Lack of Posts

I am in England right now with Kelly. We're spending time with my sister and her family. I haven't had any time to keep up with the blog, she's got three kids under 4 years old. I will resume updating more regularly upon my return to Oregon this Friday.

Peace,
Ben

The Eugene Weekly....a f*ckin' laugh a minute

The Eugene Weekly always provides a great laugh...and this week's edition is no different! The main article (http://www.eugeneweekly.com/2009/03/12/coverstory.html) focuses on the "emerging" music scene in Eugene...and let me be quite clear...this article is full of sh*t! This is just another prime example of the Eugene Weekly's promoting of Eugene as the greatest liberal, artsy, eco-friendly, and diverse small town in America!

I am generally in favor of people having pride in their community. People that know me or that have met me know that I always am singing praises my home state of North Carolina and that I have transferred a lot of that energy to my new home in Corvallis, Oregon. That being said, there is something about the way that the EW delivers it's message that is completely irritating. Maybe its just that I've been to Eugene many times, and really haven't experienced the "magic" that the EW is ALWAYS relaying to it's readers.

I admit that I like Eugene on many levels...it most certainly is a fun place to visit. The downtown area provides a unique atmosphere and does have many things to offer. I am also very appreciative of the fact that Eugene has a plentiful smattering of establishments that host music on a regular basis. Where I get lost...is where this simple fact gets plugged into the EW's article machine (powered by the trapping and conversion of methane gas...of course!) and comes out as "emerging music scene"? WTF???

The fact that the EW is reaching for something that isn't there is only emphasized by the article's lame attempt to make a connection to the 90's emergence of the "grunge" scene out of Seattle/Tacoma. They attempt this by using "strategically placed" Nirvanaisms throughout the article....gag me now............and again....now! Did they forget that Eugene is not at all comparable to Seattle/Tacoma.....oh, and that they're both not even located in Oregon! Portland might be more comparable to the aforementioned...so Eugene, take the bench...as I think you'll be sittin' this ballgame out for the foreseeable future.

Return of the Pumpkin???

Debating a return to the Pumpkin way of life!...

EPIC YARD SALE 2 UPDATE

Check out

http://epicyardsale.blogspot.com

for the latest about 2009's upcoming

EPIC YARD SALE 2

Corvallis's premiere yard sale event!

Bridgetown Comedy Festival

I just found out about a comedy festival that will be taking place in Portland over the weekend of April 23rd.

Here's the link:
http://bridgetowncomedyfestival.com/

...It sounds off the hook! As an added bonus, my friend Zach Ward will be performing at the festival.

Check out the company that he started back in Chapel Hill:
http://dsicomedytheater.com/

...He is pretty much the man!!! Go ZACH!

West Coast Sh*t

Sometimes things happen out here on the West Coast that just throw my East Coast ass for a huge loop.

Here's a good example...

(Shout out to Bri for the photos!!!)

This whale got injured over the weekend and unfortunately didn't make it. Luke, Ian, and myself were going to go check it out but they ended up getting it buried the night before we rolled. I've still yet to ever see a real whale (dead or alive).

Crazy sh*t!!!

Phish at Hampton

Here are the setlists from the weekend:

http://www.gadiel.com/phish/

A lot of music over three days...my fingers hurts just thinking about it all.

Just Another Twit

Follow me on Twitter at:

http://twitter.com/washabaugh

EPIC YARD SALE 2

The marketing blitz has begun for the EPIC YARD SALE 2!!! 2008's EPIC YARD SALE was a huge success on many levels. This year's aims to take the whole damn thing up to the next level. In addition to all of the tremendous food and drinks...I am seeking a live band, am going to implement a VISP (very important shopper person) room that will be staffed with tuxedo wearing attendants, I am hoping to print tee-shirts, and just in-general....shoot the moon!

Keep posted to Washabaugh's World for up to date information about the most EPIC yard sale to grace the Corvallis scene.

Mary's Peak Ski Bust

Here's a few pics from last weekend of the group that went to the summit of Mary's Peak.... there wasn't as much snow as we had hoped...

Ecola State Park Pics

Here are a few pics from Kelly and I's walk in Ecola State Park:

Getting Over the Sickness

I've been a bit ill for the past few days....with a fever and aching bones. Overall, it's been a pain in the ass, but there were a few "silver linings" to the cloud.

The first one was that it gave me an opportunity to watch three movies that I had been wanting to see:

The first was George Carlin's last filmed stand up show before his death. It is titled, "It's Bad For Ya", and it was a great show. George Carlin is a comedy god. He has a very unique style and an ability to find humor in very "unfunny" (my words) topics. Check this show out if you have the time.

The next movie was "Heckler". It's a documentary of sorts that attempts to flush out why people heckle and heckling's effects on its targets. This movie scared the sh*t out of me. I don't know why I watched this movie a few weeks before my first attempt at stand up. While the movie was a bit one sided (for the performer's side), it did help point out just how disruptive and disrespectful heckling can be to performers. It also made me realize that the audience can turn on you at any time and that as a performer, you need to be ready to take control of the situation immediately. In comedy that often manifests itself through a quick insult directed back at the heckler. So I now need to think a bit about how I would handle hecklers at my show.

The final movie was Bill Maher's, "Religulous". I liked it although, it was very, very one sided. I expected this from Bill as I have followed his "Politically Incorrect" show for a while and have heard some of his old comedy bits.

Outside of watching three movies back-to-back-to-back in a fevered state, I did get started on a new book that I picked up at Powell's last weekend. The book is "The Art of Happiness" by Howard Cutler and The Dalai Lama. I'm only 30 pages in so I don't have a strong opinion about the book yet...but from what I have read I can say that I'd like to know more about The Dalai Lama and his life.

Road Trip Albums

Kelly and I went on a bit of a road trip this weekend and I wanted to post two albums that we listened to that were perfect for the drive.

The first one is an old favorite of mine that I used to rock the h*ll out of in my youth...

Pavement's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

The second one is the new album from Andrew Bird(check out his music...he is uber-talented)...

Noble Beast

If you are planning a road trip anytime soon...I suggest that you pick up both of these albums for the drive. ENJOY!!!

Peace,
Washabaugh

First Encounter of the Comedy Buddy Kind

In my quest to perform some stand up comedy in the next month, I have been working through a book entitled, "The Comedy Bible". Now, I know what you all are thinking...the title sounds a bit hokey! Although I agree, I have actually been very impressed with the way that it presents the material...so I am rolling with the program.

One of the things it lays out up front is finding a comedy buddy that you can bounce ideas off of and get critical feedback from. I posted an ad on Craigslist and only had 2 replies...one from someone who wanted to draw comics and TJ, who is interested in stand up.

I met with TJ the other night at the Zone to discuss what she was looking for from a comedy partner and to clearly explain what I was up to. She seemed on board and so we're going to give it a try for a while.

I'll keep you all posted...

Washabaugh