My apologies for the communications blackout but it was unavoidable. I sinceriously apologize if anyone was worried. I am safe and (relativly) sound here in muggy, flat, HOT and fucking Jewey south Florida... there's a Kaballah Center in nearby Boca Raton, for Chrissakes. I'm in Del ray beach, home of... nothing. Except Dunkin Donuts. They litter every street corner like hookers in a red light district. And I've fallen in love with them. (The Dunkin Donuts, not the hookers, that's just a schoolboy crush). I've completed the 90 day rehab program I entered (I'm 2 for 2!) and am "in transition" now, which means I need to find some shit job and move into a halfway house. In 3 to 6 months I'll be "allowed" to do whatever... except move back to Seattle. I know, but it's probably for the best. Seattle is just too dangerous a place for me to be, at least for a while. The compromise is this: Portland. It's close, doesn't suck too bad, and my beautiful sister lives there. So we'll still be seeing each other relatively soon... it'll just require a couple hours on I-5.
Books read recently: A Million Little Pieces, My Friend Leonard, An Unquiet Mind, Dry, A Wolf At The Table
Current listening: Gojira, Liz Phair, Lil' Wayne, Nas, M.I.A.
, The Frames
Movies watched: Scarface, The Departed, True Romance, The Zero Effect, and of course, Chinatown.
Current diet: Paper thin sliced Boar's Head Oven Roasted Golden Classic chicken breast with Provolone on wheat... and I'm still tipping the scales.
Tattoos desired: Flying whales and lotus petals (arms), Mongoose and Cobra fighting (torso), Sibling in Hebrew (knuckles)
Mail desired: Anything!
Jody Bardacke Wilson c/o Wellness Resource Center 7940 N.Federal Hwy, Suite 120 Boca Raton, FL 33487
(Can't receive calls yet)
I love you all.
(some more than others)
Jody Eugene Wilson
Currently
listening
:
Slip
By
Quicksand
Release date: 1993-02-09
Vote J.E.W. in ’08
Current mood: aroused
Category: Music
Check out my remix of Radiohead's "Nude"... I remixed it the old fashioned way, that is, just using the original tracks. I hope you like it. And I hope you vote. For me. Now. Then rinse and repeat...
Farrakhan
Current mood: Fighting Mad
Category: Fighting Mad Blogging
Taken from a bulletin comment addressing a video of Farrakhan trying to explain away his support for Senator Obama...
"Umm, WHAT? ARE YOU FCKING KIDDING ME? As a proud Jewish-American (By blood, not re-la-tion) I am disgusted by Louis Farrakhan and ANYONE who does not condemn his countless derogatory remarks about my people. Don't be mistaken, his remark that Judaism is a "gutter religion" is only the latest in years and years of unforgivable attacks on the Jewish people. I was truly moved by Senator Obama's words about Israel, Jews and the history of Jews and African-Americans in this country. Jews have been and are the biggest supporters of the civil rights movement in the history of our country. Jews and African-Americans fought side by side like by blood brothers in the south. Jews helped to create the NAACP. These are indisputable facts. Senator Obama said everything I could have hoped for and more, including his condemnation of Farrakhan's views on Judaism and his rejection of Farrakhan's support. If Senator Obama is your candidate, please watch the last debate and listen closely to his moving and eloquent thoughts on these issues.
If a dangerous demagogue, say one who hates African-Americans, endorsed Senator Clinton all of us with any morals and decency would be apalled. ASK YOURSELF: Why is it okay when it's the Jews who are being denegrated? Why are you okay with this? If you agree with Farrakhan, say it. Tell the world that you are an anti-semite. You have the right to believe whatever you please. But stop supporting Senator Obama. I can assure you that he doesn't want the votes of anti-semites. Maybe Ron Paul will run in the general and you can vote for him and his biggest supporter, David Duke.
This is a message to anyone that thinks it's alright to hate. This is not directed to you, Redd (the poster of this video). I have known you to be an upstanding gentlemen and you are a key component of my leaning toward Senator Obama. I have to assume that you do not condone Farrakhan's remarks. I appreciate the thrust of the Farrakhan speech in terms of his relationship to Senator Obama but let's be clear: This man is a dangerous demagogue and cannot be allowed a pass on his views of Judaism.
Thank you and G-D bless, Jody Eugene Wilson"
I don't like losing my temper but I'm making an exception for this shit.
I want to hear what people have to say about this... don't hold back.
Shalom,
Jody Eugene Wilson
Currently
listening
:
Saturnalia
By
The Gutter Twins
Release date: 04 March, 2008
The first song I heard on my Roman holiday was George Michael's "Careless Whisper". The city is all ancient ruins ( they're on the sides of the roads, across the street from McDonald's), glorious graffiti ( in related news, Britain's Bansy has "bombed" the West Bank with his ultra amazing stencil like graf), and beautiful people riding around on scooters. We are literally in the Jewish ghetto of Rome, once home to the entire Roman Jewish population. The city is not half as dirty as I was led to believe. Our hotel is the third nicest I've ever stayed in and the most affordable of the top three… the accomadations are swank, the bathroom all in black. After a short rest and dose of the BBC (the only channel in English), we set out to explore. We find shoes. We find suits, dresses… knock off watches and fountain pens. We see a gigantic statue of Bruno, an Inquisition casualty. We see churches, both massive and small. We see a great river. We see more scooters. We finally settle on a ristorante and sit outdoors under a heat lamp, the weather being quite temperate. I eat Carbonara (rigatoni, cheese, eggs and bacon), which is delicious. We retire to our rooms, me reading an old Elmore Leonard western from 1959 and fall asleep peacefully...
This morning I wake before ten (amazing) and meet Bee downstairs for a delicious breakfast. Afterwards we set out to find the oldest existing Synagogue in Rome. Once we found it (finding one's way around Rome is not easy) we were let into the museum underneath the Synagogue by an aging security guard who like many in this city did not speak English. We learned a great deal about Roman Jews (They were oppressed! Imagine that!) and saw a great many artifacts dating back to the 16th century. We were taken on a guided tour of the Synagogue which was the most grand and beautiful I have ever seen. Next we went looking for the Pantheon, which is also called the Basilica di Maria y Martyr. Don't ask me what exactly this is, for I am barely a funtional retard when it comes to history, Roman or otherwise. All I know is that a Basilica is a giant church. It too was grand and beautiful but in this case, Catholic. We then went to Trevi Fountain which was nearly beyond belief. The funny thing was that there were a million school kids hanging out there. I said to Bee "It's like if American kids hung out at the Washington Monument". Although, in retrospect, the Washington Monument blows compared to the Trevi Fountain. We wandered around some more and then decided to eat, in this case: Pizza. Now I know what I said about Pizza... I take it all back. Turns out, I'd fallen out of love with Pizza because I live in Seattle. Pizza is fantastic. Italian Pizza is particularly fantastic. I have never enjoyed Pizza so much. I love you, Pizza.
Grazi,
J. Eugene Wilson
Currently
listening
:
Two Drink Mike
By
Mike Birbiglia
Release date: 07 February, 2006
More news as promised... today is belated turkey day in Bee Lavender's Britain and it's sunny, cold and brisk outside. The house is full of pumpkin pies, giant roasting turkey, boiling and popping cranberries and other assorted items, not to mention warmth, love and holiday spirit. There is a slight air of tension/apprehension but so far, so good. We're expecting upwards of thirty guests in a house that's common area is smaller than my studio apartment... the claustrophobia continues. Pray for us.
In other news, after a brief 8 hours sleep (if you know me, you know this is scant) I arose to vending machine coffee in the student commons of Churchill College, part of Cambridge University, on whose grounds I am staying. The campus is gorgeous and I have taken many photos. I arrived at Bee's around 10 am (again, very early if you know my ways) and got (somewhat) to work on shelling walnuts, discovering the mysteries of making stuffing (harder than you'd think) and drinking a stiff cup of Byron's exceedingly strong coffee. Next we go to town for some final ingredients and then the coup de gras...
Other than all of that, I am having a most pleasant trip and am looking forward to Rome with great excitement. Bee and her family are delightful and I could not feel more welcome. Truly I am blessed by an awesome, terrible and sometimes generous G-D.
Until that day then...
I am,
Jody Eugene Wilson
Currently
listening
:
Gimme Fiction
By
Spoon
Release date: 10 May, 2005
Some of you may be shocked to learn that I am fleeing this once great nation. Even more will be shocked to learn that I am fleeing to a country with which I share blood, the country that birthed this one. No, I'm not going back to Israel... nor am I "going back to Africa" like the Klan used to tell me when I was little. No, I'm going to fucking England. "Why in the name of fuck would you do that?!" you may be asking yourself. Why indeed. The answer lies in my last blog... the answer's name is Bee Lavender, and not just by default, her beautiful family. They invited me to join them and their friends for a belated Thanksgiving in a country that has no need or use for such a holiday. I could think of nothing better than plucking the feathers from a freshly butchered turkey (this was part of the deal) in a foreign land where the exchange rate makes travel for an American both expensive and painful. Bee and I then came across an even better idea: use this trip as the launching pad for another. I looked at a map (lie) and picked Rome. That's in Italy (also a lie). Once in Italy, I expect to see old(ancient) stuff(ruins). I hear they don't have pizza. Good. Fuck pizza. I also know that wherever I go, people will talk funny. That's good, too, as funny talk makes me giggle. Bearing all that in mind, I ask you to pray to your phoney baloney G-D (unless it's the real one that I believe in) that my travels be safe and that the people of the continent treat me kind.
Good night and Good riddance,
Jody Eugene Wilson International Soldier of Fortune
My Favorite Author That I’ve Never Read
Category: Friends
Greetings.
I want to tell you about a person that has changed my life recently. Maybe I should have written this long ago but my sponsor always says things happen when they're supposed to...
Bee Lavender: Bee is one of my new best friends. We met this summer at a Karaoke breast cancer benefit, thanks to Laura Etling and the Almighty, who are often one and the same. Laura and I had just come from the Super Genius tattoo parlor where the brilliant Thomas (go see him for any tattoo needs you may have) had just finished the line work for my Chinatown tattoo. It was bleeding profusely and wrapped in Saran and upon our arrival at the benefit Bee promptly photographed it and immortalized it in her livejournal blog and at foment.net as well... read of our exploits this summer in her journal. But I digress. After I performed "Wanted: Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi in my delerium, Laura shoved Bee and I together and said to me "Ask Bee what she does!". I did. She reluctantly told me that she was an author. I responded that I don't read, which was a lie, and one that Ms. Lavender will not let me live down, in fact she often refers to me as a liar, which is not entirely accurate. From there we talked the night away, me hearing about her junkie aunt and the family trip to Disneyland and she hearing about my first meeting with my darling sister, also at Disneyland. Surely we talked of other things... well, at the Bus Stop later there was talk of relationships (hers and her husbands, etc.) and such and I eventually bid she and Laura farewell. I realized immediately that this person would make a great friend as she was very easy to talk to and VERY interesting. I set out to make her mine via internet, then through careful coaxing, the telephone, which she HAD an irrational fear of. Soon we were sharing nearly every meal and watching Deadwood and going out nights and eating ice cream (another one of her irrational fears). We became inseperable until she was to return to her home in Cambridge, England and I went on my trip to Israel. Just before she left I got to have dinner with her entire family AND Laura. Quite a treat. It seems very few are privy to such things and I am truly honored to be one of the few and the proud. There's a lot more to all of this, most of which you can find in her journals (and supposedly a big, fancy library in Britain), but I for one am going to save the best parts for myself.
Bee, in a very short time, has become one of the best friends I've ever had and anyone who knows me knows how much I love and care for her. I have been nominated by her daughter to be a guest of honor at their Thanksgiving festivities and I have accepted their gracious invitation. I can't wait.
Really/Truly,
Jody Eugene Wilson
Post-script- Bee hates Radiohead ("they're droning and depressing") which has made me love them all the more and I am going to force her to listen to their brilliant new album IN RAINBOWS... you can download it for free from their website but strike a blow for justice and pay 'em anyway. And send Bee a copy... in fact, bombard her with Radiohead. She'll thank us all one day.
This moment in time has been brought to you by the generosity of John Bergquist... look him up for the best in design and headhunting. He and I had been trying to formulate a plan to see Greg Dulli at the Triple Door here in Seattle. Johnny and I had been playing tag all week when finally we connected Wednesday morning...
"Hello?"
"I got bad news." he says...
"What?"
"Dulli's show is sold out." he says.
"I don't give a fuck. I'll get a ticket out front."
"I wouldn't do that."
"Why?"
"Because there's already a ticket waiting for you."
Johnny explained that with his newborn daughter Ava at home, he couldn't justify seeing a rock concert... even for charity. The charity in question was Seattle's own non-profit all-ages venue the Vera Project. This fine gentlemen gave me the particulars and we hung up, me smiling like I'd just hit the numbers. I was so impressed by John's generosity that I ran out and bought him a lovely gift from the Adidas store.
Thursday night. After rushing home to change into my fineries, I arrive right on time to be seated front row and just (stage) right of center. I ordered some stuffed calamari from the Wild Ginger and engaged my fellow solo traveler Tracy in a bit of light conversation. Tracy was a true fan of Dulli, dating back to the Whigs album Congregation. Before we could go into any detail, Tim Seely and his band came out to warm up the crowd. His voice, both rich and reedy, filled the hall and his songs were just the right mixture of joyousness, melancholy and romance.
Tracy and I talked a little more between sets, her telling me she worked for Getty Images, a stock photo company, and that she originally hailed from the midwest. I told her a little about me and confided that I'd foolishly forgotten my camera. She reached across the table and produced a nice, little digital and asssured me all was well. Just then the lights went down and Dulli and his band took the stage. Dressed all in black as I remembered him from a Brad show so many years ago, he took his place at a baby grand, announcing Jeff Klein on guitar, Petra Haden on violin and a cellist named Barbara.
The crack band slinked and slithered through new material and old while the synthetic stars glimmered on the back wall and Dulli's blood soaked, booze enriched, drug informed vocals resonated throughout the room and the audience. Every fraction of a penny of sharpness in his bends and every sly wink in his inflection moved the crowd from tears to elation to near orgasm. Klein and Haden performed remarkably well as well. Shawn Smith, estranged from Dulli since the first Twilight album, sat in on a few old Twilight songs and sang a few of his own, too. It all culminated in "Tonight" from the aforementioned Afghan Whigs album, Congregation... gorgeous, heartbreaking and oozing with sex. A short encore followed, met with a final bow and thunderous applause and what sounded like creatures baying at the moon. I said goodnight to Tracy and fled this place to be alone with this warm, tender feeling I had inside that I so desperately wanted to share with you.
That said, if you don't own Mr. Dulli's solo album, Amber Headlights, or any of the numerous works by the Twilight Singers or the Afghan Whigs, do yourself a big fucking favor... iTunes has all that good shit.
In the words of Jamie Foxx, "This ain't got shit to do with nothin'"... but I thought y'all might find it entertaining none the less. This was shot by my good friend Bee Lavender at the Crescent Lounge some time in August of this year. Also featured are the voices of the Crescent faithful and my dear, sweet Laura, friendly neighborhood Karaoke host. Enjoy...
Over the past few months I've seen more live comedy than I'd previously seen in my life. I have three relatively new friends that are local Seattle comics and I've been going out and supporting them as much as possible. The first, Jake Merriman, is a certified genius (certified by me). He did a set at Chop Suey's Laugh Hole comedy night this evening and he slayed the crowd in spite of the fact that he followed a very funny national comic from Last Comic Standing. Earlier that evening, Danielle Radford (a genius in her own right) destroyed the Comedy Underground, this time in spite of the rest of the comics doing everything they could to tire and disgust the audience with their inanity. Next week, our friend Soloman will be at the Wednesday edition of Laugh Hole and will no doubt kill in spite of being a non-Jewish Ethiopian. Look these folks up, check listings and get out and see this Eugenius approved comedy early and often.
Heil Funny!
- J. Eugene Wilson
post-script: I was recently turned on to an artist named P.O.S. thanks to his brilliant remix of Minus The Bear's "Drilling". I highly recommend both of this young man's brilliant albums. I for one can't take them off.
Currently
listening
:
Audition
By
P.O.S.
Release date: 31 January, 2006
Alphabet Aerobics Trois: Return of the Jewdi
Category: Blogging
I have returned safely to the country my passport says I live in but I left my heart in the motherland. Here's the wrap-up:
V. V is for vital statistics. Israel is home to some 6 million people, many of whom have lived there since before it's inception in 1948. The West Bank and the Gaza Strip hold another estimated 2 million Palestinians and Jewish settlers in what to this day remains disputed territory. We should all hope and pray that the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority and even Hamas have the good sense to throw down their arms, to create a new Palestinian state, and finally, finally, finally leave each other the fuck alone. Seriously, it's too hot for this shit.
W. W is for War! Huh! Good God, y'all! What is it good for? Absolutely nothin'! Say it again!
X. X is for marking spots, Israel being a fine one to mark if you're planning to travel in the foreseeable future. I suggest winter time when it will hover around a balmy 79 degrees.
Y. Y is for Y Not, as Slick Rick once said... and indeed, y not visit the most historically significant place on earth. At least once, for Christ, Allah and Yahweh's sake.
Z. Z is the end of the alphabet and thus the end of our little game. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask as I am brimming with tidbits to share with y'all.
Alphabet Aerobics Part Deux: Live From Jerusalem
Category: Blogging
Well, not really live, I just got back to Tel Aviv but I'm sure you intrepid readers will forgive me...
P. P is for Police Presence. Jerusalem has been at war for the better part of 50 years, whether being attacked by various Arab nations or suicide bombers and the police/military presence is palpable. Oddly, the city seemed very much at ease. Not me, though... I was very nearly soiling my trousers in that motherfucker. God sure picked a strange place to live...
Q. Q is for Queens of the Stone Age, which makes for a great soundtrack when viewing ancient ruins.
R. R is for Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish new year, a holiday that will bring everything in this little country to a screeching halt day after tomorrow.
S. S is for Survivalism, the first single off of the new nin album and a way of life here in the holy land... a way of life I've been lucky enough to be a part of for the last 8 days or so.
T. T is Tel Aviv, filled to the brim with the most beautiful women I've ever seen.
U. U is for Utai, one of my Israeli cousins. He came to nin with us having never even heard of them and nearly having a better time than yours truly. At one point he screamed "How do they do it?!?!?". I yelled back "I don't know!". "It's so unique!" he said. I nodded and continued to thrash about like a spastic.
I'll save the rest for next time, seeing as my little sister is angry because I'm monopolizing (my) computer. Until then...
Your friend in textiles and plastics,
Jody E. Wilson
post-script: wish my mom and her twin sister a happy birthday... today they turn 64!
Currently
listening
:
Movies for the Blind
By
Cage
Release date: 06 August, 2002
Alphabet Aerobics: Live From Tel Aviv
Category: Blogging
We join our hero 5 days into his journey into the Holy Land…
Lessons learned thus far:
A. People traveling aboard airplanes lose all sense of decency and sense upon entering an airport. They are unable to follow simple instructions, follow a rational train of thought, behave in a manner befitting a citizen of the world and they tend to act like giant dickholes.
B. Swelling appendages make for an uncomfortable flight.
C. Threequels suck.
D. Taking random photographs of signs in the world's highest security airport can get you shot up.
E. Just because you watch the weather channel does not mean you are meteorologist. Hot is not the same as hot in other countries. I nearly choked on my own barf when I stepped off the plane.
E1. Air conditioning is man's greatest invention… followed closely by Opium.
F. Food in foreign countries is like totally weird. I don't know what I'm eating half the time. But I do know what Schnitzel is now.
G. Never underestimate the effects of excellerated aging due to self-abuse coupled with jet lag. I started out sleeping 16 hours… now I'm down to 5. Thank you Allah for weird Euro-Asian bottled coffee drinks like "SHOCK!".
H. And never , ever underestimate the power of a foreign country to show you how good you've got it back home with your yankee rock music and fancy grocery stores. Halleluyah, Jesus!
I. I is for Israel… beautiful, awesome and dangerous.
J. J is for Jewish, Jody and juicy, delicious tropical fruit.
K. K is for the Ku Klux Klan. Those guys are jerks, which j also stands for.
L. L is for liquify. It's so hot my organs are liquifying as we speak.
M. M is for Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball. They're currently getting served in the euro tourney.
N N is for NINE INCH FUCKING NAILS. My sis, cousins and I saw them play to 5,000 screaming Israelis last night. Fucking awesome.
O. O is for OH MY GOD IT'S FUCKING HOT.
That's all for now. I must continue to purvey Tel Aviv's beautiful women, in fact the most beautiful I've ever seen and in such quantities as to make ones head and genitals simutaneously implode and explode.
We'll try to finish up the alphabet next week when supposedly the temperature will be dropping ten degrees. Praise Yahweh.
Your friend in the worldwide underpants revolution,
Jody Eugene Wilson
Currently
listening
:
Maroons: Ambush
By
Lateef & the Chief
Release date: 26 October, 2004
A few months ago I blogged about what was ostensibly the follow-up to this film, The Way of the Gun. Watching that movie and then in turn rewatching this one has me all hot and bothered for this Oscar winning writer's next film, Valkyrie. Even better is that the wunderkind director behind Usual Suspects, X-Men 1 & 2, Superman Returns and the long lost Apt Pupil, Bryan Singer, is helming Valkyrie as well.
Watching Suspects and Gun makes you wonder if dialogue can get any sharper than Chris McQuarrie's. And it's all staged and shot so deftly by Singer. This movie just bristles with energy from beginning to end.
I found myself wanting a prequel, a sequel, a cable tv series, some kind of spinoff in which I could see all these actors return the the glory they reflected and beheld in this flick. Remember when Kevin Spacey was good? And admit it, even Benicio has fallen off. Where the fuck is Gabriel Byrne? Barring Alec, is there a better Baldwin than Stephen? Is he dead or something? Regardless, a finer caper picture is hard to find in any era. Anyway, here's a great reworking of the trailer to Radiohead's "The Trickster"...
My friend Soylent Ape pointed this out in my last blog, now you too can bare witness to the insanity that is... Eekpocalypse Now.
..
Writers never ending quest to entertain the parent's of their youthful demographic has been taken to a new extreme here. I wonder if this kind of content effects the little ones...
aroused
