David Chen & the Muddy Basin Ramblers

Comings and Goings
of a K-9 Persuasion


Wild Dogs at Hua Shan

Last week the Muddy Basin Ramblers played at a music festival at Hua-shan. If you want to read an interesting account of what went down, check out TC's journal over at Planet Poagao. I'm glad I got around to reading his report before I finished the one I was working on. He always does a great job with concert recaps. I prefer to spend hours looking at dog images on google.


Publicity Hounds

We're in the Post this weekend again thanks to Carmen. He certainly gives us a lot of press, all of it glowing. The Post doesn't post his article on their website, and I can't be bothered to scan it in, but it is worth reading, for the humor. This time we are a ten-piece band, and Zoe plays something between a fiddle and violin. The article he wrote about us two weeks ago included his coincidental meeting with us at Athula's roti stand in Bitan the week before the show.


Bitan Strays

In fact, I was at Athula's this evening and he was complaining about the cold weather. He said he took five days off recently because there were no customers down at the bridge. He reminded me that there is a roof-top party at a friend's house in Bitan next weekend. The last time we partied there, we did a rag-tag MBR mini show. I think a similar show may be planned for next weekend's party. Athula said he probably wouldn't come, especially if the weather is nice; he needs to make some money. I bet that he will come later, if the party is still going on, but he won't bring another 5 liter bottle of Famous Grouse.


Poker Wolf (in sheeps clothing)

Speaking of betting, I talked to Jacques at the Hua-shan show, and he was all about on-line hold'em poker. You must have heard about the poker fad that is sweeping the world. I took a look at one on-line hold'em site and created a free account there to gamble with play money. It takes strategy, luck, unpredicability, and time to win more than a few hands. During play, some of the players type short text messages to the others at the table. "nh" means "nice hand." "wp" is "well-played.

I don't chat to the other players. I don't want them to be able to predict what I will do. In fact, I always choose the old woman character at the table (there are ten different characters to choose from). She looks so sweet, with her hair in a bun, and clutching her purse. She is the perfect counter point to my style of play. Lots of bluff, timely folds, and pretending to have nothing until the others feel safe enough to bet that their weak hands might take the pot, and then getting the pot really high, just in case it's going to me.

I'm reminded of the old Kenny Rogers song. "You've got to know when to hold them, know when to fold'em, know when to walk away, know when to run, you never count your chips, when you're sitting at the table, they'll be time enough for counting, when the dealing's done." It's frightening that I know so much of that song. Even worse is that I know most of the words to Barry Manilow's Copacabana. "His name was Rico..."


Witches Wiener Dog

The Muddy Basin Mind Circus is going to be at Witches Pub tomorrow evening from 9 to 11. Come early to get a good seat. Be ready to have your ID to show to the boys in blue when they show up at 11.