Dan Mitsui has quit his day job to focus on making art full-time. Below is his St. Michael ($96).
Archives for July 2010
Today in Porn, Cultural Icon Edition
July 30, 2010 by at 3:43 pm
“Hefner’s legacy is more complicated: He helped create a world in which white people by the millions were willing to vote for Barack Hussein Obama, and one in which all teenagers have not merely heard of anal intercourse but have seen it performed. By midgets. In Croatia. He dreamed of a nation set free from generations of Puritanical repression. But American freedom so often degenerates into slimy Burger King self-parody, covered with dubious condiments. Now Hugh Hefner is an 80-something dude in pajamas who until recently cohabited with identical twins named Karissa and Kristina.”
The New Creation Too Much for Queen of the (Un)Dead?
July 30, 2010 by at 2:34 pm
Ye Gods
July 29, 2010 by at 5:31 pm
Seriously? A movie in which a Norse God is cast out of heaven for bringing war? Hello, Valhalla? For these people, heaven is war. Eesh.
Today in Whatever, You Can Never Teach Them Too Young Edition
July 29, 2010 by at 5:02 pm
July 27, 2010 by at 7:10 am
July 27, 2010 by at 6:43 am
Chestios
July 27, 2010 by at 6:26 am
That was the word verification thing that popped up when I commented on the Gerasene Writer’s Conference blog just now. Speaking of which, how’s that going? How about some live correspondence? And how are the chestios? (Which reminds me of George Carlin’s joke about tits sounding like a snack food. What would C-Dub have to say about that?)
From the YouTube Music Video Archives: I Don’t Worry About a Thing by Mose Allison
July 25, 2010 by at 2:41 am
Someone recently uploaded Allison’s PBS special from the 1970s, and every song featured is well worth hearing – because they are great tunes, but also because there are some interesting versions among them. This is one of Allison’s better known songs, with some fearsome jamming on the piano that I don’t remember from the original recording.
I first heard of Allison when Van Morrison made an album of his songs called Tell Me Something back in 1996 (the song I was taken with back, Benediction, is well worth a listen). A lot of famous musicians have given a shout out to Allison, even if they don’t record an entire album of his songs. He’s also popped up in a few movies: in The Score (a decent sting movie with Robert De Niro and Edward Norton) I was happy to spot him noodling away on the keyboard during a scene in a Montreal jazz club. Young Man Blueshas become a standard for The Who, including this version from Live at Leeds, still easily recognizable as an Alison tune through Daltrey’s vocals. Even better is this version from Chicago in 1979 – not so easily recognizable as an Allison tune at this point.
Bob Dylan had this to say about Mose Allison when introducing Lost Mind for one of his Theme Time Radio Hour shows:
“Here’s a man that some call the William Faulkner of jazz. Now I’ve got to tell you, I’ve heard this guy play since the 60s, and I’ve never heard anybody call him the William Faulkner of jazz. But there it is in a book. I mean, somebody just wrote that; I can’t imagine anyone calling him the William Faulkner of jazz! I mean that would be like calling Garnet Mimms the Gabriel Garcia Marquez of soul music. It’s just not done. I’m getting excited over nothin’, let me just play the record. By the way, I consider William Faulkner to be the Mose Allison of literature. Here they are, together again, Mose Allison and William Faulkner, singing the Percy Mayfield song ‘Lost Mind.’”
As I said, they’re all worth listening to, but if you aren’t familiar with Allison you’ll want to hear Your Mind Is On Vacation. And here is a fine song, I’m Alright, from his latest album The Way of the World, released earlier this year. It’s a great song, he sounds great, and the man just turned 82 years old.
If this life is driving you to drink / Sitting round what’s the use what to think / Well I’ve got some consolation / Give it to you if I might / You know I don’t worry about a thing because / Nothing’s gonna turn out right
July 24, 2010 by at 10:54 am
Thanks, children’s book!
July 23, 2010 by at 3:22 pm
Chalk one up for the belief that because a thing is old, it must be toothless. (Sort of like when the DJ at a party for kids fires up “Sex and Candy.) Yes, it’s worthwhile to note that Goya got very sick, and painted some strange things after he recovered. But did you have to use The Witches’ Sabbath as an example? So that, on the way to Mass, my daughter starts asking me why there are dead babies hanging from a pole in the background?
It’s On!
July 22, 2010 by at 8:59 pm
The Soul of a Lioness vs. The Catholic Lenny Bruce….
America (of all places – guess everyone likes a good fight) has the summary here.
Shudder Speed
July 22, 2010 by at 4:10 pm
All day I’ve been looking at our past presence
In pictures: but now light’s absence develops
In pictures: but now light’s absence develops
Love’s negative and, like a dark room, absorbs
Us both: from our first fresh chromatic words
We’ve become more vulnerable to light, awash
With light, an echo-flash of light – overexposed.
Shutter Speed
July 22, 2010 by at 5:47 am
This looks like a fun contest.
Might I suggest that picture of Mrs. Lickona giving suckle?
Congratulations to Shakiib Abdi Abukor