to stick their finger in it..That thing could eat someone alive if it had teeth! Later I went to Mars Bar where everyone predicted a huge fatal tidal wave and I kept announcing we were all going to die..But I was in a good mood and was really happy about dying at Mars Bar with friends for some reason..Now I'm just hungover and watching Dexter and am quite glad we all survived.

My Recovery "Kit" Power Players

"I ran. I ran until my muscles burned and my veins pumped battery acid. Then I ran some more."

- Tyler Durden (Fight Club)




At "CrossFit," working on dynamic back-squats with chains :)



Most days of the week I like to pull what I call "doubles." If I'm lucky with my schedule, I may be even able to pull a "triple." A "double" might look something like this: an a.m. workout, then a p.m. workout (ex: run/climb, "CrossFit"/"Bikram", bike/hike). A "triple"? Well, you just add a third activity to the mix :)

People ask me all the time, "How can you do that? Don't you get sore?" Of course I do. I don't think there's any fool-proof way of completely eliminating DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), what I am sure of, though, is that there are effective ways of doing "damage control," or lessening the soreness.

Ask any athlete, and they'll have their chosen recovery "favorites." Everyone has little tricks that work for her/him. There is no one "bullet" system, just as there is no one fool-proof diet for everyone. I just give suggestions on various nutrition principles that seem to work for the general public in weight management, increased energy, and better health. There's always the "special" diet that someone is on: gluten-free, vegan, macrobiotic, ayurvedic, raw foods, what have you.

The bottom line: its pure trial and error. Unfortunately, the learning curve is more steep for some people than others. I won't bother going into detail on my giving "CLIF" shot blocks a try during a trail race, or trying some new electrolyte product while hiking in the Himalayas. YIKES! Those items will work for some people, but not for others. I've found, that my stomach is extremely sensitive to sorbitol, which is in many "GU" & "NUUN" types of products. For others, they will have zero effect on them.

Due to my occupation in Oriental medicine, I've long had a fascination with the martial arts. If there were only several more hours in a day... :) I find the Shaolin monks fascinating: their training protocols, and astute medical texts, containing sparring/energy/recovery formulas. These active monks, really honed the world's first sports medicine (acupuncture & herbal formulas) in remote region monastaries. There they could experiment in the uses of these herbs and their interactions. You might say a Shaolin monastic was really a combination of monk-physician-athlete.

There were no emergency rooms back then. No one to treat sparring injuries that included deep injuries inflicted by weapons. While the majority of us are just looking to ease our quads or hamstrings after a hill run, the principles are the same: rebuild muscle tissue, strengthen it, reduce inflammation.

There are a hundred new "recovery" formulas and products available now. There's one I use that's an over-the-counter product, which you can purchase online, at REI, or at most running stores. That's the "HAMMER" product called "Recoverite." This is an excellent product, which my sensitive "petri dish" stomach has tested, tried and true. Its an L-Glutamine rich formula, that should be taken directly after hard exercise. The rest of the products are products that are referred to in ancient martial arts texts as being "bullet proof" in speeding recovery. The combination of liver (due to its extremely high amino-acid profile), seaweed (highest magnesium source in the world, better than chromium in stabilizing blood sugar levels) and the spice turmeric (nature's aspirin, not to mention anti-biotic). The three act as a synergistic blend to increase the body's natural capacity to heal itself rapidly.





"NEW CHAPTER" Turmeric Force may be purchased at your local health food store. *Consult your local acupuncturist or naturopathic physician before taking turmeric if you have low Vit. K levels and/or are on any type of blood-thinning medication




This is a picture of seaweed, the laminaria, species to be exact. I take a particular seaweed product, which I order from a Chinese medicine apothecary. Its therapeutic-grade, and very potent. If you have questions about this product, feel free to contact me, and we can see if this is the right product for you. *Consult your local acupuncturist or naturopathic physician before taking a seaweed product if you are hyperthyroid.




"Dr. Ron's" has the highest quality New Zealand, humanely-raised, organic, grass-fed liver available. Its not cheap, but its worth every penny. www.drrons.com *Consult your local acupuncturist or naturopathic physician before taking liver if you know you are pregnant.




"HAMMER"
recovery product called "Recoverite." www.hammernutrition.com


Acupuncture, in addition to the above suggested supplements, can also greatly assist in releasing "trigger points," reducing inflammation, and healing torn muscle fibers. Massage, with various, anti-inflammatory essential oils, can also be of benefit in soothing strained muscles, and aiding relaxation. Also, having a regular yoga and/or stretching routine is imperative. Its best to think of it as a "non-negotiable." That way it doesn't get ignored ;-}

Happy birthday, me. ;)

I’m terribly bad at this recently. But here we are again; another year has passed in Tina’s life cycle. (That’s me, by the way.)

For the umpteenth time, let me just say that I’m never big on birthdays. I haven’t been excited about birthdays since I discovered that Santa is not real, and that Seifer Almasy is just a fictional character I can’t meet and marry. Life’s tough. My point is, I gladly let every year pass without much of a fuss if it’s up to me. But people expect you to clink a glass of champagne or two and make a toast. Well, this is slightly a metaphor.

Today at work my colleague kept asking me what my plan is for tomorrow. I sort of just stared at her blankly and said, “um, nothing.” She looked so shocked as if she just saw a UFO flying in the air. Tomorrow, in fact, is my birthday and yet, I will wake up and do the same routine that I have been doing in the past year.

Ah, maybe I’m gonna throw in extra earring but that purely depends whether I will get ready in time or if I’ll be rushing from home without checking myself in the mirror. Either way, nothing will change.

The one thing that I’ll be concerned about is whether I will have wrinkles the next time I look in the mirror. After all, I’ll be 24 in less than 2 hours! Fuck! (Did I just curse? Sorry! That was very unlady-like of me.)

It has become a habit though, to write my thoughts each year in this blog, so I’m not gonna break the tradition this time around, even though I’m not exactly celebrating the occasion. My perfect birthday will be, if I’m home, surrounded by my family and closest friends, and there’s that. I’m happy.

However, my mom is no longer around and my dad is not coming here until the 25th. My best friend is away on a vacation overseas, and some of my really good friends are not even in Singapore anymore. I know I still have my sisters here and thank goodness for that. Otherwise, I’m seriously going to just stay in tomorrow, fake sick, and sulk in misery.

For the past year being 23 though, I can proudly say that I’ve been good. (So Santa, I deserve a present.) My whole life has been filled with work, responsibility and things I have not fully appreciated yet until now. I love being able to work and earn my own money, and getting to spend it to make myself happy, to treat my sisters, to plan for things I want to do. Throughout school days, I kept spending, and now I’m gaining it all back.

My focus has been in work, and I don’t know what it will be in the next year. I hope it will be more on myself.

So I guess if I really have to celebrate my birthday, or to say something as a toast for this occasion, is for my 24-years old self to be able to maintain a balance. Take better care of myself, have better judgment, and learn that sometimes, saying no is a good thing.

Happy 24th, yourself. ;)


I'm an atheist but here are some sassy x-mas crafts..






These are some DIY xmas ornaments and various crafts that my friend Daniella AKA Our Lady of Perpetual PMS makes and will be sells these crafts at Bowery Poetry Club at times. The boob balls are perfect to hang on your tree which you know you won't throw out until April anyway! She also uses soy sauce containers and small cigar boxes to make little xmas and Day of the Dead type shrines..You can order what you want made from her..she lives in the neighborhood and you will be supporting your local DIY art scene if you like her stuff..

The scarves are hand painted by her friend Wendy who will be selling her wares there as well..and also has stuff for sale HERE...so come by Bowery and support the Anti-Slam and Craftermath or you will get lost in Kmart in the diaper ad cat litter aisle for all of eternity!

Season's Greetings!


Season's Greetings to you all!

We had a terrific season of cycling in 2010. From Earth Day to Halloween, we had 23 rides scheduled over 28 weekends (with most of the rest filled in by major cycling events). Only one ride was canceled due to bad weather (thunderstorms); another was postponed but we substituted another in its place. I'm personally pleased that I made it to all but one of the rides! I want to thank all of the ride leaders who graciously offered to share one of their rides with us, and for all the folks who showed up to keep me company on the rides I led.
Thanks, too, to all those who welcomed us into their homes and shops for baked cookies and other treats. Thank you all!

Today I had my first "Posted Roads" placard sighting, which means it's already time to start planning for next year! Sometime in January we will have our annual ride calendar planning party and pizza fest. Those of you who would like to attend - either to plan rides or just socialize (yes, both are eminently acceptable and not necessarily exclusive) - drop me a line on what evenings are best for you (or not) and I will try to find a good day to meet. We have traditionally met at the Bicycle Coalition of Maine offices in Augusta, but I will entertain suggestions for another venue, if any entertaining options come to mind.

In the meantime, I hope to spend the rest of the Winter trying to catch up on my ride reports from this past summer, going back to Memorial Day, I think. Obviously, I was spending more time riding than blogging, but keep an eye (or a browser) on http://postedroads.blogspot.com and I will try to give you something to recall the roads of summer while you are waiting to be plowed out. I'll also resolve to try and figure out the intricacies of online mapping, Facebook, and all those things currently beyond my limited comprehension. I expect that by March I'll be more than ready to get out and ride. Perhaps I'll see you out there, too.

Thanks again, and Best Wishes for the Holidays!

The Fine Art of Hiding

Every year when it is time to approve the budget, Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse starts acting a little strange.  Last year, he had some form of temporary amnesia and forgot to post the budget meetings on the community calendar. Heaven forbid the commoner show up and ask questions or something.

This year, according to eyewitnesses, Mayor Sprouse and a local attorney engaged in an entertaining verbal sparring session at the most recent city council meeting.  I was anxious to see it on the city's website, but after full five days, it still isn't there.  I wonder if it was a 'tape malfunction' like the last time a city council meeting got heated and made Perry Webb look bad.

The Jones Television Station was contacted to find out if there was a camera malfunction or other reason for the delay.  Jones TV stated that their tapings are directly linked and immediately available on the city's website.

Hmmm

WFMU show shit.




Here are a few pics from tuesday nights live gig on WFMU. The guys there were really nice..I like playing on the radio,it's kinda like just being at home and playing but John and I can't yell at each other about our mistakes and i can't curse like a sailor. Just why do sailor's curse so much anyway? They get to ride in boats and wear those sassy little hats. Just what the FUCK is their problem?

Anybleep, I want to have a contest concerning which rat is the LARGEST and MOST AWESOME rat in NYC. I have one photo so far of a really fucking huge rat I took last night..That thing was practically as big as my dumb cat Delgado and had completely no fear of me. I was just standing right next to it taking its photo..It seemed quite flattered actually and was almost posing. Show off. I will post the rat pic as soon as I find a few more to compete with it. Feel free to send me pics of huge rats-I will post them on here.

Here is a link to East River playing live on WFMU..just click on the Dec 14th mp3 or the pop-up link. They took some video which will be in the archives soon I think.

Just some unrelated pics and ramblings..








Hello friends, strangers, and enemies alike! I plan to be blogging a lot more now..just rambling on in that ever so charming way I have.So many people encourage me to write about my life..the weird shit like squatting and hopping trains and hitchhiking alone..playing music and just everything i've seen and done. The problem is, how do you write about your friends and not be exploitive? I would ask every person I wrote about permission to write about them-even the ones I don't like. My life does not seem strange to me because, well, it's MY life! I do have a lot of fun stories and have a half assed bunch of stories written down but I dunno..Norton Publishers says I should just make my blog into a big book but who would really want to read it? Norton could never publish my potty mouthed tales of drugs, drinking, etc..And all the people's pics I have up..not to mention the embarrassing brunch with the PARENTAL UNITS monthly posts..Ugh! I will have to think about organizing shit I have written..and organizing my brain. And hiring someone to edit the SHIT outta my poor grammar and use of adverbs. Dammit.

We shall see..I went to college to learn how to write and I have this blog-that's about it. But I love this damn blog. So cathartic. I don't even care if anyone reads it.

Anyhooch, these are some fun photos! First, there is Moby playing keyboard while a cute chihuahua dances along..I love Moby's new band Diamondsnake. Their videos on youtube are hysterical. Plus, he's a super nice guy. And he likes old music. The Mangina joins in there whom I love. He is a great painter and will be doing a pet portrait of Delgado soon. He charges not very much for what you get in return.. and is very talented..Check out Patrick Bucklew on Facebook to see his work.

Then we have some pics of the tile wall from the Society of Illustrator's museum that's uptown. That place is pretty cool..and I love these painted tiles. The pics don't capture how grand they are in person. My band will be playing March 26th there I think..for a big Crumb gallery opening..we may have possible VERY special guests sitting in with us. Have to see about that in the next few months..

Then to top it off..some Mars Bar art..painted torsos on the wall. I will be documenting a lot of Mars fun stuff as they get closer to their demise..Life ain't fair I tells ya!

Hear East River String Band live on WFMU tomorrow!

My band will be playing live on WFMU tomorrow night, tuesday December 14th.
Here is the info:

Antique Phonograph Music Program with

Michael "

Mac"

Cumella on

WFMU

broadcasting at 91.1 fm in New York, at 90.1 fm in the Hudson Valley from 8PM - 9PM.


It's a call in show so feel free to call in and ask John why he is farting so much and be sure to mention how great I am!
Why is this font so big?

Anyway..I gotta cold but it's going away..I've been drinking tea past few days but will have some new blogs coming this week..And I have some Mars Bar time to make up for since i've not been a boozehound the past week..




Some Buckdancing at Jalopy and Matt Kinman playing.

I am really behind on this blogging stuff..I suppose that's why I will never win Best Drunken Blogger, or Most Offensive Post when they hand out awards..Well, I still have my "World's Best Granny" mug at least..So, things have been good lately..though the WSJ outed my age and over usage of my cell phone..we play live on WFMU from 8pm-9pm this tuesday so I am trying to not get sick and get my voice back. It got lost somewhere between getting wasted at Bowery Poetry Club, and then getting blacked out at Mars Bar upon hearing the news of their impending doom. Is it pathetic how depressed I am over this news? What will take the place of Mars Bar? All other bars annoy me.

Anyfelch, here are some videos of some amazing buckdancing at Jalopy Theater from last week..Thomas Maupin is 72 years old! The film about him, "Let Your Feet do the Talkin'" is really good..It's put out by Dust to Digital. The very talented Matt Kinman plays for them..

East River String Band in Wall Street journal today!








A freelance reporter wrote an article about my band and John's new 3 CD boxed set on Dust to Digital complete with photos and all, that appeared in today's Wall St Journal..Kinda strange paper to be in..but it's a nice article especially when it says I'm on my phone too much! Har!
Here is a link to it and a few pics of John's CD release party at Jalopy Theater..My next post will be the amazing buck dancers that were there!

Here is the link to today's, December 7th article about Baby, How Can it Be? and our upcoming CD Be Kind to a Man When He's Down.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704156304576003640416924506.html

Mr. Lower East Side Pageant Shit.


So here is some video footage from the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant that went on at Bowery Poetry Club a few days ago..There is a pic someone sent me of me on the stage..There was no where to sit so they let people on stage to judge the show. Which I did, fairly I must say..No dangling chads here..but I saw enough things dangling there pretty much right in my face..to last me a lifetime. Can one die from scrotum over load?

Included are a few videos from the show..I missed a lot of the good stuff..the swimsuit competition, etc..it got really smoky up there and beer was all over the place..I didn't want my camera to get ruined so I put it away. Unlike the men with their junk hanging out! Moonshine took first place..his third time winning the crown I believe..

Things I learn this week.

That I’m a person inspired by kindness. Your best friend being nice to you is one thing, but a random stranger surprising you with an act of kindness is quite another. I want to be a better person so I can make another random person feel the same way.
It is action, not words, that matters.

Just as it is easy for me to feel empathetic and genuinely appreciative of others, it goes the same quite the opposite way. I don’t have the patience for rudeness and ungratefulness.

I’m not a multitasker, although that probably does not come as a surprise.

I reach a point where things get to me and then I just freak out.

Making a list is really important for me. Without it, I’m like a scattered mess. I need to know what I’m doing and what I’m about to do. I need to think one thing at a time. Although that is easily forgotten; so most of the time I have to stop myself from freaking out to sort myself out.

Playing at Jalopy Theater tonight! Show at 8pm. $15


East River String Band will be playing at Jalopy Theater tonight, December 2nd, to celebrate the release of John's 3CD boxed set from his 78rpm collection called Baby, How Can it Be?
There will be other performers as well as films shown and the boxed set will be for available there for sale..It's put out by Dust to Digital.