February 2006 Archives

I went to see RJD2 and Aceyalone on Friday night and neither disappointed. First, RJ did a solo set, showing his prowess on the wheels of steel - incredibly keeping four sets of turntables moving at once (and a mixer), while splicing, shredding and scratching like a champ. RJ even broke out the guitar at the end of the first set and did a nice little strummy number - prolly for the ladies cause RJ, is, after all, a goofy looking white boy.The second-set consisted of Aceyalone rapping over RJ's beats with some very good results. Maybe because I was toasty or I hadn't seen good, live hip-hop in ages - whatever the case I was a happy C$. Aceyalone is the best rapper I have never heard of, but I plan on picking up some of his isht real soon like. If any of you are lucky enough to have RJ come to your town, be sure to go because you won't be disappointed. Here is "Fuck a Soundcheck" off Deadringer and "1976" off Since We Last Spoke.

Hope you all enjoyed visiting with Trav. I sure did. After that little trip down Weird Way, let's keep it going with a visit to the greatness that is Japanese horror cinema. Time and time again, I am shown just how unbelievably strange our Japanese friends are and Marebito (The Stranger fom Afar) gives no indication that I should change my mind about this. Cult horror director Takashi Shimizu, best known for The Grudge takes us on one hell of a dark and dismal sojourn that makes C$ squirm and wonder how to describe...Marebito is a dark fantasy that unfolds like a waking dream - or nightmare. Masuoka (played by director Shinya Tsukamoto) is a cameraman who records a man committing suicide in the Tokyo subway system, and finds himself obsessed by the dead man's motives, as well as his final expression of terror, driven by unseen forces.

Following his final gaze, via his obsessive study of the videotape of the suicide, leads Masuoka to a door which proves to be an entry into a bizarre, cavernous underworld of hidden catacombs, where he encounters a mute, nude feral girl chained to a rock - and the Deros or detrimental robots. Observing her through his Web cam while at work, he begins to suspect that there is something truly inhuman about this girl (F - pictured in all her glory) with sharp teeth who walks on all fours - ya think?

The screenplay was inspired by a story written by Richard Shaver that was published in Amazing Stories magazine in the 1940s. Far from unique in his belief that cities around the world have subterranean communities inhabited by strange beings, Shaver asserted that these caverns were built by aliens from another galaxy who were fleeing the sun's radiation and whose offspring degenerated into evil dwarfs or Deros - who kidnap surface-dwelling humans for sustenance and have "ray" machines that can project tormenting thoughts and voices into human minds. Don't worry a post about Shaver is already in the works.

Anyway, I think you get the idea - the film is nuts and, yet, if you get past the craziness you realize that Shimizu is an unparalleled director that crams a dazzling number of ideas into a very tight 82 minute film. Hope y'all get a chance to see it.

As for the music, let's stay with the dark and macabre - here once again on c101 is one of the best bands ever to grace the planet - The Tiger Lillies - Here is "The Dreadful Story About Harriet And The Matches" off of Shock Header Peter (they did this entire album set to a play in an off-Broadway production in NYC - I didn't go and I am still pissed) and "Xyz" off of Bad Blood and Blasphemy. Buy/borrow? these albums kiddies - this means you RFO.

This is one of my favorite posts ever. Ever. Seems this 33-year-old fella from Iowa, Travis Frey, is facing charges that he tried to kidnap his own wife (not to mention a separate child pornography rap).

Stellar stuff already, I know, but it don't end their kiddies. Oh no. Nope, Trav likes contracts and he drew one up for his wife. This stuff is so damn golden that I have provided the link, here. Please read through everything, you won't be disappointed. There are so many lovely little snippets to choose from - just one - Trav wants his lady to only wear thigh-highs and thong panties at all times. Duh, of course.

He also wants a closely monitored and shaved pubic region, 'shaved from the navel to the anus' on said chicky. Of course, this begs the obvious question, "What kind of hairy bitch is this? You mean to tell me her pubic region measures from her navel to her cornhole? I went out with Mexican and she wasn't even that hairy.

Other highlights of the contract include a section that includes 'During My Time' wills and will nots...wait, back up. We have to rewind to subsection entitled "My Time." During 'My Time" said hairy bitch...'will be in my service to do anything and everything (hell yeah it's underlined) which may or may not be in a sexual manner.' Way to keep her guessing Trav!

I could go on, but why? Just read it and leave a comment back here. Enjoy!

As for music, let's go Kruder & Dorfmeister from the G-Stone Book, 'cause my man Trav is all G. Here is "Orozco" and hmmm...how 'bout my girl Lil' Kim (Featuring, appropriately, Sisqo of "Thong Song" fame) "How many Licks."

Bless you Travis.

Orozco

Per RFO, I'm a writing 'bout curling. Seems I only think about this sport every four years when I see it being played in the Olympics. The Olympics. It's on right now, people.

It always cracks me up how much the Olympics means to the rest of the world, because I can honestly say I watch it, but I really don't give a shit about it. People ooh and ahh over the opening ceremonies - I watch for three seconds and switch to some college basketball game.

Also, regarding said Olympics, I really don't want to hear heart-warming tales about a Professor from Venezuela, who actually teaches in the US of A, but is the sole representative of Venezuela - in the luge competition. The guy is 52 and looked like he might actually go flying off the track and kill somebody at any moment.

Anyway, curling.

You know, the broom game where they broom like mad-men in front of this rock with a handle, gently sliding down the ice and then letting go at the last possible second. Curling is like cornhole and shuffleboard combined - both games of which I love, so it stands to reason that curling would be pretty cool to play with some beers and steaks.

So, people, what's your favorite Olympic sport and why? I expect good things from you Dale, Linwood and Thunder...

Let's rok old school - A Tribe Called Quest's "Excursions" off of Low End Theory, one of the best hip-hop albums of all time and Audio Two's "Top Billin'" one of the best hip-hop singles of all time. Just my very professional opinion.

I saw another great movie at charlar Chicago with VS on Tuesday night. Amores Perros is one of the best movies I have seen lately - director Gonzalez I_

Sorry everyone, but I have to revert back to politics and serious matters. I have to admit, that when I saw this headline, I thought it was a joke. "Cartoon Protests Turn Deadly." Wow. You mean to tell me that people are dying over cartoons? Yep.

Afghan police fired on about 2,000 protesters yesterday, when they tried to enter Bagram Airbase, a U.S. base north of Kabul. Amazingly, only two protesters were killed.

All of this occurred because of a cartoon in a Danish newspaper, showing Mohammed wearing a turban shaped like a bomb with a lit fuse. Islam forbids depictions of Mohammed and obviously, it doesn't take much some Muslims to get fired up enough to kill.

Still, I guess the U.S. does oodles of killin' too, we just use way cooler devices of destruction. We don't strap ourselves with explosives and get to killin'. But, I think all this turmoil begs the question, "What aren't Muslim's pissed about?"

If we had it their way, people would have to stop five times and pray (I could maybe live with that one), woman could not show any part of their bodies (I definitely cannot live with this one) and religious leaders basically decide everything (this is way too much power for anyone to possess without any checks and balances) - again, though, we are getting into Bushy land, so I don't want to sound too hypocritical.

Well, after my last post, I think it's time I lighten the mood. So, I think I will devote today to things that make me feel good - thanks RFO. Too often we dwell on the negative (for some reason it seems to be easier than dwelling on the positive) and so I am going to make a concerted effort in '06 to make sure I am eating plenty of happiness pie.

I could start with all things artsy-fartsy, from music to photographs and all things created by humans, but instead I am going to talk about smells. Because more often than not, it is a smell that delivers an almost tangible feeling of well-being.

It is fact that smell is most directly related to memory - and how. It's the smell that says you are at grandma's or when you walk in an elementary school - not sight. When I am walking outside, no matter the season, the smell of fabric softener in someones dryer always makes me feel good. And of course, the most almighty smell, the Bar-B-Q. My god that is a slice of heaven. And don't even try to tell me that bacon, sweet delicious swine, is not in your top five.

Then there is the semi-wet woodsy smell of walking amongst the trees that truly is unparalleled. The cold-cock (HA) whiff of scotch, the smell of someone coming in from the cold and mom's turkey in the oven. These are just a few of mine, please share yours...

Another thing that makes me feel good is music, sweet, sweet, music - especially if my friends or myself and my friends create it. So, on that tip, here are absolutely lovely singles - the first is from Steve Wonders a.k.a Vitamin Steve a.k.a Bilbo Steve a.k.a Pickles McBoozy a.k.a Smilsen called "Leche" Prepare to be milked, y'all - and a new hit from P.S. We Love You feat. C$ called "Ting Bu Dongs." My li'l ode to Soupy.

UPDATE: It is amazing the interconnectivity in the world - check this out y'all. I was just emailing someobdy on gmail and this story pops up...