Special shout-out to  whoever texted me from the East Bay and suggested the perfect remedy to a crappy day.  Shades of “Little Miss Sunshine” in this one.  I’m talking about the Blind Melon “No Rain” video.  Always a crowd pleaser.

This is me looking out for you.  Consider it a “thank you for listening” gift…

Listen up all weekend to Alice at 973 as we give up the cash for Chinese New Year.  I’m going to call it Lai See since I am Cantonese by association (the wife).  As I understand it, you get an envelope with money in it for good luck.  We usually get ours from PoPo (grandma).   Big fan of this tradition.  Found out this year that, since we are now married, WE have to give up money to the younger generation.  Not as big of a fan of that tradition.

New Year starts on Monday and ends in a few weeks.  The SF Chinatown celebration is one not to miss. 

Here are a few famous types that were born in the “Year of the Ox.”

Md

So…I just found out that they released more Katy Perry tickets for the show at the Fillmore next Wednesday night.  Keep checking back here…they aren’t up yet, but I am told they will be.

Good luck!

Md

Interesting day today.  I’ve never been one to follow politics or be enamored by any one politician.  I gotta tell you…I LIKE our President…a lot.  So much so that I want more insight, I want to get involved and I want to be more informed.  When was the last time you went on the internet to see what the President did on his first day? Click here to see it.

I mean…I may check in with President Obama every single day…I am that impressed.  For the first time in almost a decade, the smartest person in the room is our President…and I love it.

Eric Hutchinson stopped by the Alice Acoustic Lounge today.  He’s the new kid on the Alice block, extremely talented.  I’ll be posting the interview on the website tomorrow.  You can check out some of his music here

Benj (the bass player)from OAR called to check in around 6p…I’ll be posting that interview as well. 

Went to their show at the Warfield tonight.  E. Hutch and OAR were fantastic and the crowd was way in.  Was particularly impressed with the merch table…nice selection of hoodies and baby t’s in great color schemes.  You can tell I’m exhausted when I start talking about things like that.

Then the rain came. 

Goodnight.

 Md

Be sure to login to radioalice.com and watch the live webstream of Inauguration 2009 starting at 8am.  It’s exciting times people!

Props to Night Goddess Dayna for putting the big list  together of 2009 Inauguration festivities.  Pick a spot in the Bay Area…there is probably a party.  I stole the list, I posted it here.  Bush is an idiot.  That is all…

This one involves donating underwear to the underprivileged: Click here

This is for 9-5 workers: Inaugural Ball at Electric WorksElectric Works - 130 8th Street6:00p to 10:00p Benefitting the San Francisco Food Bank, suggested donation $10. Inauguration speech will be re-broadcast at 7:00p, with dancing from 8:00p on. Drinks and light hors d’oeuvres will be provided. Formal dress suggested but not required. (Changing rooms and borrowed finery will be available for those coming directly from work.)

This one at Cafe Du Nord has a kind of “green” theme: Click here

This one at Elbo Room in The Mish has good music (loud) lots of dancing and is only $7: Click here

This one is also cheap and all about beer and promoting the Glide: Click here This one is pretty SF roots style and has an art exhibit (not a fancy one): Click here

This one is called “Throw a Shoe at Bush”: Click here

This one is at the beautiful Grace Cathedral and is a very mixed prayer service (including monks, rabbis, priests, etc.). It looks really cool, I think: Click here 

This is at a Speakeasy in Oakland. It’s got Bloody Mary’s and they are anti-seat saving: Click hereThis is also in Oakland. Seems more anti-Bush than pro-Obama: Click here

In San Jose: Click here 

Also San Jose. At the city college (TONS of parking), involves the words “refreshments” and “8 am”: Click here

Also in San Jose. It’s … wait for it … a CYCLING inauguration event!!! Seriously! Click here

This one in Sonoma looks pretty cool to me. Got good food and is in a really sweet area that’s got a down home vibe. My parents used to live right there — I’d definitely suggest it and be there if I didn’t live in the city: Click here

 This one in the Napa Valley involves…wait for it … WINE! Click here

I love this one. Very casual. Plus, it’s in Santa Cruz … click here

OK…guilty pleasure alert.  Also a chance to turn you on to some new Alice music!

 Not a huge 3 doors down fan…but this song is super catchy.

Enjoy!

Md

It felt like 2008 was the year of the music festival.  I like the fact that, under the umbrella of music, we are all equal. For one day (or one weekend) those of us forced to “business casual” our way through life can regress to a time in our lives when nothing besides going to shows mattered. I myself wasn’t lucky enough to go…but was entertained with many stories of my more road weary friends. As promised, here is the link to order your copy of the “Live From Bonaroo 2008” DVD:

http://www.jackjohnsonmusic.com/home

Jack Johnson is featured and has the track list up on his website.  Good stuff!

Enjoy!

Md

So… I got a request to post an image of the skier who is apparently hanging upside down from the ski lift sans pants and chones.  Here you go…you animals…lol. 

www.thesmokinggun.com

Let’t think about this for one second.  All the poor guy wanted to do was go skiing on his vacation.  He has some kind of accident in the chair and is left HANGING by a boot. And all people can do is take pictures of it.  I would be terrified…not at the prospect of my pants coming down…but at the thought of one boot click turning me into a human ski pole in the snow.  Anyway…enjoy.

Interesting times, eh?  For some of us, this is our first real recession.  Up untill now, if you were under 40 and moderately successful, life cruised along pretty well.  If you weren’t investing in the right IPO, you could flip a house or start a website…right?  Easy. 

But this is 2009, every dollar counts, every square on the Twister board of life…counts.  You’re hoarding your blocks the same as your neighbor and taking more notice of the better things in life…the free ones.

I’m an optimist.  At the very least this recession will sprout a whole new generation of home cooked recepies and home cooks.  Plenty of kids(hey…we had to turn the cable off…what else you gonna do after dark?). And quite a few opportunitsts.  History tells us that it is always darkest before the dawn and brightest after the darkness(what?).  The Great Depression gave way to FDR’s ”New Deal” and out of the ashes of the recession of the 80’s sprang the dot com ”phoenix.”  I have hope…Yes We Can…Carpe Diem…En Vino Veretas…I just wish it would happen already.  I miss my daily latte.  I miss not having to worry about money all the time.

One of my favorite things to do is to see how much money I can NOT spend on a daily basis.  Some tips:

1. Bring a leftover lunch to work

2. Snag a BART ticket from a friend or relative that gets them from work for free.  Bart to work.

3. Make coffee in the office instead of hitting Starbucks. If you must hit a Starbucks…pull out that gift card that you got for your birthday in October.  Don’t forget about the free ITUNES downloads they offer…BONUS!

4. Watch TV shows for free on the internet(instead of going to the movies).

 5. Go on a gift card hunt.  You know you’ve got at least one laying around from the holidays.  Use it to kill your need to shop!

I like to walk the city too.  You can get just about anywhere for a few dollars…so much to see…so much to plan for when the $$ starts rolling in again.

Keep your head up…we’ll get out of this. 

There I go talking to myself again.

 Md