What Cheer, Netop?

Hi all,

I'll post reminders when the dates are closer, but for now I wanted to let you know:

Last week I received copies of my new CD, 'Mistaken Identity', which is now available for purchase in a variety of ways; see http://music.jwgh.org/cd.html for details.

To celebrate this, I decided I wanted to have two separate CD release parties, one in my current home, Providence, RI, and one in central Massachusetts where I grew up and where my family still lives. Last night, I finally put the finishing touches on the plans for the two shows, so here are the details:

Tuesday November 17 -- **PROVIDENCE CD RELEASE PARTY WITH JON CAMPBELL, HANNAH DEVINE, AND THE KILLDEVILS!**
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WHERE: Everyman Bistro, 555 Valley Street, Providence, RI 02908
WHEN: 8 pm-11 pm
FACEBOOK EVENT: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159262645755

Come celebrate the release of my first professionally-done CD, 'Mistaken Identity'! There will be half-priced appetizers and a beer special and perhaps some other surprises. Helping me to celebrate, excellent local acts Jon Campbell, Hannah Devine, and the electric Killdevils have agreed to join me (I will also play solo). I'm planning to have a blast; come on out and have one too!

Saturday November 21 -- **MASSACHUSETTS CD RELEASE PARTY WITH KATE KATZBERG, ANNE'S CORDIAL, AND THE SUPERCHIEF TRIO!**
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WHERE: Pioneer Brewing Company at Hyland Orchard, 199 Arnold Road, Sturbridge, MA 01518
WHEN: 6-10 pm
FACEBOOK EVENT: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=184674118081

An early evening show with excellent (so I'm told) locally-produced beer. There'll be a potluck, so if you haven't had dinner bring something to share and there should be some tasty food to eat ... (I plan to bring some bread, a pizza or two, and perhaps a homemade pie if there's time.)

I asked some talented friends to help me celebrate and they agreed to help out, so Kate Katzberg, Anne's Cordial, and the Superchief Trio will also be performing. There'll be lots of great music, so I hope you can make it!

See you around,
Jacob Haller
http://music.jwgh.org/
Join my mailing list: http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jakeshows

A reminder that Sarah S. has generously offered to have a barbecue at her house tomorrow, on Wednesday August 5.

Who: Providence SnBers
What: Summer BBQ
When: Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Time: 6:00 pm to whenever
Where: Sarah S's house in Warwick
Why: Just for fun!!
How: Please email or call Sarah S for address and directions. sarah_sturtevant@hotmail.com or (508) 685-1946
Sarah will provide the Pizzas and toppings for grilling. (Really, its good.) Please feel free to bring sidedishes, beverages, and desserts.

If you'll be driving there and are willing to give people with cars a ride, or if you're carless and need a ride, please comment (or get in touch with me if you can't comment) and we'll try to set you up!

So. This past weekend Rhode Island was visited by the Westboro Baptist Church. Needless to say, they were not welcome and got some press coverage before, during, and after the fact.

Every so often I drive down Point Street past the Planned Parenthood there and invariably there are protesters out front with their signs. It's such an everyday thing that it wouldn't surprise me if people give directions by them -- go down Point Street and turn right at the giant fetus posters. Doing a little google news search turns up no recent mention of this -- I imagine this stopped being news years ago.

Regarding the latter bunch, silk_noir has put together a list of organizations that support abortion and birth control rights. Check them out, and, if you have the money and inclination, give them some support.

"I am a member of this community. Our DNA has been here since 1880. I belong here. The folks that come in from out of town, they are the intruders. Forty percent of all the people who were arrested here during the Operation Rescue in 1991 came from out of state. I intend to stay here. I am part of the fabric of Kansas and Kansas is part of the fabric of me." - Dr. George Tiller

I just got a call from John Windle (who normally runs the Everman open mike on Mondays). Unfortunately, he's feeling under the weather today and doesn't think he'll be able to make it down, so he's asked if I can run it in his absence, which I have agreed to do.

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Monday January 6 -- HOSTING OPEN MIKE, U.S. SAM FEATURED ACT

WHERE: Everyman, 555 Valley Street, Providence, RI
WHEN: 8:30 pm -- sorry, make that 9 pm

The menu at the restaurant is small but decent; you can see it on their website. Perhaps you can weigh in on the debate between me and my friends about the desserts. (I claim that the chocolate bread pudding is the best, but they claim the chocolate cake is better.)

This is a "pass the hat" show, with the proceeds going to the featured act, U.S. Sam. I've seen Sam play before and he is a lot of fun! You can listen to some of his music on on his myspace page.

If you can't make it this week, it's worth coming down some other time, as John Windle's a good musician and a welcoming open mike host. You can see who he's got booked as the featured act for the next couple of months oh his myspace page.

Hope some of you can make it out!

Thanks to sanspoof for giving me the original inspiration to design this. A Diplocaulus is a primitive amphibian that lived in the Permian period, roughly 250-300 million years ago. It could be up to about a meter long. There seem to be a bunch of different ideas regarding exactly what it looked like; I took the liberty of basing my knitted one on some of the cuter versions.

( pattern behind the cut )

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please let me know!

Click here to see this pattern's Ravelry page, which will allow you to add it to your queue if you have a Ravelry account.

I got tagged by Katie and Sarah. The rules are:

* Link to the person who tagged you.
* Post the rules on your blog.
* Write six random things about yourself.
* Tag six people at the end of your post.
* Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
* Let the tagger know your entry is up.

1. My first instrument was the saxophone. When I was in elementary school I wanted to learn the french horn, but we couldn't afford one, and my parents had an alto saxophone that they had acquired when they lived in Chicago (someone had borrowed some money from them and left the saxophone as collateral, then never turned up again), so I ended up playing that instead. I played alto sax until junior high, then switched to tenor sax, but I pretty much stopped playing once I got to college, and I'm not even sure where the old tenor saxophone is these days. I picked up piano in high school, guitar in college, and accordion a couple of years ago.

2. I have to work today (bleah), but I'm taking half a vacation day to go to my nephew's birthday party. He's turning five. I'm still deciding what to give him. (I got him a few gifts but I may hold back some for Christmas.)

3. When I was a kid, I assumed that by the time I was an adult there wouldn't be any difference between girls' and boys' toys. The modern world seems very strange to me sometimes.

4. I played a lot of Dungeons & Dragons as a kid. My main character was a human cleric named Delphi. I got out of the habit eventually, but I did play some sessions of Paranoia in college.

5. I ordered a 2.8 gHz iMac with 4 gig of RAM and a terrabyte of hard disk last week. This is the first desktop computer I've bought since the original iMac came out in 1998. I plan to use it for day to day stuff, and to keep the G4 Powerbook that I'm currently using in reserve for when I have to travel, but we will see how it all works out.

6. The first election I ever voted in was in 1990 in Massachusetts. The candidates for governor were Bill Weld and John Silber. I couldn't bring myself to vote for either of them and left that part of the ballot blank.

While I was driving home from the grocery store, Keith Munslow called me and asked if I could do a song in tonight's Empire Revue (as another of the acts cancelled unexpectedly). I said sure thing.

So if you head down to AS220 this evening you will hear me sing an original song. The Revue goes from 8 to 10 pm and the cover charge is $8.

(And then next Sunday, August 10, I'll be guest-hosting Songwriters in the Round from 6 to 8 pm.)

"Grooved Pavement Ahead"