Month: June 2006

Mad Jack Kidd

elvis10 Comments

Hey, I like it. My pirate name is: Mad Jack Kidd Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Even though you’re not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr! Get your own pirate name from fidius.org. A […]

Hey, I like it.

Pirate Name-2

My pirate name is:

Mad Jack Kidd

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Even though you’re not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

A hearty lift ‘o the grog-flask to me fine wench Metis for sending’ it my way — ARRRRRRrrrrrrr!

No indifference – and now, the sixties

elvis2 Comments

I have to give ChelseaGirl some deep, wet kisses for pointing me to this site; the oddly named gentle indifference. “A compact disc-length compilation of relevant music from each calendar year dating back to 1960. Updated every Monday.” I just pulled down 1968: 1. All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix – 4:00 2. White […]

I have to give ChelseaGirl some deep, wet kisses for pointing me to this site; the oddly named gentle indifference.

“A compact disc-length compilation of relevant music from each calendar year dating back to 1960. Updated every Monday.”

I just pulled down 1968:

1. All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix – 4:00
2. White Room – Cream – 4:57
3. Piece Of My Heart – Big Brother & The Holding Co – 4:14
4. I Say A Little Prayer For You – Aretha Franklin – 3:36
5. The Way Young Lovers Do – Van Morrison – 3:18
6. I Heard it Thru Grapevine – Marvin Gaye – 3:10
7. I Wish It Would Rain – Temptations – 2:53
8. The Weight – The Band – 4:33
9. Mrs. Robinson – Simon and Garfunkel – 3:50
10. Stand By Your Man – Tammy Wynette – 2:41
11. Israelites – Desmond Dekker – 2:36
12. Say It Loud, I’m Black And I’m Proud – James Brown – 3:02
13. Everyday People – Sly and the Family Stone – 2:22
14. Days – The Kinks – 2:52
15. For Once in My Life – Stevie Wonder – 2:50
16. La La Means I Love You – Delfonics – 3:23
17. Crimson and Clover – Tommy James & The Shondells – 5:28
18. With A Little Help From My Friends – Joe Cocker – 4:55
19. Jumping Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones – 3:44
20. Hey Jude – The Beatles – 7:02
21. (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay – Otis Redding – 2:45

Which you can download here (Sorry, it’s sendspace – i don’t like sendspace but these mixes make it worth the trouble).

Even if you don’t download them, these are fantastic playlists. They’re pretty much all must-have songs from each year.

I’ve got bza’s mixes from 1970-1973, and just pulled down ’66-69. And I have to say, to a one they’re all brilliant. Alas, he doesn’t keep the others available for download so I can’t get the post-73 ones; I’d love to see what he’s got for the late ’70s and the 80s. But oh-my-god are the ones I have great. Keep on going, bza, these fuckin’ rule.

3.3 Beta

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We’re up and running on the final MT 3.3 release candidate. Fingers crossed, we may have a full release on it by the end of the week.

We’re up and running on the final MT 3.3 release candidate. Fingers crossed, we may have a full release on it by the end of the week.

Way to Go, Lewis

elvis5 Comments

SFGate has a fantastic writeup of my friend Lewis’ new book, The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop. Just as John Masefield’s classic poem “Sea Fever” captures the ocean’s age-old call, Lewis Buzbee defines the equally seductive attraction of the bookstore. Whether a sea of books or a large body of water, the siren call that each exerts is […]

SFGate has a fantastic writeup of my friend Lewis’ new book, The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop.

Just as John Masefield’s classic poem “Sea Fever” captures the ocean’s age-old call, Lewis Buzbee defines the equally seductive attraction of the bookstore. Whether a sea of books or a large body of water, the siren call that each exerts is undeniable.
     –Robert Walch, SFGAte

I’ll admit I haven’t read the book yet, it’s in my stack. I kind of want to get Lewis to autograph the thing first. But this book covers a lot of my old stomping grounds, Upstart Crow and Company in Campbell, Printers Inc. in Palo Alto; stores where my mother worked (She and Lewis were co workers, as well as life-long friends, and my mother is a key character in Lewis’ book).

I remember Lewis as the snide, intimidatingly funny almost-big-brother who used to go to rock concerts with us, who’d sit around smoking dope and playing trivial pursuit all night with my brother and I and my aunt. He was one of the people who made me want to be a writer, and one of the first people, outside the group of erotica writers I know, to whom I showed Wanton to; one of the people who told me that I wasn’t just a guy who could write hot porn, but that maybe I was actually as writer.

Here’s to Lewis, who’s been working for that dream since he was a teenager – the dream of being a writer. You’re there, man, and no two ways about it.

Non-Consent Tattoos

elvis2 Comments

Wow. From SFGate: A nurse measures one of the many insult tattoos inscribed on a woman’s body by her former boyfriend in Changchun, China. Zhou Jingzhi used a sewing needle dipped in ink to forcibly tattoo the woman and two lovers he was holding hostage. He has reportedly been sentenced to death for the deed. […]

Wow.

From SFGate:

N Pictures 2006 06 23 Tattoo

A nurse measures one of the many insult tattoos inscribed on a woman’s body by her former boyfriend in Changchun, China. Zhou Jingzhi used a sewing needle dipped in ink to forcibly tattoo the woman and two lovers he was holding hostage. He has reportedly been sentenced to death for the deed.

The whole story, what little I can find of it, is here.

Ya know, I’m big on the marking. That may not be news. I’ve got lots of fantasies about marking a lover, by ink or fire or blade. I’ve even shared certain fantasies of forcible marking with those who love the more, say, non-consent flavor of fantasy. You know – the movie Tattoo, which I recall as being lame but which I love in concept.

But what I don’t get? Insults. That one’s just a head-scrtatcher. The ugly scratchings.

I wish I could see more of this, though. I want to see all the marks and thier meaning. I’m perversely fascinated by the entire episode.

…than hell

elvis6 Comments

It’s hotter than hell, I still have not even caught up on all my email accumulation from last week’s vacation, I’ve got server issues at work and server issues here on the m’sphere (teach me to go fucking with unix groups without knowing what I’m doing). I’m havin’ a fucked up allergy attack from this […]

It’s hotter than hell, I still have not even caught up on all my email accumulation from last week’s vacation, I’ve got server issues at work and server issues here on the m’sphere (teach me to go fucking with unix groups without knowing what I’m doing). I’m havin’ a fucked up allergy attack from this damned weather, and I managed to break my sprinkler controller last weekend when I decided I should move it.

And did I mention that it’s hotter than hell?

All this adds up to not feeling at all like being in front of a computer, for work or play or creativity. So blogging’s gone by the wayside for a bit.

I need another vacation already.

On the bright side, I finally got my motorcycle out of the garage, cleaned, batter charged, and am riding again. It’s been months since I’ve ridden, and it feels really good, apart from the heat (see above.) I gotta not let it go so long next time. If it gets cooler, I’m thinkin’ I need to take off for the coast and just keep on ridin’ one of these days…

But not today. Because, you know, it’s hotter than hell.

twennyfour

elvis4 Comments

One thing. I want to be Jack Bauer. He gets to kill people. He gets to steal cars and point guns atg people and when he says Do it! NOW! people do it. When he says he’ll kill you, he fuckin’ means it. When he says I’m not going to shoot you, he doesn’t mean […]

One thing.

I want to be Jack Bauer.

He gets to kill people. He gets to steal cars and point guns atg people and when he says Do it! NOW! people do it.

When he says he’ll kill you, he fuckin’ means it. When he says I’m not going to shoot you, he doesn’t mean he won’t, just that he’s not planning to, yet.

Jack is the fucking man.

I’m watching the first season of 24 on DVD. One of the very best things about netflix; these gems that I missed the first time, like season one of Amazing Race, or Veronica Mars, The Mole, Deadwood.

I didn’t catch on to the glory that is 24 until this past season; day 5. And oh, god, why didn’t I know about this before?

I’m halfway through; kidnappings, incredibly hot terrorist babes, Jack’s daughter tied up and duct taped. Jack in handcuffs, escaping. Double-crosses and betrayals and stolen identities. Airplanes exploding, hot airplane bathroom sex. Some really great villains. Threats of rape and murder.

And that’s only nine hours in.

Yeah. I wanna be Jack Bauer. And I’m glad I’ve got three more seasons to watch, even if they’re not this good.

Bleeding Edge – MT 3.3 Beta 2

elvis2 Comments

I just upgraded my MT install to MT 3.3 Beta 2. Which isn’t, I guess, truly bleeding edge, but I like the phrase bleeding edge. If anyone has troubles, let me know. This new MT version has some cool features, I’m only just starting to play with them.

I just upgraded my MT install to MT 3.3 Beta 2. Which isn’t, I guess, truly bleeding edge, but I like the phrase bleeding edge.

If anyone has troubles, let me know. This new MT version has some cool features, I’m only just starting to play with them.

Returning, alas

elvis3 Comments


Sunburnt and stiff from a long day driving, I’m home; yet, not wanting to face the realities of vacation’s end, of work and pressure and tasks that want doing, I live still far away, in sun and sand and sea.

I’ve unpacked my things, but can still smell the scent of travel on my skin. There’s still sand in my flip-flops.

I don’t want to be home, and facing life’s little insanities. Always, the trouble with vacations is that they end.