Barefoot in February

One of my favorite bands, Barefoot Truth, is playing on February 20th at the Brighton Music Hall. Tickets are around $15. Super cheap.  Before I took a blog hiatus, I posted a brief description of the band. I just got word my tickets were being shipped. I am planning on taking the girlfriend, even though she doesn't dig them like I do. We listen to most of the same tunes and this here is one of the exceptions. She is a sport though and will give anything a try. It will be a fulfilling way to wrap up a cold February weekend, a Sunday-funday if you will. I hope to get some of the fellas to join as well to highlight our wild winter activities.

                                                        Barefoot Truth

Inspirational.

TIME Magazine's most recent cover story focused on Aung San Suu Kyi, the recently released political activist of Burma who continues to fight for human rights and democracy. She was on house arrest for nearly 20 years before her release two months ago. She is credited with spearheading the National League for Democracy (NLD) despite her political rights seemingly vanished. Furthermore, there are clauses in Burma's new constitution that prohibit Suu Kyi from becoming Prime Minster, according to TIME's story. Her message is clear, and it should be reverberated. She constantly preaches kindness and even values it over love saying, "Love comes and goes, but kindness remains."

Although imprisoned for all those years, her new found freedom and acts of kindness towards the hungry,  impoverished, sick and dying is more than admirable. She's a small woman with a large political agenda, seeking liberty for her people and unequivocal balance in government. It's yet another example of radical forces derailing peace, or at least the prospect to get the wheels turning. She does not know how long her freedom will last, but promises to make the most of it.

That's the reason Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 and that's the reason she deserves our attention.

Check out TIME's story, it's well written and honest: The First Lady Of Freedom

                                                                 

NH 11', the gift of music and...Dispatch

2011. It's here and promises to be a good one. We're all back from New Hampshire, where we partied hard and made a memory. Everyone brought delicious appetizers and different finger foods. What's more, most of it was homemade. My favorite moment of the night came when everyone was in a large circle and took turns stating their best moment of the past year. As expected, the answers varied and everyone got a cheers in response of their moment. Without a doubt, my best moment was moving into an apartment with my girlfriend. It was a special night with special people.

                                       Some of the crew, courtesy of Kevin's iPhone.

In other news, I am giddy over a music overload. January brings new albums from Iron&Wine, Amos Lee and Ben Harper. My girlfriend bought me tickets to see Joshua Radin at the House of Blues in Boston in February for a birthday gift. She knows the way to my heart. Radin is mellow and acoustically driven for the most part. He's becoming mainstream so if you don't know him already, you soon will.

                         Joshua Radin and the cover of his new-ish album: The Rock and the Tide

Lastly, in the most important development of all, DISPATCH is on tour this summer and returning to Boston on June 25 at the Garden. They're also playing Colorado, Illinois, California, New Jersey and Georgia. Dispatch revolutionized music for me and I cannot wait to see them again. Tickets go on sale in three weeks.

Tour logo.

Dispatch. The Best.

Another highlight: The night before we left for New Hampshire a buddy of mine gave me a groupon for a Thai/Tapas bar in Somerville so the girlfriend and I went. It was a tiny place and half the seats used pillows on a bench for comfort. It was tasty and very very fresh. If in the area, check out Ronnarong Thai Tapas Bar in Union Square.

The rest of the weekend has been relaxing and lazy. Some reading, some sports. Speaking of, the Patriots concluded a 14-2 regular season and have a bye week before their postseason starts. You did not see that coming. It's Dallas or bust!

Again, Happy New Year everyone!

Welcome 2011, my warmth to all.

"I would tell them that if they want thrills, they should throw away their toys and ride the greatest roller coaster of all, the earth on which they dwell. And I would tell them that it will cost absolutely nothing because they gained admission free of charge on the day they were born."

--Richard Bode, Beachcombing at Miramar

This quote comes from my favorite book of all time. That's right, all time. Bode’s tale illustrates the search for an authentic life and, in a way, demonstrates a route to find happiness. Although his path is drastic, his yearning for the sublime resembles the common man. In a roundabout way, it leads into my resolution.

 

With 2011 looming, my resolution comes in two parts. One half deals with the people in my life while the other stems from a major letdown. In the former, I hope the people around me continue their stream of happiness, and remain content in their respective lives. It’s a small resolution that’ll hopefully serve large purpose. What’s more, I hope to add to their happiness and make an impact.

The latter revolves around me coping with major disappointment. Not to open up a sinkhole, but when my abroad plans fell through I had a difficult time dealing with it. Those close to me understood my heartache. Only in the last month did I talk to my oldest friend about it, nearly seven months later.  So, simply put, I need to learn from that experience and  better manage major disappointment. It's easy to brush off the minute details, but larger circumstances take additional poise. It will take time, but it will make things better. It will make me better for it.

I’ll be bringing in the New Year with my girlfriend and closest of friends as we head north to my friend’s New Hampshire cottage. As per usual, it’s a double feature because there is a birthday at the stroke of midnight, which calls for double the amount of tomfoolery.

There were too many memories to count from the past year and it’s time to close that chapter and start a new one. Happy New Year, people!

snow day!

I learned at 2:00 this morning that all of our east coast offices were closed due to the snow storm! It's like being a kid again and looking at the scroll on the bottom of the television screen for closings. The girlfriend is working from home all of this week so I get to keep her company today while she watches The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

I shoveled my car out to get to the gym and when I arrived home, there was home-made mac and cheese waiting. Yum, the perfect dish for this weaher. After more shoveling, we're headed to IKEA to get a new desk for the apartment.

I could use more of these days.

doing the Christmas thing

A second Christmas with my girlfriend's family has come and gone. I am incredibly fortunate to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas with loved ones and I'll never take that for granted. I was the recipient of stellar gifts: Subscription to TIME Magazine, microfiber plush sheets, slippers, gloves, clothes, a slow-cooker, steak knives, magic-cleansing soap and lastly, a portrait of my girlfriend's nieces in matching attire. The portrait now graces our apartment. We ate, we drank, we played with small children and watched Santa Paws. It was wonderful.

Prior to Christmas, the girlfriend treated me to a facial at a spa in Cambridge. She is persuasive. It was...fun. Then, I took her to see Black Swan at West Newton Cinema. It is walking distance from our apartment and is quite unique. It was constructed in 1937, has only six screens, is cash only and prides itself on showcasing indie films. Therefore, it was a rare treat that Black Swan was showing. The film was everything I expected from Darren Aronofsky, whose resume includes Requiem For A Dream, The Fountain, Pi and The Wrestler. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, it'll make your blood boil.

Now it's time to watch the Patriots clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs!

the good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain

It's been a while since I've posted. There is much catching up to do. Long hours at work have contributed to this and it's time to get the ball rolling. There have been great moments over the last month or so: Thanksgiving, my sister got engaged, New York City and Maine to visit dear friends, great food, a special anniversary, Hanukkah and more. I am going to make a conscious effort to keep the blog going, the ideas flowing and to maintain a creative outlet. Merely attempting  to encapsulate two months in a post is not possible meaning I'll only rewind a couple weeks ago.

One of the biggest highlights was a concert. Live music hits my soul like lightning crashing. It's what I love. It brings happiness, accompanied by rhythm and melodies that make all problems fade resembling the lights. I attended Chad Stokes and Friends to benefit Chad's non-profit organization, Calling All Crows. This was the organization's third benefit show and I went to last year's show at The Center for Arts at the Armory in Somerville with a friend. The crux of the non-profit's mission is to mobilize musicians and fans to promote human rights. I have volunteered with CAC before and it's a powerful movement. This year's show was at the House of Blues in Boston and, as expected, was an intimate, acoustic setting. Many artists flocked to join Chad's campaign including Braddigan, formerly of Dispatch. It was the first year they made it a tour and hit the road to convey their collective message. It was extra special because I took my girlfriend, and she enjoys the same music I do. If I can accurately recall, it was my tenth time seeing Chad Stokes in some form, either by Dispatch, State Radio or solo. I highly recommend checking out Calling All Crows' site and seeing the overflow of kindness people demonstrate

                               Lauren Coleman, White Buffalo, Bonnie Paine, Chad Stokes, Matt Embree, Melaena Cadiz, and Braddigan

                                                           Chad Stokes