Bootleg Series Vol. IX

I almost forgot. After watching Paul McCartney's performance last night on PBS, a performance in conjunction with receiving the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, I was trying to find out who else had received the award (which was disappointing). And by the way, according to a certain black man, Paul McCartney is the most successful songwriter of all-time. I was impressed with that, though there was an obvious period of co-authorship. This begs the question, who is the most successful solo songwriter of all time... which brings me to...

So I went to Dylan's wiki to see what awards he'd won (a Pulitzer special citation) and it just so happens that a new Bootleg Series was announced, just yesterday. (Scarily buried in my subconscious, no?)

Here's the story.

Track listing looks pretty awesome. I'm assuming these are alternate takes or demos.

When will we get a Bootleg Series version of BOTT? 'Til then, I'll settle for NAC001.

Inception

Since I was rather "blah" on the movie, I'll comment on the music. Kinda funny that Maria Cottilliardwhatever was in the movie and they used an Edith Piaf song as part of the plot.

GWAR - I Am Not A Fucking Amateur

"I've been in Texas for a while now, and WHERE IS ALL THE CRYSTAL METH?" Pretty funny seeing GWAR at a Mexican restaurant...

I Have Dreams Like This

Here in Asheville . . .

. . . it's July — and every July we host a three day arts and music festival occupying downtown. It's called Bele Chere and people hate it. Businesses close while the rest of Western North Carolina vomits on their door step. The crowd is loud, smelly, and slimy — boobs (of both breeds) are everywhere. Tax payers foot the bill for "kick-ass" southern rock bands, some are even "country fried." But the worst part? The Dialogue. Year in, year out, its the same milky display of sideshow rage. It steals revenue. Damns gays. Distracts police. I hate fat people. The yuppies go to West Asheville (for the first time) and every restaurant dumbs down their food (but marks it up). Yet amidst all the goof and glory, the fine folks at Mountain Xpress insist on embracing it — and do, in flying — sometimes existential — colors. My (other) buddy Jaye reports.

Double Rainbow!

Top Quotes From My Bachelor Party in the Bahamas

1. Dude, did you take my shorts?
   

2. Can I borrow a pair of underwear?
   

3. Sir, you've had your fun now get off the speaker before you hurt yourself.
   

4. Four fingers of whiskey, please.
   

5. Long hair don' care!
   

6. Gimme them nipples!
   

7. Where's Beecher?
   

8. I've never kissed a white boy before
   

9. I'm 17
   

10. Get Sexy like a Pepsi
    

11. The Big Bamboo is long and hard
    

12. Gaycation!
    

13. The nipple buffet is now open.

Breakfast Meats

It's rare that a weekend will go by where Emily and I don't fry up some bacon. Sometimes we make breakfast sandwiches (a very fine art), sometimes the bacon is a side to some pancakes, and sometimes the bacon is just awesome by itself. We've also saved the "drippings" on account of my New Mexican cook book, which calls for many things to be "browned" in bacon drippings.

I'm quite fond of breakfast meats, like bacon & sausage. However, one must tread cautiously; any bacon that boasts itself as microwaveable should never be consumed. Also, none of this Turkacon. Bacon should be thick, a little fatty and be cooked with both crispy and not-so-crispy elements. Sausage is a switch hitter though, tasty in both link and pattie forms (and otherworldly when added to gravy). Not only are bacon & sausage delicious, but they serve as a great alternative sopper if you don't have a biscuit, toast or some other more traditional sopping side.

What other breakfast meats are there?

For one, there's the mysterious & legendary loaf called Scrapple.



There's also this guy, which can be tasty when it's fried a little and eaten with over-easy eggs.



Of course you can't forget this heart stopper.



And an also very course-versatile meat, eaten alone, on biscuits, or soaked in egg yolk...the forever salty country ham.



UPDATE: I forgot two major players...

S.O.S. as we referred to it, shit on a shingle, ala cream chipped beef.



And... the mighty, mighty, Corn Beef Haaaaaaaaaaaaa....sh.

Dylan Goes Electric - Again

Say it ain't so, Bob! ;)

NSFW

Chasing More Balls Around on a Field

One man's boot in the face is another man's studs to the chest.

Chasing Balls Around On A Field

Futbol studs and prosthetic legs... the new weed grinder? Always remember though, try not to sneeze while you're doing your rolling.



This goes out to the idiots who insist that soccer is a game for [insert insecure compensation slang here]. Ok, granted, they don't line up every few minutes and run into each other as forcefully as possible.

AMERICA!

A Politic of Boredom

Twas atop a mountain
with mold in my belly, two gloves and a ball
where eye find the American eye cannot

Or from seasons first
in the unjusted den they call Rodeo
where eye took to the washroom and wept

Not for romance
but for star bangled manner
— the pain of being man 'fore one other man's stand

Twas not the grass eye itch
but sacred cow and play on stage
— rope and teleprompted prayer

Lonely come Patriot
my country play for me
— eye fear eye can, owe one debt to thee

Happy 4th Weekend

Remember when America did cool shit?! Click the link in the video. See you tomorrow, J.

Closing Time

It took me a while to appreciate Rivera. Now in my post baseball days and being a former closer myself, I've had the "Rivera question" posed to me on a few occasions. This is a great explanation. You must appreciate that virtually no one else in baseball throws this pitch, so hitters just simply aren't used to facing this type of movement. Also, this cutter is an extremely difficult pitch to throw. In pitching, you're taught to remain relaxed and loose on the ball. The amount of space that exists in between your palm and the ball will determine a pitches velocity, and your grip can determine the movement. Applying pressure with certain fingers is counter intuitive. Many pitchers get great movement on their fastballs, like Greg Maddux, who is a pitcher that survived and flourished for many years throwing virtually one pitch, but mastering location and rhythm. His fastball however, "broke" naturally, fading and sinking into a righty and away from a lefty. Rivera's cutter is a paradox that comes as a result of his discipline and technique in applying pressure on the ball, most likely aided by his long fingers. Another pitcher who had long fingers and astounding "stuff," this guy.

It Might Get Loud

I found this trailer for "It Might Get Loud" on my friend's blog, similarly titled "It's Not Loud Enough." Looks pretty, pretty, pretty good.

The Black Stars

Zoo York

DEATHBOWL TO DOWNTOWN "Soul Artists" from Six Stair on Vimeo.

North Korea Destroys Brazil 12-0 in World Cup Play

With the closed and censored news of North Korea's State News Agency, I can only imagine how the match between North Korea and Brazil was reported on State television yesterday. If previous news stories about Kim Jong Il are any indication, I imagine my headline may not be too far off:

1. Kim Jong Il is the best golfer in history. Tiger Woods isn't fit to tie his golf shoes or clean his clubs. Kim shot a 38 under par, complete with eleven hole-in-ones in his first time golfing.
2. A true renaissance man, Kim Jong Il has also flown fighter jets and has written several operas.
   
3. According to school texts, When Kim Jogn Il was born there were spontaneous rainbows seen throughout North Korea and Spring came early in February.
   
4. Little children are taught that Kim Jung Il doesn't produce urine or feces; he transcends those basic human functions.
   
5. Kim Jung Il defies the inevitability of aging by injecting himself with the blood of virgins.

The entire team, called "Chollima" (a winged mythical horse) by the North Koreans is being sequestered behind the tightly guarded gates of a remote hotel in northern Johannesburg. Even their meals are brought in from North Korea; we wouldn't want the devil Americans to poison their food and ruin their chance at winning the World Cup. After all, when the soccer team losses some of the players are sent to coal mines as punishment for their poor performance on the pitch. Even worse, according to the AP, "some of the feted players from the 1966 team were said to have been sent to one of North Korea's infamous labor camps for squandering a promising 3-0 lead to lose to a Eusebio-led Portugal in the quarterfinals."

Success and failure is a State matter, so it's a good thing the team performed so well against the Brazilians, not because it's good for soccer, but because it's good for the lives of these young athletes.