Celeb Sighting!

Michael Imperioli exited a benefit at the Rubin Museum of Art just as my sister and I were walking by. A small group of people waiting for him ran in front of us and had him sign their Sopranos scripts.

Some Dusty Dump

They were very good dreamers, very good dreamers, which is mostly what my dusty Midwest is all about. The land that time forgot. It produces a lot of great minds that revolutionize, it really does, the Midwest of America. Pete Townsend says something nice about that. He says it must be really difficult for a bright person in the Midwest because you don't have a London or a New York City that can provide you with fresh input, that can rub against you and rub off any illusions. In New York you learn who you are just by learning who you're not. It takes away your illusions. If you're really good at anything in a big city there are thousands of people better at it than you are; whereas in some dusty dump like Ann Arbor, Michigan, the lowest of geniuses is easily the best mind in town -- Superman in a small pond.

Gunnin' For That #1 Spot

I really don't want to overshadow Jane's post, but I thought I'd share a bit of my life lately. I got an internship at a film production/distribution company that is putting out a movie about 8 of the top high school basketball players of 2006, many of whom are now playing in the NCAA and one of whom is slated to be the top draft pick for the NBA this year (Mike Beasley). It's directed by Adam Yauch aka MCA of the Beastie Boys.

There's no trailer yet, but here's a "first look" at the film, focusing on Kevin Love of UCLA, currently in the throws of March Madness. You can also "fan" our facebook page, which is under my jurisdiction as intern extraordinaire/facebook master.

"i will eat you alive if you don't hold me back..."

this post is to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the death of claude francois and the fact that it just took me an hour and a half to figure out how to post a youtube video. claude francois died by changing a light bulb in his bathtub. no joke. i'm a little late -- he died on march 11th.

Ephemeral

A look at the cutting edge web of 1995.

I always like to remember that some day the computer
I'm using will look like an Apple II.

Gates McFadden / Get Out The Tape

Hey everyone,
Joel released a new album. Check out the AvE site to get it free.
http://artsvsentertainment.blogspot.com/

Russian Hockey Super Brawl

It's still going on today.

Korean Central News Agency Report

Kim Jong Il Again Sends Lot of Honey to Pyongyang Maternity Hospital

Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- People are again touched to hear the legend about the honey sent by General Secretary　Kim Jong Il with profound loving care to the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital which the Korean women call "their parents' home."
This long-standing legend dates back to the time he began sending a lot of honey to the above-said hospital with his constant profound care for the promotion of the health of the Korean women and children.
He recently sent the hospital several tons of wild honey for women in childbed and hundreds of kilograms of rare honey tonics including honey of royal jelly, honey of Crataegus pinnatifida, honey of Epimedium koreanum, honey of Schizandra chinensis highly efficacious for the treatment of the female disorder.
The total amount of wild honey and honey tonics sent by him to the hospital in more than 50 installments since its opening reached more than a hundred and dozens of tons. This touching story has been conveyed as a legend singing of the noble personality of Kim Jong Il who has shown profound care for the health of the women.
The medical workers and women there were moved to tears to receive again those wild honey and honey tonics, the things which had been presented to the leader by people with their best wishes for his health.
The above-said legend in the era of Songun will be handed down to posterity as a story deeply touching all those who devote themselves to the building of a great prosperous powerful nation.

Segway Polo

Let's organize a league.

My Balls Are Huge!

I've been having an average of one interview per week here in DC. This seemed apropos. I love the shift manager part.

Goro Promo

Gorilla vs. Leopard

After 1:23-ish it becomes a lot less entertaining. Before that it is pure gold.

DVN Episode 8: "Cockblocked!"

Hey all, here is a longer episode to counter the last one. Enjoy!
Episode 8: "Cockblocked!" from Dax Visits Nicole on Vimeo.

For those who miss it...

Philippines warns 'crucifixion bad for health'

I should have posted this on Good Friday, but I guess it's still topical:

"Philippine health officials Wednesday warned people taking part in Easter crucifixions and self-flagellation rituals to get a tetanus shot first and sterilise the nails to avoid infections. [...]
"The department of health issued a health warning advising people taking part in the rituals this Friday to have tetanus shots and to check the condition of the whip they will use before lashing their backs.
It warned that dirty whips could lead to tetanus and other infections. [...]
"The health department has also warned that the six-inch (15-centimetre) nails used in crucifixions should be sterilised."

Link here

Peeps Big Bird

Happy Easter!

Happy Birthday to Fred McFeely Rogers

It is Mr. Rogers' birthday today, and Justin shared this video with me. It's from 1969, when he went before the senate to defend funding for public television.

The Whaling Video Game

Greg, the whaling video game was your idea. I thought it was mine. But's it's not.

Chris, the whaling video game was Greg's idea. Not mine. I'm sorry.

But it seems someone has beaten us to the punch!

According to witnesses, a loud black man approached a crowd of some 4,000 strangers in downtown Chicago Tuesday and made repeated demands for change.

Black Guy Asks Nation For Change

CHICAGO—Some residents reported seeing the black guy waving wildly and quoting from the Bible, while others said they spotted him shouting about global warming.

Red Light Radio Show

My friend Vince's concert group, Red Light, will be playing a show today at noon on Louisville radio. If you'd like to tune in, go here and listen to the live stream.

Dry English musical humour.

This is how much of a nerd I was in middle school/early high school (and up to the present day, now that I think about it): I really liked Flanders & Swann, and this is probably their best song. I had no idea there was video of them, but Youtube has shown me some wonderful things. Pay attention to the lyrics; they are quite clever.

Irish Jigs in MIDI

Crazy Glenn

The Pogues - Waxie's Dargle

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

joe

just a shout out to those of you living in new york:
my brother joe is having a reading of his poetry/prose on friday, april 11th at pete's candy store in brooklyn at 7:00. i just got off the phone with him and he would love to see any of you there if that sort of stuff interests you.
in the meantime, keep truckin'.

nebraska?

Recent FOI Show.

Yeah...it was really loud. And yeah, that guy is plugging his ears.

Golf in Pyongyang

"A South Korean tour group is in talks with hermit North Korea to take golfers to one of the world's most exclusive courses where legend has it Dear Leader Kim Jong-il made history by shooting 11 holes-in-one. [...]
North Korea's official media has described the holes as "diverse and peculiar in styles." [...]
"During breaks, golfers enjoy collecting plants, boating and angling in the picturesque recreation ground," [...]
At his famed round, novice golfer Kim reportedly shot about 20 strokes lower than best round ever for a professional event over 18 holes."

Link here.

Ballot Art

This page has some funny examples of how Russian voters made the best of a presidential election in which there really wasn't much of a choice. Instead of checking a ballot box, they drew cartoons or wrote messages on them. This is my favorite, expressing support for Putin's dog Koni:More here.

MACHO MAN RANDY SAVAGE

ohh YEAH

Hmm?

Creepy Argentine Gnome

Mountains & Rainbows

Heard a good band on WCBN's Belle Isle to Eight Mile show. The song "Knock Me Out" is my favorite; "Lester's Way" reminds me of The Fall's "Spector Vs. Rector" -- so I like that one, too.

Over the Years...

Cynical Pop Culture Blog

On "The Wire":
"Though white people have a natural aversion to television, there are some exceptions. For white people to like a TV show it helps if it is: critically acclaimed, low-rated, shown on premium cable, and available as a DVD box set.

The latter is important so that white people can order it from Netflix and tell their friends “they are really into (insert series) and I watched ten episodes in a row in the weekend. I’m almost caught up.”

If you attempt to talk about an episode they have not seen yet, they will scream and cover their ears. In white culture, giving away information about a film or TV series is considered as rude as spitting on your mothers grave. It is an unforgivable offense."

This one really hits home:
"Being in graduate school satisfies many white requirements for happiness. They can believe they are helping the world, complain that the government/university doesn’t support them enough, claim they are poor, feel as though are getting smarter, act superior to other people, enjoy perpetual three day weekends, and sleep in every day of the week!"
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/

Garfield Minus Garfield

I was a Garfield fan as a kid. Anders Lindquist, my childhood friend, was an even bigger fan. Once, I checked a Garfield book out from the library, and had it for over a year but was never asked to pay late fines, and eventually the book vanished from the face of the earth. Then, one day, I went to the library with my dad and sister, and a person dressed in a Garfield costume was standing outside greeting other kids. I immediately felt ashamed and guilt-ridden, and even feared retribution -- that the person in the Garfield suit somehow knew about the missing book and would upbraid me for my abuse of the public library's covenant -- but I slipped by unnoticed. I still feel guilty.

Here's a website that removes Garfield from the panels. Jon was my favorite character, anyway.

DVN Episode 7: "Yo, dudes, my friend Nicole lives around here and I think she has exactly what we're looking for."

Episode 7: "Yo, dudes, my friend Nicole lives around here and I think she has exactly what we need." from Dax Visits Nicole on Vimeo.

A very short episode.

Special Guests: Tristan Dreisbach as "Tristan," Eddie Fletcher as "Eddie," Brian Wiers as "Brian"

Music: "Silent Trade" by Bear Mountain Picnic.

ALSO there is a new feature on facebook which we are taking advantage of, check out the awesome video quality. If you have facebook, consider "becoming a fan" of DVN.

Sarah takes a walk down memory lane

Dax, your video made me remember some foreign language pop hits from my past... I'd never seen the videos before, but oh my

french arabic 80s pop hit?



way too sexy creepy latina mermaid mudpit?




ew, watch 15 year old girls make out

Tracy Morgan does WGN morning show.

SCSF Blowout 2008 - The Album

Everyone:

Arts Vs Entertainment & company proudly present the super rare lo-fi bootleg of the SCSF Blowout 2008 concert featuring Goro, Fields of Industry & the Make-Out Kings!!!


See the release post on the AvE site.

Pick and choose your songs to download at the album's page on last.fm here.

Or download the album in its entirety (including some songs FoI played that we can't put on last.fm) here.

Yep.

New Nick Cave (WTF?!)

Nil Karaibrahimgil - Bu Mudur

I watched a lot of PowerTurk, the Turkish pop channel, during my stay with Paul. There was a lot of crap, but I liked this song. It helps that the singer has a quirkiness/sweetness/vulnerability to her that I'm a sucker for.

Three Things

Three things affected the General from the very beginning. One was that Agustín had the watch, made of gold and precious gems, sent to him by his father as he stood at the wall where they shot him, which he wore on a chain around his neck so that no one could doubt how much he honored him. Another was the candor with which he told him that his father, dressed in rags so he would not be recognized by the guards at the port, had been betrayed by the elegance with which he rode a horse. The third was how he sang.

Drunk History

I think this is pretty funny. Michael Cera's in it:

There are also two about Ben Franklin featuring Jack Black.

Mush!

This past Saturday Josh and I visited some friends in Lowell, MI. Here are some photos of us dog sledding. We didn't do anything too ambitious, just rode back and forth in the woods. Still, it was pretty exciting. Its amazing to me how much the dogs seemed to enjoy it. The little husky puppy, named Cello, is too small to pull the sled. She would throw a tantrum whenever the bigger dogs took off.

IRON DUKES

Graham, I remember you mentioning at one time that you would enjoy a game based on whaling, and while this is not really the same thing, it has a salty feel that I thought you would appreciate. Iron Dukes has recently won the best web game at the Independent Games Festival. While it is essentially a casual game, much like the recent wave of shitty popcap titles, this one makes up for it by having an unusually witty writing style. The various item descriptions are what truly make this worthy of posting. This is only a demo, but it seems likely that we'll be seeing a finished product sometime in the near future due to its popularity.

IRON DUKES

Breathe Owl Breathe - Playing Dead

Kind of funny, this band showed up on Pitchfork. I saw them here in Brooklyn a while ago when Yoni Goldstein blew into town following them on tour. I remember liking this song, too.

Tiny Toons - Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Turkish Vacation

I just got back from visiting Paul in Istanbul. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Viewing an Alevi (Whirling Dervish) ceremony. By spinning in circles they believe they reach a transcendent state and getting closer to God. The effect of their fluttering robes in combination with the music was hypnotic.
2. Going to a hamam (Turkish bath). I didn't get the extra treatment, but I had a lot of fun soaping myself up and rubbing my muscles.
3. Walking through the old Greek and Jewish quarter, which are now conservative areas. First time I'd been surrounded by women in burkas.
4. Museums: carpets, calligraphy, and Ottoman opulence.
5. Holy Places: Byzantine churches, mosque-a-mania.
6. Food: a steady diet of lamb and yogurt in various incarnations.
7. Music: sedate Turkish folk, Roma-esque "fasil", an Ottoman military band.
8. Tranny Ho's in Paul's neighborhood.

Greg

Hit me up at: fieldsofindustry@gmail.com and let's talk about June. Yeah?

Have you seen these?

Barack Obama is your new bicycle
it's pretty cute.

But even better, because you can submit your own and also because it's hilarious:
Hillary is mom jeans

Feeling Very Strange

This is my last semester of classwork at the big CU, and I decided to try and take a class outside of the film department. I was lucky enough to weasel my way into a seminar in the Creative Writing Division called "Feeling Very Strange."

This class is taught by a woman named Kelly Link. I randomly read one of her books last year, which is a collection of short stories called, "Magic for Beginners." I really liked the book, especially the short story that the title comes from. Kelly is also a publisher, who I gather primarily saves obscure fantasy/sci-fi/horror books from obscurity.

Here's a link to her personal website: kellylink.net
And here's a link to her press: Small Beer Press

The class is about stories where someone or something transforms - we're reading classic sci-fi, haunted house stories, and a lot of the books fall into a literary subgenre, which I didn't know about before I heard about Kelly, called "Slipstream Fiction." The basic idea of Slipstream is it's authors who use tried-and-true genres - vampires, detectives, cowboys, aliens - and put some strange spin on it that makes it transcend the subjects' pulpiness. Here's the wiki on it: link.

Although this seems like kind of a catch-all title, it's cool to think about how these authors are playing with this stuff. And although it's not super-groundbreaking as far as the future of American letters, they sound a lot like what happens in good movies, where genres are taken very seriously.

The first book we read was called "Thirsty." It was a young adult novel about a teenager who starts going through puberty and at the same time realizes that he's turning into a vampire. It would make a totally awesome movie (I actually might see if I could adapt it some time in the next couple years).

And two weeks ago we read this monolithic clusterfuck of a science fiction novel, Dhalgren. I can't actually recommend this book to anyone - it's an 800 page sort-of sci-fi from the 1970's with lots of stream-of-conscious passages, clinical sex scenes (straight, gay, menage), and no real plot to speak of whatsoever. But it was unlike anything I'd come across before and I'm proud that I got through it.

I'll keep you posted if any of the other books are cool. Maybe I'll type up the syllabus or something.

Forgive this especially "bloggy" post, I hadn't posted anything in a while so I thought it would be cool to write about what I've been up to. I'd be interested to hear about other classes or books you guys have been doing/reading.

Found footage music videos (The Swedes do it best)

I saw this video today and was really digging it. In addition to it being a very good Justin-and-Tricia-dance-mix type song, the video uses footage from some an old religious rally in a very cool way. My favorite parts are the woman rocking out while she's feeling the spirit, and also the way they cut up the speaker to make him look like he's singing the song.

The Books did a whole DVD of this kind of thing. Nic and I saw them live and they had all these awesome chopped up home videos that they played perfectly in sync with the songs.

Here's one of them:


And then there's the Ramona Bopper video, which was made with home movies my great-grandparents shot in the 1920's, which you guys have probably checked out already but what the heck.

The Uses of the Word 'Shoah'

The Israeli deputy defense minister, Matan Vilnai, told army radio that Israel would respond to escalation and that “we will not shy away from any action” to halt the rocket fire on Israeli civilians. He called Hamas leaders irresponsible, and said they knew that “by intensifying the rocket fire and extending their reach they are bringing onto themselves a worse catastrophe, as we will use all means to defend ourselves,” including a major ground operation.

Mr. Vilnai used the Hebrew word “shoah,” meaning catastrophe or holocaust, and rarely used for anything other than the Nazi extermination of the Jews.

NYT (3.1.08)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/01/world/middleeast/01mideast.html?fta=y

Quote of the Day

"It seems the world is too large for one emperor, but too small for only two."
-Selim the Grim

Lifesavas

Klaus Pierre