otherStuff
the blues in L.A.
Wednesday, November 24th, 2004 | otherStuff | No Comments
hey, i havent done a review of any kind for a while
…so how bout these apples?
…went to a joint called ‘babe’s & ricky’s inn’ in the leimert park neighborhood, [does L.A. have neighborhoods like chicago's got neighborhoods? ...not quite], last monday nite to hear some blues
…i’d been hearing it is THE place in los angeles for the blues & even tho there was not a ‘name’ act booked, [as mondays are open-mic/jam session nite], i was not in the least dissappointed in the talent on the stage …the cordial ‘mama laura’ who has run this club in one location or another since i was still in diapers sat at the door taking the cover charge & greeting patrons …at her her request i pulled the door shut behind me so as to not let in the chill …older ladies are not the only ones who think that 58 degrees is ‘cold’ in southern california,
& i had to laugh as other patrons came in all bundled in down & scarves & gloves & overcoats …dont none of these folks know nuthin ’bout the hawk that rips thru chicago this time a year, & if youre cryin about the cold in november, you better get movin’ south quick like, cause you aint even gonna LIVE to see february …those that survive a chicago winter have EARNED spring …so there we all were, outta the ‘cold’, diggin the blues, all kinda folks up in there, very friendly atmosphere …then 10:30 rolls around & they lay out a buffet table w/greens & black eyed peas & hot links in bar-b-q sauce, & hush puppys & potato salad & fried chicken …it was all so good i didnt have time to think ‘yo, wheres the catfish?’ …its one plate to a customer, but dig this: the spread is figured into the $8 cover charge! …the blues & a soul-food dinner for $8?!?! …hotdamn! …you know i’m goin back to this place next monday, next monday, & three or four months a mondays after that
…& if alla this wasnt enuff; the highlight of the evening was after supper, when ms. micky champion stood up & started singing the blues …she didnt have to take the stage to grab your attention, she just started beltin, it out while walking amoungst the jaw-dropped patrons, filling the room wall-to-wall w/her voice, [that has been accurately described as 'a cross between a smooth shot of hennesy's & an acetylene torch'] …shes got to be pushin hard on 70yrs old, & all of five foot nothin’, [aint as big as a minute, as my mama would say], but she OWNED that room & had no trouble showing alla the folks up in there how itzzupposed to be done w/out even picking up the microphone! …she sang the low-down, rowdy, bawdy blues, but then she took us to church too for a minute, singing about how jesus has his eye on the sparrow, & you know he’s watchin over alla yall too …we got 5 or 6 times the cover charge’s worth of entertainment on that ‘cold’ blue monday, & you will see me there again & again
don Vito Bush
Wednesday, November 10th, 2004 | otherStuff | No Comments
oh sure , we’re all high on hope & shit now, but 4years or so ago things were bleak & dizzying …here’s where i took it
hell, i dont even care …i’ve never, ever seen any freeking politician i fully trusted or felt came even close to representing me & in this latest carnival, [dont play the games at carnivals folks; they're rigged], the canidates seemed more than ever like 2 sides of the same coin …but in the end, i couldnt help but wonder;
why did he concede?
…picture this scenario:
its maybe 2 nites before the election …the senator is just about to turn in after clicking off the t.v. …he has been watching a news program that states that the electorial college & the general populace are split fairly evenly down the middle …he allows himself a smile & drains his glass & prepares to don his p.j.’s …he receives a phone call on his private line, which puzzles him a little because his wife is in the bathroom flossing …who would be calling on THAT phone at THIS hour?
…must be bad news, family crisis, something
…a voice w/a faint texas accent tells him to lissin close, then states that certain individuals are in possesion of a big black bag of,
[insert incriminating, digitally enhanced evidence &/or embarassing documents or footage regarding private life, or public service here],
& that this heinous information will be made public, crippling his career, &/or destroying his marrige, &/or reputation, &/or whatever,
…unless:
in the event of a an extremly close, blistering-hotly contested out come, that looks like it might even rival the 2000 election,
he just concedes
…thus taking the heat offa, & diverting attention away from any inproprities regarding blood-related elected officials in swing states, controversies regarding electronic voting machines manufactored by companies tied to top administration officials, or any of those messy supreme court election awarding shennanigans in the past
…is this some wacky conspiracy theory pulled outta thin air? …you bet! …does it seem more plausible than the conceding of a man who pledged that he was ‘ready to fight’ against an administartion full of bullies & fixers? …yeah, that too
We Have Poisoned Ourselves
Monday, September 13th, 2004 | otherStuff | No Comments
guess i was feelin’ kinda punk rock the nite i came up w/this digi-collage
…anyway, i’m back on meds now, so everything should smooth out
peace or what?
Thursday, August 26th, 2004 | otherStuff | No Comments
is there a difference between a peace statement & an anti-war statement?
should there be?
bukowski bio/documentary
Friday, June 11th, 2004 | otherStuff | No Comments
for me the best part about the bukowski bio/documentary, “born into this”, was finally seeing buk talking on film from the mid-to late 60s, all thru the 70’s & on tape in the 80’s & 90’s …one doesn’t come away from the theatre knowing anything new or unsung about the bard, but it is a treat to watch & hear him SAY the things one has read so often …hearing his voice for the first time i was struck by how nasal & whiney it was …i had always expected a gruff, throaty, tom waits-like timbre, but hank’s voice is more of a smashed-up drawl, that sounds inexplicably southern or okie at times …altho it’s probably safe to say that he never once makes an entirely sober appearance at any point in the film, many times in this film he is self-conscious, that is; aware of the fact that he is nailing his myth up firmly in place for posterity …in a few places he seems to actually let his guard down entirely, & that coupled w/his “5 or 6 bottles of wine” drunken stupor can be a truly ugly sight, (his physical & verbal abuse of linde lee in one scene particularly so)
…the film itself is little more than a moderately stylish pastiche of filmed interviews by european journalists & video tapes of readings later in his career …we are also subjected to the earnest musings & memories of fans/friends bono & sean penn, but thankfully their presence on screen is brief …buk’s widow linda lee emerges as the soul of the work, shining thru the director’s worshipful admiration for the writer & his ‘dirty old man’ persona
…in fact, according to a recent article in the L.A. Weekly, this film would not of been made w/out her persuading the director to do so, as he originally had plans to simply write another biography of buk & show off his impressive collection of memorabilia …easily matching buk’s love for truth & directness, linda lee allowed the director access to the inner workings of her relationship w/buk, & her own soul …what a brave, understanding, & loving woman he had in her
check out the films website at:
>magpictures.com
good morning glendale
Saturday, June 5th, 2004 | otherStuff | No Comments
decide that there isn’t any more sleep to be had this morning, after being jarred awake by the turkey who pulled into the restaurant parking lot next door, blasting the rolling stones out of his SUV’s car stereo
…so might as well get outta bed
…figure i’ll to go out &
pick up my suit at the dry cleaners
…pull on some pants &
a t-shirt, find some matching sox, &
place my favorite hat atop my head
…its a short-brimmed, black straw job w/red &
gold trim on the band
…been told its very stylish &
dapper
…walk to the corner where city workers have a huge open trench dug in the street …one traffic lane is completely blocked off w/a heavy concrete abutment …there are also cones placed here &
there, &
signs &
yellow caution tape strung out all over
…while waiting for the walk signal, i notice a not-quite finished roll of caution tape lying in the middle of the cross walk, looking like it rolled away from the jobsite, so i walk over & pick it up &
turn back &
hang it on the post of one of the warning signs
…then i realize since the whole right lane is blocked off i needn’t wait for the light to change right at the curb, i can stand behind this concrete abutment &
be half-way across the street, yet protected from the cars
…so i stand there as traffic passes by me
…then some old fart in a station wagon rolls by me &
yells out his open window; ‘wheres yer hard hat?!’
…he assumed because i was standing near the job-site that i was a worker
…even tho all the city street workers in this town, [including the ones on this job-site], wear bright orange t-shirts, &
reflective vests, &
blue jeans, &
workboots, &
here i am wearing a black t-shirt, &
a pair of olive kenneth cole slacks, &
my stylish &
dapper chapeau
…so i decide that’s my morning’s reality check:
…theres always some expert around
trying to tell you what you should be doing even tho he has no idea at all
what the hell he’s talking about
war on terror
Saturday, April 3rd, 2004 | otherStuff | No Comments
***usta hang out in an on-line community where the message boards were mostly fluffy …wacky entertainment …opinions on things like tattoos, & mixed drinks, nothing too deep …after the bombs went off on those trains in spain tho, someone started a board on ‘the war on terrorism’ …the following is an edited compilation of my postings***
the phrase “war on terrorism” is a sound bite concocted by a speech writer
…phrases such as; “the war on terrorism”, “the war on drugs “, “the war on litter”, etc., convey serious intent, & americans, who arent used to losing wars, like to think that if we declare a war on something, [or someone], then that thing is doomed; a soon to be dead, defeated issue
…but as an action to undertake, it has become an extremely difficult, costly proposition
…if one defines terrorism as:
aggressive acts &/or atrocities usually involving violent extortion & attrition, committed against, (mainly), civilians by groups generally too small, poor, or far on the fringe to be considered representative of sovereign states, or committed by the splinter groups of larger organizations, (such as religious zealots), in order to draw attention to, & further their causes,
(& we could include in the definition aggressive acts, committed by the armies of sovereign states in order to further that state’s causes),
then “terrorism” is a tactic
…a tactic as old as human conflict itself
…hundreds of years ago, in ‘The Art of War’, sun-tzu said; “kill one; terrorize a thousand”
…one man’s terrorist act is another man’s psy-ops
…because terrorism is a tactic employed by so many kinds of groups, including modern western armies, & the militias of religious fanatics, the definition of a terrorist changes depending on who’s side youre on
…indeed; one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter
…examples: during the american revolution the british thought of the yankees as ‘terrorists’ because they did not stand in line in brightly colored coats & exchange volleys of fire as was SOP in those times, they did “unfair” & “cowardly” things like pick the brits off at a distance, shooting from behind trees
…when the taliban were harassing the invading soviets w/hit & run tactics in afghanistan, the soviets thought of them as terrorists, tho ‘other countries’ thought of them as freedom fighters & sold them weapons
…kidnapping, a tool used by terrorists, was widely practiced by US navy seals in viet nam as a means to gather intell
…so the question becomes:
is there a useful, workable tactic against terrorism?
…groups engaging in terrorism are driven by ideologies & philosophies. some of these driving motives are considered holy & noble, some are no more complicated than hate & revenge.
…so ultimately one would have to change the terrorist’s minds as re: their ideologies & philosophies
…this becomes especially difficult when the ideologies & philosophies involved are religious &/or tribal
…some of these groups are fundamentalists who want their way & nothing else
…there is no reasoning w/them, as they have no capacity for reason, seeing things the way they do; in black & white.
…some of these groups come from cultures where revenge is considered honorable & just …fighting back against these groups, meeting their fire w/fire, tends to galvanize the survivors, sometimes for generations
…it would seem a certain amount of force is indicated, as bullies need to be stood up to, & self-defense is necessary, but eventually some method of changing the hearts & minds of the terrorists is called for
…to fight terrorism we have to convince the users of terrorism as a tactic that it is not viable course of action, that in the long run, it does them more harm than good
…engaging terrorists is like trying to hold back a leak by plugging it w/your finger …better to turn it off at the source: in this case the mind-set of individuals who believe political extortion, like blowing up trains full of innocent civilians to make their points, is a just & viable concept
…a war against terrorism needs to be more than bombs & bullets
anybody but bush …or ralph
Saturday, April 3rd, 2004 | otherStuff | No Comments
(written back before hope, when elections werent won, they were robbed)
*anybody but bush, (or ralph)*
its not that i don’t agree w/ralph nader’s views:
-that washington D.C. is corporate ruled & dominated
-that the bush regime has been the most anti-progressive presidency in our lifetime
-that this country needs more choices than republicans & democrats,
(the lesser of 2 evils is, after all, still evil)
…i even agree w/ ralph’s opinion that his candicacy will galvanize democrats to get out the vote to defeat bush
…i’m all for 3rd parties & independents, & i have a hard time living w/the concept that the best way for the progressives in this country to get their agendas across is by turning into democrats; it strikes me as pretty un-progressive
…kucinich, a very forward-thinking, left-leaning, liberal, PROGRESSIVE democrat, who’s stance on most issues practically mirror ralph’s, has all but been left in the dust
…if the democrats wanted a progressive vision, they’ve had their chance w/citizen dennis
…instead they opted for the “electability” of kerry
…the people have spoken, ralph; they aren’t ready for your green vision
…altho i defend his right to run, i kinda wish he wouldnt
midway
Saturday, April 3rd, 2004 | otherStuff | No Comments
a few minutes after we talked to jason, emily, the tall, wide shouldered & comely bass player was introduced to me …it was related to her that i had been the individual who, in a drunken stupor this past new years eve, puked the huge pile that she had donned laytex gloves & cleaned up the next day
“oh! was that yours!? it was like, all yellow n’ shit” she said … i confessed that i’d eaten a few oranges before tossing them into what i thought was a rather neat & civilized pile behind the bushes near the stairs …”you owe me BIG TIME!” was her final remark …i couldnt really argue that, & i decided she could come over & puke in my bushes any time
unfortunately after about only an hour & a 1/2 of rice, fish, sakis, & ashais, the kraut was in the men’s room achieving his own vomitus nirvana, & needed to be walked home, [just around the corner, thank god], by yours truely …then barris bailed, saying that time had slipped away, & if he spent all his energy partying tonite, he wouldn’t have the reserves he’d need for the long day ahead of him in the studio tomorrow …he was right tho, midway was supposed to go on at 10pm & here it was already 11:40 & you knew they weren’t gonna be happining till midnite …barris pleaded w/me to party on in his name, to see the show & file a report …i did, & here it is …
frontperson theresa hit the stage wearing a thrift store formal gown & crepe soled sneakers, topped off w/what might’ve been a dizneyland souviner wimpole, (you know; one of those pointy princess’ hats) …she was totally in the moment, notably on ‘karate chop’ w/her wax on /wax off moves …later she confessed to me that she thinks the song should be titled ‘ralph maccio’ …i 2nd that emotion
for a while, i watched them thru the busted out paper pane of a shoji screen head board mounted atop a vinyl booth seat in the corner of the room …it was like a mini t.v. screen, like seeing them on video …the white leatherette padded backdrop on the stage was pretty hot, i think it would make a great rock video or stylish s&m movie set
[audience note: props to the husky lad who ended up in possession of the princess' hat for a few minutes in the shuffle down front of the stage & executed a pretty good prom queen glove wave]
unfortunately, theresa was sadly cheated by the [non]mix that made her vocals sound like she was screaming into a rolled up blanket half the time …ultimately tho, the mix did not totally undermine her or the band, as their passion was able to leak out from under it all in fits & squeaks …theresa & co. also appear to be having such a good time on stage that, [in classic rock n' roll tradition], you almost don’t need to discern lyrix …still, i wished i could …after the show i asked a couple of the band’s members sitting out in front of the joint if they were waiting there to kick the soundman’s ass, but they seemed blissfully unaware of how they’d been robbed …hopefully they can put this kink in order with their remaining march tuesdays
the band has a sort of 80’s new wave pop rock style & there were moments when they reminded this reporter, [who is actually old enough to have been to some shows in the 80's & not just experience them thru an older sibling's record collection], of the synth driven stylings of nina hagan or lene lovich
midway may be a bit *too* reliant on their keyboards, [manned competently by burly kevin, sporting what loox like it might be cleopatra's ceremonial beard] …personally, we’d like to hear the guitar & bass come up front once in a while …it might also help to vary the keyboard sounds some, as they seemed only to waiver between moog whistling & something akin to, [the adam family's butler], lurch’s harpsichord
at first i thought that for maximumn effectiveness they oughta stay well away from anything that is too too pop music in general, & anything sounding even remotely like ‘no doubt’ in paticular …but i changed my mind about my strict ‘no pop’ stance, as the set rolled on & i came to my own understanding of their quasi-new wave thang …i decided i’d like to hear them on some 80’s covers, anything by blondie, say or ‘dancing by myself’ by billy whatshisname
i left the show charged up enuff to walk home from ‘zen’, [all the way to glendale], & put the band’s kittykat promo sticker on my computer monitor …i’ll be back for another ‘kiss or kill’ tuesday or two, i want to see how this plays out
california wildlife
Saturday, April 3rd, 2004 | otherStuff | No Comments
***so for a few days last week i found myself ryding my byke about 3 or 4 miles, from glendale to sunset & vermont, [the closest metro subway station], at 4:30am, to take the train to various locations in depressed downtown l.a. …i’m working security for a gazillion $$ car commercial, biggest production i’ve ever personally been involved with, huge crew, tons & tons of gear, complicated logistix out the yinyang, & what am i impressed with? …what did i think was cool about that particular gig? …the fact that i OWNED those early morning streets …the city was silent, for the most part …cool, dark & beautiful AND…
…one morning i passed a skunk on the road, missed him w/my byke by about a foot …didn’t get sprayed tho, we shared the road most amicably
…are you hip to robinson jeffers?, a personal favorite of mine …a californian poet who’s worx span the mid-20s to the early 60s …bukowski cynically described him as the ‘guy who turned big sur into a tourist trap’, but more kindly i’d say he wrote a lot about seeing the face & hand of god in nature’s beauty …anyway he’s gotta great poem called; ’skunks’ …its about skunks, yes, but also about ruthless political figures in history; about how the “victor’s vengeance…softens into romance” w/the “distance”of passing time …but the point i wanted to make was his about skunks, how their;
“loathsome poison-gas…smelled far off -have you noticed?…is surprisingly pleasant. it is like the breath of ferns and wet earth”
…the next morning, ryding the same route before dawn, i passed griffith park in l.a., [which is, as you may or may not know, the biggest park in any metropolitan area in the country], & peeking around a bush near the sidewalk was a coyote …about a foot & 1/2 tall at the shoulder …he flashed me a shy canine smile & disappeared as i coasted by***
…we interrupt this letter excerpt for a blatant plug:
…to see a poem about ryding my byke to work in the early morning, go to:
humanpoweredtransport.typepad.com
…its my friend ‘the fish’s’ cool website re: bykes ‘n’ stuff
…& now back to the letter:
***…once, several months ago, on another film-shoot set security job, i spent the nite in one of the more remote areas of griffith park …there was no cell phone reception in the high hills, & i was left alone, on foot all nite, to guard some equipment that had to be left there to be picked up the next day …there was no real danger of anyone stealing the stuff, as it was all huge & cumbersome, & the park is closed to the public at sundown, but the film companies cant get their gear insured unless they provide 24hr human protection for it, so there i was
…there was a full moon that was brite enuff to cast sharp shadows on the ground …i was surrounded by tall cliffs & the majority of the equipment had been stowed in a cave,
[the same cave that the 'bat-mobile' roared out of in the opening sequences of the 1960s 'batman' TV program ...i kid you not ...they also shot a lot of alien planet exterior scenes for the original 'star trek' TV show at this location which is called 'the branson caves', but i digress]
…around midnite, over a ridge, there was a scuffling commotion in the brush …just down the hill, it seemed in that dark nite, no more than 30 or 40ft away, came the growling, snarling & yipping laughter of several coyotes …i have no idea how many, as i never saw any of them, but it sounded like quite a few …they had apparently gotten hold of something that excited them no end & they were ripping it to shreds from the sound of it
…i was, as i said, entirely alone, on foot, w/no means to summon help from anyone if i needed it, & my city-kid sense was that i was gonna need it soon …if those coyotes came over the ridge line, licking fresh blood off their chops, whose to say they might not think of me as desert? …if i tripped & fell while running away from them would they tear me apart like what ever it was they were sharing down the hill there? …it was a tense nite for me for the next 6hrs till sun-up, i dont mind telling you …pretty fukkin spooky
…a few days after the car commercial gig, i was in beverly hills pulling yet another all-nite equipment & set watch …this time for the a major cable channel’s golden globe award coverage at the hilton hotel …it was another HUGE production, live satellite broadcasts on the award ceremony nite, all that crap …extremely well-to-do international guests at the hotel, ferraris & high-end BMWs & benzs engaged in stand-offs at the intersection of santa monica & wilshire, arguing about whose car was the most expensive & therefore had the right-of-way at the stoplite
…& what was i most impressed w/the 3 nites i worked in that posh suburb? …on the 2nd nite i was looking across the street when i noticed an enormous bird w/what looked like at least a 3&1/2ft wing-span swoop out of nowhere & land in the very top of a tree …’what the hell kind of bird is that?’, i asked my colleague, ‘its fukkin huge!’ …’oh that?’, he answered non-chalantly, ‘that’s an owl’ …he focused the beam of his high-powered flashlite on it & sure enough i could see its squared & tufted head in silhouette before he took off after some prey we could not perceive …an owl, hunting at nite in beverly hills …i had never seen one before anywhere that wasn’t stuffed***
