I’m not gonna get into techno. #SayHeckNo

I might go to bed. I’m pretty tipsy.

Merry future year. Let’s play cyberpunk and do crimes.

I’m pretty loaded, & in celebration mode. I love you all. I hope next year is excellent.
Can we make some noise and art next year, maybe take down boring old political systems?
“In 2020 we’re gonna FUCK SHIT UP!”

This party is getting out of control.

Marla and I wish you a very happy New Year!

I decided to insist that I didn’t do it, to see what would happen. It was reviewed by more humans, and was rejected. I fought the law, and the law won. Sort of. The post I made with the screenshots remains “appropriate.”

Interestingly, I also discovered that I have been censored three other times: once on May 18th, 2018, and it is so bad I can’t even see it anymore. (I have no memory of what I might have posted about, so who knows what happened there. I probably made a joke about being poor.)

The other two were when I re-posted from Mid-Valley Mutations my interview with Mark Hosler to my personal page. I find this pretty funny, as well. I THINK the bot assumed that I was trying to unfairly promote the interview; there’s a “secure account” link, which suggests that the posts were flagged because they assumed that, when I re-posted these, that I must not have been a real person, or that the account was being manipulated somehow.

And maybe they have a point?

The world is a funny place.

Happy New Year.

“This is my New Year’s resolution…”

Sometimes I wish it was 1994 again. I miss ya’ll.

“Looking at the picture is cheating.” – Ben on puzzles.

I always forget how to not work.

What’s that called?

So weird that we all seem to wanna use words all the time. What’s up with that?

Here’s a playlist of videos from a show I played the other day, arranged by Ellen Klowden at Rooted Space. It includes eight performances, including two by acts I play in by: Shifting Harbor, Bast Awakening, Mini-Mutations, DEATH MUTATIONS, Accident Prone, Unbeknownst, My Burning Bush & Palapa-B2, all part of DRONECember! 8 Bands! Fri 12/27, 7p, 245 Van Buren Free all-ages.

This location is shaping up to be a hip little venue, and the adjacent coffee shop – and extra-chill vibes – make it a cool spot. My other band, The Olsen Twins Ghostlight Ensemble, is playing there in January. So, if you live in Eugene, Check it out!

At first it didn’t really hit me. But then I realized – thanks Richard Lindsay – that, more importantly, one of The Rutles has passed. This one hurts…

This is gonna be hella fun, in spite of the location.

I’ve read a lot about Mind/Body Balance, and I would love to get there. I’ve listened to experts and podcasts and friends all speak on the subject, hoping to find some insight as to how I can get there. Yoga, meditation, exercise and walking. All of these things are supposed to aid in finding that balance, and I keep hoping one of them will open up to me and reveal itself as the key to finding what works for me.

I listen as best I can, hoping I can hear my own mind / body needs if I just bend my own ear, and wait.

But all I hear is, “Let’s eat garbage and listen to more ‘Star Trek’ podcasts.”

I guess that’s what I need?

I think about this song at least once a week.

Now that is an old-school crew. That fucking chicken was delish!

This is patently not true. I my lifetime, the idea that “your prize is the privilege of having your story published” has risen, eliminating all cash reimbursement for earnest writing.

This meme must be from 1950.

Only Buddy Runyan approved shoes are appropriate for an adventure of this magnitude.

Yep.

Late Night, Post Show, Introspective, Solo, Listening, Thinking, Waiting.

Sorry. If I could craft a good dick joke, I would. Instead, you get ennui. Soak it up.

Yeah, it sure is worth it having these valueless documents. Sure doesn’t do me a lick of good in almost every scenario.

About to start! Come on down!

Both of the music exchanges are filling fast, which is rad. Two more “not as weird” volunteers before we can officially get started on that, and if we miraculously get a January volunteer, I will be stoked! (You wouldn’t have to send anything out until the end of Jan, if that sweetens the deal.)

If you make music of any genre and want to get involved, let me know! The more, the merrier!

Gettin’ paid, gettin’ spayed. #FixedLife #NoConsequences #CashCats

We could use seven more artists for the (slightly less weird) music exchange that I’m organizing for 2020. The idea is that each artists would make a recording of some kind, and send it out to the other members of the group. On the off months, other artists send YOU their stuff. We’ve got a number of people already signed up, and it is not limited to genre. (Everything except “experimental” music is fair game; I’m running another exchange for experimental artists.)

So, if you think that you want to share the stuff you make with other artists, and receive some cool stuff from other people also making music, then this might be the group for you. Message me with questions or anything like that. Let’s make some music!

This cartoon always blows my mind.

We’re kicking off 2020 with a new publication, and a first for us. We’re working with author Jeremy Hight to offer you a ghost story unlike any you’ve read before. Limited to 100 copies, these will ship at the end of January. But you can pre-order yours now! Get ready for a book that offers you a view into a world inside the minds of those who are haunted. Available in January.

https://wtbc.bandcamp.com/merch/the-ghost-in-you-by-jeremy-hight

While I cleaned up this year in a number of ways, let’s get down to brass tacks: I got two excellent pocket protectors, seven new bow ties (one made of feathers!), and the greatest office coffee cup I’ve ever owned. Hell yeah.

Mom sent Crispy Treats! (Thanks Marti.)

Which channel has the Kolchak marathon?

When you hit the Chex Mix, and it’s fresh from the oven…

Time to celebrate.

I was organizing a music exchange – where musicians send out to other artists recordings of their work – and it has mostly been experimental. Obadiah and were discussing the arrangement of a music and / or comedy exchange, for artists that aren’t experimental.

If I can get 12 people interested, I’ll do the legwork. Sounds like Obadiah is in, so I need at least 11 more. Anyone interested?

Using “Die Hard” logic, all movies that observe the dramaturgical unity of “Holiday-season,” are, therefore, “Holiday Films.”

Using the reverse logic, there must then be films that do not observe that particular dramaturgical unity, in the same way that “Comedy Films” do not have to contain only comedy.

Are there Holiday Films largely not set at The Holidays? Is this even possible?

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C̶̨̱̘̞̤̞̋l̸̢̼̼̗̥̫̻̜̀́͒̃̎̐̍͘͜í̷̧͖̮͚̘̩͉̣̜̼̤͚͖̰͉̉͗̒̎̂̈̄̍̑͗͊͠͝͠c̸̞̫̀͑͝h̶̬̺̗͎̲̤͔̅̉̄̿ę̶͙̞̳̠̬̜͍̰́͊̂͒͘̚͘’̵͔̯̝̮̂̿́̌͋̓d̶̛̘͖̮̘̥̰̣̳̏̐̋͛͘ͅ ̶̢̟̦̺͖͍̲̬͈̞͍̳̳͌͆̀́͌̅͌̋́̈͗͠͝Ȅ̶̡̤̟͌̈̂̏̋̎̃̃͘̕ͅͅt̸̓̾́̋̀̈́̕͜c̵̡̘̩͙͎̓͊̍̿̑̈́̌̇͜͝.̶̨̱̭̱̗̪͓̱̼͔̀̿͆͂́̎̊͊͒,̷̫̯͇̩͛̿̿ ̸̢̨̣͖̜͖̞̀̎͗̆̈́̒̌̆̾͜͠T̶̛̫͙̯̠̓̌̏̈́̀̌̋̋͛͝͝͠h̵̼͕͔͖̼̲̫͋͒̉̆̉̾͆͊̇̑͘͘ï̵͎͒̓͘s̵̤͈͍̺̙̯̤̈̈͂̈́̒͋̚͜͠ ̷͚̰̜̣̝͓̤̞͑̌̐̃͠ͅͅH̴̙̗̫̰̪̤͉̻͗̽̋̆o̵̧̨̗͓̱͙͓̯͐͗̏̎̔̎̑̐͌̎͆̇͝ľ̸͓͎̆̉̓̃̀̇̈́̕i̵͉̝̩̹͇̣̹̲̎̍̔ḑ̸̻̝̙̱̩͐̄͌̂͋̍̑͊a̶̧̞͎̙͆̽̀͗͋̋́̐̌̃̀̈́͘̕͠ͅy̷͍͒̑ ̵̫͗̈̍̇̀̌̆̾͗̈S̵̘̖̗̜̠̾͊̅̄e̶̢̥͉͖̮̙̖̞͂ȧ̸̡̲̹̘̞̭͕͍͙̪̩͎̳͙̇ś̷͈̻͙̠̺̮̰̻̈́̄͘͜ǫ̷̦̤̹̣̩̮̻͒͊̾͜n̷̨̡̡̪̳͔̳̹̯̳̣̯̬̏!̶̝͔̩͙͉̮̉̾́̔̀̓͒̏́̍͋̏̊͐̚ ̵̤̻̣̺͓̼̹͔̜͍͂͑̃͛̌̅͛́̏̎̒͊̅̽̕
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I’m organizing a music exchange, for artists who want to make and send out some recordings by mail. I participated in two different exchanges in 2019, and I really liked the stuff I got, and I think I made two excellent things for it, which was cool.

We could use more participants. You wanna get in on this? Let me know…

Last minute Holiday gift idea that I forgot to put on my list:

A t-shirt that says, “Your ‘Seinfeld’ references are powerless against me, old man.”

Well, those presents don’t wrap themselves…

I’m considering putting together a Patreon-like “thingy” for the creative work I make. I’ve considered this before, and never actually finished the last mile of the project.

My primary barrier to this has been fussing over how I execute this. I know what I will continue to do next year, as an artist, but I’m trying to envision what a supporter would want out of the relationship, and how I can do that in a way that fits in with the things I make.

Do I have any friends who support anything like this? I am curious: what do you get for the level that you support? Are there things you like about the relationship that you wish more artists would incorporate into the way they run their projects? I’m zeroing in on how I want to do this, but I could use some input.

What do you look for in something like this?

We already have a few people signed up. You wanna join our monthly music club? I had a blast in 2019, so let’s keep the ball rolling, right?

I just read that “Sam & Max: Hit The Road” was ported to Steam last year, and suddenly I just want to play this game and pretend it’s the late ‘90s again.
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_&_Max_Hit_the_Road

I’m thinking about managing a music exchange this year, sort of like the Tape and CD Exchange that I participated in this last year.

Do I know enough people who would be into this to get it started? I really had a lot of fun, and discovered some excellent music doing this. (A lot of which wound up on my radio show this year.)

Who’s in?

Still taking submissions for the zine, “Hot Spock.” I found a whole bunch of other young Nimoy photos that need to be shared.

I’ve never felt much kinship with masculinity, and I certainly feel vulnerable more than I feel “strong.” I’ve never really related to “maleness,” never felt any kinship with the things that men are supposed to be known for. So much of my life feels like a negotiation between being comfortable and doing what’s expected. I would never make the claim that it is just, “so incredibly difficult to be a man,” but there are ways that having to present as one is a chore.

I’m pretty sure an E-Z-Bake oven isn’t what I’m looking for, and it’s not the physical trappings (body or clothes) that I feel some urge to rebel against. For the most part, I like my silly outfits and my body doesn’t bother me. Rather that, even now, I feel this weird look from others, where they see me as a white guy — embedded with all that middle-aged-ness often carries in that kind of packaging — and it’s all I can do not to throw out 100 asterisks to explain that I’m not THAT kind of guy, and I don’t like THOSE kinds of guy things.

It’s hard to explain, certainly. I’m still making sense of it myself. All I know is that I usually feel a lot more comfortable in a room of beta males, rather than among some ripped and over-confident bread-winners who talk about cars and golf.

Sometimes I feel about maleness the same way I feel about money: how absolutely disgusting the way both of them are (the way they are usually used by most men), and yet, I’m not sure I know of a way to live my own life and not use a little bit of each.

I wonder what will happen if I post these?

I was MerryChristmas’d by a sales clerk while I was shopping. I was terrified… but as it happened, I was fine. Apparently there are no ill-effects. From what I’d heard, I was a little worried.

I’m not sure a year end — decade end — or, really, any kind of list could really capture anything useful about what I listened to and / or loved, regarding music. The last 10 years has been wild. So much happened. Maybe I can better make a list of things that come to mind instead:

1.) Returning to live music again. I started playing shows in bands again at the urging of the Dead Air Fresheners, and that led to a revival of The Black Noise Orchestra, and then MKUltramegaphone with devils/club, and finally, Mini-Mutations. I had no idea how important returning to music could be, and that I would come to see it as an outlet for my ideas in a way that was almost my dominant creative outlet. How funny that I basically dropped out of music for years, only because I wasn’t in a ‘band’. Who knew that I was all I needed to get off the ground?

2.) Radio. It’s been 21 years now, and I finally know that my show is the medium, and each episode is a creative expression. It took me a while to figure out my original pitch from 1998. And I’ve met my favorite people and my oldest friends through that. Radio, and everyone involved, has to be on the list.

3.) Live Experimental Shows. Discovering, through the Dead Air Fresheners, the expansive world of live experimental music, has really turned me into an aficionado. I love attending, and there is an incredible and vibrant scene in Oregon. Funagain Games Eugene, Interzone Inc, and other great venues, too, many that are gone, or were not even around for a short spell.

4.) Learning to love the Salem Music scene. I had no idea what I would find here, and through shows at The Space Concert Club and meeting volunteers at KMUZ and Karen / Jessica & Jason, I began to meet musicians, see amazing shows, and get to know that Salem’s music scene is actually cooler and more sophisticated than I ever gave it credit, and I was wrong to ever slight any city for not having the right kind of scene.

5.) Record Shopping. Still the best way to learn about music, no matter what decade it is.

6.) Bandcamp. The only truly democratizing digital platform that you can use for free and is still used by large and small artists.

7.) Cassette and CD nostalgia. I’m so glad I didn’t get rid of all that stuff, because now I’m cool for being an archivist, rather than being hip.

8.) Marla, for being endlessly understanding and supportive in every way.

9.) Playing shows with Mark Hosler was, hands down, the most exhilarating experience of my recent creative life. I still can’t believe it, I put more work into those shows than almost anything else I’ve done in ages, and the final product was incredibly satisfying for me, on a number of levels. I still can’t believe it, I’m so grateful it happened, and I will be forever thankful for that experience. (And I got to meet Buddy Runyan, Jonathan Leidecker, and see a live Over The Edge.) That will, forever, be something that left a massive impact on me, and will be what I think of when I remember this part of my life.

10.) Sitting around with you, listening to your records, and I ask, “what is this?” Thank you. You are amazing! I owe you everything. Really.

Well, this was funnier than anything else I could have done tonight.

I love Dan’s writing.
https://www.propellerbooks.com/posts/2019/12/20/blade-runner-watches-us-from-the-past

“Recently I was, uh, walking by the library of a major midwestern university and I had a sudden, strange revulsion. A feeling that brought me back to my undergraduate days. I had to have some… F A C T S!

Facts! Facts!
Get it? No I don’t!
Facts! Facts!
I just can’t understand!
Facts! Facts!
What does it really mean?
Facts! Facts!
What is happening?

Suddenly it is all clear, and my mouth takes over:

There are two cups in a quart, and two quarts in a gallon.
There are twelve Knights in King Arthur’s Court, but seven nights in a week.
A person who plays music is a musician.
A person who is into physics is a physician.
Wait, wait. Ho-hold-it.
A horse that lives for a year is a yearling, right? But a horse that lives for a weak, is it a weakling?
Oh, I’m getting so confused!

You know, once I was locked in a room, with just the letter L from the encyclopedia. You know what I can tell you?
A ladybug is the policeman of the insect world.
Lacross is really the only American, truly American, sport.
A leach has a stomach as long as its entire body.
A liverwort reproduces by special umbrella-shaped organs which produce both the sperm and the egg.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Facts! Facts!
Get it? No I don’t!
Facts! Facts!
Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!

Facts! Facts! Facts! Facts!

Facts! Facts!

Really I love ‘em, I hate ‘em but I can’t do without ‘em.

F A C T S, yes, F A C T S!

Facts, facts!”

Skills For Rent in 2020:

Child/caregiving
Sound Engineering
Housecleaning
Writing & Design
Musician
Dishwashing
Music Packaging / Sequencing / Duplication
Driving
Show Booking

No longer: letting myself be convinced I should do any of it merely because I’m a nice guy. If I’m nice, that’s a bonus for working with someone as excellent as myself.

I enjoyed making it, anyway.

Phrases That We, Culturally, Use Too Often To Have Any Useful Meaning:

“Dumpster Fire”
“That’ll Do, Pig.”
“Get Off My Lawn!”
“Literally”
Seinfeld Theme Song
“Come See My Band Sometime.”
“I Wanna Be President When I Grow Up.”
Quoting The Simpsons Instead of Saying How You Feel
“Do you listen to __________ podcast?”
“Would you like fries with that?”
“You haven’t seen __________?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your e-mail / text / phone call / attempt to communicate with me.”

And all that racist and sexist shit needs to stop, too.

This, but instead you have to get up in spite of not knowing what to do with yourself for the rest of your life.

Music You Listen To This Time Of Year When You Don’t Want To Listen To Christmas Music?

The best gif online.

Meme-Time:

First concert — Robert Palmer, Hult Center, on the Simply Irresistible tour.
Last concert — An Experimental Show I played at The Space on December 4th.
Best concert — Too many to name, but: Nomeansno was consistently better than nearly any other band I saw in any genre on any stage. I saw them at lest six or seven times over a number of years and albums, and each time was a better show — overall — than the best shows by almost any other band I can even think of, period. But some close seconds: Tom Waits, Sonic Youth, Trail of Dead on tour with their first album playing to 25 people at Satyricon, Daniel Johnston, Motörhead four times, The Ventures, Buzzcocks a bunch, Murder City Devils a bunch, Don Haugen, Mark Hosler w/ The Weatherman, Patti Smith, Uneasy Chairs, Wobbly performing an episode of Over The Edge just for me, klowd every time I’ve seen him, and, and, and…
Worst concert — Cathead, in Medford, with a bunch of shitty punk bands. Fuck, we we awful. On purpose.
Seen the most — Man… Or, Astro-Man? I’ve seen them almost 20 times, and they were amazing every time, even in the modern era, after a hiatus and line-up changes. Them and Nomeansno are probably the best live bands anyone can ever see.
Next concert — December 27th, a bunch of experimental acts in Eugene.
Most fun concert — They Might Be Giants and / or Billy Jack, who were both hilarious and wonderful. Gogol Bordello at Berbatti’s to an early packed crowd was amazing, too.
Wish you could see — Ramones, 13th Floor Elevators, Joy Division, Negativland a bunch in the 80’s, and, and, and…

What is the most you would spend on a meal for yourself?

It was only a matter of time before we were ready to be unveiled, for all the world to enjoy. Here is the first collection of The Olsen Twins Ghostlight Ensemble recordings, “Live From The Lava Lamp Lounge.” This is the “proper band” I play in, with Scott Eave on Guitar, Kevin van Walk on drums, and myself on electronics / synths / samples. We’ve been percolating on this project for a while, something that was born out of sessions Scott and I held at the beginning of the year, then distilled with Kevin in the Fall. Sometimes these things take a little time to burble before the mix is just right. This will give you a taste of what’s to come, as we mount our assault on Oregon in 2020. See you then!
https://wtbc.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-the-lava-lamp-lounge

As the kids 20 years ago used to roll their eyes at when an elder would use the phrase:

Real Talk: Could I pull off this look?

All I want for Christmas is for everyone I know to do their Holiday shopping at The Book Bin, so we can show them there are still good people in the world.

Woah.
Watchmen Episode One.

Damn.

I got curious about what had happened with “Bubble Bubble Meows and the Lame-O Baby Jib,” a movie I did a voice for, and discovered today that 1.) My IMDB credit for this film is still pending, but more importantly, 2.) You can watch the entire film on YouTube. Here’s a link.

Both Marla and I appear in this film. I’m the main antagonist, Raoul The Rutabaga, who repurposes used clothes and specifically markets useless garments to hipsters. Bubble Bubble Meows thwarts me in the end. Marla plays a cavewoman who lives in a hole in Bubble Bubble Meows front yard. There’s an entire sub-plot where Joey Jr., played by my old roommate / best man at my wedding, Sierra, goes on a mystical voyage that sort of doesn’t make sense, but is hilarious. This is, in case you couldn’t tell, a kids movie, and this is the second one in the series. I have no idea if Matt is going to make more, but I would love to appear in another one. Making this movie was a TON of fun.

What’s you favorite meme from before the InterWebATron?
Fave meme yet to be written?

What’s your favorite dumb meme?
Fave smart meme?
Fave meme about memes?

“I got really into that sort of way-out avant-garde jazz, but you couldn’t find his record anywhere. So, one day I was in a jazz shop in Chicago – which I think is where Sun Ra came from – and I said, ‘have you got any Sun Ra?’ The guy says, ‘Yeah, all his stuff.’ I said, ‘Give me everything.’ ‘Everything?’ ‘Yeah.’ He comes back with 250 albums. Most of which I’ve still got in that room over there, still in the shrink-wrap.” – Pete Townsend

The only kind of pedantry I can abide is, obviously:

Are there better glam rock songs? I’m not sure.

“When you see us comin’,
You better startin’ runnin’
We’re always startin’ trouble
and we’re happiest when things are outta hand.
Rivers are for boilin’,
Parties are for spoilin’,
We either like to sit and pout,
or else go out and terrorize our land!

Riverbottom Nightmare Band!”

Tomorrow, on WTBC Radio In Beautiful Anywhere, Anywhen, we’re bringing you a pair of Holiday themed Ghost Stories, in an effort to revive an old holiday tradition that has sort of fallen by the wayside. Tune in for a roaring fire, some holiday snacks and drinks… and, oh yes! Ghosts!

Happy Holidays, from WTBC Radio In Beautiful Anywhere, Anywhen!

“Madonna carefully constructed her new image, borrowing heavily from Lydia Lunch, Exene Cervenka & other women in punk, while emphasizing her own interest in Catholic imagery, to create a street aesthetic that could play well on television.”

If your woman doesnt ride a Catfish, are you even really in love?

There’s something about “Frosty The Snowman” (Rankin/Bass edition) that has always bothered me, and I think I finally figured it out: In the FTS Universe, magic is real, and both kids and adults are aware of it. AND: Santa is real, and can assert real leverage against adults to keep them in line.

Why isn’t Santa using this against all adults to make the world a better place? Santa seems to only be able to level the fairness playing field for white, middle class families. No poor kids or rich kids are depicted, assumedly because both of those classes are required to make their own Christmas without Santa.

What’s up with that? Shouldn’t Santa become a social justice warrior, if we can use his gift-distributing powers to guilt people into being “good”?

I think the FTS Universe doesn’t hold together narratively, when scrutinized, is what I’m saying.

“Think Nasty” is the name of my Beastie Boys themed noise band.

In-N-Out Update: three hour wait for food.

In the meantime: why not watch The Godfather instead?

There needs to be a support group for people who are artists, but are dealing with serious issues in life. But instead of talking about it in depth, can use artist shorthand to express themselves.

Artist: “I’m in a serious blue period. It’s like I’m searching my studio for something I saved for a project five years ago, and I can’t find it, because I think I might have thrown it out, but I’m not sure, and I can’t close the loop until I prove one way or another that I got rid of it. And it’s driving me crazy because I know you can’t prove a negative, and yet I’m still trying to.”

Support Group: “Oh No! That’s awful. Do you need some Tangerine Dream (the music), Tangerine Dream (the ice cream), or Tangerine Dream (the weed strain) to help you get out of this funk?”

What is the most danceable Powerviolence Record?

What is the most upbeat Doom album?

What is the softest Metal Album?

What is the most brutal Classical piece?

What is the quietest Harsh Noise album?

What is the loudest Twee Pop record?

Forget being Wham’d. We just got Trans Siberian Orchestra’d.

Ouch.

O ma god, 12 years old.

Mini-Mutations

What are you favorite artists / albums that didn’t make it on any year-end lists?

The Long Dark Tea-Time of The Soul is real.

But in Oregon, it’s from Halloween until June first, when the sun comes back.

“Fame and fortune, facts of life.
Most of what makes it is useless tripe.
So change the angle of the battle plan,
To hit the target.

See-through people
See-through monuments
No empire

The beginning, at the ending
(one goes up, one goes down)

Smash a face against the wall
Grind a face into the ground – Oh No
Pretty faces on the wall – They Fall.”

“Hey, you! Shanora! In your Ford Explorer!
You use more juice than Bora Bora.
Your AC’s runnin’ on overload
And as a matter of fact, you own the whole damn road.

Well if you’re so rich why aren’t you smart?
Your head’s up your ass and you talk when you fart.
Well give me liberty or give me squat.
But please give me more megawatts?”

I wish it was snowing.
https://media1.tenor.co/images/5c30a2116f971ec2fe5a3a6ede837aeb/tenor.gif?itemid=15788606

“ ‘Miracle On 34th St.’ Received a ‘B’ rating (morally objectionable in part) from the highly influential Legion of Decency because Maureen O’Hara played a divorcée.”

The genius of “Miracle On 34th St.” is that everyone but Santa accidentally does the right thing for selfish reasons.

It’s so American, it’s amazing.

“He’s contemptible, dishonest, selfish, deceitful, vicious. And yet he’s out there, and I’m in here. He’s called normal, and I’m not.”

“Maybe he’s only a little crazy, like painters or composers or some of those men in Washington.”

So it just goes to show: politics was always bad.

It’s the wholesomeness of old Holiday films that I really enjoy. Like when the weird single neighbor abducts a child from a black housekeeper, so her can lecture the kid about her beliefs while he smokes a pipe a few feet from her face.

The kid’s a number anyway; she has to correct the older cis white male about the nonsense he believes.

The greed of the head of the Macy’s Toy department is almost as on point as his bow tie game.

Merry Christmas, one and all?

Waiting for Major Hex to get started. I assume this means you’re playing, right?

In case you were wondering: it was taking almost six different paid people directing traffic at the In-N-Out to prevent a total traffic pile-up, and the wait time for a meal was still an hour.

I had my Christmas shopping wrapped in that much time, and I still had plenty left over to laugh at the people in line as I ate an apple.

I mean, I’ve had it before. You might as well have Sonic instead. No line, almost the same price.

Whew! That was a whirlwind of activity, and a ton of fun! But there’s still a few more things happening, and up next are the radio collaborations! I’m quite excited about what’s to come, and 2020 is off to a good start, methinks. Thanks to everyone who came to shows so far, and have supported Mini-Mutations. This is the most fun I get to have, most days, and I hope I get to keep making these small changes for you, year after year.

Trying to get in the mood.

I still need to do this.

2019 Mini-Mutations Accomplishments:

Played 20+ Live Shows Across Three States and a number of cities, with live collaborations with a number of amazing and incredible performers.
Published Five New ‘Zines.
Made Three Digital-Only Music Releases.
Appeared on Three Compilations.
Put Out Two New CD Releases: a 5” and a 3”.
Released Two New Split Cassettes: with Holiday Special and with Bast Awakening / I Died.
Booked / Traveled / Performed Two West Cost Tours.
Attended Two Different Noise Fests as a performer.
Started Two New Projects: DEATH MUTATIONS (w/ Chris Gierig) & The Olson Twins Ghostlight Ensemble (w/ Scott Eave & Kevin van Walk), and joined two other projects TBA…
One single track available on a certain spoty streaming service.
Assembled One Vinyl Release, now in its second printing.

I’ve been making art for 26 years now. And I kept my radio show together another year, making 21 years broadcasting.

Mini-Mutations hasn’t made it on any “year end” or “best of” lists so far, and might not, considering. (Who knows?) But it might seem like I didn’t do ANYTHING unless you start adding it up.

I’d say I did better this year than a lot of previous ones, where maybe I made one zine and DJ’d Nugget part time on some station.

Now, let’s see what 2020 has to offer…

There’s something about the new Practice Space that makes me want to Rise Above my Depression with a Six Pack so I can begin waging My War on the TV Party everyone is having with their phones in this No Values, Life Is Pain world we live in. Gimme Gimme Gimme some Black Coffee and I’m sure I can shake this Nervous Breakdown I thought I was having.

I wonder what kind of songs I’ll write here?

New Project Alert! New Project Alert!

For a while now, myself & Scott Eave have been conspiring on a new audio project, and soon enough Kevin van Walk was recruited to join. When we were casting around for names, I suggested The Olson Twins Ghostlight Ensemble, a name that was so sticky that we’ve already booked shows under it. While I missed the first official public appearance of our own group in November, we are jumping into 2020 with a number of upcoming performances here in Oregon.

This will be a lot of fun, and I’ll try to post some video and audio so you can get a sense of what we’re about. But for now, just imagine what The Olson Twins Ghostlight Ensemble can do for you, and in the meantime… dream.