Chris Marker
Even in the digital age, things can disappear. This DVD just came out yesterday. Two of the greatest films of all time that were near impossible to find? I’m going to buy a copy because at some point it will be out of print. It’s destined to be.
Was Cannonball Run the end of vaudeville?
Marinate.
Hot Shower vs. Cold Shower (A Completely Unscientific Experiment)
I always used to take a blistering hot shower in the morning, that is until I was indirectly persuaded against doing so by my anatomy instructor, aka “Dr. Peanut”. He told a story of an old geezer who lived a long life because of his belief in taking cold showers every morning…
2007 Bike Gang Summit Recap
A recap of the 2007 Bike Gang Summit.
UPDATE: (So soon, I know.) Colonel D. Williams threatens at-risk youth and bids farewell, for now…
Radiographer: A Professor I See in the Halls (Revisited)
Months ago I posted about this natural sciences professor I see in the hall. I knew there was something special about him, and more than his invention of instant mashed potatoes.
I just found out that he’s Ossie Davis’ brother! I don’t know why this intrigues me even more. You know, the activist actor, better known as ‘Da Mayor’ in Do The Right Thing?
I thought I left L.A. and here I am discovering 2nd degree celebrity in the unlikely hallway of the Natural Science building at an obscure but historic black college…
Join the Bike Gang Summit
I’m setting this invitation out early because it might take some of you awhile to make it down here by bike. Bike gang summits have a controversial history. While the 2007 Summit is one of gang unity, in the past there were incidents…
A local curmudgeon by the name of Colonel D. Williams (Ret.) has started a website to stop the summit from happening (www.stopthebikesummit.com)
I ask all flockers to do what they can. Do not let Colonel Williams win!
See the Flockers: Mark Jones
Back from the dead and ready to party. I’m feeling much better now that I’ve left L.A., I promise.
For the New School…
Compared to the Dallas performance, have times changed, or has reality just set in?
For the Old School Dallas Flockers…
…Danny White says Merry Christmas!
Townes Van Zandt Is Not Basketball
link. With a bizarre video of the opening ceremony to the 1984 Olympics thrown in.
The Mother of All DVD Box Sets
Janus films recently released a 50 DVD box set of essential arthouse films!
Not cheap, however.
F for Fake or Fuckin’ Poser?
Did Michel Gondry really solve a Rubik’s cube with his feet? You be the judge.
Disturbing Sign of the Apocalypse?
The Fog of Masculinity
I was at the gym today. At the end of my routine I went to the steam room in the locker room. When I entered there was so much steam I could hardly see two feet in front of my face. Nonetheless, I kept moving slowly forward and found an empty spot to sit down.
Again, the steam was so thick I couldn’t see anything, but after a minute of silence I figured no one else was in the room. Then, I heard someone muttering to himself, but very slightly. It got awkward real quick. Out on the gym floor I’ve heard weird things people yell at themselves for motivation when exercising. It’s funny to be around, somewhat embarassing, but not horror film style creepy like it was back in the sauna. Why would someone be muttering to themself in the sauna? There isn’t really anything to do except sit there and sweat and suffer.
After about 45 seconds it got to be too much and I left. And I never saw who it was. And I never knew what exactly he was mumbling to himself over there in the other corner of the steam room…
Chavez
I stumbled across an article on Pitchfork Media about this 90s rock band on Matador records called Chavez. It seems they were this anonymous band that yet somehow was the highest selling Matador band of the 90s. I’m not sure what that says about Matador records.
The amusing thing for me is that the lead guitarist was some guy who went to my high school years before me. My asshole basketball coach kept going on and on about this guy with stories about some game he played where he fought through 101 degree fever and had to take an ice bath to bring his temperature down so he could play in this important playoff game.
The coach as I said was a real hard ass (what else would he be) but he fancied himself as a real rock and roll guy (yeah those two things go together great, but only if you’re Ted Nugent) and he would tell his own personally ridiculous stories about how his band in the 70s opened up for Kool and the Gang and “rocked them off the stage”. Yeah, okay.
So, when years later someone told me that there was this indie rock band on Matador that had the guy from the coach’s sappy yet redemptive tale about ice bath, playoff heroics, I had to scoff it off.
Well, the band is now re-releasing their two relatively high-selling yet forgotten albums as a sort of why-the-hell-not Christmas gift idea, and included is a music video they did back in the day.
Ice bath heroics aside, the video they made could be the funniest music video I can remember.
Also, the singer is the guy who did the second to last album with Will Oldham. I believe it was called Super Wolf.
Radiographer: A Professor I See in the Halls
I don’t know why I’m posting this, but I’m always intrigued by this guy because he rambles the halls on the way to class and calls everyone “doctor”. When I saw flyers in the hall for new classes being taught in alternative fuel cells I wrongly assumed it was some young, bearded hippie teacher type from Austin who taught the classes.
Most interesting is his resume concerning not only rocket fuel but also mashed potatoes.
Jim Dandy
Jim Dandy is my favorite new word, especially when used as an adjective, and even better when used derisively and sarcastically when something bad happens.
Novel Idea
With the amount of time I spend reading things on the internet, I realized I never read full books anymore.
Do others have this same experience? I feel more knowledgeable, yet if someone asked me what books I’ve been reading I wouldn’t have much to say, and then if I said I was reading things on the internet, people might all too easily assume I’m just wasting my time.
Curious what others thought.
2001 Redux, Or is Airplane II?
Will a coalition of willing space farers unite?
1988 Olympics: Steroid Scandal Revisited
Did the svelte Svengali Carl Lewis give the order for sprinter Ben Johnson’s steroid spiked beer? Now, 18 years later, Ben Johnson strongly, yet ambiguously, hints yes!
Disturbing Development
I just checked my gmail for the Downtown Highlife Bicycle Club. I found a friend request for the DHBC Myspace page from “Farmers Insurance”. I suppose bicyclists are a high risk group and need insurance!
Dane Cook
Question: does anyone like this guy? He’s supposedly hugely popular. I find it perplexing.
I Rock? No, sadly not.
While I was in my room on the precipice of studying, the tv was playing in the background, specifically the news, and I thought I heard the announcer mention the Iraq Steady group, which I assumed to be a reference to the “neutral” political team about to release a report on the quagmire. I thought it was supposed to be called the Iraq Study group but then didn’t seem shocked if they renamed it the Iraq Steady group, as if they had no problem stating their intentions in advance of staying the course. I also thought the naming was a sarcastic gesture, perhaps done by a young dope smoking Republican who listens to Rock Steady. And then of course I realized that I just misheard the announcer and my mistaken journey was all for not.
In short, it was all very confusing. Which then made me wonder on a different note if we could get away from the swamp/quagmire metaphors, that was Vietnam, and try something more along the lines of fog/miasma metaphors.
I think I’ve written too much…
The Crucifixion - An Inside Job?
Startling new evidence suggests a massive coverup. Clearly, this is too controversial for even Alex Jones to tackle!
Motivational Speaker: Michael Richards
Given his recent tirade, I think he might now be more affordable.