tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-147014092024-03-23T13:34:19.255-05:00FLOTSAMFrightening Levels of Trivia, Shit And Minutiaekmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.comBlogger1082125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-62106647148819995262011-11-10T17:11:00.001-05:002011-11-10T17:16:21.285-05:00All Hail The Mighty 'StacheA single-concept <a href = "http://moustair.tumblr.com/">tumblr blog done right</a>.<br />
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I defy you to look away.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-81113039688784424992011-11-02T16:38:00.000-05:002011-11-02T16:38:23.449-05:00SmileThe greatest unreleased rock album just had <a href = "http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/oct/27/beach-boys-smile-sessions-review">its official release</a>. (Link to the Guardian). I heard one track this afternoon and had to crank it up: the bass guitar line sounded eerily like something Paul McCartney would have played on the "Revolver" sessions. (I keep mixing up the chain of events. Is it Rubber Soul influenced Pet Sounds influenced Revolver influenced Smile influenced Sgt. Pepper?)<br />
<br />kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-7388283406915952982011-09-30T21:00:00.004-05:002011-09-30T21:22:10.297-05:00Marty On GeorgeYay!<br /><br />Martin Scorsese's <a href = "http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/arts/television/george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world-on-hbo.html">documentary on George Harrison</a>, "Living in the material world", will air on HBO next week. <a href = "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnx87LIDO9k">The trailer is on YT</a>.<br /><br />There is, however, no truth to the story that Ingmar Bergman will be directing the definitive Ringo Starr bio-pic.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-39232185553283343882011-09-05T11:11:00.001-05:002011-09-05T11:12:31.889-05:00"ALL RIGHT!"I was "there" for Live Aid. In front of the television, anyway. And yes, kids - Freddie Mercury was just as larger-than-life then as he seems today. In fact, when he and the band performed "Hammer to Fall" that day in July, I was convinced he was 40-feet tall. Just fire up that YouTube video to see what I am talking about. <br />
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After that crazy, exuberant singalong/intro, Freddie exclaims "ALL RIGHT!" and the crowd echoes his exclamation so very faithfully. Freddie looks elated at the crowd's response. It's as if he is congratulating the crowd on their <i>joint performance</i>. This is what they mean when they talk about great performers erasing boundaries between themselves and the audience.<br />
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But I am not in the stadium. Not even close. I am fifteen years old, watching this thrilling moment unfold on live TV and I just lose my fucking mind. It's the kind of a moment that makes you want to run to everyone and tell them about this thing you just saw. <br />
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Now here I am. I just saw the YouTube video again and I want to tell *everyone* about it. So here they are: Queen, playing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsbznJJkq84">Hammer to Fall</a>, at Live Aid. I hope you lose your fucking mind. kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-54647639743145112872011-08-27T12:18:00.002-05:002011-08-27T12:34:06.314-05:00I'm Floating In A Most Peculiar WayEarly psychedelic rock was influenced by children's literature. So it's fun to see "Space Oddity" rendered as a <a href = "http://www.kolbisneat.com/spaceoddity.htm">children's book</a>. Lovely stuff, whether or not you are a fan of Bowie or of children's books. (Via MeFi)
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<br />Now where's my "Atom Heart Mother" coloring book? (Just sell it with LSD-soaked crayons...)
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<br />kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-5669763189741362862011-08-22T20:39:00.002-05:002011-08-22T22:25:20.121-05:00Jerry Lieber"She said 'I'm gonna mix it up right here in the sink'"
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<br />"You ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine"
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<br />"You're gonna need an ocean of calamine lotion"
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<br /><a href = "http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/08/22/139859886/songwriter-jerry-leiber-has-died">Jerry Lieber, R.I.P</a>. Like the greatest of artists, Lieber practiced alchemy: his songwriting transformed the utterly American idiom of rock lyric into a universal language. Only Lieber also <i>invented</i> the rock lyric. ("The warden threw a party in the county jail" - that is terrible law enforcement but what an opening.)
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<br />I get the chills just <i>thinking</i> of <a href = "http://www.leiberstoller.com/Discography.html">his discography</a>: Hound Dog, Love Potion #9, Yakety Yak, Stand by me, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Kansas City, Jailhouse Rock...(and browsing around, I learned today that he also wrote "Jackson" and - I couldn't have guessed this one - "Stuck in the middle with you".)
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<br />Some obituaries: <a href = "http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/23/arts/music/jerry-leiber-rock-n-roll-lyricist-dies-at-78.html">NYT</a>, <a href = "http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2011/08/jerry_lieber_obituary.php">Village Voice</a> (page has lots of song videos). kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-78082978540620248152011-08-01T21:20:00.002-05:002011-08-01T21:37:34.630-05:00The Dalai Lama: The Rolling Stone InterviewOn India's democracy: <br /><br />"And here, too, I had the opportunity to visit Indian Parliament. I found big contrast. In Indian Parliament, lots of noise. No discipline. This was a clear sign of complete freedom of expression. Indian parliamentarians, they love to criticize their government. So I realized, this is the meaning of democracy — freedom of speech. I was so impressed with the democratic system."<br /><br />On dialogue: <br /><br />"Peace will not come from thought or from Buddha. Peace must be built by humans, through action. So that means, whenever we face problem — dialogue. That's the only way."<br /><br />Finally, His Holiness in full on comedy mode upon being asked whether he will be buried in Potala: <br /><br />"Most probably, if change comes and it is time to return to Tibet, my body will be preserved there. But it doesn't matter. If the airplane I'm on crashes, then finished! Follow bin Laden!"<br /><br /><a href = "http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/a-conversation-with-the-dalai-lama-20110721?page=1">The full interview</a>kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-24129343317843544612011-07-03T12:46:00.005-05:002011-07-03T13:09:27.715-05:00Stereotypical Teenagers Are StereotypicalA cousin's fifteen year-old daughter tells me, with a straight face and intensity that only fifteen year-olds possess, "American music is <i>so</i> overrated. I am into South Korean and French Emo-pop these days". <br /><br /><small>I rolled my eyes, of course, but I also wanted to pat her on the back and say, "Atta girl! You keep that attitude up for another two decades and you will turn into an old hipster like your uncle!"</small> <br /><br />Later in the evening, I found a bunch of kids, Ms. French Emo-Pop included, sitting at a computer and intently watching Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" on YouTube. <br /><br />There's nothing funnier than watching a teenager trying on different identities.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-70863134636748873172011-06-30T09:19:00.004-05:002011-06-30T09:33:36.076-05:00Once You Go Black...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApftIfSL0zX-vJyYljQ_taq3xFyja3kmddpWIXWs2ZQiP36NOm0f31DoDJhI01j58flNcdqTibWfd3X5PDAbOQlUJR5ZzVD0lwciuVUbEOTqb7M9u_YRB7-_nwRA-lYEO88MbbQ/s1600/1047731_851a_1024x2000.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 277px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApftIfSL0zX-vJyYljQ_taq3xFyja3kmddpWIXWs2ZQiP36NOm0f31DoDJhI01j58flNcdqTibWfd3X5PDAbOQlUJR5ZzVD0lwciuVUbEOTqb7M9u_YRB7-_nwRA-lYEO88MbbQ/s400/1047731_851a_1024x2000.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624017387349478994" /></a> Image from a <a href = "http://www.worth1000.com/contests/15836/meet-the-beatles">photoshop contest</a>.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-81917273185608525922011-06-11T10:16:00.006-05:002011-06-11T10:42:14.028-05:00Dear Spammer, Always Remember to Use The Active VoiceYou know your inner Grammar Nazi has reached its full potential when receiving spam email bothers you less than receiving spam email riddled with typos and grammatical errors (and you seriously consider writing back with corrections).<br /><br /><small>Which is why I applaud that Nigerian prince in exile who emails me every week - such impeccable language! That, and his convincing business proposition make his emails so much more credible.</small>kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-6379649298706076062011-06-02T18:25:00.001-05:002011-06-02T20:29:52.561-05:00Holy, CrapA most unfortunate juxtaposition seen while driving through a small Southern town: <br /><br />Arrow-shaped sign nailed to the trunk of a tree: "Church - all are welcome". <br />Sign planted in the ground at the base of the tree: "Free manure".kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-60920327389517605482011-05-26T19:14:00.004-05:002011-05-26T19:25:44.179-05:00Go Man GoOne the one hand, it's starting to smell funky and the flesh is turning a disturbingly deep shade of black. On the other hand, it <i>is</i> a mango.<br /><br />Oh, the decisions.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-950004826710610912011-05-21T07:26:00.005-05:002011-05-21T07:46:58.055-05:00We're Not Dead Yet. That's All.If I hear one more painfully obvious* Rapture/Judgement Day joke on the radio, TV or the Internet today (or ever), I swear I will go postal.<br /><br />* Making a reference to that REM song title is just as serious a crime.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-34105764660057650582011-05-16T20:13:00.003-05:002011-05-16T20:56:42.494-05:00No Need To Imagine. There *Is* No Heaven.<blockquote>"In a dismissal that underlines his firm rejection of religious comforts, Britain's most eminent scientist said there was nothing beyond the moment when the brain flickers for the final time."</blockquote> Well, the good news is that Hawking <a href = "http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/may/15/stephen-hawking-interview-there-is-no-heaven">did not dismiss</a> the existence of the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus. <br /><br />But why didn't Hawking explicitly dismiss the existence of Hell? What if there's no Heaven but only a Hell? What if <i>everyone</i> goes to Hell? No, wait, that will make Hell just like earth, except with better heating and more interesting roommates.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-34055268350672142382011-05-07T18:38:00.002-05:002011-05-07T19:19:13.380-05:00The Girl In The PictureRemember <a href = "http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/25/world/middleeast/20080726_CENSOR2_7.html">this picture</a>? <br /><br />NYT has <a href = "http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/07/world/middleeast/07photo.html">a front-page feature</a> on Samar Hassan, the blood-splattered girl in the photograph. She's now twelve, a school dropout and is still traumatized by the death of her parents. <br /><br />The story just breaks your heart. <br /><br />We voted for a change. We voted so that fucking sham of a war would come to an end. But it's 2011 and we are still merrily creating more Samar Hassans. How is that acceptable?kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-17875745850696794662011-05-03T16:53:00.010-05:002011-05-03T17:31:02.234-05:00The Desert Island BeatThe BBC has made available <a href = "http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs">its entire archive</a> of "Desert Island Discs", spanning some 60 years. (Very nicely done site, but would it have killed them to include a Grooveshark playlist for each castaway? It's the <i>web</i>, make it work!)<br /><br /><small>As a concept, Desert Island Discs is <i>so</i> early-20th century. Now, one could simply ask for a Wifi connection (as a luxury item) and just ruin the fun.</small>kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-25637330770917895732011-04-21T16:50:00.003-05:002011-04-21T18:36:37.118-05:00Blues For A Good FridayThe crucifixion of Christ has inspired so much art: great paintings, literature and, of course, music. But I want to talk about one song - a song that clocks in a little over thee minutes - Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark was the night, cold was the ground". <br /><br />This very stark, dark piece features just one acoustic guitar (allegedly a knife was used as a slide) and a few moaned notes. With that sparse setup, Johnson sings about the great tragedy of that night when <I>"His sweat like drops of blood ran down /In agony he prayed"</i>. <br /><br />Now, those words don't actually appear in the song. In fact, Johnson's song does not contain <i>any</i> words at all. Those words (and the song's title) come from an old English hymn called <a href = "http://www.cptryon.org/xpipassio/hymns/dark.html">Gethsemane</a>, which served as the inspiration for "Dark was the night". (Wiki has <a href = "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Was_the_Night,_Cold_Was_the_Ground">more details</a>). <br /><br />The song reminds me a little of Hindustani music in its rejection of lyrics. Words can distract us from experiencing the emotion that arises from listening to a pure note or a great melody. In another way, this blues song could also be thought of as a continuation of the same line of thinking that runs through Impressionistic (or Abstract) art. By moving away from forms and shapes - the "words" of a painting - it is still possible to communicate. Besides, what words can truly express the sadness felt at the passing of that kind, decent man? <br /><br /><a href = "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNj2BXW852g">And so Johnson sings</a>. <br /><br />Dark was the night, cold was the ground. This is American blues at its finest.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-64828564961295232262011-04-20T15:30:00.000-05:002011-04-20T17:50:38.058-05:00New Paul SimonI'm quite enjoying the new Paul Simon song "The Afterlife" from his "So Beautiful or So What" album. An excerpt: <blockquote>"Buddha and Moses and all the noses from narrow to flat, had to stand in the line, just to glimpse the divine, what you think about that?<br />Well it seems like our fate to suffer and wait for the knowledge we seek.<br />It’s all his design, no one cuts in the line, no one here likes a sneak"</blockquote> With a line like "and all the noses from narrow to flat", how can I *not* buy this album? (Though I am just as impressed by the sound of the guitars on this track.)kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-32535553832111062742011-04-19T18:14:00.001-05:002011-04-19T20:19:35.888-05:00Coitus Humorous<i><blockquote>"Christian’s manroot jumped against her thigh and she imagined it a velvet-tipped iron spear. He would render her vulnerable, she would yield, then he would conquer her with his formidable weapon!"</i> - “Desire” - Virginia Henley</blockquote> There's a tumblr blog dedicated to collecting excerpts from bad romance novels and it's called, wait for it, <a href = "http://badromancenovels.tumblr.com/">Bad Romance Novels</a>. (SFW) <br /><br />Let it also be known that as a English Grammar and Style Nazi, I find the use of the "!" at the end of the second sentence in the excerpted passage more objectionable than the word "manroot". Just kidding. "Manroot" is easily the worst thing in that passage, followed by "velvet-tipped iron spear". <br /><br />Yeah, I'm really classing up this place.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-35319530898963999282011-04-17T08:15:00.003-05:002011-04-17T08:26:41.976-05:00First Sign Of MadnessI can hear the "Skype incoming call" sound everywhere. (Coincidentally, I haven't heard the phantom cellphone ring in a few months now.) <br /><br />Someone's pinging me again.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-40885357474629533252011-04-15T09:26:00.002-05:002011-04-15T09:35:24.411-05:00Any Day Now"Standing next to me in this lonely crowd<br />Is a man who swears he’s not to blame<br />All day long I hear him shout so loud<br />Crying out that he was framed<br />I see my light come shining<br />From the west unto the east<br />Any day now, any day now<br />I shall be released"kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-65017924157135418462011-04-05T14:50:00.001-05:002011-04-05T16:44:56.710-05:00Tarkovsky, With A Polaroid CameraBack in the 1970s, Michelangelo Antonioni gave Andrei Tarkovsky a Polaroid camera. Tarkovksy, being Tarkovsky, took <a href = "http://www.brightbrightday.com/Portfolio.htm">some beautiful pictures</a>. Don't at least a couple of images look like they belong in a...Tarkovsky film?<br /><br />(And so kids, the moral of the story here is don't be lusting for camera gear. That won't necessarily make you a better photographer.)<br /><br />(<a href = "http://www.toxicocultura.com/blog/?p=5360">Via</a> -->via one of Roger Ebert's tweets)kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-47660093480216663542011-04-01T04:40:00.001-05:002011-04-01T07:15:11.071-05:00Damn, Nature, You So Strange<blockquote>"Because of the scale of the flooding and the fact that the water has taken so long to recede, many trees have become cocooned in spiders webs. People in this part of Sindh have never seen this phenonemon before - but they also report that there are now less mosquitos than they would expect, given the amoungt of stagnant, standing water that is around."</blockquote>This is <a href = "http://www.flickr.com/photos/dfid/5571181942/">some serious cotton candy</a>. <br /><br />OK, so which natural disasters are likely to give us cellophane flowers of yellow and green? (Never mind. I don't want to know. Ma Nature has a peculiar way of answering these questions.)kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-50703241124328844552011-03-29T17:55:00.001-05:002011-03-29T20:09:29.719-05:00Lost PixA picture of <a href = "http://www.rollingstone.com/music/photos/the-lost-beatles-photographs-20110322/0526234">two musicians</a> warming up before a gig. (Also, a portrait of one of those men, captured in what can only be described as <a href = "http://www.rollingstone.com/music/photos/the-lost-beatles-photographs-20110322/0073406">a bizarre mood</a>.)<br /><br /><a href = "http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2011/03/28/134792968/rare-beatles-photos-1964-1966">Some background</a>.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14701409.post-76792063885322999982011-03-27T08:40:00.002-05:002011-03-27T09:22:14.416-05:00ClashTut tut. NYT chooses to frame the problem of rapes in the New Delhi region as "a clash between old and new India". Sure, that makes the narrative easy to understand (Sarson ke khet! Software! Cow dung! Oh, Timeless India, you!) but what does the story <i>really</i> tell us? <br /><br /><a href = "http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/world/asia/27india.html">Not much, really</a>.<br /><br />For example, the writer does not ask why Bombay and Kolkata, two cities that are also home to "new India" (city people) and "old India" (villagers, people from small towns and suburbs) have less (reported) crime than New Delhi? Or how New Delhi compares to Bangalore and Hyderabad, two cities that have also witnessed significant Old India/New India transition in the last two decades. Or what the crime rates are like in "Old India"? <br /><br />So, yeah, it's still all the news that fits the convenient story arc.kmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16040339235134145847noreply@blogger.com3