Armchair Traveller Part 1 - MoMA

Ok ... this is for the lazy and unmotivated amongst us ... or the impoverished and the struggling ... or for any art lover worth his/her salt ... a collage of every piece of work hanging in MoMA on April 10 2010 ... quick someone head down to the national gallery of Australia in Canberra for me!!

Here Lies Love - David Byrne and Fatboy Slim tackle the venerable Imelda Marcos

Ok ... Is this not an Indie Drag Queen’s wet dream? A song cycle based on the life of Imelda Marcos … the doyen of excess and exploitation!

My dear bro actually met her when he was in the Youth Choir … along with George Hamilton who was pretty much part of the furniture and always had his mother in tow (which in 70s speak means he is one of those gays!) … anyhoo … apparently David Byrne is still trying to get a theatrical representation of this off the ground … but I guess he’s having trouble finding the appropriate backing.

Hopefully proceeds from the sales of this CD will help finally bring it to the footlights. I’m contemplating buying the deluxe edition which comes with a book and a DVD – and why would I do that … because it has Tori Amos and Cyndi Lauper doing a duet!!

Here's the Tracklist. And as you can see if Cyndi and Tori aren't your cuppa ... well there's plenty more to choose from including the ubiquitous Florence Welch and Steve Earle (???)

Disc One:
01. Here Lies Love (feat. Florence Welch)
02. Every Drop of Rain (feat. Candie Payne & St. Vincent)
03. You’ll Be Taken Care Of (feat. Tori Amos)
04. The Rose of Tacloban (feat. Martha Wainwright)
05. How Are You? (feat. Nellie McKay)
06. A Perfect Hand (feat. Steve Earle)
07. Eleven Days (feat. Cyndi Lauper)
08. When She Passed By (feat. Allison Moorer)
09. Walk Like a Woman (feat. Charmaine Clamor)
10. Don’t You Agree? (feat. Róisín Murphy)
11. Pretty Face (feat. Camille)
12. Ladies in Blue (feat. Theresa Andersson)

Disc Two:
01. Dancing Together (feat. Sharon Jones)
02. Men Will Do Anything (feat. Alice Russel
03. The Whole Man (feat. Kate Pierson)
04. Never So Big (feat. Sia)
05. Please Don’t (feat. Santigold)
06. American Troglodyte
07. Solano Avenue (feat. Nicole Atkins)
08. Order 1081 (feat. Natalie Merchant)
09. Seven Years (feat. Shara Worden)
10. Why Don’t You Love Me? (feat. Cyndi Lauper & Tori Amos)

Edgewater - what a million dollars buys you round our way

Ok ... what does a million bucks buy you round my way ... a view from the Maribyrnong ... and a short stroll to the races and the occasional music fest.

I took the parentals there in effort to force my mum into a little bit of physical activity. It didn't go down too well as evidenced by the strain looks in the photo.

But it actually is a fairly pleasant place to ruminate and take a bit of exercise. And you may very well spot the odd tall stretch of water if you're lucky.

This should have been an Easter Post - Our doors are finished.

Ok ... I was intending to post this earlier. We were struggling to have this finished before the parentals came. And now its done!! Completed. We have painted the outside and stained the inside and I must say its looking mighty fine!!

Eewww! Here's another reason for Tim to hate this band

Ok ... what the GD blood spewing genital poking mess is this?? I of course love this totally but be warned ... it may not be entirely suited to the squeamish amongst you. But watch this before the link dies!!

HEALTH "We are Water" from Eric Wareheim on Vimeo.

I'm in love with a german film star - except he's not a film star and he's australian!

Ok ... so I was watching Markus Zusak on the First Tuesday Book Club last week and I have to say ... A-dorable!! I just wanted to eat him all up. Never read any of his books but will be tracking down a cheapo copy of the Book Thief forthwith. M didn't really quite appreciate but I saw Marieke checking him out ... she was all chest forward and stealing a peak at his lunchbox!! And that shy unassuming boy thing he's got going on is soooo working for him! Sorry if this is a bit too pervy for you dear readers.

Oh and in case you didn't already know that the 1st part of this post's title is a quote, then you need to acquaint yourself with this undervalued gem from the early 80s anon!!

Attack of the Killer Pixels

Ok ... way cool! Enjoy.


PIXELS by PATRICK JEAN.
Uploaded by onemoreprod. - Arts and animation videos.

(love the tetriss-ed buildings)

Happy River Cafe - Fitzroy in Footscray

Ok ... there's been quite a bit of activity on this blog recently ... obviously my colleagues are working extremely hard at the moment trying to get everything done before the weekend ... hhmm!!

Anyhoo, I have been ill and busy with the parentals otherwise which is why the lack of recent updates which I am now voming up for your pleasure all at once.

I finally made it to the Happy River Cafe in da hood! And let me just say that Happy River is as apt a moniker as ever. The food and the surrounds made me happy and yes it is by the river ... good ole maribyrnong ... the footscray transect!! (thats sort of an injoke  ... and R if you're reading this still missing u!!!).

We drive past this place all the time and there's always cool people enjoying the sun and wino, some sat at tables and others flolloped on the ground on colourful prayer mats which the cafe supplies. They also supply bags of toys which is why this is the local hangout for newly arrived and newly minted families.

 

As the weather has been exceptional these last few days we scored a table outside and ordered pretty much everything that was on the specials board. Still nursing the end of a cold I stuck to a white - pinot grig of some description - not the best but also not the worst. M was in the mood for something more cheerful and ordered a bloody mary. And they do fresh juices here!! Which is what the parentals opted for as a beverage.

We both had the Jerked Chicken that was served on Coconut rice with a side of lightly blanched spinach.

Mum had the lentil curry which came with a Pappadum and a simple salad of cucumber, tomato and onion.

And Dad had the Salmon patties .... 2 massive parma sized patties with the perfect crust with perhaps a bit more potato than salmon! served with home made tartare sauce and brimming with the fresh tastes of lemon and dill.

I wouldn't necessarily say that the food was extremely top notch, but it is reasonable enough for repeated visits. And its the closest thing to Fitzroy we have round these parts. Although I agree in part with T that the service can be a bit abrupt .... perfunctory rather! But whatevs ... we're old and grumpy and we can't all be beautiful!!

Mother Courage

Ok ... this is for my Mum.

My mum lived through the 2nd world war in Japanese occupied Singapore.
She played with unexploded shrapnel, huddled in tears in the corner of the living room as japanese soldiers caroused drunkenly in the house next door, saw British soldiers tied to trees covered in jungle ants, and decapitated heads on spikes, and peaked out fearfully from curtains as Chinese men were rounded up in the street where she lived .... and for that I love her.

My mum played in the monsoon drains as a child and was for all reports a bit of a tomboy ... and for that I say Respect!

My mum ran a school for girls that had an unfortunate nautical pinafore peppered by green polka dots as a uniform. She battled pythons in the toilets and banished all form of sticker collecting books from the general student population ... she could stop an errant juvenile inbetweener in gold pumps at 40 paces with one glowering stare! She saw that school almost through its final stages of an architectural overhaul before Cancer claimed her corporeal spirit and ended her career prematurely. And for that I say again Respect!

Cancer fucked my mum over royally!! Although in remission, she has suffered the after effects of the treatment ever since. Her digestive tract is riddled by lesions which have contributed to numerous hospital stays over the years due to severe bouts of bloating. In fact she has suffered with a resolute asian nobility numerous ignominious conditions throughout the her post-cancer years. Lesser men would have baulked but not her ... and for that I love her.

My mum is a mummly mum! She's not out there storming any barricades beyond the homefront. Religion has in many ways put paid to that. But my mum can cook! I remember the culinary delights brought home after her chinese cooking classes at the local community centre. We were blessed with all manner of regional delights every time we sat down for our communal repast. It is a skill I have inherited somehow somewhen along the way and for that I am extremely grateful.

I also admire my mum for having put up with dad for so long ... ha! I admire my dad for staying close to mum now that the tables have turned somewhat ... I only hope that I can be strong when my time comes whichever way fate pitches our tables. I am jealous of what they have and saddened by the fact that at the end of the day ... some things can mean so little.

Vale Malcolm

Ok ... another music luminary shuffles off this mortal coil! Malcolm Mclaren, you shaped alot of my generation's musical tastes and you were an early proponent of what people refer to as mash-ups these days. You gave white western europe its first taste of hip-hop culled from the hard streets of NYC! and tried with mixed results to meld Opera with pop. But you drew our little romantic gay hearts in with the still wonderful Paris! And you were vogueing well before a certain Miss Ciccione pilfered it for the world stage. We will miss your English sibilance, your repressed sexual pecadillos, your garrulous arrogance and the potential now lost for further musical reinvention. And of course the final words should be Sex and the Sex Pistols ...