spooooooky tunes

I am attempting to raise the dismal morale at my work and showing Beetlejuice over lunch yesterday and today. Man, does it hold up! I forgot that Michael Keaton doesn't enter the picture except in glimpses until 45 minutes in and steals the goddamned show. Katherine O'Hara and the principle from Ferris Bueller are great too. It's cool that it's not dated because Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin wear the same generic outfits the whole way through. Then it's not like "dude, 90s fashion" or any other distraction like "ha giant cellphones!) I can't wait to see Birdman, which opened at Tower today


2014 played in Stockton and it was soooo fun! It's very cute how the kids hope their new venue will help revitalize some really grim blocks downtown and I hope that it's true. There was a very gothy and punk band made up of members of Satan Wriders that was entertaining and Halloween appropriate.

I am playing an early spoooooky set at the Verge party tonight. Yes, this song kind of sucks but if you think about it it also kind of rules

true story

I went to Hancock's Fabrics and the grandma buying fleece for a quilt said "what is that your tshirt says?" I reluctantly said "Satan Wriders". Then she asked me what my black fabric was for and I demurred because I didn't want to tell her I was making a Zodiac Killer hood.

Do you remember Madame?

I was looking at clips of the puppet Madame, as you do at work when you are not that busy, and I came across this. I guess there was a Red Foxx movie called "Norman, is that you?" and here is a clip with Madame and her puppeteer, Wayland Flowers, who sadly, died of AIDS at 48.

clown controversy

Wow, a coworker just did this: "hi, how are you?" me: Fine. He: you don't look fine. Me: Really? He: yeah you look really tired. OUCH. I think that is soooo rude. I only say that when people say they are tired or sick, then I might agree. And I thought I looked fine. I mean, I only got like 6 hours of sleep but I don't feel tired. Jeez, now I have to worry about how my resting face looks. Guess I better walk around with a fake smile. I didn't say it that enthusiastically, in his defense.

 

This article on the clown art at Pancake Circus is SO RAD! The stuff about the art that was too controversial is insane. Some band folks are in town tomorrow before the King Tuff show and I think I might take them there. Hope they aren't all vegans. No offense to vegans, but usually half of any given band is vegan and it is hard to find a place to take one. PS, the article notes that it MC Ham's grandpa opened it as Al and Bud's Platter in 1961. He and his wife also opened Trails. Which, by the way is staying open longer because the sale fell through. I only pray that someone is going to keep it a restaurant.

 

Speaking of restaurants, just a reminder that Masullo is open on Sundays now! And yesterday he had bread for sale too! It was pretty dead when I stopped by at 6 to get takeout but I think once people know that it's a natural Sunday night dinner spot.

Why, Allo

Wow, there's a really good and very intimate article on Arts and Leisure in the bee today. They are playing with Allo Darlin at WR on Saturday and I'm stoked.

 

I went to the corn maze in Dixon last night. It really is big. Like certified as the world's biggest. Some (me) would say too big. If I hadn't had people leading me through it I would still be there. I was no help navigating and instead played scary music on my phone. The best were the Psycho theme and some EDM Halloween music.

 

It's also a pumpkin patch and they have so many cool pumpkins and they are so cheap! Seems like a great place to go with kids. Instead of getting some 20 dollar heirloom warty green pumpkin at the coop just go to Dixon. It will be fun and even with the gas you will save $.

he is kind of the best

Have you ever gotten the Baker Seeds Catalog? They stopped sending it to me, I'm not sure why, but when I did get it it contained wonderful pictures like this of the owner and his family:

 

or this:

Imagine being in your garden and having them pop up like this

 Dude can rock some overalls

 

 

Formal overalls:

 

He is named Jer Gettle (of course he is) and he started this bomb-ass seed company when he was 17. Here's a NY Times profile. A seed prodigy, if you will. If you care about gardening at all you should send for the catalog or better yet, visit the store in Petaluma. Smiller saw somewhere that he opened the second one in Petaluma (first one was in Missouri) because the majority of his orders were from that area! That's how fancy these seeds are.



 

 

Spoooooooooky

Scott pointed out the month mark yesterday, too. I think I'm gonna be able to do more blog, less facebook. I am trying to get back to being smarter, which for me personally means less social media and less TV. First big step: canceled Netflix streaming and went to one movie at-a-time. I figure not always having a movie will force me to read more so I can increase my attention span. Yesterday I managed to watch an arty French film and enjoy it very much. It's Summer Hours starring La Binoche. It's kind of a nothing-much-happens movie, but I like those. A running theme is the importance and power of beautiful objects and art, which was a running theme in The Goldfinch too (a book I am kind of meh on). At the risk of sounding shallow I stand behind this idea because I think what you surround yourself with greatly influences your state of mind and our objects can stand the test of time when we are dust. Getting deep I guess. This getting smart plan is just what works for me, I'm not saying others need to follow. I think if my job was super stressful I would definitely need that veg-out time and I know HBO has stuff I would probably love.

Halloween approacheth and I'm excited this year because Verge is having a party on the actual day. Finally something to do! Actually, I went to a super fun party last year so I am on a roll. I thought I'd post trailers to some creepy favorites. Parents I loved in the early '90s and watched many times but I just remembered it today for the first time in many years:

The Stepfather is a classic! A family and all that crap!Starring Locke! Here's a cult one that Netflix has. Demonic children! Changeling=scary The Haunting is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen and the book by Shirley Jackson is one of the scariest I've ever read. It ranks up there with Turn Of The Screw, Pet Cemetary,and the Shining Oh god Cujo is majorly traumatizing. Spoiler=in the book the kid dies!! This is going to the top of my queue right now. Stephen King is pretty awesome for teens. I'm pretty sure I've posted about Smooth Talk before. Underrated! Should be a cult classic and the Joyce Carol Oates story is scary too. Thanks for the impetus for this spooooooky post!