Thursday, January 24, 2002
Immaculately Manicured Amnesiac May Be Euro-Trash Porn Star.

Le TVA from Quebec always gives me a headache, I can't keep up with their news but I like their commercials.

Heroes Among Us, an exhibition of the original Marvel comics art work from the 'Heroes' series can be seen on view at the New York City Fire Museum, (278 Spring St. down in SoHo.) the promotional poster with Captain America is amazing.
8:24 PM :

I realized today that I have 4 alarm clocks staggered at different intervals to awaken my ass out of bed in the morning. This wasn't a conscious decision, but an accidental overdose of a.m. arousal, that works great for me. Two sport watches with low pulsing blips begin the arrangement, a timex indi-glo complete with buzzer starts in and last but not least, the radio alarm, set to an ambient adult contemporary smooth jazz station as not to disturb my still waking brain. Can't I get a call from the front desk? If all else fails giant black lab staring into your face wanting food is a guarantee, damn those dogs are like clockwork! Shower, shave monkey suit time blah blah blah blah...

Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson's story of the estranged family of child prodigies, The Royal Tenenbaums, pays a quick but hilarious hommage to one of my favorite childhood reads; 'From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. I guess someone else thought running away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art was a fantastic idea as well. Oh, you 'so want' the school library bound edition with the shiny Newberry Medal and lovely pen and ink drawings.

Todd Colby edits the Marvelous 'Heights of the Marvelous A New York Anthology'. Even though it's nearly two years old, it's a great find and an even better read. From Todd Colby anthologist;
'Putting together an anthology is like gathering poets into an artificial corner of the universe and taking their picture-with plenty of wonderful things happening outside the frame as well. But our attention, at least for now, should be on what's been framed here. With that in mind, I hope that I've compiled here from the nooks and crannies (and spotlights) of the city will serve, at the very least, to give the reader some idea of the endless possibilities and wide variety of writing that's going on in the microcosm called New York City. Mostly the book is like racing in your car with your eyes closed, clutching onto the steering wheel, exciting, fast, furious, which means it's one hell of an exhilarating ride.

While not an Anthologizer full time, Todd does find time to be in several Anthologies (Aloud Voices From the NuYorican Poet's Cafe and Verses That Hurt) and author several tasty and enticing books (Ripsnort, Cush, Riot In The Charm Factory). He also teaches classes at the poetry project at the St. Mark's Church and belongs to the rather tight knit group of Germ's fans that prefer 'Ritchie Dagger's Crime' to 'Forming'.

And crawling on the planet's face
Some insects called the human race
Lost in time, and lost in space
And meaning...Richard O'Brian
(Super Heroes..From Rocky Horror Picture Show)
Some of the best illustrators work at Marvel comics, they created the excellent Heroes series to benefit the victims of the Sept.11th attacks. The term Superhero is redefined in this stunning collection of metaphorical illustrations which richly portrays all elements of bravery, with fictitious and non fictitious Super heroes.

'What kind of a people do they think we are?' Churchill asked after Pearl Harbor. Bin Laden & Co. also got more than they bargained for says John Lewis Gaddis
7:43 AM :

Wednesday, January 23, 2002
Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain. I know my new math mister, I'm on to you and all of those p�pular p�rn fancying N�rwegian beats, R�yksopp, indeed! It's a virtual audio-paragon. Not since Aha! have we had such an invasion. Tell� is my whinge pop electronica disco biscuit jungle ambient cd-rom happening choice of the year. I wear my Kings of Convenience to wander around St. Germain de Pres. Perhaps you should too!

Language is a virus. Joseph Epstein writes in the vocabula review...'The word downsizing, both an excuse and not a very happy euphemism for firing people, needs, I have decided, a mate: UPSIZING.' Well Joe, aren't we taught that 'bigger is better'? I'm not buying 'little things mean alot' and I'm certainly NOT a size queen, only when it comes to coffee, perhaps and umm, chin up, not bad for a Dunkin' Donuts man.
12:14 PM :

Tuesday, January 22, 2002
Jockohomo Now With 25% More Meat!

Madonna, Paltrow and Clinton? Shit shockers, it's a Glamazonian Gorgon!

'Side by side they sat, a publicist's wildest fantasy. There was Gwyneth Paltrow, a pipe-cleaner in a halter neck. There was Madonna, betraying a touch of the Joan Crawfords in limousine-black shades and Dracula-white concealer - the look of a woman who refers to herself in the third person. But it was the final member of the improbable trinity who harnessed the most attention. No sooner had the shock of seeing Chelsea Clinton out of context subsided, than the impact of how she looked delivered another power surge.'

I hope that actress, writer, musician, performance artist Ann Magnuson tours with/or films her show 'Rave Mom'. I could really go for a show that begins with Ann dropping a whopper hit of ecstasy at Circus/Circus in Las Vegas circa 1999 and culminates in a climax at the Burning Man Festival. In between she hits on some major PLUR at a candy rave held at an abandoned Roller Rink in Reseda, California, where she has an epiphany.

Don't judge a book by its cover, then again, maybe you should. American Hardcore: A Tribal History by Steven Blush is a bitchy no holds barred backbiting read about the history of the hardcore scene in the United States, 1980-1986. Interesting concept and the first book to document the scene on a national level. Unfortunately the book is divided up into chapters based on different regional scenes and makes no attempt to present any sort of chronology. Confusing for some, comfortable for those familiar with the topic. The interviews are interesting and Blush certainly did his research; everyone from Black Flag to No Trend is covered. The authors narrative voice is distracting and does little to lend a cohesive structure which advances the book BUT it is no less fascinating. What started out as a bunch of youthful 'pissed off' kids ultimately self distructs, take no prisoners, those who moved on gained success while some are just presented as hapless aging victims. Excellent discography (Vinyl and Cassette only) included as well as a virtual storehouse of imagery. Hmmm Fun.

Just for shits and giggles, a daily word list- Gangshower Blowjob, Handjob, Bucolic, Booby Trap, Bombastic, Booby Hatch, Boo Hoo, Borax, Cycloid, Giant Cyclops, Cyclomate, Cubic, Q-bert, Quisp, Kerplunk, Cyrano-dela Bergerac, Shock Treatments R' Go Go and finally Makeup Maven.

Things you are unlikely to hear in rural Ohio. No kids in the back of the pickup; it's just not safe.
4:42 PM :

Monday, January 21, 2002
My new addiction, on continous play, please file under RE-search, incredibly strange music compilations; 'The Langley Schools Music Project-Innocence and Dispair'. Recorded 30 years ago in an elementary school gymnasium in Langley, British Columbia. Music teacher Hans Fenger organized the sing along with the choir and recorded this collection of classic seventies rock songs on a two track tape deck. The students accompany themselves with the shimmering gamelan chimes of Orff percussion, and elemental rock trimmings. Selections include David Bowie's 'Space Oddity' and the Carpenter's 'Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft'. So fabulously atmospheric and strange, I am completely mesmerized! Available at Amazon and fine independent record sellers everywhere.

Just a few notes, glad to see Robert Altman win a Best Director Golden Globe for 'Gosford Park', the mystery was a great structure for ordering Altman's ensemble cast and pacing. At the awards ceremony Altman had Dame Maggie Smith on one side and Ryan Phillippe on the other, talk about a fag's dream, the bitch and the boy! I hate MTV and VH1 but enjoy their trashy expos� programs on punk rock, what they know about the topic could fill a very tiny sock filled with manure. Malcolm McLaren as always a great interview, never at a loss for comments on his Sex Pistols, and I'm paraphrasing; 'I wanted some sexy assassins, I wanted them to sound like sexy assassins of pop culture'. Damn brilliant.
11:56 AM :

Sunday, January 20, 2002
Cooper-Hewitt's (Flash-Forward) Russel Wright Exhibition rewards with beeps, as you keyboard click your options in a design that innovates an innovator. I'm not sure what I am more enchanted by, the Pavlovian navigational system or the spun Aluminum? Russel Wright is the visionary artist who pioneered the 'Cult of the Home' a fusion of modern design and domestic practicality in the household, he brought his innovative design to the public at an affordable price. Good Design is for Everyone! Hail his innate design roundness and affordable prices at Ebay.

A hot pic of my new boyfriend.

The mix is all yours to take on the chin the Sundayland hours that pour over the wake-ups. You tell the story of best laid plans to stir late and linger long. You wear car alarms like a badge grinning the swing out of bed stumble into the kitchen dance. Away from the books and words that seem to bore you to tears these days. Running your fingers over the cold metallic stamp of the dinette revealing the words 'UTILATWIN 1949' plastac Formica wear. That coffee exhales the warm breath of swirling smoke and steam from preset factory settings. Does Mr.Coffee know that his modern machinery grunts and gurgles, painting the luminous morning with decorative entrails. Fabrication does not equal illumination but everything that rises must converge.

Perhaps the following entries should be titled 'Ode to Hellacious Week', or when to hit disengage. Hold your breath until you pass out is a defense mechanism, roll around and feign seizure is a defense mechanism, too bad that a Med-Vac vertical lift helicopter clips a nearby building and drops out of the sky seconds before you are to start your presentation and 'duck and cover' comes to mind...I have no defense mechanism for that event.
10:29 AM :