Strange Pulse

I’m moving my blog!

Susan M — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:29:38 +0000

For like, the third time. I’ve had my own domain name for awhile now, but haven’t been using it for anything except email. I just finally moved my blog over to it.

Update your Bookmarks or RSS readers:

www.strangepulse.com

I’ll leave this old blog site up for an indeterminate amount of time.

The show in Anaheim was even better.

Susan M — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 19:29:26 +0000

I wasn’t expecting it to be, either. I posted a review at kulturblog.com.

I also taped the show. I wasn’t planning on it. I just happened to have a voice digital recorder in my bag. When I was waiting for them to come on, I realized I should just turn it on and see what happens. It’s very low quality—the thing only saves files as Windows Media at 96kbps, but it’s good enough that I can relive all the excitement!

I’m on such a Hoodoo Gurus kick now.

Saw the Hoodoo Gurus!

Susan M — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:51:08 +0000

One of my favorite bands when I was a teenager, I haven’t seen them since the 80’s. That was one of the funnest shows I’ve ever been to. The Young Fresh Fellows opened (a super fun local Seattle band) and it was the only show I’ve ever been to where I knew the words to every single song that was played all night.

The Gurus broke up a few years back so I never thought I’d get to see them again. I took my daughter Cat to the show in LA on Wed. It was SO fun. We were right against the stage and I got some great pics.

I also got some great video clips, and one whole song, which you can download here:

http://qsysue.tagplazen.org/shows/hoodoogurus/03-28-07/

You can see the rest of the pics I took there too.

I’m seeing them again tonight in Anaheim! But no cameras are allowed at the venue. Stupid House of Blues.

I’ll post some songs to the radio.blog. I’ll write up a review of both shows at Kulturblog.com too, probably this weekend.

Classic picture #13: All dressed up and nowhere to go

Susan M — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 14:43:42 +0000

I love how I’m wearing a ribbon in my hair, yet no pants.

Lisa Hannigan and Damien Rice have split.

Susan M — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 22:23:49 +0000

Professionally, I mean. They’re not involved as a couple! But Lisa H was the best thing about Damien Rice.

Here they are performing “I Remember”:

Here’s Damien and Ray LaMontagne performing a BeeGees song, “To Love Somebody,” on French TV:

Ultravox: the Oft-Overlooked Great 80’s band

Susan M — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:52:41 +0000

I’ve always loved Ultravox. Midge Ure just has it. Not sure what it is, but he’s got it, and I like it.

I’m stuck on this song this morning, “We Came to Dance.”

Folding laundry to Ultravox, life is good.

Posted to the radio.blog.

A lovely song.

Susan M — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:31:13 +0000

Stephen M. has a post about sad songs on his blog, and the ones that were posted there reminded me of this song by Jane Siberry w/KD Lang.

Calling All Angels By Jane Siberry w/KD Lang

A man is placed upon the steps, and a baby cries
High above you can hear the church bells start to ring
And as the heaviness, oh the heaviness of the body settles in
Somewhere you can hear a mother sing

Then it’s one foot, then the other, as you step out on the road
Step out on the road
How much weight? How much?
Then it’s how long? And how far?
And how many times? Oh, before it’s too late?

Calling all angels, calling all angels
Walk me through this one
Don’t leave me alone
Calling all angels, calling all angels
We’re trying, we’re hoping
But we’re not sure how…

And every day you gaze upon the sunset
With such love and intensity
It’s almost…it’s almost as if
If you could only crack the code
Then you’d finally understand what this all means

But if you could…do you think you would
Trade in all the pain and suffering?
Ah, but then you’d miss
The beauty of the light upon this earth
And the sweetness of believing

Calling all angels, calling all angels
Walk me through this one
Don’t leave me alone
Callin’ all angels, callin’ all angels
We’re trying, we’re hoping
But we’re not sure
We’re trying, we’re hoping
We’re hurting, we’re loving
We’re crying, we’re calling
‘Cause we’re not sure how this goes

Posted to the radio.blog.

Life as a cyborg.

Susan M — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 20:44:26 +0000

I woke up yesterday morning and couldn’t find my insulin pump. During the day, I wear it attached via a clasp to my waistband. At night, I don’t like sleeping with it clasped onto my pajamas/sweatpants, so I just lay it next to me on the bed. When I roll over, I have to move it to my other side. When I get up in the morning, first thing I do is grope around for it blindly so it won’t dangle and get bashed into something when I stand up.

Yesterday when I woke up, I went to reach for the tube that connects it to my stomach, and the tube wasn’t there. It wasn’t connected to me. I felt around on the bed and couldn’t find it. I checked to the side of the bed and didn’t see it. I finally found it next to (basically under) my pillow.

So now I’m left wondering: did it just come off in my nightly twisting and turning and get shoved up under my pillow? Doesn’t seem likely since I was wearing sweat pants, and even if the tube managed to unlatch itself (it latches on with a twist) and detach, it probably would’ve still been held somewhat in place by the waistband of my sweats. So does that mean I actually took it off in my sleep? Scary thought.

My blood sugar was really high when I tested and basically yoyoed the rest of the day. But I must not have been without my pump for too long because I wasn’t really sick the rest of the day. And I’m fine today. (Except for the cold I caught from Daniel.)

I touched a shark today.

Susan M — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 22:56:37 +0000

This whale is smiling at you!

We went to the Long Beach Aquarium. Elijah and I did, I mean—Cat’s in Seattle for the weekend visiting grandparents, and Daniel took Nathaniel to Magic Mountain for his birthday. Elijah doesn’t enjoy theme parks, so we went to the Aquarium.

First thing I saw worth taking pictures of were the jellyfish. I could’ve stayed there all day taking pictures of these things. Unfortunately my camera sucks and Elijah didn’t want to stand around while I got lost in picture-taking, so I only got a few.

It was super crowded. This is a giant tank full of sharks:

Sharks must be really popular. Seemed like they were everywhere. Outside there’s a petting tank full of sharks and rays. You can touch them as they swim by, but only with two fingers (to prevent injury to them, not to you). I thought a shark would be slimy, but it was textured. Sort of meshlike? Can’t quite describe it. But it was cool. I touched a shark! It was only 2 feet long, but still.

I did not touch this manta ray, although I could have (this was the petting tank):

I did not touch this shark:

But it’s funny how they just love to swim right up by you, over and over again. Maybe they’re looking for a way out of the tank.

The spider crabs CREEPED ME OUT.

This little guy was a total crack up:

Especially since he was sitting in a tank with seasnakes.

We caught cleaning time. There were about four men in this tank cleaning it.

This gives you an idea of the size of this manta ray!

Cute huh? A Finding Nemo tank!

A ton of new music…

Susan M — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 16:42:35 +0000

And what do I find myself listening to? 38 Special!

Last week I got my hands on a lot of new music, mostly from my brother in Taiwan who ripped and sent me a dvd of 80s albums (mp3s). I’ve gotten a ton of other stuff, too, from different people. And what do I listen to all week? A stupid comp of 70’s rock songs. You ever get into one of those moods?

Funny how I can’t hear Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” without seeing Guitar Hero in Star Power mode in my mind now. Hitting that whammy bar…

But this week I’m taking it all in. I’ll post a bunch of stuff to the radio.blog:

Colourbox
Men Without Hats
Bauhaus
Fad Gadget
Son Volt (I like Jay Farrar better than Jeff Tweedy)
Wilco
Giant Brain
38 Special