An eye for an eye, let the punishment fit the crime.
Fact: The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world, as well as the highest total documented prison and jail population in the world. (China has four times our population, yet only 18% of our incarceration rate.)
Think about that. Your tax dollars going for serial killers getting their three hots and a cot, while we blue collar folks stay up late working, sweating the utilities. Your tax dollars paying for inmates to pursue and achieve college degrees. Your tax dollars paying for killers and rapists to get cable teevee. Can't hold down a job? Rob a few stores, then at least you'll have a roof over your head, and maybe a concert or three for your entertainment. Modern Liberal psychology blows. We care more for felony offenders than we do for veterans.
So, the proposition then? Let's save money while reducing prison populations dramatically. If you rob, let's just hack off your hands. If you rob big, we introduce you to the wonderful wonderful world of being drawn and quartered. Rapist? Chop it off! No more repeat offenders. We need to not only bring back public torture, we should embrace it to the point of running it on live primetime network television. Watching a gangster thug hustler joker experience the electric chair on national teevee would do wonders for crime prevention. Send a strong, strong message to the members of our communities desperate and/or ignorant enough to put their own needs before the needs of the Law.
and people do learn more from television anyway, right?
31 January 2010
30 January 2010
Enchanted Legends
Legends: The Enchanted #0
Written & Illustrated by Nick Percival
Lettered by Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Edited by Renae Geerlings
Published by Radical
This is a special dollar introductory issue for the upcoming original graphic novel from Radical Comics, wherein we meet a motherload of a new world. Horror fantasy, cybernetic blasphemy of the fairy tales we all remember from when we were children, twisted here by the talented mind of Percival. And oh baby is it good.
A dark tale, we meet Jack the Giant-Killer as he finishes up with a pair of brutes, and from there we meet Red Hood as she deals with a pack of werewolves in the woods. But these are not the sweetly youthful heroes of story time, these are adult warriors, beings known as the Enchanted. And they are all about saving the day no matter how brutal things might get along the way. Other familiar characters are shown, teasing the reader with what the GN will likely offer. This is a violent story, undoubtedly, with imagery straight from nightmare. I do though, foresee comparisons being made to Fables, comparisons by folks too dimwitted to actually give this book a read. In which case they would see something far less smarmy, and far more Mad Max/Road Warrior by way of Black Sabbath and Celtic Frost.
The art is dreamy-good. Percival clearly summoning the likes of HR Giger and Simon Bisley, and does them both one up by telling a cohesive story, something less like a bad acid trip and more like someone just hitting away at your cerebral cortex with a steam-powered sledgehammer. These characters are sexy, they are savage, they are gloriously wicked. Entirely too much personality to be relegated under the label of anti-hero, this is aesthetically warped on more imaginative fronts than merely that. These Enchanted are not just the kids trying to reclaim their innocence in the confusing face of fastly approaching post-pubescence, they are exotic old warhorses in an unreal world, as bloodthirsty as they need to be in battling these insane things in the dark. The pages of this comic are full of their very own kind of life. Just the idea of Magic Beans as a drug of choice, and the crazy visuals that stem (pun intended) from that...
Percival is excitingly genius here. Really good. Buy this book so he will be obliged to make more of the same.
http://www.radicalcomics.com
Written & Illustrated by Nick Percival
Lettered by Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Edited by Renae Geerlings
Published by Radical
This is a special dollar introductory issue for the upcoming original graphic novel from Radical Comics, wherein we meet a motherload of a new world. Horror fantasy, cybernetic blasphemy of the fairy tales we all remember from when we were children, twisted here by the talented mind of Percival. And oh baby is it good.
A dark tale, we meet Jack the Giant-Killer as he finishes up with a pair of brutes, and from there we meet Red Hood as she deals with a pack of werewolves in the woods. But these are not the sweetly youthful heroes of story time, these are adult warriors, beings known as the Enchanted. And they are all about saving the day no matter how brutal things might get along the way. Other familiar characters are shown, teasing the reader with what the GN will likely offer. This is a violent story, undoubtedly, with imagery straight from nightmare. I do though, foresee comparisons being made to Fables, comparisons by folks too dimwitted to actually give this book a read. In which case they would see something far less smarmy, and far more Mad Max/Road Warrior by way of Black Sabbath and Celtic Frost.
The art is dreamy-good. Percival clearly summoning the likes of HR Giger and Simon Bisley, and does them both one up by telling a cohesive story, something less like a bad acid trip and more like someone just hitting away at your cerebral cortex with a steam-powered sledgehammer. These characters are sexy, they are savage, they are gloriously wicked. Entirely too much personality to be relegated under the label of anti-hero, this is aesthetically warped on more imaginative fronts than merely that. These Enchanted are not just the kids trying to reclaim their innocence in the confusing face of fastly approaching post-pubescence, they are exotic old warhorses in an unreal world, as bloodthirsty as they need to be in battling these insane things in the dark. The pages of this comic are full of their very own kind of life. Just the idea of Magic Beans as a drug of choice, and the crazy visuals that stem (pun intended) from that...
Percival is excitingly genius here. Really good. Buy this book so he will be obliged to make more of the same.
http://www.radicalcomics.com
26 January 2010
Blue Water Drowns
Curious (but quite welcome) surge in anti-Darren Davis posts lately.
From Chris Butcher telling it like it is in response to the publisher's asinine self-defense at the equally asinine newsarama, to Johanna Draper Carlson's well-worded affirmation of unwillingness in giving the crook any press (with follow-up here), to the powerhouse Heidi MacDonald going indepth while citing the work Rich Johnston had done on the subject months earlier.
Of course, I myself hit this target before any of these journalists, in my final days early last Fall at ComicNews.Info. In a two part installment of my old column the Lottery Party, I called out Davis after gathering words from a number of friends who had worked for the man before.
Part one and part two came and we quickly began to build some interesting comments. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff worried that things were getting too personal and that we may have presented ourselves into slander/libel territory, and so deleted all comments but the Davis copy and paste rubbish. Nonsense, of course. Eventually I parted with the site (for other reasons), thinking it to be one of many stories I still wanted to keep an eye on, somehow.
Now, even though months have passed, I do still get approached by burned creators wanting to know what their options are, as I am not at all afraid to speak out against liars like Davis. But what to tell almost two dozen well-meaning writers and artists? The stereotype is that many were/are rookies to the medium, even foreigners, but this is not the case. Some are just that, but some are scared to voice their concerns publicly, while others are not at all shy about the matter. And this stuff goes back years. There is at least one pending lawsuit that I know of, to date.
Davis' "explanation" given before in my articles, later in Johnston's piece, and more recently at newsarama (which I will not link as they are essentially a press release-only site) is absolute garbage. He has lied to numerous persons, denying thousands of dollars owed to people who are trying to provide for their families.
Darren Davis is a snake.
And the bitch of it all, is that I do still know some guys working for him. Somehow they are getting some kinda funds out of the clown, though generally less than what was agreed and almost always late. I worry for them, I really do.
So naturally, seeing others finally chime in on the obvious is vastly gratifying.
From Chris Butcher telling it like it is in response to the publisher's asinine self-defense at the equally asinine newsarama, to Johanna Draper Carlson's well-worded affirmation of unwillingness in giving the crook any press (with follow-up here), to the powerhouse Heidi MacDonald going indepth while citing the work Rich Johnston had done on the subject months earlier.
Of course, I myself hit this target before any of these journalists, in my final days early last Fall at ComicNews.Info. In a two part installment of my old column the Lottery Party, I called out Davis after gathering words from a number of friends who had worked for the man before.
Part one and part two came and we quickly began to build some interesting comments. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff worried that things were getting too personal and that we may have presented ourselves into slander/libel territory, and so deleted all comments but the Davis copy and paste rubbish. Nonsense, of course. Eventually I parted with the site (for other reasons), thinking it to be one of many stories I still wanted to keep an eye on, somehow.
Now, even though months have passed, I do still get approached by burned creators wanting to know what their options are, as I am not at all afraid to speak out against liars like Davis. But what to tell almost two dozen well-meaning writers and artists? The stereotype is that many were/are rookies to the medium, even foreigners, but this is not the case. Some are just that, but some are scared to voice their concerns publicly, while others are not at all shy about the matter. And this stuff goes back years. There is at least one pending lawsuit that I know of, to date.
Davis' "explanation" given before in my articles, later in Johnston's piece, and more recently at newsarama (which I will not link as they are essentially a press release-only site) is absolute garbage. He has lied to numerous persons, denying thousands of dollars owed to people who are trying to provide for their families.
Darren Davis is a snake.
And the bitch of it all, is that I do still know some guys working for him. Somehow they are getting some kinda funds out of the clown, though generally less than what was agreed and almost always late. I worry for them, I really do.
So naturally, seeing others finally chime in on the obvious is vastly gratifying.
Mes petites amoureuses
Un hydrolat lacrymal lave
Les cieux vert-chou:
Sous l’arbre tendronnier qui bave,
Vos caoutchoucs
Blancs de lunes particulières
Aux pialats ronds,
Entrechoquez vos genouillères
Mes laiderons!
Nous nous aimions à cette époque,
Bleu laideron!
On mangeait des œufs à la coque
Et du mouron!
Un soir, tu me sacras poète,
Blond laideron:
Descends ici, que je te fouette
En mon giron;
J’ai dégueulé ta bandoline,
Noir laideron;
Tu couperais ma mandoline
Au fil du front
Pouah! mes salives desséchées,
Roux laideron
Infectent encor les tranchées
De ton sein rond!
Ô mes petites amoureuses,
Que je vous hais!
Plaquez de fouffes douloureuses
Vos tétons laids!
Piétinez mes vieilles terrines
De sentiment;
—Hop donc! soyez-moi ballerines
Pour un moment!…
Vos omoplates se déboîtent,
Ô mes amours!
Une étoile à vos reins qui boitent,
Tournez vos tours!
Et c’est pourtant pour ces éclanches
Que j’ai rimé!
Je voudrais vous casser les hanches
D’avoir aimé!
Fade amas d’étoiles ratées,
Comblez les coins!
—Vous crèverez en Dieu, bâtées
D’ignobles soins!
Sous les lunes particulières
Aux pialats ronds,
Entrechoquez vos genouillères,
Mes laiderons!
24 January 2010
throwing voices/rocks
I'd wager that if more people could live their lives without the promise of a heaven or hell (beit for yourself or for the ones you love and/or hate) they would be compelled to construct the personal equivalent in this world, in this life.
Which would in turn lead to much more objective honesty in all actions, in the here and now.
I will not blame the devil for what I have done wrong, and I will not thank god for what I have done right.
See how easy logos is, kids?
Or as Alan Watts wrote in The Wisdom Of Insecurity (1951):
"What is the use of planning to be able to eat next week unless I can really enjoy the meals when they come? If I am so busy planning how to eat next week that I cannot fully enjoy what I am eating now, I will be in the same predicament when next week’s meals become “now.”
If my happiness at this moment consists largely in reviewing happy memories and expectations, I am but dimly aware of this present. I shall still be dimly aware of the present when the good things that I have been expecting come to pass. For I shall have formed a habit of looking behind and ahead, making it difficult for me to attend to the here and now. If, then, my awareness of the past and future makes me less aware of the present, I must begin to wonder whether I am actually living in the real world.
Which would in turn lead to much more objective honesty in all actions, in the here and now.
I will not blame the devil for what I have done wrong, and I will not thank god for what I have done right.
See how easy logos is, kids?
Or as Alan Watts wrote in The Wisdom Of Insecurity (1951):
"What is the use of planning to be able to eat next week unless I can really enjoy the meals when they come? If I am so busy planning how to eat next week that I cannot fully enjoy what I am eating now, I will be in the same predicament when next week’s meals become “now.”
If my happiness at this moment consists largely in reviewing happy memories and expectations, I am but dimly aware of this present. I shall still be dimly aware of the present when the good things that I have been expecting come to pass. For I shall have formed a habit of looking behind and ahead, making it difficult for me to attend to the here and now. If, then, my awareness of the past and future makes me less aware of the present, I must begin to wonder whether I am actually living in the real world.
After all, the future is quite meaningless and unimportant unless, sooner or later, it is going to become the present. Thus to plan for a future which is not going to become present is hardly more absurd than to plan for a future which, when it comes to me, will find me “absent,” looking fixedly over its shoulder instead of into its face."
23 January 2010
A is A
This is an essay written by Steve Ditko over forty years ago, his thoughts on violence in culture.
22 January 2010
YourMusicShow
I interview Justin Wilson, founder of YourMusicShow, a zany podcast dynamiting personalities while beefing up local music scenes. Based in Hampton Roads, Virginia YourMusicShow is a fastly growing gaggle of raw entertainment.
Justin, you are the man behind YourMusicShow, the Virginia- based podcast that spotlights local music while overflowing with comedy and gusto. Were you always a music fanatic? What is your origin story?
Before I even launch into what is likely to be an unsatisfactory answer, allow me to thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to find out a few things about what we're doing, it means a lot to us that someone is taking notice. As far as myself and music, well, that hooker and me go waaaaaaaay back. Like most people my story begins with my parents record (and eventually, CD) collection. I was lucky, my parents had their favorites and they were NOTHING like any other parents. I didn't have Zep, Floyd, and the Beatles crammed down my throat, at least not at home. I grew up with a barrage of Barbara Streisand, Rod Stewart, U2, REM, and just about anything you can think of in between. Third grade. I read a book called the Trumpet and the Swan. I loved this book so much that I decided to bug the hell out of my parents until they got me a trumpet. THIS is when I fell in love with music. Learning dumb songs like Hot Cross Buns and playing them at school recitals and such. I loved it. As time went by I wanted more so I tried out for jazz band, joined the marching band in high school, had a garage band in high school, formed non-garage bands. Wait. To further elaborate, I wrote my first song when I was three. It was written for and about my little sister Erin. My dad asked me something about my sister and my response was a song titled, "No More Raisins". So mayhaps I was just born with the love?
Music, that dirty bitch. She never let go of me, just has me in a different way now. Composing, writing, sharing, yes please. I just can't quit her.
You do a bit of pimping for the mike and bob radio (insert webpage link...?) show, does that also stem from blackmail?
And when exactly did you first get the idea for your own podcast show?
Ah yes Mike and Bob. I have made no direct link from my show to theirs other than mentioning a few times, but I owe them some thanks. I've learned a lot from my time as The Hulkster and can only hope I do right by their good names in this town. Seriously though, years ago when Mike was still just spinning records, I decided I wanted to be in radio. He seemed to love his job and unlike most of the other jocks, he would take time to talk to you when you called. "I can do all these things! I'd be a great radio DJ!" Hasn't quite panned out that way but that's kinda how YourMusicShow came to be. As I mentioned before, I've been in a few local bands. The first and I guess most serious one being STALE. STALE got snuffed out man. We were a good band, but we didn't exactly play by the rules. Very minimal cover songs, all of them obscure and we were way too nice. One-sided show swapping isn't exactly swapping. Off point. I apologize. What I was getting at is, we didn't have anything like this back then. There's been local music shows on a few stations, but they always flounder. My guess would be due to a lack of money/interest. Local music just doesn't pay the bills, proof positive being the Locals Lounge. The Locals Lounge was hosted by my good friend Alfredo Torres and was awesome! It seriously was on its way to changing the local scene. It had firepower, it had the bands behind it, it was IT. The station re-formatted and I got angry. I thought about it for a while and realized. YO! What if money was taken out of the equation? Boom, YourMusicShow is born. DJ and I started collecting music from bands we know, bands we've been in, whatever and just started doing it. Paid for the site and got Evan to put it together.
The rest is history in the making.
A well-run spotlight for local music scenes can actually make or break local music scenes- I believe that. So DJ and Evan are your co-horts. Have you known them long? Who does what exactly, and how far ahead do you plan the episodes, as far as organization, guests, etc?
And that's just it. We're trying to make our own scene, not change the one that exists. I have known DJ since I was in junior year of high school. We knew each other through soccer. Evan I've known for about eight or nine years now. DJ and I met him while he was working at Radio Shack. We went in to yoink their internet, got to talking about how we needed a drummer. Lo and behold Evan was a drummer and we were jammin on what would eventually become STALE tunes that evening. Also part of the show are Talbert Dunn and Merritt Peregory. I have known Talbert since I was in sophomore year of high school and Merritt I met through Twitter almost a year ago. Hmm. Who does what. Evan is the webmaster. Everything on the site and the site itself, that's all him. I went to him and said,"Dude, I need a website." He said,"What do you want it to look like? What's your idea for it?" "I dunno." So yeah, that's all him. DJ is my co-host and the engineer of the show. He comes up with all of our equipment and makes sure all of it is working properly. Talbert is the talent coordinator and he scours the net for local bands for us to put on the show. He also yells random obscenities when we are out live. Fun times. Merritt is the street team captain, I guess you'd call it. He's not on the show but every bit as important.
Show prep? What is that? About the only preparation we have is the playlist. We know which song is coming up and which song we just played, other than that it's all shooting from the hip. Kinda making it up as we go. Occasionally there will be something specific I want to bring up but it's rare and we don't usually stay on it for long. Guests. Man we should probably get some of those, huh? The handful of guests we've had on are pretty much spur of the moment as well and it may work out better that way. None of us has ever interviewed anyone before, so I imagine it might not go so well.
I know you have played stuff from non-local acts as well, but what is it about the scene that you see as being really special? If you could, what would you want to accomplish through YourMusicShow?
There's just flat out raw talent here, bands like the Nerve Scheme, the Muckrakes, far star radar. REALLY good bands, playing REALLY good original music. It's insane to think that we've only barely scratched the surface with this thing, I'm looking forward to hearing what else Hampton Roads has to offer. Saying that, yes I have played acts from out of state, and in the case of the Microdance, out of the country. The way I'm looking at it, we're redefining local. With the internet, it can all be local really, in a way. Figure we're giving those bands a place to come play if they choose, or hopefully a place for our local guys to go play. Access to new eardrums. Who knows? But it's like the Fight Club line, I'm settin up franchises. That's really my hope in all of this. Mayhap a YourMusicTour, or Whats That Smellapalooza? Something to bring us all together.
Is that lame?
Not at all. Thinking outside the box is what makes things happen. For myself, I was just turned on to the program when I moved to the area a month or so back. And I only learned in the past year the power of the podcast. In the case of YourMusicShow, word of mouth is doing a lot, certainly, as is your heavy-handed conquering of certain online communities. You have a growing circle here, almost a #pisscopter even, with or without #pantsoff.
Unlike many podcasts, yours is not recorded in your parents garage. I think finding live venues to continue recording is the best route, beit bars or parties, but I gather there have been some troubles there?
Funny you mention pisscopter and us being out live. That story is almost definitely the reason we got canned from that gig. Not such a good idea to ramble on about someone pissing around in circles on a PA. Made for great show though, and I wouldn't change it now even if I could. We did do a podcast from a Muckrakes show recently and it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. For now that's about all we plan on venturing into, probably once a month or so. Thing is, well.....money is a bitch. If we don't bring people, then they don't want us. We're still a little young to be able to assure listeners will come out to wherever we are, so I guess it's just not in the cards quite yet. Parties seem to be more logical. So if you want YourMusicShow to come podcast your party hit us up! (WINK) Oops. Forgot I can't type in commercial guy voice. Now to this business of removing pants! YYYYEAH!
Anything else you feel like throwing in, before you go off and become a cornerstone of the music industry?
I don't like pants? HA. Nah. I just want to thank everyone who is already on board with this thing and you Richard, for taking some time to ask a joker like me a few questions. AC/DC said it's long way to the top, and it is, but we can go together. What's good for one Hampton Roads band is good for all Hampton Roads bands. Wait. Did I say that right? Yeah. I really don't like pants though.
And final words here, so we end on a positive note, sir! I would like to point out that we're called YOURMusicShow for a reason. This is OUR show, all of us. It's our chance to MAKE a scene, not just change or live within one.
Listen to YourMusicShow online, every week!
Justin, you are the man behind YourMusicShow, the Virginia- based podcast that spotlights local music while overflowing with comedy and gusto. Were you always a music fanatic? What is your origin story?
Before I even launch into what is likely to be an unsatisfactory answer, allow me to thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to find out a few things about what we're doing, it means a lot to us that someone is taking notice. As far as myself and music, well, that hooker and me go waaaaaaaay back. Like most people my story begins with my parents record (and eventually, CD) collection. I was lucky, my parents had their favorites and they were NOTHING like any other parents. I didn't have Zep, Floyd, and the Beatles crammed down my throat, at least not at home. I grew up with a barrage of Barbara Streisand, Rod Stewart, U2, REM, and just about anything you can think of in between. Third grade. I read a book called the Trumpet and the Swan. I loved this book so much that I decided to bug the hell out of my parents until they got me a trumpet. THIS is when I fell in love with music. Learning dumb songs like Hot Cross Buns and playing them at school recitals and such. I loved it. As time went by I wanted more so I tried out for jazz band, joined the marching band in high school, had a garage band in high school, formed non-garage bands. Wait. To further elaborate, I wrote my first song when I was three. It was written for and about my little sister Erin. My dad asked me something about my sister and my response was a song titled, "No More Raisins". So mayhaps I was just born with the love?
Music, that dirty bitch. She never let go of me, just has me in a different way now. Composing, writing, sharing, yes please. I just can't quit her.
You do a bit of pimping for the mike and bob radio (insert webpage link...?) show, does that also stem from blackmail?
And when exactly did you first get the idea for your own podcast show?
Ah yes Mike and Bob. I have made no direct link from my show to theirs other than mentioning a few times, but I owe them some thanks. I've learned a lot from my time as The Hulkster and can only hope I do right by their good names in this town. Seriously though, years ago when Mike was still just spinning records, I decided I wanted to be in radio. He seemed to love his job and unlike most of the other jocks, he would take time to talk to you when you called. "I can do all these things! I'd be a great radio DJ!" Hasn't quite panned out that way but that's kinda how YourMusicShow came to be. As I mentioned before, I've been in a few local bands. The first and I guess most serious one being STALE. STALE got snuffed out man. We were a good band, but we didn't exactly play by the rules. Very minimal cover songs, all of them obscure and we were way too nice. One-sided show swapping isn't exactly swapping. Off point. I apologize. What I was getting at is, we didn't have anything like this back then. There's been local music shows on a few stations, but they always flounder. My guess would be due to a lack of money/interest. Local music just doesn't pay the bills, proof positive being the Locals Lounge. The Locals Lounge was hosted by my good friend Alfredo Torres and was awesome! It seriously was on its way to changing the local scene. It had firepower, it had the bands behind it, it was IT. The station re-formatted and I got angry. I thought about it for a while and realized. YO! What if money was taken out of the equation? Boom, YourMusicShow is born. DJ and I started collecting music from bands we know, bands we've been in, whatever and just started doing it. Paid for the site and got Evan to put it together.
The rest is history in the making.
A well-run spotlight for local music scenes can actually make or break local music scenes- I believe that. So DJ and Evan are your co-horts. Have you known them long? Who does what exactly, and how far ahead do you plan the episodes, as far as organization, guests, etc?
And that's just it. We're trying to make our own scene, not change the one that exists. I have known DJ since I was in junior year of high school. We knew each other through soccer. Evan I've known for about eight or nine years now. DJ and I met him while he was working at Radio Shack. We went in to yoink their internet, got to talking about how we needed a drummer. Lo and behold Evan was a drummer and we were jammin on what would eventually become STALE tunes that evening. Also part of the show are Talbert Dunn and Merritt Peregory. I have known Talbert since I was in sophomore year of high school and Merritt I met through Twitter almost a year ago. Hmm. Who does what. Evan is the webmaster. Everything on the site and the site itself, that's all him. I went to him and said,"Dude, I need a website." He said,"What do you want it to look like? What's your idea for it?" "I dunno." So yeah, that's all him. DJ is my co-host and the engineer of the show. He comes up with all of our equipment and makes sure all of it is working properly. Talbert is the talent coordinator and he scours the net for local bands for us to put on the show. He also yells random obscenities when we are out live. Fun times. Merritt is the street team captain, I guess you'd call it. He's not on the show but every bit as important.
Show prep? What is that? About the only preparation we have is the playlist. We know which song is coming up and which song we just played, other than that it's all shooting from the hip. Kinda making it up as we go. Occasionally there will be something specific I want to bring up but it's rare and we don't usually stay on it for long. Guests. Man we should probably get some of those, huh? The handful of guests we've had on are pretty much spur of the moment as well and it may work out better that way. None of us has ever interviewed anyone before, so I imagine it might not go so well.
I know you have played stuff from non-local acts as well, but what is it about the scene that you see as being really special? If you could, what would you want to accomplish through YourMusicShow?
There's just flat out raw talent here, bands like the Nerve Scheme, the Muckrakes, far star radar. REALLY good bands, playing REALLY good original music. It's insane to think that we've only barely scratched the surface with this thing, I'm looking forward to hearing what else Hampton Roads has to offer. Saying that, yes I have played acts from out of state, and in the case of the Microdance, out of the country. The way I'm looking at it, we're redefining local. With the internet, it can all be local really, in a way. Figure we're giving those bands a place to come play if they choose, or hopefully a place for our local guys to go play. Access to new eardrums. Who knows? But it's like the Fight Club line, I'm settin up franchises. That's really my hope in all of this. Mayhap a YourMusicTour, or Whats That Smellapalooza? Something to bring us all together.
Is that lame?
Not at all. Thinking outside the box is what makes things happen. For myself, I was just turned on to the program when I moved to the area a month or so back. And I only learned in the past year the power of the podcast. In the case of YourMusicShow, word of mouth is doing a lot, certainly, as is your heavy-handed conquering of certain online communities. You have a growing circle here, almost a #pisscopter even, with or without #pantsoff.
Unlike many podcasts, yours is not recorded in your parents garage. I think finding live venues to continue recording is the best route, beit bars or parties, but I gather there have been some troubles there?
Funny you mention pisscopter and us being out live. That story is almost definitely the reason we got canned from that gig. Not such a good idea to ramble on about someone pissing around in circles on a PA. Made for great show though, and I wouldn't change it now even if I could. We did do a podcast from a Muckrakes show recently and it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. For now that's about all we plan on venturing into, probably once a month or so. Thing is, well.....money is a bitch. If we don't bring people, then they don't want us. We're still a little young to be able to assure listeners will come out to wherever we are, so I guess it's just not in the cards quite yet. Parties seem to be more logical. So if you want YourMusicShow to come podcast your party hit us up! (WINK) Oops. Forgot I can't type in commercial guy voice. Now to this business of removing pants! YYYYEAH!
Anything else you feel like throwing in, before you go off and become a cornerstone of the music industry?
I don't like pants? HA. Nah. I just want to thank everyone who is already on board with this thing and you Richard, for taking some time to ask a joker like me a few questions. AC/DC said it's long way to the top, and it is, but we can go together. What's good for one Hampton Roads band is good for all Hampton Roads bands. Wait. Did I say that right? Yeah. I really don't like pants though.
And final words here, so we end on a positive note, sir! I would like to point out that we're called YOURMusicShow for a reason. This is OUR show, all of us. It's our chance to MAKE a scene, not just change or live within one.
Listen to YourMusicShow online, every week!
How to ride a pony.
noitseuq:
"What do you get when you stab a screwdriver into a dead baby?"
rewsna:
"...an erection. You get an erection."
"What do you get when you stab a screwdriver into a dead baby?"
rewsna:
"...an erection. You get an erection."
eugenics for fun and profit
I propose the invention of a biological chastity belt.
This should be inflicted upon all persons just prior to puberty, say on the ninth birthday, so as to refrain from causing any irreparable damage to the hormonal system. The purpose would be for the very survival of the human species, from economics on down to genetics.
This would allow for appropriately harmless levels of sexual exploration during adolescent to post-pubescent growth, resulting in no unwanted pregnancies and thereby cutting down the rates of abortion dramatically.
However, to have said chastity belt be uninhibited, one would have to undergo a series of government-mandated testings. This is the catch, as only successors of the tests would be allowed to breed. Failures would have their genetic codes bound for oblivion, and deservedly so.
I am talking about IQ tests, psychological evaluations, credit history reports, and criminal background checks. If you do not meet the standards, then your genes are not viable for the continued survival of our species. Have all the sex you want, diseases not withstanding, but you will not be allowed to sire offspring. Of course this may sound evil, but this is realistically the only alternative.
I would wager that within one-hundred years of the instigation of this programme, there would no longer be a societal need for welfare programs, food stamps, WIC, etc. Unemployment rates would shoot down fast, as there would be less and less bottom feeders to provide for. All of this would equate to lower taxes as well. Lines would be shorter everywhere. Crime rates would plummet.
Federal government could even subsidize healthcare to agreeable levels, as poverty-stricken cases of poor health would gradually become virtually nonexistent. The same would go for education, as smaller classes would cost less and so be able to afford so many more opportunities in diverse teaching methods.
Society would improve, obviously. And drastically so.
Prove me wrong.
This should be inflicted upon all persons just prior to puberty, say on the ninth birthday, so as to refrain from causing any irreparable damage to the hormonal system. The purpose would be for the very survival of the human species, from economics on down to genetics.
This would allow for appropriately harmless levels of sexual exploration during adolescent to post-pubescent growth, resulting in no unwanted pregnancies and thereby cutting down the rates of abortion dramatically.
However, to have said chastity belt be uninhibited, one would have to undergo a series of government-mandated testings. This is the catch, as only successors of the tests would be allowed to breed. Failures would have their genetic codes bound for oblivion, and deservedly so.
I am talking about IQ tests, psychological evaluations, credit history reports, and criminal background checks. If you do not meet the standards, then your genes are not viable for the continued survival of our species. Have all the sex you want, diseases not withstanding, but you will not be allowed to sire offspring. Of course this may sound evil, but this is realistically the only alternative.
I would wager that within one-hundred years of the instigation of this programme, there would no longer be a societal need for welfare programs, food stamps, WIC, etc. Unemployment rates would shoot down fast, as there would be less and less bottom feeders to provide for. All of this would equate to lower taxes as well. Lines would be shorter everywhere. Crime rates would plummet.
Federal government could even subsidize healthcare to agreeable levels, as poverty-stricken cases of poor health would gradually become virtually nonexistent. The same would go for education, as smaller classes would cost less and so be able to afford so many more opportunities in diverse teaching methods.
Society would improve, obviously. And drastically so.
Prove me wrong.
19 January 2010
18 January 2010
SP! Nexus 2
Issue two is out now, with three articles from me. You can download the magazine for free right here:
http://www.selfpubmag.com/site/downloads/entry/nexus/sp_nexus_2.htm
I review Andi Ewington's excellent, excellent 45 graphic novel from Com.x, the first two issues of the enchanting Essence from Ultimate Comics Group, and a novel (as in, an actual book review) by my friend Scott Marcano (who wrote Bio-Dome).
I noticed though, a review by another contributor of Von Allan's great book, the Road To God Knows, which I have reviewed before on my jalopy. Some great books. And a range of articles and essays too running the gamut of culture.
And I am already working on my contributions for iss three, so far an interview with the Vice President of a cool comics publisher most readers will know of, and also a three in one review...
http://www.selfpubmag.com/site/downloads/entry/nexus/sp_nexus_2.htm
I review Andi Ewington's excellent, excellent 45 graphic novel from Com.x, the first two issues of the enchanting Essence from Ultimate Comics Group, and a novel (as in, an actual book review) by my friend Scott Marcano (who wrote Bio-Dome).
I noticed though, a review by another contributor of Von Allan's great book, the Road To God Knows, which I have reviewed before on my jalopy. Some great books. And a range of articles and essays too running the gamut of culture.
And I am already working on my contributions for iss three, so far an interview with the Vice President of a cool comics publisher most readers will know of, and also a three in one review...
17 January 2010
calico ruination and musings
"Few men realise that their life, the very essence of their character, their capabilities and their audacities, are only the expression of their belief in the safety of their surroundings."
-Joseph Conrad
My wings are growing again
as she is pulling them forth from me.
Ivory skin'd nymphet,
I am the unappreciative, the blasphemer, the Fool,
the shadow obstructing the light, the light, the light at the end of her tunnel.
And like the bestial sinners in hell we whisper the ancient words:
We deserve this.
We deserve this.
We deserve this.
Completing the ebb and flow of each, the other.
Soberly, despite ourselves are we made whole, in this thing called forever.
-Joseph Conrad
My wings are growing again
as she is pulling them forth from me.
Ivory skin'd nymphet,
I am the unappreciative, the blasphemer, the Fool,
the shadow obstructing the light, the light, the light at the end of her tunnel.
And like the bestial sinners in hell we whisper the ancient words:
We deserve this.
We deserve this.
We deserve this.
Completing the ebb and flow of each, the other.
Soberly, despite ourselves are we made whole, in this thing called forever.
12 January 2010
a Stiletto for all
Stiletto #2
Created, Written & Illustrated by John B. Lai
Published by Ultimate Comics Group
The intergalactic red-haired bombshell returns as Stiletto and her dog/monster Rigby find themselves on yet another alien planet. This one filled with enough hormonally-charged misogynists to fill the House of Lords. And mermaids. And a giant.
Lai brings us a strong second helping of this continuing saga, with the expected levels of tongue in cheek cheesecake, naughty words, staunchy visual metaphors, and boobies galore. Not for the younger readers, maybe not even for some of the more conservative adult readers, this is a science-fiction comedy bursting with T and A. And it does not take itself too seriously. Though Freud might've had a field day with this village of impish horndog midgets led by an unjolly green giant, all lusting obsessive compulsively and single-mindedly after women (especially mermaids) and surrounded by mushrooms and seemingly mushroom-induced imagery, this is really just harmless fun. An adventure, with the heroine in question of the sort willing and able (like with all attractive women) to use her lithe and lissome charms to get whatever the heck she needs. In this case, new friends and maybe a step closer to what she really wants- to just find her way home.
The art, every step of which is handled by Lai himself, is colorfully vibrant and at times even surreal. His lady is rendered realistically enough, and the characters and other worlds she encounters are imaginatively given impossible forms, impossible expressions. He tells his story, but you can see the explosion of gratuitous experimentation in digital effects as well as subject matter. He is pushing certain boundaries, caught up in the fun of his own devising, and praise Bettie Page for that, as in terms of sigilism she ought to have achieved deity status by now. For Stiletto, this iss popped out immediately after the first, and the third is already well into production. For a one man show, the zeal does say something.
A personal treat for me was seeing a quote from my review of the first iss on the inside cover. This might be the first comic with such, specials and trade collections and assorted webpages and the like aside. But hell yea will I continue to support works like this. And if you are the sort who also reads Playboy for the articles (along with the obvious) then this is your mug of lubricant. Fans of the 3D series Tripping The Rift will appreciate this comic, as will readers fond for the early years of Heavy Metal magazine.
Uber cheeky fun.
http://www.ultimatecomicsgroup.com
10 January 2010
06 January 2010
the FLESH
In the late 90's while living in Worcester, Massachusetts I self-published exactly one hundred issues of my fanzine/mini-comix rag, the Midwife. It was full of articles and essays and rants, comic strips, and some occasional band interviews. Lots of drug-fueled humour, satirical to offensive in content. I was developing my thoughts on religion and politics, and on life as a blue collar coyote living amongst the ivy leaguers I surrounded myself with in those days. Although my print runs never exceeded two to three dozen copies per iss, they circulated a bit back when allowing for me to make some notch of notoriety for myself on the punk and arts scene thereabouts. It was the destruction of my remaining copies of the Midwife about three years ago by my then girlfriend that prompted my rededicating life to pursuing writing, journalism, and comic books.
That said, my first real published credit came in the Fall of '00, by way of a little book titled the Flesh.
My old friend Kenaeda MacQuillan was the instigator, pulling his girlfriend Celine and me together with the aim of putting out the manner of poetry volume we all wanted to see exist. Despite our age, there was not one sappy love poem to be found therein. Celine's father Dave Nader, a local oral historian and himself a well-published poet, played the role of publisher in the form of the short-lived Bat City Press. I had a hand in the design, suggesting we each contribute 23 pages of material, equating to a total of 69. Subliminal power, if you will.
We were all working hard compiling and writing new material, playing off what each other was doing. It was interesting, it was fun.
Then my older sister was murdered, back in Kentucky.
In the months that followed, I brought my younger sister up from Texas to live with me, which caused immediate friction. She was playing the cold turkey game and everyone around me preached and preached that she was nothing but bad news. I was stoic, and so the book suffered in its final days of creation. Kenaeda spited me by using only my rough drafts, even changing wording in my personal favorite contribution. So, I shut off contact completely. The book managed to sell a few hundred copies, possibly more in the long run though I had no insight into the numbers. It was available through Amazon for a few years, I can verify. However I never myself owned a copy, ashamed of how it seemed to represent the destruction of friendships, the death of Rebecca, and my undeniable and insatiable wanderlust.
I am that kind of bloke who constantly replays the past. I do not live there, but one can never stop learning from where one has been. I am sizing up now possible directions, discerning what I can while rubbing folks the wrong way, as ever. I feel ready for anything and everything and nothing.
If any reader of this blog happens to come across a copy, I would like now (ten years too late) to hold the book again, to own it- that grossly inspired and quite possibly amateurish small statement to the eroticism that is life, through the eyes of that hungry and degenerate generation of ours. In the desperate act of clawing at oh so white thighs, there is a solemn and holy truth.
That said, my first real published credit came in the Fall of '00, by way of a little book titled the Flesh.
My old friend Kenaeda MacQuillan was the instigator, pulling his girlfriend Celine and me together with the aim of putting out the manner of poetry volume we all wanted to see exist. Despite our age, there was not one sappy love poem to be found therein. Celine's father Dave Nader, a local oral historian and himself a well-published poet, played the role of publisher in the form of the short-lived Bat City Press. I had a hand in the design, suggesting we each contribute 23 pages of material, equating to a total of 69. Subliminal power, if you will.
We were all working hard compiling and writing new material, playing off what each other was doing. It was interesting, it was fun.
Then my older sister was murdered, back in Kentucky.
In the months that followed, I brought my younger sister up from Texas to live with me, which caused immediate friction. She was playing the cold turkey game and everyone around me preached and preached that she was nothing but bad news. I was stoic, and so the book suffered in its final days of creation. Kenaeda spited me by using only my rough drafts, even changing wording in my personal favorite contribution. So, I shut off contact completely. The book managed to sell a few hundred copies, possibly more in the long run though I had no insight into the numbers. It was available through Amazon for a few years, I can verify. However I never myself owned a copy, ashamed of how it seemed to represent the destruction of friendships, the death of Rebecca, and my undeniable and insatiable wanderlust.
I am that kind of bloke who constantly replays the past. I do not live there, but one can never stop learning from where one has been. I am sizing up now possible directions, discerning what I can while rubbing folks the wrong way, as ever. I feel ready for anything and everything and nothing.
If any reader of this blog happens to come across a copy, I would like now (ten years too late) to hold the book again, to own it- that grossly inspired and quite possibly amateurish small statement to the eroticism that is life, through the eyes of that hungry and degenerate generation of ours. In the desperate act of clawing at oh so white thighs, there is a solemn and holy truth.
03 January 2010
second
Yesterday would have been my pop's sixty-first birthday.
http://nilskidoo.blogspot.com/2008/10/good-is-subjective.html
I compare myself to him, his life. When he was my age he was married with a third child on the way. He never really had the chance to chase down any of his dreams.
I think he would be proud.
http://nilskidoo.blogspot.com/2008/10/good-is-subjective.html
I compare myself to him, his life. When he was my age he was married with a third child on the way. He never really had the chance to chase down any of his dreams.
I think he would be proud.
02 January 2010
non serviam?
As of this moment, I will no longer be following through with any collaboration, gig, or other shared project. This extends on well beyond the foreseeable future.
I see no reason to provide any explanation.
I invite all to piss off.
My life has its own rhythm now.
I see no reason to provide any explanation.
I invite all to piss off.
My life has its own rhythm now.
01 January 2010
Yorktown
Life is taking some curiously strong and welcome twists. I am out of Louisville, Kentucky (read: Hellmouth to end all Hellmouths) for a bit more than a week now. I left everything behind, but I have not one single regret. I am head over heels. But then I never really grasped that saying as most folks are generally head over heels regardless.
I am maybe two hours from where my father is buried. I am much closer to the ocean. I can walk to NASA from here. And my lady has me in complete awe of her. I am humbled.
I am falling behind in my assorted/sordid writing gigs and obligations though, but I am working on it. Looking for day work as well, but I see no causes for alarm anytime soon. The future is spreading herself wide open to take me in.
Meeting some interesting personalities, further validating my thoughts on the bleak and shallow dryness of Louisville and its residents. This setting is not perfect, but at least its inhabitants are human.
As for the lady...I am experiencing the early signs of a seriously drastic spiritual and very sexual reawakening, and I thank her and her alone for what is going on inside the Arthur Rimbaud gone on cheap pinot noir of a landscape that passes for my inner monologue. Things are making sense. The steel is back in my eyes. My misogyny is licking the floor like the dog that it ever was, but I really feel like I am on the cusp of something enormous. A paradigm shift by way of calming, open arms. Release, blessed godforsaken release. Not a faith restored, but more like an entire sky being born, for no other reason than to give those of us paying attention something pretty to look at and ponder.
Ought-ten is off and kicking 'round the drum.
I am maybe two hours from where my father is buried. I am much closer to the ocean. I can walk to NASA from here. And my lady has me in complete awe of her. I am humbled.
I am falling behind in my assorted/sordid writing gigs and obligations though, but I am working on it. Looking for day work as well, but I see no causes for alarm anytime soon. The future is spreading herself wide open to take me in.
Meeting some interesting personalities, further validating my thoughts on the bleak and shallow dryness of Louisville and its residents. This setting is not perfect, but at least its inhabitants are human.
As for the lady...I am experiencing the early signs of a seriously drastic spiritual and very sexual reawakening, and I thank her and her alone for what is going on inside the Arthur Rimbaud gone on cheap pinot noir of a landscape that passes for my inner monologue. Things are making sense. The steel is back in my eyes. My misogyny is licking the floor like the dog that it ever was, but I really feel like I am on the cusp of something enormous. A paradigm shift by way of calming, open arms. Release, blessed godforsaken release. Not a faith restored, but more like an entire sky being born, for no other reason than to give those of us paying attention something pretty to look at and ponder.
Ought-ten is off and kicking 'round the drum.
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