Single Man, Single Malt

I've never really felt the need in my life for an organized religion. Most belief systems I find either silly or creepy. Even still, my life is fill with rituals, patterns and superstitions. When you live so much of your life inside your own head, you tend to start ascribing to things more weight and meaning than they actually have.

And so it goes with my bottle of Laphroig.

You may remember back to last year when I purchased my first bottle of single malt scotch. It's still with me. I've managed to drink all but the final glass of it. For some reason, I always felt that this bottle could not be finished until I had a good reason to finish it.

Tonight I mark one year of single life. In general, things have gone well. I'm more successful than I was a year ago. I have a much better job, I've done some of the most creative and hard artistic work I've ever done, and I've managed to settle into a life that brings me fulfillment. Even still, I find myself lonely. I had hoped by the time a year had gone by I might find someone new. It looks like I'll still be searching for a while.

So I'm drinking my last glass and toasting to 3 things:

- The one who got away
- The one who will never let me go
- The ability to forget the former and find the latter

Cheers

Pledge Drive Madness!

As you may or may not know, I am the music director at KRFC fm in Fort Collins Colorado. This is a job I’ve had for a few months, and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it so far. If you haven’t heard about KRFC before, it is a volunteer run, commercial free, community radio station that serves Northern Colorado with great independent music, local news and public affairs programs by members of the community. I was a volunteer long before I became an employee, and I believe that the station does a wonderful service to by providing news and entertainment that you just can’t get anywhere else.

Getting right to the chase, KRFC is in the midst of it spring membership drive. We’re trying to raise $45,000 this week from listener contributions to help keep the station on the air. It costs about $800 dollars a day to keep a station like KRFC up and running! We doing fine so far, but we’ve still got a long ways to go.

In addition to being the music director at the station, I also act as a DJ on the Morning Mix on Thursdays from 8am to 10am, and the Symphony Hour on Sundays from 4pm to 5pm. Each show has a dollar amount goal that they try to reach, and my goal for the Morning Mix is $725. The Symphony Hour’s time has already come and gone, (and I made my goal) but I think I’m going to need a little help on the Morning Mix. If you’ve got a few extra dollars burning a hole in your pocket, we sure could use them around here! Listen in at 88.9 fm in Northern Colorado, or listen online at krfcfm.org/stream/.

Of course we do give something back to you. Besides the fabulous KRFC programming you get, we do have premiums at the various contribution levels. You can find out more about them here.

You can pledge your support online at krfcfm.org/Donate/member.php or by calling the station at 970-221-5075 or toll free at 1-866-221-5065

Alright, that’s the end of my commercial for non-commercial radio.

Evil Folk Music

As those who know me well will tell you, I've always had a strong fascination with folk music. What many of my friends may not know is that this enthusiasm is mostly concentrated on the very dark, sinister side of folk. I love murder ballads, songs about lost and unrequited love, demons and other unsavory topics. My dad used to sing me to sleep at night with a song about miners being slowly suffocated to death 2 miles below the earth...

Lately I've been obsessed with the old ballad, "Flora, the Lily of the West." It goes something like this:

When first I came to Louisville, some pleasure there to find,
A damsel there from Lexington was pleasing to my mind.
Her rosy cheeks, her ruby lips, like arrows pierced my breast --
The name she bore was Flora, the Lily of the West.

I courted lovely Flora, some pleasure there to find,
She turned unto another man, which so distressed my mind.
She robbed me of my liberty, deprived me off my rest --
I loved my faithless Flora, the Lily of the West.

'Way down in yonder shady grove, a man of low degree
Conversing with my Flora there, it seemed so strange to me.
And the answer that she gave to him, it so did me oppress --
I was betrayed by Flora, the Lily of the West.

I stepped up to my rival, my dagger in my hand.
I seized him by the collar, and I boldly made him stand.
Being mad to desperation, I pierced him in the breast --
I killed a man for Flora, the Lily of the West.

I had to stand my trial, I had to make my plea;
They placed me in the criminal box, and then commenced on me.
Although they swore my life away, deprived me of my rest --
I loved my faithless Flora, the Lily of the West.

I'm currently enjoying the version by Crooked Still, which has the proper amount of ass-kicking drive and bluesy cello that folk music this dark requires.

A new opera in Dennis' future? Possibly. First I have to finish the current vee device project, I suppose. And the other opera I have kicking around in my head. Oh, and that ballet I've got hiding in there somewhere too.

There's just not enough time to write music these days.

I'm too busy listening to it.

Still no internet... But I bought a laptop!

Hello Everyone!

Once again I've managed to be absent for months... I blame my job. At least I'm now full time so I actually get paid for the hours I put in.

The new job takes up so much of my time that I'm rarely on the internet at all unless I'm doing work related stuff. I still have no stable internet at my house. For a guy who loves his computer as much as I do, I can't believe I survive without it, but some how I manage. I lived without an internet connection at my house for two years in college and I'm well on my way to doing it again. This time, however, I have two new weapons at my disposal: lazy, uneducated, or highly kind neighbors and...

A new laptop!!!


After a conversation with Sam over at flexistentialist.org, it became apparent that my life would not be complete without a sexy new computer of the Apple persuasion. Luckily, Apple's wonderful refurbished section provided a sweet deal, the new job provided the funds, and I'm now the proud owner of a nearly new MacBook!

I've been slipping into the Mac world slowly over the course of many years. My college was outfitted with a whole lab of Macs in the music department, and good friends and roommates of have been showing theirs off for years. Buying an iPod about 2 years ago was the gateway drug that probably sealed the deal. Yes, I am a consumer whore!

Stealing wireless has never been easier! Now instead of banging my head in frustration when my neighbor's signal is bad, I can pop down to the local caffeine vendor, VD HQ, or even my workplace and steal from an entirely new network!

The only thing missing right now is a good name. The best I've come up with so far is "Luna" because I received it the night of a full moon. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Once again, I predict less time between posts. Let's see if it comes true!