Skip Loves Guitarists

Last night I had the lovely pleasure of attending the Carbon Leaf concert at the greatest music hall on earth, The Independent. While I was impressed by the overall experience and polish the group exhibited (and the lead singer's 80's hair), I was struck dumb by guitarist Carter Gravatt's solo. His hands moved so quickly across the strings and his fingers danced so deftly and demonically that I was utterly bewitched by him.

Naturally I checked for a wedding ring (sorry, RTT) and he is unfortunately already strumming entrancing lullabies to some other (inferior) gal, but that should not stop you from checking out the band and their guitar beacon. He was incredible.

Super Bowl Bound

OMG! OMG! OMG! The Bears are heading to the Super Bowl!

Ps- Hi, Brian.

Product Placement

My little brother is currently temping at an advertising agency in New York City. Not only does his job require him to occasionally fill in for the First Impression Manager (read: receptionist), but he also gets to write a blog about medical news...er, whatever that entails. I suppose specifics are not important.

I'm not quite certain how an Economics degree from Yale prepared him for a professional blogging gig, but I promised I'd throw him a bone and plug his writing.

So for those of you fair readers interested in all things medical and want to support all things Harding, you can skip over to HeroMD.

Skip is Back

...in more ways than one. Not only have I returned to the blogging scene, but I'm back to my depressing musical ways (the Heartless Bastards, while brillant, were clearly a dellusional, peppy moment that is far, far away now).

I've recently been haunted by Greg Laswell's creepy demo version of 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun.' Wait, don't laugh. I highly suggest you listen to it...just don't do it near a bridge or on top of a building.

PS- Um...he's kind of brooding and hot too. Like Ryan Gosling's brunette brother.

The Big Quiz

While visiting the family estate in England (er, Ealing to be exact), I happened to watch a television program entitled "The Big Fat Quiz of 2006" (this wasn't so much intentional as obligatory since there are only 4 channels with 80% un-viewable content). It was quite the perfect way to end the year...laughing on the floor uncontrollably as British comedians answered questions about pop culture, all with an English twist, so I was only half understanding the humor (but that was clearly enough). Even RTT thought it was funny.

Lucky for you stateside readers, you can watch the segments at YouTube (of course). I recommend watching the clips with ample space to allow for hysterics.

The Surprise Hit

In my 2006 year-end passivity, I failed to mention my attendence at another of the ever-sparkling, sunshine-y Brett Dennen shows at The Independent. Naturally it was glorious and left my heart warm and full of tenderness for my fellow humans...I even almost considered the whole hand-holding thing.

What was a surprise; however, was how much I kind of loved the opening singer, Jessie Baylin. She is a sultry, sexy, scratchy-voiced songstress who made all the girls jealous and all the boys drool, but most importantly, she was very cool and clearly talented (a compliment I don't always bestow on female singers). She sounds a bit like an Eartha-Kitt-meets-Patsy-Kline with some Joni Mitchell thrown in for good measure. Young Jessie has yet to catch up to the whole iTunes/World Wide Web nonsense so you'll have to pay a visit to her MySpace page (which is against my religion, but I have made an exception) and have a listen.

My favorite is 'Not a Day More.'

Skip's Unblogged of 2006

Needless to say, I'm the world's laziest blogger...or at least as far as the last two months go. I wish I had some alluring tales from my travels around, er, San Francisco to excuse my inertia, but alas I have none.

Thus, in a futile attempt to make up for the past 60 days, I present, The Great Unblogged Stories of 2006 (or, what-I-should-have-been-posting-over-the-course-of-November-n'-December).

(1) Readers; run, R-U-N, to see the movie 'Beerfest.' While not as laughably front-loaded as the glorious 'Super Troopers,' the film consistently delivers riotous rants and one-liners to keep you on stage for hours. Of course it helped that the ever-fabulous Lauren Lawson was my co-screener....

(2) The success of the Bears (see Skip is Magic) has not come without a price. At each game they have unsettled my every nerve! The Pats vs. Bears re-enactment of a Pee Wee game practically brought me to my knees with heart palpitations and the recent match against the Seahawks required my use of a paper lunch bag. I can only hope that this dire frustration comes to an end soon...either with the Saints or a ring.

(3) December 2006 was marked by the world's stupidest question ever asked in the history of questions. Apparently, an assistant's 'friend' purchased one (the right one) size 7 wellington boot at our Winter sample sale for $4. Let's overlook the obvious wonderment at someone buying one boot...This assistant then asked me if I happened to have the left boot in the same size and color and offered that her 'friend' would be willing to pay $4 for it. I mean, really? There are definitely stupid questions.

(4) I recommend that everyone take a trip to VinoVenue. I might be a little late to the wine tech party here, but the idea that you can go from machine to machine and try endless wines seems to me like a fairly ingenious invention. There should be more gizmos created for wine consumption. PS- It's quite the way to pass a blustery San Francisco winter day.

(5) While not so immodest a football fan, I had never actually been to a game...until recently. The ever-crafty RTT snagged us midfield, 10th row seats to a 49'ers game (vs. the Packers) and it was amazing...I mean outside the fact that the 49'ers stink and Alex Smith is a midget. It was still well worth the traffic.

(6) Everyone should take a gander at doe-eyed, youngster James Morrison, a soulful singer (and English kindred spirit) who has released an album of lovely jazzy melodies that reminds you of Spring and anticipate the lazy Summer (which is seriously not that far away...clearly, as demonstrated by my blogging absence, time flies).