888-712-0491

Ah, those telemarketers. Today I had a message on my voicemail from "Rachel" in Las Vegas, who was "calling me back" (though I never called her in the first place) and she said "I'm currently working with your bank for the government's new program. This program is for homeowners who are behind on their mortgage." Oh really??

And then she said, "I need you to call me today to take advantage of this new legislation that is for homeowners that may have been taken advantage of when they took their loan out. In order to see if the government can help you, I need you to call me back today. Even if you were previously denied a modification, this program came out for people who can't afford their homes any longer. In order for you to take advantage of this program, I need you to call 888-712-0491. Thank you, and have a great day."

Actually the number she was calling from was a 702 area code in Las Vegas.

Did you get a phone call from her, too?

One of my favorite Etta James tracks

In honor of Etta James, who passed away this week. It's hard to choose just one track -- she had so many genre-defining R&B blockbusters. But this one from 1955, which created some controversy (and got changed later to "Dance with Me Henry"), is definitely one of my favorites.

Ultimae's Ambrosia -- another psybient gem

For those of you who love the music from Ultimae Records in France -- especially if you were into the Fahrenheit series -- you'll love this new compilation they released in November. Called "Ambrosia," you can buy it directly from Bandcamp (preview it here). If the currency exchange rate doesn't work out for you in euros, Amazon and iTunes carry it as well.

Enjoy.

The Dream

I had "The Dream" last night. The same one I have over and over again. A maddening, recurring dream that even I know in transit must be a dream, yet I can't snap out of it.

In the dream, I'm on my way to the airport for an international flight. And just as I'm rolling my luggage up to the check-in counter, I realize I've forgotten my passport. Again!

In real life, I've never forgotten my passport. In the dream, I forget it every time. And in each dream, I try to take a taxi back to the city to retrieve it, though I know I probably can't make it back to the airport in time for my flight. I usually wake up before the entire sequence unfolds.

This time I even had a conversation with myself in the dream.

ME: You always do this. And it always turns out to be a dream.
"DREAM" ME:  Yeah, but this time it's not a dream. This is real.
ME: There's no way you would ever forget your passport.
"DREAM" ME: Well, I don't have it. I definitely didn't pack it. I forgot all about it.
ME: Come on! It's the one thing you check several times. This is a dream.
"DREAM" ME: No, it's not. Look. I can get a cab. There might be enough time. What else can I do? It's the only outbound flight today. I won't be able to leave if I don't try.
ME: (starting to doubt reality) OK. You have to try. But this is ridiculous. How could you forget??

I suppose it's perfectly obvious what this dream is actually about. And no, I'm not about to leave on a holiday. It does make me miss some of the recurring dreams of my youth, though -- like the flying dream. I think everyone gets those and then one day, like a subscription to Rolling Stone magazine, you outgrow it...

Stating the obvious about today's economy

I realize that many of us know this already, and many of you might have already seen this viral video... but... it's worth repeating again. This is Robert Reich's two-minute rundown of why many people in the USA are scrambling just to stay in the same place.

Manor Coffee Shop, San Francisco

I'm very late in posting this video footage that I took in December. I was invited to a friend's birthday party, and he hosted it in a really cool, vintage coffee shop in the West Portal district of San Francisco called Manor Coffee Shop.

It was pure kitsch. I loved the space and the theme decorations (it was during the holiday season, in this case -- which explains the Santa stuff). Apparently they have several different themes throughout the year. In addition, they made custom french fries with an assortment of unique flavors and had pretty good omelettes and other basic "American style" breakfast food.

I'll put some photos here, too, because the video compression came out weird.

If you're in San Francisco, I highly recommend that you visit Manor Coffee Shop. Oh, BTW, they're closed on Sundays.

someone else's podcast

I felt like embedding a podcast here...not mine, surprisingly (though I just uploaded my latest chill episode-- #72--  here if you want to hear it).

This is Secret Archives of the Vatican episode 43: No More War.
Have a listen.

No More War - Secret Archives Of The Vatican Podcast 43 by Secret Archives Of The Vatican on Mixcloud