Mother Nature via Hurricane Gustav is either doing her part to ravage the Grand Old Party's Convention plans or she is providing the current Administration an opportunity to vindicate there blunder of a response to the last hurricane of the century, Hurricane Katrina. Or both.

The Armpit Collection III

"I used to visit all the very gay places..." Rumor has it that Johnny Hartman went to see Coltrane play at the Birdland, after the show they ran over some songs and felt good about recording - a Coltrane idea. I don't think either of them were gay, but Billy Strayhorn was. The opening line above is from "Lush Life," written by Strayhorn and classically featured on this album. "...those come what may places. Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life, to get the feel of life from jazz and cocktails." I am struck by this record and refuse to part with it. Hartman's polished and distinguished tone paired with Coltrane's genius is remarkable, standards at their finest. This is a man's man record.

The Week That Was Incase You Missed It

OBAMA WINS!

Great speech last night, President Obama! Also thank you Sen. McCain for picking this woman as your VP.

Pre-Game *Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!

Here is some pregame for those excited about the speech tonight.

Goddamn Do I Love This Country!

I have never ever been more proud of my country than I am right now. When Hillary, whom earned a ton of respect from me last night, came down that isle and motioned for Barack Obama to be the nominee, I damn near wept up. Here we are, the first major nation in the history of the world to have a minority as the presidential nominee of a major political party. I think back to when this all started, in front of the state capital where Lincoln spoke, where Barack announced his candidacy. And I think of all the Republican and Democratic debates that I watched with a high mind and a very close friend in Mr. Seger, I think of the night that Obama won in the snows of Iowa, and I think of the time my Mother and I got to see Barack Obama speak live in Chapel Hill. I think back to all those times and I still can't believe that this is real. And to think that tomorrow night, after the Goreacle speaks, and after Bon Jovi's accoustic set, there will be Barack Obama, in front of 80,000 people and millions of viewers around the world, speaking on the 45th anniversary of Dr King's "I Have a Dream". And after he finishes, and as the world looks on, there will be one of the greatest American poets of all time, Bruce Springsteen, serranading the world. Goddamn do I love this country!

Rat meat in demand!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080827/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_cambodia_rats;_ylt=Aue45vB9U7yaCPwZcoNr76ztiBIF
That's right. Inflation has caused rat meat to become quite the popular dish in Cambodia.
Bon appetite!

Cambodian rat butcher Louch Savoun holds up a handful of the skinned rodents to a customer in the provincial town of Battambang, some 290 km northwest of Phnom Penh on February 19, 2004.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Man Kept Upright at His Wake

The body of deceased Angel Pantoja Medina stands erect and leans against a wall by his coffin during his own wake in his mother's home in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Monday, Aug. 18, 2008. The last wish of Medina, 24, who was found dead on Aug. 15, 2008 underneath a bridge in the capital, was to be standing at his own wake, and was embalmed for the occasion.(AP Photo/Juan Alicea Marcado, El Nuevo Dia)

[source]

Blogama: Assassination

I flipped on the Convention last night at the most interesting of times, "...assassination attempt on Barack Obama." I was busy drawing, so I continued to pay half-attention to the 'news' and sure enough this 'report' segued to references of JFK's assassination. But sure enough there really was a plot! These are of some of the perps above.

“It could also turn out that these were nothing but a bunch of knuckleheads, meth heads,” a U.S. government official said.

Then the Convention went on and I didn't really hear too much more about it. So in my google search today, I found THIS.

Blogama - Economy

I caught this article from the NYT Mag that I stole from Starbucks this weekend. "You look like you're going to have a fun day today," the barrista said to me. "No, I'm going to work," I said and snatched the magazine and left. I'm so tired of people feeling the need to make up words - Obamanomics. It makes me think of TaeBo. So this sort of cheap headline didn't initially draw me in, but it's virtually impossible to pick up any sort of insight into actual policy from watching debates and I've typically enjoyed the NYT Mag. Read the breakdown HERE.

I really dig the article! For anyone that's interested in economics, Obama's standing in a good place. Besides taking from SS and Medicare funds and making rich people pay more for what they perceivably won't receive (hey, fuck 'em anyway and he's just doing some correcting), I really like where Obama's going economically - learning from what's happened over the past few decades. Dad and mom have a new big screen TV, but a crane just fell on poor Jimmie's head.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (Knees and Toes)

So this past weekend my friend Allan came to visit NYC before being shipped off to whatever desert nation people in the National Guard get shipped off to these days. The Guard trained him in Arabic so he can better communicate ultimatums to evildoers. He was saying that in English when we call someone we love a "sweetheart" an Arabic speaker would reference a different body part - the kidneys. So a love letter might start with "Oh, my dearest kidney" or something like that. Kidneys, in Arabic, are the love-center of the body, I guess.

Then, today, I stumbled onto this website which has analyzed over 10,000 songs to find which body parts are the most commonly mentioned in a particular genre of music and picto-graphed the results.Eyes are the most-often sung about anatomical item in most genres, though both Blues and Gospel songwriters prefer to talk about hands (doing field labor and reaching out for Jesus's grasp, respectively, I'm assuming).Hip Hop's most popular people portion is the ass (or booty, or junk-filled trunk, or ba dunk a dunk, apple bottom or lady lump). Hip Hop also seems to be the only genre that really covers both the male and female genitalia in a comprehensive way (shockingly, weiners are more sung about than vajayjays!)

If you'd like to see what appendages you seem the most fixated on, grab a piece of your writing and copy and paste it into this form on the website. Lower lumbar was the most-frequent body part mentioned on my resume, for example.

7" of Fun!

Holy shit we're on vinyl! The Emily Easterly / J Seger split 7" single has landed on the planet Earth and is seeking desirable homes and turntables. The single features "Please, Please Say Goodnight," a fun and full band direction for the lovely, soft-voiced redhead, and "City Love is Strange," a fun-spirited recollection of times and glimpse into the upcoming J Seger Record II. Both songs are written respectively and can be heard on our myspaces. Here's where they're available:

For that Online Action:
CDBaby
Her Website
My Etsy
Her Etsy

For that Human Interaction:
Plan 9 Richmond
Academy Brooklyn (96 N. 6TH ST. Between Berry & Wythe)
Academy Manhattan (415 E. 12 ST. Between 1st Ave and Ave A)
maybe Harvest Records, we'll see

For that Spiritual Interaction:
August 29th - 8pm
Banjo Jims (9th St & Ave C)
45's available for purchase

We're very proud of this one folks. We did the cover screen printing ourselves and Gocco-ed the back (featuring some font styling by yours truly). Cover design by Nathanael Roney, taken from images captured while being confronted at a Cantina in Vermont.

Hello from Nevis!

Today I Went Ape Shit

So today after watching this video, I finally went off the fucking deep end. I've tried for weeks now to get someone from either the NC Republican party or John McCain's campaign to return my call. I've been nice, courteous, and polite, left my number on machines and with campaign officials, and still no call. So I just called the group that put this ad on and tried to stay calm, but halfway through I lost it, I started screaming and hollering on the machine, I'm sure obscenities flew out, but I did avoid the cliche' death threat.

But all that said I can't take this shit anymore. We can't keep electing these people in power. They have no Goddamn ideas. All they can do is gang up and attack. They're a bunch of pussies who spew venom and use trickery and scare tactics to win. This is not my America, and I doubt it's your America, but this is unfortunately what this country has become. And Goddamn it I can't take it anymore. I would never carry out an act of terror, but now I do understand why some would.

And please, before someone says "Oh it's just politics, don't get so worked up" well just stop. We've got soldiers overseas dying, folks in our own country starving, more homes in foreclosure than anytime since the Great Depression, folks like my parents living with no healthcare, and an economy that is on the verge of collapsing. And all they want to talk about is Paris, Brittney, Niggers, Messiahs, Charlton Heston, and 7 degrees of separation with terrorists. Fuck them, fuck them fuck them fuck them. FUCK THEM!

And in an interesting update, the ad has been rejected by FOX News and may even be illegal according to, get this, The McCain-Feingold Act

The Armpit Collection II

The Heart of Saturday Night - Tom Waits

Another one of those records that's built right next to the 1975ish plateau of rock n roll songwriting, chronologically and figuratively. This is his second record and a crowning achievement for Tom Waits and blues balladry. Conceptually, it drinks and smokes in the same hours as a rambling Jack Kerouac and a broken hearted Frank Sinatra. Yes, let's put a new coat of paint on this lonesome ol' town.

Foxy Lady Laura Ingraham

I just saw this today and it reminded me of the Bill O'Reilly video. What's the deal with conservative talking heads? Then again, liberals can be a tad vain.

Wax For Sale

That Naggers a Baby Killer

Yes folks, that's the next line of attack on the way. Apparently there was a bill in the Illinois legislature that would have made it mandatory for doctors to try and save the life of a baby born in the process of a botched abortion and Barack voted no against it because it was written so as to strip away many of the rights of Roe vs Wade and because there was already a bill on the Illinois law books that said you have to try and save the life of a baby born in the process of a botched abortion. Well low and behold now come the 527's and they're going after Barack as supporting "infantcide". And apparently the commercials are going to be pretty graphic. So for anyone keeping score, the Muslim half breed with a niggerlover for a mama, whose coincedently too inexperienced to lead America but experienced enough to be responsible for gas prices going up, is not only going to take over the world and bring forth the Appocalypse, but he's also going to raise every single Americans taxes, take away grandparents life savings, "legislate failure in Iraq" to win the election, fuck your white daughters and kill babies. Goddamn this mans got a busy first term!

The Armpit Collection

This is a new series I'm beginning. It's called the Armpit Collection. Each post in the series will be about a Record that has touched my heart in mysterious ways, to the point that if instructed to grab what I can for eternity, this would be one I'd tuck under my arm before I walked away.

Truly She Is None Other - Holly Golightly Damaged Goods 2003

This is my first and original introduction to the British songstress. At the cross street of Lombardy & Cary Streets in Richmond, VA, our fellow blogger NattyMcDanielson used to grace the second floor (and first floor, but somewhat muted) with the lovely and broken sounds of this record. I think I recall simply asking, "What is this?"

"Holly Golightly."

"What?"

(hands record sleeve)

"Ahhh...oh."

I fell somewhat in love with the exclusivity and underdog status of such a beautiful, yet unpolished and relatively unknown singer. This record marks the initial step into the upper-realms of recording greatness for Miss Golightly, in terms of traditional music in the modern world. It coincided with her appearance with the White Stripes ("well it's true that we love one another"). This album combines all the elements that make Holly cool - (1)slower, sensual bluesy ballads, (2)aggressively attacked, early R&B, and (3)the marriage of tremelo guitar and harmonizing-hypnotic vocals. Her band is brilliant, as they would say across the Atlantic, but not annoying. "Don't get in the fucking way," the producer probably said, "just lay down the bloody groove." I can say there's not a bad song on this record, but more importantly, there's a flow, which is even more impressive considering she managed to sneak two Davies songs in the mix, of Kinks fame, and two other covers. It goes to show she knows how to make a record sound real good.

Praise Jesus!

8:00 pm tonight on FOX News, CNN, and MSNBC, Barack Hussein Obama vs John Sidney McCain III at Rick Warren's 40,000 member Saddleback church for a discussion on faith and compassion. McCain the man who once called the religious right "Agents of intolerance" and Obama the secret muslim who John of Patmos wrote about, and Rick's asking "personal questions". I feel cocaine and infedelity questions coming on! This should be exciting.

Whats the secret Ernie?

Ernest Borgnine - You may not know who he is or you might have thought he was dead already but he appeared this week to remind you he is not dead and to explain his fountain of youth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geRCQgnLeDw

I heard Ryan Williams took a vacation...

Mantra For Sale.

Tradition Winks.

Endorsing Obama

Good thing the world's not watching us make idiots of ourselves...oh wait they are. Thank you Tennessee!

So Here It Is Again, and Better Than Ever

This blog has been a constant resource for me. I've posted it before in some comments previously on this blog, but I get the feeling 'we' didn't really notice. So since the blog has become so much more amazing and such a great resource, not too mention a great companion to our own blog...well, HERE it is.

Who's this guy?

All About Me

This is My Favorite GW

"Daddy, you're embarrassing me!"

Mitt Romney was never an alcoholic

Proud Papa

Photos courtesy of AP and Getty Images

Desperate Act of Desperation

Please tell one and all, this homey need a room, ya heard?

Can We Ban The Word 'Flip-Flop' Please?

I mean seriously, can't we just get rid of it? It's the most overused political term since Republicans started calling all Democrats 'Socialists'. And are politicians supposed to be rigid animals that dial in their views at 21 and never change them ever? Isn't George Bush the perfect example of what happens when you're set in your ways and try to run the free world? There's an oft quoted British politician whose name escapes me, but he said simply "When the facts change, I change my mind". What's so wrong with that?

Danny Way - Big Air Contest

I was having dinner with some friends when someone mentioned this clip from the 2008 X-Games. "I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never gonna keep me down." Mr. Way, you are completely insane.

Virgin Mobile Festival 2008

Where was I last weekend? The Virgin Mobile Festival at the prestigious Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD. I went with Ryan and my good friend, Adia, and we had a total blast.

Ryan and I showed up late on Saturday, but just in time to see a Japanese Beatles cover band, followed by Chuck Berry. I have nothing but respect for Mr. Berry (yes, I know he enjoys watching people pee, but I'm over it) and he did a really good job playing the same songs he's been playing for hundreds of years. Then we caught a little bit of Wilco's set. Don't know the band, wasn't interested in the songs, barely paid attention. We ended our day watching the Foo Fighters. Definitely professional rockers, sounded great and did a great job of bringing the rock.

Sunday was the big day of the festival. We arrived somewhat early, just in time to hear a little Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. We then saw The Go! Team, very energetic, very sassy. We then made our way to the Dance Tent and saw Chromeo, a duo (guitar player/singer with a DJ) and they were much better than what I thought they'd be. Yes, I ended up shaking m'booty. After their set, we spent a lot of time screwing around; we saw skateboarding, graffiti art, roller derby girls, and chilled in the exclusive Virgin Lounge where free drinks and decent port-au-potties greeted us.

Around 3:30 we began walking to see 'Lil Wayne (aka Weezy F. Baby), my latest hip hop obsession. Like a REAL rockstar, he drew a huge crowd and kept us all waiting. The crowd is drunk and getting restless. Boos ensue. The DJ plays two songs, but no signs of 'Lil. Finally after about a half hour, he emerges and the crowd goes wild... He's like a terrible lover that you can't stop seeing: Always late, isn't concerned about your happiness, but leaves you wanting more.

Then we saw Stone Temple Pilots... Wow... Wow... They put on the BEST show. They played the hits, each musician sounded amazing, and Scott Weiland was probably the best frontman I've ever seen. I couldn't leave them, knowing the Bob Dylan was about to start on the other stage. That's right, I stood at watched STP while Dylan's set opened. I made it over there eventually though, and ugh, Bob really wasn't "bringing it." I guess he just seemed a little out of place, but it was good seeing him nonetheless.

Finally the night ended with the headliners. We saw Nine Inch Nails open up, and man, they still put on one hell of a show. Trent is v v talented, great lighting too (what would you expect?). After we got our fill, we saw some of Kanye West. Eh, he's no Weezy. I pretty much laid on the blanket, not really knowing any of his songs.

All in all, a very successful 2 days of escape and live music.

photos courtesy of The Baltimore Sun

Must See TV

So it's 5:30 in the morning, I just had a funny cigaro, and I'm hooked on the olympics like a good meth addiction. I watched the absolutely beautiful opening ceremonies last night (how fucking cool was it seeing Rhonaldinho walking with the Brazilians?) then woke up at 4 in the morning to this American girl having a complete meltdown on the badmitton court. Flipped over to the Universal HD channel (or CNBC) and caught a good hour of boxing, flipping over to the USA Network for the occasional equstrian stuff, and now I'm watching the US womens soccer team play. There's going to be 3,500 hours of coverage on like 7 networks and the internet! Then you throw in Phelps trying to break Mark Spitz's record of most medals in a single olympics, the "Redeem Team" being lead by The Black Mamba and King James, and what appears to be a decent American soccer squad and you've got just wall to wall excitement. So get your coffee ready and prepare to stay up late 'cause this is must see tv.

Happy 8/8/08!

Chang W. Lee/New York Times

Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

The Belle of Randolph County, W.V.

For some, laughing takes courage –
she, politely sipping
from her coffee mug,
warms her hands:
aged leather.

The asthma and stroke, dignified
when worn in such a pleasant
grace, cower as she smiles;
displays a portrait, frozen
on the back page of the local paper:
statuesque
in the dying
wisps of
the wilting
winter grass.

Living Up To and Creating a Legacy

So over the past few years the thought of legacy has haunted my mind. I figure you can leave back a biological reminder in the form of a child, you can live on in the memories of folks you've interacted with in life, be a figure that carries on in lore and storytelling, or you can leave back a thing, a piece of pop culture, a record, a painting, a building, the world's you're imagination. But whichever way you go you leave some sort of legacy behind, or maybe several legacies pieced together from different parts of life.

But then I got to thinking about olden days, the days before Mayberry turned to color, when cities were towns and you interacted with the same 200 people you're entire life. Everyone knew you're life, they knew your parents, and because of that you always had a sort of legacy to live up to. Whether you felt like you had to prove something, or rebel, or be the best, whatever, there was always a figure that you would forever be compared to. But since it was smalltime back then were people more apt to walk the straight and narrow because all your flaws would be shone out with the light of day? There's a certain anonimity to life now. You can move away and dissapear into a city, create your own life and world, find a new soundtrack for this chapter, and then head home periodicly to trade stories. So does that make us more able and more willing to try and expand...

The Great Pop vs. Soda Controversy

A while ago Todd and I were talking about what to call "soft beverages." It's called "Soda, duh," I rudely replied. Now I understand why Todd thinks I'm wrong. He ain't from 'dere.

[insert negative Ohio stereotype comment directed at Todd here, I typically go with something involving "corn"]


[source]

For a Good Time

[source]

Faulty U.S. Stamp

NEW YORK — The devil, as they say, is in the details.

So when an astute stamp collector recently discovered that one of the Old Glorys in the U.S. Postal Service's "Flags 24/7" series appears to have 14 stripes, it was bound to send a wave of excitement through the philatelic community.

"Is there any icon better-known to Americans than their own flag?" said Fred Baumann, a spokesman for the American Philatelic Society. "This is something somebody should have caught along the way."

[source]

Good thing only 3.75 BILLION of these have been made!

Happy Birthday, Andy!

Today, Andy Warhol (August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) would have been 80 years old. I've always appreciated his work for as long as I can remember, but what made me REALLY appreciate who he was came in the form of a four hour Ric Burn's documentry which aired on PBS's American Masters Series (I saw it on DVD, courtesy of ze Dizzle). I HIGHLY recommend you borrow/buy/rent this documentry ASAP.

The Nation ran this article on the documentry a few years ago, and I found this paragraph particularly amusing:

"Andy," she asks, "the Canadian government spokesman said that your art could not be described as original sculpture. Would you agree with that?" Warhol answers, "Yes." "Why do you agree?" "Well, because it's not original." "You have just then copied a common item?" "Yes." The interviewer gets exasperated. "Why have you bothered to do that? Why not create something new?" "Because it's easier to do." "Well, isn't this sort of a joke then that you're playing on the public?" "No. It gives me something to do."

Neighbors | Window Displays

Photograph by Damon Winter/The New York Times

McCain’s Green-Eyed Monster - NYT Op-Ed

by MoDo

"Now John McCain is pea-green with envy. That’s the only explanation for why a man who prides himself on honor, a man who vowed not to take the low road in the campaign, having been mugged by W. and Rove in South Carolina in 2000, is engaging in a festival of juvenilia.

The Arizona senator who built his reputation on being a brave proponent of big solutions is running a schoolyard campaign about tire gauges and Paris Hilton, childishly accusing his opponent of being too serious, too popular and not patriotic enough.

Even his own mother, the magical 96-year-old Roberta McCain, let slip that she thought the Paris Hilton-Britney Spears ad was “kinda stupid.”"

Gay Street Pride Parade

I organized a parade in my driveway on the 4th of July weekend in honor of the happy road we live on, Gay Street. The goal was to shatter the record for the shortest parade ever while having as much fun possible. I'm not sure if it truly is a record, however, it is probably the only parade to have had more participants than observers. I'm the chauffeur.

Here's to Game!

. . . the first frame in this week's "City" cartoon.

How to Write With Style

by Kurt Vonnegut

Newspaper reporters and technical writers are trained to reveal almost nothing about themselves in their writings. This makes them freaks in the world of writers, since almost all of the other ink-stained wretches in that world reveal a lot about themselves to readers. We call these revelations, accidental and intentional, elements of style.

These revelations tell us as readers what sort of person it is with whom we are spending time. Does the writer sound ignorant or informed, stupid or bright, crooked or honest, humorless or playful-- ? And on and on.

Why should you examine your writing style with the idea of improving it? Do so as a mark of respect for your readers, whatever you're writing. If you scribble your thoughts any which way, your readers will surely feel that you care nothing about them. They will mark you down as an egomaniac or a chowderhead --- or, worse, they will stop reading you.

The most damning revelation you can make about yourself is that you do not know what is interesting and what is not. Don't you yourself like or dislike writers mainly for what they choose to show you or make you think about? Did you ever admire an emptyheaded writer for his or her mastery of the language? No.

READ FULL ARTICLE

In Sum:
1. Find a subject you care about
2. Do not ramble, though
3. Keep it simple
4. Have guts to cut
5. Sound like yourself
6. Say what you mean
7. Pity the readers

A Study:

The Hipster Breakdown

Newport, RI

The Newport Folk Festival 2008
I heard a bit of the Jakob Dylan and Steve Earl sets, I'm listening to the Jim James solo set now (he does a couple of the cool ones from the new album). Really weird though when Jakob Dylan came out in a polka-dot shirt and a Strat...

Psst...Obama's Black and Really Scarry.

These Goddamn mother fucking sons of bitches have lost their ever loving mind. This is their attempt to play on the whole "Barack is a prophet, a leader of a movement, he's the ANTICHRIST!". 4 dollar a gallon gas, 2 wars, home forclosure crisis, and these sons of bitches want to talk about Paris, Brittney, and Charlton Heston? If it's this pitiful now then I can't imagine how low it's going to get. I feel a Willie Horton ad coming on!

Welcome Kevlarg!

I'd like to formally welcome the latest, new contributor to the greatest blog on da earf, Kevlarg! He is a good buddy of mine from New York, and has been reading the blog since it started. I appreciated his sporadic comments on a few posts, and figured he'd be an excellent contributor. Let's all try to be extra nice to him, until he says something you disagree with... then feel free to treat him with the same amount of critisism and disrespect as we treat everyone else here. Hooray!

Disgrace Takes the Form of Gameshow

"I am an American. I love my country and have great hopes for it. It is for this reason that I speak candidly and sometimes critically about it. I have benefited greatly from the freedom that exists in my country and for this I am eternally grateful."

Who said it...

Johnny Depp
Barack Obama
Paris Hilton
Kevin Federline

You know...I wish I could say I made that up but I can't, because the GOP beat me to it. Welcome to Who Said It Celebrity Edition. Thank you GOP!