Welcome to Sad Salvation. Day by day by day by day ... this is my attempt to make sense of the world.

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Friday, February 13, 2009

Past State of My Heart Address

This is for all the people that want to see the year by year breakdown of my romantic life. I know how fun that can be. I think there is something that might be learned

Past State of My Heart Address

2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008

Labels: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, flickrpost, link, list, State of my Heart Address

- Rich, 12:00 PM

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Past State Of My Heart Addresses

I started writing the State of My Heart Addresses back when I was in college. That goes back over 10 years now. The only old State of My Heart Address on line are the ones since I started to keep a blog. Here is your chance to see my old collected State of my Heart Addresses. This is a good reason for me to keep this blog going. Tomorrow you will see my State of my Heart Address for 2008.


2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007

Labels: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, flickrpost, link, list, State of my Heart Address

- Rich, 6:53 PM

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

The 2007 State of My Heart Address

I am here once again to look at the state of my heart. The last year have not been kind to me in terms of romance. I had some good times in 2007, but they were not to last. Abigail broke up with me twice in that time. The first time really screwed me up, the second time just made me feel like crap.

I really loved Abigail. Both times she broke up with me really hurt. I am still not sure what happened the second time. It really did not make sense to me. I guess that is what happens when you try to restart something. It might be for the best because now I can put it all behind me now.

Loving Abigail taught me something about myself. I know that I can totally put myself out there for someone. I know that I can get past all of those worries and anxiety to really connect with someone. In the past I was worried that I would be able to do something like that at all.

The problem in the post-Abigail era is that It is harder to be alone. I find myself being lonely more often. Before I meet Abigail I did a pretty good job of being alone without being lonely. Since the break up I find myself wanting to share things with someone else. There are more nights when my bed feels empty and I know it will not change anytime soon.

That being said, I am in rush to find someone. There are a bunch more things in my life that I am focused on. I would like to resolve those things first. I do not have the energy to put into looking for a relationship. If a relationship happened unexpectedly I would not walk away from it because I am not ready. I just think that I need to work on other things first. Things that would just get distracted by a relationship.

St. Valentines Day is here again and I am alone again. That is par for me. I have been alone many more years than I have had a Valentine. I wish I have someone to spend the day with. It would be nice if I had someone, but I will not be crying myself asleep because I do not.

Labels: 2006, 2007, Abigail, love, Romance, State of my Heart Address

- Rich, 7:05 PM

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Best of 2006 Mixes

It is time again for my best of the year mixes. I did three mixes this year. I did Best of 2006, New to Me 2006, and the Best of the SXSW 2006 Bittorrent.



Best of 2006
I listened to about 65 albums released in 2006. I know that I listen to a lot of music. That should not surprise anyone. There was a lot of good music that came out this year. This mix only has a fraction of the music I would say it good.

Best of 2006

1. Fraud in The 80’s – Mates Of State
2. A Certain Romance – Arctic Monkeys
3. Gravity’s Gone – Drive by Truckers
4. E.N.Y House – Masta Killer
5. Lost In Boston – The Walkmen
6. Girl In A War – Josh Ritter
7. List of Baby Names – Bound Stems
8. Notion – Karl Blau
9. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood – Neko Case
10. Montgomery – Magnolia Electric Co
11. Chips Ahoy – The Hold Steady
12. Woke Up New – Mountain Goats
13. The Charging Sky – Jenny Lewis
14. Smiley Faces – Gnarls Barkley
15. The Competition – Kimya Dawson
16. Attraction is Ephemeral – Mecca Normal
17. Rubies - Destoryer
18. Rough Jems – Islands
19. The Greatest – Cat Power

New To Me 2006

No matter how much music I hear, something is always missed. That is why I make this mix. I think it is just as important as the best of the year mix.

New To Me 2006
1. If I’m Waiting – Jason Anderson
2. Huddle Formation – The Go! Team
3. Over and Over - Heavenly
4. So Long – Jason Anderson
5. Like A Monkey In A Zoo – K. McCarty
6. 1 Corinthians 13: 8-10 – Mountain Goats
7. I Wish I Was The Moon – Neko Case
8. Section 12 (Hold Me Now) – The Polyphonic Spree
9. Small Stakes - Spoon
10. The End Has No End – The Strokes
11. Hearts of Oak – Ted Leo / Pharmacists
12. Car Trouble – All Girl Summer Fun Band
13. You Held the World In Your Arms - Idlewild
14. Madam Truffle – Major Organ
15. At The Bottom of Everything – Bright Eyes
16. Love Steals Us From Loneliness - Idlewild
17. Off The Record – My Morning Jacket
18. The Purple Bottle – Animal Collective
19. Parisian Dream – Laura Veirs
20. Grounds For Divorce – Wolf Parade
21. Sorry Entertainer – Daniel Johnson


SXSW 2006

There are so many good bands that I have never heard of before. This is a good way to find some of them. I could spend my whole year just listening to the music from SXSW. I think that is a good thing.

SXSW 2006

1. Walkin’ On Nails – Mac Lethal
2. Binary Girl – Mathematicians
3. Memorize The City – The Organ
4. Agony – Awol One
5. Harvard Hand – The Foxymorons
6. I’ve Been Lost - +/-
7. Another Seven Year- Aberdeen City
8. na – Band of Horses
9. Postcards from Italy – Beirut
10. Birmingham – The Deaths
11. Girls & Sunshine – Dirty On Purpose
12. Hide and Seek – The Eighteenth Day
13. Buckeyed Rabbit – Grassy Knoll Boys
14. Try Telling That To My Baby – The Heavy Blinkers
15. Old Britannia – Hey Negrita
16. No Way Out – Love of Diagrams
17. Broken Plates – Magenta Lane
18. A Captive Audience – The Velvet Teen
19. No Good Here – Tim Fite
20. Red Drop - The Standard

If people want me to write about every song on this list let me know. I will get started on that entry.

Labels: 2006, best of 2006, best of CD Challange, mix, mixcd, music

- Rich, 6:34 PM

Monday, January 22, 2007

Best Dozen Albums of 2006

I listened to about 65 new albums in 2006. That means two things, I spent a lot of time listening to music that came out last year and I listened to a fraction of all the music that came out last year. When I say these are the best albums, I mean they are my favorite.

Magnolia Electric Co - Fading Trails

This album was short and concise. With 9 songs at 29 minutes this album is slim, but powerful. With every new album Jason Molina shows his increasing skill in song writing. I think this is the best Magnolia Electric Co album to date.

I will admit that I have other reasons to love Fading Trails also. This album came out slight after a breakup. It was the ex-girlfriend who got me into Magnolia Electric company. This was a great breakup album.

Build to Spill - You In Reverse

This album is full of songs that are ear worms. I hear this album and the tunes do not get out of my head for days. The songs really rock. It is a great album to drive very fast to.

Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

With each new album I am more impressed with Belle and Sebastian. They have grown more than any other band in the last 10 years. Compare Tiger Milk to The Life Pursuit and you will find a band that is writing totally different songs. I am amazed at the way they have been able to change and stay good. This album is good because of how it is different and the same as the other albums.

Cat Power - The Greatest

There are those albums where from the first time you hear it, you cannot put it down. It seems to always in your CD player. One of those albums you listen to for weeks and still do not get enough of it. This is one of those albums.

Josh Ritter - The Animal Years

This album surprised me. I had never heard of Josh Ritter before hearing him on the SXSW 2006 Bittorrent. The album is very complex. I know Peter would say that he is just a whiny guy with a guitar. I love the well written songs and the emotions that he sings them with.

But you need faith for the same reasons that it’s so hard to find

Gnarles Barkley - St. Elsewhere

This album is tricky and simple all at the same time. I love it becuase it makes me want to dance. It also surprises me. They take simple pop tunes and get every ounce of goodness out of them.

Islands - Return To The Sea

Everyone loves Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over The Sea. For the past two years I have been wondering where all the albums that are influenced by In the Aeroplane Over The Sea. If everyone loves this album why has it made so little impact on other music? The Islands - Return to the Sea is the album I have been waiting for. Any Neutral Milk Hotel fan should check out this album.

Mecca Normal - The Observer

The Observer is like a great movie or a good book. It is a challenging. It is not an album that you put on and rock out too. It is an album you listen to and think about. I know that people do not want to think, but that is that is their problem. This is an album that people should listen to. I think it is challenging and hard to listen to at time, but sometimes that is a really good thing. This is one of those times.

The song writing on this album just amazes me. It is insightful and interesting. The album is about relationships. It seems real in a way other albums do not. For the way the songs describe relationships it is worth listening to. I really get the idea that I understand the woman as being single about about my age.

Kimya Dawson - Remember That I Love You

I know lots of people who will not like this album. Like all K Records bands, you either dig the lo-fi, high emotion, indie ethic or you do not. This album has the feeling of someone grabbing a guitar and pooring their heart out to a microphone. Of the 12 songs on this album, about half of them make the hair on the back of neck stand up. Each time I hear this album I hear something else. Kimya Dawson is an impressive songwriter.

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

This is one of those albums once I hear it, I need to listen to it three or four times in a row. The songs get stuck in my head. I sing them for days at a time. They haunt me like an opportunity I did not act on or a woman I ruined my chance with.

Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies

This is the kind of album that sneaks up behind you, grabs a hold of you while you are not paying attention, and does not let go. I already love the New Pornographers. This album has just enough elements of the New Pornographers for it to be familiar and just few enough for it to be new.

Mates Of State - Bring It Back

This is the best Mates of States album to date. The song writing has caught up to match their unique sound. The songs work really well as an album.

Karl Blau - Beneath Waves

This album was a surprise to me. There is no song that really stands out. The whole album is just relentless and strong. It has a good combination of pop structures and low-fi production.

Special Mention
Joanna Newsom - Ys

I have a hard time saying this is one of the best albums of the year. I want to say it is not really an album, at least in the sense of rock and roll. This is a collection of 5 songs. The shortest song is almost 10 minutes long. It is not like old prog rock albums either. There are no long musical sections. It is a collection of songs trying to be short stories. I am not sure I get this album, but I have been listening to it a lot. It is worth taking a listen to see if it is for you.

Labels: 2006, album, bestof2006, cd, music, tag overload

- Rich, 7:02 PM

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Places I spent the night in 2006

I did not do a recap for 2006. I do not think I will do a full recap. It was too complex of a year to fit into a blog post. I am breaking my post into several smaller posts. Here is one of them.

I like to keep track of the places I have visited. For some reason I am now fixated on the places I have spent the night. I think it is a good thing to keep track of. Of course my blog is the best place to keep track of these kinds of things.

Places I spent the night in 2006

San Jose, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Diego, CA
Carmel, CA
Carmel Valley, CA
Yerka, CA
Portland, OR (2 Locations)
Warminster, PA

Other places I visited

Mt. St. Helen, WA
Vancouver, WA
Point Reyes, CA

Labels: 2006, travel

- Rich, 10:21 AM

Monday, January 15, 2007

The Mayfly Project 2006

The Mayfly Project 2006
Originally uploaded by Kristin.

Great New Years
Became Manager
Portland
Got new camera
Break Up
Lost Boss
San Diego
Wrote novel
Trying again
Stood up in the end

Labels: 2006, bestof2006, mayfly project

- Rich, 10:25 PM

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Best Photos of 2006

July 23: Fire Sunset
Originally uploaded by earthdog.

This might be the best photo I shot in 2006.

Labels: 2006, bestof2006, flickr, flickrpost, photo, photography

- Rich, 8:23 PM

Monday, September 04, 2006

The Summer Is Ending

It is Labor Day and I am trying to figure out where my summer went. As an adult summer is more elusive that it was as a kid. When you are in school summer is different that being in school. You know you have to make the most out of summer. You can see the days count away. Most of the time I was happy for school to start up again.

As an adult summer is no different than the rest of the year. I can take my vacation any time. Summer is just a time where I am worried about how hot my apartment gets. I get to go to baseball games in the summer, but sports go year round and I can always go to a game.

I will admit that I will be glad to see this summer come to a close. It has not been the greatest summer for me. The three markers of this summer for me have been my ex-girlfriend breaking up with me, Comic Con, and Labor day. The summer broke perfectly into two halves. Now that the summer is over I am not sure how my life will be different.

Labels: 2006, Abigail, comic con, Labor Day, self, summer

- Rich, 6:13 PM

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

The Summer of 06

When I am asked what I remember about the Summer of 2006, my answer might be "Listening to the Shins - Chutes Too Narrow a lot."

Labels: 2006, music, self, The Shins

- Rich, 10:07 PM

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

A Summer Of Movies

I usually do not see this many movies in a summer. The summer only half done.

A Scanner Darkly
Superman Returns
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Clerks II
Snakes On A Plane
Click
Invincible

Labels: 2006, movie

- Rich, 12:26 AM

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Best of 2006 early

Every year I make a best of the year mix. This year I have been focused on listening to music from 2006. I want to hear as much new music as I can stand. We are half way through the year. I realized that I could make a first draft of my best of 2006 mix right now.

I am not saying this is going to be the mix at the end of the year or that these songs will make the cut. I am just saying this is a pretty good place to start. Tell me what you are listening to this year.

2006 so far:

Belle & Sebastian - To Be Myself Completely - The Life Pursuit
Built To Spill - The Wait - You In Reverse
Drive By Truckers - Gravity's Gone -A Blessing and a Curse
Gnarls Barkley - Just A Thought - St. Elsewhere
Mac Lethal - Walkin' On Nails - SXSW 2006 Showcasing Artist
Calexico - Deep Down - Garden Ruin
Gnarls Barkley - Just A Thought - St. Elsewhere
The Minus 5 - My Life as a Creep - The Gun Album
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Cat Power - The Greatest - The Greatest
Jenny Lewis - You Are What You Love - Rabbit Fur Coat
Cities - Writing on the Wall - Cities
Jon Langford - Gold Brick - Gold Brick
The Pixies - Debaser (Norfolk, VA - 12/6/2004) -Hey - Live Pixies
Love of Diagrams - No Way Out - SXSW 2006 Showcasing Artist
Josh Ritter - Girl in the War - The Animal Years

Labels: 2006, bestof2006, mix, mixcd, music, tag overload

- Rich, 5:35 PM

Monday, June 26, 2006

Time For a Change

It is official, June is 'Change your relationship to Rich Thomas Month.' It is not just the break up, but there are a few more things that I cannot write about here. There is just a lot of change going on. I guess there is always change it is just more pronounced at sometimes.

I know the month is almost over, but this is the time for change. I have decided to open it up for the rest of the month. If you too want to change your relationship with me now is the time. I will ask no questions and put up no fight. If you want to change your relationship with me, just tell me and I will be on board. If you want to go from a well wisher to a chum, now if your change. If you want to go from being a casual acquaintance to a hated arch rival, just let me know. I you want upgrade part-time friend to inter-circle tell me and I will find more time in my calendar for you. If you never want to see me again, I would be okay with that.

All you need to do is let me know.

Labels: 2006, change, relationship, self

- Rich, 5:37 PM

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

The Best Albums of 2006 So Far

I have not been listening to too much music this year. Here is my list so far of the best.

Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat
Cat Power - The Greatest
Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Karl Blau - Beneath Waves
Mates of State - Bring It Back

Tell me if there is something else I should also be listening to.

Labels: 2006, album, Belle and Sebastian, bestof2006, Cat Power, cd, Gnarles Barkley, Jenny Lewis, Karl Blau, Mates of State, Neko Case

- Rich, 7:06 PM

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