"You know, they say cops have all the best drugs. Do you suppose that goes for secret service agents also?"
Friday, August 27, 2004
Monday, August 23, 2004
Olympics
Let me just say that, like Ann, I dig the Olympics also. What I most assuredly do not dig is the crappy coverage by NBC.
I have always been disappointed in how the primetime network broadcast completely short changes the field events. Why, oh why, do we have to endure every single motherfucking dive in the women's 30 meter platform finals and then get two or three five-minute-long summaries of the men's high jump? That's just last night's example. Pay attention as we go on. Every field event will be a five minute summary. For once why can't they show every jump? I understand editing for time but why do we only get to see the jumps that are crucial? Give us some sense of the flow of a field event, you bastards.
Let me just say that, like Ann, I dig the Olympics also. What I most assuredly do not dig is the crappy coverage by NBC.
I have always been disappointed in how the primetime network broadcast completely short changes the field events. Why, oh why, do we have to endure every single motherfucking dive in the women's 30 meter platform finals and then get two or three five-minute-long summaries of the men's high jump? That's just last night's example. Pay attention as we go on. Every field event will be a five minute summary. For once why can't they show every jump? I understand editing for time but why do we only get to see the jumps that are crucial? Give us some sense of the flow of a field event, you bastards.
breathtaking
When I was driving back from Asheville Saturday I came to a stretch on I-26 where all of a sudden you go from rural scenery to something out of Davey Crockett. There is a huge gorge you span on the highway and all you can see is trees and the shapes of the mountains supporting those trees. Gouging it's way ever downward into the gorge is a river. You can't see it but you can tell by the pattern of the trees and the definite break them that there is a river down there. If it's cool out you can probably smell it and feel it, too.
When I was driving back from Asheville Saturday I came to a stretch on I-26 where all of a sudden you go from rural scenery to something out of Davey Crockett. There is a huge gorge you span on the highway and all you can see is trees and the shapes of the mountains supporting those trees. Gouging it's way ever downward into the gorge is a river. You can't see it but you can tell by the pattern of the trees and the definite break them that there is a river down there. If it's cool out you can probably smell it and feel it, too.
Saturday, August 21, 2004
Sonic Youth
I always uneasy when I attend a show for the first time by a band I have been listening to for a long time. What if they blow then what do I do?
No problems here. Sonic Youth blew the roof off the Orange Peel last night. Shit, they actually played the song %100.
They were fantastic. At one point Thurston Moore climbed up on the speakers on the right side of the stage in front of me and lifted his guitar and rubbed it up and down on the speakers hanging over the stage. It was incredible. I cursed myself for not bringing my camera. I missed a great shot. Dammit to hell.
I don't really know what to say other than they exceeded all my expectations. During the middel part of the show I know I had big stupid grin on my face. It was thrilling at various spots and never boring.
For the first half of the show there was this cute little hippy couple dancing right in front of me who were obviously on some kind of hallucinogen. A couple of times when the band went in full-on freakout mode I wondered how they kept from tearing their faces off.
The show ended with twenty full minutes of noise and feedback. It was wonderful. I thought it was smart to end the show with that. A lot of people left at that point but those of us that stayed were digging the hell out of it. It was like having three Jimmy Pages beating the crap out of their guitars.
My friend Ingrid drove up from Greenville and we went and got dinner at a real nice veghead restaurant before the show. It's called the Laughing Seed and my dinner was delicious. As were walking out Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon were standing outside contemplating their dinner options. I didn't know it was them until we walked past them and Ingrid said, "Did you see who that was?" I had no idea Thurston Moore was so tall. He's taller than me and I am six feet tall.
In my hotel room the television had all the cable channels I don't have at home. It was kinda fun to surf around on real cable again. I came across that celebrity poker stuff on, I think, Bravo. What's up with Kids in the Haller Dave's hair? I got sucked into the show because Wanda Sykes was on. She kills me. She and Travis Tritt had some great banter going.
Once again the city of Asheville was a great host. I enjoyed walking around yesterday three seperate times. They had some live after five thing going on yesterday up by the big obelisk and I saw a couple of Charlotte musicians playing on stage that I am familiar with, Woody Mitchell and Tom Kuhn. They were playing in a nice blues rock band that had a few people dancing. What a cool city.
I always uneasy when I attend a show for the first time by a band I have been listening to for a long time. What if they blow then what do I do?
No problems here. Sonic Youth blew the roof off the Orange Peel last night. Shit, they actually played the song %100.
They were fantastic. At one point Thurston Moore climbed up on the speakers on the right side of the stage in front of me and lifted his guitar and rubbed it up and down on the speakers hanging over the stage. It was incredible. I cursed myself for not bringing my camera. I missed a great shot. Dammit to hell.
I don't really know what to say other than they exceeded all my expectations. During the middel part of the show I know I had big stupid grin on my face. It was thrilling at various spots and never boring.
For the first half of the show there was this cute little hippy couple dancing right in front of me who were obviously on some kind of hallucinogen. A couple of times when the band went in full-on freakout mode I wondered how they kept from tearing their faces off.
The show ended with twenty full minutes of noise and feedback. It was wonderful. I thought it was smart to end the show with that. A lot of people left at that point but those of us that stayed were digging the hell out of it. It was like having three Jimmy Pages beating the crap out of their guitars.
My friend Ingrid drove up from Greenville and we went and got dinner at a real nice veghead restaurant before the show. It's called the Laughing Seed and my dinner was delicious. As were walking out Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon were standing outside contemplating their dinner options. I didn't know it was them until we walked past them and Ingrid said, "Did you see who that was?" I had no idea Thurston Moore was so tall. He's taller than me and I am six feet tall.
In my hotel room the television had all the cable channels I don't have at home. It was kinda fun to surf around on real cable again. I came across that celebrity poker stuff on, I think, Bravo. What's up with Kids in the Haller Dave's hair? I got sucked into the show because Wanda Sykes was on. She kills me. She and Travis Tritt had some great banter going.
Once again the city of Asheville was a great host. I enjoyed walking around yesterday three seperate times. They had some live after five thing going on yesterday up by the big obelisk and I saw a couple of Charlotte musicians playing on stage that I am familiar with, Woody Mitchell and Tom Kuhn. They were playing in a nice blues rock band that had a few people dancing. What a cool city.
Friday, August 20, 2004
Greetings from Asheville
Howdy, I am sitting in the lobby of the Downtown Days Inn here in Asheville. I am a bout a five minute walk from the big ole obelisk in the middle of town. I just woke up from a nap and I am going to go read for a few hours and kill time before I go to the Orange Peel and see Sonic Youth for the very first time. Kinda cool, eh? I think so.
I haven't heard from James so I guess he isn't going to make it. My crazy and still feverish roommate is going to work all day and then drive up here for the show. He has determined that he is not sick enough, I reckon. My friend Ingrid is driving up from the Spartanburg area to see the show also. She's a music nut. Sometimes she'll drive to Chicago for a week just to see Tortoise play three times in four days.
There sure are a lot of homeless bums in Asheville. There is a nice little park right down the street and I was going to eat my lunch there but the place was crawling with homeless. I prefer to eat without hungry people staring at me so just went back to my hotel and ate and took a nap which I just woke from. Mmmmm...vacation.
Howdy, I am sitting in the lobby of the Downtown Days Inn here in Asheville. I am a bout a five minute walk from the big ole obelisk in the middle of town. I just woke up from a nap and I am going to go read for a few hours and kill time before I go to the Orange Peel and see Sonic Youth for the very first time. Kinda cool, eh? I think so.
I haven't heard from James so I guess he isn't going to make it. My crazy and still feverish roommate is going to work all day and then drive up here for the show. He has determined that he is not sick enough, I reckon. My friend Ingrid is driving up from the Spartanburg area to see the show also. She's a music nut. Sometimes she'll drive to Chicago for a week just to see Tortoise play three times in four days.
There sure are a lot of homeless bums in Asheville. There is a nice little park right down the street and I was going to eat my lunch there but the place was crawling with homeless. I prefer to eat without hungry people staring at me so just went back to my hotel and ate and took a nap which I just woke from. Mmmmm...vacation.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
As I felt...
As I felt the blog community collapse around me the sound was like thunder and the crash was deafening, although not as deafening as, say, an artillery piece going off; it was, though, definately as deafening as a piece of advice from a friend that he reconsiders as he is speaking, his voice trailing off...his silence like...um...thunder.
As I felt the blog community collapse around me the sound was like thunder and the crash was deafening, although not as deafening as, say, an artillery piece going off; it was, though, definately as deafening as a piece of advice from a friend that he reconsiders as he is speaking, his voice trailing off...his silence like...um...thunder.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
The future is now, kinda
Remember that scene in Minority Report when Tom Cruise is on the run and he cuts through the subway station and his eyes are being scanned and 3-D advertisements are calling out to him with his name? There is a constant babble of intruding, realistic but lifeless voices babbling on about nothing. The next time you go to the Harris Teeter and you see that all the self checkout spots are being used go ahead and cruise through the middle of that section. Hearing the same voice from four different speakers pronouncing the same script at different points is more than a little weird.
Remember that scene in Minority Report when Tom Cruise is on the run and he cuts through the subway station and his eyes are being scanned and 3-D advertisements are calling out to him with his name? There is a constant babble of intruding, realistic but lifeless voices babbling on about nothing. The next time you go to the Harris Teeter and you see that all the self checkout spots are being used go ahead and cruise through the middle of that section. Hearing the same voice from four different speakers pronouncing the same script at different points is more than a little weird.
Glad you're back
Ever come across an author whose writing style just seems to mesh well with your mind? It's happened a couple of times over my life. It happened first with Robert Heinlein. It's not something you can qualify it just is.
A few years ago it happened again. His name is Sean Stewart. I read a book by him called Resurrection Man several years ago and I knew right after starting the book that I was going to read whatever he put out and follow his career. He was about the same age as me and was a hell of a lot better writer than I would ever be.
Back in 2000 he published his last book. His website kinda died and then I found out he had worked on some internet project which I haven't looked into at all, honestly. Then I noticed just a few months ago that Small Beer Press, a newish small press, was putting a new book out by Sean Stewart. Cool, I thought, it's about dang time someone brought him back to the world of publishing.
Without getting too enthusiastic about this, I'll just say I am reading his new book called Perfect Circle and I am enjoying the hell out of it. It's about ghosts and family and your family's ghosts, I think. Something like that. I like books that are hard to describe yet make complete sense as you read them. Phillip K. Dick did that and so did Roger Zelazny.
I hope Sean and Small Beer Press have a friendly and rewarding relationship and a new book by him comes out once a year. Is that too much to ask? I think not. So I would like everyone that reads this to go to the Small Beer Press website and buy the book, please. That will help assure that they continue to put his books out. Do it for me, do it for yourself. If money is a problem there is a trade paperback version available. That's the one I bought. I thought printing a hardcover version and a trade paperback version simultaneously was a pretty smart strategy.
Ever come across an author whose writing style just seems to mesh well with your mind? It's happened a couple of times over my life. It happened first with Robert Heinlein. It's not something you can qualify it just is.
A few years ago it happened again. His name is Sean Stewart. I read a book by him called Resurrection Man several years ago and I knew right after starting the book that I was going to read whatever he put out and follow his career. He was about the same age as me and was a hell of a lot better writer than I would ever be.
Back in 2000 he published his last book. His website kinda died and then I found out he had worked on some internet project which I haven't looked into at all, honestly. Then I noticed just a few months ago that Small Beer Press, a newish small press, was putting a new book out by Sean Stewart. Cool, I thought, it's about dang time someone brought him back to the world of publishing.
Without getting too enthusiastic about this, I'll just say I am reading his new book called Perfect Circle and I am enjoying the hell out of it. It's about ghosts and family and your family's ghosts, I think. Something like that. I like books that are hard to describe yet make complete sense as you read them. Phillip K. Dick did that and so did Roger Zelazny.
I hope Sean and Small Beer Press have a friendly and rewarding relationship and a new book by him comes out once a year. Is that too much to ask? I think not. So I would like everyone that reads this to go to the Small Beer Press website and buy the book, please. That will help assure that they continue to put his books out. Do it for me, do it for yourself. If money is a problem there is a trade paperback version available. That's the one I bought. I thought printing a hardcover version and a trade paperback version simultaneously was a pretty smart strategy.
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Beat 'im to the punch
Last night James and I went and saw a movie called Wattstax. It was presented jointly by the Light Factory and the Afro-American Culture Center. It was presented in the attic theater of the AA Culture Center. Before the movie started James went to the potty and I walked around and checked out the art hanging on the walls. Some of it was quite nice.
The movie was incredible. It featured interviews with residents of Watts that were funny, tragic, silly and serious. Interspersed throughout the film are informal interview segments with Richard Pryor. His appearances are stunning. This is Pryor at his strongest. He spends a lot of his screen time riffing on comedy bits that are now classics. Many of the routines were familiar but they were not mere repeats of what appears on albums. Pryor's contribution alone is reason enough to see this film.
Then there is the music: Albert King, the Bar Kays, Rufus Thomas(!) and Isaac Hayes were the highlights of the Wattstax music in the film. The band backing Hayes was spectacular. I could have listened to that band play the opening of the Shaft Theme song for 30 minutes. It was gorgeous.
An unexpected treat was a scene where religion was discussed. We got to see three women sing a rousing gospel song in a small church in Watts. They were beyond words. They had people crying, one woman was speaking in tongues and they turned that crummy little church into a golden chapel. It reminded me very much of that juke joint in Mississippi.
Last night James and I went and saw a movie called Wattstax. It was presented jointly by the Light Factory and the Afro-American Culture Center. It was presented in the attic theater of the AA Culture Center. Before the movie started James went to the potty and I walked around and checked out the art hanging on the walls. Some of it was quite nice.
The movie was incredible. It featured interviews with residents of Watts that were funny, tragic, silly and serious. Interspersed throughout the film are informal interview segments with Richard Pryor. His appearances are stunning. This is Pryor at his strongest. He spends a lot of his screen time riffing on comedy bits that are now classics. Many of the routines were familiar but they were not mere repeats of what appears on albums. Pryor's contribution alone is reason enough to see this film.
Then there is the music: Albert King, the Bar Kays, Rufus Thomas(!) and Isaac Hayes were the highlights of the Wattstax music in the film. The band backing Hayes was spectacular. I could have listened to that band play the opening of the Shaft Theme song for 30 minutes. It was gorgeous.
An unexpected treat was a scene where religion was discussed. We got to see three women sing a rousing gospel song in a small church in Watts. They were beyond words. They had people crying, one woman was speaking in tongues and they turned that crummy little church into a golden chapel. It reminded me very much of that juke joint in Mississippi.
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