Rainy Days => Museum Daze

Today we went to the museum of American History. It was pretty fabulous. the facade is pretty cool with a nice sculpture of i don't know what :-)








there's exhibits and photos of different types of transportation and significant points in transportation history. Everything is life-sized and walk-in. below is a walk-in old-school-styled elevator.



here's a sign from the edge of the pennsylvania turnpike.
















We spent most of our time in the transportation and technology exhibit on the lower level. there was a walk-in diagram of an old-school bus that vibrated.



a video inside played an advertisement extolling the virtues of public transportation. the weird reflection in the plexi-glass is the reflection of the black & white video behind the glass.


here's a picture from another walk-through exhibit featuring this diagram





and here's some people i found along the side of the road:

the photos from my camera (not my camera in my phone... these are taken from my phone) will be in a gallery that i'll put up when i get back home.

why should the french be the only ones...

who have a large phallic symbol as a national monument???!!! take this you frenchies!!!!

Travelling through Chicago O'Hare Airport

When you're looking out the window of your airplane and your window looks like this and they are using words like de-ice the plane... well. you're in for a teensy, weensy delay. no wonder that flight connecting through Chicago was considerably cheaper than the flight connecting through Dallas-Fort Worth. Hmmm.

On the brighter side, I found this gem of a tasty treat in the airport @ SFO. The flavor was white chocolate macadamia nut.

Good News, Bad News

Good News is: that I have the printed copies of Lift Up with the cover art on them.

Bad News is: I was swamped @ work today trying to resolve an issue I ran into so I didn't get to put them in the mail before my trip. So it will be at least until mid next week before they get in the mail.

Sorry. It's that extra-busy time of year.

Christmas Tree Decorating

Part of this rad San Francisco life I'm leading is Christmas Tree Decorating with Friends (& Kitty Cats)

Greyhound bus terminal

it's purty. lookey:

Music from a Felinni Movie North Beach

Don't hate me cuz I gots to go to see Cafe Americain in North Beach tonight & you didn't! You HAD yo' chance.

Here's the pics. It was wicked cool. Kim Nalley sang superbly as is her way.

and finally. yes. i know they're a tad blurry. i do the best i can with these camera phone hum-dingers.





check out this sound clip of Kim Nalley Singing with Cafe Americain

Note, she did this without microphone and was singing across the room from me!

Weekend of Whoops

Just a note to the people out there who are way smarter than me.... When you have that thought.... hey, that's a little too close to be putting that glass of water to my laptop. Well. You probably shouldn't put that glass of water there.

So my internal hard drive died on my studio computer Thursday and I knocked part of a glass of water into my CD-ROM burner and then another USB external drive just died on me. It appears that knocking it off your coffee table a couple o' times isn't good for it!

Luckily though i went to Fry's and a new Seagate 500 GB external hard drive is only $89.99. And because I'm a paranoid backup freak I still have my primary backup drive.

So if you're going to be an idiot take a lesson from me. You need two backup drives: backup drive number one and the backup of the primary backup drive number one.

CD: Release - Lift Up: 320 kbps Track zip archive

is available here: http://djzenith.com/cd/Lift-Up/DJ-Zenith_Lift-Up-320kbps.zip

CD Release: Lift Up (Some versions available)

Well Kidz, it's here. Cover impending. Hard copies impending. 320kbps zip archive is STILL uploading as we speak.

but the 128 kbps zip archive as well as the single tracks for both 128kpbs and 320kpbs are now available here:

Lift Up -> 128kbps Track zip archive

Lift Up -> 128kbps Single Track

Lift Up -> 320kbps Single Track

Where's the Beef?

So my hard drive died. DIED! But. I have the files on two, not one, TWO external hard drives. But. Now I'm installing the software on this other PC. Yadda. yadda. yadda.

You know what I mean. Anyway. Hopefully before I have to leave to go to this party. I need to start packing @ two.

Lift Up, New CD on it's way to you!

Hey, I'm busy tonight doing part of the work chopping this CD into tracks. It's not done yet! Almost there! Am working on cover art with art pad now as I listen and chop it up into tracks.

Thanks!

Thank you so much to the fabulous friends who showed up and Happy B-day Kimmy! It WAS Fun.

Tonight, 22 Nov 08 @ Olive

What: Dirty Beats & Delectable Libations for Kimmy's Burfday
         (Happy B-day Kimmy)

When: 22 Nov 08
          10 PM - 2 AM

Where: Olive, 743 Larkin St

DJs: DJ Zenith (Zenomena, Funkentanzen, Stirty Beats)
       Becker

DJing this Saturday night @ Olive

What: Dirty Beats & Delectable Libations for Kimmy's Burfday
         (Happy B-day Kimmy)

When: 22 Nov 08
          10 PM - 2 AM

Where: Olive, 743 Larkin St

DJs: DJ Zenith (Zenomena, Funkentanzen, Stirty Beats)
       Becker

CD Recorded: Lift Up

Mwahahahah it's alive. I'm about ready to walk to work and in my iPod will be a mix I recorded yesterday, Lift Up. I will be focused on finishing my final exam project in German class and as soon as I turn it in Wednesday night I will be working on slicing said set into tracks and getting it ready for release! You've been warned.

Radio SF

So the fine folks @ Radio SF contacted me recently and asked for some of my music. Now Enter the Borg is posted on Radio SF here: http://www.radiosf.podomatic.com/.

You guys should go there and check out the other sets. Sights like Radio SF are hugely beneficial to the music scene. Enjoy!

Home Alone

I'm in heavan! I just spent the entire weekend playing with meine Musik and Mein Komputer! And Ballet and Yoga. Serato has changed my life forever.

Me having to think about what music belongs where... and how to classify my music is making a world of difference. It's going to be sooooo much better DJing now. It will be way easier to make a coherent thought and flow in my sets.

Words can't even express how much I love this new computer!

Rad Halloween Costumes and Talented Friends

I love my talented friends. My friend is the joker here. Enjoy!



Here's a link to some more photos: http://bander.smugmug.com/gallery/6426912_7o24C
link to you tube explanation about creation of harley quinn character:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwAKQ9hGLuY

Where Were You When Barack was Elected?

I was with my Brain Pool, of course!

Thank You America

All I can say is thank you for electing Barack Obama as president! Now I don't have to move to another country. Thank you. Thank You! Thank You!

So Cal (and the rest of you who voted the wrong way on Prop 8) Shame on You. Shame. Shame. Shame.

I'm in Love

I fired up Serato for the first time tonight and fell instantly in love! Instantly. I can't believe how easy it is... How this amazingly huge sound comes from this gizmo of mine (my new Mac Pro). And I'm now completely in love with this Mac Pro.

I don't know if it's because my first exposure to computers was on an Apple when I was 8 y ears old... But for whatever reason I feel so awesome using this laptop. I find the Mac operating system to be extremely intuitive. Part of my comfort level is around the fact that I make heavy use of shortcut keys in windows. A lot of these translate to Mac via the command key and also control key. Once you get that pattern down, you're set.

My next project is definitely going to come from this laptop, without a doubt. Fortunately, several of my favourite new tracks are available in digital format also so I don't feel as if I'm loosing access to many tracks in switching formats.

The universe becomes wide open for me now... Because all of these middle eastern and african dance tracks that are only available digitally now come into my sights and into my sets. And let's not forget my serious collection of 80s, Motown, and disco that I have on CD that I can now put on this lap top.

Getting this laptop was the coolest thing that I've done in years I think. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner! I knew I'd be saying that all along but now I know for sure. Hello, 21st century! I love you man!!!

Pictures from meeting Ros Atkins of the BBC World Have your Say

Ros Atkins and Producer Mark with KALW General Manager Matt Martin during a live question/answer show about BBC World Have Your Say.

Small Photo Gallery From Halloween Boat Party

This is from an actual, authentic, genuine, real live Halloween House party. Only a few pictures here but they are cool.

Photo Gallery From the Sunset Halloween Boat Party is Here!!!!

Enjoy!

Pretty Rad Video

Somebody posted this on myspace. it's pretty rad but it IS a 2 hour video. be warned!!

Video Clips from the Sunset Halloween Boat Party on You Tube

Garth Doing it Up! Fantastic San Francisco Backdrop!



Danny Ghenacia


Sean Murray



Solar on the Decks

N's Pics From the Boat Party

Here's some more pics from my friend N (aka, hot babe with gun)

#1 Sign you are a super-nerd

You run home from this fabulous par-TAY and post the photos on the "information super highway".

For those of you not in the know, San Franciscans take the day of the dead to epic proportions. Any excuse to let the freaks come out @ night... "We're ON it!"

Put in another way, this town goes cuckoo for cocoa-puffs. i mean Halloween.

So, here are some of my faves so far (gallery will follow in the next few days).


So you knew the ham shot would be first:


And a super-hot super sexy friend of mine (i'm scared!):



we have something deeply special here:



and what would halloween be without the ghost of marie antoinette?



what this world is lacking is more punk rock chicks with attitude. can we please turn up the attitude over here???!!!!



sarah cuda????



Medusa came hither and thither

If you're out there THIS MINUTE!

you should be listening to Africa Mix on KALW. Seriously. Most spectacular tonight!

Thanks Pamela Brown.

Where I've been?

working myself literally into THE GROUND. Honestly.

But it's not my fault. My German teacher went off the deep end with last week's homework assignment. I did over 10 hours on it. As I do my homework the right way... slow & methodical. I look up every word I don't know. I "fully" look it up... with masculine and feminine and plural forms.

Although. I am reading this book... it's FABULOUS! Essential German Grammar by Guy Stern & Everett F. Bleiler. There are noun declensions. Therefore... I will no longer need to memorize the plurals... Just the types of nouns. WAAAAAAYYYYYY easier.

I walked into class and she said I looked horribly exhausted. Here I am in my bad-azz silk dress that cost a sweet amount not looking good? OH NO!

So I informed her the reason was because I had been up @ 4 AM every morning this week during her homework. This is completely a true story.

She showed mercy. She assigned barely any homework this week. The class was so bad tonight. No one could even function anymore. We've all been beaten down to little nubs.

But not this week! Sweet reprieve.

So now this post is brought to you from my new Mac Pro! Schweet! I haven't been on Mac but a handful full of times since I first touched it 28 years ago. That's right. I said 28 years ago beyotches!

But it's really like riding a bike. But much cooler. Safari is super easy. Now that I understand about the Mac equivalent of a control key I'm just fine.

So tonight is an all music night. Vinyl practice followed by serato then piano practice and sweet sleep.

So I'll be posting the pictures from meeting Ros Atkins from the BBC's World Have Your Say last week shortly.

Meinen Neuen Kindern

I have a new baby. Say hello to my new MacBook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core2 Duo Processor w/ 4 GB of RAM:

What's Next

I'm buying a Mac Pro lap top. Why? Well, good question. The answer is: Serato. I'm switching from vinyl to digital, not because I want to, but because I have to. To stay competitive. So in a little bit I go to look @ what likely is going to be my new lap top.

I'm also taking ballet. I am LOVING this new ballet workshop I'm into. There's something fantastic about dancing to classical piano. And this class is geared towards people who are interested in the why we do moves a certain way, complete with a skeleton she uses to show us joint rotation. Ballet is the fundamental of all dance. And ballet is all about balance and knowing where your center of gravity is.

Yoga: We follow that up on Saturday AMs with a yoga class. All I can say is phew. This is only the fourth yoga class I've ever done. And the first one in six years. And if I hadn't done gymnastics as a kid I would have been dead from this one. D-E-D (just kidding folks. I know how to spell dead). Gone. Poof. Expired.

Piano. yes! I finally got my key set back out and started playing again. I just love playing piano. It feels like it's where I belong. I'm thankful that my parents put me in front of a piano @ such young age. PARENTS: Give your kidz the gift of teaching them how to play an instrument. It's everything.

German: Still studying my fool head off.

Running/lots of long walks/walk-to-work-day/exercise: Still crazy into that.

A new CD: I have one more CD in me that's going to be all vinyl and I'll record it in the next few weekends. It will be a studio CD. It's a dance-drive mix that's going to be Deep Deep Tech House.

I'm Coining a Phrase: Deep Über-Tech House

Deep Über-Tech House. This describes Enter the Borg in a nutshell. Blame it on the fact that I'm studying my fool head off learning german.

Hot Costume Action

This weekend I did a whole lotta me time...

But I did take a picture of the cool lamp @ my friend's house Friday night. I had the pleasure of attending a nice dinner party with fabulous food. Thank you, A & M. You guys rock!



And I also took this picture of some newly-wed friends of mine, and also yours truly @ a love parade pre-party.

San Francisco Nights

The last couple of evenings have been the kind of nights that have me in love with San Francisco.

The truth is that in the last year or more I've tossed around the idea of moving from this city.

I know part of my reasons for moving are this innate wander-lust I have. Every two years or so on queue the urge wells up inside of me to move on. That's how I ended up in both Rome & Paris.

But recently I've come to the conclusion that I will go to Europe/somewhere else for 1 year max and come back. As I love it here so much.

My friends are so freaking talented. The creativity in this city is the "quoi" in the je ne c'est quoi that has people so in love with this city. This city and the bay area literally effuses creativity.

So tonight I got to German class with five minutes to spare to find out that class was cancelled. I was SOO happy. I am really enjoying German class but really wanted to watch the debate.

I knew some friends of mine were having people over for the vice presidential debate. I was in a cab and over to their house in less than 15 minutes.

I had an absolutely marvelous time. My friends are super rad and I enjoyed watching the debate with them.

Then I decided to walk home from their place (circa hayes & divisadero). There's nothing better than a walk home through San Francisco @ night. The nights are usually amazing and moderate. And i took some pictures for you with my camera phone.

Same standard disclaimers apply: low light causing a little blur but they are cool all the same? that about covers it. Bearing that in mind, here they are.

Northwest corner of Masonic Street @ Haight Street

Sometimes Life Is....

Spontaneously Blurrily Beautiful. And I look up and realize I'm exactly where I want to be in that moment.

Enjoy!