Facebook Post: 2018-12-27T15:54:04

Archive Update. I have about seven Banker’s Boxes full of CDs. (For context: about four of these “sleeves” fit in one Banker’s Box.) After I finish sorting through to separate the “must keep” from everything else, there should be about four or so Banker’s Boxes full of CDs that I would like to swap.

This collection goes back to High School, with a lot of stuff that isn’t just your average thrift store fare. That’s why I’m hesitant to just give them away. Ideally, I would love to trade / swap with people who are genuinely interested, and we can each hear new tunes that make us happy.

Anyone interested in digging?

Facebook Post: 2018-12-24T19:11:55

As the year unwinds completely before we ramp back up again, I’m in a position to reflect on 2018. This has been an incredible and difficult year, emotionally complicated and full of horrors that I didn’t think humanity was capable of committing.

But concurrently, it has also been an incredibly rewarding year, with more creative accomplishments and output than ever. I had incredible adventures with Marla, who continues to impress and surprise me every day. I challenged myself to do things that scared me and filled me with dread, and I also spent a lot of time hanging out with incredible people who I love dearly.

I lost people who are important. And I met people who are now a good part of my life.

So I don’t know what to make of a year like this. In some ways, it’s been the hardest year. In other ways, the happiest. I feel better off in some ways and behind the 8 Ball in others. I’ve worked on my imperfections more than I was an awful person, which sorta feels like a win. But there is so much about this year that feels awful, it is hard to say this was “good.”

But all that said, this has certainly been a very strange year, and since we live In the future, it is only getting weirder.

But at least it’s getting weirder with all ya’ll, and for that I feel thankful.

Happy Holidays everyone. Let’s do this again next year.

Facebook Post: 2018-12-22T10:23:56

White Elephant gift from Joshua Blanchard’s Holiday Party last night. It cost me two puzzles, a coffee mug and a container of Nescafé. I mean, I guess I could have printed out the Internet or something, so carrying this around is not only exercise, but will save me paper and ink. Plus I have something I can use to drop and break someone’s toe with, or incapacitate small rodents, so it’s multi-functional.

Facebook Post: 2018-12-20T19:46:41

This is The Archive. This is where my cassette and CD collection has wound up, along with all the material from the last 25+ years of ‘zines, bands and radio. Fliers, comics, broken drum sticks, random mementos, etc. All the random crap that I’ve accumulated.

The goal for 2019 is to sort this archive into something more useable. Hopefully I can put in some shelves so I can access the tapes and CDs a little more readily; I wanna make a larger “book” to house the fliers, etc.

I don’t claim it’s anything special. It’s largely a lot of junk that probably will get tossed when I realize how much of it hasn’t aged well and / or isn’t necessary to keep moving forward. As someone who is overly sentimental and has only lived out of boxes for most of my life, most of the time I haven’t had the opportunity to to do more than toss more shit into a box and put it in storage. So this should be an interesting project. I’m certain to be embarrassed by most of it. But I’m sure a gem or two will pop up here and there.

And, I’ll be happy to see it slim down, in the end.

Facebook Post: 2018-12-20T05:15:27

Our Christmas TV Special is tomorrow night at 10 PM! Tune in to hear your favorite ghosts of TV past, as they they blast forth from your radio, just in time for the holidays! All your old TV friends are here: Walt Disney, Jimmy Durante, Albert Finney, Kogar The Swingin’ Ape, Tom Fuckin’ Peterson, Pee-Wee Herman, Ron Moody & Twiggy?, The Riverbottom Nightmare Band, Bob & Doug McKenzie, Richard Brautigan and a cast of thousands! Join us as we channel surf through the hits we all know and love. Friday at 10 PM, Sharp.

Facebook Post: 2018-12-19T20:57:13

This is so excellent. Special thanks to Marc Time and Jared Richard, who — between the two of them — reduced this pile by three crates. This is such an excellent albatross lifted from around my neck, and I thank both of you for the help.

There are still these three left. Anyone wanna rummage before these are donated to Freeform Portland?

Facebook Post: 2018-12-16T09:42:12

There are two spoken word pieces on this album read by me: a poem by Robert Service recorded in 1998, and a modern recording of a holiday story written by Richard Brautigan. Along with some live Mini-Mutations holiday jams, this is the perfect way to celebrate the coldest of Seasons. Enjoy!
https://wtbc.bandcamp.com/album/seasons-greetings

Facebook Post: 2018-12-14T16:16:24

Getting ready for our show tonight, and we’ll be having Audience Participation in full effect during the show. While JUICE MACHINE and I are jamming away, feel free to call in, and join the show. You can make some noise, sing along, or accompany us in some other manner that makes sense to you. Have you ever felt like radio was missing the personal touch? Well, now we can add that very thing we were missing: you. The fun starts at 10 PM.

Facebook Post: 2018-12-13T20:19:45

Here’s a podcast version of my appearance on “Analog Love Letter,” hosted by Holiday Special (Denise Chelini). There’s plenty of blah blah blah by me about what Mini-Mutations is / means to me, and then a live Holiday-themed performance at the back-end. I’m quite proud of this. Check it out?
https://midvalleymutations.com/2018/12/11/analog-love-letter-11-december-2018/

Facebook Post: 2018-12-12T11:52:54

If you are an early-’80’s synth nerd, love the tape-trading / ‘zine networks of the olden days, or happen to be a fan of the Numero Group, and their new release – Switched-On Eugene – then you will want to listen to this one. His work as a classical guitar teacher could probably fill any entire show on its own.
https://anywhenanywhere.com/2018/12/11/peter-thomas-i-can-really-do-something-with-this/

Facebook Post: 2018-12-11T18:57:14

I thought that David Bowie and Bing Crosby singing a duet was fairly odd growing up, but that isn’t even the strangest part of this Special. Crosby wanders into Charles Dickens study, and Dickens is there, alive, whining about how he’s not as famous as he should be in a weird fourth wall breaking exchange. Then Twiggy walks in and starts zinging Dickens about his terrible books. Afterwards, they all sing a song from from the point of view of the different characters in A Christmas Carol, where they are arguing about which one of them is the main character of the story. This is accompanied by something that looks like a scene from Scrooged, as all the Dickens characters are played by Twiggy and other English actors.

And the rest of the Special has a side plot about Crosby tracing his family tree, where he segues into Bowie’s “Heroes.”

Did somebody dose my tea!??

Facebook Post: 2018-12-11T07:40:28

I am so very torn. When I meet people in the world, they are kind and full of love and sadness and stories that are amazing and interesting. But most news, politics, and social media suggests a selfish, horrible world full of mean people who have no time for anything or anyone else.

I am sure that both of these worlds exist. That there really are selfish assholes and kind people in the same world, and that they are only represented disproportionately in my experiences. And yet, how can I quit all news and politics only because it enrages me?

How do you deal with this disparity in the world? I have no room for toxicity in my life, but huge swaths of it are full of awful, terrible people. My daily interactions are usually with wonderful and nice people, but if I open myself up to the world via media, it’s a horror show. What do you do? How do you handle this?

Facebook Post: 2018-12-09T22:30:50

We need some of that French attitude over here.

“We the punx are out tonight!
We’re gonna start a riot! What a sight!
Burning cop cars and looting stores.
Eating the rich because we’re poor.

Nazi cops and nazi skins,
sometimes it seems theyre gonna win.
Gotta stick together! Gotta tighten up!
Then were gonna fuk shit up!”

Facebook Post: 2018-12-09T22:24:14

They cruised around the universe.
They were looking for girls, I guess.
All I could think of was,
‘How did I ever get myself into this mess?’

I didn’t have much money.
They didn’t have much class.
I didn’t even want to go,
and they made me pay for gas.

They swerved around the planets,
at a thousand miles a minute,
singings songs, I sang along.
But my heart just wasn’t in it.

They dropped me off at home,
and in a wink they were gone.
They didn’t even apologize
for the skid marks on my lawn.

They said that some day they might be back.
I wish they would let me be.
In fact, if I don’t ever see them
it’ll be just fine with me.

Facebook Post: 2018-12-06T17:24:07

I love seeing and hearing all this Pete Shelley music. Yes, I’m bummed, but holy cow, what a fuckin’ bouncey, beautiful vision for what punk could be. These records will last a zillion years, they’re so pure and golden and trying find that pain we are all too familiar with, and transform it into a skating anthems that made you feel connected to the larger world of lonely, sad people. I even give his shitty new wave records a pass too, because it’s clear to me he means it. What a great artist. I was lucky enough to see him three times, and each one filled me joy, in spite of the sadness at the core of his tunes. Keep the Buzzcocks coming. Let’s rock the night away.

Facebook Post: 2018-12-04T05:56:15

Catch up with WTBC Radio In Beautiful Anywhere, Anywhen! Join me for chats and performances by Hal McGee, The Paintings, Forrest Friends, The Weatherman, Mark Hosler, Wobbly & Geoff Parks! (Plus a tour breakdown / live performance by Mini-Mutations.) We’ve had a good run, but there’s more to come, so subscribe!