tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52145385807942088722024-02-07T22:23:19.271-05:00MMMMatt Marks Music -<br>
Rants and musings on everything from radical politics, pop culture as seen from a contented apocalyptic viewpoint, to zany music from all genres.Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.comBlogger561125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-43766782688282601002009-07-14T04:16:00.002-04:002009-07-14T04:27:24.725-04:00Moving to New Site, New RSS FeedHey all, I'm finally making the move and upgrading to a real website:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mattmarksmusic.com">www.mattmarksmusic.com</a><br /><br />This is mainly for folks who are following this blog via an RSS reader - direct traffic to mattmarksmusic.blogpost.com will be automatically redirected to the new site. <br /><br />Please update your RSS readers, my new feed is: <br /><br /><a href="http://mattmarksmusic.com/feed">http://mattmarksmusic.com/feed</a> <br /><br />There's also a link to subscribe on the front page. <br /><br />The new site is a big upgrade; it's still pretty bloggy - it's a Wordpress site - but there's some nice new stuff: a calendar of upcoming events, some cool pics, and a lot of tunes, surely some stuff you've never heard before. <br /><br />So give it a look and thanks for reading!Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-34007810104259040302009-07-12T11:40:00.008-04:002009-07-12T12:42:17.278-04:00"The more brutal it is, the better"Yo, check out this <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=105803422131&h=bVCpH&u=YRD1q&ref=nf">awesome story</a> in the NJ Star-Ledger about badass composer, and friend, David T. Little:<br /><blockquote>"I grew up very much outside of the classical tradition, not really knowing that it existed, not knowing that composers existed or that people still wrote music," Little reflects. <p>At first, classical music, particularly Mozart, felt foreign and false. "It represented this polite, neat, well-packaged culture which I didn't really relate to. Aside from the musical theater, I was listening to death metal, which was the opposite of that. It was aggressive, messy -- brutal is a term that's used a lot in that genre. The more brutal it is, the better."</p> <p>"Classical music struck me as living in denial. You have this music that is so perfect and that's just not true, that's not life."</p> <p>But as Little searched websites for ways to become a film composer and feverishly tried to follow their instructions, he came across recommendations for certain classical works. He started with Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring." Nearly every day for months, he spent hours listening to the composition. He bought himself a score and flipped the pages while listening to his cassette -- until he could follow Stravinsky's challenging notation through the end. </p> <p>"'The Rite of Spring' was huge," Little remembers. "It was such a visceral piece. It was brutal in the same way that this extreme metal was -- it acknowledges the sort of underbelly or the non-enlightenment period sorts of things about humanity."</p></blockquote><br />Ditto, man. The Rite was a major turning point for me too. It was also the first piece that I didn't feel ashamed to play for my non-classical musician friends (which vastly out-numbered my classical musician friends). When in doubt I'd try and convince them of how "trippy" it was, especially when in the correct state of mind (ahem...).<br /><br />What has lingered of my Rite-ophilia has been an appreciation for the effective marriage of raw, tribal emotion and extreme precision. For myself, this evolved into a love and appreciation for intense electronica - jungle/drum 'n' bass, hardcore, breakcore; for David it seems to have developed into a love for intricate metal - death, speed, math-metal, etc. Even attempting to integrate these styles into concert hall is a daunting task, but luckily for David, it's less an act of integration than it is a natural fusion. A great example of this is <span style="font-style: italic;">Sweet Light Crude, </span>a piece written for his rock ensemble, <a href="http://www.newspeakmusic.org">Newspeak</a> (you can hear <span style="font-style: italic;">SLC</span> and more <a href="http://davidtlittle.com/music/newspeak/">here</a> on his website).<br /><br />Read the whole article, it's good stuff. And make sure to come check out several of David's pieces (including excerpts from his upcoming Opera, <span style="font-style: italic;">Dog Days</span>, a collaboration with the wonderful librettist, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royce_Vavrek">Royce Vavrek</a>) this coming Friday (7/17/09) at <a href="http://www.galapagosartspace.com/events.html">Galapagos Art Space</a>.Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-85124203724916136782009-07-12T09:12:00.000-04:002009-07-12T09:13:26.237-04:00Auto-tune the News 6<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-Psfn6iOfS8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-Psfn6iOfS8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I don't know how to tell you how much I love these guys.Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-91050868893521007772009-07-07T12:41:00.011-04:002009-07-07T16:34:56.804-04:00Rhapsody in Blue RemixHey folkies, I'll be performing a live remix of <span style="font-style: italic;">Rhapsody in Blue</span> tomorrow (Wednesday, July 8th - 6:30) @ <a href="http://www.thegreenespace.org/thegreenespace/events/2009/jul/08/transitions-and-transformations/">The Greene Space</a> in NYC for the 85th anniversary of WNYC. If you're around please come check it out, tickets are FREE! :)<br /><br />If for some reason you cannot make it - out of town, in hospital (really the only two acceptable reasons...) - you can listen to it live on <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/">wnyc.org</a>. Broadcast begins at 7pm EST.<br /><br />Now, if there's one thing I hate it's a straight-forward remix, so I'm a little notorious for making remixes that eschew the spirit and style of their source material, in favor for something completely different (quite often I'll take something simple and naive and make it dark and twisted - not <span style="font-style: italic;">too</span> original I know, but I loves it!). With <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> source material, though, I completely respect and love it. In fact, performing a solo piano version of <span style="font-style: italic;">Rhapsody in Blue</span> as a young teen in a recital was one of my first serious musical experiences. Irony seems a little out of place.<br /><br />I'll give you a sample of what you can expect tomorrow. All of the sounds are from various recordings of the piece, with the exception of two: the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search/Amen_break">Amen break</a>, and a few <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-909">909</a> samples.<br /><br />Enjoy:<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.google.com/reader/ui/3247397568-audio-player.swf?audioUrl=http://sites.google.com/site/mafoomusic/Home/RhapsodyRemixExcerpt1.mp3?attredirects=0" allowscriptaccess="never" quality="best" bgcolor="#ffffff" wmode="window" flashvars="playerMode=embedded" width="400" height="27"></embed><br /><br /><br />It'll be a great show. Also performing will be Alicia and Jason Moran, Marta Eggerth, and Dave Burrell, performing music by Puccini, Antheill, and Jelly Roll Morton.<br /><br />Check it out!Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-35012014940230989682009-06-09T13:50:00.005-04:002009-07-07T17:41:18.817-04:00Birds With ArmsYeah, I haven't really been blogging too much here of late. It's for a couple of reasons: 1. I haven't really been in the rantacular kinda place recently, where a morning's angst is translated into an epic blogpost either pro or con something on this Earth; and 2. I've been doing most of my micro-blogging on Facebook, thus the drastic cutback on the quick posts (YouTube videos, funny pictures, etc.).<br /><br />But every once in a while, something on the internet is so glorious that I just <span style="font-style: italic;">have</span> to post on it. Often it's the beginning of a wonderful new meme that will seem old, stupid, and crusty in about 3 weeks time. Well, it's not then yet, so enjoy!<br /><br />Birds with arms photoshopped on them:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRhmbMrfXuW_-7nrhIn2tLy9haZ9KDHyMv2IJDajnBgRi6bC8xrt4I6QPEQi4trBfJsfVHWfuGcsu8jp38F2_zVuE8xjB19pnLuePe7mcZ5KFjLjlgRliGQ9F12SLMt1dW4iBMS3d2IY/s1600-h/musclybudgie.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 131px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRhmbMrfXuW_-7nrhIn2tLy9haZ9KDHyMv2IJDajnBgRi6bC8xrt4I6QPEQi4trBfJsfVHWfuGcsu8jp38F2_zVuE8xjB19pnLuePe7mcZ5KFjLjlgRliGQ9F12SLMt1dW4iBMS3d2IY/s400/musclybudgie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355836268950531986" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ1w7cSWT5Ognad4KUcGXyrFFMDTRPSkjjXqVh3ijDNYHt_TGfA8FpZKlsB0st3-H9h7UdFAKM9QKrlzKZNRJmDb5vazxoWabzLVqS2A6OSgc6IRUZMLeKvpc-vojyvMDAk9yms20dC8/s1600-h/fishing.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ1w7cSWT5Ognad4KUcGXyrFFMDTRPSkjjXqVh3ijDNYHt_TGfA8FpZKlsB0st3-H9h7UdFAKM9QKrlzKZNRJmDb5vazxoWabzLVqS2A6OSgc6IRUZMLeKvpc-vojyvMDAk9yms20dC8/s400/fishing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355836382488764882" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBbQM7Yq3B3-MQBDovlnX7GRiq4QIh1xhiT5HKQJ5oYlb92RzoDYeg1gBZZ__cDWGrO-qXzbAfU48SVJ2Bfz5yfoJ_qeUmckv_o6L3pAnU6tTi4xeUzxcYRWo5qZiUbYVk_exjbDgIEc/s1600-h/seagull.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBbQM7Yq3B3-MQBDovlnX7GRiq4QIh1xhiT5HKQJ5oYlb92RzoDYeg1gBZZ__cDWGrO-qXzbAfU48SVJ2Bfz5yfoJ_qeUmckv_o6L3pAnU6tTi4xeUzxcYRWo5qZiUbYVk_exjbDgIEc/s400/seagull.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355836499749868370" /></a><br /><br />Looooove it!<br /><br /><a href="http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3079902">-Something Awful</a>Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-39537037290554080032009-06-04T16:07:00.003-04:002009-06-04T21:38:38.518-04:00The Exaltation of Grace BuddIf you were at the awesomely wonderful <a href="http://www.newmusicbakesale.org/">New Music Bake Sale</a> in April, you may remember a horror ballad of mine I sang with Ensemble de Sade, called The Exaltation of Grace Budd. Well, thanks to the recording expertise of Amir Khosrowpour (who was also rocking out on piano), you can hear it again (or for the first time!). Here you go:
<br />
<br />The Exaltation of Grace Budd by Matt Marks:
<br />
<br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.google.com/reader/ui/3247397568-audio-player.swf?audioUrl=http://sites.google.com/site/mafoomusic/Home/TheExaltationofGraceBudd%28128bitrate%29.mp3?attredirects=0" width="400" height="27" allowscriptaccess="never" quality="best" bgcolor="#ffffff" wmode="window" flashvars="playerMode=embedded" />
<br />
<br />
<br />The text is from a famous letter by the 1920s serial killer, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search/Albert_Fish">Albert Fish</a>, to the parents of one of his young victims.
<br />
<br />Creeptastic!Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-78962603863662689312009-05-18T14:44:00.003-04:002009-05-18T14:46:42.258-04:00Shave and a HaircutTwo.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJXF2i49gl9mHAJo86eeDfe1x8nwTz3lKhj_Prwa7mqq1RG-9FMDI-qTVqCC52EnlA9zxkQMVc7dKf4jLrM6U3EzoOGIWg5qsj-lC6QLslbslKn9mfMzMmVc5TlVNSHVp2rKQFSFO67k/s1600-h/Photo+668.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJXF2i49gl9mHAJo86eeDfe1x8nwTz3lKhj_Prwa7mqq1RG-9FMDI-qTVqCC52EnlA9zxkQMVc7dKf4jLrM6U3EzoOGIWg5qsj-lC6QLslbslKn9mfMzMmVc5TlVNSHVp2rKQFSFO67k/s400/Photo+668.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337237145776735906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Bits.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetbNCzEeRWuVi8GGdWiQPog3XQkTKYtQWZcl3MLuGcPkhrIMPeRweYf9geKTJFFlW5U7h4D_R6ozX-K4kwxGWIwHat3pqHVdUhYaZluDbeu1CZACGoyMB4Rpf2EoZyLLAu1phcM-MyeE/s1600-h/Photo+671.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetbNCzEeRWuVi8GGdWiQPog3XQkTKYtQWZcl3MLuGcPkhrIMPeRweYf9geKTJFFlW5U7h4D_R6ozX-K4kwxGWIwHat3pqHVdUhYaZluDbeu1CZACGoyMB4Rpf2EoZyLLAu1phcM-MyeE/s400/Photo+671.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337236885142016242" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///Users/mattmarks/Pictures/Photo%20Booth/Photo%20671.jpg" alt="" />Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-16359669314774702482009-05-11T13:07:00.002-04:002009-05-11T13:12:46.769-04:00Bitchin' in the KitchenHappy Monday!<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BqksSN6K_V0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BqksSN6K_V0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search/Shock_Treatment">Shock Treatment</a><br /><br />P.S. I totally have a 70s Jessica Harper crushMafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-67991415101893663032009-05-05T12:01:00.002-04:002009-05-05T12:04:36.157-04:00Just for meI found this baby-tee in a 99-cent store. If anyone out there can make heads or tails of it I will buy you a beer. <br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uLRAokctda1_4WADK029hA?authkey=Gv1sRgCIHF1v7a0d-C7QE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEva9wXWfhERenNaKA73kp5xRhvsVRrCfFzot59fCf40oLLicqkfeoLuBVA_qugIJdanpkvD4gweNSHcMCQ3dc8n5rYg9a6Hif-5Fw-3MCMgaRYrt-qy1tKZ5MN5S9IrYjXg9PJAHOPk/s400/91.jpg" /></a>Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-91866189702495054032009-04-23T08:50:00.006-04:002009-04-23T09:22:16.345-04:00Moral Absolutism on Fox News<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eYGlU07e-Vw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eYGlU07e-Vw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />I've often wondered if Shepard Smith's recent un-Fox News-worthy attitude was a result of his legitimate differences with the network - which seem to be growing - or simply a case of moral posturing, as I believe the case to be with Glenn Beck. It's tough to believe in its sincerity (I mean, he was the host of A Current Affair...) but this outburst seems to be free of pretense. He ends up looking a little foolish in this clip, but I sympathize with him. Torture is just fucking wrong, ok? Sometimes the debate beyond that - especially a biased one - does not really help matters. There have to be some things that are simply taboo in our society despite their inevitable gray areas. <br /><br />In the torture debate, people often bring up the Alan Dershowitz argument: a bomb is set to detonate in a large city in an hour, we have the terrorist, does it make sense to torture him to find the bomb's location? Probably. Does that mean we should do it? No. This is a completely hypothetical question with no basis in history. Hypotheticals could be drawn up to question any one of our values, that doesn't mean we should base policy on fiction. Example: Is is ok to punch children in the face when they're naughty? No. But what if, this one time, this child was actually not a child and he had the Gary Coleman disease and you didn't punch him and then he stabbed you. Yeah, good point. Open season on punching kids? No. Punching kids is fucking wrong, case closed. <br /><br />There are always opportunities for relaxing our moral boundaries and there are always justifications, but it really just comes down to sticking by those decisions. I never cut in line. And I actually kinda consider peoples willingness to cut in line to be demonstrative of a certain sociopathy. Does it make sense to cut in line sometimes? Of course. Would it benefit me on occasion? Yes. But I'll never do it, I simply will not allow my brain to go there. It's unfair and fucking wrong. That's all there is to it.Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-82109919521096994602009-04-10T18:36:00.001-04:002009-04-10T18:37:14.249-04:00Friday Night Gorefest!<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LAnAaFgjiiA&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LAnAaFgjiiA&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Somebody <i>really</i> needs to drop a death metal soundtrack over this.Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-76765905794437823182009-04-08T13:35:00.000-04:002009-04-08T13:36:37.506-04:00What I've Been Listening ToTilly and the Wall - Bad Education<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DQDDOGa2bEE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DQDDOGa2bEE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-33821595809060158572009-04-08T10:19:00.005-04:002009-04-08T10:32:31.828-04:00Trent Reznor Drops the Knowledge<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://revision3.com/player-v2997" allowfullscreen="true" width="450" height="235"/>
<br />(<a href="http://revision3.com/diggdialogg/trentreznor/">view original</a>)
<br />
<br />Here is a very cool interview for anyone who is interested in new business models for making money in music. NIN has probably the most progressive attitude for getting their music out there than any mainstream group, and they're still raking in the cash. It's fascinating to watch Trent Reznor geek the hell out about the "NIN brand" and revenue streams and all that. He's a pretty smart dude. Every musician would be smart to listen up. Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-39217840633186944232009-04-06T10:21:00.005-04:002009-04-07T12:29:04.872-04:00Your Monday Morning WTFFox News thinks Mr. Rogers ruined a generation of children:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3MOCJzhiLyk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3MOCJzhiLyk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Yeah, um if there's one problem with the kids of today it's that they have <span style="font-style:italic;">too much self-esteem</span>. Sigh... Is there really a need to argue this kind of psycho pseudo-social-darwinistic bullshit? Apparently there is, since Fox News is now instructing a generation of idiot parents to teach their kids that, what, believing in yourself is wrong?<br /><br />I <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span> hope the recent surge in crazy that's been coming from the right is just the last gasp of a dying movement.<br /><br />P.S. and I love how they vaguely link it to some "study" to add legitimacy. The conclusion of the "study" showed what? The young adults of today watched Mr. Rogers as children. The researcher believes the young adults of today have a sense of entitlement? Well then, case closed!Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-13394937484069333312009-04-02T08:09:00.005-04:002009-04-02T10:10:59.022-04:00Morning LinksFinally somebody eviscerates Glenn Beck, and I'm glad it was <a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/223279/march-31-2009/the-10-31-project">Stephen Colbert</a>.<br />Get your Joe the Plumber hate on <a href="http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/labor/joe-the-plumber-admits-he-knows-little-about-efca-gets-jeered-by-workers/">here</a>.<br />Musikmesse 2009, the worlds' leading electronic music trade show, is currently <a href="http://www.synthtopia.com/content/tag/musikmesse-2009/">blowing my freaking mind</a>. I'll do a sum up post on my favorite new pieces of gear when it's all wrapped up.<br />Watchmen's Rorschach as the <a href="http://www.reason.com/news/show/132100.html">Randian ideal</a>.<br />More Inglourious Basterds <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/05/inglourious-basterds-portfolio200905?slide=1#globalNav">pics</a>.<br />The FBI, getting its <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7978379.stm">priorities</a> straight.<br /><a href="http://www.peoplewhositinthedisabilityseatswhenimstandingonmycrutches.com">peoplewhositinthedisabilityseatswhenimstandingonmycrutches.com</a>Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-241437468580884662009-04-01T00:23:00.003-04:002009-04-01T10:32:42.632-04:00Inspirational Messages"The task of an American writer is not to describe the misgivings of a woman taken in adultery as she looks out of a window at the rain, but to describe four hundred people under the lights reaching for a foul ball. This is ceremony."<br />-John Cheever<br /><br />"A RED STAMP. If lilies are lily white if they exhaust noise and distance and even dust, if they dusty will dirt a surface that has no extreme grace, if they do this and it is not necessary it is not at all necessary if they do this they need a catalogue."<br />-Gertrude Stein<br /><br />"The death ... of a beautiful woman is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world"<br />-Edgar Allan PoeMafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-77283314134867319272009-03-31T22:40:00.002-04:002009-03-31T22:41:19.191-04:00Give Him Hell Press Corps!<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W7XweXtz6SY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W7XweXtz6SY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-41292193527344389202009-03-31T13:18:00.028-04:002009-03-31T14:58:14.516-04:00eXistenZ<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uquwtXZyTZc&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uquwtXZyTZc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />So I finally watched a David Cronenberg film that didn't blow me away. Actually, let me rephrase that. It blew my mind - like all Cronenberg movies - but I just don't think it really <span style="font-style: italic;">worked</span>.<br /><br />A little background: ever since watching Crash a few years ago I've been steadily working through his catalog. He is one of those rare directors that makes intelligent, bizarre films that seem to work on all levels: writing, dialogue, performances, cinematography, awesome Howard Shore scores (if you only know Shore from the LOTR scores, check out music from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nVy9J6avjY">Crash</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diHm3dK_5eg">Videodrome</a>). On my recent trip to Portland I came upon a wonderful little store called <a href="http://www.kraag.org/strange/">Strange Maine</a>, where I found a bevy of cheaply-priced VHS tapes, which I ravaged, walking away with a sackful ranging from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search/Don%27t_Torture_a_Duckling">Don't Torture a Duckling</a> to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search/Sunday_in_the_Park_with_George">Sunday in the Park with George</a>. I also picked up eXistenZ, which was at the top of my list. It had a killer cast, promised old-school Cronenberg mind-bendingness, how could it go wrong?<br /><br />Well, here's how. From the beginning, the acting and the dialog across the board is as stunted and cartoony as anything from Scanners (which I tend to forgive because it was early in its career). The opening scene features a cheering crowd of extras that look and sound like they're from a badly dubbed anime. In fact the performances are so silly that <a href="http://slate.msn.com/id/25716/">some have questioned </a>if it were intentional, reflecting the dubious-nature-of-reality-theme in the film, but I think that's a bit too convenient of an excuse. This weighs heavily against the typical Cronenbergian imagery in the film; the pulsing fleshy game controllers, technologically-constructed bodily orifices, and horrific mutant animals become more ridiculous than intriguing when framed and elucidated by awkwardly-delivered lines. It becomes camp and, even if it were intentional - which I doubt, it is not good camp.<br /><br />Edelstein notes that eXistenz came after a series of "calamitous receptions" to such films as Naked Lunch, M. Butterfly, and Crash, which is why the film seems to be some sort of Videodrome-lite. I don't know if I'd characterize those films as "calamitous", since Naked Lunch and Crash quickly developed cult-status, but I understand his search for a reason for this film. The film <span style="font-style: italic;">is </span>still adventurous, it <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> still complex and provocative, but it quite simply doesn't hold together, even with the added touch of there being fourth wall commentary on the feebleness of the plot, and its lack of cohesiveness, which acts as a lazy <span style="font-style: italic;">deus ex machina</span>.<br /><br />eXistenZ an oddity in an otherwise near-perfect oeuvre, made even the more odd by its normally-stellar cast. You just get the sense throughout the movie that they don't know what in the hell they are supposed to be acting about, and one can hardly expect the audience to be sold on it if the actors are not.<br /><br />Mafoo's one-line sum-up review:<br /><br />eXistenZ is a good movie to get baked, watch with a group of friends, and then compare to the Matrix afterwards.Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-67355318358810481432009-03-31T12:18:00.006-04:002009-03-31T13:04:32.312-04:00Noon LinksJim Webb is doing the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/30/webb-crime-bill-comes-get_n_180791.html">Lord's work</a>.<br />Torture is not torture when <span style="font-style: italic;">we</span> are the torturers torturing. <a href="http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/03/when-the-washington-post-calls-waterboarding-torture.html">Get it</a>?<br />Watch Mos Def <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYx_EfG1yF8">slowly unravel</a> with a few delicate jabs by Christopher Hitchens.<br /><a href="http://createdigitalmusic.com/2009/03/30/teenage-engineering-op-1-insanely-slick-pocketable-controller-synth/#more-5487">Tiny synth</a>, MIDI controller, sequencer, sampler, onboard fx, built-in mic, motion sensor, and a freakin' FM <span style="font-style: italic;">radio</span>? I can't wait for the price so I can cry myself to sleep...<br />I wanna be a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/Story?id=7207632&page=1">baconographer</a>.<br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/verena-von-pfetten/eyebrows-why-bushy-is-bet_b_180550.html">Bushy eyebrows</a> are back, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>finally</span>...Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-60399321162463757302009-03-30T14:27:00.004-04:002009-03-30T16:49:07.451-04:00Sensible Marijuana Legalization Debate on CNBC<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ALc0wVFfIKs&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ALc0wVFfIKs&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />(via <a href="http://www.theagitator.com/2009/03/30/legalization-debate/">RB</a>)<br /><br />For the record, I don't smoke pot, but I have - like our last three presidents - in the past. I do, though, see it squarely as a civil rights issue. Obama's <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-03-30/obamas-marijuana-buzz-kill/">glib dismissal</a> of the will of the people really pissed me off. There is no reason for the law to be on the books, and there is a wonderful opportunity here to help ease the massive strain of the recession. Wake up man!Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-55944374794531844202009-03-30T10:18:00.002-04:002009-03-30T10:22:27.476-04:00Weekend Carnage<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29955475/">What's</a> <a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=7205652&page=1">going</a> <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29954962/">on</a> America??Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-31221436486323632362009-03-27T11:30:00.021-04:002009-03-27T23:05:17.793-04:00Little Death Show and Subsequent Mini-VacationI just returned last night from Mell and my post-Little Death vacation to Portland, Maine. I'll include some pics here from both the show and our trip, as well a link to the full album. Enjoy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Show:</span><br />(thanks for the action shots Marbot!!)<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FkIS9QXOBND13ucUTQGstw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvegCKVHbxxgv4hjuL8PlhQVsNheJxFIbifqUy3CyquPLdjTWsXW1Jz0FiPkk_9jQslscop97y7U_ImnEVHT5KR4hwZ6rKshlOu8tQvtcRaq-66CHOFkBSeUAnKKVRFL6KKaFMLUulfw/s400/IMG_0412.JPG" /></a><br />"Something... happened..."<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fF_MLA72WX-60glBpsAHSA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUJMhIdfnUbNfmByDQTyY4r74jjiAhp9r3YT0EJc23YiNktErkzSYHMoE0v1QhnQt_Vm5nwsXLTBgWi9259yJY5buLzcrzTya_DAalrVUSuRxSXEF4WTd8rvmgHjeZU2rlbZQ7NbH2VE/s400/IMG_0419.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/M5f6xGLrOLcM4S1dCDwurg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsagYAhTUcbe3OPz2D5x4f-Y-8bJ5MrOw6Jb9feCf7nBZ6U-j9noQF95hrJg_O0ij2HqOs0Z18mppXzZ8goQyXtOwga40ZYJmSI6P4WbdUz_wxJGneVNysTGkvuU1Pf_40CQzxmGSjBIg/s400/IMG_0416.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yYVgF4Q879fxq9bI2397jw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEyx3GQSBcLXItOIC8-jv4oUiygGjaBh46JFDxRiEK92qhzpYrBKLudjRSHaTFHcWp7Gjk46FiuZT-iWyGR8yOzGo-amrvnDgyZJTIqMiwpqIUN8iF6l1RN4nWkQ7pO8wpabxzUmb5XU/s400/IMG_0411.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OgRMVSZWaz37--lSeH_pbg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAekelAN89BcrmCji_Le4AwCmOUPEzAC9b4xyqHdDkeojCTBmWEB3KFI1Ga9i0lzmPRHOyehBOmCUz0JEijRgSS_ch2ItfX-LO2wEyMRoW7v_lEsDW5cTDw50wROcMfz1Q5DIM96PN0g/s400/IMG_0406.JPG" /></a><br />"You're like... God!!!"<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lqEiCfKq4PBEN3rjQocZ5Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEo-xOt3VuRrv-dD-fLL0wot3SkSMfC4x8MDTW9fRbpwPT15Hwv_9QheM_pfiM3w5SMSu6Qv6rh6qZK2JHU6Lr-Kh5LpKRng-gH2MMnF3a2ndsHaoxosjq8K5LpPonfJdQQG8ovR-iKE/s400/IMG_0408.JPG" /></a><br />"to... me..."<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jbgCL0sDrchspmSaYN7Baw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZxhdqruzOCHxn-srMk4YYalO3-6ngBcCEpXJv-7iyZ7ICy60eMHErAqew-Nbr0oT8CWpkqmRbkfbzDtoOgMsp1bXKwu2MUJVVzl0J-SW5UOvK_V-W-mprjkKSZHoq6A_w1xxPMPKt3s/s400/IMG_0396.JPG" /></a><br />"And you know Jesus is my best friend!"<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sza8jyDHb8aKEVgWt4UUrA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwspjdaNL1f9hs78-0JHdUCqriPeA2Fja6H1SzPGn7RQklaVKWmEo4Aet8CchvmZ8pyU-NSU08UKOOK8CaOoW6mJRQ52plzyL502xxh2Txf2ozRKK5ctrkplymOLtSB7sCTa53Rhj6R4/s400/IMG_0423.JPG" /></a><br />"Pe-ne-traaaa-tion!!"<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Hang:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/C4EtBGuGtgb6hQKu1wnsFw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6k84AIbRuQOxOXlKNzbFq-MGujZFsyyxtXY-1ZHellqn8iYfASAzhSxzQfe4l3ZYJhd_jSEU6VrULZMMQfdxo7QfFjx0vviF0BCcMaZrmCpGJPiCDqANC2aA4Dnq2EL39CJM3RqLrFAI/s400/DSCN0998.JPG" /></a><br />After-show glow<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mDogVLqHCyWzs-EP1JTRbQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpblFLdnXpSMqHk16UusX_Yo4RWNQtGnHO85k51V4v67xhDpVRL3hNnJzOvU5uN38aVbKs3qN1vVVAo0byxK4O1Mj_z7zN-yzrifNGK2bqaHjWYomUMqcfSd2gEp1AfSDE0zXChOJTpj0/s400/DSCN0972.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Pc24DJ3OhbgP5EF4_6O0DQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00A4TuREFbvMSNjlzpicmvoZU5Rc2N-mchPER225owg0gKRllSzL5TB5ruSi7qVjvWGNX35b5S8zEe3RtSFzvs2_WkkrPAeWX9ioDAnWbkAsebj0-TwsipcYMiDE363vdHyzsTdTED14/s400/DSCN1001.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/HznEzKhyJ0XkQrBqGgujNQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PIX0gkkvRDU_BMNCtEjOolmw1__vBnVRybmk6KxAaH2Zt60wmyD-d50LO0zMErbkbEnUVVUS1Dc6SCMuZDpEpLEy0YlFefw3PdKBSZgKrjctFHVSOlF3LtVS9t9rUEhx_FZ6fNT4g3U/s400/DSCN1002.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dinner at Sammy's with the Folks:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/t-gon-C5bz_KkVebDhoagw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIi41Q89CWMI2xWwR6pQmxHj24lhXavLvLsUhBAv8Hex43Z_2I_Jeu3w5HpNC5r-HyvBcHsalXLUG52MbypGnxRqvrXGWoWAnBcVLyrcFdIuw9QnzFhLK4GG50xLTy5-wrZgvTbKoQcA/s400/DSCN1021.JPG" /></a><br />Mystified by the seltzer<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8xDzCeTPLkf14VkfXpjVVw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCwgWsXHLj_RlcILMZJpupmCIeGhHsLvvzgbtik2tChl-2gEDGOoNi72zZ5RHj100rNBEdpVOafGdAIYmF_W61V9q8kEIbCvdIsGuYNMMpdaTStwU_i0Nuy_m9vf9C7C_bjXvWan_Oqw/s400/DSCN1023.JPG" /></a><br />Mell in her Linda Richman shirt.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BMASAqdTC-e3whDgkCG7Ow?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkXG4WkoF4AScPA_9jweBNHDh2Kql3FFCdJ55taSLF5UUwpeCnwCo-01w325LcsBce0rPY8W_EQQp4Bl2Ss2Mmp_I5r17GhnZx3H5MaZHi0K0MySqIlBFwU383YA42x9ZE_qHyNp4V8g/s400/DSCN1029.JPG" /></a><br />Steak it up Wil!!<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Hh8zR7Kq8QQe0YggnKcjFQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYcx4tGsnJXYFVmw9kpUm3PxoL3hltRa4woE2yaiFkzjQgD87Q_ga0PF_Oe-BhZ4iRGpqr7mfwYFIPMTC3V-P4QkSXCMq4YeatZjxsJ73JJqaeq1Iiha8b7Q9RQSMUo0sbo3OIrhdG-U/s400/DSCN1019.JPG" /></a><br />We found ourselves in the midst of an impromptu bat mitzvah!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Trip to Maine:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/U0F83TSmqL6d-2pHB0Mvuw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEGD9TcpdH-CgoKcKgGgZmvrGgSdabOzAzONZrf4St6n2Cbk5Og5C8NW1rp1k3OTN4eYkG6DOW2cPOoLz5SMjHT8zECNJZoGA-y_dTwylJrGa_ge-SDAh4buGDAE5_f2qHtWshMmceZo/s400/DSCN1032.JPG" /></a><br />You know you're out of NYC when the truck stops have NASCAR romance fiction...<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bb6aHOvgpPdumOAQIgeqAg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9j2xFqg00QI1hQDG1OdBn81M9BdonCRdw0WXOObbdHDe7TFFPqaFc65D-aEctoG9Y2x9Bde_NX3cTErE4pmGlAA-Hrb9Di021tGxqfEY0EsvSJ1vctx5-pTpyIDdPW3ysW5A26Sk-zA/s400/DSCN1038.JPG" /></a><br />Lobster cages in Portland<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TmzmHpevrpkgXSAYe1IuGw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dvsrhFhRu3RjNeQN0d1clFFhNc0HD4lOWGypXMRgfGSiodusJFt8T9h5AHWIb70tgbYs7899481mqgGW7av0z-jG3J75CX7YqwHep67mpWHeQU0vtiR5gO9IJwhVamdNRVM0S7V-Slo/s400/DSCN1041.JPG" /></a><br />At J's, drinking an Amber<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/207bPKP0kJRK05XLlOXeUw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjhZWhTIDOtnGAgl9oSWuv6gc0IRQJ0rCrhf_IRD_L38BVh72fCPJ2rEiP550FmRkyJ7rW9UBaR1oJgggrxYgEqXu1o5R4QgIQBKp09-OaOCnkYOPYFSsUY-yad2ZorIoAaH_4bUVhSg/s400/DSCN1044.JPG" /></a><br />I look like I'm trapped in an ad for either beer, eyeglasses, or eyebrow tweezers...<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wdoeewcidc_N8J5ftmpm4g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWIb4_mteN_BRDAxKs0zFbFql16Wp8W9hUH1C5-2qyLxIxlc9aBCsxDW1P4Arb6grP2jCkp9IGldlvFxrTMiEauOlxIrAv9hL3M_oOKvEb42w1SwyB66hsxl75WXax9ulhYRGH-rAzs4/s400/DSCN1045.JPG" /></a><br />Delicious oysters on the half-shell<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4d_HAvpeOUhDFLm9oXMayA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlmJJM543DYNzHOG2KmylJ1__QlFkukUE0HI7rDbtW8hIo5Hh6X0dCjMK3vxxKkhXQiczABYjs3KcjlWWx2fUH1yJM06AYJ7bozJIblKWA2L0kP-DAUnKxDO4aAVtM4zp3Ynndw3NRlc/s400/DSCN1062.JPG" /></a><br />More drinkin'. Yummy Bloody Marys!!<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sVTF1hSm_Iyv7_3XU6OcnA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSv9Dh_8NPFf4Cch2Ea1dA-lGpOdtSa2a2eoWM0_LgLruqK9WellY-89vw-2l7YFvw3xNmpu_SxNJI6Y0Yo-Coo1KTqvsWygLZTlRSDEFlgHeuqmlUfMp-LTrGbvlicGFhp11Fx5Uk60/s400/DSCN1064.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/arKU7owGOVi-BwHexaV-pQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHCkmqXyI5ml6TmFVnqYfnqr4Bvypw_G7JLoLAkQVWqLoDARArVHdZ6P4XnNDWaecMOcQwjp1vdBJbhBGx8xw9IhkIsqQD2atGQEMJgQJDp9iq2arWs1fYrHoebIhdQxERZijnagM7Tg/s400/DSCN1073.JPG" /></a><br />Melly, unsure of her first escargot endeavor<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/j1pmVQ1LQ3zAqnIA_gnMmg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_xQc1QZuGtAAphSkxlmwbZuhY-9QraD-uayiGIEAcnSq3la4gKcEfise5d5J_aY-mLe4MV7MvGFvz1B6Rp0YboZWaEoU3xXs6zdWagpRvPUks6VUCov0SM7H6Dp734WZzTcGflPEiro/s400/DSCN1083.JPG" /></a><br />I'ma gonn eat you Pinchy!<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0-Nz7IMsc-NOP-j-Cwu5Gg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtHtkWm7KtdreYs-c7-8K69SMN59DsyUJ_xyIDSPjkgDSJWt2sAvzLNVm74B8R4-3yCAtSlCrRlc-paM1yjXzcdcEXZ38y8IyemOAq0t2uG_CyVeBCN6K0PHwk3eB9-F-0NPteXGwlZA/s400/DSCN1088.JPG" /></a><br />This is how you pull the head off of a steamed clam.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Rz-MPxfOERFy7Zkk05ipDw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_QE6RGqVA04AT12f2BlnpV1N0-HK4kX7VYTLWHsuEI-W75AW7b8ChlqGOiJL9QNhiwM_MjyzL29hJGhDhEXctcCnB8jP5IqBEFgdVgRnvfzIUGM33UARhnt63395xDdT5YfAQLIQZes/s400/DSCN1113.JPG" /></a><br />Our adorable hotel.<br /><br /><br />Here's the <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/mattmarksmusic/LittleDeathLIVEAndMaine?feat=directlink">link to the full album</a> or you could just view the slideshow:<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&noautoplay=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fmattmarksmusic%2Falbumid%2F5317933063471021361%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="267" width="400"></embed>Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-342413699514240022009-03-19T23:09:00.003-04:002009-03-19T23:15:16.161-04:00The Little Death Vol.1 Reminder!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgkQlQnRC4061F_UisRaApbSIfF44CDUi2EeRWzxi2nNDvAM_w8CGA7utZYoo4LkkgnPe9umT8UVM35I5XP2q2lnHFSNgWU_abGyeslZuW8gWu31sMl4MBy2nVpXNf8775oT74NlzPts/s1600-h/mattmarkslittldeath.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgkQlQnRC4061F_UisRaApbSIfF44CDUi2EeRWzxi2nNDvAM_w8CGA7utZYoo4LkkgnPe9umT8UVM35I5XP2q2lnHFSNgWU_abGyeslZuW8gWu31sMl4MBy2nVpXNf8775oT74NlzPts/s400/mattmarkslittldeath.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315102725252538546" /></a><br /><br />Just a reminder to come check out my opera, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Little Death Vol.1 </span>this Friday and Saturday night, 9:30 each night. <br /><br />Here's that info again:<br /><br />T<span style="font-style:italic;">he Little Death Vol.1</span><br />March 20th and 21st, 9:30PM<br />@ The *NEW* Tank - 354 West 45th Street (in between 8th and 9th Ave.)<br />Tix are $10<br /><br />Check out songs from the show <a href="http://www.myspace.com/mattmarksmusic">here</a>Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-50297638704689697772009-03-17T01:23:00.003-04:002009-03-17T01:26:45.186-04:00What.This is fucking messed up:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/47ukdf4oSg4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/47ukdf4oSg4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />and it <i>really, really</i> reminds me of this:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dib2-HBsF08&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dib2-HBsF08&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5214538580794208872.post-68206144479581617702009-03-12T12:05:00.004-04:002009-03-12T12:09:05.745-04:00Google Kills the Phone CompaniesThank you <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/grandcentral_returns_as_google_voice.php">Lord Google</a>:<blockquote>Google today finally announced its plans for GrandCentral, the telephony service it acquired in July 2007. GrandCentral will be reborn as Google Voice, a comprehensive suite of telephony services, including all of GrandCentral's features. In addition, Google Voice will also include an automated voicemail transcription service, the ability to send and receive text messages, and integration with your Gmail contacts. Users can now also call any number in the the U.S. for free.</blockquote><br />Great news. I used to have a voice-mail transcription service, but it sucked and cost money. This one sounds much, much better:<blockquote>The automated voicemail transcription feature looks like it will be one of the most useful functions of Google Voice. Transcriptions are fully automated and Google will mark passages in the text where the algorithm was not very confident about the transcription. Transcriptions will automatically appear in your inbox, but Google Voice can also email them to you, or even send you an SMS with the text.</blockquote><br />Huge.<br /><br />Let's hope that the phone companies are running scared like the swindling bastards they are. Exorbitant international calling rates? Paying for SMS and minutes? Hopefully that will all be a thing of the past.Mafoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06560276684013585697noreply@blogger.com0