Safe and Dry

Just a quick note, we're in Tennessee safe and dry. No internet connection where we're staying. I'm at the local library trying to find a way back into the city. I'll post more when I get a chance. Thanks for all the good thoughts.

Out of Town

Well, I guess I've decided to leave. Katrina is a cat 5 hurricane now, with gusts of 180 mphs. So I don't think I want to be around when it hits New Orleans. I may not be online for a few days (or more, who knows?), depending where I end up. Gotta go pack up the car and get Buffy ready to move.

Where are the Anti-War Songs of Today?

I was listening to Air America on the way home from work this afternoon.  Randi Rhodes was on.  She was talking about how to change the culture of a people.  You can't change the culture of a people with a war.  You change a culture with music.  With books.  With movies. 

 

She was talking about the sixites and the anti war songs from that time.  And how in the 80s and 90s there were no anti war songs.  I don't know if I'd completely agree with that, I'm sure if I think hard enough there were some, but they were on the fringes, nothing mainstream.  In the sixties you had acts like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Dylan, Lennon, all in the mainstream and singing songs of opposition.

 

So where are the anti war songs of today?  I think there are quite a few out there.  They may not be quite as main stream as the sixties, but they're not quite hidden either.  Steve Earle's The Revolution Starts Here is one.  So what are some others?  See if you can come up with an anti war song from today, from someone that is singing today.  I think it might be a pretty interesting list.

A Camel In Meridan Mississippi

Ok, this one might take some background, but there is only so much I can explain about this picture, basically it is a mystery to me.

Years ago, back in the olden days, when I was working for the at the time still in business Service Merchandise, I got a call from my district manager one day. I was the assistant manager for one of the stores in Tallahassee Florida at the time. They had just announced some store closing the day before. One of the stores was the store in Meridan Mississippi.

My district manager went on to inform me that he had just fired the store manager and the assistant store manager at said location in Meridan Mississippi and would I be willing to go up there for the next three months and close it down. This was during the time when I pretty much went and did whatever was needed of me, so of course I said yes.

After I got there one of the first things I did was go through the ex manager's office and desk, cleaning it out. I've found whenever I go to a new store I can clean out a lot of clutter and junk that I don't think I need. And even less now that the store was closing. In one of the drawers to his desk I found this picture. It shows the back of the store and a camel. Where did the camel come from? Why was it wandering around free? These are questions that have plaqued me since...but I thought it was such an unusual, neat picture I managed to hold on to it since.

(Meridan Mississippi is the home city of actress Selna Ward and country music legend Jimmie Rodgers.)

Houston Bound

For the next two days I will be in Houston for work.  Fly in for meetings and than fly out late the next day and don't get home till nine and than I have an hour's drive from the airport, no make that more than an hour, because I just remembered they're closing the interstate at night to do work on it, so I'll have to go the long way home.  Can you tell how excited I am to be going?

 

I should be more excited, the meetings could have a big impact on my career, as far as promotion and more money go, but to tell the truth I'm not too sure about the whole thing yet.  I don't mind the promotion and the money thing, but if I take it it means a move and that I'm not 100% behind yet.

 

But than again I could suck at these meetings and not even have the option to worry about these choices.

Capote In Kansas

Billed as a drawn novel, written by Ande Parks and drawn by Chris Samnee, this is what a graphic novel should be.

 

This is the story of Truman Capote's writing of IN COLD BLOOD.  It shows the writer traveling to Kansas and his failed attempts to talk to the townspeople where the tragedy occured and his eventual success. 

 

IN COLD BLOOD was a true crime novel, telling the story of Perry Smith and Richard Hickock and the brutal slayings of the Clutter family. 

 

Truman is not always a sympathic character in this story, from the telling Truman is not always a very likable character, but Parks makes you care about his struggle to tell this story.  And the art is wonderful, the black and white artwork brings the story to life. 

 

All this and there's a ghost too.  You might think that throwing a ghost into this mix might be too much, but the use of the ghost actually gives this tale a certain closure.

 

CAPOTE IN KANSAS is written by Ande Parks and drawn by Chris Samne and published by Oni Press.

Phone Call From Iraq

The other day, it was one day last week, I was paged for a phone call at work.  This is not unususal, I get lots of calls from customers and associates calling in sick and lots of other reasons.  So I didnt' think much of it.  I was surprised with I answered it and heard Jerry on the other end.  Jerry is an old friend from my Service Merchandise days.  I worked with him there for quite a few years.  Jerry and I haven't talked in awhile.  The last time we had talked he had called me wanting to know if it was allright to use me as a reference, he was looking for a job.  I was glad to let him.  There are few harder working people in the world than Jerry. 

 

When I first answered the phone there was a pause after I said hello.  I thought no one was there and was just about to hang up when I heard Jerry's voice.  He was calling from Iraq. 

 

He said he had been over there for a year now and was getting ready to come home in another month or so.  We talked for a little while.  I could tell that things weren't that great.  He told me that he had lost some friends over there.   It had not been a happy experience.

 

So his phone call makes me wonder.  President Bush doesn't want to talk to Cindy Sheenan and explain to her why we're over there.  Than explain it to me.  Explain it to all of us.   And explain it without falling back on your ususal blah blah blah.  We have our men and women dying over there, we have men and women from Iraq dying over there....for what? 

 

Can someone explain it to me?

New Orleans Pics (All by Larry)

And finally...

Even though it might not look like it I was having a great time!

Assorted Pictures from Satchmo Fest

All pictures were taken by Larry.

More Satchmo Fest Pics

Trombone Shorty

Donald Harrison, Jr. (His father was one of the Mardi Gras Indians.)

Satchmo Fest Pics

Philip Maunel (who did a great version of Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World"

Sharon Martin and First Take

The stage as seen from our spot under the tree

Shannon McNally

These are the pictures that Larry took from Shannon McNally's instore performance at the Louisiana Music Factory. He took a lot of pictures, but I'll only post a few. He took a bunch of pictures from Satchmo Fest too that I'll be posting.

Skeleton Key

Just got back from the movies with Heather and Ashley(a different one from those who know anything about that whole episode).  Saw Skeleton Key (big surprise with that heading, huh?)  It was.....ok.

 

It wasn't a bad movie.  What did I like about it?  For a horror movie it didn't try to gross the auidence out.  There was no gore in it.  It was set in New Orleans.  It's heroine wasn't a total fool, she actually had a brain.  Kate Hudson.  She is soooo cute.  (Don't get me started on the bathroom scene with her, I think I'm in love.)

 

What didn't work quite so well?  Well, for a horror movie I didn't find it all that scary.  I am so tired of the scene in the movie where the hero or heroine is walking through the house, you're waiting for something to jump them, and sudddenly they are surprised by....just a normal person or something, you know where they build the suspense up and than surprise you by it not being anything bad.  Just so later they can try and do the opposite.  And the music in these movies, please....it just is so cliched now.  (In this movie I'm not talking about the soundtrack, the actually used good songs, old blues, they even used Robert Johnson.)   I'm talking about the background music that is supposed to set the scene.  It trys to steer your emotions as it builds to a climax.

 

It actually had a decent storyline.  Kate Hudson was good in it.  It told the story in a nice, slow build up.  It wasn't a bad movie, but it just didn't quite work for me.  And the big surprise ending, well I won't say I saw it coming, but it still didnt' work out as a big surprise for me. 

 

Than again maybe I just didn't like it cause of all the talking going on during the movie. Jeez, this isn't your living room, if you go out to the movies can you please shut up! 

Quote of the day

"When you breath, you inspire. When you do not breath, you expire."

 

I got this quote from Greg's blog.  It was listed among a list of real sayings from 11 year olds.  All the sayings are great, but for some reason this one stuck with me.  Can an 11 year old be that wise?  This quote just seems to bring feelings up in me and I wanted to pull it out of all those others and highlight it.

Jon Sable

Back than there was mainly Marvel and DC. If comics were published it was by one of these two giants. Sure there were some other companies, but none that really gave them a run for their money. Especially with superheroes, action, adventure type comics. Than came the direct market, a subject for another day, and suddenly there were all these other comic companies...Eclipse, Pacific, First, Comico. It seemed everyday there was a new comic company starting up. And they published superheroes, action, adventure...the stuff that was the blood of Marvel and DC.

They also published a lot of different material. Suddenly there were a lot of other genres in comics. Suddenly a lot of writers and artists had other places to bring their creations to. Places that let them own their creations and didn't take them lock, stock and barrel.

One of these companies was First Comics out of Chicago. They didn't put out as much as some of the other companies like Eclipse or Pacific, which seemed ready to publish just about anything. But almost every comic they published was good.

Now IDW Comics is brining back these comics. They're reprinting the old stories in trade paperback and creating new stories. New stories with the creators. Grimjack was the first to come back. Now Jon Sable. Mars is coming. We can only hope that they plan to reprint the Nexus saga by Mike Baron and Steve Rude.

Years back I sold most of my comics. When this comic boom was going on I bought just about everything that came out. I spent way way too much money on comics. But I had just about every comic published by Eclipse, Pacific, First, Comico and a bunch more. Now I have almost none. So IDW's plans to reprint these comics is great news to me. It means I have a chance to get these stories back.

Even better is the fact that they're publishing new stories. I knew Jon Sable was coming back, somehow I missed it. I just picked up the third issue today. I've got my comic shop, hopefully, getting the first two issues for me. I've also got to get the first two reprint volumes.

Is the new Jon Sable as good as the original? Reading the new issue it was like reading an issue from back than. The art, the story is just as good as I remembered from before.

Next up is Mars, a series I remember with a lot of fondness. I can't wait to see it. I dont' think they're doing new stories of Mars but they are reprinting the original.

I Hate Seinfeld

Gasp!

 

I can hear the collective intake of breath now.  How can I hate this show?  Every critic worth their title list this show as one of the top five comedy shows ever made.  It was the darling of the public. 

 

Ok, I'm not sure what made me go off on this rant.  I think I just saw the name Seinfeld in some article about something else entirely and it made me go off.  I really do hate this show.  I know it's not healthy to hate.  And I shouldn't get worked up over a television show.  But I can't help it.

 

All the characters in this show were obnoxious, mean spirited and worse of all, not funny.  I couldn't stand the characters in the show.  I didn't want to watch thirty minutes of them doing nothing.  I didn't want to watch thirty minutes of them doing something.  And the worst sin of all, the most unforgiving one for a comedy show, I just didn't find it funny. 

 

When it was on in prime time I may have watched parts of a few eposides.   In syndication I've watched a few more bits an pieces.  But I just can't watch an entire show.  If I don't like a show I can just ususally ignore it, but for some reason this show grates on my nerves.  It's like sticking bambo shoots under my fingernails....

 

You get the point.  I really don't like this show.

The best magazine

Now I won't always consider Oxford American the best magazine out there, but this issue I do. It's their annual music issue. It comes with some of the best writing about music and it comes with a cd. It talks about and showcases on the cd some southern music that you might not ever hear, and it mixes all genres together. Where else would you hear artists such as Howard Tate, Erma Franklin, The Wilburn Brothers, Moondog, Blind Tom, Sammi Smith with such artists as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Loretta Lynn and Ricky Skaggs. And for every song and artist on the cd there is an article about them in the magazine. I love it. For someone like me, who thinks they know so much about this type of music, it's a learning experience. I always learn something I didn't know when I read this issue of the magazine.

This is the fourth music issue. They've missed at least a year, probably two, due to almost being canceled, changing owners and generally having a hard time of surviving as a magazine. Buy this magazine, if nothing it's worth buying just to make sure that the music issue comes out every year.

Satchmo Fest Day 2

Almost forgot to post about the second day of the fest.  (Which reminds me I have a bunch of pics and stuff to finish about Bonnaroo.)

 

For a weekend that was supposed to be cloudy and rainy it sure was beautiful.  We never got a drop of rain.  The sun was out and if anything it was too hot.  But we had a spot off to the side of the stage and under a tree.  It was very relaxing, almost too much so.  A few times I found myself drifting off to sleep as I listened to the music.

 

Today's fare was a bit more low key than the first days.  The first day the bands were loud and could have competed with a lot of rock bands.  They all had vocals and did a lot of pop and r&b songs as well as jazz songs.  Today's were all what I think of jazz when I think of jazz, no vocals or very little vocals.

 

The line up for today started with the Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp Band.  This was a band made up of a bunch of kids, ranging in age from around 8 to teenager.  These kids were pretty good.   It was interesting to see kids up on stage playing and obviously interested in jazz and not rap or hip hop or even rock music.  That is the future of any style of music, getting the kids interested in it.

 

The next acts up were the Bradfor Truby Trio, New Orleans Vipers and Maurice Brown.  All good acts.  If I had to chose I would pick the previous day, but these groups all had talent and showed me a side of music that I normally ignore.

 

The last act was even someone that knows next to nothing about jazz knew.  There are very few people in any category that can be called a legend, but this man is one of them.  Ellis Marsalis, father of Wynton and Branford and more, all expanding the field of jazz.  Mr. Marsalis has to be up there in years, as he climbed the stage he did so slowly and with a little difficulty.  He walked over to his piano and sat down.  Than like when I saw Fats Domino, who had to be helped to his piano stool and looked too old and infirm to play, when he sat down and started playing he could have put a much younger man to shame.  His fingers flew over the keys.  In his music he found his youth. 

 

After that it was time to go home.  It was an enjoyable day and I got to listen to some music that I normally would not have listened to.  And I even liked it.

Amercian Gods

I'm reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman again. His new novel Anasi Boys, a sequel of sorts to this one will be out in September. If you've never read anything by Neil you should give it a try. Neil's one of those writers who seems to be able to write nothing bad. His Sandman comic book series was one of the finest comic series ever. I've actually met and talked with Neil a few times, nothing that he would remember me from, but Sam Kieth, the first artist on the Sandman, and I were friends and I introduced myself to Neil at a San Diego convention. I think I even gave him a copy of Diebold. But Neil was very nice and didn't seem to be in a rush to get rid of all the fans trying to talk to him. This was before he became even bigger, but it was at the start of his upward spirial, Sandman was out and was hot, so was he. Wonder if he ever read Diebold and what he thought of it if he did?