Busy days

Working on a big fund-raising event over the next couple of days. Posting will resume next week.

Drink Pink!

Pickles Deli: Salty and Sweet

Some very sweet fellas have opened a New York Style Deli here in St. Louis.

Pickles Deli is located in the Central West End, between West Pine and Laclede.

I just had the Corned Beef on Rye, which was mighty tasty.

Pickles Deli
22 North Euclid Ave.
314.361.DELI

Pictured above from April's Tasteful Affair: Me, Roxanna, Joe and Pickles proprietors Sean Olson and Tim Metz. Photo: Alive Magazine(!)

The Kids are Alright!

Semi Precious Weapons performed at Cicero's on Friday, renewing my faith in both younglings and mascara.

A Hipster Homage to a Classic Clusterfuck

Those crazy kids over at White Stag Flag are presenting a dramatic retelling of a semi-interesting event in St. Louis history on October 1, 2007:

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of a touchstone moment in the history of avant-gardism in St. Louis, White Flag Projects has organized a historical reenactment of the public symposium which took place between artists Mark Di Suvero, Donald Judd, Ernest Trova, and curator Emily Rauh (Pulitzer) on October 1, 1967.

The event not only brought together three fast-rising and radical young sculptors, but was also remarkably spirited, so much so that it was front page news in the following day’s paper. Press reports described it as “the scene… of mass frustration and mutual antagonisms, punctuated by laughter, applause, boos, hisses and, after a while, a conspicuous stream of people leaving-– hippies and squares alike.”

The reenactment will be a staged reading performed directly from a transcript of the original tape recording, directed by Jerry McAdams and performed by The Muddy Waters Theatre Company. Admission is free, however seating is limited and available on a first come first served basis beginning at 7 PM on the evening of the performance.

This performance is not endorsed by or affiliated with The Saint Louis Art Museum or any of the individuals depicted.

7 for 67 Redux

October 1, 2007 at 8 PM
Doors open at 7 PM

White Flag Projects
4568 Manchester Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110
314-531-3442

This Week's Paranoic Outburst

with a twinge of smugness

Crime rates aren't any better (and some rates are worse) even though nearly $400 million (US) has been spent to install more than 10,000 spy cameras throughout Great Britain.

Shockingly, crime experts assert that extra street lighting and better-trained police officers are more effective counter-measures to crime.

Wow! Making your streets feel safer by reducing creepy-dark shadows and competent law enforcement?

Who woulda thunk?

Article: This is London

Put Up or Shut Up Saturday

So...you got a problem with capitalism, urbanization, pollution, war-for-oil and generally everything else that's fucked up with our world?

Well, here's your chance to be a small part of a continually growing movement to reduce our dependence on petroleum.

The folks at World Carfree Network - and, coincidentally, most of mainland China(!) - are observing a day without cars this Saturday.

Let's see how many advocates for progressive social change are zipping around in their Bentley's this week...hmmm, Yoko Ono?

Talking Heads

David Byrne seems to be a tad disconcerted that New York art openings are drawing large crowds these days. Mr. Byrne sniffs, "...that’s it, it’s over, art is just TOO popular now!"

Reading his commentary, I can't help but think of Tama Janowitz (see Bernadette Peters below) and the Slaves of New York who view themselves as the ultimate arbiters of culture, but who remain just as fucked up as everyone else (or perhaps more so).

When your broom's in the shop...

...you can always count on your trusty Chevrolet.

Below is the original into to Bewitched which debuted 43 years ago today.

Wow. Wow! Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A few scenes from Lynda Carter's variety special.

Pity Kitty Stringy Hair

Click on the image below for a larger, more detailed view.

A Boy and His Dog

This photo of my uncle Vernon, taken in the 1930's, makes me smile for various reasons.

One, it evokes the severity of the Great Depression and the hardships my family faced in those days of limited education, no electricity, no phone service, and no running water. While that's not really anything to smile about -- the bleakness of those days didn't prevent my grannie from providing her children with at least one good outfit (and a cute hat) to wear on special occasions.

I wish I could have known her better.

Project Censored's Top 25 of 2007

Take a gander at the Most Ignored Stories of 2007...and then take a pill, a swig, or a very deep breath -- whatever it takes for you to get through your day.

#1 Future of Internet Debate Ignored by Media

#2 Halliburton Charged with Selling Nuclear Technologies to Iran

#3 Oceans of the World in Extreme Danger

#4 Hunger and Homelessness Increasing in the US

#5 High-Tech Genocide in Congo

#6 Federal Whistleblower Protection in Jeopardy

# 7 US Operatives Torture Detainees to Death in Afghanistan and Iraq

#8 Pentagon Exempt from Freedom of Information Act

#9 The World Bank Funds Israel-Palestine Wall

#10 Expanded Air War in Iraq Kills More Civilians

#11 Dangers of Genetically Modified Food Confirmed

#12 Pentagon Plans to Build New Landmines

#13 New Evidence Establishes Dangers of Roundup

#14 Homeland Security Contracts KBR to Build Detention Centers in the US

#15 Chemical Industry is EPA’s Primary Research Partner

#16 Ecuador and Mexico Defy US on International Criminal Court

#17 Iraq Invasion Promotes OPEC Agenda

#18 Physicist Challenges Official 9-11 Story

#19 Destruction of Rainforests Worst Ever

#20 Bottled Water: A Global Environmental Problem

#21 Gold Mining Threatens Ancient Andean Glaciers

#22 $Billions in Homeland Security Spending Undisclosed

#23 US Oil Targets Kyoto in Europe

#24 Cheney’s Halliburton Stock Rose Over 3000 Percent Last Year

#25 US Military in Paraguay Threatens Region

Finally

Having just returned from a week in Montreal, I believe the following song describes my feelings about that city. The video was created by a fan, so don't expect anything super-fancy.

Montreal was quite a surreal experience.

Being in a city and a culture where time passes very slowly -- and where people are friendly and actually valued (as people) –- I’m finding this first day back in America extremely unsatisfying, to say the least.

Perhaps the only way to cope with priorities, tasks, duties and expectations is to remember the laughter, the music, the serenity and the joy of being in a city that truly felt like home.

Finally.

Kings of Tomorrow
featuring Julie McKnight

Time marches on never ending,
time keeps its own time,
Here we stand at beginning,
and then goes passing us by,

And I, I, I can dream for us all,
I hope I'm in a better state,
When here and now crumbles and falls
and you, you, you who make worlds collide
I knew you'd come knocking one day,
unannounced like a thief in the night.

Where do we go from here,
time ain't nothing but time,
I now have no fear of my fears
And no more tears to cry,
tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow means nothing at all

If we don't hear the line,
when today places its call, and morning, morning, morning
Won't ever be the same,
now I won't make the same mistakes, time and time again (5x)

Chorus

So tell me how do you do
Finally I meet you
You don't know what I've been through,
waiting and wondering about you
I had a dream my trip would end at you,
and now I know paradise.