Mea Culpa

They Say You're Like a Monday Morning, I Say You're Like a Friday Night

Don't Judge a Band by Its Name: the Acid House Kings

What is it with Swedes and quality pop music?  I learned about the Acid House Kings on Music for Robots.  Yes, they sound like Belle & Sebastian.  Yes, this is perfect driving-around-in-your-new-Scion-on a sunny day- kind of music.  And, as it says on their website, they "wanted to create catchy quality pop (a bit like the Smiths for summer days instead of lonely autumn nights locked up in your room)."  Brilliant! 

You can download some songs from their website, but get their new album on September 13th, it comes with a karaoke DVD!

Midnight Madness

So we happened to be near Skylight Books last night, where I knew that coincidentally they were selling the new Harry Potter, so why not pick up a copy? 

Patent Pending

Have you taken a good luck at your keyboard lately?  I did just now, with the resulting horror and disgust.  You would not believe how much hair (mine and cat) and grot came out.  Granted this is partly because of the cats (jerks) and because I used to eat at the computer.  No more Cheetos or cherry tomatoes while typing!  Anyway, this leads to my latest brill invention: keyboards should have a crumb tray, like toasters!  Then you could just clean all that grot out!  It can't be good for the device to have that stuff in there. . . its very presence annoys me. 

Portrait of the Artist as an Armed Centaur

AK-47 wielding horse/man hybrids and beating on things with sticks. . . that is what the scene in l.a. is like right now.

From Mariko's 'L.A. versus Montreal' group show at Jeff Electric.  Painting by Argee.  Pinata inspired by Tecate.

My Burning Question, Answered.

Every time I use my digital camera, I think to myself, How does this dang autofocus work?'  The answer, my friends, is not a small and dedicated focus-monkey as I originally surmised. 

Link to the ever-useful Howstuffworks. 

Here's one of my favorite cameras:

Possible Epitaph

Today Becky and Cheryl and I combined our day-off forces and had a ladies' luncheon.  Our destination today was Empress Pavilion in Chinatown for dim sum.  Pretty standard food, tasty, and cheap as hell.  Seafood Harbor (I think that's what it was called, the abalone place) in Monterey Park is better.   Anyway, today I threw caution to the wind and ate loads of shrimp.  My shellfish allergy will control me no more!  And I feel fine!  A little trepidacious, but none of the stomach cramps/swollen lips/rashes I used to get.  I like to eat dangerously!  This must be how blowfish afficionados feel!

Look at my new pig lighter.  Isn't he just darling with his little red fez?  Fire comes out of BOTH nostrils!

L.A. and All Her Crazy Charms

(Recommended listening: Yo La Tengo's 'Cherry Lipstick' and the Raveonettes' 'Ode to L.A.' with Ronnie Spector on guest vocals.)

I had one of those glorious and much-needed 'I Love L.A.' kind of weekends.  Friday night Alex and I went to Cinespia's screening of 'Rock N' Roll High' at the Hollywood Forever cemetary, home of the famous remains of Rudolph Valentino, Cecil B. de Mille, and Jayne Mansfield.  What could be better, more romantic, or more L.A. than a cemetary movie 'above and below the stars', palm trees softly illuminated in the background by the movie screen?  It was fun and somehow life-affirming to see everyone decked out in their mohawks and their Ramones t-shirts. . . some of the actors from the movie were there, and Rodney Bingenheimer, and Vincent Gallo (whose jokes were laughed-at much too loudly by certain members of the audience. . . he's not that funny).  I had that 'Whoa I'm kind of a grownup' moment, sitting there with wine and cheese, and realizing I was surrounded by pottymouthed Pez- and beer-packing young ones, ha!  Anyhow, good times.

Saturday was the annual Lotus Festival in Echo Park; 5 people + 1 dog piled into my Scion for some appreciation of Asian and Pacific Islanders.  I walked among my people (haven't seen a FLIP gear booth for awhile, aka 'Fine Lookin' Island People'), had some mediocre chicken-fried rice and an excellent churro, ooh-ed over the impressive lotus flowers, aah-ed over some pretty blatant poaching of aforementioned vegetation.  Too bad the paddleboat station was closed and nobody wanted to joust me on the moonbounce.  After that we heaved up Alexis' many steep steps for more beer and barbeque and fireworks.  Special guests: most of Junior Senior.  It was like little Scandinavia up in there, they are beautiful people and have beautiful accents.  I got a little cheeky and, after dancing with Alexis' cane, snake bolo and Ms. PacMan painting, decided to model his daishiki.  Didn't make it to the VBC party but, hey, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. 

See my photo albums for proof.

'I Be Like Herbie and Han you a Cock'

These are unfortunate words to have bumpin' on your stereo when you have company.  Mental note: do not blast  Akinyele if there is any, ANY chance you'll be  driving entomology staff around after lunch. 

I Sing the Body Electric

Just got back from the Tim Hawkinson (no, not this one) exhibit at LACMA- delightful!   Of particular interest to me where the sculptures made from his own body trimmings- a darling little bird skeleton out of fingernail clippings, a feather made from his own hair, and an astounding little egg made from ground hair and glue.  I wish I had pictures to show you.   I also liked the 'Secret Sentry' (I think that's what it's called) series, which is a group of unconventional clocks.  There's one that's a large manila envelope, and upon closer inspection one realizes that the little brass closer is a bona fide timepiece.  Excellent!  His work displays an obsessive  control of details; several pieces are painstakingly-rendered maps and graphs of his own body.  Don't get me wrong though.  The art, while meticulous,  is anything but pedantic.  He's a thinker and a tinkerer.  His work, especially the large and/or interactive musical pieces, is  just plain cool.  The man cast the space between his legs in plaster and carved it into a mermaid fin!  He made a clock out of a FINGER!  Go see for yourself if you can!  P.S.  I think he's kind of hot.

Wish You Were Her

And don't you wish you were HERE, it is Monday night, 4th of July, and I can see illegal fireworks from somewhere down the street and I'm listening to the Roxy Music's 'More Than This' and Autolux's 'Here Comes Everyone' and that shit's on repeat, baby.  Isn't there a word that means both 'blissful' and 'melancholy'?  That's all, goodnight.