This past summer, I took a solo roadtrip meant for “self-exploration and discovery”—and some other hippie bullshit I thought would make me more introspective as an individual. Ironically enough, though I exuded a pseudo-whimsicality and spontaneity for adventure, I rigidly revolved my life around rules and schedules. My first stop was Mount Washington in the New Hampshire Whites, which was the highest peak I would’ve ever climbed. I joined a group of other solo hikers, but it was clear that I was the expert in the group—in tip-top shape toRead More

For those who only listen to  heavy metal/rap/hardcore stuff, I don’t know how much of this article you’ll want to read. For those who are versatile, keep reading. Ray LaMontagne, a 41 year-old folk singer/songwriter from New Hampshire has stolen my heart with just one song. I was in the car listening to Sirius Radio a few months ago when a soft, Iron & Wine type of voice came pouring through my speakers. The song is called “Shelter” and came off of his studio album “Trouble,” one of five heRead More

At first glance, the cover of “Season to Taste,” by Natalie Young looks like another boring chick lit novel, clogging the shelves of bookstores. Upon closer inspection this notion is dispelled. “Season to Taste” is a cautionary tale about not getting stuck in a loveless marriage–duly noted. The story chronicles the actions of a sad woman who has just done the unthinkable. Lizzie Prain kills and eats her husband. But this is not the end of the story. Merely the beginning. The story is told in snippets which include flashbacksRead More

Most of you are scared to go there. Your guy friends laugh nervously when you broach the topic at lunch, and your good, but not best friends mentally move you from their classy-has-it-together category of friends to the perverted-don’t-bring-around-grandma one when you bring it up. But if not now, when? Perhaps you’ve started dating a new person, you’re smitten, you’re spooning, you’re sleeping, you accidentally had more cheese than your digestive system can quietly process (ie any), your ear plus are nestled in your ears because you’re a light sleeper andRead More

More than just YOLO, or fuck bitches, get money, here are some rap lines that I’m currently using as my personal mantras, and why you should too.   1. These hoes ain’t loyal (Chris Brown & Lil Wayne, “These Hoes Ain’t Loyal”)– Life isn’t fair, and a lot of the time people won’t treat you the way you treat them. That’s cause these hoes ain’t loyal. Please note, the term ho is not gender specific and both men and women (and non-binary people) can all have ho-ish tendencies. That’s why the sooner youRead More

A person’s love of doughnuts is a profound and special ocean of emotion.  The passion is such that when a girl needs a doughnut, she needs it NOW. So when the craving calls, she answers.  This is why I used to repeatedly find myself (at all hours of the day/night) waiting in line with the tourists against the gold glittering brick wall of Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Oregon. One day a handful of my college friends and I, being observant people, happened to notice the Paris Theatre  next door, advertisingRead More

Record 21: Santa Monica Pier, Monday, July 5th, 2010. Evening. Tobin and Orlando were at the pier and eating cotton candy, watching panhandlers dance and do bad magic. Tobin, a strapping young man with clean clothes and quite the sane mind, sat outside the arcade under some pretty dang cool neon lights. Neon lights. Tobin, whose age was a number, had his eyes locked on the famous Bubba Gump restaurant. Tobin had a wild hankering for some seafood. “Seafood?” Orlando’s arms were large and swollen. He wore a tanktop withRead More

1. Cover letters. For those of us who hate bragging about ourselves, the cover letter is an absolute nightmare. What’s worse than talking about how great you are? Talking about how great you are in a formal letter that you rewrite in different contexts for different jobs about 50 times. What’s wrong with just looking at a resume and samples of work? 2. Job websites. Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder, pick your poison. Unless you’re looking for an entry-level position in sales or marketing, good luck navigating that black hole. I’m not sureRead More

Last week, I was in Las Vegas. I was in Las Vegas for five nights too long…and by that, I mean I was in Las Vegas for five nights. As a problem gambler and a party-loving idiot, being in Vegas at all was probably a terrible choice. But during my time in Vegas, I learned a few valuable lessons which I would like to impart onto the rest of you.   Bribery ALWAYS Works Going to Vegas with a group of five dudes and one girl, our odds for gettingRead More

For every band living the rock and roll lifestyle – smashing guitars and raiding the mini bar a la Iggy Azalea – there is another that’s traded in the high life for an adult one.  And that philosophy doesn’t only apply to tucking in their shirts and adopting 401Ks.  Some have created an entire identity for themselves, completely autonomous as both artists and people.  It’s rare that an indie group is truly independent by these standards, but every once in a while one will peek through the rows of label-puppets.Read More

Oh you want this box lid… whatever.     This box isn’t cool any more… I’m out.      I’m not a bed hog… I just like my space     Binge watching Netflix is perfectly normal     Umm… No.     Deal with it.     Talk to the hand.     That one that cat that just won’t stop talking…     I said back off…     You can’t sit with us! Read More

  Record 20: Moraga, CA, Friday, July 5th, 2019. Night. For months now, the outsider had been dying. Six months ago this same day, folks watched as the sun set for the last time over the mountains at precisely 7:02 pm, as their iPhones had informed them. A sadness hung in the now-forever night air, inert and disarmed, and waiting. Some folks called it the apocalypse. Some called it fate. Some, global warming. None of it mattered anymore, none of the theories and predictions. The modern folks, they were notRead More