Monday, December 20, 2004

ten times too small


ten times too small
Originally uploaded by himbly.
Really, I'm not a grinch.

I don't mind Christmas at all...'specially this year because I'm not going to be as rushed as I used to be.

But (barring the Grinch's theme song) I really really hate Christmas music. It drives me batty.

Saturday, December 18, 2004

George Clinton mugshot


George Clinton
Originally uploaded by himbly.
Couldn't resist....

James Brown mugshot


James Brown
Originally uploaded by himbly.
Couldn't resist...

Battle of the Funk Giants


chaka khan
Originally uploaded by himbly.
Last week, my friend (eener) took me to see James Brown. It was a birthday gift.

At first (before I knew she had bought me the ticket) I was an asshole and protested ~vehemently~ my attendance at such an event. 'Splain why? Well, because I had seen George Clinton earlier this year and really really really tried to get down with the funk. And I did...at first. I pushed my way to the front of the crowd and Bop Gunned as best I could until the music turned less familiar and I woke up to the cold reality that what I was watching was a lot of young people jamming on stage while a 65 year old man in a t-shirt and sweatpants smoked pot and invited young ladies up on stage so he could feel them up.

Which is fine. I think he's earned it.

I just wished I hadn't paid to see it.

So when Eener casually asked if I was going to see James Brown, she did not expect the 3 hour rant I went on with an added 35 minutes when she said, "I heard George Clinton was good"....(I guess I forgot to tell her I left early).

On the other hand, George Clinton is/was a visionary and a creative genius. P-Funk changed lives. Don't laugh. I'm serious. I watched a documentary once. Okay...a guy did a thing on them on the radio, but imagine you're a black young person in the late 60s, early 70s in the US. I think even a 32 year old white girl, born and bred in Canada, can safely say that there was not a whole whack of opportunity or equality offered people of colour in those days. And because I'm a 32 year old white girl, born and bred in Canada, I never even thought of this while enjoying the music, but the whole mythology behind what is P-funk...Starchild, Sir Nose D'voidoffunk, bopguns, flashlights, the mothership connection, WEFUNK, reclaiming the secrets of the pyramids, Dr. Funkenstein...was a way to tell young black kids that they, too, had a chance. They had something valuable to offer. I'll paraphrase something the guy on CBC's DNTO said when ~he~ quoted someone as saying that watching a group of black people piloting a spaceship, saving the world in their elaborate story was very new to them. It made them realize that they ~did~ have an important role in the future.

I stand behind my claim that P-funk (George Clinton) changed lives.

Now...before them, even, was the inventor of funk himself. The Godfather, Soulbrother #1, the Hardest Working Man in Showbiz, The King of Soul....James Brown.

I don't know if it's true that he invented funk...but he was at least the first to bring it forth to the table where it spilled out onto the floor and ran under our feet and into our hearts. So...without doing too much research into the matter and reading nerdy music lovers argue back and forth on some funk newsgroup, we'll just assume this.

I'm going to now extend my 'changed lives' theory over to James Brown. He, too, was an activist for black rights and always looked good, put on a good show, had an impeccably tight band (because he fined them if they weren't). Very powerful and influencial man and entertainer. And if you doubt his message reached and affected many many ears, then just listen to rap from the 80s to now...most sampled artist.

Having thought about all that....

As the concert date neared, I began to soften a/ on my James Brown stance...would be interesting to see him perform and b/ on my George Clinton stance...it was worth the money just to see what the man's up to these days and to support all he's done.

Well...I was right in the end. James Brown was fabulous. Not in a 'I couldn't stop the funk from taking over my booty' sort of way....in a 'holy shit! so ~this~ is his vision' sort of way.

All in all, if I were to offer a compare/contrast sort of thing (which is essentially what I'm doing), I saw this year how two men, who've both accomplished so much in the same field, have reacted to their age. They're both old, both hard working, both like 'the party', both flamboyant.....and both have ways of coping with the fact that they can't do what they used to. George Clinton decided to come out in his at-home lounge outfit, mutter into the microphone and hand off the show to the others surrounding him while he shuffles across the stage sharing a joint with his band and audience. James Brown decided to come out in a red-sequined jumpsuit (which, frankly, ~could~ be his at-home lounge outfit for all I know), mutter into the microphone and hand off the show to the others surrounding him while he prances (as much as he's able) across the stage. Both are about ~serious~ smoke and mirrors these days.

And that's not a criticism. I think it's perfectly reasonable that these men now get to take a little break after working as hard as they did...and I think it's perfectly reasonable that they still tour.

But, James Brown - that guy ain't goin' down without a fight. His show is, well, the living shrine he built for himself ...and stopped updating sometime in the 80s. Good lord. It was absolutely amazing and a very real glimpse into the inner working of that man's mind, I would like to think.
Shine and glitter. Multi-multi piece band. Backup singers. The women...oh, the women. Eff you if you don't think this is significant, but he had two black women, two white women and two hispanic women (one was a young'ish woman he was 'showcasing'...danced around in shiny pants and a capelet singing "Hold On" (Sam & Dave). Tomi Rae. Had no clue at the time that this was his ~wife~ who is the same ~wife~ who was the ~wife~ most recently to slap assault charges on him....until I read about his prostate cancer and they mentioned her (get well, JB)). If you would have watched the show like I watched the show, you would have noticed that the whole thing was undoubtedly designed to display his greatness and importance. Young guitarists calling him 'sir', backup singers repeating 'He's the king of Soul', one of the backup singers 'losing it' and ranting like a rabid preacher that the band could not ~possibly~ start Sex Machine without him 'counting it off' for he is The Godfather and they shan't make a move without his say - all while he stood by looking like this was all news to him. Ahhh...beautiful.

And why not?

In the end it's been a fascinating year (having seen a nearly 60 year old David Bowie and now having tickets clenched in my grubby little hand for the one band I have waited my entire life to say, "I'm going to see Duran Duran"). But, funkifly speaking, it's a good thing Sly Stone isn't touring or my insides would have popped. Looking back...James Brown put on a pretty good show, but if I had to choose - George Clinton would win the foot massage. I can't understand a g-damn thing JB says, anyway.

PS. Yeah...I know. I just couldn't decide between a picture of James Brown or George Clinton....so Chaka Khan won.

Monday, December 06, 2004

Lamb of God in Land of Fat-ted Calf


Fat Land
Originally uploaded by himbly.
Seriously...

I went for a run today in -18 C weather so I could eat half a bag of Fudgeos with milk.

Ahhhh...I can tell by the big clock, children, that it's nearly time for

*whisper*

"that" time.

so...no regrets...and bring on the sour cream and onion potato chips, too!
*patting my belly*

Anyway...the real reason I was posting was to introduce this again. This site has caused me to look, believe, disbelieve, and then look again. I don't know if it's real..but I ~think~ it is. I mean, check it, yo:

Anti-triclavianist

Wha-wha-wha-huh? I mean, I have a degree in Linguistics, so I'm used to unusual debates that most people put in the 'rat's ass' category...but...

And yes...I know that it's the ~principle~ behind the matter...but, really...~really~.....

Because there is a belief out there that Christ was nailed to the cross with ~three~ nails, the church is in danger of being overrun by securlarists? Gracious, Helen, did you lock the basement windows after the craft sale?? I spotted an Atheist in the Safeway. How did I know? Well, he looked like the guy found in here.



It is this...~this very thing and things like it~ that keep people from caring about anything real.



..and the children...don't forget about the children.

Anyway...I could post about this site all day. Enjoy yerselves.

ummmm...

I think I have to put the Weather Underground documentary in my top ten somewhere...

see? this is how I got 20 last time.

Top Tens

A year ago I tried to do a list of favourite movies.

I've been drinking wine...bear with me.

I had a list of 32 movies and it was all I could do to narrow it down to 20.

But I lost that list...I don't know where it is.

I suggest (after reading Bumf's request for the best of 2004) that anyone reading this (ha! all 3 of you) submit your top TEN ~all time~ fave movies, books, and albums.

So...considering it is nearly impossible for me to do that let me say that I will not hold you to your choices...these fave lists change with the seasons...I know.

So...movies...let me try my first run list...subject to change without notice and in no particular order:

1- Breakfast at Tiffanys
2- Annie Hall
3- Withnail and I
4- Royal Tannenbaums
5- Top Secret
6- Ferris Bueler's Day Off
7- Love and Death
8- Unbearable Lightness of Being
9- Best In Show
10- High Fidelity

maybe...

I dunno...I'll see if that's true...but now I'm going to bed.

night.

Sunday, December 05, 2004

In response...

Hey dude...your comments thingy wasn't working, so I decided to post my comment here...

You made some good points and I understand why you see it that way, but the way I see it is this:

Firstly, just because a person identifies themselves with a group, doesn't make them a part of it. Mohammed Bouyeri belongs ~not necessarily~ with the jihad muslims in Iraq...he belongs more likely to the group called 'murderers'. Yes, he "slit his throat so deeply that his head was almost severed." but the only reason he's identified with jihad is because there is currently a war situation in which muslim groups are fighting and he identified himself as committing this act ~for~ Islam...it doesn't mean that he was sent or even affiliated with any particular 'army' or group of fighters.

Mark David Chapman and John Hinckley Jr. cited Catcher In The Rye and Jodie Foster (respectively) as reasons for their (one successful, one attempted) assassinations. No one believes they were actually affiliated with either...they just think they're crazy. Slightly different situations, I know, but what I'm trying to say is that it's likey it's the same ~sort~ of idea with Mohammed Bouyeri.

Secondly...yes, Holland is a very tolerant country...very. Amsterdam is a uniquely interesting place to walk around, but aside from petty crimes, fairly safe. Muggings abound, but the women I've spoken to there tell me they feel free to walk home at 4 am should they wish. People are usually pretty friendly and very helpful (some I met can be kinda creepy, but harmless...remind me to tell you a story). One of the reasons this was so shocking.

I know the idea of a society tolerant to drug usage, sex trade workers, etc would seem like the place where, as Andrew Anthony puts it "...it does not take a social scientist to see that a veiled woman might have problems living next to a live sex show." But that's not how it is...or at least from what I've seen. Once out of the red light district, you really see no evidence of it in the rest of the city, and I would probably venture to say the rest of the country. The 'veiled woman' has an abundance of choice when it comes to living locations and, frankly, I think very few people live next to the live sex show theatres. You can choose to ~stay~ there, but the city is big and the red light district is only a few blocks around. The reason that the murder of Theo Van Gogh was such big news is because this behaviour isn't common in Holland...so I see no reason for it to be a sign of a declining nation and/or way of life.

Thirdly...the beheadings. Awful, yes. They are absolutely terrible. They are also an act of a desparate people fighting a war against a force that is by FAR better armed and trained than they are. It's war and people are dying...Iraqis, Americans, Brits, Koreans, all sorts. However, the coalition forces have the technology and manpower to drop bombs or spray bullets. You can't expect the lesser equiped ones to fight fair...they know they'd be creamed. These muslim groups have come up with a way to make each death they cause ~mean~ something...in contrast to their thousands of anonymous ones. I don't think it's good...I don't think ~either~ are good, but that's what war is. People killing people.

Most people aren't evil...but desparate people are capable of doing very evil things..and that's what they are, desparate.

I'll read the Andrew Anthony article, though...and post that later.

Wheeeeeeeeee....


wheeee
Originally uploaded by himbly.




I just really liked this.

Quilting


Quilting
Originally uploaded by himbly.
Listening to Sounds Like Canada the other day.

They interviewed these people involved in a project to commemorate the underground railroad in Owen Sound. A pretty interesting project, I'd say, on it's own. However, the woman went on to explain their usage of a 'quilting code' in the building of this cairn.

Evidently, back in the days of slavery in the US, there was a system of code in the patchworking of quilts made by anyone 'on the team', so to speak. So...a quilt containing different symbols would direct a slave to people who could help, safehouses, and, in the end, Canada. And the slave masters were none the wiser.

Very interesting.

*yawn*

I can pull myself back up, back down
Stuck together like a readymade

I'm stuck...

I've got stuff that I want to write about, but it's not forming itself in my brain properly and these lame posts are all I got.

Funny how when you read your friend's blogs you recognise parts of your conversations with them.

I just made cookies...they're all warm and cooling in the kitchen and I can't even look at them because I ate their brothers when they were just baby-dough.

Now I feel grody.

Plus, I meant to run today, but it snowed and I made cookies....two reasons I couldn't go.

Now I'm blogging the boyf is stuck in the virtual world of Warcraft....I wish I was playing. Every so often I hear a 'riiight onnnn' from the other side of the room. Both of our bellies are full of cookies and bloating.

*jiggle*

Saturday, December 04, 2004

...and this....

Bono plans lifelong poverty fight

I can't believe we care.

Okay...actually, it can't hurt.

Here she is...


Beauty_Pageant
Originally uploaded by himbly.
So...this:

Miss Peru wins world beauty title

I can't believe we care.
Find me on MySpace and be my friend! D-List Blogger