hey folks, am in deadwood, south dakota visiting the most super casinoed up shoot out wild west town i've ever seen. then again, i've only seen this one. it's hella packed with those gliched out men in suits and walkie ear bud things like all new fangled small town casino rackets are. crazy! wooden facades, calamity jane spottings, all of it.
so ya, driving's been great. beautiful, beautiful american roadside - fluffy clouds, bison, big grasses, concrete dinosaurs, patriotic shrines, ice cream, outsider metal statues on distant hills...que up 'i had the time of my life' from dirty dancing, only my patrick s. for this trip is the big mr. gabe, epic battler and stoic 'i'll drive till 5 am' boy of my westward expansion/manifest destiny adventure. we're not there yet, either. can't believe we left thursday. many things to think and say when sitting at a less ridiculous portal than this.
sorry, btw, if you've been trying to call. cell phone doesn't work in the land of the brave.
6.28.2004
6.24.2004
i don't really need to know my commuter bus number yet - why am i so anal?
just before two a.m., am printing out directions for various places along the way that will be my temporary autonomous zones. am also slightly freaking out about actually living in seattle, like, how the hell am i going to figure out the bus system? of all my beloved forms of mass transit, the bus is my least. it's still a dumb, lumbering above ground fossil fuel traffic jamming skycraper on wheels, so sickingly 19th century they should be pulled by mules. okay, i digress.
am off tomorrow - incommunicado and lovin' it 2004 for one week. where will i get my mail? what if the new xxxx CD comes in? what if news happens but i don't know? just kidding, blog fans, no one even mentioned to me that ray charles died, and if that ain't evidence of the drop off, dunno what is. yes yes, most def in wildwood for three weeks. learn a lot, get out of my head, but then freaked that i am so, and that it's so easy to.
so thanx to all the lovers who sent mix CDs - i will burn through them like crisp asphalt. tomorrow we go to knoebel's beauteous old-fashioned amusement park. viva la roadside!
am off tomorrow - incommunicado and lovin' it 2004 for one week. where will i get my mail? what if the new xxxx CD comes in? what if news happens but i don't know? just kidding, blog fans, no one even mentioned to me that ray charles died, and if that ain't evidence of the drop off, dunno what is. yes yes, most def in wildwood for three weeks. learn a lot, get out of my head, but then freaked that i am so, and that it's so easy to.
so thanx to all the lovers who sent mix CDs - i will burn through them like crisp asphalt. tomorrow we go to knoebel's beauteous old-fashioned amusement park. viva la roadside!
sooner or later, one of us must know
From shameless magazine, a new teen women's magazine directed at 'girls who get it.' Many a lady I've been friends with has indeed talked about doing a mag like this, and having seen Bust in a truck stop in central PA once, I think it might sort of maybe sort of be coming true, in some ways. My problem lies maybe in the explicit stance of the magazine, as evidenced through the "language and tone" guide for prospective writers, copied below. It's obvious, right, but 'girls who get it' in high school are the very small choir, and why not challenge them from the get go instead of spoon feeding them softy faux progressive teen articles as their 'co-conspirator.' Yes, friends, I have just spent three weeks at the Jersey shore, been on the losing side of arguments about droppin' bombs on Iraq, and have a head for thinkin' 'what about all the other girls out there, how do we reach them?' which isnt' to say that Shameless is bad - I applaude it - only I wish that the magnitude were larger, and thus the discussion?!? oh, distribution, how i loathe thee...
Language, tone and style
We are looking for diverse, creative, original, thought-provoking, entertaining, challenging, well-researched, engaging stories. We prefer journalistic style to academic style writing.
Shameless is a progressive magazine with no religious or political party affiliation. Sexist, racist, homophobic and other exclusionary language will not be tolerated.
Please refrain from using stereotypes, sweeping generalizations, jargon and clichés. We are looking for fresh, witty writing that engages and entertains. Frenzied ranting is strongly discouraged. So are over-the-top attempts at sounding young and hip. (Hint: Shameless is not Seventeen “omigawd” is not a word.) Remember, you're the reader’s trusted co-conspirator, not her cooler older sister. Let your natural voice come through.
Language, tone and style
We are looking for diverse, creative, original, thought-provoking, entertaining, challenging, well-researched, engaging stories. We prefer journalistic style to academic style writing.
Shameless is a progressive magazine with no religious or political party affiliation. Sexist, racist, homophobic and other exclusionary language will not be tolerated.
Please refrain from using stereotypes, sweeping generalizations, jargon and clichés. We are looking for fresh, witty writing that engages and entertains. Frenzied ranting is strongly discouraged. So are over-the-top attempts at sounding young and hip. (Hint: Shameless is not Seventeen “omigawd” is not a word.) Remember, you're the reader’s trusted co-conspirator, not her cooler older sister. Let your natural voice come through.
6.20.2004
belladonna, bust v. 'under my thumb,' four rock critics on the beach
father's day surprise - my dad reads my blog! to suspend lurid tales of drug bings, tax evasion and wanton crass behavior? to be seen.
am listening to the legendary pink dots, loving edward ka spel as ever with his lisp like the dude from pearls before swine, a defect that becomes iconic. that these guys exist in the sub sub world and make such bizarre/amazing music with such crap ass equipment is my favorite argument for the cultural merit of underground music. actually, listening to the 'princess stolen from castle' keyboards, i think the lpd might be my destroyer - all swirling bravado and free association sentimentality. mad foxes, indeed.
speaking of which, amy phillips, jason gross and caryn brooks came to visit me in the woods this weekend. we spent a significant amount of time on the boardwalk guessing the histories of the magnificent folks passing by - something i miss while wandering thru my head here - and singing 'brown eyed girl' to a most van morr hating a.p. so, if you know her, you should sing 'sha la la la la la la la la la, la da, de da' to her when you next see her. she'll luv it.
brooks, future nyc party animal pal, was arguing with me about the stones song 'under my thumb,' saying that the repulsive nature of the song has more hetero-normative (har har) effects on culture than the weird lipstick agenda of pseudo fem pubs like Bust. a true beach conversation - but i want to know more abt the backlash against this song and found this decent article abt it. Also, the lyrics are below...What do you think?
Under my thumb
The girl who once had me down
Under my thumb
The girl who once pushed me around
It’s down to me
The difference in the clothes she wears
Down to me, the change has come,
She’s under my thumb
Ain’t it the truth babe?
Under my thumb
The squirmin’ dog who’s just had her day
Under my thumb
A girl who has just changed her ways
It’s down to me, yes it is
The way she does just what she’s told
Down to me, the change has come
She’s under my thumb
Ah, ah, say it’s alright
Under my thumb
A siamese cat of a girl
Under my thumb
She’s the sweetest, hmmm, pet in the world
It’s down to me
The way she talks when she’s spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
She’s under my thumb
Ah, take it easy babe
Yeah
It’s down to me, oh yeah
The way she talks when she’s spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
She’s under my thumb
Yeah, it feels alright
Under my thumb
Her eyes are just kept to herself
Under my thumb, well i
I can still look at someone else
It’s down to me, oh that’s what I said
The way she talks when she’s spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
She’s under my thumb
Say, it’s alright.
Say it’s all...
Say it’s all...
Take it easy babe
Take it easy babe
Feels alright
Take it, take it easy babe
am listening to the legendary pink dots, loving edward ka spel as ever with his lisp like the dude from pearls before swine, a defect that becomes iconic. that these guys exist in the sub sub world and make such bizarre/amazing music with such crap ass equipment is my favorite argument for the cultural merit of underground music. actually, listening to the 'princess stolen from castle' keyboards, i think the lpd might be my destroyer - all swirling bravado and free association sentimentality. mad foxes, indeed.
speaking of which, amy phillips, jason gross and caryn brooks came to visit me in the woods this weekend. we spent a significant amount of time on the boardwalk guessing the histories of the magnificent folks passing by - something i miss while wandering thru my head here - and singing 'brown eyed girl' to a most van morr hating a.p. so, if you know her, you should sing 'sha la la la la la la la la la, la da, de da' to her when you next see her. she'll luv it.
brooks, future nyc party animal pal, was arguing with me about the stones song 'under my thumb,' saying that the repulsive nature of the song has more hetero-normative (har har) effects on culture than the weird lipstick agenda of pseudo fem pubs like Bust. a true beach conversation - but i want to know more abt the backlash against this song and found this decent article abt it. Also, the lyrics are below...What do you think?
Under my thumb
The girl who once had me down
Under my thumb
The girl who once pushed me around
It’s down to me
The difference in the clothes she wears
Down to me, the change has come,
She’s under my thumb
Ain’t it the truth babe?
Under my thumb
The squirmin’ dog who’s just had her day
Under my thumb
A girl who has just changed her ways
It’s down to me, yes it is
The way she does just what she’s told
Down to me, the change has come
She’s under my thumb
Ah, ah, say it’s alright
Under my thumb
A siamese cat of a girl
Under my thumb
She’s the sweetest, hmmm, pet in the world
It’s down to me
The way she talks when she’s spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
She’s under my thumb
Ah, take it easy babe
Yeah
It’s down to me, oh yeah
The way she talks when she’s spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
She’s under my thumb
Yeah, it feels alright
Under my thumb
Her eyes are just kept to herself
Under my thumb, well i
I can still look at someone else
It’s down to me, oh that’s what I said
The way she talks when she’s spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
She’s under my thumb
Say, it’s alright.
Say it’s all...
Say it’s all...
Take it easy babe
Take it easy babe
Feels alright
Take it, take it easy babe
6.09.2004
pinball, pizza, humidity and transcription
been wondering where i've been? well, in wildwood of course! not too much in the world of music to report, although there are two ridiculous songs on ROCK radio right now that i'd like to get to the bottom of:
- a song about 1984 and other distopian type signifiers that's sung in the post-emo whiny thin pop punk voice
-a song about L.A. being on fire..on the day after tomorrow soundtrack, maybe?
how old do i sound writing this? anyway, both songs have little in the way of craft but are curious bits of anxiety on the otherwise paxiled out alt.radio, which only the other day i was thinking, 'man, who would have thought that tool and stone temple pilots would have been the most influential commercial bands from the '90s?' ya, i'm about four years late on this observation.
not able to do too much listening, as i've spent at least eight hours a day since i got here miring through transcriptions of the oral history stuff. a word of advice for people who ever want to hire transcribers - don't use u. of connecticut...i had to correct 'deaf metal' to 'death metal' about 20 times in an interview with a record store owner. there's a difference between misunderstanding the words and misunderstanding the entire culture. i think they had some cloistered nuns doing my transcripts. who was it that wrote the first scholarly piece about this problem? Boas? In like, 1910 or something? Like, you have to UNDERSTAND not just the language, but the culture, to be able to quote someone. Should have just taken the 9,000 dollars and transcribed it myself. Oh wait, that's what I'm doing right now...for free.
Mix CDs for the road? C'mon!
- a song about 1984 and other distopian type signifiers that's sung in the post-emo whiny thin pop punk voice
-a song about L.A. being on fire..on the day after tomorrow soundtrack, maybe?
how old do i sound writing this? anyway, both songs have little in the way of craft but are curious bits of anxiety on the otherwise paxiled out alt.radio, which only the other day i was thinking, 'man, who would have thought that tool and stone temple pilots would have been the most influential commercial bands from the '90s?' ya, i'm about four years late on this observation.
not able to do too much listening, as i've spent at least eight hours a day since i got here miring through transcriptions of the oral history stuff. a word of advice for people who ever want to hire transcribers - don't use u. of connecticut...i had to correct 'deaf metal' to 'death metal' about 20 times in an interview with a record store owner. there's a difference between misunderstanding the words and misunderstanding the entire culture. i think they had some cloistered nuns doing my transcripts. who was it that wrote the first scholarly piece about this problem? Boas? In like, 1910 or something? Like, you have to UNDERSTAND not just the language, but the culture, to be able to quote someone. Should have just taken the 9,000 dollars and transcribed it myself. Oh wait, that's what I'm doing right now...for free.
Mix CDs for the road? C'mon!
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