My Life in Heavy Metal

Going to see Josh Rouse tomorrow night ... at Bimbo's 365 Club, nonetheless!!! By far one of the coolest, most intimate places to see live music in SF. Saw Norah Jones, Pete Yorn, St. Germain and Guster there, among others. All shows that I'll never forget. Amy Correia is opening - supposed to have some sweet tunes, herself. In any event, if you haven't already heard it, check out Rouse's new album on iTunes. It's called Nashville. Full of fun, simple lyrics and some really cool ballads.

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If anyone is going to be in Manhattan this weekend and looking to hone their photography skills, this might be just the gig you were looking for: http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/crg/69527855.html

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Steve Almond is coming to the Bay Area this week!! For those of you who don't know, Almond is an author who is now also an English professor at BC. My guess is that his classes are among the most sought-after at BC. After reading some of his stuff, you'll quickly understand why. Spending some time on his site is a must. He's got random facts from his current book tour, a monthly tip sheet of cool, new music and links to his articles, essays and short stories. If you're looking for one solid recommendation, then check out My Life in Heavy Metal, first. It's a short story compilation that will take you no time to plow through. The traditional subject matter of love and loss is at times both funny and sad (mostly laugh out loud funny) and at most times, perverse. Here is one excerpt from one of my favorite short stories in Heavy Metal, "How to Love a Republican":

"There are so many competing interests on the human heart. For those of us truly terrified of death, intent on leaving some kind of mark, ploughing through our impatient twenties with an agenda, there are moments when chemistry—the chemistry between bodies, the chemistry of connection—seems no more than a sentimental figment. And then something happens, you meet a woman and you can't stop looking at her mouth. Everything she does, every word and gesture, stirs inside you, strikes the happy gong. The way she throws herself into a fresh field of snow. The delicacy of her sneezes, like a candle being snuffed. The sugary sting of whiskey on her tongue. Chemistry in its sensual aspects. Chemistry the ultimate single-issue voter."

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What else? Oh, finally started Accupuncture treatments after all of that tawk tawkin. The "doctor" is Chinese and is supposed to be the best in the city. Practitioners of Eastern Medicine - and I found this out only after my first visit - aren't much for bed side manners and all that let's-make-the-patient-comfortable kinda stuff. I walked in for my first appointment, sat down at Dr. Kang's desk, gave him the sordid history of my back problems, watched him scribble down something in Chinese and then he proclaims, "Ok, we do accupuncture". Yeah, no shit. After being asked to lie face down and, ahem, loosen my pants, he proceeds to stick 6 needles into my lower back. Just when I thought that was done and I could just sit there with the needles for a bit, out of nowhere my body begins to twitch involuntarily. Apparently, he had hooked up the needles to a low-voltage electrical current, which was now circulating through my lower back. Good times. As I wince, he finally asks, "Oh, this your first time?". I nod. He giggles. Not with me, but at me. Anyhow, whatever he did was some pretty good stuff. For 2 weeks, I felt nothing. Now granted, an electrical surge through anyone's body might have this kind of effect, but being in the state of desparation that I am as it relates to Sniko-back, I decided to go back for round 2 of the Kool-Aid. Same deal, except this time there happened to be a med student that hooked up the electrical current to my needles who was fluent in English. Asked her a few questions, but there's not much to really talk about. Cut and dry. Either it helps or it doesn't. If it does, you don't come back. If it does not, you come back for more Dr. Kang!