Well, hopefully I'll be able to get thru the rest of the weekend without doing any further mischief to myself. Last night I sliced my thumb on the mandoline. Just about exactly after I thought "hey, I shouldn't be holding this in my hand while I slice it; I could get cut." Then this morning I managed to stab myself with a pair of pruning shears. I guess I could blame it on Mercury being retrograde. Except I don't believe in that shit. I could blame it on being sleep deprived and stupid. I did only get 4 hours of sleep on Thursday so there might be something to that. Or maybe I'm just a klutz.

I'm thinking I may give up on the Fashion Show (aka Bravo's FU to the Weinsteins and Project Runway). I love Isaac and there have been some moments but the show's just missing something and the designers really haven't grown on me all that much. I'll give it one more week but once Top Chef Masters starts up I might switch over to that. There's a limit to how many reality TV shows I wanna be following.
That said, there were a couple of fine moments tonight. Miss Kelly Rowland attempted to out-diva Isaac. Did not work and that is not gonna happen. And to prove the point, later in the show Mizrahi hand-waved away the president of Manolo Blahnik USA as tho he were an annoying gnat of some sort. George Malkemus (who was a guest judge) was trying to make a point about how one of the designs in the bottom two was very saleable and he knew because his background was in sales etc etc. And Mizrahi just cut him off with the observation that this was not Top Salesman. Already this season we've learned that this is not Top Seamstress either. And I assume it's also not Top Scallop.

XDU wrrld music top 10 (week ending 24 may 09)

Infinity :: Warsaw Village Band
Dabke 2020 :: Omar Souleyman
Latin Disco :: various
Nu Made (Remixes) :: Balkan Beat Box
Ume in the Middle :: ON Ensemble
Ven Baila Conmigo :: Latin Giants of Jazz
Hidden Melodies Revealed :: the Sway Machinery
Sleepwalking Through the Mekong OST :: various
La Guerra No :: John Santos y el Coro Folklórico Kindembo
Black Diamond :: Buraka Som Sistema

this week's video feature: Dengue Fever (from Sleepwalking Through the Mekong)

Apparently, Gary Bettman had the correct number of Cam Ward voodoo dolls cos the 'Canes just finished getting smoked, I mean absolutely beat down, by the Penguins in 4 straight.
On the upside, at least now the local sports talk radio stations will stop running their absolutely disgusting playoff promos.

Happy Towel Day!

Honestly, I have almost no idea how to deal with this. An actual three day weekend. I don't think I've been off on a holiday other than Xmas or Thanksgiving any time this century. So in honor of Memorial Day (and my extra day o' leisure), here's some vintage photo linkage: amazing 1918 photo of Iowa National Guardsmen forming a human Statue of Liberty (thanks to Ace Flyrite for the tip) and a shot (which would surely spur a national panic meltdown were it to happen today) of the Graf Zeppelin over DC

So it kept threatening to rain all afternoon but never got around to it. But it was always overcast enough that I never wanted to drag out the mower or any yard tools for fear of having to put them away in a mad dash if a downpour hit. Took advantage of that to knock out a couple of reviews for XDU -- the latest from Eva Ayllón (Queen of Afro-Peruvian soul, or so the label hype-sheet says, and based on this CD, I'm convinced) and MIDIval PunditZ. Good stuff and both recommended. Once the sun decided to come out I mowed some and continued the neverending war on weeds. Now I'm tired and contemplating which of Durham's fine takeout establishments will provide our evening meal.

In today's shocking news flash, Rick Santorum (remember him?) would like to remind us of an important fact about the party he reps: "we're not fashionable; we're not cool." Thanks for that news flash, cheese. That's right up there with Bill Kristol's recent admission that he's always been on Darth Vader's side.
And, yes, if you google "santorum" two of the first three results are the post-Dan Savage definition.

XDU wrrld music top 10 (week ending 17 may 09)

Dabke 2020 :: Omar Souleyman
Latin Disco :: various
Nu Made (Remixes) :: Balkan Beat Box
Por Favor Sucesso :: Liverpool
La Guerra No :: John Santos y el Coro Folklórico Kindembo
Ume in the Middle :: ON Ensemble
Sleepwalking Through the Mekong OST :: various
la Luz del Ritmo :: los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Ven Baila Conmigo :: Latin Giants of Jazz
Black Diamond :: Buraka Som Sistema

this week's video feature: Omar Souleyman

Question for the day: just how many Cam Ward voodoo dolls do you think Gary Bettman has? I'm guessing two -- one for home and one for the office.
It can't be a good sign that the first Penguins goal was scored by Satan.
In non-hockey randomness, we hit OnlyBurger for dinner last night. Actually I was planning to drive out to the Q-Shack for takeout but when I stopped at the bank machine I could see (and more importantly) smell the OnlyBurger truck right across the street. Excellent burgers (even if, sadly, they'd run out of bacon). He said they're planning to make that location (on Hillsborough, just across the street from the scary Kroger, in the parking lot of the strip mall where Taqueria Lopez used to be) their regular Monday dinner location.
John Cole has been en fuego on Balloon Juice lately but this takes it to a whole new level: LOLgalts!

back again... it's CabVolt Mondays (the eternal return)

Seems like just the other day that I went thru the house and made sure all the windows were open cos it was getting hot. So of course today I had to go back thru the house (granted, it's not that long of a walk) and close all the windows cos it's gotten cold. How weird to have it going down to the mid-40s in the middle of May. (note: I haven't checked weather records to see if mid-40s in May is unusual or not; as always, please, no wagering)

Good news, everybody: Martin Scorsese is apparently working on a Sinatra biopic. Not only does it have the potential to be a good movie, but it will possibly drive out (or at least into the direct-to-DVD market) the in-development Sinatra pic by Brett Ratner (director of the Rush Hour movies).

This afternoon I got off work early and did some shopping. One of my stops took me to the mall where apparently there's a new protocol. If you're dropping off or picking up someone, the thing to do seems to be to just stop wherever you are to let your passenger in/out. In the middle of a left turn? Blocking both lanes? No problem. Mall rules FTW.

Duck race!!! This Saturday down at ATC. The last one was a blast Here's Sarah's pics from 2007. There was no 2008 race. The only bummer is that I just found out about it today. Well, we'd heard about it earlier in the year but forgotten until today. So our grand plans to decorate a duck in advance will obviously not happen. Still... hundreds of rubber ducks. What's not to love?

XDU wrrld music top 10 (week ending 10 may 09)

Por Favor Sucesso :: Liverpool
Ven Baila Conmigo :: Latin Giants of Jazz
Hidden Melodies Revealed :: the Sway Machinery
Sleepwalking Through the Mekong OST :: various
Nomadak Tx :: Oreka Tx
It's About Time :: Orestes Vilató
Open Strings: 1920s Middle Eastern Recordings :: various
Black Diamond :: Buraka Som Sistema
la Luz del Ritmo :: los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Sara :: Abdoulaye "Djoss" Diabate

this week's video feature: Oreka Tx

So the NC General Assembly just passed a smoking ban in bars and restaurants. Yeah, I know, right here in North Carolina. Go fig. Anyway, someone I know mentioned this over on facebook and that set off a flurry of comments, including several by an aggreived smoker. Who seemed to be arguing that cigs shouldn't be banned because the gu'mint wasn't doing anything about cancer hazards like pressure-treated lumber or nail polish. How exactly that's an argument AGAINST a smoking ban escapes me. It's like saying the cops can't stop people from going 75mph on I40 so therefore it's okay for me to steal your TV.

Over at boing2 the other day, there was a nice post about John Heartfield. I first heard of Heartfield via the Siouxsie song "Mittageisen (Metal Postcard)" which was inspired by his collage "Hurrah, die Butter is alle!" (which I think was also the inspiration for Gang of Four's "Guns Before Butter").Obviously he was a huge influence on the punk collage scene (Winston Smith etc). And hack collagists like me.
I remember seeing some of his work in a gallery back in the day (can't find the gallery brochure but I'm thinking it was Gallerie St. Etienne in NYC where I saw the Hannah Höch show, as well as several by Sue Coe).

More Heartfield here and here.

Went to Hong Kong this morning (as far as we know, the only Chinese restaurant in Durham that does dim sum). Their posted opening is still 11am. But last time we were there, the place was pretty full and well into the swing when we got there just before 11. I believe someone told us they started at 10.30. But when we arrived this morning just before 10.30 there wasn't a table to be had. I think we're in yard sale territory. If they keep serving the people who show up before the planned start time, they're gonna end up starting at 8am. Anyway, one thing we learned today is that it's possible to make reservations. Next time for sure. One other thing we can learn from today (which, granted, may have been busier than usual due to Mother's Day and Duke graduation) is that Durham could clearly support another dim sum restaurant, at least on the weekends.

Bravo didn't waste much time getting their Project Runway clone on the air. The first episode of the Fashion Show aired this week. My early thoughts: sorely missing Tim Gunn or someone like him to fill the mentor role. I mean, I love Isaac Mizrahi but he's in the tricky position of trying to be Tim Gunn, Michael Kors AND Heidi Klum; I do not love his send-off line (buh-bye, darlin'); do like that they added what amounts to a Top Chef style quickfire challenge; after thinking about it, I agree with Sarah's take that a group challenge in the first week wasn't the best idea -- it feels like they're trying to do as many things that Project Runway never did to highlight the differences, but I think there are good reasons why PR didn't do certain things; too early to get much feel for most of the cast but I've already had about enough of wee jockey Merlin -- a bit too much bitchy aging queen (or: Waldo Lydecker on bad acid). Overall, it's got enough potential to get me to come back for the next episode. But so far it's no Project Runway.

Had dinner tonight at Saigon Grill w/ our friend Allison from Neighborhood College. Another great meal. This time I had vermicelli w/ pork and shrimp cake. Sarah had lemongrass beef, which came w/ noodles, big plate o' leaves, and rice paper. Sorta like DIY spring rolls. And Allison had clay pot fish. I had the iced coffee w/ yummy condensed milk again. But next time I have to get the salty lemonade. I had a taste of Sarah's and it was really good. We all agreed that we liked Saigon Grill a lot but were fairly "meh" on Kim Son. But we couldn't really articulate why.
In other local foodie news, Durham Arts Council is having a benefit dinner next Tuesday. Food by Dos Perros (!!) and it's one of the last events on the top floor of the CCB Bldg before they start turning it into a hotel. A bit splurge-y, yes, but I just cashed in the box o' loose change that was in the bedroom which totally covered the cost w/ some to spare.

XDU wrrld music top 10 (week ending 03 may 09)

Por Favor Sucesso :: Liverpool
la Luz del Ritmo :: los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Open Strings: 1920s Middle Eastern Recordings :: various
the Glorious Gongs of Hainuwele :: Harappian Night Recordings
Hidden Melodies Revealed :: the Sway Machinery
Ersen :: Ersen
Sleepwalking Through the Mekong OST :: various
It's About Time :: Orestes Vilató
Black Diamond :: Buraka Som Sistema
Off the Grid :: Chicago Afrobeat Project

this week's video feature: the Sway Machinery

Y'know, when the AP is gonna drop little gems like this -- "Media Bias for Obama? New President Gets Positive Coverage. See How It Compares to Clinton, Bush" -- I almost don't need coffee to get up and going on a Monday AM.

So many things wrong. Where to begin? First, there’s the assumption that all news coverage is partisan, that it couldn’t possibly be "positive" because there are more positive things to report. Sadly, given my thorough contempt for DC media, I wouldn’t be surprised if this were true. Also, they've conveniently forgotten that the media were wholly in the tank for Bush for most of his Presidency. Also also, I love that they’re supporting the case that there’s pro-Obama media bias by comparing to Bush, one of the most unpopular Presidents evah by the end. Srsly. That’s like saying that people are much more likely to write positive stories about lollipops than about a bowl full of broken glass a la mode. Hey, I hear people are much more likely to prefer a bowl of ice cream to a dose of SARS.

Lots of craziness yesterday but in the end a fine time was had by all. And today I shall do nothing. Nothing, I say. Well, I believe there will be some socializing. And some tacos. But productivity will be kept to a minimum. In other good news, strawberry season is in full effect at the farmers market. Must resist temptation to eat entire carton in one sitting.

For no reason in particular, a fave Banshees song (one for which I didn't even know there was a video until 2 days ago)