Back From the Dead?

It's been since April that I last posted.
Oh, the shame!
Unfortunately, it will be brief......

New music that I am listening to:
1. Arctic Monkeys "Humbug" it's been two years since the last cd. Sounds less harsh, which is a bad thing but will give it time to see if my opinion changes. Right now, to me, it could be back ground music for a party and you you would hardly notice it. Disappointing.
2. Grizzly Bear "Veckatimest" I have no idea what "Veckatimest" means either but it is a beautiful ambient electronic folk sounding cd. America's Radiohead is too simple of a description.
3. Cobra Starship "Hot Mess" a stupid fun nonsense cd. A summer party anthem album that is just goofy fun to listen to. Best song: "Hot Mess"
4. MIKA "Life in Cartoon Motion" I am late in getting into MIKA, he is a an English guy that is the reincarnation of Freddy Mercury. He sings usually in a falsetto but the vocals are really layered like Queen. I am looking forward to his new cd that comes out next month. The new single is "We are Golden" and it's terrific.

I did notice that I seemed to have a zoo theme going with the bands names but was purely accidental. I will leave with this..... I am also looking forward to Simian Mobile Disco's (LOL) new cd next month.... "Temporary Pleasure".

Mark

My Favorite Blogs!

I have a bunch of blogs that I look at everyday. Most of them are just pictures with short captions. I never fail to at least chuckle if not outright guffaw!

in no particular order:

It's Lovely! I'll Take It!
A blog of strange and odd photo's that are online to sell houses & condos.
www.lovelylisting.com

Cake Wrecks
Reader submitted photo's of professional cakes that are incredibly badly done. Super funny!
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com

Overheard in New York
Again, reader submitted but these are short exchanges that are overheard by the submitter. Also, there is: Overheard in the Office, it's just not as colorful as the streets of N.Y.
www.overheardinnewyork.com

Passive Aggressive Notes
Notes that people have left each other. Kind of snarky but fun and sometimes plain rude!
www.passiveagressivenotes.com

Television Without Pity
More a website than a blog it gives you a comical rundown of your favorite shows. I swear the writing is some of the most fun & clever that you'll find on the web.
www.televisionwithoutpity.com

Well that is this list for now..... I need to get back to work but I have a ton of others that I also look at almost daily.

If you have any favorites to recommend I surly would appreciate it!

Oscars!

I have always thought of the Academy Awards as sort of the Super Bowl for Gays.
This weekend we are having a small group of friends over to watch, to cheer and to sneer.
Until then I thought that I would give my picks for the bigger categories. This list is what I would pick from the nominated films......... NOT what will actually win.

BEST PICTURE: "Frost/Nixon"

BEST ACTOR: Mickey Rourke "The Wrestler"

BEST ACTRESS: Melissa Leo "Frozen River"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Leger "The Dark Knight"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Viola Davis "Doubt"

BEST DIRECTOR: David Fincher "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

The only one that I think has a lock is Heath Leger, maybe Mickey Rourke but all of the others are long shots at best. I tend to prefer gritty down trodden stories and really had my fill with The Wrestler and Frozen River. They are films that show you that no matter how bad your life is somebody always has it worse.

I am of the opinion that it was a good year for films and hope that this trend continues in 2009!
Feel free to give me your opinions!

Happy Holidays!

I just wanted to drop you all a quick note:

I hope all of you out there in the Pomona blog world have a very Merry Christmas!

Even with all the financial mess that we read about each day, next year HAS to be better than this one.

I hope that all of us have a terrific, safe and healthy new year!

Love to all, Mark

I'm Already Tired Of The Rain

I always frown when people say "We need this rain".
It drives me crazy because I am not a fan of rain. I don't like driving in it because people do not know how to drive in good weather let alone on wet pavement.
Having three dogs, the rain is also a pain for them. They hate being out in elements and I don't blame them. I also hate it when my fur is wet. Ha Ha.
I will say that it is good for the trees that need a deep watering after months of dry weather.
I know that this isn't the best posting that I have ever done but in about an hour I have my 42 mile drive home and it doesn't look like it's going to be all that fun.
I'll let you know how it was.

Well, here it is the next day and I must retract a portion of last nights posting.
It did take me an hour and forty-five minutes to get home BUT it was not as bad as I had expected. I get off work in Gardena at 4:30 pm and I am generally a cheerful guy if I pull into the driveway by 6 pm to watch Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.
If not, watch out, I am a total bitch on wheels... literally!

Graham Parker "The Mona Lisa's Sister" 1988

If I had to make a list of ten albums that I couldn't live without (which would itself make a great post) I would include Graham Parker's "The Mona Lisa's Sister" on it. This album topped many best of lists in 1988. Graham Parker while critically acclaimed in the US he has not sold many albums. He is generally lumped in with Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson because there is a similarity to their music.... snarly and acid tongued but his music has changed from the initial new wave tinged rock n' roll. On this album he favors a stripped down acoustic sound but don't worry it rocks.
On the incredible single "Get started. Start a fire" he tells the tale of three victims, including Marilyn Monroe, and recommends the purifying power of revenge over passive suffering.
While not exactly politically correct it is searing.

The Mona Lisa's sister doesn't smile
She tried to pose but only for a while
Leonardo sent her home since then she has lived alone
With her few belongings and a copy of a painting of herself unhappy
She is going to burn it when she's ready

Get started, start a fire

Marilyn was lying all alone
with an empty bottle by the phone
Kennedy was not around
She was cold when she was found
But she'd gone where goddesses are sleeping
Where the molten tongues of flame are leaping
Or where the angel's hearts are beating

Joan of arc was burning at the stake
somebody had made a big mistake
She had lit a cigarette
in an airport where you get
Your fingers taken off for smoking.
Meanwhile up the road a factory's choking
The ones who killed her work there I'm not joking

The album is infused with Parker's struggle with self doubt and the creative process. Parker had notorious run-in's about artistic freedom with his previous record company Mercury Records. His send off to them was the withering song "Mercury Poisoning".
You get the idea just from the title.
This is a classic album from the 80's, a time that many people feel that not a ton of quality music was released.
This one is a doozy!
Check it out.

Grace Jones "Hurricane" 2008

The Guns n' Roses CD was not the only artist we have had to wait for 17 years for new music.
Grace Jones new CD is "Hurricane" and it friggin' great. I have been a fan for years and while some of her past music can be a tad frivolous this new CD is a sonic blast. Always a great visual artist she has 9 new songs to put forth a whole package. Check out her new video "Corporate Criminal" on YouTube.com It is incredible. To me it sounds very industrial, like she had been listening to Nine Inch Nails. Never the best singer (I admit that half of her appeal is presentation) her voice has been layered to great effect on this CD. Former Prince protege's Wendy & Lisa also contributed a song. The CD is great.
The bad news is that it is, so far, only being issued in Europe but is available as an import. For the life of me I never understand how music is marketed. It is obvious that a lot of money and effort went into the project, why not make it available for those that want to experience it?
Worth your while.