My buddy Adam Swinbourne, who is the evil mastermind behind lots of great artwork, including tons of shit over the years for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and this little gem (guess who?) -
- just informed me that Eric Davidson (founding member of the New Bomb Turks) is going to be participating in an evening called, "The Greatest Three-Minute Rock 'n' Roll Story Ever" at Matchless bar in Greenpoint (Brooklyn, NY). According to Eric's Facebook page (there is no info on it that I can find on the Matchless website):
"Hey Brooklyners, I've been asked to wax rhapsodic at this event, so come on down... Greatest Three-Minute Rock 'n' Roll Story Ever. Writers, rockers, and raconteurs telling three-minute stories about the best rock 'n' roll shows ever. Thursday, Feb. 11th, 8pm @ Bar Matchless 557 Manhattan Ave. Greenpoint"
Sounds like an evening worth attending. Here's some more information from the JDub Records website...
Stories from: Jami Attenberg (Author, The Melting Season) Justin Taylor (Author, Everything Here is the Best Thing Ever) Franz Nicolay (Musician/Writer, The Hold Steady/Complicated Gardening Techniques) Zachary German (Author, Eat When You Feel Sad) Adam Wilson (Managing Editor, The Faster Times) Nick Gazin (Artist, Vice Magazine) Franz Nicolay (formerly of The Hold Steady) Jens Carstensen (The Giraffes) James Yeh (Gigantic) Aaron Hartman (Old Time Relijun/Girls in Trouble) Kendra Grant Malone (Poet, author of the chapbook Conor Oberst Sex) Mike Conklin (L Magazine) Chelsea Hodson (poet) Lincoln Michel (Fiction writer, The Faster Times) Samuel Carter (Overflow Magazine) Derek Evers (Impose Magazine) Aaron Lefkove (Livefastdie/Liquor Store) Maura Johnston (Village Voice / The Awl) More TBA
As the purveyor of a website/blog about classic car culture, you might imagine that I'm probably semi-conflicted when it comes to my personal feelings about technology. It's not that I don't find it fascinating, useful or important, because god knows there are incredible things that happen in our world today that are a direct result of motherboards, processors, alternative fuels and stem cell research. My general "disdain for technology" (which is going to be a problem if I ever want to get a job designing apps for iPhones, I guess) is largely because the more we rely on the technology around us every day to do things for us, the more our brains rot into useless piles of mush that are reliant upon technology to do anything.
Some would argue that having technological devices around to take some of the weight off our ever more overburdened minds actually provides us an extra modicum of much needed free mental real estate. Our iBookBerryAlarmPhonePods keep all our daily menial appurtenances (what should I eat for dinner? What's that woman's phone number?) in order, so that we can ponder recreational things, like whether Dysgenics is actually a real issue worth addressing in our society or a made-up scientific-sounding term that racist people use to sound smart.
Perhaps one of my personal favorite "side-effects" of technology is the advent of the Podcast. Less that five years ago I was still that girl on the subway platform, trying to change mix CDs in my Walkman, multiple plastic discs on the tips of my fingers like olives, glaring disdainfully (ok, let's not lie here) jealously at the white earbuds of the other passengers nearby.
I will still proudly boast that I never spent a cent on my iPod (Xmas gift), but I instantly became a convert. First, I was relieved not to be carrying around half my CD collection in my already gargantuan purse, and secondly, when I can listen to hours of talk radio (not where you thought I was goin, was it!? Ha!) without a car or a radio...life has become truly perfect.
And that brings me to the point of this whole unintelligible mess of poorly though out sentences (and I'd also like to point out that having spent the last five years writing mostly on a computer has ruined my ability to spell without Auto Spellcheck, damnit. I used to be a grammar and spelling QUEEN.)....THE POINT - is that it just dawned on me the other day that I can listen to one of my favorite radio shows of all time...
That's right, Click and Clack, every morning with me on my underground commute to work. (And yes, I really did just realize they have podcasts like, two days ago.) My hour long ride is now much less like suffering in the a packed cattle car, soaked in urine and cheap cologne and more like sitting on the back porch with two imaginary gear-happy uncles beguiling me with their anecdotal automobile apologues. Previous sentence brought to you by Thesaurus.com.
Visit the Car Talk websiteto download episodes to stream the latest episode when you are stuck desk jockeying in your cubicle for a few hours, or head to Audible.com to download individual back episodes (for $.95 a pop or $3.95/$$19.95 for a monthly/yearly subscription) What could be better than trying to figure out hour after hour after hour what that eek eek eep noise in a caller's 1983 Ford Taurus before the Brothers Automotov do? Possibly nothing.
And when you've made your way through all the car chatter you can handle, check out these other podcasts that I can't get enough of:
:: Mobtown Ska Sounds - DJ Bobby Bobson brings you THE very best of old school reggae, Jamaican ska, dub, two tone and more straight out of good ol' Charm City (Baltimore). An hour of music, about one minute of talk. Just the way I like 'em.
:: Radiolab- Hosts Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad attempt to explore answers (or at least get you to ponder deeply) questions about everything in life worth questioning. "Bring your curiosity, and we'll feed it with possibility." This is hands down one of the most hilarious and well-produced science/philosophy/political shows I've ever listened to. EVAR. (Misspelling indended {meme reference}.)
:: This American Life - If you haven't already heard of this, well...you're way behind the times, maaaaaan. They even have a show on HBO now that you can instant-download episodes of on Netflix. Through humor, compassion, ingenuity and human interest, host Ira Glass takes you to many places in our great country each hour, but mostly to places inside your heart. (Heavy shit right there. It's no joke...I usually cry at least once an episode, but I'm probably 40% more overly emotional than everybody I know.)
So if you are still one of the many out there sans iPod - good for you! If you're still standing on the subway platform flipping stacks of polycarbonate plastic defiantly into your Discman, waiting for someone to think you're "so retro", most podcasts are available on CD too.
Finally got to see his exhibition tonight at the Tony Schrafrazi gallery in Manhattan...INSANITY! There is something that makes me feel like I'm in the presence of god when I stand within five feet of any of his paintings. The color! The light! The NEON! Oh the humanity...
Now I find out that he is one of two LA artists chosen to be in this year's Whitney Biennial, only one of the most (if not THE most) prestigious art shows to be held in the country.
Williams ruling your face in 2010.
And never forget, kids..."Derision finds its greatest success in those who attempt to avoid it." Words to live by.
Well, 2009 was a long, long, painful, awful turd of a year and I'm happy it's finally over. Already, 2010 started off well, with some random Peruvian dude at the corner store telling me he could tell I had "something special" inside and buying me a six-pack of Modelo and then the ATM spit out an extra $20 for my boyfriend...all literally by noon on New Years' Day.
Here's to better things to come in 2010 for everyone. Me? I quit smoking (four days and going strong), am getting my ass back into shape, being more pro-active about EVERYTHING and, as always, attempting to find time to blog more here about all things automotive (et al). We'll see how I do.
Wishing you the best (all three of you who read this blog regularly....)!!
