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Friday, 04 September 2009

  • Obviously you're not a golfer

    No, I'm not a golfer or a blogger for that matter. It is that time of the year for an update friends, Romans, and countrymen. Lately I've been working overtime. The only downside is that I haven't been going to my Eskrima classes for the last couple weeks. The overtime is temporary so I'm taking advantage of it while I can. Prepare yourselves for a shock...I haven't been playing video games very much. Gasp! I still play, don't get me wrong, but between overtime and my roomates getting to the tv first i really only play a couple times a week now. Instead, I've been spending time with my good friend the guitar. I'm finally writing some new music. I'm layering guitars more than I used to and getting good results. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish these songs up soon and get some more rolling out. I don't know if I'll ever perform them, I would need at least a couple other people playing guitar with me to do them live. I guess it's more for therapy than anything. A lot cheaper than a shrink for sure, hitting people in Eskrima also helps. Forgive the brevity of this blog but I have to go to work and I just wanted to give a quick update. Catch you all on down the trail.

    Peace and Love

Thursday, 30 October 2008

  • Onward into the unknown

    Mind you, I only titled this blog that because it sounds cool. I guess we are all going that way whether we want to or not, and I needed a title. Life has been good my fellow internet junkies, it has been good indeed. I'll recap the more recent excitement...
    Last weekend I went to a Halloween party, yes a week early. My costume plans changed at the last minute for the sake of matching someone else's costume. I was a priest the other was a pregnant nun, am I going to hell for that...doubtful, I've done enough other things that are worse. Plus if I wanted to get all theological about it then I could make a pretty good case about showing that people are fallible and still forgiven. The party was not all that and a bag of chips I'm sorry to say, last year was awesome but this year left me asking myself why I didn't go to a different party. I'm going to another shindig at my mother's friend's house on the actual day of Halloween. It's not really a Halloween party as much as a get together with lots and lots of really good food, and I'm sure there will be plenty of wine. I'm wearing my robe though, the beauty of being the Dude for Halloween (my original plan) is that I don't really have to do much to be the part.
    On a much happier note, forgive the sarcasm I'm in a mood for some reason, I've joined another martial arts school. To catch the two of you that read this up...I was doing Tai Chi and enjoying it a lot however, class was only one day a week and I need more than that. The other places around that teach Tai Chi do not seem to focus on the martial aspects of it just the health, I want the martial aspect. Yes, Tai Chi can be used in a fight, and can be very effective. Whenever I finally finish collecting my thoughts I'll talk about it in the martial arts blog that's coming. Anyhoo, I digress...so instead of continuing Tai Chi somewhere else I looked around the area to see what else was available. Amazingly, I was able to find two schools that teach Shaolin kung fu. I question the authenticity and just plain specialized knowledge of the one school, and the other is very expensive, though in my opinion the real deal. Then there is the Aikido school that's close, perhaps I will end up there one day. In the end I chose this place that teaches a variety of styles, not all taught by one person (this is important to me, it's about mastery of the art). The place charges their fee per month and I get to go to whatever class I want and I can use the facilities whenever they are open. Great deal if you ask me. I'm studying Eskrima (Filipino stick fighting) it's not pretty to watch but practical and effective. Handling sticks is going to take some practice, especially for my left hand. The plan as of now is to study Eskrima for a bit and then when I feel like I have a handle on it start another style offered, it's a toss up at this point between Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA, or the hybrid Karate style that they teach. Don't ask what type of Karate, you've probably never heard of it. For those of you that know the inner Bob this might come as a shock to you since I care so much about the history and purity of martial arts. I still would like to study other arts in their pure form but at this point I need to get in shape and get the quick knowledge/reward. I just don't think that I have the patience right now I'm sorry to say.
    The last thing...I picked up the game Fable II. It is a great game though not what I was expecting. I've been playing it for a few days now and I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of this game. I've been getting away from first person shooters lately, I still enjoy them but I'm just tired of being owned by 12 year olds. I'll get back into them after my sabbatical into RPG land. Well, I could go on a whole lot more about everything I've touched on in this blog but it's late and I would rather play video games right now. I hope this blog finds all of you in good health and happy, until we meet again whilst surfing the ones and zeros that are the internet be safe and be loved.

    Peace and Love

Saturday, 04 October 2008

  • Concerts galore

    So I've been going to a bunch of concerts lately, and I have a bunch more on deck. A week or so ago was the Raconteurs at the Greek Theater. I like the Raconteurs but I was worried about how they would be in concert. I watched some footage from a couple summer festivals where they performed and was not impressed. The show at the greek however, was exceptional. Jack White is certainly the lively one of the bunch, but the rest of the band is spot on. I was impressed with the ability of the band as a whole and especially the other guy that sings. He did a very good job both on guitar and singing. Jack White took most of the solo guitar work and did a great job with that. Mr. White also knocked some of his guitars over while trading out guitars mid song. The venue was great, I love the Greek Theater, the sound is good, and your outdoors so it doesn't get too hot. I would have liked the drums to be a little louder in the mix though, it was tough hearing the fills and some of the cymbal work. I was definitely impressed by the band, if you get the chance to see them please do.
    The next band on the list is my friend's band Riddley. It is hard to describe the music that they play, one of their influences is Sunny Day Real Estate but I don't think that they sound a whole lot like them. Maybe because I don't know much Sunny Day Real Estate. Riddley played at the Troubador which is a pretty cool venue. This was their best show thus far, the band was tight and the sound was excellent. This was the first show where they were all having a good time and you could tell. Apparently, they also had the biggest fan base of anyone for the evening so the venue was really happy. It's little things like bar sales and bodies in the club that make it easy for a band to get a gig again. If you're interested, and you should be, then check out myspace.com/riddleymusic. Give it a listen, odds are that you'll enjoy.
    The most recent band that I've seen was Gogol Bordello. If you haven't heard of this group then shame on you. I saw the guys open up for Primus over a year ago, coincidentally my first Primus show, and I was blown away. Look them up, wear some purple, and thank me later. This band puts on quite possibly the most energy intensive show I've ever seen. The youngest band member I believe is in their late 20's and they get older from there. This group rocks harder than most other bands half their ages I kid you not. I saw them at The Grove in Anaheim. The venue is pretty cool, it was standing room only but tiered and in sections. I believe that is the only reason I didn't get beat up due to a mosh pit, there just wasn't enough room in our section. The band is great, they're gypsy punks and their band members are from all over the world. I think that it is impossible to stand still during one of their shows, you have to clap and dance, unless you have no soul or something. Before I continue with my blog you need to go listen to some of their music, go ahead, I'll wait........Don't you feel better now? The recordings do not do them justice, you really need to see them live. If they ever visit your neck of the woods, get tickets and be ready to have a fantastic time. When these guys perform it is a party. I hope I've made my point clear.
    I've got a bunch more concerts on tap including the Smashing Pumpkins, Zappa plays Zappa, and Les Claypool. Buckethead is going to be in town around the time of my birthday and I'm not sure if I'm going to make his show. Look these four groups/individuals up if you've never heard of them, they're worth it. When I'm not doing the concert thing I'm playing video games, poker, or working. No complaints there. For the two people that actually read my blog, fear not, the blog I promised about martial arts is still on the way. I'm taking my time with this one so I can make it informative and as short as possible. Until we meet again my fellow surfers of the tubular wires, be loved, love others, and don't drink milk from China for awhile.

    Peace and Love

Thursday, 11 September 2008

  • Ramblings before bed

    It is that beloved time of night for me where I'm not quite tired enough to go to bed but I know I should. I would read (that always puts me to sleep) but I wouldn't remember much of what I read. This week has been good, my life is getting back to its laid back, I've got nothing to do mode. I was working on the audio for a short film for a long time, now that it is finished I can get back to the things that matter to me...hanging out. Over the weekend I took a stroll down memory lane, in a good way, very often strolls down memory lane for me happen when I'm depressed. I hung out with my old college roommate and his wife on Friday night and then another friend from college and his wife on Sunday. The time spent with them was a reminder of how I was in college, productive. I'm still productive now but not to the extent that I was then. In my defense I don't have as much spare time now. I do have some new songs on deck for the first time in a couple years which is kind of exciting, we'll see how that goes. If I can find my guitar music then I'll start practicing again unfortunately, due to the fact that my room is the size of a nice closet, my music is in a box somewhere in the void. Also, I've decided that I'm going to give martial arts another go. To catch everyone up to speed, I took martial arts as a kid, Tang Soo Do to be precise (it's Korean and very similar to Tae Kwon Do) and much more recently studied Tai Chi. I enjoyed the Tai Chi but gave it up because classes were only one day a week and I need more structure than that. If I get the chance I would love to pick it back up again but that is for another time. The top contenders for this round are Aikido, Jiu Jitsu (from Japan not the ever popular Brazilian variant) and Krav Maga. I'm not going to lie, part of the interest in Aikido comes from my obsession with Steven Seagal movies. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is something that I wouldn't mind learning one day (whenever I go back to short hair, or at least shorter) the style straight from Japan is not really a competitive art, it's more for killing honestly. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find instruction in it. That brings us to Krav Maga, for those of you that don't know this is the close quarter combat system that is used by the Israeli Defense Force. This is less of a typical martial art in that it is self defense, there are no forms and it is not pretty to watch. It is extremely effective however, for real life situations. There is another whole blog about my thoughts on ancient martial arts vs. mma vs. self defense that is brewing in my head so prepare yourselves for that gem, it will be coming soon.
    On a happy note, we haven't been sucked into a black hole created from the Hadron Collider yet. Today they fired that bad boy up just to make sure that it works, apparently they are not going to collide particles for at least a few months. I do not honestly believe that the collider will cause the end of the world, but it's just crazy enough that it could seriously mess up stuff if the fears of some are realized. I did hear an interesting theory said in jest by one of my roommates or a coworker (I honestly don't remember) that if the collider does doom us all that it will be a slow doom that won't really end the world until 2012, this way we knock out two theories about the end of the world at the same time. If you don't know about 2012, it's the year that the Mayan calendar ends and the world according to some.
    It's time to wrap up this blog, it has gone on much longer than I intended and I really do have to get some sleep. I hope you all are sleeping well or will sleep well whenever that time comes.

    Peace and Love

Thursday, 04 September 2008

  • I'm back, who missed me?

    So it's been 2 years since I've graced xanga with my ranting, I figure it's time for more. I honestly don't think that I could recap the last couple of years sufficiently enough so you all will be getting the abridged version. I've graduated college and also recording school. I've got a bachelor's degree and I'm a certified operator for Pro Tools version 7. I no longer live under the roof of those who have spawned me, my sister is married, and I'm the only one left in Studio City. I work for the Warner Music Group right now (Warner Bros. records essentially) I do QC work, a.k.a. I get payed to listen to music. I'm still going to the same church that I was and I'm still trying to make the band sound as good as they look. Two very devastating things have happened to me in this past year which warrant their own blogs which will be coming along in due time. For now, suffice to say that if I end up in the fetal position on my floor crying this month my friends won't give me any crap about it.
    Post college life isn't too bad, it's pretty much the same everyday which doesn't bother me. I don't get to sleep as late or watch Jerry Springer and Cops, but I get paid so it works out. I haven't been playing or writing music much since I got out of college but I'm starting to get that ball rolling again, so hopefully good things are coming. I've decided that it's time to revamp all that is El Bob on the net, if you go to my xanga page you'll noticed that it's changed a bit. I'm still working on it, so expect more to come. I'm also going to be revamping other pages that bear my soul on the net. I'm deciding which ones I want to keep and which one's to get rid of. My track record proves that blogging is not something that I do much of so the fewer blogs I have the easier life will be.
    Until the next installment in all things Bob remember to love each other and love yourselves, thank a veteran, smile at people you don't know, and eat your veggies.

    Peace and Love

BobbyBaker

  • Visit BobbyBaker's Xanga Site
    • Name: Bobby
    • Country: United States
    • State: California
    • Metro: Los Angeles
    • Gender: Male
    • Member Since: 8/27/2005

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