Deep Thoughts
Current mood: pensive
Category: Life
Listening to my iPod while riding my stationary bike, I just had a sad thought. The song that was on was "Ellen West" by Throwing Muses. For those of you (most) who don't know the song, there's a line, "Calling Ellen West, dancing on your grave..." And it got me to wondering about who Ellen West was, why she was dead, and was she a real person. Could be drugs, suicide, murder, or just natural causes. She could be her 90 year old grandma. I dunno. But it made me think of people I knew who had killed themselves when I was younger.
There was a girl, Britney, a friend of friends. She seemed way too cool for me. She was a couple years older, had her own apartment, was friends with everyone I could have only dreamed to hang out with, but for some reason we became friends for a short time. She even had me thoroughly convinced that I should run off to New York with her to attend F.I.T. She was going to be a design student and I was going to study milinary arts! We were going to be bestest friends and roomies and be the coolest chicks ever! I really believed it would happen -- she was that convincing.
It never did, of course, and our brief infatuation returned from whence it came, and she was again relegated to friend of friends status, and then she killed herself. I was sad, but not as sad as I'd have been (then and forever) if it had happened a year or so earlier.
As I was riding my bike, 15+ years later, I thought about her. I thought about the mutual friends, and the one who had her image tattooed on his arm. I thought about our grand plans for New York, her teeny stature and her enormous brown eyes. I caught glimpses of her apartment and her clothing and hair. But then -- I couldn't remember her last name. That made me really sad. Who knows what she was going through that would make her commit suicide, loneliness, unhappiness, heartbreak, betrayal, fear... And I wonder, if she knew then that all these years later, someone whose life she touched so briefly would be hanging around the house, riding her bike, a bit messed up, feeling so dreadfully guilty about not remembering her last name... would that have stopped her?
I was compelled to get up and write this immediately before I forgot about it, and as I got about 30% through, I remembered her last name! No need to mention it, if you know her, well then you know who I mean. I feel better now, not that it changes anything.
Currently
listening
:
The Real Ramona
By
Throwing Muses
Release date: 2008-02-20
I ate Violet Candies (and chewed the gum) constantly throughout my Junior and Senior years of high school. They remind me of my friend Aimee, our mutual obsession with T. Rex, and our love of "October Weather." I just ate one, and it's bringing it all back! Holy J. Crew Striped Turtleneck! It's 1988 again!!!
Currently
listening
:
The Collection
By
Ultravox
Release date: 1990-10-25
Should Peter Murphy Fail to Fall Apart...
Current mood: cheerful
Category: Music
I think that I've seen Peter Murphy perform more than any other artist(s) besides Redd Kross. Once with Bauhaus in 1998, and solo in '92, '95, '00, and last night. He is definitely a showman; he still jumps around, twirls in a circle, and bends in half, arms outstretched like wings. That's one thing he's not losing. Unlike his hair. He's had the receding hairline for years, and I suppose he's been thinning on top for awhile too, but I guess I've just never had a bird's eye view of his head before...
He played at the House of Blues, where my boss is a member of the Foundation Room. He's always told me to let him know if I go to a show there and he'll put me on the list. Well last night, I finally remembered to tell him I'd be there. I didn't really care about the fancy digs themselves, I just wanted access to the balcony seating. In spite of what my crappy camera phone pics tell you, they are really great seats. No one's big head in your way, no pushing or shoving or B.O. or spilled beer. Just a front row seat with a clear and close view of the whole stage. And watching Peter perform from above was an amusing, wonderful, enlightening new experience!
For one thing, I noticed that oddly, he's less sinister looking from above. I suppose the way the shadows play on that bone structure when you're looking up at him adds to the mystique. From above though, he looked more like an elf or a leprechaun or something. Of course, it's hard to be sinister when you spend half the night doing the pogo and twirling in circles like a child . That's one of the great things about him. Many of his fans may be so gothasfuck that there are bats swarming above their heads, but Peter clearly doesn't take himself too seriously. (I think I figured that out in 2000 when he started talking like a Valley Girl on stage. And then a friend of a friend saw him on a roller coaster screaming like a little girl.) But when he had his back to the crowd and was doing his swaggery, hip shaking sexy strut/dance, that balding head just immediately canceled out all the sexiness.
Now, I'm not complaining about baldness. On the right person, it can be very hot (-- right Mrs. Shreck?). But Peter's just not embracing it. He still wants to have hair, and it doesn't work. Once he gets hot and sweaty, it either sticks to his head or sticks up, and he looks like he needs to be in a straitjacket in a white room somewhere. I wish he'd either just shave it or get transplants or a weave or something. He still has the pipes though. The pipes, and the limberness of Nadia Comaneci. And the piercing blue eyes. And cheekbones that will cut you up if you're so close. (ha! haha! I slay myself.)
Last night, he did a whole Question & Answer session with the audience, but unfortunately, my friends and I couldn't understand a word he was saying. I don't know if he was mumbling and talking too fast, or if the sound in the balcony just wasn't that clear. I suspect the latter.
My friend Laura and her friend Delores had earlier told Annette that they'd heard that he was covering Joy Divison's "Transmission," and that he was even doing a little Ian Curtis dance. Needless to say, Annette was ecstatic (JD being her fave fave), and he finally did it during the 2nd or 3rd encore. The Ian Curtis dance was adorable too. He covered Bowie's "Be My Wife," which I found an odd choice; and he threw a bit of "Quicksand" into one of his own songs (I forget which one). He also slipped parts of "Bela Lugosi's Dead" into one of his own songs. And strangely enough, he started singing "Riders in the Storm" during an instrumental bit. Very amusing. He did a couple of songs off the new Bauhaus album, and a couple of Bauhaus oldies ("She's in Parties" and something(s) else that escapes me at the moment). All in all, it was a fantastic show. I'm so glad I saw him again, and I hope it's not the last time. Though I hope next time he does something about his hair!
Afterward, we hung out near the bus with some people we knew and some we just met. He came out, reluctantly signed a few autographs, and I managed to snap a very blurry shot of him. I wish my camera phone didn't suck quite so much!
And also, he moonwalked, which was really funny and cute!
Currently
listening
:
Deep
By
Peter Murphy
Release date: 1995-06-20
This morning, I was reading the obituaries, as I often do, and I came across one that made me stop and read it a few times:
LIRETTE NOEL C. LIRETTE After almost twenty-eight years of living, laughing, loving and celebrating, Noel Christopher (Chris) Lirette was unable to find his way home and died on August 19, 1977. He will be forever remembered as a loving, and compassionate man who loved and trusted everyone. A memorial service will be held at Westlawn Cemetary in Gretna, La on Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 9:00 am with the Rev. David Baudoin officiating. Chris was a native of Marrero, La. and is survived by his wife Elizabeth Gautreaux Lirette of New Iberia, La.; his son Shawn C. Lirette of Lafayette, La.; and his daughters Michelle L. Solar and Wendy C. Lirette also of New Iberia, La.; five grandchildren; his brothers Houston Lirette Jr. of Augusta, Ga. and Michael Lirette of Milton, Fl.; his sisters Eunice L. Gambino of Marrero, La., Peggy L. Johnson of Lexington, Tn., Kathleen L. Ussery of Sussex, Wi., Sherrie L. Barber of Cumming, Ga. and many nieces and nephews whom he dearly loved also. Chris was preceded in death by his parents Houston S. Lirette Sr. and Eunice Brunet Lirette, and one brother Eugene Lirette.
Our paper often prints memorials, so I briefly assumed that's what it was, what with the 1977 date. But after rereading it, I could only conclude that he must have been missing, and his body was recently found. So I googled him, and sure enough, he had been missing since then.
Weirdo Transvestite
Current mood: amused
Category: Travel and Places
I haven't written about my trip to Austin with Jackie and Annette because it was just so fantastic, words could hardly do it justice. We had a great time exploring the city, visiting several cool shops, restaurants and bars. We had a blast hanging out and laughing our collective ass off with Bethany and Chris. We rode in a pedicab to escape an extra friendly homeless man, and had superb BBQ with Jackie's friend Rene. We got pedicures together (how girly of us). We drove past my dad's childhood home. And we laughed more than any of us have in ages -- especially at the Eddie Izzard show.
I can't talk about it. I don't want to spoil anything for Miss K and Tracy. Suffice to say that it was worth every penny spent on the trip. And I am overjoyed that he added a NOLA date to the bill so that I can see him *again.* The best part is that I get to take my nephew, who will be returning from Italy just in time! He was very envious that I was getting to see Eddie, but now he can too. Yay!
We took a cab downtown before the show in time to get an early dinner and have a few drinks. While we were sitting at the restaurant, anticipating seeing the Executive Transvestite, we had the rare privilege of seeing a real, bonafide Weirdo Transvestite! The first thing I saw bobbing past the window was the bushy grey ponytail and the blue tooth earpiece. It seemed a little bit incongruous, so I kept watching as he passed the glass door. I was completely shocked to see the fake boobs -- they didn't look like any kind of implants or silicone padding devices I've ever seen. They were more like the tops of Leggs Eggs sticking out of his skin-tight shirt. Upon seeing this spectacle, I got Jackie's & Annette's attention, so that when he walked past the door, we all witnessed the denim cut-off jean thongand the super saggy, wrinkled old ass!!! The guy was probably in his 60s, which is far beyond the age one should be showing one's ass on a public street. He wasn't wearing any makeup, nor was he otherwise adorned with anything fancy. Just an old guy, with his cut-off thong, silly fake boobs, and blue tooth earpiece. For some reason, the earpiece was the cherry on top!
More thoughtful iPod survey.
Current mood: distractable
Category: Quiz/Survey
Song Number 1 (name and artist): "The Supermen" David Bowie
Your favourite lyric from this song: " Nightmare dreams no mortal mind could hold"
Does this song have any bad memories attached? it really has no memories attached at all.
What genre is this? Bowie is a genre unto himself.
~~~~
Song Number 2: "Tracy Jacks" Blur
What's the last line of this song? "But it was always overrated "
Have you ever seen this artist live? No, and sadly, I didn't even see Damon's latest project The Good, The Bad, and the Queen several months ago when they were here. I heard very few people showed up. I'm such a moron!
Who does this song make you think of? It just makes me think of Damon and how cute he is.
~~~~
Song Number 3: "Fade to Grey" Visage
What's the first line of this song? "Deperir a gris - deperir a gris."
Where did you first hear this song? MTV in the 80s
How about the first time you heard the artist? MTV -- the video was so weird and cool and New Wave in such a dark, weird, fashiony way. Steve Strange in his cool purple makeup, the red lips, the wonky eyebrow, that black stuff on his face... I just loved it, of course. I'm sure it's in no small way responsible for my whole guys in makeup thing... Here's the video for you!
~~~~
Song Number 4: "Waiting for the Night" Depeche Mode
Which friend could this be a theme tune for, and why? Why Mrs. Shreck of course! So she can go down into the village in search of virgin blood!
Write down the chorus:
I'm waiting for the night to fall I know that it will save us all When everything's dark Keeps us from the stark reality
I'm waiting for the night to fall When everything is bearable And there in the still All that you feel is tranquillity
Why do you like this song? It's quiet and eerie, and I like the keyboards. It's very mood-inducing. I suppose it reminds me of the way I felt when I was 14, and hanging out in my room with candles and blacklights and incense, and feeling all arty and angsty and misunderstood... I really do prefer night (dark) to light anyway.
~~~~
Song Number 5: "Precious Moments" The Posies
What kind of film would you choose this as the theme for? A quirky bittersweet indie film
Who introduced you to this artist? Literally? Ha! That would be my friend Laura Ferrara. Back in those days, my reputation as a Redd Kross "fan" (read: stalker) preceded me. Within 1 minute of Ken talking to my friend and me, he said "Wait! Are you those crazy girls who are obsessed with Redd Kross?" Haha. Yes, yes we were.
Best part of this song: the fact that when he says "the endless foil" in the second line, it sounds like he's saying "the loomis foil" which is something from "Spirit of '76" which is a ridiculous, but funny movie starring Redd Kross! ~ooooo~
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Song Number 6: "Wish it Would Rain" Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.
The fourth line reads: "and birthday parties, fun and games with donkeys' tails"
Is it one of your favourites? Why? actually, I love the album it's from, but it's not one of my favorites tracks. It sounds more like a missing Jellyfish track than the others, and some of the others are just fantastically amazing.
~~~~
Song Number 7: "No Thugs in Our House" XTC
How long have you been listening to this artist? The first time I heard them would have been on MTV in the 80s, the video for "Senses Working Overtime." I've always liked them, but I've never been heavily into them. I only recently downloaded this album.
What's the cover look like on the album this came from? It's a depiction of the Uffington White Horse (wiki quote) "The Uffington White Horse is a highly stylised prehistorichill figure, 374 feet (110 m) long, cut into the turf of the upper slopes of White Horse Hill in the Englishcivil parish of Uffington"
What's this song about? Parents being in denial that their son is not the good innocent boy they raised him to be, but is in fact, a thug.
Has your favourite song come up? Well, after XTC, Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes" came up next. I have no absolute favorite Bowie song, but this would be in the top 10 for sure. And weirdly enough, Steve Strange (from Visage, see above) is in this video...
Currently
listening
:
Scary Monsters
By
David Bowie
Release date: 1999-09-28
Do you find this offensive...or am I just getting old?
Current mood: disgusted
Category: disgusted Food and Restaurants
Last night, Steve and I went out to dinner at a popular local Mexican place (Taqueria Corona in Metairie for those of you who know it). The restaurant is family-friendly, but it's not a "family restaurant" per se. There were about 10 or 12 tables -- mostly couples. One couple had a little baby in a high chair with them. Then there was the family sitting behind us, 2 kids (around 4 & 5), their mom, a grandma, and another grandma-aged woman.
Now I have no problem with people bringing their kids to restaurants if they are reasonably well behaved. But last night, it was the grandma, who in my opinion, wasn't well behaved...
There was a big screen TV hanging on the wall showing the NBA Playoff game between Philadelphia and Detroit. Personally, I don't give a crap about sports, but Steve likes Detroit and will keep an eye on their games if he can. And there were several other men in the place, including at least one employee who were also keeping an eye on the game. As Steve said, it was Sunday -- Sports Day. I expect that in bars and restaurants around here.
Well, Grandma saw one of the employees who appeared to be a manager type, and told her granddaughter, "it's the Remote Man." The man approached the table at Granny's urging and she told him that her granddaughter wanted to know if he would change the channel for her. He agreed, and asked what channel she wanted. He flipped to the station, and Hannah Montana was just starting. So now, a restaurant full of adults was made to watch it (unless they chose not to look at the TV, but it was so huge, every table had a clear and obvious view of it), and several of them had been watching the game. Then, the two kids got up and sat on stools at the counter so they could see even better.
Not that I hate Hannah Montana so much that my skin was going to melt if her show was on, but I just found it extremely presumptuous of that woman to do that. I was quietly complaining to Steve about her for the next few minutes while eating my dinner. After about 15 or 20 minutes, I noticed that basketball was back on. I didn't norice the switch, but obviously, the employee who was watching the game put it back on.
No sooner had I noticed than Grandma noticed too. She spotted the manager again, and loudly announced, "THERE'S Mr. Remote Man!" He walked over, looked at the screen, and said "Oh, someone changed it?" And Granny asked him to please turn it back. He said something about having a 6 year old of his own, and flipped it back to Hannah. I was really ready to hurl my bowl of beans at her head.
When I was little, no parent or grandparent of mine EVER would have indulged me like that. I honestly didn't hear a peep out of either of the kids. And other than moving to the barstools, they didn't do anything that made me raise an eyebrow. But if their Granny always treats them that way, they are going to grow up with an unjust feeling of entitlement. And their mother did nothing to discourage any of it.
So am I the only one? Or do you all agree that Granny's behavior was presumptuous and rude?
The American Voting Public
Current mood: ashamed
Category: News and Politics
Yesterday, I was at lunch with Jenni, and at the table next to us were two couples in their late 40's early 50's. One of the women -- to look at her and the way she was dressed, I would have taken her for a snooty Republican with a summer home in the Hamptons. So I was shocked to hear what she had to say.
I wasn't eavesdropping, but I could tell they were talking about politics the whole time. One of the men declared that Obama is going to win the nomination and went on to give his reasons. But then that woman said she was going to vote for Hillary anyway. Well, our primary was months ago, so I didn't know what she was talking about. I guess no one else did either, because she went on to say: "Well Obama might get the nomination, but you can still vote for Hillary anyway." She said it like she was explaining a simple and obvious fact to a child. One of the men clarified how things worked, and she seemed genuinely surprised! "Really? I can't? I thought I could!" I was floored.
Phil informed me a few weeks ago, that Parkview Tavern was planning to have an Art Market. There are a lot of artists who hang out at the bar, so it made sense. I decided to participate, though I didn't have much new stuff to sell. Just two new things really.
When I got there, I found out that aside from Phil and me, Bridget and Colin were participating as well. I think there were 12 or 13 artists altogether, selling a variety of items. I had a great time, made some new friends, and sold one piece for the bartered down price of $125! Last time I was in a group show, the one thing I didn't want to sell, which I priced $50 more than everything else, was of course one of the two things to go. Same with Saturday. I'd marked the piece at $200 simply because I didn't want to let it go yet. But a friendly girl from New Jersey just absolutely fell in love with it, wrote down my email and number in the event that she couldn't stop thinking about it, then eventually came back and bought it. Yay!
Here are the pictures from the event.
This is the piece that sold. Sadly, I never managed to photograph it before [[iframe]]d it. And you can see my reflection in the glass. Haha.
A blurry view of the top of my table.
The front view of my table. It would have been nice to have easels or have them hanging, but this was my first time at a market. Next time I'll know better.
Colin sitting with his display (except the big one next to him, which isn't his).
Phil's display area.
Bridget's photographs.
Someone else's stuff -- I'm not entirely sure whose... Phil?
More from Colin. Steve wanted the orange cat, but someone bought it. And Mel painted the flowers in the toilet. Her only thing, she's never even painted before, and it sold!
Another view of other people's stuff.
There were two guys who showed up after I took these pictures, and I really should have photographed their stuff. One guy made these beautiful handpainted religious medals which you can see here. And another man made little sculptures of Mardi Gras Indians out of used paint tubes, beads, and other little things. They were so inventive and cheerful, and it was the first time he's ever sold a piece of art in his life. I had to give him double high-fives for that!
Anyway, the people who organized it said they want to do it again, and I am definitely going to get in on it. I just have to come up with some things that are smaller, quick, and affordable. For those of you who are familiar with my magnets, I'm thinking I might do those again (little bitty individual hi-d arts on a magnet!). 'Cos people really want to buy things, but they aren't all willing to shell out $100 or more.
pensive
cheerful
. That's one of the great things about him. Many of his fans may be so gothasfuck that there are bats swarming above their heads, but Peter clearly doesn't take himself too seriously. (I think I figured that out in 2000 when he started talking like a Valley Girl on stage. And then a friend of a friend saw him on a roller coaster screaming like a little girl.) But when he had his back to the crowd and was doing his swaggery, hip shaking sexy strut/dance, that balding head just immediately canceled out all the sexiness. 
cold
amused
distractable
ashamed
creative
