tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40279290421141950532024-02-18T20:20:14.556-08:00wordwaxthe official shire blog.Nittlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756859610461064738noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-31514667404778956722009-01-06T17:45:00.000-08:002009-01-06T17:51:28.806-08:00Laboring Under Delusions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7I9pUIdJLgUUrmr8IEh0B3XSLh3PkRiKqcyaIc9k0sxa8_UrkhbEheWw09asWu16KJNpiryd41Gkku96damASr6I4UJ6VwfEAQJavRnJmltGqN3Q5vAsnWb_b0Y3k-k4V6eXbwgoxqVY/s1600-h/thewrestlerposter.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7I9pUIdJLgUUrmr8IEh0B3XSLh3PkRiKqcyaIc9k0sxa8_UrkhbEheWw09asWu16KJNpiryd41Gkku96damASr6I4UJ6VwfEAQJavRnJmltGqN3Q5vAsnWb_b0Y3k-k4V6eXbwgoxqVY/s320/thewrestlerposter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288363043385480242" /></a>One recent night, I watched the films, The Wrestler (2008) and"Lars and the Real Girl (2007). I couldn't help but see some connections between the two widely different films...<br />The Wrestler featured Mickey Rourke in an amazing performance, but it was a basically a showcase of human wreckage. And it all stemmed from these delusions the main character, Randy "the Ram," was perpetuating in his life. You saw the very unromantic behind-the-scenes view of his wrestling work, from steroids to self-tanners, from a failed relationship with his daughter to a failing crush on a a stripper (Marisa Tomei). Yet there was still an art to his character and his wrestling as a craft. For all professional wrestling's carnage - whether it be a staple gun wound, heart attack or colostomy bag - Randy provides his fans a dream, an illusion of something greater: strength/courage, the "bad boy" image, a sense of immortality. In the end, his wrestling persona is a weapon, repelling anyone from being close to him, leaving behind human shrapnel, both literally and figuratively.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRyQeHajXiquQDFJmOgRflADmy8_DHQylJBelO9qFXtWl6f62Lnm6dswEEIFLnKGFbwF7LVgOv410mlFnwd_qE23-JBRINvgR_FmsD92w4IBS_R3uzRpRYSB77gVaGJOln66mf6-xiLE/s1600-h/lars.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRyQeHajXiquQDFJmOgRflADmy8_DHQylJBelO9qFXtWl6f62Lnm6dswEEIFLnKGFbwF7LVgOv410mlFnwd_qE23-JBRINvgR_FmsD92w4IBS_R3uzRpRYSB77gVaGJOln66mf6-xiLE/s320/lars.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288363308322140994" /></a><br />In Lars and the Real Girl, Lars (Ryan Gosling) also lives under a profound delusion. Yet unlike the Wrestler, his relationship with a doll he ordered on the Internet creates meaningful connections with people throughout the town. Out of concern for Lars, everyone in the town "goes along" with the idea of Bianca being real. Before long, she finds her way into the beauty shop, onto the local school board, and her schedule filled with volunteer shifts at the children's hospital. Because of the presence of Bianca, what was once a lonely existence filled with stilted conversation for Lars gives way to deep, meaningful conversations with family and friends, about love, adulthood, his parents' deaths, and his fears of physical touch. It's strange, but in the end, people are not only attracted to Lars, but he leaves behind a wake of stronger human connections wherever he goes. In the end, his delusions act as a kind of healing process for his family, his town and himself.<br /><br />Ultimately, and ironically, the Wrestler goes through a kind of self-realization at the end of the film as well. His words at the end of the film: "In this life you can lose everything you love, everything that loves you. A lot of people told me that I'd never wrestle again, the only one that's gonna tell me when I'm through doing my thing, is you people here." Within moments of uttering those words, he leaps off the ropes, perhaps to his demise, succumbing to the toll that wrestling has bore on his life and the lives around him. At the end of Lars, a preacher says of Bianca, Lars' doll, "We are here to celebrate Bianca's extraordinary life. From her wheelchair, Bianca reached out and touched us all, in ways we could never have imagined." It's ironic that an inanimate doll can touch people in ways a real-life professional wrestler cannot.Nittlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756859610461064738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-38175936506604200172009-01-06T17:44:00.001-08:002009-01-06T17:44:55.458-08:00LA Events Update: 1/6/09Hey all. Haven't updated this much in awhile, but check out the "LA Happenings" column to the right for upcoming events in the LA Area.Nittlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756859610461064738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-21997339442236649212008-07-01T18:11:00.000-07:002008-07-01T18:12:53.465-07:00Update: Santa Monic Pier, Free Concert Series!Thanks Steve for the tip! Check out the Twilight Dance Series at the Santa Monica Pier, featuring free music through August:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.twilightdance.org/">Twilight Dance Series</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.twilightdance.org/images/images/twilight_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.twilightdance.org/images/images/twilight_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Nittlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756859610461064738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-31451744044534664272008-07-01T11:26:00.000-07:002008-07-01T11:42:13.677-07:00Updated Event CalendarHey all, This hasn't been updated much, but check out the "LA Happenings" column to the right for some killer upcoming events in the LA Area.<br /><br />LACMA offers FREE jazz performances every Friday Night:<br /><a href="http://www.lacma.org/programs/FridayNightJazz.aspx">LACMA Friday Night Jazz</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lacma.org/programs/images/music/fnj400.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.lacma.org/programs/images/music/fnj400.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Also, the Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena is offering FREE musical performances June through August:<br /><a href="http://www.levittpavilionpasadena.org/">Levitt Pavilion Pasadena</a><br /><br />The Getty events are also FREE!<br /><a href="http://www.getty.edu/visit/events/summer_sessions_2008.html">Getty Summer Sessions 2008</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.getty.edu/visit/events/images/july_26.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.getty.edu/visit/events/images/july_26.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Pictured: El Guincho and Zizek Urban Beats Club, performing July 26<br /><br />Juju Information<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4bcWpUqXDrTrIx0WixERCjDy5uPBbHBymgYEiR3tMQHTdMB9ya8rsNxg3RD6Mpx5xoL71k_UYnwJaSZjFSYh2l-nqTVhl4hvfn2SR1KAD0DiEa5_vHbYIHiqZbWSy_fbIaOPYhtmC9g/s1600-h/JUJU0705_BCK%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4bcWpUqXDrTrIx0WixERCjDy5uPBbHBymgYEiR3tMQHTdMB9ya8rsNxg3RD6Mpx5xoL71k_UYnwJaSZjFSYh2l-nqTVhl4hvfn2SR1KAD0DiEa5_vHbYIHiqZbWSy_fbIaOPYhtmC9g/s320/JUJU0705_BCK%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218115213118014850" /></a>Nittlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756859610461064738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-32308265904567763282008-05-12T21:59:00.001-07:002008-05-12T22:02:28.217-07:00And You Could Die!I was surfing the web doing some coffee research when I stumbled upon the <a href="http://www.caffeineawareness.org/">Caffeine Awareness</a> website, which wants to warn us all about how caffeine is ruining our health and our lives.<br /><br />To which I must say: I have given up almost every other addiction I enjoy. Give me a damn break.<br /><br />But I thought someone else might get a laugh from seeing this . . .<br /><br />Cheers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-2083233062669181082008-04-27T23:54:00.000-07:002008-04-28T14:39:26.487-07:00Wurtz PicturesSince Jason is too lazy to post pictures, I will do it for him...<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/sashimikonnyaku/WurtzFacePictures/photo#5194183149216427570"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/sashimikonnyaku/SBVyDeNdbjI/AAAAAAAAEpg/O_EQfKYt1lI/s288/IMG_0027.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Click picture for link to the albums.Minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612036295544029775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-20339784675036412482008-04-23T17:37:00.000-07:002008-04-23T17:40:21.301-07:00A Political Comic That Actually Made Me LaughI feel like politics can be so depressing or tense these days. <a href="http://www.slowpokecomics.com/strips/preconceptions.html">This comic</a> actually made me laugh, which is a good change of pace. You should check it out too!<br /><br /><br />Enjoy!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-11780322684417041262008-04-20T13:51:00.000-07:002008-04-20T19:25:48.932-07:00Teaching in "the Trenches"I came across an excerpt of the new book <a href="http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Relentless-Pursuit/2685626/product.html?cid=123620&fp=F&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=10879383-000-000"><span style="font-style: italic;">Relentless Pursuit: A Year in the Trenches with Teach for America</span> </a>in the most recent issue of <span style="font-style: italic;">U.S. News and World Report</span>. The clip featured two profiles of young men who are teaching at Locke High School in Los Angeles. If I have my facts correctly, Locke is one of the feeder schools for Horace Mann, where our very own Nittle-Face teaches English.<br /><br />The article and some bonus bits can be found <a href="http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/k-12/2008/04/11/two-teach-for-america-recruits-share-their-stories.html">here</a>. Cheers to Nittle and to everyone else who is out there teaching our children.<br /><br />[Nittle's Note: Horace Mann feeds into Crenshaw and Washington, both high schools currently under close watch by the state, like Locke. While Mann is in the Hyde Park/Inglewood vicinity, Locke High is in Watts. Peace. Haven't read the article yet, but can't wait! Thanks for posting, Mandy.]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-8178623958839701102008-04-17T18:04:00.000-07:002008-04-17T18:12:37.703-07:00Check out Nadra's post on Racialicious...<a href="http://www.racialicious.com/2008/04/17/bananas-oreos-and-coconuts-would-you-identify-as-white-on-the-inside/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmJRnHzBIqkghzrcQ26Rfw_ruafsmXIiaafo5Hfux4T0drnPAFjaD3fagiIcsWGc0YGuLSLJ2z-07IKVPTBazNY_Zc4taT7LbIr_lbF-6vzJAa1xqxaIXUz2hc23vLfHQHF3idTcc_4o/s200/2412321614_853897472e_m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190385064638871314" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.racialicious.com/2008/04/17/bananas-oreos-and-coconuts-would-you-identify-as-white-on-the-inside/">BANANAS, OREOS AND COCONUTS: WOULD YOU IDENTIFY AS WHITE ON THE INSIDE?</a><br /><br />by <a href="http://whirliestgirl.blogspot.com/">Nadra Kareem</a>Nittlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756859610461064738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-70319978943326083032008-04-10T22:48:00.000-07:002008-04-10T22:54:31.315-07:00L.A. HappeningsLots of great things coming up in the near future. Keep up to date with the new feature: "L.A. Happenings," located on the sidebar. If you know of other events, please post them, so we can keep it fresh.<br /><br />Notable Additions:<br /><br />April 25-26: Coachella, now featuring PRINCE!<br />April 26: Sly and the Family Stone. Holy Crap. The Original funk.<br />May 7: Former President Jimmy Carter at Vromans<br />May 29 & May 31: REM and the Cure at the Bowl, respectively<br />June 10: Billy Bragg! a very rare west coast appearance<br />June 12: Badu + Roots<br />June 20: Fela Kuti's son, Seun Kuti performance for free with his father's band<br />August 24-25: RadioheadNittlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756859610461064738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-52680297087536786792008-04-07T20:47:00.000-07:002008-04-07T20:52:16.349-07:00An Open Letter to White Feminists<a href="http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/81260/?page=1">This article</a> has been making the rounds on several feminist blogs that I read. I have no idea how I feel about it, so I thought I would post here and see if anyone else had a reaction besides me.<br /><br />It does make a laundry list of the ways the white feminist movement is failing other parts of the feminist movement. Even though I am white, as a genderqueer feminist I could already make my own list of the ways the current feminist movement is failing me. and other genderqueer feminists.<br /><br />Overall, I'm not sure how productive the discussion that Jessica Hoffman has tried to start here will be. But it is at least worth a read.<br /><br />Cheers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-44014655732576359582008-04-04T18:13:00.000-07:002008-04-04T18:42:01.729-07:00Saying the "R" WordToday I saw a journalist from a major news outlet almost admit <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/04/business/04cnd-econ.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin">that the United States economy is in a recession</a>. I have been driven insane by the fact that despite every indication that our economy is in a downward spiral, folks from NPR to the Tucson Weekly to the LA Times have been reluctant to admit what is going on. For months and months I've heard and read, "These things would seem to indicate a recession," or, "with all of these results, you'd think the American economy was in a recession" or even, "the last time this happened, the American economy was in a recession".<br /><br />I understand that it can be hard to publicly admit failure, but give me a freakin' break. As the folks in AA say, admitting you have a problem is the first step. Our country is in financial crisis. Not saying it out loud doesn't make it go away. The sooner we can talk about the disaster, the sooner we can work on fixing it.<br /><br />It's not like we're fooling anyone. The rest of the world is aware of our financial troubles. And we're not fooling most of the general public either, seeing as they are the ones who are having their homes foreclosed on and who can't get a job.<br /><br />I don't know if our next president will help any of this, but one would hope so.<br /><br />Enough bitching. Off to think of less depressing things.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-73158215050589441362008-03-29T23:08:00.000-07:002008-04-01T17:40:49.491-07:00Vegan Ethiopian foodSo a couple members of the shire hit Little Ethiopia this evening.<br /><br />The food was wonderful. We were brought a special pitcher and bowl to wash our hands at the table. And the table!<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/sashimikonnyaku/VeganEthiopianLAMar08/photo#5183395162315613586"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/sashimikonnyaku/R-8eb_RM5ZI/AAAAAAAADlc/Hu5PqIAD9n0/s288/DSC09632.JPG.jpg" /></a><br />Don't mind us - we were just hungry<br /><br />And here is the group<br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/sashimikonnyaku/VeganEthiopianLAMar08/photo#5183395218150188450"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/sashimikonnyaku/R-8efPRM5aI/AAAAAAAADlk/Do6E11GditU/s288/DSC09634.JPG.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/sashimikonnyaku/VeganEthiopianLAMar08">Vegan Ethiopi...</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />We are a little bit blury, but what can you do? Click the link for bigger versions, plus a couple of more pictures.Minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612036295544029775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-54910183428429926982008-03-28T11:13:00.000-07:002008-03-28T12:49:09.438-07:00I'll Have the Wool-Free Stripper in Pleather, with a Side of Vegan Chimichangas, Please<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFN98JmLW9As5HtTsJw_mt45pJ2qHfCH6CQ2s1ODgDUp5_nPvfGT_a-rm9LzzdUiAJdupooN_2S072O6xWoGlZNSKpqqJ8q7tLvbRk_8NiuDcfKXSiWIYvsDcOwMPldzk1LfoQYGINMCZI/s1600-h/vegan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFN98JmLW9As5HtTsJw_mt45pJ2qHfCH6CQ2s1ODgDUp5_nPvfGT_a-rm9LzzdUiAJdupooN_2S072O6xWoGlZNSKpqqJ8q7tLvbRk_8NiuDcfKXSiWIYvsDcOwMPldzk1LfoQYGINMCZI/s320/vegan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182861423987040610" /></a><br /><br />Want a guilt-free lap dance? Visit Casa Diablo Gentlemen’s Club in Portland. Not only does the club serve vegan chimichangas, the strippers there wear pleather, not leather. Feminist vegans, dubbed "feminazis" by the club's owner, are none too happy about the vegan club, which the New York Times chronicles in an article called "The Carrot Some Vegans Deplore." <br /><br />Is it okay to peddle human flesh, while discouraging the peddling of animal flesh? The Times tries to answer this question as it explores the sexual politics of the meat-free movement. It also refers to the Peta protest we at Wordwax recently discussed in which a pregnant woman knelt on all fours in a cage to protest the cramped living conditions of humble pigs. Read the article in full <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/fashion/27vegan.html?em&ex=1206849600&en=b4686c95f12b089a&ei=5070">here</a>.Nadrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14951831611030681223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-43066798565376281922008-03-18T17:17:00.000-07:002008-03-18T18:06:32.176-07:00Oppressive Fashion Device Not Just For Women Any More . . .In the transgender community, <a href="http://www.ftmguide.org/binding.html">binding</a> is often a big concern for those identifying as FTM (female to male). Whether the breasts in question are large or small, altering or hiding their appearance in order to look traditionally male-chested is not only a fine art, but it is also a giant pain in the ass. Many FTM folks are always keeping one ear to the ground to hear about new methods and materials available to help make binding more manageable.<br /><br />Someone we know here in Tucson passed along a website via e-mail for <a href="http://www.romantasy.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Romantasy Exquisite </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Corsetry</span></a>, suggesting they might offer some new options in the world of binding. After a brief (and horror/hilarity-filled) review of the offerings from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Romantasy</span>, it is quite obvious they this proprietor has something else in mind entirely.<br /><br />Up until recently, wearing corsets has been a body-deforming, health-harming tradition relegated to those of or an identifying as the female gender. But <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Romantasy</span> Exquisite <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Corsetry</span> is looking to change all of that by suggesting men should wear corsets as well! While this is different from binding in many, many ways that I feel should be immediately obvious to most people, the two differences I'd like to point out are:<br /> 1) Binding is not meant to alter the shape of your body long term, but is just for hiding or adjusting the shape of your body for the short term and<br /> 2) corsets don't really hide breasts or help give a more traditionally masculine appearance, which is typically the whole point of binding.<br /> The failure to understand these points sort of shows that I think <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Romantasy</span> misunderstands the FTM community.<br /><br />Regardless, I am actually most horrified that people are still trying to alter the shapes of their bodies with corsets, which have been shown to cause (among other things) internal organ damage. I understand corsets when it comes to fetish stuff or SM play, but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Romantasy</span> seems serious about making it part of an everyday lifestyle (for folks of any gender). Creepy!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-57963807102420336122008-03-13T00:15:00.000-07:002008-03-13T00:40:00.807-07:00Amazed...Nadra and I caught an AMAZING show this evening at UCLA's Royce Hall: Angelique Kidjo with opener Dengue Fever.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAp5dpWt150IYaHcI1P4CGNwtQUtcXicTAkn9R03pIeGmhVX7H2O3mdALQWuJbQsDEPpz2fF0aMMEYOFvNKtDbJNZNWSlDUt2j3qKMhdG9f6zhtyb6IoIFGhzeSVdmbU6GcUwhKcAbNhs/s1600-h/nimol2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAp5dpWt150IYaHcI1P4CGNwtQUtcXicTAkn9R03pIeGmhVX7H2O3mdALQWuJbQsDEPpz2fF0aMMEYOFvNKtDbJNZNWSlDUt2j3qKMhdG9f6zhtyb6IoIFGhzeSVdmbU6GcUwhKcAbNhs/s320/nimol2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177126549894511330" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19339460">Dengue Fever</a>, hailing from Los Angeles, offered up an eclectic mix of surf-garage rock, crossed with Cambodian pop and Ethiopian grooves. Fronted by hypnotic Chhom Nimol from Cambodia, with her Khmer vocals, the band brewed up intoxicating flavors, leaving the audience both mesmerized and heads-a-bobbin'. Recommended: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Venus-Earth-Dengue-Fever/dp/B00114XM36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1205393412&sr=1-1">Venus on Earth</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcMkMxTHuWSNGx1h_Us9u09yXZvyU7YdRCBNsY-1pZEKIU3ky5vIfOlcbg9bOPnqfsRcWs9n61gEG9-N9YrbrFS2Ir7PTqqXQU82-Idc4QBk5H0aS3dUuqphLynPpNzFuLGoueV10qA0/s1600-h/Angelique+Kidjo+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcMkMxTHuWSNGx1h_Us9u09yXZvyU7YdRCBNsY-1pZEKIU3ky5vIfOlcbg9bOPnqfsRcWs9n61gEG9-N9YrbrFS2Ir7PTqqXQU82-Idc4QBk5H0aS3dUuqphLynPpNzFuLGoueV10qA0/s200/Angelique+Kidjo+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177127129715096322" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7874884">Angelique Kidjo</a>, native of Benin, West Africa, via Paris and New York, is the definition of a Performer (with a capital "P"). With fire in her vocal delivery, electricity in her dance moves, an infectious spirit, and a killer pan-African backing band, Kidjo leaped into the audience's hearts with her first steps on stage. By the end of the evening, the entire crowd was dancing on their feet, with about 150 people up on stage, grooving with Kidjo and the band, remaking the austere university concert hall ambience with color, jubilance and passion. Check out her albums, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Ivory-Soul-Angelique-Kidjo/dp/B00006348E/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1205393364&sr=8-2">Black Ivory Soul</a> and her new star-studded affair, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Djin-Angelique-Kidjo/dp/B000MTOWSU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1205393333&sr=8-1">Djin Djin</a>.<br /><br />Best concert in recent memory!<br /><br />Listening to Youssou N'Dour: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Wommat-Youssou-NDour/dp/B00000295F/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1205393492&sr=1-2">Guide (Wommat)</a>Nittlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756859610461064738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-16281944362295067152008-03-12T21:32:00.000-07:002008-03-12T21:55:29.109-07:00I Don't Care Who Great Leaders Sleep With In Their Spare TimeI was saddened to hear the news today at <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/nyregion/13spitzer.html?ref=politics">Governor Eliot <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Spitzer</span> had to resign from office</a> because he was found out to be breaking the law by engaging in transactions with prostitutes. <br /><br />I myself began to admire Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Spitzer</span> when he took on some of the biggest names on Wall Street on behalf of Joe and Jane Q. Public during his tenure as NY State Attorney General. Mega Huge Investment Firms and Insurance Companies that no one else would dare to mess with were brought to their knees in court by this man. While he was far from perfect, I think he dedicated a lot of his time and energy to fighting the good fight and winning battles that no one thought could be won.<br /><br />What a bummer to see such an inspiring <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">politician's</span> career brought to a premature end because of this kind of thing. I do firmly believe that who or what a political leader decides to sleep with in their time off should not be held against them. I don't think, however, that they should be allowed to break laws. Because Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Spitzer</span> couldn't get his kicks for free, all of New York state loses out.<br /><br />Now some folks might say, "He was cheating on his wife! You're a rabid feminist--how could this not upset you?" To which I say: you assume he was cheating on his wife. He and his wife may have come to any number of agreements on their sexual relationship, including an agreement to be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">polyamorous</span> and/or to engage in anonymous sex with multiple partners. Much like being trained to look at gender as binary, we're also trained to think that every couple only wants to sexually be a couple with each other. But I've got news for you folks: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">polyamory</span> is alive and well, along with many other kinds of non-traditional sexual relationships.<br /><br />Sex often ruins politics only because people have an interest in enforcing what they see is "normal" on other folks. And you can probably guess how I feel about that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-43956669307381359282008-03-10T22:17:00.000-07:002008-03-10T22:20:05.303-07:00Stuff White People Like<a href="http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/full-list-of-stuff-white-people-like/"> Full List of Stuff White People Like </a><br /><br />Including "Bottles of Water," "Toyota Prius," "Public Radio," and "Marathons"Nittlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756859610461064738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-35325087614887743742008-03-10T13:20:00.001-07:002008-03-10T13:32:59.284-07:00Do You Ever Get the Feeling . . .. . . that you're voting for a brand instead of a candidate?<br /><br />With two folks running for the Democratic party nomination who have such similar stances on so many key ideas, we're often distracted from issues and forced to look at image.<br /><br />I blame a chunk of this problem on the way our media has decided to handle this race. Instead of thorough examination on where Hillary and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Obama</span> differ on issues, we're forced to deal with sound bites and slogans, like:<br /><br />"Stand for change!"<br /><br />"Help make history!"<br /><br />None of this is new--snappy slogans and a candidate's "image" have been shallow key parts of elections for many decades. But for some reason this election has made me so tired of these tactics. Perhaps because I feel like both Democratic candidates have so many interesting ideas that they could be talking about, but most of the time we actually hear their voices in the media, they're putting each other down or giving simple, one-sentence answers to policy questions.<br /><br />I also believe we have the dreaded two-party system to blame for this mess. If there were several *viable* candidates from multiple parties, we'd actually have to listen to what the difference between all of their policies is, rather than just vote for the one with the coolest website. Or so I think anyway.<br /><br />I am almost done beating this dead horse, but thought I'd post anyway . . .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-21316478060015515992008-03-09T17:43:00.000-07:002008-03-09T18:14:15.951-07:00thoughts on a Marathon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lamarathon.com/fileadmin/la_assets/08/lowstart.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.lamarathon.com/fileadmin/la_assets/08/lowstart.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Okay, so after three LA Marathons ('06, '07, '08), I figure it'd be fun to actually write down some of my thoughts post-race, for posterity's sake...<br /><br />- Best iPod moment of the race: "Where Were You?" by the Mekons - The first mile of the new LA Marathon course is all uphill, everyone walks, going through the narrow Cahuenga pass. But then, when you hit the top, everyone starts screaming down the hill towards Los Angeles, the Hollywood Bowl on your right. The Mekons song starts out slow, and builds for the first minute. As I hit the hill, the song picked up, the drums kicked in, and I started running down the hill, the wind in my face.<br /><br />The LA Marathon is lined with community folks, giving you everything you can think of, cheering you on, hitting you with gardening hoses...<br /><br />- Best thing in my mouth during the race: 2 sticks of <a href="http://www.redvines.com/">Red Vine licorice</a> near Little Tokyo, so GOOD! A nice lady gave them to me.<br /><br />- Worst thing I put in my mouth during the race: Pretzels near the Fashion District, made me want to vomit, I promptly throw the rest of the handful on the ground to be trampled by the runners behind me.<br /><br />- Best running performance stuff of the race: <a href="http://www.powerbar.com/products/Powergel/flavors.aspx?id=AEE63C64-4C8D-48E3-B216-156B2332541A">Power Bar Gel</a>, Double Latte flavor (with 2x the caffeine! This was my coffee for the morning mid-race).<br /><br />- Probably not a good thing: Natalia, one of my fellow SRLA running coaches, gave me a handful of 600mg Ibuprofen pills for the race, to prevent swelling and leg/knee/ankle/shin splint pain from holding me back during the race. Ummm, yeah, I took 3 or 4, I think. Didn't feel a thing! (The next morning, I felt a sharp pain in the top of my right foot. I now think those painkillers might have been masking a stress fracture).<br /><br />- I got scolded for this: Texting my family and friends on my cell phone around mile 17. My fellow running coach and running idol, Goetz, chastised me for using an iPod in the first place (not running a "natural" race), but the cell phone seemed to be a bigger no-no...<br /><br />- Best moment of the race? Seeing my roommate, Daniel, around mile 24.5! He ran out on the street, grabbed my hand and started punching the air, running with me for about a half mile. "DOIN' AWESOME, MAN!!! KEEP IT UP!!!" Something like that, by that point in the race, it was all a haze.<br /><br />- Memorable sights of the race: 44 people in the race dressed up like <a href="http://video.aol.com/video-detail/la-marathon-2008-slashes/2272146554">Slash</a> (from G&R). There was also a woman that looked like Scary Spice in a red bikini. Two kids, one boy, one girl, about 4 feet tall that beat me.<br /><br />- Highlights? Beautiful weather, all of the students and teachers from my school finished, no one got hurt, all proudly received medals and SRLA Marathon Finisher sweatshirts; Horace Mann teachers and students came out to support at mile 13; Nadra, Jason, Mina and Dino at the finish line!<br /><br />- Is this my last marathon? Not sure. I've got people pressuring me to do this in June: <a href="http://www.rnrmarathon.com/home.html"> San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon </a>(Maybe you should too?)Nittlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756859610461064738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-71581497362009072682008-03-06T00:21:00.001-08:002008-03-06T00:28:56.846-08:00PETA Ads, Part 2One of the reasons I love <span style="font-style: italic;">bitch magazine</span> is because I have never found another periodical that echoes my thoughts so often and even more articulately than I ever could have hoped.<br /><br /><a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/which-peta-campaign-do-you-hate-the-most-vote-now">Here's <span style="font-style: italic;">bitch's</span> blog piece on the PETA demonstration</a> Nadra brought up last week, which includes a "Vote for Which PETA Ad You Hate the Most" poll.<br /><br />Just thought I'd share . . .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-86878612504120740902008-03-02T09:56:00.000-08:002008-03-02T10:12:16.589-08:00Jehovah's Witnesses and Your Local LaundromatI have been living life without a washer and dryer at my free disposal for about six months now, which means I have had the distinct pleasure of taking my laundry to laundromats. While our fabulous new apartment has laundry facilities right near our door, while we lived in Lancaster I drove to many different laundromats all round town.<br /> For some reason, in my rush to get to the laundromat and do a bunch of laundry, I would forget to bring a book to read while I was waiting for our clothes to wash or dry. I would quickly become bored out of my mind and would read whatever was on the counters.<br /> What I usually discovered was the <a href="http://www.watchtower.org/e/current_topics.htm">Jehovah's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Witnesses</span> Watch Tower and Awake! magazines</a>. The more surprising part of this story is that I actually read them! Why? Because I was stuck at the laundromat! <br /> While I was not converted to being a Jehovah's Witness myself, I have to say that I would rate this an extremely effective tactic for spreading the word of the gospel of your choice. There are few places more boring than a laundromat, and religious zealots everywhere should take note of this fact and start dropping off material at the Suds 'N Duds nearest to them.<br /> Just thought I'd throw that out there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-5781806656856562372008-03-01T09:21:00.000-08:002008-03-01T11:57:40.163-08:00Those delightful 'Once' folks...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://assets3.pitchforkmedia.com/images/image/45790.onceheader.jpg?"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://assets3.pitchforkmedia.com/images/image/45790.onceheader.jpg?" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />A truly wonderful moment in the popular imagination, and for Oscars history was watching these two win it for best original song:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/48987-interview-glen-hansard-and-markta-irglov">Pitchfork Interview with Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová</a><br /><br />Another amazing Oscar performance of long ago (skip to 2:55 for Elliott, unless you want to watch Trisha and Celine too):<br /><br /><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=6QhYP50nib4">Oscar Performances</a>Nittlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756859610461064738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-74746647132854219462008-02-29T21:37:00.000-08:002008-02-29T21:43:03.600-08:00The odd menage-a-trois of musicThis short article says it all:<br /><br /><p style="font-style: italic;">David Bowie provides backing vocals on two tracks for Scarlett Johansson's album of Tom Waits covers, Anywhere I Lay My Head. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">He wrote on his web site: "The songs are great, really good Tom Waits stuff, and Scarlett's performances are mystical and cool." Bowie also insists his contribution to the CD is not as big as the hype. </p><p style="font-style: italic;">"I've seen the press on the album and I suppose the record company wanted to spin my involvement a little more than it warrants. All I really contribute are these ooh's and aah's on a couple of tracks."</p><br /><br /><br />David Bowie, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Waits?Minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612036295544029775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4027929042114195053.post-54991449060802703532008-02-29T09:13:00.000-08:002008-02-29T09:31:34.470-08:00Suing For Our Civil Rights "Not Fair" According to G.W. BushAs his days of official fear-mongering are winding down, President G.W. Bush has been trying to scare the shit out of the American public once again by throwing a fit about the House not approving the Senate's version of the Protect America Act. <br /><br />Don't worry--the act, which expired on February 16<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span>, doesn't actually protect you from anything. It deals largely with the process that government folks must go through to request a wire tap for a phone line. The Protect America act makes it a much easier and expedient process, requiring less hard evidence for a tap to be approved. <br /><br />What is even more problematic is that the Senate's new version of the bill provides immunity to the phone companies who are letting the government trample all over our right to privacy. There are currently 40 lawsuits pending against various phone companies for allowing these wiretaps to happen after 9/11. Our president doesn't think Americans should get to hold these phone companies accountable at all, saying recently: “They’re getting sued for billions of dollars, and it’s not fair . . .If you’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ve</span> done something that you think is perfectly legal and all of a sudden you’re facing billions of dollars of lawsuits, it’s going to be hard to provide — with credibility — assurances that we can go forward."<br /><br />The problem with this statement is that the phone companies should have known that it was NOT perfectly legal to allow these wire taps to happen. Sadly, only one phone company in the entire country told the government to bugger off when they came knocking at the door, and that was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">AZ's</span> local <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Qwest</span> Communications.<br /><br />I am so sick of being told how scared we should be because our civil rights are NOT being violated (for once). I also get the impression from listening to G.W. that he is simply angry that he is not getting his way, despite all of his allusions to the terrorists that are hiding under our beds, waiting to kill us and our freedom.<br /><br />You can read the NY Times articles that I lifted these quotes from <a href="ttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/us/27fisa.html?ex=1361768400&en=09ba8c8dcdd2a425&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">here</a>. I apologize that this is not such a well-written entry. It all just makes me so damn mad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0