Month: September 2008

Mystic Pig back in print

Karl ElvisLeave a comment

This was just posted in the comments in Hiromi’s blog, by Jon Gifford of Oleander Press: I just wanted you to know that Richard Katrovas’ Mystic Pig is available again as of today [actually amazon USA isn’t shipping it, but Amazon UK is taking pre-orders]. At the beginning of last year I came across an […]

This was just posted in the comments in Hiromi’s blog, by Jon Gifford of Oleander Press:

I just wanted you to know that Richard Katrovas’ Mystic Pig is available again as of today [actually amazon USA isn’t shipping it, but Amazon UK is taking pre-orders]. At the beginning of last year I came across an old post of Hiromi’s mentioning the book; her comments were enough to make me google it and I found Karl’s and Ray’s blog entries. As a result, I then tracked down a copy in NYC, read it in one sitting and decided then and there to republish it. Richard happily agreed.

Oleander doesn’t really publish fiction but, as a direct result of your enthusiastic championing, a novel that shines with humanity, integrity and passion (as well as noir humour), one that really needs to be in circulation and in people’s hands, is back where it belongs.

We may not sell many – such is publishing in a world dominated by Oprah (Richard and Judy over here) and the big houses – but I’m very proud to have made sure that it’s here for when someone tells a friend “Hey, there’s this great book you have to read…” A mention on your blogs would be a great help in getting the ball rolling though. If it does well over here I’m planning a US relaunch in the spring.(I know you’ve stopped posting Hiromi, but just thought I’d let you know anyway. I enjoyed lurking for the last couple years and am glad you’ve found your way to a great new place, geographically and every other way.)

To say I’m excited about this fails to convey the feeling. Mystic Pig is one of my top five favorite books ever; and it’s been tragically out of print for several years now. Having it back, that alone is a huge victory. Knowing that we had a hand in bringing it back? I’m nearly speechless. Jon’s posted a bit about how this happened here.

I owe a thousand thanks to Jon for making this happen, and to Hiromi and Ray for joining me in writing about this amazing book.

Go buy it. Go blog about it. Richard Katrovas should be a household name (at least in literary households), and only by gettin tthis book in people’s hands will this happen.

Note: you can also order direct from oleander press.

heros: season 3

Karl ElvisLeave a comment

I’m stealing my daughter’s one line review of Heros, season 3. “Epic Fail.” You can’t nail it more precisely than that.

I’m stealing my daughter’s one line review of Heros, season 3.

“Epic Fail.”

You can’t nail it more precisely than that.

new favorite band: Portico Quartet

Karl ElvisLeave a comment

I just ran across mention of these guys on BoingBoing. – Portico Quartet. I think they’re incredibly fabulous. They’re a jazz group with latin and vaguely middle-eastern/indonesian influences. The most distinctive thing about their sound is the use of a hang, a sort of steel-drum-meets-gemelan-meets-flying-saucer. One day after finding them, they’re at the top of […]

I just ran across mention of these guys on BoingBoing. – Portico Quartet.

I think they’re incredibly fabulous.

They’re a jazz group with latin and vaguely middle-eastern/indonesian influences. The most distinctive thing about their sound is the use of a hang, a sort of steel-drum-meets-gemelan-meets-flying-saucer.

One day after finding them, they’re at the top of my last.fm playlist and I’m already wishing they had more albums out.

You can find a number of videos of them on youtube but none with satisfactory sound, so here:

(I finally fixed the above link, you should be able to play it now)

If you dig ’em, though, go buy the cd.

Kenny in New York

Karl ElvisLeave a comment

My friend Kenny – the guy whose name is actually tattooed under my tattoo (I think that makes us some fucked up kind of brothers), is in New York next week. Words fail me for how much he’d love to have people who’ve heard of him come to these shows. Kenny plays a very personal […]

My friend Kenny – the guy whose name is actually tattooed under my tattoo (I think that makes us some fucked up kind of brothers), is in New York next week.

Words fail me for how much he’d love to have people who’ve heard of him come to these shows.

Kenny plays a very personal sort of singer/songwriter folk; his shows are always entertaining. He’s brilliantly talented, funny, and odd as hell.

Check samples out on his mySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/basement3music – though he’s even better live; his performance always has a crazy energy.

I miss him – go tell him that in person.

Here are the show dates:

September, 28 2008, 7PM at Arlene’s Grocery , 95 Stanton St, NY, New York 10002 Cost : $8

September, 29 2008, 9:30 PM at Shayni Rae’s Truckstop @ the National Underground 159 E. Houston, New York, New York 10002

September, 30 2008 at Banjo Jim’s, 9:30 PM, 700 East 9th Street, New York, New York 10009

New Home

Karl ElvisLeave a comment

If you’re reading this it means you’ve found the new, and not-at-all-improved, version of moronosphere.com. Lucky you. If anything seems broken let me know; all we did was swap hardware, so everything should be identical.

If you’re reading this it means you’ve found the new, and not-at-all-improved, version of moronosphere.com.

Lucky you.

If anything seems broken let me know; all we did was swap hardware, so everything should be identical.

fall migration

Karl ElvisLeave a comment

I’m working on moving all the domains I host to a new server. This isn’t helped much by the fact that that company that physically maintains our hardware fucked up the machine and had to wipe and re-do it, after I’d moved half my domains. But in any case, I’m down to the hard ones, […]

I’m working on moving all the domains I host to a new server.

This isn’t helped much by the fact that that company that physically maintains our hardware fucked up the machine and had to wipe and re-do it, after I’d moved half my domains.

But in any case, I’m down to the hard ones, the ones that have database-driven blogs and so forth.

Sometime in the next couple of days, this site and others hosted here may go unreachable for a short duration. The move should (knock wood) be largely invisible to the user, but still, fair warning.

I’ll post a note here when I’m done.

mo’c’bell

Karl ElvisLeave a comment

This is funny in a fucked up pointless way: (via BoingBoing) MoreCowbell.dj is a little Flash app that takes in any MP3, analyses it, and adds rhythmic cowbell and Christopher Walken samples, thus vastly improving it. I didn’t get it to work as far as uploading my own song, but click a couple. They’re worth […]

This is funny in a fucked up pointless way:

(via BoingBoing)

MoreCowbell.dj is a little Flash app that takes in any MP3, analyses it, and adds rhythmic cowbell and Christopher Walken samples, thus vastly improving it.

I didn’t get it to work as far as uploading my own song, but click a couple. They’re worth significant giggles.

In other news, oh my god the week I’m having. It’s like trench warfare in the office the last ten days, and me? I’m the guy wearing the biggest target.

Shake, Rattle and Roll

Karl ElvisLeave a comment

Ok, here’s the new Koolknobs shift knob in place – plus custom shift boot by ShiftStyle, and hotrod flames on the console by Barb. (click for a larger view) Edit: For those who keep asking what the HELL is that?, it’s a rattlesnake’s rattle. Actually it will look great with my boots.

Ok, here’s the new Koolknobs shift knob in place – plus custom shift boot by ShiftStyle, and hotrod flames on the console by Barb.

shake_rattle.jpg
(click for a larger view)

Edit: For those who keep asking what the HELL is that?, it’s a rattlesnake’s rattle. Actually it will look great with my boots.