Catz n Dogz @ Infidelity in Culver City

arrived @ 1.00ish am, the doorgirl didn't pay attention...we all should've walked in w/o paying...but only JaHe did. cool space, looks like a loft/business/bar/architect or drafting office?

for the first hour or so Catz n Dogz ran ableton live on two vaio laptops, each with an evolution midi 'control surface'. good show, but a weird hollywood-y crowd. we left @ 3.30 cos they started to play too much vocal stuff...and let's face it, we're old.

Flying Lotus @ the Airliner

free show with nice doorman named Dan. crowded club, a lot of white indie kids who didn't or couldn't dance. the house sound guy was on the stage, next to the performers. there were two EV speakers, one faced in as a monitor and one faced out. crazy.

flying lotus is rumoured to be john coltrane's nephew? he played an 'ambient set' at first with ableton live on a powerbook through a roland **25, with a harpist who just played glissandos and really kinda sucked. my apologies to AlSto and JaHe for another live show that was only MEH.

MUSIC: XX Teens - Welcome to Goon Island

if you know me, you know i usually pass on the punk music, thank you. but, every so often there is a record that sounds like DFA Records catalogue thrown in a blender with the Fall, with a dash of punk thrown in. that's what this record sounds like, and i kinda like it.

why i hate Enterprise Rent A Car

success!

if you know me, you may have been aware of my ongoing issue with Enterprise Rent a Car since this past April. i won't post the entire chain of correspondence stupidity here, since i am elated to announce that i took them to small claims court, and WON!!!

in a nutshell: i rented a car, the power steering broke and leaked all over my street, they gave me a replacement car, rented me a car one more time weeks later, then sent me an $1800.00 bill, accusing me of damage they claim i caused. i pleaded with them over the course of six months to hear me out and consider evidence that i had not damaged the car...i asked them for some official policies, estimates, proof and other records which they never sent me...they sent me to collections...and finally, i filed a case in small claims court, for the amount i refused to pay.

the judge ruled i should drop the case, on the stipulation that Enterprise: 1) does not sue me regarding this matter, and 2) takes me off their collections list. Enterprise agreed.

hurray! huzzah! calloo-callay!!!!

WTF is pipl.com???!!!

i don't know how they did it, but PIPL.COM is suddenly appearing in a boatload of my searches, just in the past 48 hours. go ahead, try it. and, you don't necessarily need to look for names.

what the f*&^ IS pipl.com, and how and why can they can see my freaking facebook profile!!!???

World Music Awards 2008

Scary.



Many thanks to ChriCa for this one!

Free TiVO cookie cutter!?

First, NPR buttons, and now TiVO is giving away cookie cutters!

in case you haven't seen this

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

is THIS scary?

0706081823a
Originally uploaded by egonix

whoa.
i HATE orange county.


Photo taken by ErWa.

turBACONducken

Check out this beaut:
Many thanks to ErWa for the link to the wonderful website known as BACON TODAY.

The Soup & Cupcakes & Hamburger Mary

i attended a taping of the Soup with some friends from work. i learned some things (real quick): 1) the laughter is really from a small studio audience, that we were a part of, but a LOT of the fake laughter originates from the stage director and camera guy. kinda unnerving/ disconcerting/annoying. 2) Joel McHale was lent a freaking AUDI R8 but usually drives a Subaru STI. sweet! 3) Joel McHale drinks scotch (the crew gave him a bottle for his birthday). 4) Joel McHale's birthday is 20 November. 5) Joel McHale's Subaru guy is also named McHale. 5) gourmet cupcakes are kinda overrated but good nonetheless, cos i really like the variety factour. my proof: we had cupcakes before the show from Jean's on 3rd thanks to a friend who works at E! (thx for the pumpkin one, CraBo!) and then the store Sprinkles brought in cupcakes for the entire audience (red velvet wasn't too shabby).

then it was off to Hamburger Mary's in Hollywood for a meal and some drag queen-hosted karaoke...VERY fun, but i hate to sing in front of people i don't know, so i didn't. But, our waiter Jerry was a cutie.

anyway, be sure to watch the episode that airs this week!!!

Personal timelines as social networks?

If you know me, you know i have been trying to find an online interactive personal timeline for a while now. Gina Trapani of Lifehacker.com couldn't say it any better:

"I have a terrible memory, especially when it comes to when things happened. Significant life events - like graduating and 9/11 - are all landmarks that help me remember when events occurred relative to them (i.e., "that was before I moved to California.") But there are still long periods of my past that are just a big amorphous blur - especially before I started using a computer every day.

"As a result, I've always been fascinated with digital timelines as a memory aid and reference: the ones that occur as artifacts of other activities (like our sent email folder and digital photo collection), and the ones we can purposefully construct for historical documentation."

She goes on to tout the merits of a widget called TIMELINE which as morphed into something i don't quite understand, and worse, i do not think i want to use. There are others, such as DANDELIFE, FREE TIMELINE, and ALL OF ME. There is also OUR STORY, and the lamely named TIME RIME and DIPITY.

All this got me thinking about, how come there are so many damn timeline sites, and only a couple of them show up in google searches, and how come only a few haven't prevailed by now, and none of them have the features i am looking for??!! i know everyone is thinking about ideas for startups, so how come no one has started up one ideal timeline that does or maybe doesn't incorporate all of our online stuff (blah blah yet another thing to connect to MySpace, Facebook, google this and picasa that...)? What i'm after is something that automatically saves my status updates or Twittrs (since they somewhat document my goings-on), and that all my friends can contribute to while having their own timelines...not a timeline that i have to look at separately from my own! Because, after all, my friends and family's timelines are intrinsically connected with my own life...so why would i want to separate them? (With the exception of some things, of course, which i should be able to determine with an easy on or off privacy thing...)

Nic Harcourt leaving KCRW?

Well, not quite...but he's no longer going to be their music director. i can't believe he's been there for ten years. It seems he replaced Chris Douridas so recently...and Harcourt's been there, and been responsible for, the huge explosion KCRW has experienced in about the last seven years or so.

What a dream job! How cool would it be to put a few hours of music together, crafting tracks chosen by you, each day? There have been times when i thought, jesus, what an artist...cos Harcourt would completely get on a roll and transport me out of my car in a simple 20 minute set. i remember having aspirations to be music director of just a small college station (which i managed to do for a short while), let alone any local FM station...but to be at KCRW??!!! Holy smokes. i think music is one of the only things i absolutely love to give and take and give again (forgive me, AlSto)...although some of my friends may say i force it on them...It's like falling in love a little bit every month or year or whenever you hear something awesome. And wouldn't you want to tell everyone you know about your new love!!!???

i still miss Tom Schnabel...but i try to catch him every so often on the weekends.

is this racist?

So i found a blog through another blog today that i immediately shared with my half-white, half-Latina coworker. We both thought it was hilarious...but is it? i feel, well, kinda guilty for laughing. And then i feel guilty for feeling guilty. AlSto, WaDi, ErWa, RoNo, could you all weigh in?

It's called STUFFWHITEPEOPLELIKE.COM. i dunno if it is written by white people.

BTW did you watch James Lipton be interviewed by host Dave Chappelle on Inside the Actor's Studio last night? Funny stuff.

Free stuff from Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, Ben & Jerry's for voters on election day? NOT...?!!

AlSto told me he had heard about the illegality of giving away food and other goods to voters in election day promotions. i looked around a little bit and found THIS on gawker.com, of all places...

turns out that places may be welcome to give stuff away to anyone who asks for it...but doing otherwise may be considered VOTER BRIBERY. or not.

No on Prop. 8...but i guess not in Orange County

so, i live in a neighbourhood where yes on 8 is everywhere. there are signs on nearly every lawn going up Country Club Drive, which is a main thoroughfare through our New Bellehurst subdivision in Buena Park.

today, coming back from SuperMex on Harbor and Orangethorpe, there were at least two groups on opposing corners of every majour intersection on Orangethorpe between Harbor and Magnolia. the good news, is, NO ONE honked in support. each interection was silent. and, i married a couple today in South County, and one of the best men was from Van Nuys and he said that he had only seen his first yes on 8 signs here, in o.c. today.

and, last night, we spoke to a neighbour we had never spoken to before, on our street...and he thanked us for having our NO ON PROP. 8 sign up! how cool is that? i believe he even said we had guts or courage or something like that.

vote NO on PROPOSITION 8, CALIFORNIA!!!

Venture Brothers cocktail: Sam in a Sweater?

In the episode, "Now Museum, Now You Don't", Rusty Venture orders a drink called "sam and a sweater" or "sam in a sweater" or "salmon the sweater". i have researched a bit online and have only come up with the following recipe:

"...Then you could start making up your own drinks like telling the bartender to make you a 'Sam in a Sweater'.

Bartender: "Ummm, WTF is that?"

"Well, you take 2 parts vodka, mix in some triple-sec, diet Cherry Dr. Pepper and a touch of cream and blend it with ice. Teeny umbrella garnish is optional. Do you have any curly/ bendy straws at least?"

[the idea of screwing with a bartender and ordering a drink that you made up on the spot is borrowed from a novel]"

But which novel?? Thanks to MicroBob on Vegas Drinking Prop Bet for the only reference to this drink that i could find...on YAHOO, no less!! Suck it, Googler purists...

In any case, i have found a few sweater-based cocktail recipes, but none of them seem to have anything in common. AlSto assumed, based on Dr. Venture's rather disgusting drink preferences, that this one would be no exception.

ERIN'S SWEATER is a 3-to-2 mix of Blue Curacao and chocolate liqueur, shaken and served over ice cubes in a champagne saucer!!!??? Thanks to drinkswap.com for this one. There is also the YELLOW SWEATER (with short sleeves) as given by barmeister.com: 1 oz. vodka, 3/4 oz. creme de banana, and 1/2 oz lime juice. Mix and strain.

With ice, i presume...???

YES WE CARVE! YES WE CARVE!

How cool is this??!

See more Jack-Obama-Lanterns at YES WE CARVE.

Whas' Behind Wassup: Info about the creator/director

Charles Stone III is an award winning feature film director who got his start in 1988 as an animator for New York’s Woo Art International. In the early 90’s he started directing music videos and in 1998, in the height of prosperity and opportunities during the Clinton Administration, he used the prestigious Music Video Production Association Awards to premier True, his short film shot on Video 8 on a shoestring budget and starring Charles and his friends. The film was an instant hit and became an underground sensation in the film and advertising communities.

The success of his music videos and short film opened the door to directing his first feature film, Paid in Full. Meanwhile, True was still an underground hit circulating from one person to the other on shared VHS tapes when it landed in the Chicago offices of advertising agency DDB Needham whose creative directors imagined using the film’s characters for another purpose.

In 2000, on the eve of Bush being elected, together with DDB Needham, Charles ended up creating and starring in (he’s the first guy lying on the couch) a series of Budweiser Whassup?! spots that became an international sensation and garnered the most prestigious awards. More on the WASSUP 2008 website.

early voting experience in Orange County, CA

so, AlSto and i early-voted today...but that actually meant we voted early on the last possible day we could vote early in Orange County.

we went to the Main Place Mall in Santa Ana. D'OH! HUGE line. it really only turned out to be an hour wait, from arrival to when we gave our name. i'm sure many people got the same treatment: long line; requests for i.d. even though only first-time voters were technically required to supply i.d. as proof of residence (in fairness to the lady typing in our name, i'm sure she was just tired of asking over and over, "K-I-G...what? Could you slow down? Okay, one more time, K-I-T...??!"); broken equipment, etc. etc.

i did spend nearly the entire time chatting with a sweet older Vietnamese couple, and a librarian from the Placentia school district named Joy. the interesting thing was, to talk about 'meaningful' stuff with another person you barely just met, while trying to keep one's own political inclinations to oneself. i was, after all, in Orange County!

oh yeah, and we went by the Central Orange County Democrats' HQ on 2020 Chapman Ave. in the city of Orange, before we went to vote, to pick up a NO ON PROP. 8 lawn sign. all was pretty quiet there, but there were nice workers, in any case. and a man, sitting in a car, who AlSto was convinced was a cop.

Sonya Naugle

Sonya Naugle is a Sarah Palin lookalike who is as clueless as her facesake. Hear her interview with Ira Glass HERE.

In case you wanna call her and bug her:
Sonya Naugle 610-944-6832 http://www.ndptf.org/custom/events/eventSearch/searchResults.cfm?state=PA

Jon Hamm's John Ham

This week's SNL was pretty funny...



i think it was one of the best episodes, overall, this season. But, tell me why everyone cheered when Mr. Sterling entered the room, but not for Peggy, who was seated at the table??!

oh yeah, i thought Coldplay did a good job, too!

you can taste Change or you can taste Straight Talk

BASKIN-ROBBINS has special election-themed ice cream flavours! you can choose from 'Whirl of Change' flavour or 'Straight Talk Crunch'.

Thanks to Mickey Kaus' blog on Slate.com for turning me on to this one...

African Swim on Adult Swim

so i'm fast-forwarding past the commercials while watching the VENTURE BROTHERS last night, and i stumble upon a trailer of a crew of rappers dancing onstage like i've never seen before. i hit play and rewind and learn it's a promo for a new area on the Adult Swim website, called AFRICAN SWIM.

(BTW in case you can't see it, the above is supposed to be an mp3 player of African Swim music, with shitty embed code supplied by the shitty website...)

of course, African Swim is completely buried in the "looks-like-i'm-stuck-in-a-tween-stickerbook-and-vomiting-ADD-drugs" craphole known as the Adult Swim website.

i also hate not being able to embed videos from the stupid site. all this being said, if you wanna see something like you've never seen before, check all the videos. to see some incredible dancing, check the JOZI video first!

Wii Music and Super Mario Brothers Theme

God i can't believe how nonplussed i am by Guitar Hero, yet i'm afraid i will have to get Wii Music simply because we'll be able to play this stupid song:



Pure nostalgia.

look what my TiVO dragged in

From Adrian Molina



From Flickerlab.com

Both courtesy of Channel Frederator.

one more thing...

if you know me, you know how much i love classical music, but in the classical vocal realm, almost nothing moves me more than the voice of a countertenor. haunting and eerie, maybe, but ethereal and otherworldly, definitely! for examples, please see BRIAN ASAWA and DAVID DANIELS.

if anything, this post is to remind me of a countertenor i recently discovered, who also happened to be a contestant on TOP DESIGN. his name is WISIT PRAPONG, and he has a fantastic instrument!!!!

sorry if you've already seen this...

i miss Warrick Brown.

this article on EW.com pretty much sums up all i have to say about the season premiere of my beloved series, CSI...with the exception of my feelings toward Jorja Fox' character Sarah Sidle, who, if you know me, i hate. but, i really did like last night's episode.

and where is Gary Dourdan now? i just discovered he's in a band called KOLADE, although his myspace hasn't been updated in a while. the music isn't bad...well, the beats are pretty good, at least.

Detour Festival in Downtown Los Angeles

Each year, for three years, AlSto and i have made it downtown to the LA Weekly-sponsored Detour Festival. This year, despite the lack of any majour acts we wanted to see, i ran in to some friends i haven't seen in a while, met some new people, and saw some bands that were unexpectedly good.

As we walked from our car, we passed by the longest line of valet parking attendants i've ever seen, outside a restaurant. Outside the main gate, people were rushing around all over for ATMs because you couldn't use anything but cash to buy tickets. This little fact was buried in the FAQs section of the Detour Myspace page, but was not stated anywhere on the actual website. What was worse was that you couldn't use any credit cards or cash to buy food or drink...you had to take the extra step to purchase an EVENT CARD:

"No more hassling with food tickets… go cashless! It’s the "Event Card!" Similar to an ATM/Debit card, fans can buy dollar amounts on the card for the purchase of food, beverage, and Official Merchandise at the event. All unused money left on the card will be refunded when you leave… it’s that easy.To improve efficiency, Event Cards will be available each at locations throughout the venue. Save yourself some time inside and get an Event Card while you are waiting for the gates to open. The main refund booth will be directly inside the front gate. If you have any questions on The Event Card system, feel free contact us at eventcards@yahoo.com."

Strangely enough, their website had no further information about this new system. Luckily, at the end of the night, you could get your money refunded if you didn't use all the cash. i wonder if some people went hungry/thirsty/merchless cos they didn't want to wait in line to buy/recharge their event card. Wonder if Bill Silva or Goldenvoice will be adopting it soon....? NOT.

Soju took over the beer gardens and that was a big disappointment ...although we did manage to find Dewars's 12-year on the rocks for $5. Meh.

Oh yeah, and there was music. Datarock rocked it. Hercules & Love Affair were interesting, and Gogol Bordello really put on a great live show. Two of the highlights for me were Para One and Surkin, who were in the dance/DJ area. Surkin's final hour or so was filled with old-school rave gems from 808 State, Prodigy, etc. and as i was dancing my ass off, i felt like such a granny. Fantastic!

And a note about ADA compliance:
In the past, they had scheduled the dance area in a church down the street (which had the worst acoustics for amplified electronic music) the first year, and a pavilion area off to the side of the main strip (which is actually Main Street), but this year, the music was up a flight of stairs to a main building of City Hall.

Not very physical disability-friendly or wheelchair-compliant, is it?

It sounded pretty good, tho, and if you looked up, there were engraved quotes from Abraham Lincoln displayed across the face of the building above the stage where the DJs stood. Imagine a bunch of people dancing in here:

Both photos taken by Floyd B. Bariscale.

YAY! Michael Cera rules. and he cusses!

"And, they brushed our teeth with their dicks."

That's what Michael Cera says after his and his friend Clark Duke's script is rejected by a TV network on their made-for-internet series. Although you can see each episode on Youtube, strangely, i can only find episode 1 (the one i mentioned above) on clarkandmichael.com . i learned about the series after hearing a pretty good interview with Cera on FRESH AIR. [Here's the podcast. Listen about halfway through.]

So here's episode 2 from clarkandmichael.com . FUNNY stuff.

Obama '08 Vinyl Car/Window Decal

instead of going for those tiny overpriced paper things on eBay, check this out:
MAX GRAPHIX will make you a large vinyl window decal for your car, postage included, for ten dollars. he/she is also an OBAMA SUPPORTER so some of the funds will go to the campaign.

he ships very quickly and it arrives in a paper tube so it doesn't get damaged.

Better(?) Timewasting Through Morphthing

ok so as if i don't have other things to do, i discovered a new site, thanks to my friend JoSo.

it's called MORPHTHING and you can even upload your own photos, cos there aren't a lot that i'd like to morph... i've found Benicio del Toro doesn't go so well with the other faces.

and in case you're wondering, this is Yoda with the Dalai Lama:

MUSIC: TV on the Radio - Dear Science

The new TV on the Radio came out this week. The album, "Dear Science", is great from the first listen. (Is that what they mean by 'accessible'?)

You won't be disappointed if you're looking to hear their characteristic guitar effects, electronic percussion and accents, multi-layered vocals and falsetto loveliness [try the first single Crying]. A few tunes have string and horn in arrangements, sounding very afro-popesque, with long breaks like Manu Dibango. The whole thing sounds a lot more, um, POP. (Is THAT what they mean by 'accessible'?) When i mean by that is, they've always had harmonies and melodies, but these songs just sound way more structured, more light...less abstract and not so bleak or somber...but there ARE a few tunes like that as well [Love Dog].

i've liked the last two records "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes" and "Return to Cookie Mountain" a lot...and i've yet to catch them live. Hopefully, i will this time around. If you know my husband AlSto you know how much he likes them, too. Please give a listen and let me know what you think...


SeeqPod - Playable Search

Bruce Weber, obituary writer

This is a cool Q&A with New York Times' obituary writer Bruce Weber.

Now, after reading this, i'm going to read more than just the famous people's obits in the NYT!

Pan AKA Panguingue

over the weekend, i attended a wedding in Valley Village, and sat with a wonderful group who knew the bride primarily through her mother. some of the men sang in choir with the bride's mother, and some of the women played a card game with the bride's mother in a large group. the game they all played was called PAN, short for PANGUINGUE.

Pan was supposed to be a pretty big game in old school Las Vegas. i don't know if any casinos offer it any more. in any case, here are the RULES OF PAN, and the US Playing Card Company RULES too (scroll all the way down to the bottom).

i love Aaron Sorkin.

OBAMA So what about hope? Chuck it for outrage and put-downs?

BARTLET No. You’re elite, you can do both. Four weeks ago you had the best week of your campaign, followed — granted, inexplicably — by the worst week of your campaign. And you’re still in a statistical dead heat. You’re a 47-year-old black man with a foreign-sounding name who went to Harvard and thinks devotion to your country and lapel pins aren’t the same thing and you’re in a statistical tie with a war hero and a Cinemax heroine. To these aged eyes, Senator, that’s what progress looks like. You guys got four debates. Get out of my house and go back to work.

Read the entire conversation between Barack Obama and President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet, written by Aaron Sorkin and courtesy of Maureen Dowd at the New York Times.

MEH: Bar Louie Anaheim and Anaheim 300 Bowling

my friends DoGre and AlPa and i were looking for a place to have a drink. in our quest to find a bar, can you believe, we were THE FIRST customers in Bar Louie at the Anaheim Garden Walk? in fact, at 6pm, they were having a staff meeting, which we walked in on...so we had to kill time at the Anaheim 300 bowling lane.

Anaheim 300 had crap music but cool atmosphere, and a fairly friendly bartender and staff. it's eerie to be in any establishment where the staff outnumbers the number of customers...but it's also eerie to be in a bowling alley where there is no characteristic ==CRASH!== of bowling pins in the background. drinks were decent, but expensive. they had a menu, but we decided to pass cos we were going to go back and grab some food at Bar Louie...

Bar Louie had crappier music, and overly-friendly employees. with websites and local newspapers originally declaring a June/July 2008 start, months and months of delays led to this evening's rather soft opening. in fact, one bartender made a statement as to how we were 'popping his cherry' as his first drinks customers. gross.

silverware and menus abounded on each table, but SURPRISE! there is no food being served until next week. also, i liked seeing the Stone brewery coasters on each counter but SURPRISE AGAIN! there was no Stone beer brew anywhere on the menu.

the few other customers stopping by appeared to be friends of the working employees, or perhaps they were off-duty employees themselves. in any case, they were all chatting away amongst themselves like it was a big ol' get-together. with us sitting in a corner booth.

neither bar offered any drinks specials, nor any bonus for us being the only and/or first customers of the evening.

yeah, this entire area was pretty freaking dead on a Wednesday night. but if you go to the Anaheim Gardenwalk, you'll see the potential of the place, which is reminiscent of the Hollywood and Highland setup of upscale boutiques mixed with bougie-ass chain restaurants (in this case: Cheesecake Factory, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., California Pizza Kitchen). there are a lot of pretty lights and blah blah blah.

there's even a totally independent but blatant rip-off of Jamba Juice who grants parking validation. but whatever you do, beware of the parking! none of the elevators take you to all the levels you want to go to. most of the shopping area is ABOVE the parking. and the signs are not very helpful. oh, and the garage is quite conducive to one's re-enacting the parking garage episode of Seinfeld, whether you are drunk or not...but if you are drunk, pay very close attention to where you started and where you want to go or you'll never get there.

Silent Raving Not Only LOOKS Stupid...

...but i bet it sounds pretty idiotic.

i just heard this story on NPR about people who are getting together to dance to their own music, while listening to iPods or whatever... some 17 year old said something about "all dancing together, but individually..." what's the point? aren't we all dancing around to our own music together, but individually at work, home, school, etc. at any given time?

i remember, how at the Glastonbury Festival, they had a silent dance tent. i LIKE this idea, where everyone listened to the SAME MUSIC but had headphones on so it was totally quiet for everyone who didn't have the headphones:


call me old-fashioned but yeah, i'm the idealist who thinks that raves are for bringing people together...through the communal experience of music. otherwise, there is no difference between listening to music in your own bubble of an automobile, and what they did in NY/Boston's silent rave.

MUSIC: Friendly Fires

It's taken a while, but i am happy to report that i think i've found the next CD that will not leave my player for the next few weeks.

Once in a while i get a record that sits on my desk for weeks cos i keep overlooking it, and then when i finally pop it in, it's pretty damn good. It sounds REALLY good when you read the album info states they laid down each instrument at a time on a laptop, with a "crappy microphone gaffer taped to a mic stand".

Friendly Fires are from the UK. It's happy sounding indie pop with some electronics. You may recognise 'On Board' as the song from the Wii Fit commercial?! Looking forward to seeing them play live!


SeeqPod - Playable Search

Barracuda ban!!?

The band Heart has issued a cease-and-desist order to stop the Republican national campaign from using their song 'Barracuda'. It was played last week at the Republican convention, after Sarah Palin spoke, cos she used to have that as a nickname in school.

Jackson Browne also raised a fuss over the use of his song, 'Running on Empty'.

Menudo ain't fine cuisine...is it?

While staying in Paris at the Plaza Athénée recently, Ricky Martin reportedly turned down ALAIN DUCASSE's cooking, a fine dining offer made by the hotel. He brought along his personal chef, instead. The story has a nice ending, though:

"Rather than some arrogant American health freak, a lovely, rotund, 60-something Puerto Rican lady arrived and knocked them all off their feet with her Latin charm. And not only did the chefs share the kitchen, they also sourced nothing but the best ingredients for her feasts. "

Read the article courtesy of KITCHEN RAT.

Lament on the Cheesecake Factory

So last night, i went to the Cheesecake Factory in Brea with AlSto, JaHe, FraKa and ChriPre. Food was good, service was decent, everything else was pretty blah...which is what bummed me out enough to write this complaint letter:

Sorry for the tone of this letter, and if it sounds like a complaint, i suppose it is, although i just wanted to express my disappointment more than i wanted to actually complain. Last night, there was an issue with your computer system and this prevented our orders from being fulfilled in a timely manner. The restaurant had only a few tables of diners at 9.30pm. Our server was pleasant enough, keeping us informed of the reason why it took over twenty minutes to get our food. ...and it took a WHILE to get our drinks from the bar, too. There were lots of smiles and seemingly heartfelt apologies, but i couldn't help but notice that in the end, our table of six was forced to shrug off the issue and go 'oh well'. Bummer. i understand you are no longer the 'old' Cheesecake Factory. CF used to be a special experience, a place where i wouldn't mind if we had to wait nearly two hours for a table, cos i knew the restaurant would take care of us in most every aspect. i just wanted to let you know how much i miss the 'old' CF, where the manager would come over and offer a free appetizer, or at least make sure we had plenty of bread (no, we didn't ask for more but we weren't offered any, either...). Thanks for listening, or at least reading.

oh yeah, and the music sucked about 85% of the time. (and i know i counted the number of people wrong. i just noticed that.) it makes me sad to sound old and complain about stuff.

Page Not Found on Obama website...

i like this!

The Bechdel Rule is new to me

if you know me, you know i love TiVO. or rather, watching TV on TiVO.

so... have you ever made up rules about the things you will and will not watch on TV? i think it would be difficult to come up with rules and exclude shows before you ever see the show, because you have to see the show to find out it doesn't adhere to your rules...but i know i have STOPPED watching shows, for whatever reasons. i never systematically laid out the reasons why i stop watching a show, but maybe i should and see if any of the characteristics fall into any subsets???! nah. too much work. but this 'BECHDEL RULE' is interesting to think about, at the very least. the comic is below, and if you want to hear a radio take on this phenomenon, listen to this story on NPR.

oh and if that was too difficult to read, i think there's a bigger version of it HERE.

RELENTLESS: Obama, Clinton and all that stuff you've heard about...

Politico.com's Roger Simon wrote an engrossing seven-part column. Reading it kept me from doing a few things i had to do today.

Up until now, i had read many shorter pieces with different theories about what went right for Obama, what went wrong for Hillary, etc. etc. This story put it all together, and added a lot more research, interviews etc. Just good journalism...or at least the closest i see to most cases these days...

Oh and if you're not inclined to read, listen to a brief talk with the author on NPR.

A Noodle ATM in K-Town

Thanks to my brother Kaze for this! i especially like the crazy Korean ladies yelling in the background...


RoboRamen from eric alba on Vimeo.

learn a f(*&ing instrument!

jesus. and i thought air guitar competitions were completely idiotic...

"Blake Peebles, 16, of Raleigh, dropped out of school last year to devote
himself to playing 'Guitar Hero'." http://www.newsobserver.com/2766/story/1155589.html

Spanish Olympic basketball team and slant-eyed ad...

This is a picture from an ad, taken of the Spanish Olympic men's basketball team. It was apparently for a courier company in Spain.

Photo from Yahoo Sports. And here's something from the Telegraph in the UK, and the New York Times.

ANOTHER Venture Brothers cocktail: Red Moco Cooler (Red Mocoa Cooler, Kooler?)

[Billy Quizboy] "What're you having?"

[Rusty Venture] "Red Moco/Moko Cooler! Kahlua, Hershey's syrup, and a dash of red Kool-Aid!"

[Billy Quizboy] (shuddering) "That...sounds...horrible."

---Drink from Venture Brothers episode: Orb

i don't want to be obsessed.

i swear, i don't want to be...but i am pretty damn close.



we only got our PS3 recently, and so i downloaded this game (it's not available otherwise) last month. you can also download it onto your PSP. it's a challenge, to say the least. and that damn music...i can't get it out of my head.

another Venture Brothers cocktail...the Sidecar.

Rusty Venture orders a DOUBLE Sidecar...!!

SIDECAR
(The Original from Harry's Bar - Paris)

1 1/2 oz. Brandy
1/2 oz. Triple Sec
1/2 oz. Lemon or Lime Juice

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice, shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.

my guilty pleasure

my guilty pleasure is SYTYCD.

but i am thrilled that the top 4 dancers were ALL my favourites, with the exception of that cutie Mark! these are some of the routines i LOVED this season:

Twitch and Joshua Russian dance:


Joshua and Katee Bollywood dance:


Will and Jessica Silence dance:

ANNOYING: X-Games 14 Rally coverage

first off, we lagged and didn't acquire tickets to the X-GAMES again this year, because we thought it was going to be the insane clusterf*&^ it always is... wouldn't you know it, we switch on the TiVO delayed broadcast of the RALLY RACING qualifying stages and there are BARELY ANY PEOPLE IN THE STANDS!!!??? there were so few people there, i am now afraid the X-Games will 'X' all rally racing from its event in future years.

on top of the sparse crowds, the co-drivers barely speak a word to the drivers. if you didn't know anything about rally, you would think the co-drivers were there just as eye candy for the drivers, or maybe as looming girlfriends who wouldn't let their b/f go out to a professional competition. in any case, in the X-Games, the co-drivers are mostly females for some reason...in fact, judging by their silence during the preliminary stages, you'd think they were just required for the tradition of it and were chosen because they weigh less than their male counterparts! here's EXPN's half-decent video homage (make that a video explanation) as to what a rally co-driver, erm, navigator's true purpose is:



there's also a less-than-enthusiastic article touting rallying as "Moto's Little Secret" (although the title makes it sound like dirty secret instead of a best-kept one...).

X-Games 14 Rally on TivO delayed telecast at home...

X-Games 2008 RALLY RACING's on-the-track commentator ERIN BATES just remarked the concrete barriers around the track will hurt if you run into them, and require all the drivers must give a

"cloon, smeath ride"...

wtf???!!

Entomological Marketing

instead of guerrilla, geddit?



many thanks to LaChe for this!!!

Montreal or Bust...

http://www.wiimbledon.net/rentalcarrally/about.html

pedicure via doctor fish

i don't like Gene Simmons...

...so i beat him up.
note the drainage bags strapped to his chest. remember that "Super Model" episode of Aqua Teen when Shake had those all over him???!!

Instant Round-Eye

this is awesome. no more expensive and difficult surgeries! with EYE TALK, you too can give yourself a double-fold in your eyelid, with just some glue and an hors d'oeuvre toothpick.

there's an awesome demo video on the EYE TALK website. (sorry, i can't embed) there's even a site in Chinese and Korean.

Bye Bye Starbucks-es...

This is a map of all the stores that are being closed due to the downturn of the economy/market saturation/unfortunate luck of this country's beloved(??) Starbucks.

View Larger Map
Courtesy of a new project on SLATE.COM

le Bit Box

a tribute to ACID HOUSE

this month, the SHAPESHIFTERS are releasing remixes of their version of ORBITAL's seminal dance track 'Chime'.

this fabulous video does a hell of a job capturing the faces and the mood (and the fashions) of a burgeoning dance music scene. god i wish i was there to experience it over there. look close and see a very, very young PAUL OAKENFOLD and PETE TONG! appearances by the late Tony Wilson and superstar DJs galore...!!?

FBI's Serial Murder Report

if you know me, you know i am completely hooked on those real and not-so-real TV crime shows like DOMINICK DUNNE, THE FIRST 48, CRIMINAL MINDS, FORENSIC FILES, etc. etc. etc. just like the rest of this stupid country.

now, a group of actual Dr. Reids, Special Agent Hotchners and Special Agent Gideons have put together a report called Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators. awesome!

d-bag revisited

remember the DOUCHIEST PHONE MESSAGE IN HISTORY? well, i thank MaMcWa for a fabulous follow-up to the story...

can Dimitri's real name be James N. Sears???! during a disciplinary hearing in med school, this guy was "judged 'immature' in a subsequent psychiatric assessment and it was noted he displayed 'inappropriate behaviour towards female staff members,' and was viewed by peers as 'un -trustworthy, cynical and narcissistic.'"

who woulda thunk??! read more here about Dimitri the Lover. and, go to his actual website and hear a radio interview with a strangely familiar voice...

consommé punch...i think.

A gift from my dear friend LaNguChe:

Pac Man Cake

28/06/2008
Originally uploaded by Ohmzar

Fondant is so trendy now!

So cool. i wish i had the time to do this...

ok, last one, i swear.

the reblogging gets better and better. THIS little gem is courtesy of WaDi. you have GOT to listen to this. and now, i present to you, ladies and gentlemen, the douchiest phone message in history!

http://view.break.com/527579 - Watch more free videos

cat lovers, beware...

another fine contribution from AlHo. don't say i didn't warn you...

those crazy japanese...

thanks to AlHo for this one.

i hope you think this is funny, and it's not just another 'asian thing'. BTW this is dedicated to JoMa and anyone else who thinks counting in foreign languages is a bizarre thing.

MUSIC: Carmen Rizzo and Bajofondo

i've heard los angeles/hollywood-based CARMEN RIZZO played and mentioned over the years on KCRW, and he's equally revered by evening DJ's Bentley, Campos AND Trinidad. the man's production is pretty spot-on, and this record, 'The Ornament of an Imposter' on his own Electrofone Records, has some great sounds coming out of it. it has vocals (not so requisite, in my opinion) on top of electronics that border on the moody and and trancey (the slow meditative kind, not the hands-in-the-air kind). it's original stuff, but you might not agree cos you didn't realise you've heard him before:

"Whether you know it or not, chances are you're already a Carmen Rizzo fan. As a musician, producer, remixer, and writer, Carmen Rizzo is a fixture in album credits, and his eclectic career has seen him working with an incredible range of artists, including Paul Oakenfold, BT, Esthero, Alanis Morissette, KD Lang to Seal, Coldplay, Pete Townsend, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and even the Cirque du Soleil."

Thanks to Spectre Promotion for that blurb. oh yeah, and don't forget his work with his 'bands' NIYAZ and LAL MERI. he's got a lot of stuff going on. awesome album.

next up is BAJOFONDO, who i believe are from Argentina, cos they are definitely a tango band playing in the electronica world. yes, everyone loves the Gotan Project, but THIS album, 'Mar Dulce' freaking blows Gotan out of the water. each song is interesting, not cheesy and necessary. and the songs keep coming: there are SEVENTEEN tracks on the album!

here are a few tracks for you to check . hope you like them! oh and you can also hear more on carmen rizzo's myspace. check out "Falling Into Place"...it's playing on MY myspace profile.

SeeqPod - Playable Search

MUSIC: Big Blue Ball and Peter Gabriel too

for my friend JoMa: i don't know much about this record, except it was a long time in the making and features performances by people like Sinead O'Connor who we haven't heard from in a while...and there are lots of other guest stars. the songs sound complete and sound just like where Peter Gabriel left off last time, whenever that was. here's a couple of samples:


SeeqPod - Playable Search

We Are the Japan-o-World

SO bizarre. and kind of offensive. and i'm japanese!

Thanks to JoMa for this one.


Japanese We Are The World - Watch more free videos

something funny

kind of ha ha funny, not the weird kind of funny...and if you know me, you know i'm a yahoo-er more than a google-r. sorry.

http://yahoorezinr.com/

Thanks to my friend JoMa for this one.

MUSIC: Erlend Øye...nothing new.

just a couple of things, music-wise. for my friend WaDi, who sez he's not familiar with Erlend Øye's voice and work, here's a few songs from each of my fave incarnations: Kings of Convenience, the Whitest Boy Alive, and solo.

sounds too dancey? there's a LOT more that doesn't sound quite as.


SeeqPod - Playable Search

MOOD-streeeeaaaaaam!

moodstreammoodstream? mmmooooodSTREAM.

Download Squad describes this site like this: "Moodstream pulls in photos from Getty Images' vast database along with music from Pump Audio's Soundtrack. If you like the current mood you can save it to your moodboard (registration required) so you can come back to it later. You also have the option of purchasing any of the images or music on the spot."
So now, here's MOODSTREAM.

It's different and weird and i already spent way too much time on it. The images are cool but the music really sucks, most of the time. The moods don't fit my description of what i would consider this or that. You tell me what you think. i still like Pandora more...and there's no interruptions.

recipe for Suffering Bastard

As seen in Rusty Venture's glass...

SUFFERING BASTARD
1 oz Gin
1 oz Rum
1/2 oz Lime juice
1 dash Bitters
1 oz Ginger ale
Ice
Mixing instructions:
Pour ingredients into a glass. Stir. Drink

MUSIC: N*E*R*D - Seeing Sounds

so for weeks i've seen N*E*R*D do this song on all the nighttime talk shows: "hundred dollar bills, achoo, achoo!" and now the new album, SEEING SOUNDS is out on the 10th.

i just put on the CD and already it has blown me away. the production is SO organic sounding, so warm and nice. geunine retro synth colours, not just coming out of a sound module...tons of wailing electric guitar... modern sounding r&b melodies, but definitely not in the usual keys and progressions...lots of whispered voices interjecting between phrases of the song...crazy turnarounds and bridges that go in completely unexpected directions. it is classic Neptunes' signature tech-geek-schizophrenia-turned-soul-discipile-channeling-80s-new-wave brilliance! i freaking love you guys, Chad Hugo and Pharrell. and 'Everyone Nose' is only the tip of a massive iceberg of some really innovative music.

cute cat alert

if you know me, you know that i have several close friends, and just for information's sake most of them are male, who adore those 'cute cat' websites. well, now here is your chance to have your OWN cute cat in your possession. (erm, that sounds kind of bad...) i mean, in your own home:

my brother has rescued some kittens and two of the three siblings, approximately eight weeks old, are in need of a loving home. so, whether you are a male or female, if you think it's time to take care of a little bundle of joy, please consider adopting one, or hopefully both, of these adorable guys/gals (don't know yet)! THANK YOU!

2136.5

i almost forgot it was election day today...in CA we had to vote for the eminent domain initiatives and a bunch of judges.

Obama has officially exceeded the number of delegates needed to secure the nomination.
And from the Huffington Post: YES, WE DID!

btw UBERZONE and CRYSTAL METHOD are playing the Monday Night Social tonight but we couldn't go cos of no car. and, Tumblr has been screwing me up lately. grrrrrrr.

i heart GREEN PORNO?!??

SO bizarre! you have got to watch these freaky original film shorts from the SUNDANCE CHANNEL, starring, and apparently written and directed by the lovely Isabella Rossellini. and, she's dressed up as each of her insect subjects: a worm, a praying mantis, and even a snail.

Venture Brothers preview...

i dunno if i'll be able to watch this on the Wii, but i hope you can watch this online! the new season starts on 1 June 08!!!

i like GraphJam.com

For my friend WaDi.

Courtesy of Graphjam.com, thanks to my friend JoMa.

narcissism, NY Times and emily gould

i guess i like to hear about people making mistakes, and i suppose it's best when people learn from them. in this case i'm not exactly sure what was accomplished, but you can read as blogger emily gould talks about the regrets and triumphs (but mostly regrets) of being a blogger, who is actually read by more than half a dozen people, in this week's New York Times magazine.

AlSto called her a moron this morning, when we heard a brief interview on NPR. she certainly lacks/lacked foresight and common sense.

for your reference, i have found a site that fleshes out some of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders criteria for narcissitic personality disorder.

MUSIC: i like Scarlett Johansson, but i don't get this song.

i like Tom Waits. apparently, so does Scarlett Johansson, because she has a new album of Tom Waits covers.


the first single is FALLING DOWN and although the video is kind of, um, interesting, the song itself is just really, really bad. i really do like her as an actress! and i hate to write about stuff i don't like...but this song just sucks.

MUSIC: Rob Dickinson

the name sounds familiar, doesn't it? he's the singer from the Catherine Wheel.

and now he has a new album coming out called Fresh Wine for the Horses. here's the first single from the record:

me & richard b...again.

the music promotions company U.N.C.L.E. features a music director or programmer each week. so here's my fifteen minutes, or a fraction thereof: KISS KISS BANG BANG

MUSIC: M83

Think music, with sounds à la Psychedelic Furs, New Order, etc. etc. There's occasional vocals from people who sound like Human League's Phil Oakey and the muffled background voices from...god i can't remember...which is why i could never be a music writer...


Then, imagine production headed by Ken Thomas of Cocteau Twins fame, and Ewan Pearson, dance music guy... sounds pretty freaking cool.

Also, this time i have a new feature i'd like to try out. Let me know if it works:

brought to you by...

"CHALMSKINN!!! "

ANOTHER crazy Japanese game show...

"...The goal: To make it through a Japanese tongue twister without screwing up. The penalty: A swift wack to the groin with the slap-o-matic 2000." Thanks to my friend JePaJu for this one.

Nathaniel

thanks to AlHo for yet another fascinating video i can't stop watching... please note the change at :29, as AlHo was considerate enough to point out!

i may be a vegetarian, but i still love the smell of bacon.

thus begins an article on SLATE.COM by Taylor Clark. i agree with every word in that sentence, so i read more. he goes on to say:


"Believe me, if obtaining bacon didn't require slaughtering a pig, I'd have a BLT in each hand right now with a bacon layer cake waiting in the fridge for dessert."

agreed.

"...allow me a quick word with the hardworking chefs at America's dining establishments. We really appreciate that you included a vegetarian option on your menu (and if you didn't, is our money not green?), but it may interest you to know that most of us are not salad freaks on a grim slog for nourishment. We actually enjoy food, especially the kind that tastes good. So enough with the bland vegetable dishes, and, for God's sake, please make the Gardenburgers stop; it's stunning how many restaurants lavish unending care on their meat dishes yet are content to throw a flavorless hockey puck from Costco into the microwave and call it cuisine."

absolutely!

"As you're enjoying that pork loin next to me, I am not silently judging you. I realize that anyone who has encountered the breed of smug vegetarian who says things like, "I can hear your lunch screaming," will find this tough to believe, but I'm honestly not out to convert you. My girlfriend and my closest pals all eat meat, and they'll affirm that I've never even raised an eyebrow about it. "

AMEN! except change 'girlfriend' to 'husband'.

and just as i thought the entire article would speak for me, i read about how Mr. Clark wears leather. bummer. it's still pretty close.

you found WHAT in there???!

if you know me, you know i work in inflight entertainment, which is the 'industry' way of saying media and stuff that goes on airplanes. my department puts music on planes, for example. however, i find myself more often a passenger or consumer on an airplane, rather than a person who is researching stuff for my work. and passengers put their own stuff on planes...

all this because i heard a crazy story on NPR today, about what was found in seatback pockets of airplanes. an interesting thing of note was that the grossest stuff was usually in the pocket behind the middle seat...

the story interviewed writer Scott McCartney. "You'll never look at, or reach into, an airline seat-back pocket the same after reading this. Besides being a repository for magazines, newspapers, books, iPods and air-sickness bags, seatback pockets get stuffed with all kinds of disgusting trash, from toenail clippings to mushy meals."

read about what other nastiness you can find, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal's 'The Middle Seat' column.

two weeks ago or more...

it's all a blur pretty much, but i figure it's worth jotting down a few things just so i can have a record of the events for when i completely lose my memory. sorry if there's not enough detail, and sorry for not using more punctuation...but i wanted to get all this down as quickly as possible, and halfway through i didn't want to write so much any more.

love and rockets at the glass house in pomona: 22/4/08 - very cool, lots of old songs, bad sound but it was fixed, lyric cheat sheet during 'Haunted', LOTS of forty-somethings (i think) dressed in black, friendly drunk people in the parking lot and outside of the venue

san francisco/burlingame & VA: 24/4/08 - flew up at 8.30, plane was dark and had no inflight entertainment (IFE), drink coupon, took sheraton shuttle to VA office, meeting with new IFE content director, mexican food & mole enchiladas, return flight had IFE, used drink coupon, met writer Benji 'from Rolling Stone' (who i did see at Battles at Coachella the next day), came home at 5pm, nearly lost my ticket for parking lot, paid maximum of $30 anyway.

portishead: 24/4/08 - 'rehearsal show' at the Mayan, talking to guy in line (Dustin) who ended up being a Chapman student and turns out went on choir tour with me years ago but who is now super cool and funny and a writer, met people from DMX in line: Ken/Kenkai, Dave, cute English guy who replaced Boris, show was good but sounded pretty much exactly like the records, good crowd.

14th wedding anniversary: 25/4/08 - i love you, alx!!! we spent it at the first day of coachella.

coachella: 25/4/08 - BATTLES was awesome and i can't believe they pulled off what they did cos they played everything live but it was hot and hard to see cos we could barely get inside the tent, FREELAND was great as you have read in my previous posts, it was really difficult to find/connect with BriKa and his g/f Da because they didn't get inside until quite late, the RACONTEURS were freaking fantastic and i wish we had stayed for their entire set, APHEX TWIN played a sick sick set with some abstract stuff then classic acid house and then super dark noisy breakbeat for nearly an hour!!!!

coachella day 2: ...

you gotta sign a contract to join the church of scientology

i was turned on to this post by SLATE.COM today.

at the end of the article, there was a link to this Church of Scientology Religious Services Enrollment Application, Agreement and General Release . i haven't read the entire thing yet.

crazy. my next question is, what about children who are born in to it? at what age do they have to sign it themselves?

100 Worst Album Covers?

YOU decide...but there are some pretty hideous ones here...

RIP Albert Hofmann

Jan 11, 1906 - Apr 29, 2008

Albert Hofmann, the man credited with finding the molecule known as d-lysergic acid diethylamide 25 has passed away at the delightfully old age of 102!

Thank you, Dr. Hofmann, for cleaning that shelf and for being a part of Sandoz before they became a part of the big evil known as the pharma industry!

Roger Waters (& Obama!) continued...

"(The pig) emerged Sunday while Waters, a co-founder of Pink Floyd, played a version of the band's 1977 song “Pigs,” The Desert Sun reported. The pig, which was held above the crowd from lines held on the ground, displayed the words “Don't be led to the slaughter” and a cartoon of Uncle Sam with two bloody cleavers, according to the newspaper.

The underside of the pig read “Obama” with a checked ballot box alongside, referring to Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

A stunt during Waters' performance drew criticism. A small aircraft dropped small slips of paper confetti that read “Obama” with a checked ballot box over the crowd. The confetti managed to spread within a 2-mile radius and into the yards of dozens of homes in Indio and La Quinta, Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron said.

“I've been addressing complaints from residents all day,” he said. Guitron said Waters' management was responsible for the Obama confetti and not Goldenvoice, the company that produces Coachella Fest. “Goldenvoice although not responsible... has offered to help with the cleanup,” Guitron said. “I can tell you we (Indio police) will be addressing this issue with Roger Waters' management.”

Courtesy of the San Diego Union Tribune.

i love how much English musicians seem to care more about the outcome of our November election than a lot of Americans!!!

help find ROGER WATERS' PIG!!!!

it sounds like something eerily predicted in a Simpsons' episode...

Courtesy of NiPe of RED in New York...

MUSIC: coachella part 2

MARK RONSON played nearly an entire set of some amazing music. god his horn section is so tight...and there is nothing like the sound of live horns in a stage setting like that!

Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs sang on 'Oh My God' and KENNA, of course, sounded fantastic and got the crowd going with his version of 'Just'. turns out there the biggest surprise of the evening, for me ('twouldn't have been a surprise if i lived on the coachella forum cos they've been talking about this for weeks now...), was the Charlatans' TIM BURGESS' guest appearance for the 'Only One I Know'. he looks like he wears a wig now. kinda creepy. i'll look online for some video or something. i'll also try to post the setlist once i get it scanned.

sasha and digweed really sounded amazing, and the crowd was really really into it. unfortunately our tired butts only half-danced, half-sat during their set.

we suck. we didn't stay for prince. SO TIRED. and today, i'm sore.

Freeland's DAFT OBAMA at Coachella 2008

MUSIC: coachella part 1 - freeland and obama

Adam freeland propaganda @ coachella
Originally uploaded by Courtenay

so far, here is the only photo, let alone video, i have been able to find of freeland's set in the sahara tent at the coachella music and arts festival.

he's a fantastic DJ, kickass remixer and a pretty good producer, but the thing i like the most about him is how politically aware he is. in fact, i feel he has used his production skills to gain his reputation for being a political dance music artist. anyway... i could say a lot about his set last night but the best part was when he segued from an anti-george bush portion in the music (pretty de rigeur for freeland) into an "O-B, A,M,A" tune that freaking rocked. after getting the entire crowd (mostly) to chant the letters, the music broke into a computer-similated voice, stating, "you are correct!". this was punctuated by an LCD ticker running under his turntable coffin, reminding everyone to vote, to vote at least for someone. awesome. pretty cool for a music artist to do, especially since he's English, but now living in L.A.

i wonder if he's a citizen now, and thus able to vote?

BTW the 'propaganda' caption is not mine...

MUSIC: Juan Diego Florez sings first encore at Met Opera in 14 years

"Monday, 21 April 08, was an unusual night at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. It wasn't so unusual that tenor Juan Diego Florez dazzled the audience with nine high C's in a row in the aria "Ah, Mes Amis," from Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment. And it wasn't unusual that the crowd went crazy.

But then Florez did something that hasn't been done at the Met in 14 years—he sang the aria again. " (Courtesy of NPR Music)

if you listen to the encore, he's kinda running out of steam toward the final part of the aria but he still hits that beautiful high C at the end! it's weird but if you listen to the interview, you'll hear about all these weird rules the Met has discouraging encores of this kind. silly americans. now if only orange county audiences would stop applauding between movements at the symphony...

if you still like that winehouse thing...

there's a girl, ADELE who has a super quirky voice, kinda that old-timey production (song Cold Shoulder was produced by Mark Ronson) and sounds like the real deal... her album is called '19' and i think i'm going to give it another listen.

if you know me, you know how much i dislike most female vocalists. this one, i don't.

i hate police and other tails

ack, i meant tales. or did i?
ok so some things happened this weekend i'd rather not talk about, but i also booked a couple to marry, on the spot at our meeting, so that is a GOOD thing.

we didn't go to the Long Beach Grand Prix this year.

ALSO the coachella scheduler thing is up: http://coachella.com/scheduler/scheduler.php
oh yeah, and we're going to see LOVE AND ROCKETS at the glass house tomorrow night!!!! i think PORTISHEAD is playing in l.a. as a warm up to coachella, but i still have no confirmation to the rumour. now, if only APHEX TWIN would play an off-show, our weekend would be complete. and i wouldn't be completely bummed for not getting in to Coachella.

echochrome and ufc 83

the good news is, GSP won UFC 83!!!

the bad news is, ECHOCHROME is not available for wide release for the PSP in the US... i don't know what this means, exactly, for its release for the PS3, either...

if you know me, you know how much i hate traditional video games but i really, really dig party games, alternative interfaces and those brainiac types of games... echochrome was the one game i was so looking forward to!

i don't know what art is

first, i was moved by the art of DAMIEN HIRST. then i found out he had killed a bunch of butterflies to make these crazy but beautiful stained-glass window-like pieces.

then, i heard about GUILLERMO VARGAS HABACUC. he supposedly starved a dog to death in an art gallery. digusted and shocked, i looked him up online to learn more about this guy. no, i didn't view any of the supposed live video on YouTube. but i did read a statement about how he was trying to raise awareness of the cruelty of leaving dogs to starve to death on their own in the streets of Honduras...or something like that. and i kind of agreed with him, that it's hypocritical of people to be outraged by his supposed treatment of this dog, when there are hundreds constantly dying on the streets themselves. and then, i read about how the artist actually cared for the dog and allowed it to run free for all but the three hours it was in the gallery.

god i hate how i jump to conclusions.

finally, i heard about ALIZA SHVARTS and her senior project for Yale Art school. seems like she supposedly artifically inseminated herself and gave herself abortive drugs. to make an art project.

nice.

oh yeah, that debate last night sucked.