Fall Sets In

This week I've mostly been nose-down in script projects, though I did surface long enough to assemble some last-minute audio cues for Muriel's show. I'm feeling pretty tired, mostly due to having an almost-constant battle with Tyler over school and his sleep schedule (and the fact that, given the two are fundamentally incompatible, school wins and his sleep schedule needs to change). School admin and counseling staff have even intervened. I have every faith that he'll get in sync, but right now it's a struggle for all involved.

Kayleigh is set to start voice lessons in addition to playing her clarinet in advanced band - I'm just trying to coordinate with the teacher.

So, work work work. What have I done for amusement?

My mom and stepdad came down on Monday to hang out and visit. They'd never seen OA, so I screened it for them. I can watch the deathbed scene by myself or with newer friends, but if someone who knew Sam is watching, I am compelled to leave the room. Also showed them The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, which they thought was funny. Which is good, because it is.

Ron and I went in on the AT-43 intro game, and were both impressed by the casting and stock painting of the pieces. One of our old friends from the game store days (Ron and I used to run a geek boutique at the W. Seattle Junction back in the day, which was a Wednesday) came by when we were breaking it open, and I think he's hooked. We're all old hands at Warhammer 40K, and just don't have time to assemble and paint a bunch of models prior to playing - we just want to play. Also been getting in one or two evenings of City of Heroes a week, beating up bad guys online with Ron and Hans.

I've also gone on a couple dates with a really nice gal. But I'm not going to spill the beans here prematurely - wanna see how it develops. We did go and see an amazing film on our second date: Control. It's a biopic about Ian Curtis, founding member of the iconic post-punk band Joy Division, which had a profound impact on alternative music, influencing whole genres from the late '70s to the present day. Directed by Anton Corbijn (whose music videos and rock photography often grace MTV, Rolling Stone and other venues). Amazing cast. The actors portraying the band members are scary good. Almost dead ringers for the real guys. The film is NOT a Joy Division movie - It's primarily about Ian Curtis, his strained relationships, depression, epilepsy, and suicide at the age of 23. It's not a feel-good movie. It's a beautiful, powerful time capsule, expertly captured and presented in black & white. (photos: on the left are the real dudes, on the right are the actors from the film)

Sheesh. Apparently, it's the 30th anniversary of Joy Division. Now I feel REALLY old.

I was not an early adopter of Joy Division. We didn't get a whole lot of their music in coastal California. But when I moved from Santa Cruz to Palo Alto, I was introduced to a wealth of alternative sound: Joy Division/New Order, Cabaret Voltaire, Cocteau Twins, Bauhaus, Japan, Simple Minds, Depeche Mode, and more. At first I wasn't into Joy Division, but their sound grew on me, and soon I could see the attraction. While punk rebelled at the overplayed/overproduced progressive rock of the 1970s, a less angry, more somber, minimalist form emerged, which would seep into the new wave, goth, shoegaze and dreampop sub-forms of the '80s and '90s. Joy Division represents that vanguard, from Stephen Morris' metronome drumming to Peter Hook's melodic lead basslines, to Bernard Sumner's stark guitar riffs, to Ian's droning vocals. And you cannot listen to a current band like She Wants Revenge or Scanners and not hear the influence.