No More School

I have actually been posed the question of what I would do if my access to school would be temporarily or permanently revoked due to a number of due a number of fun little circumstances that have come up throughout my college education.

We'll leave the details to imagination, but it has come up before

However, I have always been confident that with our without a college education, I could lead a happy, comfortable life. Adaptability is one of my most prized characteristics.

My family has modeled how much can be accomplished without formal education. My parents are two of the most successful business owners I've come across with millions of dollars coming through their industry. My step-father, president of the company never graduated high-school, and my mother, vice-president was married with children at 17. College was out of the option. My brothers and sisters have raised families on shakey incomes and uncertain futures, but have instilled in my nieces and nephews values and experiences that I have yet to see elsewhere in children their age.

With these kinds of influences, I've learned to put focus on slightly different aspects of life than some of my peers. I've learned to appreciate the effort of endeavor without stressing the outcome.

I've considered what life would me like without college and it's honestly easier to picture without graduating than it is with a degree. Simply because it would be much more like my life is today.

Since my own high-school graduation, I've taken up work in a number of industries: manufacturing, auto mechanics, marketing, retail, etc. And, with only a few exceptions, I've excelled at each of them. I can be a great employee without being passionate about the work.

Of course, the whole reason I've been going to school is to align my income and my interests but we're imaging here!

I'd continue mastering the art of changing your oil, I'd write for enjoyment, I'd paint and make music, I'd socialize as much as possible and enjoy life to the furthest extent. Basically, what I'm doing now.

It seems the only difference between life with and without college is the prospect of actually pursuing this dream I've created. To be a story-teller for our generation and document life as it is today.

But, then again, I am doing just that, as we speak, and am free to do so any time I please.

So that leaves one last little difference, the actual accomplishment of completing my college education. But, if I  didn't graduate, I would probably have attended more classes, taken more notes and spent more hours reading uninteresting text than humanly possible WITHOUT receiving a degree.

To me, that seems like an accomplishment in itself.

Travel Blog-Santa Barbara

Sacramento has a lot to offer in the way of short trips to fun vacation destinations. Less than two hours driving can bring you to snowy mountains, beautiful ocean beaches, forest camp sites and dazzling cityscapes.

Even with all of these options for a weekend getaway, some Sacramentans, myself included, want something a little more adventurous from time to time.

Santa Barbara, California is a perfect destination for one of these extended weekends.

Nine months out of the year, temperatures exceed 70 degrees and the landscapes are gorgeous throughout the year. When Fall strikes in Sacramento, Santa Barbara is still lounging in Summer and can provide a little escape as the weather changes.

Have no doubt, however, the trip can be grueling. Unless you are willing to shell out heavily to fly in to Santa Barbara’s private airport or weather the ten-hour train ride, driving is the only way in to this paradise escape. However, the last two hours of the six-hour drive are completed on Highway 1, and offer beautiful scenery as you travel down the California coast.

Once in Santa Barbara, you’ll be happy you made the trip and the list of things to do is almost limitless.

The primary attraction of Santa Barbara is its beaches. Clean, available oceanfront dotted with palm trees extends the length of the city. Although they can be slightly crowded on beaches, there is never trouble finding a spot to relax or enjoy your favorite water sports.

Sailing, surfing, volleyball, skimboarding and a sport I was first introduced to in Santa Barbara called kitesurfing are welcome year-round and you’ll find locals participating in these activities every day.

After a fun-filled day at the beach, a trip to Santa Barbara’s State Street shows the more elegant face of the city. High-end designer shops, boutiques and restaurants line the street as far as the eye can see and are sure to fulfill the dreams of any avid shopper.

At night, Santa Barbara comes alive and a short walk in any direction is sure to find you at an after-hours restaurant or nightclub.

The intrepid partygoer, however, must make a trip to the small town of Isla Vista, slightly north of downtown Santa Barbara and home of the University of California, Santa Barbara. While underage drinking is rampant and police presence is constant, those of legal age can enjoy anything your average bar has to offer, including live music, hundreds of people, a welcoming, party atmosphere and more alcohol than you could imagine. While Isla Vista is not for the faint of heart, it is a must see for any trip to Santa Barbara.

However you choose to spend your time, Santa Barbara has all the amenities, luxuries and obscenities that Southern California is known and loved for, but in a more subtle and relaxed style that you just can’t find in Los Angeles or San Diego.

Food Review-Sapporo Sushi

Japanese has definitely made its mark on the downtown Sacramento foody scene with a number of high-end restaurants available.

And they aren't just serving raw fish.

Sapporo Japanese Steakhouse, located in the heart of midtown at 1118 16th Street, is a prime example.

Upon arrival, a spacious, outdoor eating area is visible from the street along with a bar in the center of the building and several, large flatscreens through the windows. $5 valet parking is also available, a welcomed experience for those accustomed to trying to find on-street parking downtown on a busy evening.

Guests are greeted immediately and a very short wait was endured, even though the restaurant seemed packed.

The decor is very modern. Dim, orange lighting covers the main dining area  and high-backed booths to the left of the entrance provide an intimate eating experience despite a large number of guests in a relatively small area.

The service was very prompt and very friendly and was only topped by the quality of food.

The Sapporo menu offers selections for every budget. Well, maybe not EVERY budget, but a substantial dinner for two can range from $30-$100 depending on choices.

A very tasty Miso Soup ($3) started the meal.  A lot of seaweed and green onion go in, bordering on overwhelming the dish, but, overall, it was one of the best I had tasted.

For the entree, I ordered a dinner Bento Box ($15) that came with Teriyaki Steak, Teriyaki Chicken, Japanese Salad, a 2-piece California Roll and Steamed Rice. A large variety of selections are available and the same dish is offered at lunch time for $9. No complaints whatsoever on the Bento, everything on the tray was superb.

My dinner companion ordered the Sac State Roll ($9), which includes spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, avocado, bbq eel, two types of sauce and masago or salmon roe. For those unaccustomed to eating sushi, this is a perfect choice. The dish is served warm, elegantly presented with lots of color and the crunch of the shrimp is easier to handle than the usual, soft, fishy feel. Both of us being sushi regulars, devoured the entire roll.

Desert offered us a fantastic Mochi, or candied ice cream balls, available in Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate and Green Tea. I was slightly hesitant of the Green Tea but the sweetness of the candy along with the subtle taste of the ice cream was a fantastic mix.

If you are feeling less adventurous, simple chicken and steak entrees are available but some can be rather pricy, pushing $40 for a New York steak.

Overall, the meal was extremely satisfying and we left stuffed, happy and satisfied customers.

TV Review - friendzone

Anyone remember when MTV actually played music on television?

Me neither.

Actually, on looking through MTV's show listing, I could not find one program even loosely related to music.

Today, MTV timeslots are primarily filled with adolescent reality shows, angsty teen dramas and the adventures of various daredevils like Travis Pastrana and Rob Dyrdek.

Of these hyper-unrealistic reality shows, the newest, Friendzone, premiered this evening, November 1.

In this 30-minute romp through the adolescent heart, a young man named Conner admits to MTV that he is secretely in love with his female best friend Brittany. So, Conner, with the help of MTV's production staff and "hidden" cameras come up with an ingenious plan.

They will have Brittany help Conner plan for an imaginary date, asking her input on clothes, location, what candy to bring, etc. and once the false date is all worked out, Conner will confess his love to Brittany and take her on her dream date.

If the basic premise hasn't turned you off to the show, the unanswered questions that arise most certainly will.

Who would be willing to subject themselves to such potential heartbreak on national television?

How do they not notice a film and sound crew 5 feet away from them?

And the most glorious point of all, the climax of the program, when Conner finally admits his secret plan and asks Brittany on the date...

She REJECTS him!

It was like a 30-minute symphony build up and right at the crescendo, everyone gets up and leaves the stage.

Including the audience.

You may ask, "How could MTV possibly open the series with such an anti-climactic first edition and expect viewers to return next week?"

But, regardless of the answer, they most certainly will. And, honestly, I might be one of them.

With all the negative things I had to say about the show, I was enthralled. The corny, obviously scripted dialogue is so preciously written in to the overdramatic story line that you can't help but wait to see what will happen next.

MTV has mastered the art of this style of entertainment with another series: True Life, where subjects the audience can easily familiarize with fall short or overcome their various, troubled circumstances.

MTV counteracts their meager production quality with a sure-hearted knowledge of what their audience wants: more drama.

And Friendzone has plenty for everyone.

All I can say is watch the show. You may love it or hate it. But, most likely you'll feel both at the same time.

The Painter

“Money can’t buy happiness,” says local, aspiring artist, Chase Gschweng, “but it can buy beauty.”

Gschweng, a recent high school graduate, spends almost all of of his free time painting, producing glass art and recording music. And last month, for the first time ever, it paid off. Gschweng sold his first piece of art, a painting including free-hand and stencil paint for $50.

He hopes this will not be his last and wants to attend an art school in the near future. While Gschweng finds artistic education important, he feels that experience is what defines a true artist.

For now, “It’s all about relieving the tension in your head.” Says Gschweng, who finds his inner peace through self-expression.

Hopefully, the world is ready for Gschweng’s work when he is ready to deliver. According to the American Bureau of Labor Statistics, that hope lives as Americans have consistently been purchasing fine art with a slow and steady incline since 2008.

More locally, the art community thrives in Sacramento.

The Second Saturday Art Walk, Sacramento’s monthly art-exposure event allows people to peruse fine art, live music and enjoy downtown’s food offerings. With over 20 participating galleries, it is one of Sacramento’s biggest namesakes and a time when people can come together to appreciate beauty.

Susan Rabinovitz, part-owner of the J27 Gallery and member of the Sacramento Art Council, says that there is more to the Sacramento art scene than Second Saturday.

The J27 Gallery participates in weekly events for all ages, houses at least 10 artists, who are constantly showing their work and interacts with other art galleries throughout the area to bring Sacramentans of any budget real, inspiring artwork.

Literally, ANY budget.

The gallery sells original piece postcards from 99 cents all the way to their biggest sale of $75,000 from internationally acclaimed artist, Eric Decetis.

Interestingly enough, J27 Gallery’s first, regular customer was a transient homeless person who would come in about once a week to pick up a new postcard.

Rabinovitz hopes to connect aspiring artists, established artists, and art buyers in a way that benefits everyone. The success of J27 attests to the national trend, people continue to buy and appreciate art even when times are tough.

Maybe BECAUSE times are tough.

With stress and tension high in the business world, artists seem to have some breathing room, and rightfully so.

Let's Occupy Our Decisions First

Before I say what I’m about to say I must commend all of those protestors of Occupy Wall Street around the world. They are taking the concerns of millions of people, themselves included, and bringing them to the media, government and big financial decision-makers. That noble act is worthy of recognition.

That being said, I do not see their main objective, true, legislative, financial reform being successful.

Maybe I’m still bitter, I remember standing on the corner with my “No on H8” sign and, sure enough, California Proposition 8, outlawing gay marriage was passed.

Still, I think better outlets for the woes and uncertainties of the low-to-middle-class American are available. 

For example, take each of those individuals from each of the Occupy (insert city here) demonstrations and coordinate the election of a middle-class liberal to express their interests in Congress. Sell your car for public transit. Bank with local credit unions. Buy only locally produced food. Or, if you’ve had it with American economics all together, communal living villages are always an option.

Each of these activities would pressure the economic system of America in comparable or greater means and far more directly.

To me, something is lost with flash in the pan political movements, the responsibility of the individual. It would be almost comical if it wasn’t so serious. Amassing large groups and telling them to think and act for themselves? The irony is absurd.

But, having condemned the main goal of the demonstrations to failure, the secondary goals continue to be wildly successful. Sending the message that decentralized organization is possible, that global communication and cooperation is happening, and that the world is aware of the flaws in financial decision-making is infinitely important.

We are absolutely living in a new age and this could potentially be a spark in changing the way business, government and citizens interact. But, anything more than a spark is seriously doubtful.

This is a political game and, for the foreseeable future, political games must be played by the current rules. 

While smaller, more personal, financial decisions made every day can cause surprising effects, biting at the throat of the financial institution is highly unlikely to bring it down.

For example, I attended several Oak Park Community Council meetings last year where the construction of a new McDonald’s in the neighborhood was under discussion. Around 30 of the same residents came to every session and fought, tooth and nail, to keep the business they thought was unhealthy and harmful to local business out of their neighborhood.

There is no new McDonald’s in Oak Park.

The images of thousands of people gathered under one cause are inspiring. The community attendance of next week’s City Council meeting, however, is sure to bring you back down to Earth.

Until each individual is willing to stand up and make responsible decisions, without the backing of celebrities and millions of others with similar interests, we don’t stand much chance of making considerable change.

I’ll finish by saying, please, protestors, prove me wrong. Organizers behind Occupy Wall Street’s global efforts have set the date for this Saturday, October 15^th and, even through my cynicism, I’ll make my best efforts to participate and encourage all of you to do the same.  

The Musician - Independent Hip-Hop Production

Musicians are an interesting and extremely diverse group. They are also an extremely self-motivated group which makes them fit the “independent artist” group so well.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, America had about 240,000 jobs in the music industry in 2008 and about 50 percent were self-employed.

To investigate this group we will study a very specific subset of musicians for a very specific genre of music. This is independent hip-hop production and producers.

We turn to the group for three reasons.

One, the genre has “independent” in the name. I mean, come on, how perfect?

Two, Sacramento has a strong fan base for this style of music and resources for information and opinions abound.

Three, the independent form, underground, as it is called, of hip-hop music is so completely distinct from the mainstream. Where rappers in the mainstream focus their lyrics on making and spending money, objectifying women, intoxication and just how damn successful they are; rappers in the underground focus on social consciousness, group unity, emotional content and progression.

The same goes for the music production. Where producers in the mainstream is predominantly dance music and bass-centric, booty-shaking music if you will; independent producers focus on melodies and rhythms and precisely matching the tone and tempo of lyrics to the music.

Ask any fan of underground hip-hop and they would be happy to elaborate on the difference.

This music is produced almost entirely electronically, while some exceptions such as the Roots and Atmosphere turn to a backup band for live performances. Producers mix newly created sounds with samples from the entire span of music. This is unique in that new music relies so heavily on inspiration from the past. Producers must not only be able to make new music, they must be able to hear the old, analyze it and apply it to their own.

As far as success in this industry goes, three more groups emerge: those who would like to make it, those who have and those who haven’t.

Aspiring artists, and their opinion on the work, are some of the most interesting and most surprising.

Dalton Bell is a local, aspiring producer who works under the stage name MadSci with several vocalist and musicians. He has no doubt that making music professionally is a realistic goal with the appropriate equipment and training. While not being able to explain why, he has always been drawn to music and he says production comes naturally, more so in the electronic medium than the instrumental, but nonetheless it is something that comes with ease.

True to form, Bell believes that open-source file sharing (piracy) is actually good for the art, as it allows a full palette for inspiration and as a method for seeding out only the best. According to Bell, musicians shouldn’t be the highest-paid members of society and merchandising and live performances can produce a stable living without astronomical record sales.

Successful, independent hip-hop musicians face an intrinsic paradox, the more popular they get, the less credible they are as sensible, dedicated artists that hold the fundamental values of the culture.

Some have done this with great success and others who have started in the right place fell face first in the mainstream.

The group, Atmosphere, composed of rapper, Slug (Sean Daley) and Ant (Anthony Davis) has probably done so with the most success. You’ll never hear their music on the radio or see a music video on MTV, but they hold the throne in underground hip-hop and their self-started label, Rhymesayers Entertainment, houses a line-up of only the best.

It’s the perfect mix.

In a preview article for their sold-out show at Sacramento State, Slug states that hard-work, consistency and humility are the necessary qualities of a successful artist.

Of those that haven’t made it there is another division: those who simply failed to make their name known and those who chose to direct their passion elsewhere.

Luis Barajas, a hip-hop producer from the 80’s and 90’s, gave up a lucrative career in pre-production to take up a job in automotive repair.

Barajas rented a studio in Sacramento with thousands of dollars in music equipment. Artists would contact him with ideas, come in to the studio to record vocals, and apply the music to make a complete track. He was making $300 for one recording session and supporting himself and his family.

The artists he worked with, however, pushed him out of the business. While some shared his passion and dedication to music, many saw it only as a means to make a buck along with drugs, gang-affiliation and other undesirable methods. The influences were taking a toll on his home life and when gang members started hanging out outside the studio, he knew it was time to close up shop.

Although $20,000 of equipment sits in Barajas’ attic collecting dust, he stills produces music for enjoment along with his son.

This testifies to the uncertainty of the music industry and artistic business in general. You never know who you’ll be working with, how your work is affecting people and if one day you’ll be off the map.

While we have focused on a very specific type of music, many other genres fit the mode. The world is changing, computers take the place of guitars and sometimes the more popular are, the less popular you are.

Those with a pure and unrelentless dedication to music, however, inspire us daily and bring something beautiful to our society.