I don't eat hot dogs, but maybe I should. They seemed to be making news today. The "twinkie cheese dog" sounds like it could be a true test of my cholesterol medication:
Surely hot dogs are a subversive food now that Michelle Obama is combatting childhood obesity. The way I see it, the final solution to this fat kid problem is to kill 'em with hot dogs:
Seriously. Channel 31 is more concerned that it's fucking snowing.
I can completely understand how someone can feel such a way. I've made it known that the Colorado Department of Revenue and Qwest aren't two of my favorite things. The IRS only sort of gets me down. My biggest gripes are with the inherent inefficiency in bureaucracy. I got in a (verbal) fight with a sociology professor about that once. Fucker.
There's some creepy (to me) details in CNN's Story:
It's crappy to crash a plane into an occupied building, for sure. My band mates also mostly avoid political and religious talk, because it could potentially tear the band apart. We're there to make beautiful music together, not bitch about the man. If something's really bothering any of us, though, it's not unusual to vent a little to each other. Both of my bands are quite therapeutic that way. They're awesome for me.
When I read about this today, I totally went to pieces. I think that I was happy, which I am--that was my favorite show from last year (I had a huge stupid grin on my face for the entire set). I hope that the record doesn't turn disappointing on me.
As for the tickle me emo stuff, I'm counting on practice Friday (COJ) and recording on Sunday (BLC) to help pull me out of this very terrible funk that I've been experiencing for the last few weeks. I just about cut a finger off again today, so this is all going to be interesting.
This one reminds me of the notorious "Tough Talk" that the RC did back in the day. BLC is not sporty spice, but it's okay. We'll probably get used for some sad shit. Check out the trailer:
When we agreed to do "Tough Talk", I thought that it was a documentary about the Bluebird Theater. It's actually pretty damn funny and low budget:
It's not as interesting as the live score that we did for Bruce Bickford, but until Jan Švankmajer gives us a call (I'd shit, seriously), I'm happy with more movie usage.
Apparently, there's a record coming out with previously-unreleased Hendrix tracks. Billy Cox seems to be handling bass duties on what I've heard so far (awesome). Sometimes, listening to the classic rock radio station does have a payoff. Check this out.
This blog might be going away if I can't figure out the migration situation. I'd like to be able to continue using this platform since I've gotten pretty used to it (since 2002). I might use this as an opportunity to switch to a more robust platform (if anyone knows of a cool one, feel free to comment). This is the bullshit that I got yesterday:
Dear FTP user:
You are receiving this e-mail because one or more of your blogs at Blogger.com are set up to publish via FTP. We recently announced a planned shut-down of FTP support on Blogger Buzz (the official Blogger blog), and wanted to make sure you saw the announcement. We will be following up with more information via e-mail in the weeks ahead, and regularly updating a blog dedicated to this service shut-down here: http://blogger-ftp.blogspot.com/.
The full text of the announcement at Blogger Buzz follows.
Last May, we discussed a number of challenges facing[1] Blogger users who relied on FTP to publish their blogs. FTP remains a significant drain on our ability to improve Blogger: only .5% of active blogs are published via FTP — yet the percentage of our engineering resources devoted to supporting FTP vastly exceeds that. On top of this, critical infrastructure that our FTP support relies on at Google will soon become unavailable, which would require that we completely rewrite the code that handles our FTP processing. Three years ago we launched Custom Domains[2] to give users the simplicity of Blogger, the scalability of Google hosting, and the flexibility of hosting your blog at your own URL. Last year's post discussed the advantages of custom domains over FTP[3] and addressed a number of reasons users have continued to use FTP publishing. (If you're interested in reading more about Custom Domains, our Help Center has a good overview[4] of how to use them on your blog.) In evaluating the investment needed to continue supporting FTP, we have decided that we could not justify diverting further engineering resources away from building new features for all users. For that reason, we are announcing today that we will no longer support FTP publishing in Blogger after March 26, 2010. We realize that this will not necessarily be welcome news for some users, and we are committed to making the transition as seamless as possible. To that end:
We are building a migration tool that will walk users through a migration from their current URL to a Blogger-managed URL (either a Custom Domain or a Blogspot URL) that will be available to all users the week of February 22. This tool will handle redirecting traffic from the old URL to the new URL, and will handle the vast majority of situations.
We will be providing a dedicated blog[5] and help documentation
Blogger team members will also be available to answer questions on the forum, comments on the blog, and in a few scheduled conference calls once the tool is released.
We have a number of big releases planned in 2010. While we recognize that this decision will frustrate some users, we look forward to showing you the many great things on the way. Thanks for using Blogger.
I'd rather see the Lips do it than "Pink Floyd". Everything that the Floyd did after Meddle has been pretty underwhelming. That video sounds like someone's out of tune to me. I dig all of those exotic speaker cabinets. This reminds me that I still need to get my hands on four boomboxes to listen to Zaireeka properly.
Speaking of festivals: Road trip, anybody? Who's up for making the trek out to Bonnaroo this summer? We've always wanted to go but the date always conflicted with the Westword Music Showcase and even if it didn't, there just didn't seem to be a compelling enough reason to jump in the hoopty and head towards the land of Elvis.
We have one now, by god. Just read that the Flaming Lips will be playing Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety as it did this past New Year's Eve. We can hardly think of a better place to experience such an event than the woods of Tennesee. What do you say? You in?
This isn't really news, but it's cool that someone else likes to crank up the doom metal besides me and Dr. E-Dogg (we went through an "Omphase" a few years back; Al Cisneros' tone just slays me still). I still fantasize about getting one of those Bag End cabinets with the ELF processor for more rumble (although the addition of the 18" to my practice rig does help with that). Until then, I'll just have to enjoy the doom metal loudly in the car.
If you’re one of the many admirers who discovered Sunn O))) through last year’s galaxy-shaking Monoliths and Dimensions, then you understand the soothing effects of doom metal. As the band’s guitarist Greg Anderson told author and enthusiast John Wray in a 2006 New York Times Magazine profile, “I think low-frequency sound, when played above a certain volume, is very conducive to a meditative state or a trance.” This isn’t metal for headbanging; it’s metal to meditate to.
Although Anderson and his partner Stephen O’Malley have honed their brand of focused distortion to a therapeutic science, they’re far from the only metalheads employing extreme low-end rumblings for our metaphysical benefit. To aid you on your spiritual journey, we present this collection of notable releases from metal groups working to bring us closer to enlightenment through the heaviest of sounds. Namaste!
When Justin K. Broadrick disbanded Godflesh, one of the earliest industrial-metal bands, no one expected the former guitar prodigy to turn around and invent another metal subgenre. But that’s just what he did with Jesu, the one-man recording project he started in 2003 and named after Godflesh’s last recorded track.
Jesu have since grown to become a full, prolific band, releasing a bundle of EPs, splits, and albums each year. But their self-titled debut is still the best example of their transcendent blend of shoegazey melody and brutally heavy doom. Best moment: opener “Your Path to Divinity” features one of the greatest two-note riffs ever to sustain a nine-minute song.
The first thing that occurred to us upon hearing this two piece’s 2009 debut was: rock needs more Tuvan-style throat singing. But that’s ignoring the album’s other strengths. The tempos lurch along as if caught in a primordial ooze, and the register stays low thanks to singer/guitarist Gentry Densley’s gruff baritone. But the songs twist and turn through passages of free-form improv, pounding riffs, and pitch-black psychedelia, each less predictable than the last. It’s no wonder that during their 2009 gig opening for dream lineup Pelican, Earth, and Sunn O))), Eagle Twin more than held their own, almost blowing their stagemates out of the water.
Canadian guitarist and effects wizard Aidan Baker has already made a name for himself with his shimmery, fuzz-laden releases under the moniker Nadja, but in Whisper Room, a new instrumental trio with bassist Neil Wiernik and drummer Jakob Thiesen, he seems even more at home. Freed by the live-band setting, his otherworldly guitar effects probe corners unexplored by Nadja’s deliberately monotonous drones. Hushed and ambiguous, Birch White is the music you might hear in the back of your head upon reaching another plane of existence.
Portland-based collective Grails have always resisted the tropes of their underground metal scene, forsaking the power chord, the blues-based riff, and vocals of any kind in favor of Middle Eastern scales, Asian instruments, and the atmosphere of a smoke-filled, subterranean chamber. On 2008’s Doomsdayer’s Holiday, they let comparatively loose. Special honors go to “Reincarnation Blues” for the use of what sounds like a classical Chinese erhu in the name of rocking the hell out. Who says musical meditation can’t be this invigorating?
Boris are now well-known to American metal fans, thanks to their anthemic stoner-metal albums Akuma No Utaand Pink. But they’ve been plying their amp-worshiping trade since 1996 in their native Japan, where some of their most interesting records remain untouched by Western labels. 2000’s Flood is one of Boris’ most patient albums, building over many long minutes from a lonely, delay-drenched guitar lick to the crushing depth of oceans.
Boris have always been sort of a schizophrenic act, part drone, part pyrotechnic stoner rock, part doom metal riff-masters. All of their multiple identities are worth paying attention to.
Om are what metalheads dance to. Possessed with uncanny powers of rhythm, this guitarless two piece builds spiritually charged monuments to the almighty groove, shepherding eager followers along half-hour, three-note marathons. Om’s music may be minimalist, but simple it ain’t. This is rock pared of all its fat, without losing any of the power.
One of the best existing videos of Om’s live prowess takes place in a city that matches their music’s spiritual themes:
What do you get when you take drone metal and strip away all the distortion? Earth, reborn. One of the original drone-metal groups, they’ve gone so far as to re-release some earlier work in their newly clean style. The result resembles the soundtrack to a lost Sergio Leone film, if Ennio Morricone had contracted a four-piece rock band. The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull is proof that heaviness can be achieved through methods other than high volume.
Fans of these revered experimentalists hailed their last album, 2007’s Given to the Rising, as a return to form. That’s selling its predecessor short. Though substantially more melodic than Neurosis’ most popular albums — some of the heaviest music that exists — 2004’s The Eye of Every Storm strikes a near-perfect balance between loud and soft, menacing and melancholy. Neurosis are one of those rare bands that showcases metal at both its darkest and its most beautiful.
So tell us what you think. Did we miss anything? Which albums, metal or otherwise, bring you to that higher state?
Reading this was almost like a birthday present. I might have to take a road trip for this. A few months ago, I read that this was happening on some forum, and I didn't believe it.
I didn't know that this was being announced already. I'm stoked to do it again. It looks like we're going to have to eat candy canes and kick ass.
Red Cloud plans to put the old gang back together for a show later this summer By Dave Herrera in Hearsay Wed., Jan. 6 2010 @ 10:32AM
Just received word that Red Cloud (aka Red Cloud West), which has been on hiatus for quite some time now as its members devoted time to their other creative endeavors (Git Some, Bad Luck City, the Fire Drills, Ross Etherton & the Chariots of Judah), has plans to reconvene at some point this summer for a one-off show.
The revered live act, which features our own Jason Heller, will reportedly be playing its self-titled debut in its entirety with original bassist, Jeremy Ziehe (who now holds down the low end for Bad Luck City) in tow. If a single show doesn't sound all that noteworthy, you clearly haven't seen Red Cloud live -- or it's been so long you've forgotten just how epic the band can be. A date hasn't been set yet, but we hear that 3 Kings Tavern will most likely be the venue. We'll keep you posted.
The difference is that it won't be nearly as drunk. Sadly, I don't remember most of those shows. Those early shows were a hell of a good time, even if they were drunk and hairy and sweaty:
I probably shouldn't even care, right? Is it really a moron-o-rama over there? I seem to remember playing in that band for a couple of years (maybe a year and a half, I don't know...it meant a lot of hours, for sure). From here:
Low End Theory: Received word over the weekend of a couple of notable lineup changes for two very admirable Denver bands, and both involves the lower frequencies. The first shift concerns A Shoreline Dream, one of the first bands confirmed to perform at next year's South By Southwest Festival. Longtime bassist Enoc Torraca has left the band for personal reasons and has been replaced by Adam Edwards, a formerly of Flyaway Minion and Mouth of the Architect. Likewise, Overcasters have parted ways with their original four-stringer Ed Marshall, who also left the band for personal reasons. His spot is being filled by bassist Matt Regan, who most recently played with Joy Subtraction and previously played upright bass as a member of Matson Jones.
The University of Colorado's Radio 1190 takes pride in its fierce independent spirit and its desire to play up the growing local music scene.
The AM station is located on the Boulder campus, and it's become known for fresh programming, inventive shows and the ability to spot rising talent. That's why 41 local bands jumped on board to become part of Radio 1190's latest CD release.
Friday, the station releases The Local Shakedown Volume 3, a CD that showcases some of Colorado's best new musical acts. The project turned into a two-disc collection because so many local bands wanted to participate.
The new CD features songs by Paper Bird, Young Coyotes, Swayback, The Fire Drills, Bad Weather California, Bela Karoli and a variety of other acts. Some of the bands will perform at CD-release parties at Bart's CD Cellar in Boulder, as well as Twist & Shout and Wax Trax in Denver.
"Supporting local music and getting it out there is so important," Paper Bird vocalist Sarah Anderson said. "That's why we're on this record. This going to be a great way to introduce these bands to local audiences.
"The local music scene is amazing and people will really be able to hear that on this CD."
'Local Shakedown'
The title of Radio 1190's new CD was taken from the station's Friday afternoon local-music show. "The Local Shakedown" runs from 4 to 6 p.m., spotlighting Colorado musicians.
"I've been hosting 'The Local Shakedown' show for two years," producer Katherine Peterson said. "My friend Andrew Murphy started it and the show got passed down to me.
"Radio 1190 is student-run station that plays music you don't get to hear anywhere else, and 'The Local Shakedown' plays local indie music from all over Colorado. We play everything on this show -- funk, indie rock, hip-hop jazz and metal."
Peterson said local bands are very excited to air their music and perform live on 'The Local Shakedown.'"
"Bands don't have many places to get airplay, so local musicians are passionate about getting their music on Radio 1190," Peterson said. "The bands really value the exposure and the support.
"There have been a lot of bands we played before anyone knew who they were -- like Ian Cooke and Paper Bird. This show really helps grow bands and gives them credibility."
New CD
Radio 1190 already had released two "Local Shakedown" CDs, but Peterson knew it was time for a new edition.
"I thought it would be a nice legacy, because this hasn't been done for a couple of years," Peterson said. "I picked a variety of bands -- and some of them gave us exclusive, unreleased songs.
"We decided to put out two discs, because it would be better to have more bands. The purpose of the record is to connect the music scene and expose people to all these great bands."
One of the bands on Peterson's must-call list was Denver's Young Coyotes.
Adam Halferty tours internationally with Boulder's 3OH!3, but he also performs with the Young Coyotes. The drummer was psyched to be part of Radio 1190's "Local Shakedown" CD.
"Radio 1190 e-mailed the Young Coyotes and expressed interest in our band," Halferty said. "We thought this would be a good idea, because we respect the quality-based music and programming on the station.
"I think the more people that get exposed to Colorado music, the better it will be for the local scene. This record definitely highlights local bands on the grid, as opposed to the ones that get lots of hype."
The bands
The new "Local Shakedown" CD primarily is composed of Denver bands, but all these groups want to expose their music to a wider audience.
Dustin Lawlor plays bass for Denver's The GetDown, and he hopes the new CD will help expand his band's fanbase.
"A lot of people that tell you they support local music, but Radio 1190 really does that," Lawlor said. "The station's sponsored a lot of our shows and it was great to be asked to be part of the CD. I hope that our song will reach people that understand what we're trying to do or share our same influences."
Jeremy Ziehe, bassist for Bad Luck City, said he, too, was ready to be on the CD.
"When we got asked to be part of this CD, it really lit a fire for us to get back into our studio," Ziehe said. "I hope this CD draws attention to the burgeoning local music scene and gets people excited to see homegrown bands."
Rob Burleson performs with d. biddle and The Fire Drills, so he was doubly pleased to show off both of his acts' new music on the "Local Shakedown" discs.
"Any time someone from outside of your group decides to take the effort and initiate support of your band, that's a great help," Burleson said. "Both b. diddle and The Fire Drills are super excited to share digital space with some amazing local bands.
"We hope people will be able to enjoy the amount of diversity the Colorado music scene has to offer -- and go out and support these bands."
AURORA - An incident on a school bus involving the soccer team at Hinkley High School in Aurora has prompted school suspensions, and a police investigation.
According to the superintendent of Aurora schools, John Barry, the soccer team was on a bus driving through Denver after a game on September 25th when the alleged incident happened.
It was reported to the school by an adult five days later, on September 30th. Students say it was a hazing incident of a younger team member and involved a players genitals.
"They were doing a team initiation type of thing, but it was little inappropriate," said student Jahleel Laballais.
Denver Police are investigating the possibility of misdemeanor sex crimes, and misdemeanor harassment.
The Aurora Public Schools superintendent says the district will not tolerate inappropriate behavior. "We want the confidence of our community to know that we deal with it appropriately, so it never happens again," said John Barry.
He says some students have been suspended and may be expelled. There were two adult supervisors on the bus. They are on leave during the investigation, and could face disciplinary action as well.
WARNING: The video report below contains a graphic description ot the incident
That's not news, right? He's pretty bold, though. When I heard the news last week that he was working up a sequel to "Phantom of the Opera," at first, I thought that it was a joke. Apparently, it's set at Coney Island, and is titled "Love Never Dies". Dig it:
Twenty-one years ago, "The Phantom of the Opera" opened on Broadway to mixed reviews, but still went on to win seven Tony Awards, including best musical. And in the ultimate slap in the face to critics, the tuner became the longest-running show in the history of the rialto in January 2006 and is still packing them in. The show it edged out for this honor? "Cats," which was also penned by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The titled tunesmith is finally ready to premiere the long-promised sequel to the world's most lucrative musical. Entitled "Love Never Dies," the new show tells the tale of the Phantom a decade on, with the action shifted from glamorous Paris to garish Coney Island. The book and lyrics are by Glenn Slaterwho worked on new material for the stage version of "The Little Mermaid."
"Love Never Dies" was to have premiered simultaneously on Broadway and in the West End sometime this year. Instead, the London production will open next March while the New York run begins next November. Iranian-born Ramin Karimloo -- who is currently playing the title role in the original West End show -- will star as the Phantom while American Sierra Boggess -- who debuted as Christine in the Las Vegas version of "Phantom" in 2006 -- returns to that role for the London run.
As the New York cast has not been announced, it is possible that both of these performers could originate their roles on both sides of the Atlantic. Michael Crawford, the original Phantom, won the Olivier in 1986 and then the Tony in 1988 as best actor in a musical. However, the original Christine -- Sarah Brightman who was then Mrs. Lloyd Webber -- was snubbed by both theater kudos.
Photo credit: Really Useful Group
It's too bad that "Love Never Dies" was the tagline for 1992's Dracula. I think that it's weak sauce to steal that.
What was truly stunning is that the production sounds, oddly like a remake of 1978's KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park (aka: "KISS in Attack of the Phantoms") Maybe I'm way off base here...
Sources confirm that the ambiguously aged, iconic cartoon TV mama will appear—naked!—on the November cover of Playboy magazine...
Hugh Hefner teased a while back on Twitter about a possible Marge-Playboy collaboration. We now can tell you that the Simpson matriarch will be featured in a three-page pictorial complete with an interview and a data sheet to mark TheSimpsons' 20th anniversary.
But if naked blue-haired cartoons aren't your forté, don't worry. Marge will not—we repeat, will not—be replacing the usual real-life human Playmate in the issue.
We haven't seen the Marge shots yet, so we cannot tell you if the rug matches the drapes.
D'oh!
To answer E!'s question: was there ever a doubt?!? Marge rocks.
I've been waiting for this for months. Katherine over at Radio 1190 has herded cats for the Local Shakedown Volume 3 compilation. Lucky for us, we had just finished tracking the instruments for our upcoming release--we pretty much only had to pick pick a song to gussy up for our submission. It looks like a lot of other unreleased goodies found their way onto los discos, too. Dig it (I'm way too lazy to edit something that's perfectly intelligible, except for the linkage):
PRESS RELEASE: Local Shakedown Vol. 3 CD out 10/16
The 3rd Local Shakedown CD will be released on Friday, October 16th. The double disc features 41 bands of many different styles from Colorado's thriving indie music scene. This CD follows the release of the 1st Local Shakedown CD in 2000 and the 2nd Local Shakedown CD in 2004, both on Smooch Records. It was mastered with assistance from Bob Ferbrache at Absinthe Studios. As a producer and sound engineer Ferbrache has worked with many of Denver's finest bands including The Fluid, Bum Kon, 16 Horsepower, Slim Cessna's Auto Club and many more. Artwork for the CD was done by cartoonist Noah Van Sciver who is the author of Blammo and the Westword's weekly strip "4 Questions".
The Local Shakedown is a radio show which exclusively plays local music from Colorado and hosts regular band interviews and live performances. It can be heard on Radio1190 AM each Friday from 4-6 pm and it can be found online at www.radio1190.org/localshakedown.
RELEASE PARTIES
The Local Shakedown Vol. 3 CD was kindly co-released by your favorite local record stores: Twist and Shout, Wax Trax and Bart's CD Cellar. To celebrate its release there will be live music at each store the weekend of October 16th. The double-CD will be for sale at each location for $11.90. Below is a schedule of live music and attached is a flyer for the event.
Friday, Oct. 16th Twist and Shout 2508 E. Colfax Ave., Denver 6:00 PM - The Kissing Party
Saturday, Oct. 17th Bart's CD Cellar 1015 Pearl St., Boulder 2:00 PM - Thee Goochi Boiz, otem rellik, Aënka
Sunday, Oct. 18th Wax Trax 638 E. 13th Ave., Denver 2:00 PM - Bad Weather California, Magic Cyclops, The Fire Drills, The GetDown!
TRACK LISTING
(**) indicates that song is currently unreleased ($$) indicates that song is exclusive to this CD
Disc One 1. Magic Cyclops - Intro 2. Mr. Pacman - David Blaine's Erotic Mansion ($$) 3. Fire Drills - Hole For a Heart 4. The Kissing Party - The Heart of It All 5. Young Coyotes - Buried 6. Dethbox - xhatexedgexonxthexstraightxedgex 7. otem rellik - Better Times (**) 8. Kal Cahoone - Build the Fire 9. Littles Paia - Cyberpunk's Not Dead (for Tom Murphy and Carles) ($$) 10. Multicast - Hawaii ($$) 11. Pictureplane - Cyclical Cyclical (Atlantis) 12. Swayback - Steamrolling (**) 13. Bad Luck City - Stevie Johnston (**) 14. Elin Palmer - Time 15. Reverend Deadeye - Snake Bite 16. Crack Magik - Ike Turner 17. Wire Faces - Portable Castles 18. Cowboy Curse - Negative Space 19. Overcasters - Way of the World 20. The Wheel - Oil and Lavender (**) 21. Munly and the Luprecalians - Grandfather (**)
Disc Two 1. Aënka - Mylarism (**) 2. Bad Weather California - I Don't Know 3. Lady Parts - Mums for Mice (**) 4. The Omens - She's Just Fine 5. Moonspeed - 27000 MPH 6. Chad Price - With Bleeding Wrists (**) 7. Married in Berdichev - Funnel Clouds (**) 8. Coconut Beach - I'm Gone (**) 9. BDRMPPL - 2013 Pt. 2 ($$) 10. Milton Melvin Croissant III - Blizzaga (**) 11. Thee Goochi Boiz - Summer Song (**) 12. Paper Bird - Lost Boys 13. Roger Green - Get Up (**) 14. Bela Karoli - Prelude 3 (**) 15. d. biddle - You Are the Sea ($$) 16. Blue Million Miles - Pterodactyl (**) 17. The GetDown! - The First 'A' in Omaha ft. Carrie Beeder and Sara Fischer (**) 18. Wentworth Kersey - Wealth 19. Cacheflowe - Flowebot ft. Brer Rabbit 20. Time - Cockroach Goddess
If you would like to get more information about the CD, request a digital copy of the CD for review purposes, or get in contact with the bands, please email Katherine Peterson.
Since my recent dream, I've been thinking about Brian Jones a lot. I was really surprised (completely vibed out, actually) to hear that they're "re-examining" his death during a quick check of my news feeds this morning before setting out into the world. I found this from the New York Times this afternoon:
Police to Re-examine Death of Brian Jones
Compiled by DAVE ITZKOFF Published: August 31, 2009
Forty years after the guitarist Brian Jones, below, a founding member of the Rolling Stones, was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool, the British police say they will re-examine the case after receiving new information from an investigative journalist, Reuters reported. Jones, who helped create the Rolling Stones in 1962 (and is said to have come up with the group’s name, taken from a Muddy Waters song), was found dead on July 3, 1969, at his home in East Sussex, which once belonged to A. A. Milne. At that time Jones had recently left the band. A coroner’s report gave the official cause as “death by misadventure,” though subsequent films and books (including “The Murder of Brian Jones” by Anna Wohlin, a girlfriend of Jones who was with him the night he died) have suggested that foul play was involved. British officials did not describe the new information or identify who had given it to them. A Sussex police spokesman told Reuters, “These papers will be examined by Sussex Police, but it is too early to comment at this time on what the outcome will be.”
This is worth noting because I've had to keep it quiet for months. Conceptually, it's comedic because BLC and the general public are like oil and water.
Live music fans and clubbers in Britain are currently petitioning the government over its plans to introduce sound control devices as a legal requirement for entertainment venues.
Although unconfirmed at this point, the organisers behind the online petition believe the devices cut-off point will be “dreadfully low”, at around 70 dB.
Unsurprisingly, the petition already has 32,000 signatures and is likely to gain many more supporters in the coming weeks.
The government wants to introduce the sound control devices to protect the hearing of staff who work in bars, clubs and live music venues, but those opposed to the plans believe it’ll cause irreparable damage to the nightlife scene in Britain.
Some are even saying it’s just another step towards a nanny state.
A 2004 study by the University of Edinburgh found that the average sound level for nightclubs in the UK was 96 db, with some even reaching 108 db.
I hear stories like this and it makes me sick, especially since one of my bands frequents the 3Kings Tavern. This one's from the DMB. I'll never leave a drink undrunken, and since I'm immune to attractive women, I don't worry about this crap. Maybe you should, though:
Something bad happened two weeks ago at a local club
Posted by The Big C7 on Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:37 pm
I wasn't going to talk about this out of respect to the guy, but he grabbed his shit and left Denver the other day, and he's never coming back.
One of my wife's coworker's went to 3 Kings to take in a show a couple of weeks ago. He was by himself since he had just moved here.
At the end of the night, an attractive woman started talking to him at the bar, and asked him to join her for a smoke. He left his water at the end of the bar and went outside.
He came back in, finished his water, and headed for the door.
The next thing he knows, it's 10am, he's in an alley off of Broadway, he had been raped and robbed. Doesn't remember any of it. He couldn't walk or talk, and had to crawl to the street and flag down a cop.
I post this as a word of warning and a reminder, and it's NOT an attempt to knock 3 Kings, it just happened there, could have happened anywhere, and it could have been any of us... Josh
Doctors shouldn't assume that their overweight female patients aren't having sex, because they are, more often that women of normal weight, a new study suggests.
The study by researchers in Oregon, Hawaii and Colorado explodes "the stereotype that you have to be slender to have sex," said lead author Bliss Kaneshiro, a researcher at the University of Hawaii.
Nichole Carlson of the University of Colorado Denver was one of the co-authors of the study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Another co-author was Kaneshiro's Oregon State University Professor Marie Harvey.
Earlier studies found that obese and overweight women are at greater risk of unintended pregnancy.
Kaneshiro wondered if that could be because these women don't get the counseling and attention from doctors that normal-weight women enjoy.
Could those doctors be assuming that there's no reason to talk about safe sex or sexually-transmitted diseases because these overweight women probably aren't having sex anyway?
If it could be proven that the basic assumption was wrong, it could awaken doctors to the need to give good advice on sex to all their patients, not just the slender ones.
Kaneshiro and her colleagues turned to the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth that collected data on the sexual behavior of 7,000 women.
They found that among the women considered overweight or obese, 92 percent reported a history of sexual intercourse with a man.
Eighty-seven percent of the women in the normal body mass range reported having sexual intercourse with a man.
"These results were unexpected and we don't really know why this is the case," Kaneshiro said.
But the implications are clear, she said. "This study indicates that all women deserve diligence in counseling on unintended pregnancy and STD prevention, regardless of body mass index."
The study was awarded first prize at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' annual meeting this year.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Thomas Beatie, who was born a woman but after surgery and hormone treatment lives as a man, has given birth to a girl at an Oregon hospital, People magazine reported on Thursday.
Beatie, 34, who kept female reproductive organs after initiating a transgender transformation and legally changing his name from Tracy Lagondino in his 20s, confirmed the birth to the magazine.
The baby, conceived through artificial insemination using donor sperm and Beatie's own eggs, was born on June 29, and Beatie and the baby are "healthy and doing well," People reported.
"The only thing different about me is that I can't breast-feed my baby. But a lot of mothers don't," People quoted Beatie as saying. He has had his breasts surgically removed.
He told the magazine that contrary to published reports, the baby was not delivered by Caesarean section, but no other details about the birth were given.
Beatie made world headlines -- and stoked public debate about the boundaries of gender identity -- when he went public with his pregnancy during a guest appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in April, in which he was shown undergoing an ultrasound examination.
The thinly bearded Beatie told Winfrey then that he began his sexual transformation about 10 years ago when he started taking testosterone injections and had surgery to remove mammary glands and flatten his chest.
Upon deciding to have a child about two years ago, he halted his bimonthly hormone injections and resumed menstruating.
Beatie's wife, Nancy, 46, whom he married five years ago, was unable to conceive because of a prior hysterectomy. Otherwise, he has said, "I wouldn't be doing this." His spouse has two grown daughters by a previous marriage.
She said on "Oprah" that their parental roles would be fairly traditional despite his transgender status. "He's going to be the father, and I'm going to be the mother," she said.
The couple, who operate a T-shirt printing business in Bend, Oregon, are legally married and he is recognized under Oregon state law as a man.
Beatie has said he is writing a book about his childhood, his mother's suicide and his life growing up in Hawaii, where as a youngster he was a Girl Scout, a teen beauty pageant contestant and earned a martial-arts black belt.
He began living as a man in his 20s, eventually changing his gender on his passport and driver's license. Like many individuals who identify themselves as transgender men, or "transmen," Beatie opted not to remove his ovaries and other female reproductive organs he was born with.
The gravestone of former Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis has been stolen from a Cheshire cemetery.
Curtis was 23 when he hanged himself in the kitchen of his Macclesfield home in May 1980, shortly before the band were due to go on tour in the US.
Cheshire Police said his memorial stone was taken from where he is buried in Macclesfield Cemetery.
Officers are appealing for anyone with information on its whereabouts to contact them.
Detectives said the stone, which has the inscription "Ian Curtis 18 - 5 - 80" and the words "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was taken sometime between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.
A police spokesman said: "There is no CCTV in the area and there are no apparent leads as to who is responsible for the theft.
"This is a very unusual theft and I am confident that someone locally will have knowledge about who is responsible or where the memorial stone is at present."
Although the band reformed into New Order after Curtis's death in 1980, there has been an upsurge of interest in its work.
An acclaimed biopic about Curtis, called Control, was released in 2007 and a film documentary, called simply Joy Division, was released earlier this year.
I totally lived in a stairwell in an apartment building in Boulder at one of my homeless points (age 16). The worst is being awakened in the middle of the night by a no ingles habla cleaning lady. From here:
Boulder man jailed for living on top of T-Mobile store's roof
By Vanessa Miller (Contact) Originally published 10:54 a.m., June 24, 2008 Updated 07:28 p.m., June 24, 2008
A 25-year-old Boulder man is serving one week in jail after police discovered he’d been living on the roof of a T-Mobile store since December.
Luke Barrett pleaded guilty in municipal court to trespassing and obstructing an officer after his arrest Friday. The latter charge came because Barrett initially ran when police told him to put his hands in the air after he was seen jumping on top of the building at 1590 28th St., according to a Boulder police report.
An officer first spotted Barrett at 10:37 p.m. Friday, then called for backup and a fire department ladder truck while checking the building for signs of tampering and burglary, the police report said.
It said Barrett ran farther onto the roof but was arrested without further incident once responding officers spotted him, scaled the roof and drew their guns.
On his way to the Boulder County Jail, Barrett told officers that he’s homeless and started living on top of the building in December, according to the report.
“Luke told me he stays there because he is left alone, no one knows he’s there and his personal items are secure when he sleeps on the roof,” the arresting officer wrote.
Mike Dillon, manager of the T-Mobile store, said employees “kind of had suspicions that someone was living on the store.”
Cleaning employees and maintenance crews said on two occasions that they found and removed cushions, garbage and a sleeping bag from the roof, Dillon said.
I've jogged like two blocks in my entire life. I love the look. From here:
Boulder man suspected of jogging nude
By Vanessa Miller Monday, June 23, 2008
A 55-year-old Boulder man has been arrested on suspicion of running naked along Folsom Street on as many as four days this month, according to Boulder police.
David Orloff, who lives on Arnett Street — one block east of Folsom and just north of Valmont Road — was arrested about 8:30 a.m. Saturday after someone reported seeing a white man with “long hair and a long beard” running nude near Folsom and Pine streets, according to a police report.
He faces a charge of indecent exposure, which could come with a penalty of jail time and a hefty fine. He also could have to register as a sex offender, requiring him to live away from churches and schools.
On Saturday, Orloff told officers that “his nudity did not offend anyone,” according to police. But one neighbor was “very upset about Orloff running naked around his house,” police reported.
The neighbor — who said Orloff wasn’t wearing shoes and described him as “naked as a jay bird” — told officers that children live in the area, and “he would be upset if his wife had to see Orloff running around naked.”
Saturday’s anonymous tip wasn’t the first time in the past week that Boulder police have been called about a man running nude along Folsom.
The first report came at 1:23 p.m. June 17 of a “white male with shoulder length brown hair and a gray beard walking around naked” near Folsom and Arnett streets.
Three people called police Thursday about a naked man in the area. The first call came in about 6:15 a.m. from a person at the 7-Eleven at Folsom and Valmont. The second and third calls came after 2 p.m. — one from a person who reported seeing a naked man near Folsom and Pine and another from a person who saw a man fitting a similar description a half mile north at Folsom and Fremont streets.
One person on Friday reported seeing the man about 6:30 a.m. near Folsom and Fremont.
Orloff is being held at the Boulder County Jail on $1,000 bond. He made his first appearance in court at 2 p.m. Monday. He is scheduled to have a pre-trial conference at 2:30 p.m. today.
On June 12, a Catholic priest who used to serve at parishes in Erie, Mead and Frederick was convicted of indecent exposure for jogging nude around a high school track in Frederick and walking naked down the town’s main road.
The Rev. Robert Whipkey is due to be sentenced Aug. 11 to up to 18 months in jail and a fine of between $500 and $5,000. He also might have to register as a sex offender.
they wouldn't even be close to endangered. From here:
Judge Orders Bush Administration to Decide Polar Bears' Status by May 15 By VOA News 30 April 2008
A U.S. judge has ordered the Bush administration to decide by May 15 whether polar bears in Alaska should be on the endangered species list because of global warming.
The judge ruled in favor of three conservation groups, including Greenpeace, that claim the U.S. government delayed a decision on the polar bear issue to avoid addressing global warming.
Environmental groups have argued the existence of the polar bears is threatened by the disappearance of their icy habitat due to global warming.
Under the Endangered Species Act, it is required that a decision to place species on the list be based on science. The conservation groups say science shows the Arctic is thawing.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
I've been really down lately, outside of music, at least. That stuff is going quite well, but otherwise it seems that there's little to get really stokeed about. From here:
Feds: Teen use of pot can lead to dependency, mental illness
By JENNIFER C. KERR
WASHINGTON (AP) — Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts, according to a White House report being released Friday.
A teen who has been depressed at some point in the past year is more than twice as likely to have used marijuana as teens who have not reported being depressed — 25 percent compared with 12 percent, said the report by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
"Marijuana is a more consequential substance of abuse than our culture has treated it in the last 20 years," said John Walters, director of the office. "This is not just youthful experimentation that they'll get over as we used to think in the past."
Smoking marijuana can lead to more serious problems, Walters said in an interview.
For example, using marijuana increases the risk of developing mental disorders by 40 percent, the report said. And teens who smoke pot at least once a month over a yearlong period are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than nonusers, it said.
The report also cited research that showed that teens who smoke marijuana when feeling depressed were more than twice as likely as their peers to abuse or become addicted to pot — 8 percent compared with 3 percent.
Experts who have worked with children say there's nothing harmless about marijuana.
"I've seen many, many kids' lives negatively impacted and taken off track because of marijuana," said Elizabeth Stanley-Salazar, director of adolescent services for Phoenix House treatment centers in California. "It's somewhat Russian roulette. There are so many factors, emotional, psychological, biological. You can't predict the experimentation and how it will impact a kid."
Bruce Mirken, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project, an organization that advocates the decriminalization of marijuana, called the study "an absolutely dishonest report, deliberately confusing correlation with causation."
"This very week the British government's official scientific advisers on illegal drugs issued a report saying they are 'unconvinced that there is a causal relationship between the use of cannabis and any affective disorder,' such as depression, he said.
The drug control policy office analyzed about a dozen studies looking at marijuana use, including research by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Overall, marijuana use among teens has decreased 25 percent since 2001, down to about 2.3 million kids who used pot at least once a month, the drug control office said.
While the drop is encouraging, Walters appealed to parents to recognize signs of possible drug use and depression.
"It's not something you look the other way about when your teen starts appearing careless about their grooming, withdrawing from the family, losing interest in daily activities," Walters said. "Find out what's wrong."
R.I.P. Ministry: "It's Been An Unbelievable Experience" Friday May 02, 2008 @ 04:30 PM By: ChartAttack.com Staff
After a nearly three-decade career that changed and shaped the course of metal, Al Jourgensen and Ministry — who took industrial music mainstream — are calling it quits.
Jourgensen is in the middle of his final North American Ministry jaunt with guitarists Sin Quirin and Tommy Victor (who also fronts Prong), keyboardist John Bechdel, bassist Tony Campos (who also plays with Static-X), drummer Aaron Rossi and guest vocalist Burton C. Bell (frontman for Fear Factory and Ascension Of The Watchers). After this tour ends, Ministry will play a few European and South American shows before they cease to exist.
While the band members respect Jourgensen's decision to put Ministry to rest, they say they wish it didn't have to end. Victor says Ministry may continue without Jourgensen as an offshoot featuring himself, the rest of the group's current roster and Bell.
"I worked on the last three records with Al, and I thought things were going really good and really building upwards to explode again and really be great again," says Victor. "Not to sound like a capitalist or anything, but it's going so well, and you work 20 years to get to a point like this, and to pull the plug on something that's working so well makes me unhappy."
Jourgensen is Ministry's only original member. Victor has been in the band since 2005. Quirin was brought on board a year later to help record Ministry's final studio album, The Last Sucker, the third installment in Jourgensen's anti-George W. Bush trilogy that also included 2004's Houses Of The Mole and 2006's Rio Grande Blood.
"It's been an unbelievable experience for me working with him in the studio," says Quirin, who was originally a Ministry fan before he joined the band. "I learn something from him every single day. He's definitely made me a much better player, a much better listener and just a better musician overall."
Jourgensen is a veteran with a lot to teach other musicians. He formed Ministry in 1981 as a new wave/synth pop project with drummer Stephen George. Their With Sympathy debut was full of sunny, keyboard-inflected pop and was vastly different from their current brand of noisy, aggressive, industrial thrash. Jourgensen has described With Sympathy as "an abortion of an album," and has been open about how unhappy he was with Ministry's musical direction at the beginning of his career.
Jourgensen parted with George in the mid-'80s and began experimenting with the electric guitar. He enlisted new members and Ministry released The Land Of Rape And Honey, one of the most influential metal albums at the time. It was a groundbreaking combination of noisy guitars and bass, samples, drum machines, abrasive vocals and lyrics that criticized everything from U.S. politics and religion to genocide and environmental degradation. Jourgensen developed a massive following with Ministry and such side projects as Revolting Cocks (who also include Quirin) and 1000 Homo DJs. He's influenced everyone from Fear Factory and Nine Inch Nails to Marilyn Manson, Korn and Slipknot. This influence also extends to members of Ministry's current roster, especially Victor.
"They were the first ones to have that guitar styling that we know of — the staccato style [mixed] with heavy beats and grooves with electronica, and everyone's been really influenced by that whole movement," Victor says, pointing out that Prong's music incorporates some of these elements. "Everyone started doing that… it absolutely had a big influence on everybody that was playing hard rock then."
Ministry's final contribution is Cover Up, a collection of 11 covers. The disc includes their previously released versions of Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay," The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues," Black Sabbath's "Supernaut" and newly recorded interpretations. Officially listed as an album by Ministry And Co-Conspirators, it features guest appearances from Bell, Static-X's Wayne Static and others.
This isn't the end for Jourgensen. He'll keep recording and touring with Quirin in the Revolting Cocks. Their Sexo Olympico album should be in stores by September. Quirin says fans should listen for "I'm Not Gay," a new RevCo track that's played every night on the current C U LaTour before Ministry take the stage. Jourgensen will also continue to produce and release records through his 13th Planet label. Among those signed to the imprint are Burton's Ascension Of The Watchers (who also include Bechdel), who released their Numinosum full-length debut in February. Bechdel is in a band called False Icons and Quirin says he may record solo material in the future. Victor says Jourgensen may produce the follow-up to Prong's Power Of The Damager.
Ministry will make their final Montreal appearance at Metropolis on May 3 and will say goodbye to Toronto at the Kool Haus the next night.
I was going to discuss "Race Horse Crunch--the breakfast of second place," but that's not a developed idea yet. Here:
Polar bear dies at Denver Zoo
DENVER – A 22-year-old polar bear died Saturday at the Denver Zoo.
Olaf, the father of Klondike, Snow, Ulaq and Berit, lived at the Denver Zoo for 21 years. He came from Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo in March of 1987.
Staff members at the zoo say they noticed Olaf's eating habits had been fluctuating and the polar bear was lethargic.
On Friday, Olaf was put under anesthetic and had a biopsy done on his swollen abdomen. It was determined that Olaf was suffering from an aggressive form of terminal liver cancer, according to zoo officials.
Olaf was euthanized and a necropsy revealed a massive tumor in the bear's abdomen.
"This is a very sad loss for Denver Zoo and our community. Olaf will be missed by all of us including the many families and children who have visited him over the years," stated Denver Zoo President/CEO Craig Piper in a news release on Monday.
Zoo officials say Olaf was a remarkable bear with a distinguished palate. They say he did not eat fish heads, unlike most bears, and meticulously removed them, eating only the torso and tails. He also was a fan of pumpkins and watermelons.
"Certainly it pulls on your heart strings because you've known him for a long time. He wasn't particularly fond of me, to tell you the truth, cause he knew that I was his doctor and like any patient, he wasn't real thrilled about his doctor," said Dr. David Kenny, Olaf's veterinarian for 21 years.
A polar bear's typical life span is 20 to 25 years, according to zoo officials.
The Denver Zoo has three other polar bears: Soosha (21), Voda (21) and Frosty (22).
People are pretty worked up about the Miley Cyrus photos in the upcoming Vanity Fair. I think that the girl is kind of ugly (looks like she got hit in the face). Those people that are upset need to get a clue, seriously. It's not even as bad as a lot of nude little girl photos that I've seen. I don't think this is offensive at all; no apologies from Miley are required (that was a lame move on her part):
I'd title it "ugly teenager in a sheet." The slightly weird photo is chick laying in her father's lap.
I think that the Nitwit requires a pink dye job to go with her new ugly haircut. Since Nitwit is an Adams County cat, the man shouldn't have jurisdiction, right? Where's the LRC when I have questions like this?!?
Pink Poodle Case May Be Dismissed Woman Must Agree To Not Dye Dogs, Fine Will Be Dropped
BOULDER, Colo. -- A salon owner who made national headlines when the Boulder Humane Society ticketed her for dyeing her dog pink has reached a deal with attorneys that would dismiss the citation. According to the Daily Camera, the citation against Joy Douglas will be dismissed in six months if she doesn't dye another dog before then.
Douglas told the Camera that the case has been dropped, but she needed to talk with her attorney before making any comments.
The case isn't over, said officials with the city's municipal court, and if Douglas is accused of dyeing animals again before October, she could face penalties for the original charge.
Douglas was issued a citation on March 1 for violating a law saying, "No person shall dye or color live fowl, rabbits or any other animals or have in possession, display, sell or give away such dyed or colored animals."
Douglas said she colored Cici pink to help raise awareness for breast cancer. The salon owner said she has used beet juice -- and occasionally Kool-Aid -- for four years now to "stain" her dog.
Assistant City Attorney Janet Michels said the law was intended to prevent dyeing rabbits and chicks around Easter.
"We recognize the ordinance hasn't been used in some time," she told the Camera. "But our position is that the ordinance is enforceable for violations of today."
Still, she said, "We are trying to find a solution that works for everyone."
The suspect's last name makes this story confusing:
Police: Boulder man arrested, Tasered after throwing noodles
By Vanessa Miller Originally published 11:31 a.m., April 28, 2008 Updated 11:35 a.m., April 28, 2008
A 46-year-old Boulder man remains at the Boulder County Jail after police arrested him earlier this month on suspicion of throwing items around a Taco Bell — including a large container of noodles — and resisting arrest.
Christopher Lee Bell's refusal to leave the 3210 Arapahoe Ave. restaurant he littered with noodles and get into a patrol vehicle prompted an officer to use a Taser on his back, according to Boulder police.
Bell faces numerous charges, including trespassing, possession of alcohol and resisting arrest.
Officers were first called to the Taco Bell about 8:45 p.m. April 16 about a man who was "throwing items around the store."
When police arrived, among the things they reported finding on the floor were a Pepsi cup, a "large soup container" and "a large amount of noodles."
The manager told officers, "Bell became agitated for some reason and began throwing the noodles and soda," according to a police report.
Officers said they recovered an open 175-ml bottle of McCormick vodka from his bag and reported he was visibly intoxicated.
BOULDER — A man suspected of stealing an ambulance in Lafayette and leading police on a high-speed chase tried to hang himself in his jail cell Friday, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
A deputy found Micky Terry, 35, hanging from a bedsheet in his cell at the Boulder County Jail at about 1:43 p.m., deputies said.
Terry initially had been placed on suicide watch after his arrest but was taken off it after meeting with mental health professionals Thursday. But as a new inmate, Terry was still being checked every 30 minutes, according to Sheriff Joe Pelle.
“The deputy that found him was pretty shaken,” Pelle said. “But he did everything he was supposed to do. He picked him up and held him off the ground to keep the pressure off (Terry’s) neck until he could cut him down.”
Deputies and jail staff performed CPR, then Terry was taken to Boulder Community Hospital in serious condition.
Terry was arrested Tuesday and booked Wednesday on charges of motor vehicle theft and felony eluding. He is suspected of stealing an ambulance in Lafayette on Tuesday, beginning a police chase that ended when the ambulance crashed in south Longmont.
The Tuesday incident began when Weld County deputies looked in on Terry at a Del Camino motel after receiving a tip that he was suicidal, according to the Weld County Sheriff’s Office. Paramedics took him to Exempla Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette, where he was discharged at 12:30 p.m.
According to authorities, Terry made his way through the parking lot to the ambulance bay and found an unlocked ambulance with keys inside. They say he then took off in the ambulance and was pursued by Lafayette police, the Colorado State Patrol and Boulder County deputies until the ambulance crashed near the intersection of Ken Pratt Boulevard and Sunset Street.
Terry was treated at Longmont United Hospital on Tuesday night and was taken to the Boulder County Jail on Wednesday.
Even if he had stayed on suicide watch, Pelle said, only 23 minutes elapsed between the last time Terry was checked and when he was found. Under a suicide watch, checks are made about every 15 minutes.
“I’m not sure that seven minutes would have made any difference,” Pelle said.
The jail usually has six to 12 suicide attempts a year, Pelle said. Over the past five years, two inmates at the jail have committed suicide, he said.
“Deputies and jail staff did a great job responding to this,” Pelle said.
