Yep, This Is Still America.

Happed across this today, which needs no further comment from me, save that when it comes down to it, “Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose.”

(Can’t find the thingy that lets me use the c’s with the little curlicues on them)

Show, 1st December

So, we’re in Dublin.  We just played Whelan’s.  This was a particularly good show from the audience-participation angle; everybody was singing along and generally having a heck of a good time.  I had no idea Dubliners even *remembered* the Dirtbombs, since we haven’t been here in seven years.  Tonight was the first night I used the “new” guitars (read: massively pimped out) from Koontz (that would be Koontz Guitar Repair, quite frankly one of the best there is, but I couldn’t find a link), so it was kind of a shakedown cruise.  Now I know.

After the show, this guy comes up to me to chat.  He says,  “I’m a performing musician myself, so I don’t wanna take up too much of your time”,  blah blah.  We chat for a couple minutes, during which he mentions that he was in a band back ion the 70’s and 80’s, and he turns to go, and I get curious.  “Hey, what band were you in?”

“Ah, I was in this band called Clock DVA, and…” and this point whatever he was saying faded out because I was picking my jaw up off the floor.  “WhaheyHUH???” was all I managed.  Here was a guy from one of the bands I IDOLISED telling me how *I* changed HIS life????  I’m gobsmacked.

Dude, if you happen across this, I just wanna say:  “The Hacker” was in my DJ crate for over a year, and I’m talkin’ about 2006/7 (I bought it when it came out).  I nearly got my ass kicked for beating a guy to a copy of ‘High Holy Disco Mass”.  Track me down.  I wanna make records with YOU.

I’m Still Here.

I just wanted to say that.  It’s been a hell of a year, kids…

Australia, Day Two

     Okay.  I’m in Perth, which is beautiful, really, for the most isolated city on Earth.  Very green and warm.  I like it here.  Next time I’m here, I hope to get to the beach.

We’ve only played two shows, although with all the flying (every show except one) we already feel like we’ve been on tour a month.  Both shows went well, although the crowd seems to visibly cringe when launch into the two INXS songs on our tour single.

     Tomorrow we fly to Adelaide: I have to be up at 6am for our ride to the airport.  It’s just about 3am now.  Later.

Starting to look like a Turnaround…

I have decried the quality of programming on Cartoon Network here in the past, but it appears that they’re getting it together over there, thanks to their new series coordinator, who’s bringing in shows like ‘Chowder‘, and THIS.  This looks AWESOME, I just want to say.  And judging from the creator, it will likely be as good as it looks.  I really can’t wait to see this one.

More Deep Thinking

Go and read this right now.  I would like to point out that this idea was briefly touched upon in ‘Future Shock‘, in 1970.

Thanks to Warren Ellis for the link.

Worst. Cartoon. EVER.

Okay, I want to be perfectly clear on this:

Cartoon Brew has a series, called ‘Cartoon Dump‘, where they showcase bad cartoons, yeah? I’ve watched the whole series, and those cartoons are AWFUL. But they all pale to insignificance in the face of “Animal Soccer World” from the Netherlands’ Phoenix Films.

Imagine a cartoon that blatantly stole some well-known characters from an equally well-known animation company, and animated them (extremely badly) on top of existing footage from some OTHER cartoon. Then replace that other cartoon’s soundtrack with a loop found on the internet somewhere, keeping one of the songs, but having the lyrics re-sung by that weird guy who’s always standing at the bus stop with open cans of cat food and a spork. Top the whole thing off with ALL the voices done by the same hapless guy, who is apparently translating the script into English on the fly. Okay? Now, imagine all of that, only worse. You’re ALMOST there.

Here is part one. Watch it, if you dare.

IF you manage to make it though that, and like me, you want to be able to stand at the next furry con and say you sat through the whole brutal experience with nothing but half a bottle of Cointreau to keep your hands from gouging your eyeballs out, then here’s part two, part three, and part four.

Man, not even DRUGS would make me sit through that again…

This Week In Dada, #4

What the hell is THAT???

Oh, I am SO with this…..

Apparently, on the morning of thursday 20th December, the Lakota Indigenous Nation withdrew from all treaties signed with the United States over the past 150 years.  ‘Bout time, if’n ya ask me.  They’ve been getting the shit end of the stick since they first clapped eyes on Europeans, and I hope they succeed.  I also hope someone gets Russell Means a copy of ‘Ecotopia‘.

Because Warren Ellis Loves Us All

…and he wants to remind us every so often that ‘Transmetropolitan‘ was not really about the future…

Oh:  Don’t look.  This is your only warning.