Friday, September 26, 2008

I don't feel the Whoo hoo!

I don't really pay attention to the news unless it's celeb gossip, random shenanigans in Ohio, or pigs with lipstick, but I was shocked to hear yesterday that my bank, Washington Mutual, went belly up and was bought by one of the nation's strongest banks- JPMorgan Chase. I got a notice from the bank with a headline that read,

"Exciting news for our customers! We're proud to announce that WaMu has become part of one of the nation's strongest banks...blah blah blah...backed by the strength and security of JPMorgan Chase."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did I miss something here? Should I be celebrating that my bank was apparently struggling with these mortgage woes and eventually collapsed cuz it couldn't handle the market's instability? Far from being excited, I went to the WaMu site this morning and saw this image sans thought bubble:


This picture basically summarizes what WaMu did to its customers. Gotcha!
*Picture found from The Consumerist

*Update* I just checked the WaMu site, and this is what's up now:



Yes. Blank. Empty. Hopefully my bank account isnt.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

TCAG Fall Concert Series part 1: Beck (Hollywood Bowl)



Bust out those cardigans and American Apparel shirts kids 'cuz it'sa concert season and we're starting it off with a bang. Beck played the bowl of bowls along with MGMT and Spoon.



Stunning views aside, the Hollywood Bowl is also known for another fact: BYOB (and F). Along with the usual Porto's pickups (Potato balls, ham croquettes, and coconut macaroons) we also kept it local and picked up some musubis from L&L. For dranks, we hit up Trader Joe's. On the clerk's suggestion, I picked up some 3 Horses tallboys. Musubis, beer, and Beck: the winning combination.


When MGMT started up, I decided their freaky groovy music would best be appreciated whilst slightly intoxicated. I cracked open one of the cans and anticipated some fancy beery goodness (it's Trader Joe's right?) I wish I had four hands so I could give them brewkies four thumbs down.



But I'm a trooper and I put down four of those badboys by the end of the night (resulting in multiple trips to the men's room). In any case, MGMT's set was pretty short but they played their popular songs and got people moving in their seats.

Spoon was next and absolutely killed it. They played the jams and ended their set with one of my favorite songs off their latest album, Black Like Me.

Beck took the stage thereafter and kicked off the set with Loser. Now I'm not the greatest of dancers, but hearing a 90s classic and having 3.5 tallboys in your system works wonders: I was on my feet before you could say "In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey". Beck followed that up with more of his faster songs. In the middle of his set, Beck was joined by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Strings (which was conducted by his father David Campbell). He ended the set with "Chemtrails". The encore included "Where it's at" and the crowd went wild. Most I've danced in my life.

Set list:

Loser / Girl / Nausea / Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (Dylan cover) / Guero / Nicotine & Gravy / Mixed Bizness / Devils Haircut / Timebomb / Soul of a Man / Gamma Ray / Hell Yes / Black Tambourine / Modern Guilt / Paper Tiger / Think I’m in Love / Missing /
Lonesome Tears / Replica / Round the Bend / Chemtrails

Encore:

Where It’s At / E-Pro