Distraction 135: Gnarls Barkley - "Going On"

It's just crazy that "Crazy" got more attention.  This song is a great booty shaker.  The song & video for "Run" are pretty excellent too.  


Danger Mouse & Cee Lo Green... Gnarls Barkley is like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup; two great tastes that taste great together.  




_

Distraction 134: "We are far grander than we've been told"

Not terribly surprising, today's significant minds have never heard of "Ace Ventura." Lol

_

Distraction 133: "It's too piercin', man, too piercin'."

The first time I saw this short was on The Great Space Coaster.  The original content of that show was awful, but it featured a lot of fun independent animation.




_

Distraction 132: His Little Rose-Covered Cottage

"In Berkeley I was living with Alvah Goldbook in his little rose-covered cottage in the backyard of a bigger house on Milvia Street.  The old rotten porch slanted forward to the ground, among vines, with a nice old rocking chair that I sat in every morning to read my Diamond Sutra.  The yard was full of tomato plants about to ripen, and mint, mint everything smelling of mint, and one fine old tree that I loved to sit under and meditate on those cool perfect starry California October nights unmatched anywhere in the world."

-Jack Kerouac, "The Dharma Bums" 

_

Distraction 131: The View from El Teide

El Teide, Spain´s highest mountain (@ 3718m) is said to be one of the best places in the world to photograph the stars.  Check out this time lapse video that I couldn't be bothered to embed and exclaim, "And how!"

_

Distraction 130: Jet Screamer

While a tremendous amount of music used in kids programming was, and continues to be, garbage, the stuff in The Jetsons and The Flintstones was always fun.

_

Distraction 129: Panda Riot - "Motown Glass"

When is Panda Riot going to come out with a new album already?!

_

Distraction 128: "Splendor in the Grass"

Warren Beatty in his first movie role, Natalie Wood being Natalie Wood and their young, on-screen romance destined to rip the heart out of anyone watching, because, as the trailer points out, we've all lived it.




_

Distraction 127: Feral Chickens

Apparently, since Hurricane Katrina, chickens have been running afoul in New Orleans!  

While I'm sure feral chickens are no laughing matter, the term "feral chickens" is hilarious!  (Teaming it with "afoul" is pretty good too.)

Feral chickens?  Nein danke!


_

Distraction 126: Playland at the Beach

Playland at the Beach was long gone before I moved here, razed before I was even born.  (Note to self:  Explore the idea of something being raised before being born.)  I love the picture above because if you've ever driven this stretch of road, then you know it looks almost identical today.

The Poop featured a cool photo essay about Playland today, featuring pics from the SF Chronicle morgue.

Distraction 125: Echo & The Bunnymen "Ocean Rain" Live

Echo & the Bunnymen will be performing "Ocean Rain" live with an orchestra again this September.

I caught the Oakland show back in October 2009 and it was AMAZING!

_

Distraction 124: Record Store Day

Mark your calendar; Record Store Day is this Saturday, April 16!

See the list of exclusive offerings here.

_

Distraction 123: Portlandia - Put A Bird On It

PUT! 

A! 

BIRD!

ON! 

IT!

_

Distraction 122: Bring Your Own Big Wheel (BYOBW)

Every year I say I'm going to make it, and every year something comes up; usually house guests whose interests don't include watching or participating in high-risk wackiness.

Bring Your Own Big Wheel is on for Sunday, April 24!!  Be there or be square (like me).

_

Distraction 121: Scott Pilgrim vs The World

"You know this one girl like hair like this?"  "Yes, that's Ramona Flowers."


A cute & fun movie and based on a cute & fun comic.  


The scene where 22-year-old Scott breaks up with his 17-year-old girlfriend after she tells him she loves him is sadly & strangely reminiscent of a past life.  (As is the girl with issues working at the record store.)




_

Distraction 120: The 3 Little Bops

You gotta get hot to play real cool!




_

Distraction 119: Social Distortion - "Somewhere Between Heaven & Hell"

Ah, what a great summer... Graduated high school, working at the record store, hanging out with friends late at night and meeting Mike Ness at the Social D. show at the Phoenix Plaza! I still have my signed pass and the ratty long-sleeve t-shirt that I bought that night. :)







_

Distraction 118: Reverend Billy

Reverend Billy is my favorite living televangelist character.  Which might prompt the question, who is my favorite dead televangelist character?!  I will leave that for another post.  



Hallelujah Brother Billy!  Can I get a witness?!  




_ 

Distraction 117: Hello? Is It Me You're Looking For?

Genius!

The production of simple ridiculous joy in it's purest form.

_

Distraction 116: Black Lips - "Modern Art"

I can't not hear this song and can't not shimmy along!




_

Distraction 115: The Real Beastie Boys

I never knew I was fan of so many Beastie Boys!




_

Distraction 114: The Middle Ground Between Light & Shadow

Image by Dave Perillo

Rod Serling was a master story teller.  Even the introductions to the "Twilight Zone" were wonderfully written if you actually think about what's being said.  (Imagine!)  My favorite is the third one listed below.  



"You're traveling through another dimension; a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind.  A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination.  That's the signpost up ahead!  Your next stop: the Twilight Zone!"


"You unlock this door with the key of imagination.  Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind.  You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into... the Twilight Zone."


"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man.  It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.  It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge.  This is the dimension of imagination.  It is an area which we call 'The Twilight Zone.'"




_

Distraction 113: Kurt Cobain as Moz

Want to feel old?  Kurt Cobain died 17 years ago today.  If you like to sound well read, you could instead say he escaped this mortal coil 17 years ago.  Or if you're just odd, you could point out that's a high school senior ago.


I never saw the above clip until today.  It features Kurt doing his best imitation of Morrissey and made me laugh out loud.  Please to enjoy...






_

Distraction 112: Dead Lazlo's Place (Laverne & Shirley)

I knew Andrew & I were destined to be buds when he leaned in to the microphone at Stacks and said simply, "Betty, please."  Lol






_

Distraction 111: Cotton Candy Trees

I'm guessing the manufactured stuff tastes a heck of a lot better and doesn't cling to your fingers nearly as tenaciously.

"... Seen in December 2010, a young girl stands next to a tree covered in spider webs in Sindh, Pakistan, near the intersection of two roads that had only recently reemerged from floodwaters... "  More here.

Cotton candy trees make me think of the "Big Rock Candy Mountain."  

_

Distraction 110: The Yardbirds - "For Your Love" (Live 1965)

This song will be on my movie soundtrack.  I'm not working on a movie, but I know a good song for its soundtrack when I hear it.

_

Distraction 109: The Seedy Seeds - "Verb Noun"

The Seedy Seeds, as in, when the seeds sprout, they'll unleash further seediness?


This band is so wonderful and crazy.  They're one of the bands I would have created, had I ever created a band!




_

Distraction 108: The Maxx

The homeless guy that used to hang out at the park near my house died a couple weeks ago.  We nicknamed him "The Maxx," after the comic book series (and subsequent animated series) created by Sam Kieth.  

Viacom's removed all clips of the show from YouTube, but it's available streaming on the MTV website (with lots of ads) or on DVD.  I strongly suggest watching it from beginning to end.  It's so beautiful and sad.

Rest in peace, homeless guy.

_