They Just Keep Coming: Dave Matthews ♥s Xiu Xiu
I hate to bury TransRatFashion and fisting videos, but this made me choke on a scream of glee/horror.
In case Rolling Stone or anyone else wants to know what my song picks are, right now I’m listening to Soviet (Marbleyezed), Paul Westerberg (These Days), Amy Winehouse, Xiu Xiu (who knew Dave Matthews and I had so much in common?), and some other stuff that I’m not prepared to admit to. Like the Arcade Fire. So nevermind, I’ll admit to anything.
Also, Conor Oberst looks like a hobbit.
David Byrne’s blog and another David’s birth story
A while back I looked up David Byrne’s journal and subscribed to its feed, thinking I would read a few entries and decide whether to keep the subscription.
Because his entries are often long and my attention span is poor, I usually skip them and only come back when I have a good chunk of free time and am a little bored (Sorry David).
Lots of his posts cover two (and occasionally more) topics. A recent post, for example, was about a Caetano Veloso concert and the news media (sort of; I don’t know how to describe it accurately and succinctly). I like this format a lot, but I’m not sure why. Maybe because if there are two topics, there’s a better chance that one of them will be of interest to me? Maybe because it gets me to read things I otherwise might not?
Some great DB posts from the last several months:
- 11.03.07: Social “Hateworking”, IKEA
- 10.11.07: Sexual Selection & Creativity
- 6.9.07: Graduation, Ethics, Spaceships (This one is my favorite.)
*
My friend David (not Byrne) and I both have certificates of birth abroad. I was born in a hospital in Saudi Arabia during Ramadan. Until I was 13 or 14, my parents liked to tell me that my mother had a cesarian because her doctor was hungry after fasting all day and didn’t feel like waiting any longer to eat (I was born sometime between 10 and 11 pm). This was not, in fact, the reason she had a cesarian, but it makes for a better story.
David was born in a bathtub in a hotel on Mallorca, and the midwife arrived after he did. I like to think of his mother cutting (or gnawing through) the cord herself, but in fact the midwife did this. His father was a follower of the Maharishi, and he thinks his mother was trying to track down his father. The Maharishi was in Mallorca, but David’s father wasn’t. After that, David and his mother lived in Brooklyn, then San Pedro. Which, as I’m sure you know, is also where the Minutemen were from.
San Pedro is part of the city of Los Angeles, but it’s only connected by a tiny strip of highway. It’s a major port, and Los Angeles wanted control of it.
Centenarian celebrates birthday with stripper
I know this is more than a year old, but it’s too cute to not share.
Sea Pig of Watery Terror
Last night I link-hopped my way to this adorable little…um…what?
It was on some blog along with a bunch of pictures of chicks spreading it, etc. (I know: What?), with no caption or other indication of what it is. At first I thought it was some kind of organ. Maybe a uterus with way too many fallopian tubes? Then, after staring at the tentacle things for way to long, I started thinking maybe it was some kind of sea creature. Maybe a type of sea cucumber.
I showed D, hoping he would recognize it. He didn’t. “A potato?” he ventured? I asked why a potato would be all pink and glisten-y. He didn’t know.
So we went to the website the image was hotlinked from. Luckily for us, it was in Danish. And Spanish. After much searching, we got our answer. It’s a Sea Pig! And it is, indeed, a type of sea cucumber, as you can read for yourself. Isn’t being right nice?
And isn’t it kind of cute?
This picture totally makes me want to rub its belly. Maybe it would purr or pant.
Art Condoms
Condomania has introduced a line of condoms printed with images by artists like Trevor Brown, Coop, Johnny Ryan, and Ron English.
It looks like the wrappers are printed, rather than the condoms themselves. Still nice, but a little less exciting.
Maybe someday I’ll be able to get a John John Jesse IUD.
Update: filchyboy at Art Condoms alerted me to their blog. Thanks, filchyboy.
One More
I think this was on the MTV Asia chart for a while in ‘95 or ‘96.
All kinds of fun, camp, and murdery theatrics.
When I looked this up, the second result was a Sims interpretation of the video. Go figure.
More Crap from the Good Ol’ Days
This is faintly embarrassing.
Remember these guys?
Yes, that’s right. Dance, boys, dance!
This one is a little better. Ornamental male things tied up in a basement. Crazy in a ball gown, combat boots, and raccoon eyes dancing with a fork. My kind of video.
And it’s a BeeGees cover! What more could anyone ever possibly want?
Yes, I liked this. I was 13. Sue me.
What? This isn’t even a proper video.
I mean, *cringe*
Sweet Nostalgia
Tonight I’m hanging out with Zach F and Alex van O, two kids I went to middle school with. Zach lived in the same building as me, and I think Alex and I were in a play together. Rad, no? Now we’re adults (really!) and don’t have to sneak Bailey’s and Southern Comfort out of our parents’ liquor cabinets to get our drink on, so I guess that’s what we’ll be doing.
But right now, at work*, without much of anything to do, I’m watching videos of songs that were popular in 1995 (give or take a bit) on youtube.
1. Erasure – Always
First off is the inspired and highly influential video for “Always,” by Erasure. Holy crap, have you seen this thing?
Oh God, it’s the best. Can someone please explain this shit to me? And can someone track down a higher tempo, dancier version?
2. Collective Soul – The World I Know
This one is very moving and intense. It cracks me up.
So much suffering! Oh noes! Goodbye cruel world!
Lulz just kidding! Saved by a pigeon! I heart life!
3. Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
This one sounds almost exactly the same. I think it came along a little later. It was in that Nick Cage/Meg Ryan Wings of Desire ripoff that some bitches dragged me to in 11th grade. Oh, the indignity.
4. Blur – Country House
When I was in eighth grade, we got ‘cable.’ About four channels of it. One of which was MTV Asia. This was, I believe, at the peak of the Blur vs. Oasis rumble. Man, those were exciting weeks.
I still like this video. It’s dated (of course), but still cute. And it presses all my nostalgia buttons.
I want that board game.
5. James – Laid
This one actually came out when I was 10 or 11. My brother had it, and I saw it advertised in Sassy (where else?). I freakin’ loved it.
She only what when she’s on top? Yeah, I don’t think I really got this one.
6. Blur – Boys and Girls
How could I possibly forget this? This is actually my favorite Blur song. For obvious reasons.
OK, I’m going to listen to “Always” over and over while I change my clothes. I suggest you do the same.
*I’m actually not at work anymore. But I started writing this there, and that’s what counts, right?
