Monday, June 25, 2007

Universal Mag-No-Watch


I've been a huge Mos Def fan since I heard his Universal Magnetic single way back in the mid-90s. Black Star, with Talib Kweli, and his first release, Black on Both Sides, are two of my favorite cds all-time. Smart. Conscious. Clean. Tight. Mos practices what he preaches, and seems consistent in his professional choices. We actually learned that he was playing only a couple days before, when he took over a local radio station and gave a fantastic interview. Take home messages: Black Thought is the untouchable, reigning king of emcees, and radio and video are tools of the old industry - digital technology has made the middle man obsolete.

I rarely see live shows, but was excited when I went with a few friends to see The Mighty Mos Def at Mezzanine last night. Sold out show in a solid, medium sized venue. Solid crowd in attendance. Doors opened at 9pm, and all bars in SF must close by 2am. A work night, we figured he wouldn't get there till 10:30 or so, but when midnight rolled around and he still hadn't shown, the crowd began to get a bit restless. A guy standing in front of me had taken CalTrain into the city for the show. His plan had been to catch an hour or so of the show, then head back on the last train. Instead, the poor, devoted guy got to hear one song.

The show itself, once it finally got started, was fantastic. Mos didn't play as many of his older songs as I'd have liked, but he made up for that by playing some of his works in progress. Even better, he focused on and rapped over long stretches of the original jazz and soul tracks sampled for his music. Tremendous.

I guess rappers don't invest in watches. Hopefully, Mos will spend his watch money to give the DJ a raise. With no opening act and no updates before Mos' arrival, kid earned it.

Definition Video (one of my favorites)

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

You'll never defeat my Praying Mantis style!

C's (red) friend and former co-worker cyk (brown) stayed with us over the weekend. They were comrades-in-arms, C more senior than cyk and playing the big sis role, until the end. They hit a speed bump and were able to move on, as happens between friends.

We'd never met, though she and C worked closely together and talked to each other nearly every day. The work/life divide is a strange one. We spend our most productive hours with people who are generally segregated from the rest of our life, the key portion that we consider "ours". This isn't a new phenomenon; I know I'm not offering some brilliant insight. Yet I'll always find it odd that the split is so strong. I know of C's co-workers only as vague ideas associated to names. Some of them know of me as an abstract distraction that sometimes keeps C from her work, or maybe as a recurring character in various chapters of C's "what I did last weekend" story. This split isn't universal, but it's certainly true for most people. Those who can bridge the gap often become the most cherished type of friends. Luckily, I've been able to a meet and make a few over the years.

I developed a nasty case of post-surgery cabin fever this weekend, so I wasn't my usual, welcoming self. Fortunately, I had was able to offer the Wii in my stead. cyk was a natural and proved to be a formidable opponent, especially when boxing. Actually, when boxing, cyk would better be described as some sort of beast of raging fury. She used this weird praying mantis style... I'm not sure exactly what she was doing, but she did dole out the business!

We all ate out a bunch and she and c took a trip to the East Bay and the Scharffen Berger factory to sample their sweet delights. A huge fan of all things chocolate, I think this was the highlight of cyk's visit.

Have fun wandering around Boston for a couple more weeks, and best of luck in DC. The EPA is lucky to have you.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Minor cut-up


Had surgery on my left knee yesterday. A scope and cleanup - I think it went pretty well. Some observations...

  1. The procedure was done at the Presidio Surgical Center (PSC). Despite the name, it isn't located in the Presidio. It's also nowhere near the hospital where my doctor's office is located. Tricky, no?
  2. The PSC has a funny setup to minimize liability. They only provide equipment, space and support - all of the doctors are independent contractors otherwise unaffiliated with the Center. Because of this formal separation, even though it feels like a standard hospital to the patient, if something goes wrong during surgery, the patient will have no claim against the PSC (which has a lot of assets) and will only be able to sue the doctor. This is true even though the doctors can be part owners of the PSC... very sneaky.
  3. The ceiling panels at the PSC are the modular type, common in hospitals. After every five or so panels, however, the standard grey panel is replaced by a backlit photo of a blue sky with white, fluffy clouds. Amazing what a difference a small change like this can make. These few panels made the otherwise standard hospital space feel much more open and relaxed. Imagine what will happen when thin LCDs get so cheap that they can be used instead - the Hogwart's dining room roof will be a reality!
  4. Didn't need much Vicodin - the good doctor did an excellent job - which is a good thing. Turns out that Vicodin knocks me the hell out. Instantly. An off switch in pill form. Good to know.
  5. I had to initial a form stating that if my insurance company didn't cover the cost of crutches I would be responsible for payment. For $30 crutches after a $4,000 procedure. Some insurance policies will cover the surgery but not the crutches. Yeah. Our health care system is in great shape.
  6. My knee wrap looks like something Barry Bonds would wear if he were a mummy. Much better than a cast though, so no complaints from me.
Two more days with the crutches and then it's back to my own two feet again...