Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Christopher Walken reading Poe's The Raven [MP3]

Via the MP3 archives at aprilwinchell.com.

Check it out, it's full of fun stuff.

Bonus Walken... Scary, scary version of Goodnight Moon from the Simpsons.
Voiced by Jay Mohr.

Giddy Up MX-5

Bay Area Miata Association's Summer Fling 2008



Twisty roads, 25 Miatas, perfect weather, more fun than humans deserve.

Pictures taken by Nick Jenkins

Whiskey, shaken, not stirred

Via Terry Teachout, a 1958 interview of Raymond Chandler conducted by Ian Fleming.

Listen to the entire interview here.

Bonus question... who is your favorite movie Marlowe?

While I will always be fond of Bogart, and there have been some interesting takes on the character, such as Robert Montgomery's camera eye view Marlowe in 1947's Lady in the Lake. There have been some odd Marlowe casting, most memorably Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye starring Elliott Gould. There have been faux Marlowes, like Burt Reynolds' Shamus which does not mention Marlowe but is definitely derived from The Big Sleep but in my mind, no one captured the hard-boiled, world weariness of Marlowe better than Robert Mitchum in the 1975 version of Farewell My Lovely

list'ning to the Muzak, thinking 'bout this 'n' that.

I can't say that I attend a lot of concerts anymore, but when I saw two of the class of '77, probably my most formative of years in terms of musical taste, were going to be performing at Shoreline last Monday evening, I thought, what better way could I spend Bastille day than with Elvis Costello and the Police. The main draw for me was Elvis, former angry young man, now angry middle aged guy, since I had seen him on both of his first US tours in '77 and '78 at Winterland. So I purchased a couple of lawn seats and dragged the wife along.

EC wasn't in his best form, his voice a bit hoarse, but with the exception of American Gangster Time from his new album, Momofuku, it was all classic stuff. He had a bit of fun with Watching the Detectives and Sting joined him on stage for Alison. He ended the too short set with Nick Lowe's (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding, one of my favorites.

I was never a gigantic Police fan. I always enjoyed their first album, but later found the white man's reggae lacking in any soul. When the new wave followed the punk invasion, the Police were a bit too polite for me. However, I have to say, they put on a great show. Sting looked healthy and like he was having the time of his life, Stewart Copeland is a great percussionist and the sound was great, even on the lawn.

Set List:
Elvis Costello
Pump It Up
Mystery Dance
Everyday I Write the Book
American Gangster Time”
Radio Radio
Clubland
Watching the Detectives
Alison (with Sting)
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding

The Police
Message in a Bottle
Walking on the Moon
Demolition Man
Voices in My Head
When the World Is Running Down
Don’t Stand So Close to Me
Driven to Tears
Hole in My Life
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do
Invisible Sun
Can’t Stand Losing You
Encores:
Roxanne
King of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take
Next to You

Billy Fish, do they always use such a big ball?

My recent trip to India. Delhi, Agra and the Taj Mahal

Humayun's Tomb

A very interesting site in Delhi.










There's been very little time for site seeing, but Saturday, energy permitting, I expect to travel to Agra to see the aforementioned Taj Mahal.

You watch me walk away... tara

I'll be in India for the next week on business. Pictures to follow.


I hear it is much more impressive in person.

Canvas or Plastic?

Team Gonzo recreated, at least in terms of location, the movie Sideways this past weekend. Here are some pix.


Solvang


Solvang again. Lots of windmills


The vineyards at Melville


Team Gonzo


Pea Bags for Sale at Pea Soup Anderson's.


Fess Parker's was everything Miles said it was


Where Miles met Maya


Highliner Pinot Noir and a couple of good steaks (G had the lamb).


Rancho Sisquoc


The Home Grown store in Los Olivas


Tasting at Foxen, where Jack met Stephanie


At the Solvang Motorcycle Museum

The Times They Are a-Change You Can Believe In

Obama has the all important Dylan endorsement!!!

Another song about change from Bobby Z.

Go do that voodoo that you do so well!

I've been away for a few days, so am a little late on this posting, but I could not let this news item go by without comment.

Harvey Korman, who passed away recently at the age of 81 was one of the funniest men who ever lived. Korman in probably best remembered for his supporting role on the Carol Burnett show alongside Tim Conway and for his roles in Mel Brooks films. He was one of the funniest men ever.

Here is a clip from Blazing Saddles in his famous role of Hedy Lamarr.

That's Hedley!

MeTube

Adobe has a new online sharing and editing application. You can sign up at www.photoshop.com/express. One of the new features is the ability to embed a little slideshow player in your blog or website from one of your express albums.

Here's a sample from my Yosemite in Winter workshop last year.

Zombie Bears

Need I say more?


And they're so darn cute.

On a Lonely Highway

An excellent deconstruction (if such a term can be used for a film that defies deconstruction) of David Lynch's highly underrated and much maligned Lost Highway over at Slate. The DVD is finally available.

And a bit more of Mr. Lynch. Friend George sent along this delightful little take on iPhones some time ago.

Unplanned Obsolescence

Via Kos we learn that someone with too much time on their hands has created a Wiki of Obsolete skills.

Along with adjusting rabbit ear antennas, loading 35mm film, peeling back a lid from an sardine can with a key and using a manual choke in cold weather, it seems that common sense and spelling all make the list.

Double Feature (N-100%-SFW)

I have a love/hate thing with Sarah Silverman. She can be hilarously funny (as she is here) or cringe-worthy beyond all get out. This has gone around the YouTubes for a while now, but seeing as there is now a sequel, I thought it worth posting them together.

Well, whatever your opinion of Ms. Silverman, I hope you enjoy this little music vid from the Jimmy Kimmel Show.



And here is Jimmy's response, with a cast of thousands.

21st Century Bipolar Man

The onion av club's roundup of pretentious prog-rock album covers. Probably a redundancy or two in there somewhere.

How many of these were in your collection? I admit to a few.

Faced

A recent company event feature a performance by San Jose's own Smash Mouth. Here are a few pix I took during the concert.

Happy Frickin' Holidays

You're a mean one Mr. Grinch

Futurballa begins a 2 week vacation on Friday. Enjoy the holidays, however you may celebrate.

Rick

The Spy Who Came in from the Old

James Wolcott reminds us that the iconic TV shows of our childhood don't often hold up so well when you buy the box set dvd collection. Case in point, The Man From Uncle.

Wolcott compares and contrasts TMFU with the original Mission Impossible series, that while also somewhat low budget and cheesy, and dealing with similar Cold War espionage in similarly exotic locales, never descended into camp. The show of the era that he fails to mention that actually filmed on location, was smart, and rarely camp, was I Spy.

The always hip, Robert Culp as undercover agent / tennis bum Kelly Robinson, and his inter-racial heterosexual life partner Alexander Scott, played with great charm by a young Bill Cosby before he became the paterfamilias of the Huxtable clan and started pimping Jello, jet-setted about the globe chasing woman and foiling foreign agents. Truly one of the best spy genre shows on TV and though I haven't seen it in many years, I doubt that it would come off as dated and cheesy as TMFU.

Chabad Boys

Getting into the Chanukah spirit, friend George posted a video of Peter Himmelman, Harry Dean Stanton and Bob Dylan on harmonica performing Hava Nagila at the Chabad telethon back in 1989.

Just to join in the spirit, I found a version of the same traditional folksong performed by a Beatles tribute band.



And of course, the all time classic Chanukah song.