Valentine Malaria Aints

Wednesday, 08 August 2012

Unbeknownst to me, my friend Ryan Sutter participated in the Wire’s 2012 RPM Challenge back in February. For those who don’t know, this annual event encourages musicians to record an entire album within 28 days. The only rules are that the album consist of either 10 songs or 35 minutes and that recording transpire entirely within February. I don’t know if everyone got an extra day this month due to February’s lengthened status this Leap Year, but either way, it’s an ambitious endeavor.

In a way, it’s kind of silly. There are no artistic parameters – and I’m not sure how to define them even if there were – so participants could, in theory, just play a few notes on a Jew’s Harp, feed it through a synthesizer, and include the most asinine lyrics they can think of on the spot. In fact, the site even says this is entirely permissible on their FAQ page.

But in another way, it’s a good idea. Any musician who calls him- or herself such is bound to try to do the best they can. And for many artists, my friend included, it’s too easy to set a project aside and let it languish for months, even years. The RPM challenge has given my buddy the kick in the pants he needs to finish at least two other albums in previous years.

This year he recorded Blood and Scotch/Valentine. I don’t know what the slash is for. But it was most famously used in Outkast’s 2003 album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and in Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds. So, I don’t know, maybe it’s some sort of inside joke between Outkast, Timerlake, and my friend.

Anyway, Ryan’s album is available here. Go ahead and listen to it streaming, or download it for the grand total of name-your-price. My favorite tracks are “Serene” and “Uncle Ghost,” the latter being a tune Ryan already forwarded to me over a year ago – albeit with a slightly different arrangement – claiming it would be part of a new album titled The Universal Thump (still forthcoming, I guess). There’s a nearly half hour track (“song” would be too strong a word for it) titled “Valentine.” I’m not sure what’s going on there. Just some strung out notes and random sound effects. Without it, Ryan wouldn’t have met the RPM goal of at least 35 minutes of “music,” so that might explain its inclusion. The other tracks, all in the manageable realm of one to five minutes, are solid. Go get it.

Thursday, 09 August 2012

So, I just found out I won Hamline University and Homewood Studios Art Gallery’s writing contest. Back in May, I picked up a flyer on campus announcing their collaboration on a contest to pick the best short story and the best visual art that follows the them “Malaria in Africa.” The piece was due by late May, and the only stipulation was that the piece concern itself with malaria in Africa (makes sense) and includes a net in some fashion. The kind of net people sleep under to avoid mosquito bites, that it.

So now you’re thinking: “James, how could you possibly win a contest about malaria in Africa? – that sounds like something you know nothing about.”

Yep. You’re right. To an extent. Back in mid-May, I really had no idea what to write about. In fact, I considered letting this contest slip by without submitting an entry. But three things made me change my mind:

1. Cash prize! Hell yes, I am totally about getting paid to write.

2. The winning piece will appear in next year’s The Fulcrum. I submit something to Hamline’s literary journal every year, so I might as well submit something now in preparation for 2013.

3. I could learn about malaria by reading a book about it. (And that’s just what I did.)

Friday, 10 August 2012

The big news today was attending a St. Paul Saints ball game.

Ever since attending a Twins game back in May, I wanted to take Owen to a Saints game, assuring him that the Saints are way more fun to watch. I was going to just go online and buy tickets for some random game, but then the Minnesota Atheists came out with an offer to get discounted group tickets. “Sure,” thought I, “I’d love to get cheaper tickets, with drink and food voucher, and attend the game on the same day as many people I know, including a family whose son is one of Owen’s good friends.”

But no sooner did I buy the tickets, then this upcoming game became a BIG DEAL. I mean it. Every paper in the Twin Cities covered it, lots of people blogged about it, and it was even covered by the Washington Post, Sports Grid, and even the UK’s The Guardian. The Minnesota Atheists even put up an article addressing some of the more common issues some people were having with this.

All of this is very good. Atheists should be more recognizable in today’s world. And ball teams should sponsor group outings that feature freethinkers just as they feature religious groups. The team changed their name to the “Aints” for this game, and the sign out front welcomed attendees to the “Mr. Paul Aints” game. In between innings, the announcer played Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” cleverly editing out the word “don’t.”

But…

When I read some of the comments online – people saying they were going to protest, others saying they were never going to attend a Saints game again, and others saying atheists are stupid to do this because, hey, why do they need to join together (since they don’t need to worship) and what are they promoting since they don’t believe in anything – I started to get worried. After all, I didn’t want to make a statement, I just wanted to show my family a good time watching a great team.

I needn’t have worried. There were no picket lines to breakthrough, and no boos or other harrassments from the theists in the crowd. My kids had a great time: french fries, pop-corn, a jumper to jump in and a playground to play on. We enjoyed the inter-inning antics, and we had a good time with the folks sitting around us, some who we knew, most we didn’t. The fireworks at the end were a special unexpected treat. The weather, by the way, was absolutely perfect – a rare treat this summer – despite the fact that a Fox News pundit said all “good Christians” would be praying for rain.

Thank you, Fox News, for confirming my belief that one thing all Christian denominations have in common is hypocrisy.

When we got to our car, there was a tract from some religious group. Oddly, the cover said “Thanks for your hospitality.” The inside – which my wife read to me with great merriment during our drive home – was pretty much just a bunch of scriptures and an exhortation to read the bible. Hilarious!

The Saints – or should I say “the Aints”? – however, left somethign to be desired. After seeing them score 10 and 18 points in the last two games I’ve attended, respectively, they failed to score a single run the entire game. In the bottom of the ninth, Owen sat on my lap and we watched our team, down two to nothing, with two men on base, try for a three-run homer. It brought back memories of our Twins game together. Sadly, it was not to be this time, and the Saints struck out for the last time, losing the game. A sad, “awwwww,” swept the crowd. Oh well. I suppose they just didn’t have a prayer.