Left of the Dial premieres tonight on HBO, an inside look at the rocky launch of Air America. Wonkette has an interview with the co-director.
Thursday, March 31
Television Head
Paralyzed man can control electronic devices, mechanical hand with chip implanted in his brain.
I don't know which comic-book-geek-joke-that-no-one-who-reads-this-blog-will-get to go with, so just make up your own joke about the Ultra-Humanite or Robotman as thou wilst.
I don't know which comic-book-geek-joke-that-no-one-who-reads-this-blog-will-get to go with, so just make up your own joke about the Ultra-Humanite or Robotman as thou wilst.
Wednesday, March 30
Semi-Celebrity Boobies
Always more interesting than civilian boobies for some reason. Former 'Apprentice' contestant Katrina Campins models Tommy Hilfiger, rack.
Mark Cuban Backing Grokster, EFF
Very interesting.... Probably only to about 3 readers/posters to this blog, but interesting....
Lists: Lyrical
I'll try my hand:
Things the future is good for, anyway
Things the future is good for, anyway
- Another dollar
- Another God-damned day
- Making my heart ache
Tuesday, March 29
Jerry Brown getting hitched!
The governor/Oakland mayor/presidential hopeful will tie the knot. The lucky gal is Anne Gust, an exec at the Gap. No date has been set.
It's the first marriage for the 67-year-old politician, who once famously dated singer Linda Rondstadt. That romance landed the couple on the cover of Newsweek back in '79.
Back to 2005: Is Jerry blogging, you ask? Oh yes, he is.
Monday, March 28
RIP, Paul Hester
Sad news from the world of perfectly crafted pop: Paul Hester of Crowded House fame has apparently killed himself. Australian media speculate that the drummer was troubled by his love life.
Hester, 46, was also in another Down Under band of note, Split Enz. That's him on the cover of the first Crowded House album, portrayed as an angel. Weird.
Saturday, March 26
Friday, March 25
Man eludes killer shark!
A bloke reacts in horror as the sea beast destroys the viewing cage he was in.
It grabbed the side of the cage, bit one of the buoys and popped it, then the cage sank and tilted and began going under the water.
Thursday, March 24
Wednesday, March 23
Arrested Development Better be Renewed, Dammit.
If they're gonna put premeditated crap like this on, the least Fox can do is renew their one decent non-animated show.
Here's some IMfotainment from Defamer and AD's David Cross.
Here's some IMfotainment from Defamer and AD's David Cross.
Cruising with El Ron
Tom Cruise is twisting some arms in Hollywood in the name of L. Ron Hubbard. The diminutive actor (real name: Thomas Mopather IV) is prompting studio execs to tour Scientology centers in L.A. The visits are supposedly voluntary, but one studio guru described them as an unwelcome business obligation.
For a reality check on Scientology, check out Operation Clambake.
For a reality check on Scientology, check out Operation Clambake.
Tuesday, March 22
Reminder for LA Readers
My little R&R combo is playing the Joint tonight, for all you midweek
tippling enthusiasts.
Details are here.
tippling enthusiasts.
Details are here.
Monday, March 21
Goodbye, Papa, It's Hard To Die
The enduring appeal of an abominable pop song.
Hm, maybe the way to get people to stop asking for 'Freebird' is to play 'Seasons in the Sun' every time they request it....
Hm, maybe the way to get people to stop asking for 'Freebird' is to play 'Seasons in the Sun' every time they request it....
Janeane Garofalo IS Annie Duke
We like Janeane Garofalo. We like poker. Heck, we even like sitcoms. But this smells like a zeitgeist-milking disaster.
Saturday, March 19
Oh Boy, Sign Me Up!
They're so desperate for troops that defense officials announced a raise in the age limit, from 34 to 40, for enlistment in the Army Guard and Reserve.
Kraken swarm SoCal -- again!
Scientists say they're puzzled about why hundreds of the sea beasts are rising to the surface. My theory: They're trying to get to the next Ghost Town gig, and they're willing to die in the process.
Friday, March 18
Dave Lindorff: Free John Walker Lindh!
More fallout from our government's pro-torture stance: the loss of credibility domestically. Dave Lindorff takes a daring position, which might even make sense.
'Freebird!'
As a musician, I have to say I agree: the joke's not funny anymore. I've been playing with a jazz quintet and gotten the request, even. Have never played it, and God willing never will.
50 People See...
This is really cool. Some guy wrote a program that averages 50 different photos on Flickr that it chooses based on matching keywords, leading to some wonderful, mostly abstract images. The "eye" and "Eiffel" ones are very cool.
Lucas: "Sith" to be like "Titanic"
The director/"writer" says the final installment of the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy will be a real tearjerker.
As Obi-Wan said: "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced."
But hey, maybe Jar-Jar will go down with the ship.
As Obi-Wan said: "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced."
But hey, maybe Jar-Jar will go down with the ship.
Thursday, March 17
Which is Sadder?
The fact that this guy put Mary-Kate Olsen's panites up for bid on eBay, or the fact that nobody wanted to bid on them?
Turn your monitor upside-down for the answer.
Trick question. The answer is me, for caring enough to bother posting this entry.
Turn your monitor upside-down for the answer.
Trick question. The answer is me, for caring enough to bother posting this entry.
Toyota is Signing Bands
In a development indicative of vast sea change in the music industry, auto-maker Toyota is now signing artists to go along with the branding of their (hideous, boxy) Scion line of cars. This just shortly after reliably mediocre coffee monger Starbucks won a venti-sized Grammy collection for producing Jamie Foxx's Ray Charles's last recording.
"Fairy shrimp" stalk Idaho!
Another one for the freakish animal department: shrimp that can live dormantly for years in dry lakebeds, then rise up in the rainy season.
Says one biologist: "This guy is a carnivore, grabbing onto little guys and eating them."
Yum!
Says one biologist: "This guy is a carnivore, grabbing onto little guys and eating them."
Yum!
Get toasted!
Another great human achievement: the world's largest mosaic of toast. The 7,000 slices were put together in a portrait of Dame Edna. Jam was used to anchor each slice in place.
Yum!
Yum!
Wednesday, March 16
What's it Gonna Cost?
WashingtonWatch.com let's you find out how much each bill in congress is going to cost the average American. That's very cool, but I wish you could input a little info and find out how much it's going to cost folks at different income levels, as well. Maybe v.2....
Sad Site of the Day
Someone is actually going to buy the free-money guy's car. And wear that gay*-ass suit.
*"Gay" as in frivolous, light, happy.
...Alright, gay as in gay.
*"Gay" as in frivolous, light, happy.
...Alright, gay as in gay.
Sadder Site of the Day
Sean Hannity fans must troll the internet to find republican dates. I don't get it -- why don't they just call Jeff Gannon?
"Air-Drummer" Loses Job
He got off lucky. I'm not normally a supporter of capital punishment, but after reading the guy's quotes in this story....
Well the Good News is...
Wolfowitz is leaving the Defence Department. The bad news is he'll be running the World Bank.
Tuesday, March 15
And Bush's "Scientists" Are Still Iffy on Global Warming?
The snow on the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro has melted. For the first time in 11,000 years.
I Have to Push the Pram a Lot.
If you read only one exhaustive article about the new Eric Idle-penned musical Spamalot (and really, shouldn't that one article be plenty?) it may as well be this one.
We was robbed!
The best in blogging is honored, and we didn't win. Maybe we weren't even eligible. Just wait 'til next year.
Meanwhile, in NYC, none of us was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Again, there could have been eligibility issues. Sounds like the Pretenders (with Neil Young sitting in) played a good set, though, and U2 wasn't bad either.
Meanwhile, in NYC, none of us was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Again, there could have been eligibility issues. Sounds like the Pretenders (with Neil Young sitting in) played a good set, though, and U2 wasn't bad either.
Hatchet man dies
Danny Joe Brown, the voice of Southern rock titans Molly Hatchet, has died of diabetes at age 53.
Win a Date with R. Crumb's Wife
MQ Publications is having a Crumb-lookalike contest.
This is one contest I am glad to not be in the running to win.
This is one contest I am glad to not be in the running to win.
Monday, March 14
Ghost Town @ the Joint Tuesday 3/22, 9pm
Alright, last chance to catch Ghost Town for the next month or so. We're playing the Joint on Pico near Robertson next Tuesday, the 22nd at 9pm, and it's only 7 bucks! I'll spare the hard sell this time, but if you haven't seen this incarnation of Ghost Town, it's a lot of fun. Line up, as always, is:
Ashley Caldwell, vocals
Ken Lasaine, guitar
Frank San Filippo, bass
Kevin Smith, organ & electric piano
Adam Steinberg, drums
Romy Suskin, vocals
It'll be a rollicking good time.
The Joint: 8771 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90035
Ashley Caldwell, vocals
Ken Lasaine, guitar
Frank San Filippo, bass
Kevin Smith, organ & electric piano
Adam Steinberg, drums
Romy Suskin, vocals
It'll be a rollicking good time.
The Joint: 8771 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90035
Review: Nellie McKay, 3/13/05 at the Roxy
Saw Gotham wunderkind chanteuse Nellie McKay, in a neurotic, under-rehearsed set at the Roxy last night. She seemed a bit flustered at the start of the set that the piano was set up such that she couldn't see 1/3 of the audience (which she soon rectified), she didn't like her dress, and she hates Sunset boulevard -- all, in fact, perfectly valid concerns. She went on to do a lot of complaining, about how she doesn't like practicing or performing (uh, then why are you wasting your time, Nellie, and more importantly mine?) and apparently hates white men in business suits (which is why she's hitched her wagon to the ethnically diverse anarchists over at the Sony Corporation).
She was somewhat charming in a bundle-of-neuroses sort of way, and when she was performing most of the tunes from her debut record, she was a compelling performer (needing a bit of lyrical help from the audience only on the "Waiter" song) -- and downright affecting on the somber, introspective "Really."
However, she also performed a great deal of new material, which she wasn't too familiar with, leading her to stop and start in the middle of tunes, frequently detouring into political rants before continuing. I'm as big a fan of the political rant as anyone, but Nellie's all of 19 or 20 years old. I don't have much interest in the political opinions of someone who can't even order a drink in the bar she's playing in, especially one who decided to go vegan in the middle of a trip to France. Of the new material, the highlight was her imagined duet with Bob Dylan, with her supplying both her own and Mr. Zimmerman's voice. The least favorite was some show tune or other sung in German.
The setup was just her alone at the piano; while she clearly has a strong classical background, she's also clearly pretty rusty, and not really much of an improviser. She stumbled over her parts, her timing was off, she was having to read the new material from charts -- all things that seem a bit much for someone at her level. (She did acknowledge this in a self-deprecating manner, saying "It's so nice to be hosting this songwriting workshop where there's no pressure from people having to pay to see you." Tickets were actually $18-24, with drinks around $9.) She, and the audience, would be better served by hiring a band around her.
It seems to me she may have been spoiled with too much early success, and may take the platform she has for granted. If you're lucky enough to have a great room like the Roxy sold out on a Sunday night, you have an obligation to Mach Schau, as the Beatles were instructed in Hamburg when they were around Nellie's age.
I did overall enjoy the show; I was just disappointed that a little more effort wasn't put into it. I think I'll wait and check back in on Nellie, if she's still around, sometime in the next decade, after she's matured a bit as a person and performer.
Frank Bob says Five stars out of Ten. Check her out if you're a fan, and it's cheap.
She was somewhat charming in a bundle-of-neuroses sort of way, and when she was performing most of the tunes from her debut record, she was a compelling performer (needing a bit of lyrical help from the audience only on the "Waiter" song) -- and downright affecting on the somber, introspective "Really."
However, she also performed a great deal of new material, which she wasn't too familiar with, leading her to stop and start in the middle of tunes, frequently detouring into political rants before continuing. I'm as big a fan of the political rant as anyone, but Nellie's all of 19 or 20 years old. I don't have much interest in the political opinions of someone who can't even order a drink in the bar she's playing in, especially one who decided to go vegan in the middle of a trip to France. Of the new material, the highlight was her imagined duet with Bob Dylan, with her supplying both her own and Mr. Zimmerman's voice. The least favorite was some show tune or other sung in German.
The setup was just her alone at the piano; while she clearly has a strong classical background, she's also clearly pretty rusty, and not really much of an improviser. She stumbled over her parts, her timing was off, she was having to read the new material from charts -- all things that seem a bit much for someone at her level. (She did acknowledge this in a self-deprecating manner, saying "It's so nice to be hosting this songwriting workshop where there's no pressure from people having to pay to see you." Tickets were actually $18-24, with drinks around $9.) She, and the audience, would be better served by hiring a band around her.
It seems to me she may have been spoiled with too much early success, and may take the platform she has for granted. If you're lucky enough to have a great room like the Roxy sold out on a Sunday night, you have an obligation to Mach Schau, as the Beatles were instructed in Hamburg when they were around Nellie's age.
I did overall enjoy the show; I was just disappointed that a little more effort wasn't put into it. I think I'll wait and check back in on Nellie, if she's still around, sometime in the next decade, after she's matured a bit as a person and performer.
Frank Bob says Five stars out of Ten. Check her out if you're a fan, and it's cheap.
Lists: Top 100 Television Themes
Here's an evocative list. Timely, too, as I've been toying with the idea of putting together a band that ONLY plays TV theme and commercial music. Sadly, I think that band would get much more work than Ghost Town.
Here's my top-ten list of favorite theme songs, in roughly reverse order:
10. Muppet Show - just try not to smile.
9. Peter Gunn - toss-up between this and Hawaii 5-0, but it turns out this is much cooler.
8. Barney Miller - I'm a bass player, so this one's mandatory.
7. Six Feet Under - Thomas Newman's too brilliant.
6. Fat Albert - "Yeah, yeah, yeah, gonna have a good time!"
5. Mary Tyler Moore - This defines early 70s music to me.
4. Monkee's Theme - 60s version of the Muppet Show.
3. Rockford Files - Cooler than you remember. Lots of early synths and bass harmonica, and what more do you need?
2. Sanford & Son - Coolest thing on this list.
1. Twin Peaks - Just hauntingly beautiful, in a way that was different from anything that came before it, and much that has come since.
Here's my top-ten list of favorite theme songs, in roughly reverse order:
10. Muppet Show - just try not to smile.
9. Peter Gunn - toss-up between this and Hawaii 5-0, but it turns out this is much cooler.
8. Barney Miller - I'm a bass player, so this one's mandatory.
7. Six Feet Under - Thomas Newman's too brilliant.
6. Fat Albert - "Yeah, yeah, yeah, gonna have a good time!"
5. Mary Tyler Moore - This defines early 70s music to me.
4. Monkee's Theme - 60s version of the Muppet Show.
3. Rockford Files - Cooler than you remember. Lots of early synths and bass harmonica, and what more do you need?
2. Sanford & Son - Coolest thing on this list.
1. Twin Peaks - Just hauntingly beautiful, in a way that was different from anything that came before it, and much that has come since.
Saturday, March 12
Tim Burton for sale!
Well, not exactly. His ex, Lisa Marie, recently held what she described as a garage sale of "movie memorabilia" at her home in SoCal. The oddball couple, seen here in decidedly happier days, are apparently still on bad terms, as Mr. Burton's reps criticized the sell-off.
The pickings were pretty slim, as it turned out. The fans had to settle on "Planet of the Apes" posters and a chaise lounge from "Ed Wood."
Friday, March 11
Who Knew...
...that Jennifer Love Hewitt and I had so many common interests? (Well, two, anyway....)
Google artist speaks out
A fun Q&A with Dennis Hwang, the guy who does the modified Google renderings on special occasions.
Thursday, March 10
Let's See What's New in the World of Fragrance, Shall We?
One of the magazines my company publishes is for the cosmetics packaging industry. While working on their site this week, I became acquainted with some wonderfully misnamed fragrances on the market this year? Shall I share them with you? Yes.
First off is some gender dysphoria and inexplicable capitalization over at Adidas. They went with "addidas moves FRESH for Him" for their male scent, and "adidas Adrenaline Woman" for the fairer sex. Clearly, you would have to be one hell of a limp-wristed knobswallower (not that there's anything wrong with that) to purchase FRESH for Him, and I don't wish to go anywhere near Adrenaline Woman, at least not since she was kicked out of the Golden Age JSA.
While on the knobgobbling tip (so to speak) it's worth mentioning "HUMMER Fragrance for Men" and "Liquid Karl" by Karl Lagerfeld, who apparently swings both ways with his unisex parfum. I don't want no Liquid Karl on me.
On the distaff side, we have the improbably named "Anna Sui Dolly Girl Ooh La Love" and the more incompetently named "Eau de New York." Proposed tag-line: Nothing says "sexy" like the scent of street-vendor pretzels and bum urine.
Most of the rest of the silly perfumes are vanity products such as "Spirit Antonio Banderas" and "Donald Trump The Fragrance," which I'm sure is a major, major fragrance, world class. And for the ladies who want to smell like a world class skank, there's always "Paris Hilton."
Of course, none of these, uh, beat (get it?!) "Cumming - the Fragrance."
First off is some gender dysphoria and inexplicable capitalization over at Adidas. They went with "addidas moves FRESH for Him" for their male scent, and "adidas Adrenaline Woman" for the fairer sex. Clearly, you would have to be one hell of a limp-wristed knobswallower (not that there's anything wrong with that) to purchase FRESH for Him, and I don't wish to go anywhere near Adrenaline Woman, at least not since she was kicked out of the Golden Age JSA.
While on the knobgobbling tip (so to speak) it's worth mentioning "HUMMER Fragrance for Men" and "Liquid Karl" by Karl Lagerfeld, who apparently swings both ways with his unisex parfum. I don't want no Liquid Karl on me.
On the distaff side, we have the improbably named "Anna Sui Dolly Girl Ooh La Love" and the more incompetently named "Eau de New York." Proposed tag-line: Nothing says "sexy" like the scent of street-vendor pretzels and bum urine.
Most of the rest of the silly perfumes are vanity products such as "Spirit Antonio Banderas" and "Donald Trump The Fragrance," which I'm sure is a major, major fragrance, world class. And for the ladies who want to smell like a world class skank, there's always "Paris Hilton."
Of course, none of these, uh, beat (get it?!) "Cumming - the Fragrance."
Music News
Your wait is over: The soundtrack for Return to Waterloo has finally been released. Not that any of the 3 of 4 ingrates who read this blog have yet watched the video of this minor masterpiece since I sent it to them about a decade ago....
And here's a weird little record: Petra Haden (former violinist for that dog. and daughter of jazz bass legend Charlie Haden) doing an a capella rendition of The Who Sell Out Yup, the whole record, commercials and all.
And here's a weird little record: Petra Haden (former violinist for that dog. and daughter of jazz bass legend Charlie Haden) doing an a capella rendition of The Who Sell Out Yup, the whole record, commercials and all.
Wednesday, March 9
Grocery tourism? Yuk!
Upscale grocer Whole Foods is opening what USA Today describes as a food amusement park.
Just what we need: More "shoppers" jamming the narrow aisles while the rest of us try to get what's on our grocery list. I say, get in, get stuff and get out.
The problem is already bad enough without Whole Foods and others encouraging it. Our local store is clogged on weekends with glassy-eyed gawkers who don't even have a cart or basket. They're just looking, not buying. Why, I have no idea.
Say no to grocery store tourism!
Just what we need: More "shoppers" jamming the narrow aisles while the rest of us try to get what's on our grocery list. I say, get in, get stuff and get out.
The problem is already bad enough without Whole Foods and others encouraging it. Our local store is clogged on weekends with glassy-eyed gawkers who don't even have a cart or basket. They're just looking, not buying. Why, I have no idea.
Say no to grocery store tourism!
Killer croc caught!
"Much as the residents of Luganga wanted to kill the reptile after our rangers had captured it, it is our responsibility to protect it by removing it from that area and keeping it in a safe place," Uganda Wildlife Authority spokeswoman Lillian Nsubuga told Reuters.
Tuesday, March 8
Prefab Housing for Hermit Crabs
If this is a joke, it's a rather droll one. The only clues being the idea of selling corporate sponsorships on the synthetic shells, and this wonderful phrase, surely heretofore untyped in the history of man:
But God help me, that may be for reals.
We acknowledge that such trans-species caregiving may in fact be a form of control. In recognition of this paradox, the new structures are aesthetically based on the architecture of Giuseppe Terragni, an Italian Fascist active in the 1930s.
But God help me, that may be for reals.
Man Wins Tequilla-Drinking Contest
Sorta. (Note to self: withdraw from all scheduled tequilla-drinking contests.)
What's next?
Next, they'll be asking for the right to same sex marriage. And then, pushing to remove the requirement that both parties be amongst the living.
Monday, March 7
2005 Snow Sculpture Championships
I'm not too familiar with the materials used in this competition, but the sculptures are pretty cool.
Oh, OMFUG!
Legendary NYC club CBGB is behind on the rent and might close in August. Apparently, they are not selling enough aprons and shower curtains.
Sunday, March 6
'Chinese Democracy' slow in coming
The NYT has a fascinating story on Axl Rose and the hoped-for comeback (at least among execs at Geffen and other corporations) of Guns 'n' Roses. Alas, "Chinese Democracy" is now more than 10 years in the making, and production costs exceed $13 million.
Key excerpt:
"The 'Chinese Democracy' album is very close to being completed," Merck Mercuriadis, the chief executive officer of Sanctuary Group, which manages Mr. Rose, wrote in a recent statement. He added that other artists including Peter Gabriel and Stevie Wonder "have throughout their careers consistently taken similar periods of time without undeserved scrutiny as the world respects that this is what it can sometimes take to make great art."
Key excerpt:
"The 'Chinese Democracy' album is very close to being completed," Merck Mercuriadis, the chief executive officer of Sanctuary Group, which manages Mr. Rose, wrote in a recent statement. He added that other artists including Peter Gabriel and Stevie Wonder "have throughout their careers consistently taken similar periods of time without undeserved scrutiny as the world respects that this is what it can sometimes take to make great art."
Saturday, March 5
Friday, March 4
They sure are getting uppity up there
It worries me that I'm starting to appreciate, if not like, Canada and France.
I should warn you canucks, you may have moved up a few spots on the list, passing Syria and North Korea. Don't be surprised to hear the taunt "You really should have pitched in for that shield."
I should warn you canucks, you may have moved up a few spots on the list, passing Syria and North Korea. Don't be surprised to hear the taunt "You really should have pitched in for that shield."
Thursday, March 3
Wednesday, March 2
The Most Disturbing Thing....
that I've seen in quite some time. I have no idea if this would be considered safe for work. Or humans.
Ow! She's a Superstring! Superstring! She's Superstringy....
The coolest science article you'll read today. If you're a lot smarter than me, you may even understand it.
Maggots, hippos attack!
A woman in south Florida says her fast-food meal included maggots. Meanwhile, a hippopotamus has killed a tourist in Kenya.
Tuesday, March 1
Sen. Stevens: Pay TV should comply with indecency regs
Here's a senator who doesn't get it. The broadcasting spectrum, because it is a limited resource, is considered a public property, and therefor subject to community standards that it be used in the public interest. Cable and satellite transmissions happen over private networks which don't impinge on anyone's ability to create their own private broadcasts. If the government has the right to censor private networks, they have the right to censor books, magazines, public speech, internet communications, &c.
Oh, wait. Maybe Senator Stevens does get all that.
F*&k.
Oh, wait. Maybe Senator Stevens does get all that.
F*&k.
High Court Ends Death Penalty for Youths
Cousin Vinny rejoices, as Bush mutters under his breath about "activist judges."
Today in Beatles History, pt. 63
Interesting, previously untold story about producing A Hard Day's Night.
Happy birthday, Roger Daltrey!
The Who frontman and part-time historian, seen here in his solo days from the 1980s, turns 61 today.
Also blowing out candles: Little Ronnie Howard of Mayberry and concealed baldness fame, and Catherine "Daisy Duke" Bach.
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