cute!

cute!
Originally uploaded by becklerg.

Pitchfork has a thing today about Kate Bush coming out with a new album which just prompted me to want to post a cute picture of her and made me remember that I need to check out more of her albums and that I wish I was home listening to one right now and thinking how simultaneously great/annoying some of her songs are. Like I can hear that she's so shrill I should be annoyed but instead I love it.

mustache

cool
Originally uploaded by becklerg.

...and here's a picture of her bassist and bf and i just think it's a cool picture

the stick?

Anybody have a Lipstick report? Last night was Jenny AND Tess' last nights in town. Lame. I don't like when people leave. Let me guess, Lipstick was the EXACT SAME AS IT'S BEEN FOR FIVE FUCKING YEARS!

Oh yeah, Lyme Regis is playing at Joey D's night at the Press Club tonight. I would go, but I have to hang with the 'rents tonight (I used this slang on D.P. and he had no idea what I was talking about. I'm so down with the kids, it's ridic). That reminds me of when my little sister cracked me up by shortening "convenient" to "convene".

spazzy bands that don't try hard enough

OK, so I did what Leon said to stop the spam. Hopefully it will work.

DB has a new blog. I'm sure it will be great. Here's what he has to say about it.

I am starting my own blog, and I was wondering if you could give me a mention on your blog. It is called The Barnesyard and the address is barnesyard.blogspot.com. It is basically an informal setting where I can "rap" with the teens about the issues that really matter to them. That, and movies. Really just movies. I wouldn't worry about me stepping on your toes, since I am, at heart, a lazy, lazy man.

I went with DB to watch the Brothers Grimm last night, so perhaps he will review that soon. I left after about a half hour so I'd like to hear what he thought of the rest of this movie. I don't know what the budget of the movie was but it looks like it was about $1.56. The lighting was terrible and the two stars looked like shit. Even the hopes of seeing Belluci's rack was not enough to keep me in my seat (and D.P. said it doesn't make and appearance anyway). The humor was painfully flat. Gilliam's lost it.

Charles sent me another press release:

This Friday, September 2nd, at the Distillery, at 10pm, for 5-6 dollars
TALK ABOUT CHARLES presents
The Gyans
The Readymades
The Playboy Millionaires
This could be the best show of the year. I read about it on the Internet.
Charles

I don't know about the other bands, but the Readymades are good.

The show last night was not so stellar for me. Magik Markers had technical problems so they took forever to set up and derailed the momentum of the show. It was just spazzing out and I wasn't even sure if that's how they normally sound or if it was because they hadn't fixed the technical problems. The singer had a kinda autistic vibe. Imagine a wholesome looking girl with braids and a wide baby-blue plastic headband and girlscouty shorts sort of humping the ground and coughing into the mic for so long that her face turns beet red and it seems like she may be hurting herself. And then playing the drum with her foot while she holds the mic in her mouth. And imagine that going on for 15 minutes while the other people in the band spazz out in lesser ways. Then The Band Who Shall Not Be Named took the stage. They tried to create some excitement by gathering the balloons that were strewn throughout the FF and putting them up front. It seemed like kind of a pathetic ploy. He gave shout-outs to Cali and Sac, too. It was like a FM102 summerjam all the sudden and you know how weak those are. I expected them to be all intense and crazy but it was pretty jammy and noodly. They would sometimes build to something but then it would just fade away for me because they didn't really seem to be trying.

public service announcement

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death watch for bridges on the river

gross!
Originally uploaded by becklerg.

An anonymous (and snotty. and kinda funny) Sac chowhound just put the smackdown on Bridges on the River. It's long, but read the whole thing if you have time. If you read the whole thing you'll know why the picture's funny. Even if you don't, a slab of fish on top of what appears to be a chick patty is not too appetizing. I checked in the Bee and they have a little fawning blurb (typical) but don't review the restaurant. To thicken the plot, check out this story of the mysterious disappearance of they guy who built this place. In other food news, I'll be eating at that new Moroccan place on thursday so I can let you know if it's worth a visit.

wild west stee

Oak Park is sounding like the Wild West. Or at least San Carlos Way is. I can't picture this street. Is there anything nearby like a business or something that would help me out? Oh, I forgot you-all read but don't comment so you probably will shine me on.

The Magik Markers have a fancy website with songs and such. Something tells me that this would probably be a good show to get stoned at. Being a scientist, I may test this theory using a certain method that I have developed, you may have heard of it.

great american pony ride

Tonight is the Sunburned Hand of the Man (dumb name-they should change it to the Great American Pony Ride) show at Fool's Foundation. Starts at 10-ish. I bet it will be packed. Pitchfork has drooled over them on past albums, but seems to be so-so on them lately. Here's a little Vice feature that makes them sound interesting. It's kinda NSFW just because of the filthy Diesel and American Apparel ads on the page, but you can look at it real quick while the boss is in the can.

This NY Times has this article on a statutory rape cum marriage that made me queasy. Possibly the worst part in an article of worst parts is that the poor 15 year old girl that got knocked up either had the idea or allowed her rapist to name their daughter Samarra after the little girl in "The Ring". You know, the little girl that was completely evil and horribly creepy and crawled around like a twisted animal in a way that caused me to sleep in the living room for a day or two because I was so scared? That little girl.

Port Costa ghost story

from Caroline Be sure to click on the picture. I want to stay here again soon. I hear the Bananas have a bunch of bay area shows with the Pipe Bombs soon. We should stay there some night after!

herzog interview

I will spare you more rapsodizing about Werner Herzog because it would probably just make you sick, but there is a greatgreat interview with him on Ebert's website right now. There are so many fantastical stories in it that can't possibly be true. Like how he walked from Germany to Paris to save his favorite film critic's life. Or how a camerman became hypnotized by Tim Roth's performance in Invincible. Or this one, about beer steins in Bavaria:

Actually in Bavaria there's a law that there must be two grooves on either side of a stein so that it breaks easier when you hit, because it can fracture your skull.

Ebert also has posted his essay on Fitzcarraldo.

best picture ever!

gopher
Originally uploaded by katymonster.

Katy has pictures from the Caddyshack party up (and from Skipper's party and other stuff)

wow

(stolen from pitchfork) topselling albums of the 90's

1. Shania Twain - Come On Over
2. The Bodyguard OST
3. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
4. Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View
5. Garth Brooks - No Fences
6. Garth Brooks - Double Live
7. Santana - Supernatural
8. Backstreet Boys - Backstreet Boys
9. Garth Brooks - Ropin' The Wind
10. Britney Spears - ...Baby On More Time

and I just checked to compare that to the top selling albums of the 80's, which is from some random googled source and could be wrong:


1. Thriller
2. Back in Black
3. Born in the USA
4. Appetite for Destruction
5. Whitney Houston-Whitney Houston
6. No Jacket Required-Phill Collins (could this be true?)
7. Purple Rain
8. Live 75-85-Broooooocce!
9. Brothers in Arms-Dire Straits
10. Hysteria-Def Leppard

I'm gonna check on this further because this second list seems questionable but it sure is a stark contrast to the 90's list. At least 4 albums that are fucking great as opposed to...none on the 90's list. In fact everything on the 90's list is a total piece of shit, and Conway, I don't want to hear anything about Shania being exempt from that statement!

search term

I just got a hit for this search:

is denios fish give birth live babies or eggs?

my blog was the ONLY thing that came up, so there is no type of fish called a "denios fish". they must have gotten a cheap goldfish at denios and then i am having a hard time extrapolating what came after that? maybe it let out something that looks like eggs but they're not sure.

god it's my first post of the week and i already can't think of a heading

I hear that karaoke was really fun this weekend. I hope to go next time. This friday, perhaps? Somebody should give the Heckasac readers the info, including location and price. I'ts a place near the drive-ins that has private rooms, and if you've ever karaoked in a private room you know there's no other way to do it.

How was the Four Eyes show? Did you get mobbed by the kids? Anybody go to the Silver Daggers? Did Laverne wail on the sax?

Camping at the Big Trees (and boy were they big) in Calaveras was really fun. There's no better way to start a day than with bacon and cider.

cant think of another fucking heading sorry

Oh my god this is the cutest thing I've ever seen. OK, that's a little strong, not the cutest thing but it's pretty cute. I'm about to email this guy myself.

an appeal to all readers

can anybody help this guy out?

another stolen link

writegrrl via jerbet

too much

There's so much going on tomorrow night that I'm glad I'm going to be camping because there is no way I could choose. There's the 4 eyez show at Gilman, the Silver Daggers show in Davis with Laverne on the sax, and now this!!! It's like Sophie's Choice over here already!

i can't resist a trashy tara reid picture

http://people.aol.com/people/galleries/0,19884,1097441_1,00.html **(SFWBHTAKFO)




**safe for work but her tits are kinda falling out

Euroslide.com

D.P. has promised to weigh in on the atheist vs. agnostic debate today. He got excited when I told him about it but he missed it because I guess there are some people I know who don't check this blog regularly. Say what?

Press release from Charles:

Hello Dudes!
I am having a sweet yard sale this Saturday, August 27th, at my house
at 8am. What am I selling? Cd's, Records, clothes, broken music
equipment, books, computer gear. You name, I got it!
I live at 2nd Avenue and Freeport Blvd. Freeport is just 19th after it
crosses Broadway. 2nd ave. is two blocks south of Broadway.
Come check it out! I will try have some snacks for the early birds.
Charles

The broken musical equipment sounds especially enticing.

During round 2 of the fair I almost exactly recreated my experience from round 1. We headed straight for the brisket, where I discovered that the key to life and the universe is contained within two words: extra sauce. I rode the gondola past Paul Rodriguez this time and I heard jokes about "caucasian funerals" vs. "mexican funerals". Hilarious. I tried a bite of the deep fried avocado and it of course was pretty nasty. Mmm...hot avocado.

Oh yeah, and I had a million dollar idea. Don't try to steal it because I already patented it and maverick oil billionaire Jay Beaumont is bankrolling it. I started to think about what next year's big fair food would be and within about a minute I came up with....Deep fried s'mores!
Get this-an extra large marshmallow, with a melted chocolate center, covered with a graham cracker crust and deep fried!!!! On a stick!! I can't wait to be totally rich and tell all of you what I REALLY think of you. Also, I will only wear bikinis made out of 100 dollar bills and I will keep a white tiger on a leash.

Sorry to disappoint you, but if you go to euroslide.com it's not a real website. This is an inside fair joke, so if you don't know what I'm talking about you need to get your ass to the fair. Right as the fair was closing we were treated to the sweet Christian rap of three five six. No need to ask these guys where they stand on the issue of atheism vs. agnosticism cuz they are hustling and flowing for sweet baby Jesus. They don't have a website either!! So you can't see the hot pictures of camo shorts, long camo (the bad boy), chubby cargo pants (the gay one), and tall Will Ferrell guy. The best thing about this performance is that we had accidentally separated from Jay and Natalie when they first got to the fair, but as we're watching Three Five Six D.P. got a call from Jay that he could barely hear over the music and I hear him saying "are you playing me something?" and it turns out that Jay had called to play Three Five Six over the phone because they were coincidentally across from us.

Also, and Brew will back me up on this one, I saw the prettiest farm boy ever. He was at least 18, so give me a break on this. Black tshirt, black jodphur-y pants (Brew called them "tights" but I don't care because the key word here is "tight") and big black riding boots. Unbelievable. I went to a high school filled with farm boys and not a one of them looked like that. Most of them wore giant cowboy hats and chewed tobacco on the bus. Anyways, yeah fair!!

cool

an excerpt from this cockeyed post got reprinted in harper's. is that how you spell excerpt? it looks weird.

i'm almost out for the fair. my mouth hurts from eating too many pumpkin seeds. i hate myself for not being able to stop. i am weak. oh my god and i just saw how much fat is in them and now i am even madder at myself.

grosser than gross

I hope no one eats at the Rice Bowl on Florin. If you do, you might want to see this Or you might not (via sacrag). Don't forget that fun website where you can check the health reports of local restaurants. Glad to see that Trails cleaned up their act.

ROUND 2!!!

What I have eaten today:

low fat muffin
yogurt
banana
pumpkin seeds (my new obsession)

Why am I telling you this? So you can see, that like an athlete, I am conditioning myself for Round 2 of the state fair!! Brisket I am coming to eat you. In case you didn't know, the brisket is a cut off of kind of the front shoulder area. It is a cheap cut, and the love of it runs through my veins due to my Jewish heritage. Although quite a few people have told me that the deep-fried twinkie is actually good, I will not eat a regular twinkie so I don't see why I should eat a deep-fried twinkie. I think my dessert choice tonight will be a funnel cake, from the Pennsylvania Dutch cart, of course, not one of the inferior knockoffs. I just had a brilliant idea, for round 2 I am going to get stoned. I am so smart.

wake up

Wake up out there!! Tell me about the show last night!

You may have already seen this, but if not it's awesome. Borat strikes!

4 simple things

4 things about comments: That comment of "the jerk store called and they're running out of YOU" really made me laugh. Thanks for posting, Davy, go ahead and do that for the rest of the month if you want. Good one, Al. And what is up with that almost 40 year old virgin blog? Do you think that guy googles that phrase and then links his blog to it?

I got hella brains to stain but I'll be posting. Oh yeah, I want a report on last night's show. Were there tears when the Randalls played their last song?

I'm Cumming

If you're lucky enough to be able to watch commercials with brief shots of a bare tuchas (that's butt to you goys) at work (and I am), watch this commercial for Alan Cumming's cologne. He is such a D list celebrity that it's really weird he has a cologne. It seems to have come about entirely because of the plays you can make on his last name.

Not much else to post. I miss Heckamax commenting. I got to sit in on the practice for the Jay and Joel Orchestra (show set for September 10th) and it's going to be great. Hillary is playing the saw!!

Don't forget tonight is the RTL/last Riff Randalls show at the Press Club.

Forty year old virgin is the funniest movie I've seen in (probably) years. Like Mary Poppins, it's practically perfect in every way. It shows up Wedding Crashers, big-time. They were both around two hours but Wedding Crashers slowed to a crawl at times and dragged by, while 40 Year Old Virgin had few superfluous or non-funny scenes, if any. That and Hustle and Flow are the only must-see movies out there right now, and you MUST see them. Do as I say!!

This morning at Peet's...

A play in one act

I am late. I walk in, closely followed by an Amazonian (and I am no slouch in this department either, so you know she is LARGE-mostly tall) woman on a cell phone (the cell phone talking establishes that she is rude). OK, so if you know Peet's, you know that although there may be multiple registers open, there is only one line and people go to whichever reg opens. This is called setting the scene, folks. Rather than getting behind me, the Amazon stands next to me, which is a breach of line etiquette and immediately makes me nervous.

Amazon: Which line are you in? (still on phone also)
Heckasac: Both lines.
Amazon: (mutters sarcastically) Both lines.
(I stand patiently, both registers still have customers.)
Amazon: So you are in one of these lines, or...
Heckasac: (getting flustered) No, you wait for a register to open up, and then when one does.. (at this point a register opens)
Amazon: (meanly, gesturing, interrupting) Well, there you go
Heckasac: (now I am being rude back and sarcastic) Well, thanks, what are you...(get ready for this zinger, people) the LINE DIRECTOR??!!?
(Peet's erupts into applause)

Seriously, that was the best line I could come up with. Is there even such a thing as a line director? I should have said line Nazi but Nazi is a pretty loaded word. It could have ended in fisticuffs and she would have pounded me. What is up with Peet's lately though, all the workers are stressed to the max and it's a different crew every time. The woman that I've heard people call "waterfall" is wound up tighter than a drum. She is always freaking out. Today she gave me a free coffee card because I had to wait so long, but I wasn't even waiting that long. It's fine. It's just coffee. Jeffrey Steingarten says that the perfect espresso shot should take 25 seconds to brew so I don't expect it instantly.

m.i.a.

Where the fuck is the four eyes blog?

I ate there so you don't have to

Restaurant Review
Savannah BBQ (next to Jack's)

You can probably tell from the title of the post that this isn't a favorable review. I wish it was because 1) I wish there was another good place to eat downtown and 2)the couple who owns it seem really nice and probably put their life savings into it. But I cannot tell a lie.

If you have lived in Sac long you have seen this location go through a few different restaurants. This is puzzling, because although my own observation has led me to believe that the dinner crowd at Jacks has fallen off a bit, it's still quite busy and successful. Also, it's right near the Rubicon, which is always packed. So why does restaurant after restaurant fail here? Answer: crappy restaurants. Mary's BBQ was mediocre and so is this new place. We walked up at around 7:00 and there was not a soul inside. This is the kind of thing that scares you away from going in, but in my desperation to have somewhere new to eat in Sac, I soldiered on. They are pricey (as all BBQ places in Sac are for some reason), but they have a reasonable lunch special that they will let you order all day. The lunch special is enormous and I ate it for dinner last night and lunch today. For $7.95 you get a "quarter chicken" (that's what they called it, but by their accounting that quarter does not include any white meat), corn bread, and two sides. They have the usual assortment of sides. I got mac and cheese and beans. The chicken parts were two thighs and a leg. The chicken was very tender, but the sauce was sweet and bland. The corn bread was unremarkable and very crumbly. The beans were bland. The mac and cheese was terrible. For one thing, it was the exact same size and color as kraft mac and cheese. This made me suspicious. It tasted like kraft mac and cheese that they had maybe thrown a little real cheese into. Everything needed lots more spice and grease. Southern mac and cheese should be oozing grease and should have at least a little velveeta in it. The beans should have had garlic, green pepper and probably a ham hock thrown in. The lunch special can also come with ribs or a tri tip, so if you love ribs maybe give it a try and it will be good? I don't know, I can't really recommend it and I'll never eat there again. God I hope the owners don't somehow google this. I don't think that Sandra Dee's is the pinnacle of BBQ but it's a damn sight better than this.

press release from Charles

Riff Randals
Rock the Light
9pm. 3 dollars. the press club. Wednesday. August 24th.
Yes, you heard it right. After 7 years, as one of Sacramento's few all
female punk rock bands, the Riff Randals are calling it quits. These
four women are my best friends and I would love everyone who to come
and help celebrate the end of an era. Drinks are on Joey D.
Also, playing with them is Sacramento's prodigal son's, Rock the
Light. Between the two bands, there will be a lot of sexual tension in
the air. More so than Moonlighting, The X-Files and Who's the Boss
combined.
Joey D starts spinning records at 8pm and well into the night after
the bands. The man can work a crowd, OK?
Charles

song

Wanna hear a new Fiery Furnaces track? Of course you do.

Dirty MC

I wonder if this is real. Too bad the gender is wrong because I wanted to make a joke about getting another MC. By the way, whoever posted that Heckasac MC never answered me back. Fucking pussy.

ouch

this is mean

debate on, dude

Our wise as fuck prez has already weighed in quite recently on the intelligent design "debate". He says both sides should be taught so that people will understand what the "debate" is about. There is no debate, but that doesn't matter. There is no other side to teach because it can pretty much be summed up in the untestable statement "that shit's just waaayyyyy too complicated and awesome for anyone but the big guy upstairs to have did it, p.s. the human eye is designed like a camera, trippy, huh? that proves god did it". That's not a scientific statement. IT CAN'T BE TESTED. That's the problem. You can't just say "it's too complicated for it to have evolved". You have to investigate it and offer and alternative, testable, explanation. And lo and behold, I bet if you do wait a bit for science to catch up on, say, the evolution of the blood clotting cascade, which is something those intelligent design people bring up, there will be a perfectly plausible explanation for how this could have evolved bit by bit. Just because it's extremely complicated doesn't mean it can't be the result of evolution, especially when you factor in the little matter of vast stretches of time that the human mind can't really comprehend.

In a bit, I will post my review of the Savannah BBQ place by Jack's.

jew, not a jew

The anonymous commenter beat me to it. I somehow forgot to mention yesterday that Nigella is Jewish. Of course she is.

tango of death

To those of you who rode the Tango at the fair, check this (stolen from Katy's blog)

remember the alhambra ('s small coffee cup lids)

Biz-local bloggers are buzzing about the Tower's coffee cups. What gives? Here's a quote:

Also, what is up with the Tower Theatre STILL being out of lids for the small coffee cups? This is the third time in a month that I've gone there and been shut down. I didn't really think anything of it until 2 weeks ago when I talked to Mark's dad Art who told me he'd been having the same trouble for more than a month. He brings his own travel mug now. I didn't do that last night and ended up getting a large coffee which, ultimately, was OK because I didn't finish it, took it home and reheated it this morning.

The people want answers that only Biz can provide.

eugene

hutz
Originally uploaded by becklerg.

This will probably only be amusing to a couple of people (as opposed to some of my posts which are amusing to no one at all, not even me), but here's a newish interview with Eugene Hutz, the infamous DJ of Bulgarian Bar and soon to be star of the movie version of Everything is Illuminated. I like the interview, his pattern of speech makes it clear he is perfect to play Sasha (I think that's his name).

crest mc

OK, somebody had better fill me in as to who this is right now before I start wildly speculating. They answered back and the reply confused me further. I was hanging out on that day, so I know who a couple of the workers were, but I'm going to start naming names if someone doesn't tell me.

If you would like a little antidote to the media fawning over Sufjan Stevens, check out this Black Table piece. Or perhaps you don't care, but I for one am a little sick of hearing about this album.

nigella!

nigella
Originally uploaded by becklerg.

Goddamn Nigella's hot. This isn't the best photo on her website but it's very Dr. Zhivago. Speaking of Nigella, Alec if you still read this, I want to get the recipe from your book for fried chicken. Specifically, how long does she soak the chicken in buttermilk and what does she fry it in. If it's not too much trouble.

What is up with the NY Times and this series of articles on intelligent design? All this examination is making it seem like a real scientific theory. It's giving it more weight than it deserves although I suppose ignoring it until it goes away will probably not work, either. I can't wait until Bush say something about it. I bet he'll come out in favor. It's not any more real than the Garden of Eden. It's just dressed up in fancy psuedo-scientific clothing. The two leading proponents have been discredited. So there.

How great is Zelda's? Have you been there lately? If it's been more than a few months then it's time for you to go back. It was SO DARK in there last night and so soothing. Like the womb, but with glitter and pizza.

i hate mondays

Party Reviews:

Friday night: Skipper's going away party-I don't know the Skipper and did not meet him on this night. This is what I know about him: He likes to wear fezes and skipper hats. There is a rumor that he is leaving because he got a Fullbright Scholarship, so he is most likely some kind of genius. Also, he likes to spray his friends with fire extinguishers. An interesting fellow.

This party was mostly notable for the dog petting to be had. This slim and attractive whippet was playing hard to get with me all night. I kept stroking its large haunches and pointing them out to anyone that looked my way (it's fun to say "haunches"-try it). Once again, I proved my talent for scintillating party convo (along the lines of my slurred opener "I want to go home"). I also petted a wiggly weiner dog that had really bad breath (sorry Matilda, it's true).

Caddyshack party-of course this party was super fun. You expected anything else? The Four Eyes were amazing. Oops. I mean The Fore Eyes were amazing. Their new lineup consisted of Rodney Dangerfield on guitar, Bill Murray on bass, and Mr. Wang on drums. They played all the classics: Any Way you want it, Highway to the Danger Zone, I'm All Right, and their Dirty Dancing Medley.

Soo....The Riff Randals have officially broken up. How long have they been together? It seems like forever. Their last show is this wednesday with Rock The Light. There is a somewhat intriguing show in Davis tonight, mostly intriguing to me because I like the band name Hot Girls Cool Guys enough to want to see the band, but nothing short of a nuclear holocaust could get me to stay in Davis or return to Davis later tonight so you kids have fun if you're going.

Speaking of band names, I am offering up the name The Great American Pony Ride for anyone who would like to use it for their band. That's the name of the pony ride at the fair and it keeps making me laugh when I think of it. The cassingle band name "The Roly Poly Unholy Ponies" always makes me laugh, too, especially when I recall the song Benji wrote for it that I don't think ever got recorded.

tonight, tonight

Tonight at Old I:

RTL
Knockoffs

7 bucks!

Sorry, RTL, I love you dudes but this is a horrendous show. Too much money and the Knockoffs, I am hesitating to say anything harsh because I don't like to hurt feelings and I know my opinion carries a lot of weight in this here town, but let's just say hem haw they are not my "thing".

Charles don't get mad at me! Maybe you guys will make some money, that would be good.

And then tomorrow, of course is the Caddyshack Party!!!!!!

west nile, day four

satyricon
Originally uploaded by becklerg.

I continue to wander through a fog of disease, shedding virus and infecting all those around me. Crows drop dead as I walk past. Oh no, wait, I was getting myself confused with Tara Reid for a minute there. It's an easy mistake to make because today I look positively bedraggled. BEDRAGGLED I SAY.

Some reviews of crap:

Food at the fair:

Corn on the cob: B+ I would give it an A but the parmesan wouldn't stick and no tapatio

Brisket: A This is my favorite food at the fair. You have to get it from the BBQ place that is by the magical prancing pony arena. Get the brisket dinner. It's ten bucks, but whaddya want, you're at the fair-it's like a money vacuum.

California wine pavilion: C. While it is awesome that you can taste the winning Cali wines and there are reasonable wines by the glass, they are slow as fuck which impeded my swilling by 50% and it's annoying to hear wine snobs nattering at the fair. I come to the fair to see haggard ladies with t-shirts that address their attitude problems, not wine snobs asking about cork rot. There is a time for that sort of talk, and it's not at the fucking fair. Michele-here's the results-I had a glass of the Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir which tied with the Domain Carneros Taittinger Brut for best sparkling wine. I also had some muscat that was good. I didn't know about muscat but I'm suddenly into it.

Last Days-Looked good, fun to space out during but ultimately pointless. Gus Van Sant-why? I was talking with THE KID at the Crest about how the majority of the audience are gay dudes who can't get enough of Michael Pitt. Speaking of homoreroticism (which I like to speak of frequently)...

Satyricon-Reason number 863 why Fellini is the best is how hot and (homo)erotic this movie is (no, not the scenes with the really young boys like the one in the picture, but even if I did mean that, that kid's probably 18-well maybe not-but between Encolpius and his bitchy best friend). Fellini in his autobio said that after this movie he was accused of being gay but he didn't care. How cool is that? I mean, sure, no one should be homophobic and it's not like you should get an award for not being homophobic, but it was 1969, it was a Catholic country, he was past middle age, and he was totally straight. And don't even get me started on how good this movie is because I don't even know enough words to talk about it.

fucking spam

I'm back at 85% strength, which is not strong enough to battle the spam. Maybe I'll think about it later.

Caddyshack Party!

Everyone's Going to Get Laid!!!

Celebrate Margaux's Birthday this Saturday the 20th!
Dance to the Caddyshack All Star Band (aka the 4 Eyes)and the sweet sounds of Kenny Loggins, while you
putt on the green.....

Dress Appropriately!!!!

Only golfers, gophers, caddies and greenskeepers allowed!

Address: 517 U - T Street @ 6th St.(alley btwn U and T
Streets)

Time: 8:00pm - band starts at 8:30 or 9:00

DJs Mike and Lisa will be spinning all your favorite golfing tunes.

west nile, day three

I am back at 75% strength (which is still pretty fucking strong). I was going to stay home sick again today, but I came in because I had a blog request. Margs wants me to post about her party, which I will do in a bit. She was begging and even shed a few tears, so I couldn't say no. I dragged my sick, germ ridden self to work just for her. And also because I left my cell phone charger at work and my phone was about to go dead. And also because I felt that I couldn't justify going to the fair tonight if I didn't go to work. That seemed like bad karma if I believed in hippy shit like that. Thanks for the raps in the comments to keep everyone going while I was out.

I have narrowed down the source of the West Nile. I got it from the worst people in the world. These people were in front of and behind me at the showing of Four Brothers that I went to. Not only did they text message, answer their phones, bring an 8 year old child who was completely bored with this adult movie and talked about unrelated things the whole time, and use the speaker phone option on their phones, but one of them, probably the little hellspawn, gave me, D.P., and Grace the West Nile.

Say it: "Do Spray It!"

Becky's out today with West Nile. This is exciting news for the spraying movement since what they've really lacked is a face. These old guys aren't cutting it. But with a West Nile-ized Becky at the fore, that shit will be spraying out of misters at all the hottest midtown restaurants in no time. Check back tomorrow when Heckaspray returns.

Rap on.

ceilingfans.com

boo!

I'm annoyingly busy. I'll try to post later. Better think of something to say before then, huh?

I'm feeling under the weather today and I just realized that I probably totally have West Nile. At least I can live blog the progression of the disease.

you asked, i answer

There's still some debate going on in that post from a few days back about everyone bitching about late weeknight shows on the undietacos message board. Anonymous bravely stepped forward and asked me a question, so I thought I'd answer.

Anonymous said...
I don't get it. Could you please elaborate as to what "issues" Martin has? Is pining for a bit of unselfishness an issue? Are you so convinced that everyone's concern is purely their own enjoyment? What a terrible world.

Ok. I will print his quote again:

"I used to have fun at shows and meet new people and everythig was a blast, but then about a year ago I realized most "friends" are 100% in it forthemselves and that's it. "

His "issues" as revealed to me through this quote (and only through this quote, I have no idea who he is) are that he seems to feel that most people he thought were his friends are not really his friends and are just "in it for themselves". This, as he has written it, seems to have nothing to do with whether there are too many bands on the bill or if a show is running too late. Is that clear now? No big deal, but you asked. As for the last two sentences, I don't understand what you're talking about. No, I am not convinced that everyone's concern is purely their own enjoyment. Wherever did you get that idea?

Miller also elaborated on the debate in the comments, if you're interested. Also read the comments if you would like to pick up a sweet discount ceiling fan.

manic movie monday

Broken Flowers- Why would Jim Jarmusch cast Bill Murray in a movie and then direct him to sit there sadly, saying nothing and only let his charm peek out for a tiny moment here and there? It's like taking a dump on the Mona Lisa. That's my quotable blurb. And don't give me any of that "he's an American director that Europeans appreciate but Americans don't "get"'. I like all those other directors. Hal Hartley, Woody Allen, David Lynch, I even like Jerry Lewis for God's sake but I just don't like Jim Jarmusch movies. They are boring. Just a boring nothing that an occasional quirky character floats through. I can kind of admire the fact that his aesthetic is still permanently stuck in 1983 and he's pretending that he's going out to the Mudd Club all the time and hanging out with Basquiat and Debby Harry or whatever. If that's what his party barge is like, fine, but he needs to come up with some more compelling plots and characters. Stocking your movie with celebrities is not enough. In fact, for those of you who have seen it (and everyone I saw it with seemed in agreement that it was not that great) imagine this movie without the celebrity cameos and think of how it would have been even more boring than it already was. Half of the meager amount of fun that this movie could provide came from waiting to see when Jessica Lange or Chloe Sevigney would show up. That's not good.

Grade: D+

DB and Dub have provided me with their top 40 lists, which I may post later today so stay tuned...

stuff and bother

Boss the big biz- still waiting to hear on the date of Jay Baker conducts the Joel Goulet Orchestra so I can tell my secretary to clear my calendar.

For those of you who couldn't wade through the spam, here's what Charles said about the White Stripes show:

I hadn't seen her boobs up close in like five years, but they had to be like double d's. they are big. recap back stage: woodhouse's name got droppedn NOT by me (by some detroit dude who liked K-party and knew soriano thru the e-mail), we got drunk for free and ended up at Alec Ploao's house. he had Zombies MASTER TAPES at his house. We just kept making fun of joey d all night. goodtimes. Meg Boobs where aces'.charles
3:45 AM
...
Jack = AA maybe?he remembered joey d. Joey was stoked.Charles
3:46 AM
Anonymous said...
No way! Jack is at least a B cup.And to whoever posted that response to "jack" and "wendy", funny.-Constance

Michele-If you feel like it, you should post about your weekend in Maine. Or you could just email me privately, but I prefer to conduct all my business in a public forum.

video link

Hey! Check out the video for the LCD song "disco infiltrator" it is awesome awesome awesome. It's the kind of thing that if I stayed up late to watch 120 minutes on MTV when I was younger and some video came on of a band I'd never heard of that would make me yearn for this unattainable and glamorous lifestyle that I could never hope to be a part of. That sounds wrong because it shows how most of the band members have kids and stuff and it's pretty anti-glamour, but somehow it gave me that feeling of being a teenager and wondering if maybe one day I would have that kind of NY, small apartment, partying till 5 am life. I've had a small taste of it and it's fun, but I feel like the time is running out for me to go for something like that (and I guess I don't really want to or I would have done it). On the other hand, the Homzee once pointed out to me that the nice thing about NY is that older people (like oldsters in their 30's like me) still go out and aren't considered social pariahs. And obviously, NYC has a couple of other things to offer besides just parties and dancing. One or two.

Hey I know why don't I just type whatever stupid crap I am thinking because I am so bored at work?

Rumor has it that Charles A., Joey D. and Mike C. are heading to SF tonight to see the White Stripes play and hang out backstage. I want a full report, including a cup-size estimation of Meg (and Jack) from Charles "C-cup" Albright.

Four eyes NSFW

The reclusive local band the Jay and Joel show play Old I tomorrow. I would say that the Losin' Streaks are headlining but you probably assumed that. The Bananas are playing in Oaktown on sunday at an early show at which there is a BBQ. Hopefully not some kind of punko, dumpstered, vegan BBQ.

Have you seen the hot new photos on the Four Eyes Blog yet? Go over there and peruse. I'll warn you though, the Joel one is so intense that it's barely SFW.

movie tonight

G-Bomb- thanks for the animal collective tour info. I'll be going to that for sure.

So tonight, the new Jim Jarmusch, Bill Murray movie opens at the Tower (also the new Gus Van Sant opens at the Crest-looks terrible but I will see it anyway). There is a plan for all members of the Bill Murray Sacramento Appreciation Society to attend the last showing of the evening at 9:35. It will be boring because it is a Jim Jarmusch movie but it will at least be kind of good because of Bill Murray. And I love me some Tilda Swinton.

exciting link

You can hear tiny, frustrating snippets of the Animal Collective album that won't be out for like two months here.

no whining

There's another episode of your favorite long-running soap opera "promoters versus complainers" over at undietacos. Come to think of it, an episode was featured on this channel just yesterday, too. Does anybody know what band "Martin" is in? I guess I could just call him and find out. This quote makes me think that he may have bigger issues than just people complaining that shows go too late:

"I used to have fun at shows and meet new people and everythig was a blast, but then about a year ago I realized most "friends" are 100% in it forthemselves and that's it. "

That's sad. Personally, I'm only 99% in it for myself, but I devote that other 1% fully to the scene.

blah

The blog is boring today. Worm, post about the show last night!

mysterious mystery post

Hmm...what restaurant could this man be talking about?

feh

In case he misses the comment, sorry again Mario.

Hey DB-I saw Wedding Crashers. Do you want to do a review tomorrow? I heard you and Dub are getting more ambitious with your movie lists and doing a top 40. Let me know when you're ready to unveil the lists.

boner!

Ha! I just got a hit for "curved boner illustration". Don't bother to search the archives, it's a combo of terms from different posts.

Owie

I'm going to go home. My stomach hurts. Ouch. Was that convincing? There's a show tonight at FF. The Worm sez that Old Time Religun is like, did he say Captain Beefheart? I think that's what he said. I probably won't go, but you never know. Here's a thing about the show.

P.S.-Worm, I asked Grace if she wants to go to Hooters tonight and she's sposed to call me so I'll call you later.

oh tara!-hey that's a good knack song

What really makes these new Tara Reid pictures a cut above the usual amusement she provides are the snarky blog comments in Italian. I don't know what they're saying, but you know they're sassy (SFWBCMGYWL**) I guess the guy is some Italian TV personality whose heterosexuality is in question.



**safe for work but co-workers might give you weird looks

guess who's back?

I heard that Johnny's back in town. Does anyone know what he's up to tonight?

Went to the show at G St. Pub in Davis last night. Quite a few Sac folks made the trip across the causeway. Mario, thanks for the purple hooter but I have to give you a word of advice-please don't ever, ever, ever book another 4 band show on a tuesday night. Or a wednesday night, or a monday night, maybe not even a thursday night. Are you getting the pattern here? After all, you're a working man, too. You understand. I know that that horrible Davis band (Bite the Big Biz) brought in some people, but at what cost? The Davis people who came to see that wretched band probably didn't watch any of the other bands, and they probably left early and didn't buy that many drinks. Everyone knows the Bananas fans are all drunks, so keep the show short, the fans happy, and the booze will flow. I don't even know how the G St. judges if the show was successful enough to let you book more shows, I'm just assuming it's partially how much they make at the bar. The Bananas took the stage after an interminable wait and they did not play up to their usual high standards. This is not anything that they won't tell you themselves. It was still enjoyable and Nautical sounded great, as always.

Highlight of the night: meeting Stumpy Joe.
Lowlight: the tin box on the back of the can in the ladies room that was filled with bloody rags. Disgusting.

To Heckamax and others in the car on the way home-I feel that I was having some trouble with volume control at that point in the evening, so sorry if I was hurting your ears. I was a few purple hooters to the wind and I was deaf from watching the Modern Machines. Having a blog makes my post-drunk apologizing just that much easier.

I BELIEVE YOU!!

woah. this one is all normal for a minute and then it gets all crazy. i wonder if it's real. at least he's honest.

blind item

anyone wanna hazard a guess?

davis show tonight

OK, so KDVS is taking over G street pub tonight for a show that features the Bananas, the Modern Machines and the Trashies. It starts at 9:00. I will make Mario buy me a purple hooter for publicizing this show on my wildly popular blog.

what's not to like?

Does anyone at the Crest or Tower know if the movie 9 songs is supposed to be coming here ever? It's this hardcore porno from the guy the directed 24 hour party people in which the (real) sex is interspersed with scenes of the characters going to clubs to see bands. The bands are the Super Furries, Dandy Warhols (barf), Franz Ferdinand and Primal Scream, and maybe more.

a few points

1) The liver was disgusting. A failed culinary experiment. I however forced Grace to eat every bite before she could leave the table.
2) I totally made a Portnoy's complaint joke about the liver yesterday without even realizing it.
3) After I left work I suffered an attack of acute sheepishness about my Philip Roth rave and spent time contemplating how I could go back in time to before I had all that coffee and failed to restrain my enthusiasm. I tried to draw up some plans for a liver-powered time machine but it didn't work out.
4) Danny-what do you mean don't bother with When She Was Good? You think Roth can't write goys? True, not as well as he can write Jews but it's still worth reading.
5) Glad to know that Roth's prostate is fine.
6) Dave Smith needs a roommate, in case you missed the comment. That's a nice, relatively cheap place and I've lived with Dave before and besides the aforementioned walking in while you're having sex he is a considerate roommate.
7) The Garden of the Fitzi-Continis is good but I still fell asleep before it was over. It's kind of disconcerting how blonde and Aryan the Jews in it look, but I don't think I've ever met an Italian Jew so maybe that is how they look. I started to get the sinking feeling that maybe I haven't met one because most of them were wiped out in the Holocaust, but I looked it up this morning and about 17% of Italy's Jews were wiped out. As opposed to 91% in Poland, so think about that. Or don't. I'll think about it for you. Speaking of Italian Jews, you should read some Primo Levi if you haven't. The Periodic Table is good. He was a chemist, so he uses the characteristics of different elements in the periodic table to start each chapter. And speaking of scientists...
8) This is why I love science. Neuroscientists are starting a petition against the Dalai Lama speaking at the Society for Neuroscience Meeting this year. Here it is. Read it if you have a couple of minutes. It's great, especially the numbered points in the end.

out like k.d. lang?

I'm leaving pretty soon, but I wanted to inform you that there's a Tonevendor show tonight that I know nothing about and won't be attending. Here's the desciption off undietacos:

REMORA (North Carolina) post-apocalytic love songs & ambient guitar drones, MOODRING (Rollerball side project), MASON LINDAHL (Sacto)-starts at 8:00, promptly (yeah right)

I have a date tonight with Grace and a grassfed, organic calf's liver from the farmers market. We're eating it you pervs. Later I'll probably watch this movie, like you care.

benji hooter

Benji Hooter's been at it again and now Heckasac comes up third in a search behind two four eyes blog posts. Fuck that! Benji Hooter benji hooter.

Also, someone just hit me up who was searching for "I'm out like a" jokes list. Which led me to a new one "I'm out like a boner in sweatpants".

keeping you abreast of the situation

This article in the NY Times is so fucking sad I can't stand it. Don't read it. Unless you are too happy this morning and you need something to bring you down. I feel so guilty about Israel. My aunt and great grandma were always doing Hadassah fundraisers to send money to Israel. So in some small way this is my fault, too. Actually that sounds too flip like I'm joking. I really do feel bad. I think soon I'll re-read the Philip Roth book, The Counterlife (which may be my favorite) because he really thoughtfully explores the issue of Israel by speaking through characters on both sides of the fray. It's clear his heart is with the anti-Zionist character in the end though. Speaking of Philip Roth, when the fuck is he going to get the Nobel Prize already? He better get it while he's still alive, or...I'll do something. Did anybody read The Dying Animal? You can finish it really quick but I only recommend it for Roth fans. Hoo boy is it sexist. And it will surely clear up any remaining controversy over whether Roth is a tit man. At points I felt like I was reading Russ Meyer's autobiography. I guess since the guy has already written a book called The Breast in which a character is turned into a giant breast I shouldn't be surprised.

FF show

OK, since Charles asked, the show last night was cool. I really love Fool's Foundation. I want to interview Liz about it but I will probably chicken out and be too lazy to do so. When we got there, this woman was playing (I posted on Undietacos to find out who she is because she wasn't on the listing for the show) and she was my favorite part of the night. She was super young-I would bet not long out of high school from the age of her friend that was there, but she had this timeless, Katherine Hepburn-esque look with her hair piled on her head in a weird bun and the cutest shoes on her teeny little feet. Her voice was really strong and low and her songs were pretty Nicky Drakey and I really enjoyed her performance. Her brother came up to accompany her on trumpet and he was wearing a tie! And her parents were there. The whole thing was too cute. The next couple of acts after that really didn't do it for me and the touring band from Portland put on one of the most inept musical performances I have ever seen in my life. I feel mean saying that but it's true. The dudes that were doing maracas and tambourine and percussion and stuff could NOT keep a beat. It was painful. I had heard that Thanksgiving was really good last time he played, but this time rather than playing solo he had a full band which was...the crappy band that played right before him (he was in that band, too so no big surprise). I could tell he had some talent but after sitting through the other band I couldn't take it. It was getting late so I took off. Thanks to Olivia (from Ollipom) for the leftover ice cream from the ice cream social. Did anyone go to that? How was it?

Oh yeah, this show was really well attended for a sunday and there was hardly anyone there that I recognized. It was a non-sac show but somehow still totally sac. The new sac.

m.i.a. pics

cherry
Originally uploaded by eatsdirt.

This flickr account has some rad pictures of M.I.A. at summerstage. Alicia and Johnny did you go or was it too hot? This pic is her backup singer Cherry.

lates

Looks like i'm heading out soon, so I guess no she said/he said today, but that's ok because it's not as fun writing reviews for good movies, and Hustle and Flow was pretty damn good. I recommend it, so see it for yourself and maybe you'll agree. Maybe next week DB and I can do Stealth, that looks like a real stinker.

As far as the weekend haps, I'm going to see the Bananas at Gilman tonight which is always 100% guaranteed fun or your money back. If you don't have other plans you should go and if you do have other plans you should cancel them.

Saturday there are yet more Leo birthday festivities and I am going to make my Syrian kabobs.
Happy Birthday to Natalie on saturday!!!!

look at all these rumors

The worm has started a rumor that the Crest manager has outbid the Tower for the Kona Pepsi. Does anyone know if this is for real. If so, I would say it is an act of war.

gorly holes

I like that someone just hit my blog who was searching for "gorly holes" and the google feature that corrects your spelling said "do you mean glory holes?". Why yes, I believe that is what they meant.

lacey underall

What the fuck is that poem thing in the comments? Is that spam? I hope the real party poker shit isn't coming next because I am not competent enough to know how to battle it. I like that someone posted something about BBQ at 4:45 a.m.

So, watched Caddyshack last night. The best, of course. There is a rumor that there MAY be a Caddyshack party coming up so I hope everyone in attendance was noting the myriad of costume possibilities. I think that Lacey Underall and Ty Webb (was that Chevy Chases name) are one of the top five hottest screen couples ever. Perhaps others don't view Caddyshack as an erotic film. I've heard most people watch it because they think it's funny, but they're clearly missing the point. This got me curious about the actress that played Lacy Underall. She was in Tron and not much else, but from a current picture on her website she still looks fine. On Imdb she said that that baby oil scene was improvised and that just bolsters my theory that she seems pretty smart and like she has a good sense of humor. I don't just like her for her body.

DB is pretty busy and may not be able to get the Hustle and Flow review in on deadline. I got some voles to attend to so I will probably post again after lunch.

Scabs!

The projectionist for the Crest is profiled in the SN&R this week. I like his last answer a lot. Why didn't they interview the projectionist at the Tower? Oh yeah, because Tower doesn't have union projectionists anymore. So that means that all the guys at Tower are just a buncha scabs.

new bbq review

This review is making me hungry. Has enyone ever eaten at this place? I can't believe I've never heard of it.

who dat on my party barge?!

Now I'm not saying I'm going to do this, but if I were to have a post about say, who would be on my Party Barge, would Conway and Biz want to play this game? I have to hear from them before it starts.

new club night report?

hey charles, how was joey d's thing?

nada

So far I got nothin' for today. I started my review of Hustle and Flow so I won't forget it completely by tomorrow.

I ate at Maalouf's last night for the first time in a while and it was fucking delicious. Don't forget to eat at Maalouf's when you're out that way to see a movie!!! They should get way more business than they do. I get mad when I think about the places that get so much business while Maalouf's only does OK. Sometimes the owner seems sad about it.

wolf lady

OK, to illustrate my point-this lady on the top left comes closest to what I'm talking about but is not nearly as sexy/scary as some of the ladies i'm picturing from the movies...

guiletta

guiletta
Originally uploaded by becklerg.

and this is fellini with his adorable wife, guiletta

marcello!

marcello!
Originally uploaded by becklerg.

My God, why hast though forsaken me?
-Jesus
The Bible

So for the last couple of days, my blog has been like that. Only it's you, the readers and commenters that have forsaken me. I don't mean to be dramatic, but I feel your absence just as sharply as Jesus felt all that flaying with the whips soaked in vinegar and the crown of thorns and all that other sexy S & M stuff that you religious types are into. Worm, I hope I didn't offend you the other day when I asked if you read the blog. I was joking. Can we track the shipment of the Kona Pepsi? We should live blog the drinking of the Pepsi when it comes! I noticed some of my regular commenters have dropped out lately and I don't know what to write about to bring them back. G-bomb we hardly ever hear from you anymore. What gives?

Last night I watched La Dolce Vita and it was so good! It's the Godfather of Italian movies about existential angst. I know that some of you are sitting out there smirking and thinking "duh, of course that movie's the best, I knew that like forever ago"and to you I say don't rain on my parade, jerk. Marcello Mastroianni is so handsome and such a charming cad. Instead of feeling that the movie was too long, I wish it was longer. I wish there was a movie just followed this character around for a week. Or forever. I'll just quit living my life and sit around watching his life in real time. I watched Roma last week and it was crazy good, too. The last scene where the motorcycles are noisily buzzing by all the beautiful buildings in Rome at night made me feel like I was back there drunkenly staggering around lost with Nicola and Grace (and peeing in the bushes). Trying to find this picture of Marcello led me to find out that he escaped from either a Nazi camp or prison when he was young (could he be Jewish?), and that he had a child with his mistress, Catherine Deneuve, and that both his wife and she were at his side when he died in '96. Can anyone direct me to his best movie with Sophia Loren? It's funny because you can tell that Fellini was most attracted to women that look like giant, ravenous wolves (yes I did just write that and if you have seen the whores in Roma you would know that these women looked just as likely to eat you alive as to fuck you-to clarify I mean the movie Roma, not the city, I don't think I saw any hookers there), but his wife Giulietta was the epitome of little and cute. From his autobio. you can see that it was a very difficult marriage but they loved each other so maybe it brought them some happiness. I'll try to find a picture of a lady from one of his films that illustrates what I'm talking about.

press release

I just received a press release from Charles. Here it is:

Ok, Dudes, I am writting to tell you about this sweet ass club that is happening on Wednesdays at the Press Club now. It is called WednedayNight at the Hideout and it is being started by all around crazy-garage-rock-kook Joey D. Joey plans on having two bands and aDJ every week. It's going to be 60's garage rock, Garage punk, 70's rock and 70's punk. He's really excited about it.There will be a three dollar cover and the beer is cheap. DJing to start at 8pm and bands to start at 9:30.This week is the first week and (due to a cancellation) features an extended set from the Losing Streaks. Subsequent weeks will feature the SLA, Rock the Light, The Lousy Bums, the Readymades, The Shruggs,Super Model Suicide and many others. If any bands are interested in playing they should e-mail me at charlesalbright@gmail.com. I already have my eyes on the Bright Ideas and Lyme Regis. I'll keep you updated.There will also be prizes raffles and maybe fudge! No word on the fudge as of yet.Anyways, I hope to see you all there! I think this could be a really good thing for Sacramento!

stolen link

Maya, I hope you're not bummed I stole your link but it's just too good. I want to read the fanfic but I'm afraid it's too spicy for work.

keep your hands off my dosa

To celebrate D.P.s bday we went to Kaveri, home of the famous buffet. I am not into the whole buffet "scene" (it's so overhyped right now), but they weren't even serving the buffet last night so we ordered from the menu. I find that when you go to a restaurant with a buffet and you want to order from the menu they usually exert pressure on you to just get the buffet. Starting off with a King Fisher vs. Taj Mahal tasting and I have to say that Taj Mahal won out. Both of these beers say that they're lager, but they tasted really different so I wonder if this is possible. Perhaps a beer expert can help me out. The King Fisher was skunky and I hate skunky beer. Kaveri specializes in Southern Indian (specifically Madras-ian) food, so I tried a dosa, which is a specialty of this region (I think, I'm almost entirely ignorant of the nuances of Indian food, sadly). A dosa is a thin crepe made with, in my case, lentil flour, but it can be made from other kinds of flour. It usually has a filling, I ordered the masala dosa, which was filled with a vegetable curry. I guess that they are commonly eaten for breakfast, and the filling in mine tasted like breakfast potatoes. It was good, but way too giant. They are only 5.50 and I'm eating mine for lunch today, too. I also got a samosa mixed with ground lamb, but it was pretty gamey. Most of the other people got various thalis, like chana masala and chicken tikka masala. Everyone liked their food, but most people felt overstuffed after, especially if they made the mistake of eating an entire doughnut soaked in honey at the end of the meal. Al ate more than he has ever eaten before. Good job Heckamax.

Then we had an impromptu listening party for the new chkchkchk single (verdict: take ecstasy with me is good, Heckamax sez "better than the original" but I'm not into Get Up. That song is already so good you can't fuck with it. I know the dudes thought it was "slept on" (I read that in the Fader I think) so maybe they wanted to re-introduce it to people, but it was a hit on the west coast and I remember it well)-anyways then off to the show at T-vendor. Chad and Kevin did their thing. Then Le Joshua went on. Their "thing" (everyone has a thing) is playing barefoot and let's just say they should change their name to Le Foot Odour. Yikes. They stunk up the venue for the rest of the night. Mika Miko has a new drummer so now they an all lady band. They were good. The energy was higher in the show in Melendez's garage, but they were still cute as little buttons. I guess that's sexist and I should be talking about their musicianship. Miller said they were "tight" and I think he was talking about their musicianship. They may get on the bill wednesday with chkchkchk in SF, which would be rad. If anyone will be talking to those guys they should put in a good word.

I hear that maverick venture capitalist Mario (of Plastic Idol records) is putting out the new Bananas single which will be "experimental". So look for that. Soon, hopefully?

Mika miko

Almost 200 hits and only a couple of comments? If it weren't for the worm I would be crying. No love for the Heckasac.

Check out Mika Miko at Tonevendor tonight if you like cute bands and/or having fun. Starts at 8:00 supposedly.

Oh yeah, I can't believe I forgot this earlier-HAPPY BIRTHDAY D.P. The Armeniac turns 30 today!!!

weekend hijinks

hockney
Originally uploaded by becklerg.

I find if I don't write this shit down as soon as I get in when I'm all hopped on caffeine and bennies that it starts to seem like a chore. But everything I do I do it for you.

Friday-the weekend started off slow. I saw Murderball at the Tower which everyone else liked more than I did. This is my review: yeah it's inspiring and all that crap, but the quadriplegic rugby dudes are still jocks, and I am not that interested in jocks. However absolutely any documentary is better than 99% of the pap that movie studios are releasing these days, so I'd still recommend it.

Saturday-I went to the show at Dennis Yudt's house. It was rad. Have you ever wanted to feel like you were in a David Hockney painting? Well if you have then this is the house for you. The vibe closely matched the painting above, but imagine that's Nic in the pool wearing electric blue swim shorts and that he's straddling a noodle (I got a picture for your private collection, Jana) and you have the idea. This was such a chill show with such a great mix of people with interesting bands, to boot. Thanks to Dennis and Paloma for hosting, and I hope they have more shows this summer.

Sunday-after swimming at a local mansion and playing in a spirited whiffleball game with Lance "Ballhog" Wilson (I don't know his real last name so I just guessed one in order to complete the sentence maybe someone can help me out) it was time to get ready for the chkchkchk show. The Brickhouse is a nice venue. There is a yard out back in which to chill. The sound seemed ok to me, if not spectacular. Chkchkchk sounded good, but after the second song a tweeter was blown, and I was so exhausted I took this as a sign from God to me (we're tight like that he's cool with my whole not believing in him thing and I let him slide on the Holocaust. Nobody's perfect) that it was time to go home and go to sleep. And with the help of my good friend codeine that's exactly what I did.

The End

david cross vs. nic

So I'm hard at work, but not working so hard that I couldn't download the new Nardwuar the human serviette interview with David Cross. It's not transcribed yet, but I was downloading it and to make things really confusing it automatically started to play when I was on the phone trying to ship this package to Iran (boy this story is exciting) and I hear this out of my speakers:

Nardwaur: who are you? (he starts every interview with this question)
Davis Cross: chkchkchk
Nardwaur: who are you?
David Cross: I'm the lead singer of chkchkchk

Even David Cross wishes he were Nic!

open letter

An open letter to the engineers at the mysterious 70's style building across the street-

Look guys, I know it's not easy to develop a flying car. But if you want to have one ready by the year 2015 (and according to The Island they will be around by then), you are going to have to do better than just lifting your ugly, ear-splittingly loud car up with a crane. If you want to be technical about it, I could lift up my 93 Geo Prizm with a crane and swing it around if I wanted to, but I wouldn't feel comfortable referring to my car as a flying car. I don't know what you say in your reports to the reclusive billionaire that finances your fruitless endeavors, but I hope you're not saying that the car is now flying. Because we both know that that's just not true.

Keep on truckin'

Heckasac

my face is red

My God. Even I get embarrassed whenever Liz Phair's Avril-esque ballad comes onto the radio. And I never liked her for even one second.

You know what else I'm embarrassed about? That I finally looked into my nagging feeling that I always spell embarrassed wrong, and I do. But not any more.

Benji sold out!

I'm happy to report that Benji Cossa's new CD is already sold out at Tonevendor. They should be back in stock by thursday, however. And when I asked about the CD-Rs that Danny was supposed to drop off Dan had no idea what I was talking about. Thanks for making me look stupid, Danny.

lame

Crap! I want to blog but the grad students like to do this annoying thing that I think is called "working on the weekend" and they create all this extra stuff for me to do on monday morning. I swear they do it just to annoy me.