episode 41 of tvlgfhf

fresno, it's december, we saw you out over thanksgiving, and we're back with another podcast to warm up your ears. this time, we're joined by a band that describes itself as butt grunge rock with metal, trumpet solo.

in episode 41 we talk with trumpet solo about:
the origin of their name
what their music is like
their shows
reid cheating on the band
trumpet solo merch
bear vs shark
and we end the show with their song, eternal lies

listen. enjoy. go see trumpet solo next time they have a show.

be advised, salty language.

episode 40 of tvlgfhf

Episode 40 of tvlgfhf features Malcolm Sosa from Rademacher. We discuss

the Super Badass Thanksgiving Concerts
the Smeds clan
Babyhawk
Vince C.
the Thanksgiving season

Someone might be offended, so keep that in mind.

episode 39 of tvlgfhf

oh yeah! we're back with a new episode featuring our friend mike wise. we three went to fresno magazine's "best of fresno" party, enjoyed ourselves, and our talking about the list, the event, and more. and, as always, we asked mike if he would prefer to die in a shark attack or a bear attack.

enjoy the goodness. be warned of language that might possibly make you upset.

november undercurrent article

Ed: Environmentalism in the valley is a hot topic, both socially and politically. Really, we draw people like Sean Hannity and Paul Rodriguez to the valley just to talk, somewhat uninformed at times, about water. We grow food for the world, but that process contributes to the poor air quality of the valley. And lately, the politics of environmentalism intermixed with the politics of neighborhood and art in Fresno. While we won't recap the whole drama, the mural on Neighborhood Thrift Store featured a woman, made of water, with the San Joaquin Valley flowing from her mouth. It flowed to scenes of farms being worked and to the city. As the mural progressed the artist changed the piece to have the water (and her mouth) damned up, but flowing from a grate on her neck. Water is life in the valley. And let us not forget the signs along 99 that inform us 'where water flows, food grows.' The valley should be at the front of environmental discussion however, we are woefully at the back consistently sticking our heads in the sand. We ignore years of drought and water lawns like there is no tomorrow. Farmers sell off their water rights for the construction of more tract homes. We demonize people that support environmental causes like restoring salmon runs in the valley and protecting endangered species like the Delta Smelt. And the biggest city in the valley still isn't using water meters, although they are slowly in the process of installing them for future use. How can we cultivate a culture in Fresno and the valley that is willing to examine how we are using our environmental assets properly, while still working to stimulate businesses?

Adam: Transparency and education. There’s a lot of partisanship going on. Taking everyone back to their SATs, Republican : Democrat :: Agriculture : Environmentalism. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s always aligned that way but I’d say a large percentage is. And I’d say that a big part of that is the nature of how political parties engage and co-opt issues affecting their constituencies. I think that the water issue would be oh so much simpler if it were removed from the world of politics but that ain’t gonna happen anytime soon, if ever. But, what I think could really help the issue is for people to count to 10, take a deep breath and attempt to engage the opposition, or at the very least attempt to understand and empathize with their position. All too often there’s a lot of finger-pointing and shouting, so we end up with some cathartic debate but no one budged from their initial position.

Ed: That’s a good recommendation, Adam. I mean, I even remember Paul Rodriguez getting into a shouting match with another man here in Fresno over water and representing farm workers that almost escalated to a physical confrontation. That’s not what we need, at least in my opinion. We do need clear discussion of the issue, whether it is water, pesticides used, housing development, or the cars we drive. Sadly, it seems that there are few that are willing to really engage at that level, and even fewer that are willing to actually implement it in their lives. I mean, I can talk a good game about conserving water and how farmers need to balance with environmental needs, but it’s all bull hooey if I take a forty five minute shower every day before I jump in my car alone to drive across town. At some point we all need to implement environmental change in our lives. What practical changes do you think the average Fresnan, as well as the city of Fresno can implement?

Adam: Well, there are the obvious answers that get mentioned a lot. Xeroscaping is a big one; making sure that the plants in your yard need little to no watering. Cut back on your water usage from dish washing to showers to low-flow toilets to hosing off your driveway to making sure your sprinklers are working and aimed the right direction. Try to buy things that are local and/or in season. It reduces shipping of products from out of the valley, cutting down on pollution and fuel usage among other things. What things would you recommend besides those?

Ed: Reading local blogs, because those out of town blogs pollute your mind. Just kidding. I actually think that what the city can actually do would be to accelerate the pace of bringing water meters on line and force people to actually pay for what they use. I’m betting that when people are faced with the prospect of less money in their pocket they’ll rethink their water usage. Individually I’d encourage Fresnans to walk or bike somewhere once a week instead of driving.

episode 38 of tvlgfhf

it's a double dip week, but you'll love the results. Adam and Ed are joined in episode 38 by Ceilidh Benoit to talk about Green Eggs and the Met coming up this Friday.

we talk about:
what Green Eggs and the Met is
the art of Dr. Seuss
how it came about
the huge amount of community involvement
the bands that are playing
and we throw her a curveball question at the end

Enjoy. And, go the Met on Friday, October 30 from 8-12 for Green Eggs and the Met.

http://www.fresnomet.org/greeneggs

episode 37 of the view looks good from here, fresno

we snuck back into the studio to record a new podcast for you. in episode 37 we're joined by boney beasely of the argyle pimps, and nick nocketback sits in for a while as well. we talk about

-where boney is from
-how boney got into hip hop
-the genus of the argyle pimps
-nocketback's song - the girls look so good
-avoiding or embracing schtick
-the state of hip hop in fresno
-shark vs bear
-plugs

forgive us as the audio is a little buzzy. we'll do better.

october undercurrent article

Ed: Education. It’s a weighty topic. And, it would be easy to sit back and take pot shots at the education system. But, we here at the View Looks Good from Here, Fresno choose not to do that. Instead, we would like to celebrate educators and the education system. They face immense challenges and more than make due. From elementary to university, it seems like schools are operating on a shoestring budget. Priorities seem scrambled at times, but maybe we’re just not aware of the whole situation. Perhaps we are taking it easy on education because we both have worked in educational institutions in various capacities. Or, maybe we just like to look at the sunny side of life. Maybe it is due to the fact that we had relatively good educational experiences. Whatever the reason, we’re not here to criticize. So what do we want to talk about Adam?

Adam: Our educational system is shit! The whole system is bunk and in need of a massive overhaul! Just so we're clear, those are potshots, not criticisms (I'd probably know that a potshot is a criticism if it weren't for my public education). I kid, I kid. No really, I have baby goats. But now I'm way off track; like kids on a year round schedule. No, real kids, not baby goats. Remember year round schedule? Those were the good old days when your parents had to negotiate to get you on the same track as your siblings so that the whole family could take a vacation together; in February. But let's be serious for a moment. Ed, what's your favorite syllable in the word education?

Ed: I went to a year round school, and I turned out fine. My favorite syllable in education is the first one. I'm curious about learning, and not just from an educational standpoint. How do we test the information we're given? I remember a Rage Against the Machine song that started with the line, "The classroom is the last room to get the truth." Now, obviously that is a very jaded perspective. Or perhaps it's a very honest one. How do we decide what is the truth about the information we receive? I mean, obviously I accept everything that is in the Undercurrent as gospel, but what about the Bee? Are they educating me about the world around me with truth or is it something a little less?

Adam: Well now you're charting in new waters! I'd argue that news media is less about education and more about the creation and dispersal of information. I suppose in a broad sense you could call it education in that it may still have a formative effect but I think that it's not nearly as intentional as something like schooling or parenting. To put it another way, how one interprets and applies the information given by the newspaper or nightly broadcast would be informed by one's education and previous understanding of the world. But this is all semantics. You know you can't trust the Undercurrent to get it right. They let us write for them!

Ed: Touche, my friend. I bring up the news industry as a source of information/education because I read a recent opinion column that was filled with verifiable facts about an issue that was also calling into question the handling of the issue by another news source. It intrigued me, the idea that one source was essentially saying, "You're right about the issue, but you're not telling the whole story." It's this sort of thing that brings me to the point where I believe that newspapers/stations have become the de facto educators for a large portion of society. Should we challenge this, and if so, how?

Adam: I don’t think we should challenge it. I think we should foment it. We should build on it. This is not to say that I believe news media should be the sole source for educational material but more people, in more places should be engaging in open dialogue with one another; hearing another side and being open to the idea that the ideas we hold about the world may in fact be wrong. If that comes by way of a newspaper, then so be it. In fact, I don’t believe that enough news sources are actively engaging in sharing a balanced perspective. But then again, I’m a commie socialist as Glenn Beck might suggest and I think that too many news sources are inclined to make money on the capitalist model more than they are inclined to inform a social ethic or morality. Who cares about the long term when you can make millions misinforming the short term?