Pop Culture: Daily Loaf, Creative Loafing Tampa

"It's Monsoon season, bitches!" The CL interview with RuPaul's Drag Race winner, Jinkx Monsoon

Brian Frederick — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:48:00 -0400

RuPaul's Drag Race has turned American on to plenty of fishy and glamorous drag queens during it's five seasons, but none have stolen more hearts than campy theater queen, Jinkx Monsoon. Jinkx (performed by Jerick Hoffer) went from this year's underdog, all the way to winner, crowned by RuPaul herself. We had the chance to catch up with her as she prepared to bring her act to Tampa past weekend:

“America's Next Drag Superstar”, Jinkx Monsoon has an incredible ring to it, doesn't it? Congratulations on winning Season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race! Has it set in yet, really?

This week I was able to celebrate at my home bar Julia's on Broadway in Seattle with all my friends and family! It is finally sinking in now that I've gotten the chance to really celebrate with those who were close to me throughout this entire experience. I'm finally ready to take on the whole wide world.

There has been a lot of catty, sometimes hate-filled discourse among drag fans, usually on the Internet. You've really come out and risen above it all. What is it like to be a role model now, and did you foresee yourself becoming one before this whole incredible ride began?

I never set out to become such a role model, but now that I have this opportunity I really enjoy spreading my message of positive thinking and positive energy. My Mantras and personal statements were more my personal inspiration to keep myself energized throughout the competition and less my aspirations to become a role model to the youth but now that I've been given that opportunity I definitely want to use this exposure as a platform for social change!

And along those lines, how can Jinkx Monsoon impact the drag community, and even the LBGT community as a whole, during your reign?

I think Jinkx Monsoon stands up for all of us who challenge the American standards of gender beauty and self-identity. I think she is a role model in the fact that she marches to the beat of her own drum and does things her own way in spite of the way that everyone else would like her to do things. I plan on speaking out on equal rights issues and the gay rights movement and progressing our social consciousness forward to make this world a more accepting and inhabitable place for all of the different people who live here. Jinkx Monsoon the character definitely isn't a paragon of social etiquette, but Jerick Hoffer the performer wants to use this as an opportunity to spread a positive message.

You had quite a bit of opening up, on the show about your relationship with your mother and your upbringing.

I had a lot of mixed emotions about opening up about my family, but ultimately I decided to share certain parts of my story because they are huge turning point and what made me the kind of drag queen artist and human being I am today. I think that you can learn just as much from the tragic moments in your life, if not more, as you can from the successful moments in your life. My mother and I have resolved these issues years ago, but due to the episodes airing we've been able to reflect and really grow from this experience as a family. Drag race more or less brought my family back together in a time when we were kind of disparate and my personal recent success has motivated my brothers to really go for their life dreams and I fully support them and all the things that they do to accomplish their goals in life. When people ask me if I set out to be a role model to the youth of America, I respond that I just set out to be a role model to my younger brothers and if other people can take positive messages from that, I'm happy to provide.

My absolute favorite Jinkx episode was when you gave American veteran Dave a makeover on the soldier challenge. Girl! You made us all tear up. What did you get from that challenge?

It was really easy to be compassionate and caring with Dave because Dave is a compassionate caring person himself. I learned so much from him about the history of the gay rights movement. I learned a lot from him about what veterans actually went through before they were able to be out in the military. Dave has risen above so much adversity in his life and he really lit a fire under me to rise above all my challenges and Drag Race. He believed in me every moment of our time together and it fueled me to keep my head in the game. I have stayed in touch with him since the filming of Drag Race and I feel lucky that I got to take home the crown not just for me, but for Dave and for all the people like Dave who lay down the brickwork for the gay rights movement to be where it's at today.

You're such a talented and gifted performer and actor. How different is drag from acting? Is drag just a deeper form of method acting, in your opinion?

Drag is acting. If you're doing your job right you've created a character and a persona that is unique from your own. I think of drag less like stage acting and more like commedia dell'arte. You create a form to live in, a persona that has life and history of its own and you portray it for your audiences whether you're on stage or just walking around. If you're in costume and you are in drag, you're in character and that's the way I see it.

You describe yourself, Jerrick, as “kind of a goof, and a little bit of a dork,” and Jinkx is “the life of the party”. Where does the light switch flip for that transformation?

For me the transformation isn't complete until every element is in place. It's not enough just to have the make up, the costume, the shoes, the wig on one at a time. They all have to be in place together for me to feel like Jinkx has come to life. The persona of Jinkx has evolved throughout the years, but when I look into the mirror and i see Jinkx looking back at me, that's when I fully snap into character and the rest is kind of out of my hands. It's all improv, it's all on the spot decision-making as my character. Jerick is definitely a dork, but Jinkx is the life of the party because Jinkx insists on being the life of the party. That's just who she is, she wants all eyes on her at all times.

Drag Race winner, Broadway bound, touring the globe — what else should the world expect from Jinkxalicous?

When you come to one of my shows, come with an open mind and be ready to experience whatever might happen that night. I take my job as a performer extremely seriously, and I spend all day trying to concoct the perfect show for that specific audience. I never know what I'm going to do until that day because I really want the inspiration to hit me, but what you can be assured is it will be a top-notch performance from a passionate performer.

If Little Edie (Grey Gardens) and Jinkx's namesake Eddie Monsoon (Absolutely Fabulous) came backstage after one of your drag shows, what do you think their reactions would be?

I hope that little Edie would feel honored by my tribute to her and I hope Edina Monsoon would try to hire me to be her body double for special appearances. Basically I hope they would save my homage to them as a portrayal of my absolute love for who they are and not take any offense to any of it. Or if they did take offense to it I hope that we could laugh our way through it without a lawsuit. Ha ha!

Jinkx Monsoon rocked Hamburger Mary's this past weekend, but be sure to check out the other Drag Race finalists planning on gracing Tampa with their glory:

Hamburger Mary's Bar and Grille Tampa, 1600 E. Seventh Ave., Second Floor; May 24th: Alaska Thunderf**k, 8:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m., May 25th: Alyssa Edwards, 8 p.m., 10:30 p.m., May 26th: Alyssa Edwards, Roxxxy Andrews and Coco Montrese 8:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m., No cover, $10 food and drink minimum, reservations strongly advised; call 813-241-6279 to RSVP.

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On Newtown: Stop micromanaging the debate

Julie Garisto — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 11:02:55 -0500

Since the unspeakable became a reality on Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary, there has been, for every impassioned opinion, outcry and Facebook meme, a smarmy cynic wagging a finger and playing armchair society critic.

Those who dismiss the opining of their peers as "slacktivists": What do you propose we do? Quietly mourn and make change behind the scenes with dignity and smug superiority? Wouldn't one venture a guess that encouraging silence and repression may be a course of inaction that breeds the epidemic of violent overtures by the mentally ill?

Regardless of hyperbole and misquoted aphorisms, isn't it something that people are talking? The bonding, the national conversation, I can't help but feel a little inspired and hopeful. Go ahead scoff that I'm viewing the scenario through rose-colored glasses, and that our society is doomed to surrender to its id, and we're just a couple of orgies away from the moral depravity of Caligula. Throughout history the human spirit has overcome hopeless times and will again.

Respect society's right to mourn how they choose.

It's good that people are posting inspirational thoughts on Facebook, and don't stifle people arguing back and forth on gun control.

We need to encourage dialogue, to seek solutions, to feel empowered that we can create change and not just lie back and complain.

We also need to engender compassion for the mentally ill, to help them and not shun the lonely and disenfranchised with an eye roll and the cold shoulder. What can we do on a public and personal level?

I remember when children in elementary school were taught that littering is wrong and a TV commercial starring a Native American TV icon cried and made us feel guilty for ever chucking trash on the ground. I don't want to trivialize the major issues swirling around massacre violence, or suggest that a PSA could solve the problem, but trying to get at the problem of violence at the intrinsic level is a start.

Also, let's include media responsibility in the dialogue. During the aftermath of Columbine, Aurora and Sandy Hook, and even going back to the Manson Trial, we've see images of disturbed individuals who crave attention or power, showing us that the unthinkable is indeed possible. Those, like Lanza, who opt for suicide give us dramatic escape and misguided attempt at heroism.

It's like they're the star of their own movie, an underdog story of rising up from obscurity after being ignored, relating only to the world through fiction, be it in books or on film. How do we de-romanticize that lead role?

So, given the ego issues usually indicated in the murderers' psychological profiles, what can the media do to prevent copycat massacres, to ensure that craven individuals don't crave the spotlight as much and methodically compose a violent production?

What if the personality of the murderer(s) was somehow underplayed, or you had to read online to get the details; something to lessen the impact of the perpetrator stealing the spotlight from the victims.

Those are my concerns. They may be flawed or incomplete as I'm rushing to meet early holiday deadlines, but I reserve the right to open my mouth or type my opinions, however eloquent or ridiculous they are.

If one thing I've said makes you think about something differently, even if it's just to point a finger Nelson-style and say "Ha HA," I've not wasted my time, and I've helped in my little way. There are sometimes virtues to being a slactivist.

In the meantime, let's ratchet down the adolescent smirk and let people express their grief, debate, opine and search for solutions. How else can we start to find answers?

P.S. Stay tuned to Daily Loaf for events in the Tampa Bay area memorializing and raising funds for the victims and their families.

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Marshall Debuts Major 50 FX Headphones

Joran Oppelt — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:35:45 -0500

Marshall guitar amplifiers, known for their trademark black and gold design, have come to exemplify “rock 'n roll.” Not only are they known among guitar aficionados for their Super Lead series of amps, but the words “Marshall stack” have become a household name among musicians looking for that loud, hard rock guitar sound.

Now, in 2012, Marshall Headphones seems to be making a serious fourth-quarter play for some of those heavily-branded, lifestyle audiophiles — offering an alternative to the slick, colorful branding of Beats by Dre that all the kids are sporting these days.

The Marshall headphones feature the trademark tweed stylings of their amp design, plus the familiar black and gold Marshall signature and deliver superior sound and comfort. Ours were tested on an iPhone, iPad and laptop with streaming music at 128K, 320K and CD-quality. Once broken in (it took about a week), the form-fitting headphones were snug but not too tight, and the convenient black cloth carrying case made tossing them into a bag alongside your iPad or laptop a piece of cake.

They’re also iPhone-ready, so you can take incoming calls with a press of a button, and resume your jams where you left off.

Ratings (out of 5)
Sound: 4
Comfort: 3
Portability: 4
Style: 5

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Like: Hurricane Sandy tweets and posts

Julie Garisto — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:43:53 -0400

Here are some screen captures of the poignant, informative and humorous posts on Facebook and Twitter today — story teases, reminders and quips that inform, make us smile, think and remind us to assist those who survived the storm that devastated New Jersey, Manhattan and surrounding areas — and pay respect to those who lost their lives during Sandy.

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The Force was with us at Star Wars Celebration VI

Drunk Camera Guy — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:29:10 -0400

Before Tampa was invaded by the Imperial National Convention, Orlando, was taken over by Star Wars Celebration VI. The 7 million square-foot Orange County Convention Center was filled with shopping, trading, screenings, cosplayers, educational panels, laser tag, speed dating and Legos ... everything a fan could want, with the added bonus of lots of chicks in gold bikinis.

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Bill Maher skewers Romney, Ryan & Republicans in sold-out show in Clearwater

Mitch Perry — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 09:05:00 -0400

Bill Maher appeared at a sold-out performance at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Saturday night in Clearwater, where the political satirist tore apart Republicans, "Teabaggers," organized religion and the idea of American exceptionalism in a 100-minute performance.

Coming less than 48 hours after the GOP closed out its convention across the Bay in Tampa, fans expecting to hear plenty of bashing of Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and company were not disappointed as the HBO comic eviscerated Republicans as essentially non-thinking white people afraid of changes happening in a multicultural America.

Referring to the "bullshit" that took place across the Courtney Campbell Causeway, Maher immediately seized in his opening moments on the bizarre Clint Eastwood performance at the RNC.

He said the scene was a metaphor for the entire Republican Party when it comes to judging Obama: "An old white guy arguing with an Obama that does not exist."

(Make no mistake that the crowd was as liberal as the comedian: A simple mention of Marco Rubio brought a cascade of boos.)

The comic mocked Republicans for their portrayal of President Obama as a Socialist, which he contended most people don't know the meaning of, and fantasized that a second Obama term in office would unleash the pent-up progressive agenda liberals have been yearning for.

Mentioning the president's mixed racial background, he asked the audience to consider that "the first term was the white term. Now, we're gonna get the black term." He said the president should make Republicans "nervous" by growing his hair out and wearing purple suits. But he won't, Maher said, calling him the Jackie Robinson of politics.

On health care, he channeled former (and possibly future) Orlando-area Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson, saying that the GOP health care plans are either "Drop Dead" or "Go Fuck Yourself Plus."

Regarding the selection of Paul Ryan as Romney's running mate, Maher said that was done clearly to appease the base of the Republican Party, just as President Obama has appealed to gays and Latinos in the past year. "He knows where the base is. For the Democrats the base is minorities, women and sane people. And for the Republicans the base is old white people who make sighing noises when they get up."

Attending a Bill Maher show, you know organized religion is going to get skewered. On Saturday night the target was Mormonism (being in Clearwater, he also mentioned Scientology a couple of times, even calling for a combination of the two faiths: "Mormontology").

He challenged the news media to report fully on the history of the church, making frequent references to Kolob (a star or planet described in Mormon scripture). And because he thinks both Mormonism and America are "stupid," he said he expects the entire country to go Mormon within 100 years.

He parodied the notion of American exceptionalism, which he says the GOP has taken to a new level in the Obama years: "If we have any flaw, it's that we make other countries feel bad because our awesomeness is so overwhelming."

If you missed Maher this time around, he'll undoubtedly be back in a couple of years. This was his sixth appearance in the Tampa Bay area over the past nine years. And of course he can be seen weekly now that Real Time With Bill Maher is back from summer break every Friday night on HBO at 10 p.m.

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Pussy Riot found guilty

Arielle Stevenson — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:05:00 -0400

Russian girl punk rockers Pussy Riot were found guilty of hooliganism Friday. The three women were charged with premeditated hooliganism by organized groups of people, motivated by "religious hatred or hostility" said Judge Marina Syrova Friday morning. Pussy Riot was arrested after performing outside an orthodox church in February, they stated the protest was against the Russian Orthodox church leader's support of Putin's leadership. Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, are sentenced to two years in jail.

Radical Canadian femme rocker Peaches wrote Free Pussy Riot, in solidarity with the band. The Knife, Lykke Li, Miike Snow and others joined Peaches in the video.

Peaches made this statement:

"As a musician who has spoken out against political figures, I am deeply troubled that the Russian government is punishing its citizens for voicing their opinions through music. Music is an essential tool for voicing opinions about everything from gender to oppression. To outlaw the free expression of these ideas is to embrace tyranny. Letting artists speak is the hallmark of a free society. I've criticized world leaders in my music before, and I am dismayed that the artists expressing their opinions in Russia today are being harassed by their government. I am appalled that the Russian government is so blatantly abusing its power and punishing citizens for speaking their minds."

We spoke with local I Am Choice and National Organization of Women activist Vivian Taylor, on her reaction to the sentencing.
"My main impression is that it's dangerous to have no separation between church and state," Taylor said. "The church has said Putin's continued election is a miracle from God and any attack on the church is an attack on the leader."

Taylor, who is part of an initiative combating Amendment six in Florida, said America should pay close attention to that separation.
"We need to look at this and beware of getting closer to a church and state theocracy," Taylor said. "The defense denied that Pussy Riot's protest was a political statement, charging the group with simple public disorder instead."

What if the band had been all men instead of all women?
"I do think it would have been different," Taylor said. "The men would have been in jail longer. They went easier on them because two of the women have small children."

Taylor is concerned the lines between church and state are becoming blurred.
"Russia is legislating through a moral lens," Taylor said. "When the international community pays attention, penalties for activists are generally lessened."

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Local St. Pete game developers hit on the (mono) cellular level

David Russell — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:49:00 -0400

Making a video game isn't a simple task. Hell, even making a simple video game isn't a simple task. Plus, it's always been something that's happened in far-off magical places like Orlando or Raleigh. So, when I get a press release about a "local game" coming out, I'm interested.

Amoeba, produced by Solvent Studios is that game and it seems they've started a Kickstarter campaign to get the necessary funding.

I'll let them tell you about it:

It's tough to talk about a game that's still in production. Which is one of the difficulties in the crowd-sourced pre-funding of any product, especially a game. See, physical products on Kickstarter will show you a virtual, digital mock up of the product to try to pre-sell it. Games are inherently "virtual, digital mock-ups" themselves, and the developers have to resort to showing you something earlier in the process, which usually ends up being a rough video of the alpha build or some sketches.

We'll start with the description: "Gooey is an amoeba in a research lab who has been marked for destruction. He manages to break out of his dish, and must escape the lab before the AI, which runs it, can track him down and destroy him. Along the way, he meets other trapped Amoeba and frees them, absorbing their powers. Using the absorbed powers, he overcomes obstacles and faces challenging enemies while racing toward freedom."

So in this description we've already hit two things that have piqued my interest:
1. The amoeba's name is "Gooey" (not a GUI joke, I wondered)
2. The plot sounds like a mash-up of the game Portal and the movie "Nightmare on Elm Street 4" and that is pop-culture "Reese's Peanut Butter Cup" waiting to happen.

The game-play seems pretty straightforward. They've pulled in all their favorite parts of other famous side scrollers. It looks like it's going to be about two parts Mega Man one part Crash Bandicoot and one part Sonic. (with some DK Country-esque music thrown in for good measure)

They know their coding.
They seem to be drawing on the best parts of gaming history.
They're local.

So support them. Encourage this kind of enterprise to thrive in this area. We would all benefit from it. Besides, when has a large increase in the geek population ever negatively effected a town? (That show "Eureka" is just a buch of sensationalist garbage ... we won't blow the place up. I promise!)

Available for release on Android, Facebook, and Google+ Games in September.

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Outside the Box: Metrocon 2012

David Russell — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 18:03:00 -0400

Join Matthew Michael Awesome and I as we embark upon a quest to find the solution to all my costume related issues from the cosplaying experts at Metrocon 2012.

Things I have learned:
1. My Velma Dinkley crush has not gone away. Jinkies!
2. Interviewing girls with epic boobs at eye level is a LOT more difficult than it looks. (I'm assuming practice is required to fix this... I'm not quite sure how to pitch that to the wife.)
3. I do not yet own all the cool t-shirts.
4. People don't mind being made fun of as long as they know you get the source material.
5. I would make a good Hawkeye.
6. Batman Plushies are adorable!
7. There is a massive resurgence in "My Little Pony" stuff and it is blowing my mind.
8. I still don't get Naruto...at all.
9. There aren't enough hi-fives in the world for the dude in the Iron Spider Man outfit.
10. It's nice hanging around a large group of people that get my jokes. :)

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A Remedy for Societal Discord: 5 American Fakelore Heroes

Samuel Johnson — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 07:31:00 -0400

Myths, folklore and heroes' tales are at their root contextually more than the just the sum of their parts. Fakelore differs from folklore in that fakelore is consciously manufactured yarning whereas folklore has a more organic genesis. Joseph Campbell, the eminent mythologist, comparative religion scholar and de facto philosopher, wrote extensively on folklore and hero's and is considered the foremost expert on the cultural roles myths play. In his seminal book “Hero with a Thousand Faces” Campbell elucidates how the tale of a hero is formed; “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” A hero's tale is single type of myth which conforms to one or more of the four functional types of myths Campbell defines.

The five American fakelore heroes which follow are examples of the “sociological” function which heroes' tales provide. The sociological function of heroes' tales is that they, in a broad sense, reinforce and justify a particular social or cultural stability. That mechanism of coalescence into an accepted social order through a mythological hero's tale is at the core of these five American fakelore examples. Each hero is an amalgamation of specific demographics which are reflected in the attributes of the heroes and their unique tribulations and triumphs. Curiously, these five American fakelore heroes emerged from the 19th century as America was reflecting inwardly on the effects of modernization and industrialization.

Naturally, the obvious question would be; which cultural and social catalysts are subconsciously at work now helping to shape future fakelore heroes' tales?

Paul Bunyan is the anthropomorphized concept of 19th century American continental expansion. He was depicted as a gigantic Lumberjack living and working in the America Northeast. He was aided in the deforestation of the Pacific Northwest by his colossal blue ox Babe.

John Henry is the embodiment of an allegory, namely man versus machine. It also has connotations of a general 19th century angst of modernization. It is perhaps also a tribute to the abolition of slavery because John Henry is ascribed to African decent. The fakelore of John Henry recounts his physical prowess during a railroad spike hammering competition with a steam engine machine. Ultimately, the machine wins out the competition.

Febold Feboldson is a conceptual hybrid of Old World water divination and Native American elemental magic. Febold Feboldson is erroneously label a Swede (Febold is not a Swedish name) and is said to have been a cloud-buster or rainmaker. Febold Feboldson's fakelore is indigenous to the corn belt and tornado alley, most notably Nebraska. Therefore, it's not surprising that the peoples manufactured a benevolent weather liaison.

Joe Magarac is an incarnation of the necessity to safeguard steel workers while discouraging them to unionize. Joe Magarac and his fakelore is relegated to the Pittsburg steel industry area. His last name is derived from the Slavic word for donkey; which was due in part to the fact that Pittsburg had a large Slavic immigrant population. Joe Magarac was born out of a an iron ore vein in the side of a mountain. He was said to be made of solid steel and was a simple man who lead rather spartan life. Joe Magarac became the patron saint of steel workers who would call on him for his altruistic protection amid the hazardous steel mill working conditions.

Captain Alfred Bulltop Stormalong is the nostalgic personification of a whaling culture in decline. Alfred Bulltop Stormalong is retold as fakelore in the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. The Captain is said to have been an enormous man who sailed on a ship so large that he had special hinged masts so as not to scrape the moon. The Kraken, of Norse Mythology, was a constant rival of the Captain until the fateful day that the Captain stirred up a massive eddy which swallowed the Kraken whole. Once thought to be a sailors tall-tale, the giant squid (Architeuthis dux) did occasionally surface as it was battling its arch enemy the Sperm Whale. The the mythologizing of the giant squid into the Kraken is analogous to the confusion between the unicorn and the narwal and mermaids and manatees.

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All-Star voice actor panel reads through Star Wars

David Russell — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:36:00 -0400

(Fair Warning: there's some "harsh language" in this video. If you watch it at work...wear headphones)

Is Star Wars: Episode IV too boring for you? Old news? Ho-hum? A big snorefest?
Do you happen to have an hour and twenty minutes to spare?
WELL HOLD THE MOTHER EFFING PHONE!!

Billy West, Tara Strong, Maurice LaMarche, John DiMaggio, Kevin Conroy, Jess Harnell and Rob Paulsen got together at the Emerald City Comic Con last March to lend some of their most famous (and infamous) voices to a live reading of the Episode IV script.

If that doesn't mean anything to you let me put it in another way

Bender, A Power-puff Girl, Pinky and The Brain, Ironside, Eric Cartman, Christopher Walken, Bill Cosby, Tracy Morgan, Toots, Captain Hero and a HUGE list of others re-enact the entire first Star Wars movie for you LIVE.

And the whole thing is narrated by the the Goddamn Batman!

Via the Nerdist

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Outside the Box: WMNF Tropical Heatwave 2012

David Russell — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:41:00 -0400

So I tried to get to get something from the office last weekend and was waylaid by WMNF's Tropical Heatwave 2012. Fortunately, I had my trusty cameraman/editor/professional eye-roller Matthew Michael Schiel there to document the goings on. So join me on yet another exciting ~~vanity project~~ adventure through the mean streets of Ybor city!

As usual, a couple of caveats:

1. I would like to apologize to that nice couple that I broke up. Please do not hunt me and kill me.
2. I am not 100% sure that the guy that was arrested is a douche-bag, but he sure dressed the part.
3. That circle spinning machine is a workout! Let no-one tell you differently!

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Outside the Box: Free Comic Book Day

David Russell — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:21:00 -0400

Check out this latest installment of my awesome, nerdly adventures called "Geek on the Street" and watch as I:

Attempt to get as many free comic books as possible by abusing the rules, my position and basic geography.
Finally get a chance to interview people that MAY actually be dorkier than me.
Find TWO girls dressed as Captain America and talk to them ON CAMERA!
Talk about how Biggs Darklighter was horribly underused in Episode 4. (That mustache is EPIC!)
Physically take a side in the DC v Marvel debate for a few brief seconds.

Plus, a multitude of other geekery...that you can cram into 4.5 minutes.

Like it. Share it. Comment on it. Send me creepy pictures of you in a koala suit.

Make sure you stay for the STINGER!

/dave

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Movie Matt-ers: Can men enjoy Twilight?

Matthew Kaiser — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:20:00 -0400

Editor's Note: Today marks the debut of "Movie Matt-ers," a movie advice column written by — you guessed it — a guy named Matt. If you've seen his work as a columnist for the movie site hudakonhollywood.com, you know that Matt Kaiser's specialty is answering reader questions. What's not going to kill me at concession stand? What PG-13 movies should I sneak my 10 year-old into? How do pick a movie that keeps my wife happy while not making me want to stab myself in the eye at the same time? If you have a question for Movie Matt-ers, email Matt at answers@hudakonhollywood.com or moviematters@live.com. Fire away!
This week, Matt tackles men enjoying "Twilight" and advice on picking which 3D flick to splurge on. Enjoy …

Question #1: "The wife keeps trying to get me to watch the Twilight movies, and tries to sell them to me by saying they have vampires and werewolves and action. I keep resisting because I saw the first movie and hated it. What should I do?" —Tom

Answer: Hmmm … Well Tom, let me start by reminding you that if you don't do it, you'll probably never hear the end of it. As you know, most spouses tend to push issues until they get their way. Well, sometimes ya gotta bend a bit in order to keep the peace. Of course, if you hated the first movie so much that it creeped you out and, like a lot of people, caused nightmares of sparkly, fairy-like, fang-less freaks, then maybe you ought to stand your ground.

To your wife's defense: The movies do have vampires, werewolves and action. The rest of the Twilight films are also different from the first one. Who knows, you may actually enjoy the other two? It's only a few hours of your life. Maybe you'll even pick a side, Team Edward or Team Jacob? Of course, wearing a "I like sparkly freaks" T-shirts will lead to forfeiture of your Man Card.

My advice is to try to watch one of the movies and do your best to dwell on the vampires. If you just can't get into it (or the wonderful acting), enjoy the (not quite often enough) violent acts that befall them. Also, try to enjoy the werewolves by picturing them as cute little puppies that got too big for their britches. If you aren't enjoying the action sequences, then start actively rooting for Kristen Stewart's Bella to be eaten alive. It won't happen, but it's something.

Speaking of Bella, I know she's not the quintessential heroine, but her character becomes strangely amusing if you contemplate the theory that her best chance for romance is a shiny dead guy or a Wookie wanna-be.

In conclusion, the trepidation you feel for watching the continuing exploits of the Twilight saga seem to be a bit unjustified.

Question: "I'm getting tired of paying jacked-up prices for 3D movies that still look like crap. How do you decide whether to splurge on 3D or see something in regular old 2D??" —Carl

Answer: Remember that the current 3D is still a new technology, and it's only been a few years since the PT Barnum-esque sideshow that was Avatar (great 3D, okay movie) upgraded the technology.

My number one rule when deciding whether or not to catch a flick in 3D is: If it’s not shot in 3D, I don’t spend the extra dough. Putting in 3D effects during post-production is the Hollywood equivalent of giving a five year old some scissors and construction paper and telling them to go to town.

My second rule is: If the movie doesn’t have a tagline like, “Witness the destruction of all you hold dear!” or “The greatest space adventure … ever!” then you probably can skip the 3D. Movies that benefit most are those with intense special effects, creative filming styles, and of course, eye popping cartoons. If you want to see Pride and Prejudice in 3D, then I doubt my advice (or anyone else's) will help you.

The third rule, and probably the most important: If you can’t afford the extra ticket cost, don’t see it in 3D. Yes, moviegoers need to support the technology if we want to see it grow. But the $14-$17 a family of four will spend to see someone jump out of the screen could be better spent on the important things in life — like up-sizing your combo meal. Besides, most of the time you can see the same exact movie in 2D anyway.

I see a movie for plot, acting, dialog, and most of all … enjoyability. Random crap floating in front of my eyes is not exactly necessary for an enjoyable movie experience. I personally am looking forward to the 4D experience. Yep, 4D, movies you can smell. You may laugh, but they have already been experimenting with it. Ahhh, to be able to smell the grass in Field of Dreams; to experience the powerful odor of napalm in the morning; to know what the "Scent Of A Woman" really is; to discover the pungent odor of the Klump family during the dinner scene in The Nutty Professor. (Ok, maybe not that last one …)

To sum it up, spend your money wisely and make the most informed choice you can when picking your next 3D flick.

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CL on the Road: SXSW 2012, the future of music, film and interactive

Joran Oppelt — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:46:00 -0400

For continued coverage and commentary, follow me on Twitter @joranslane
To see all videos, subscribe to my YouTube channel here.

SXSW - 3/18/12 - Day Ten

Goodbye, Austin. I’ve come to appreciate this strange relationship we have. We see each other once a year - the best and worst sides. No questions asked. And then we do it all over again. There’s a name for this. What is it?

I’ve shipped my souvenirs (and records) home, packed my suitcase full of crap from the conference and tradeshow. Thanks to Katie and Karl for letting me crash with them. Thanks to Chris for hanging out with me, even though I always have my own agenda and am checking my phone every other second. That’s what friends are for, I guess. Thanks to Kelley for taking some amazing photos (even some challenging group shots). Thanks to all the SXSW staff and the new friends I met this year, you’ll all be getting an e-mail from me soon.

I need antibiotics. I need a detox. I need to sleep for two days straight. There’s a name for this. What is it?

I’m saying goodbye now. Until next time.

Check out my coverage of days one through nine after the jump.

SXSW - 3/17/12 - Day Nine

Skinny’s Ballroom / New Granada Records Showcase

The Pauses

Led by Tierney Tough (vocals, bass, keys), Orlando’s The Pauses, took the stage at Skinny’s Ballroom promptly at 8 p.m. sounding like a cross between The Pixies and Shudder to Think. For fans of 90s alternative, there’s a lot going on here, including pop hooks, solid melodies and plenty of groove, but what impressed me the most, was the TV. The Pauses had travelled to Texas with a television and a couple of pieces of furniture in tow. Set up directly in front of the stage (obstructing the view of the band, depending on where you stood) was an audience-facing keyboard connected to a television screen displaying looped midi images controlled by the keys and modulation wheels of the synthesizer (encased in a vintage, wooden piano frame).

The Velvet Teen

Back when my own band showcased at SXSW in 2003, my drummer Tony Dolan came back to the hotel one night, saying he had discovered the most amazing band, "The Velvet Teen." We all had a good laugh, after all, how could anyone have been better than we were, and Velvet Teen was a silly name anyway.

A couple years later, I had discovered the error of my ways. The Velvet Teen was not only an amazing band, I couldn’t myself figure out a way to describe them to people. They sounded different from album to album, sometimes from track to track. They carried elements of 80s rock, synthy hooks and breathy choruses. They sounded like The Police, they sounded like Jimmy Eat World, they sounded like Muse, they sounded like absolutely nothing else. And then they released 2010’s No Star.

No Star is one of my top ten albums of the past decade. The lyrics are straight out of prog-rock, flowery, medieval and optimistic, the guitars sound like an orchestra, the drums just go on for days. The 4-song EP stayed on a continuous loop in my car for a good four months (and it’s the perfect length for the drive across the Howard Frankland bridge from St. Pete to Ybor City every morning).

In a live setting, TVT did not disappoint, displaying plenty of energy (jumping into the crowd with a tambourine, climbing the speaker columns) where other bands, especially on the bill that night, were satisfied to simply rely on dramatic lighting. They played some new material (one track featured just sequence, tambourine and vocal), some older material and all the songs from No Star. I bought a t-shirt, the white vinyl, and had the guys autograph their set list for Tony Dolan. You were right, Tony. The Velvet Teen is a most amazing band.

Sleepy Vikings

I got back to Skinny’s Ballroom just in time to catch Creative Loafing’s official 2012 SXSW selection, Sleepy Vikings. They were almost done with their set, working the crowd over with the most sombre cover of Danzig’s "Mother." The audience at Skinny’s was into it, but getting thin. It was our last night in Austin, and a handful of Tampa Bay folks including Shawn Beauville, John McNicholas and WMNF engineer Mark Perfetti, had all gathered at Skinny’s to wish each other safe flights.

St. Patrick’s Day (and my last night at South By) ended at the food truck lot at 4th and Colorado. I opted for the Longanisa Tots and a Pork Slider from the "Be More Pacific" filipino-fusion truck washed down with a Mexican Coke. Holy perfect ending, Batman.

SXSW - 3/16/12 - Day Eight

I’m completely fucking exhausted. Bouncing back and forth between sensory overload (read: 4th St.) and chaos (read: 6th St.) every night for seven days will test you. Yesterday, I had two peak musical experiences, one of which physically brought me to tears, and today it starts all over. The steady diet of water, Emergen-C, ibuprofen, caffeine and antihistamines will have to be enough. It’s time to hit the street in search of the new.

Shawn (The Beauvilles) had joined Thomas Wynn and The Believers on this recent tour as a lead guitarist, so the boys decided to return the favor and back Shawn up at a showcase at Casa Chapala, a Mexican restaurant downtown. Billed as “Beau and the Believers,” and scheduled for the “acoustic” stage (the corner of the upstairs bar), the lineup included Shawn on guitar and vocals, Thomas Wynn on drums, Dave Wagoner on bass and the amazing Chris Bell on harmonica. With one rehearsal in, they got through a handful of Beauvilles songs and stretched out the set with a little improvisation. The harmonica added real authenticity and power (especially when executed by someone like Bell) to The Beauvilles’ already roadhouse-ready blues rock. I truly hope to hear this version of the band (or something like it) again. It sounded true.

Ximena Sarinana

At the Easy Tiger patio, I finally got to see Ximena Sarinana perform a full set of her own music. The crowd was unruly and belligerent, while other press photographers refused to let Kelley (who was much shorter than they were) stand in front of them to get her shots. If you’re one of those photographers and you’re reading this, fuck you.

I was crouched near the monitors in front of the band when I started to sweat and noticed I wasn’t feeling well. There was a drunk woman tapping her knobby knees on my back that obviously had no idea who Ximena was, but wanted to continually scream, “Your dress is hot, girrrllllll!” and spill her drink down my back. This is where the night took a turn.

Ximena performed an amazing set consisting mainly of material from her new album, her self-titled English debut. She was joined onstage by drummer Alex Wong (A City on a Lake), guitarist Pete Lalish and a very animated bassist, David Lizmi, and ended her set with a solo piano version of “Mediocre,” the title track from her first record. Ximena was kind enough to talk to me after her set, even after a full day of giving interviews, and we discussed her recording (and personal) relationship with boyfriend Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (The Mars Volta), her vocal range (I refer to her as the “Latin Bjork”), and her strange musical identity. Sarinana has recorded volumes of music from jazz to pop to hard rock, and fits easily alongside the indie and experimental hipsters of San Francisco as she does the Mexican pop stars she went to college with that we had met the day before. Sarinana stated simply, “I don’t like being put in a box.” Fair enough, girl. Oh, and your dress was totally hot.

I was feeling worse by the minute, but stopped in for Zechs Marquis’ set at the Sargent House showcase and met Claire Ramsdell, of Boston blog Allston Pudding. Sargent House is a strange hybrid that serves as management collective/label/promotion company and more. I’ve always wanted to learn more about the success of its business model and hung around to try to catch a few words with founder Cathy Pellow, but Zechs Marquise was pounding away like a bunch of dudes that had just gotten some new gear and wanted to jam in strange time signatures. And I was in no mood to do math.

There is a sociological phenomena known as the “doughnut effect,” which states basically that as a city (or settlement) grows, the core will tend to crumble and decay as the inhabitants move outward seeking larger and better housing (a.k.a. “the suburbs”). Well, if the SXSW event were a settlement or a colony (which is hardly debatable), and the new layers upon layers of unofficial showcases and free shows that crop up around the edges of the festival proper every year are the suburbs, then SXSW has officially turned into a ghetto.

Last night was evidence of this, as 6th Street was teeming with thousands of people - more than I’d seen in five years here. They all seemed to be here for different reasons (seeing bands, spring break, getting laid, participating in a flash mob, drinking because it’s the weekend, giving out CDs no one will ever listen to, drinking because it’s Friday, working on a street team promoting a product no one will ever use, drinking because it’s SXSW, etc.) and few of them had badges or wristbands. Don’t get me wrong, at the end of the day, this 10-day period supports this city year-round and a lot of local businesses depend on it. But, as I tried to make my way from one venue to another, feeling claustrophobic in a wide open space (and on the edge of panic and anxiety), I finally understood why the locals hate it. It’s not about the money. It never has been. The locals would probably pay the businesses directly if everyone would just stay home. The problem is that the majority of people that come to SXSW don’t respect the city of Austin, the conference or themselves. They just want a piece of something, and they think it lives here.

SXSW - 3/15/12 - Day Seven

Bruce Springsteen Keynote Address

We awaited the arrival of "The Boss" in the Austin Convention Center’s Ballroom D. There was to be no photography, no videography, no audio recording of any kind - and that included press. Kind of a bummer since I rolled Kelley out early to attend. Russell Marsden (vocalist for Band of Skulls) was in attendance and Radiohead’s King of Limbs played over the PA, echoing through the cavernous hall and keeping the still-groggy crowd from getting too restless.

With about 45 minutes left on the clock, Nora Guthrie (Woody’s daughter) took the stage in honor of her father’s birthday and introduced warm-up acts Eliza Gilkyson, Jimmy LaFave and Juanes. They stalled (read: performed touching renditions of Guthrie classics) while we waited for Bruce to take the stage. Colombian-born Juanes led off the classic "This Land is Your Land," and it took them a minute of awkward silence, but the audience eventually applauded. When the trio was finished, Roland Swanson, managing director and co-founder of SXSW finally introduced The Boss.

Bruce took the stage to a standing ovation and when the applause finally died down, he said, "Why are we up so fucking early?" There was much laughter. "How important can this speech be if we're giving it at noon?," he said. "Every decent musician is still asleep - or they will be, by the time I'm done."

Bruce then spent the next 45 minutes or so telling us about his musical journey. And when Springsteen started out (as he was quick to mention), he only had 10 years of actual rock music to draw on. Bruce’s personal journey through music - his storied career - is really the story of rock and roll itself, meandering through the 60s, 70s and 80s, both influencing and being influenced by doo-wop, soul, country, folk, punk, alternative and metal.

"Pop has become a new language and a new cultural force," Springsteen said, and “rock continues its tradition as youth music and as a joyous argument starter." He added, "U2 is the last band [that] I'll know all four members’ names."

A common theme throughout Springsteen’s talk was Elvis Presley (Elvis’ 1956 appearance on Ed Sullivan inspired him to create his own "transformative self"). More specifically, Springsteen based a large part of his theme on a small part of Lester Bangs’ now famed obituary of The King that stated, "We will never again agree on anything as we agreed on Elvis." Bangs was implying that we as a people would never be brought together by one music again and that "fragmentation" and "solipsism" ruled the day. Bangs may have been right at the time, but Springsteen maintains that we can beat those odds - that the "genesis and power of creativity" will not be denied and that the “power and purpose of music" is what still matters. He also alluded to the fact that music itself might be the new unifying force, as evidenced by the SXSW festival, as thousands of music fans gathered to celebrate so many disparate styles and genres. "The purity of human essence and expression is not confined to tubes or microchips," The Boss reminded us.

According to Springsteen, the birth of rock and roll was the discovery of a new way of thinking about sex, race, identity and America. His description of doo wop was "the sound of bras popping all at once across [the country]." His description of Roy Orbison, "the true master of the romantic apocalypse that you knew was coming after the first night you whispered I love you." Springsteen drew comparisons between the new music of the 60s and the tortured, heartbreak of the actual artist, giving voice to the "blue-balled limp back home after the dance."

While the emergence of punk music from the likes of The Sex Pistols ("an informed darkness [whose challenge] you could not ignore") and soul ("adult music performed by men and women, not teen idols") was influential, it was the music of The Animals that truly made a mark.

"The Animals were a revelation," he said. And while poking fun at vocalist Eric Burdon’s stage presence (and his inability to dance), he also credited their music with "the first appearance of class consciousness." Reciting lyrics from their hit "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place," and strumming the chords that went with them, Springsteen painted a picture his fans know all too well - the crumbling, industrial town; the greener grass of unknown places; sexual frustration and civic impotence - and joked, "That's every song I've ever written."

The takeaways were many (Springsteen still practices his swagger in front of a mirror. "Don't you?," he asked the crowd. "C'mon, ya gotta check your moves.") and his parting words, "Stay hard. Stay hungry." will ring in my head for some time. But, the real message of his keynote address lay in his closing statement. "The true artist keeps two contradictory ideas alive in their head and heart at all times." Springsteen spoke directly to all individuals harboring a creative impulse, and the time and place couldn’t have been better. The musicians and artists knew exactly what he meant. The interface designers and game programmers knew what he meant, too. The speech, while broken up by brief musical interludes (strummed chord changes, snippets of songs by The Animals and Woody Guthrie) was as finely timed and crafted as one his songs. It was grand in scope, epic, yet all too brief. It brought you one step closer to understanding Bruce Springsteen - the kid from New Jersey, the struggling young artist trying to synthesize new and sometimes conflicting concepts into one concrete musical language, the producer and performer with the ultimate work ethic. It left you empathizing with the underprivileged, yet impelled to go out and simply accomplish more, to never give up or put your head down. They were the words you want to hear from any boss, "Stay hard. Stay hungry."

Torreblanca Y Amigas

We arrived expecting a solo set by Ximena Sarinana (as hers was the sole name listed on the time slot) but instead were told that the showcase would include Latin performers from as far as Mexico City and Chile and be a chance for many of these artists (who hadn’t rehearsed in advance, only through demos via e-mail) to get together and “jam.”

The word “jam” and “Chile” together, conjured up this image of tribesmen playing flutes on the small convention center day stage, and I was pissed. This kind of bait and switch was unprecedented. It had to have been a mistake.

But, here’s how it unfolded. Apparently, these artists weren’t folk musicians, they were pop bands, and what we witnessed in that hour was truly amazing, considering the circumstances. They’d all gone to college together, and had reunited here for one of the many Latin-focused showcases that music fest programmer Alicia Zertuche puts on annually.

For the most part, the backing band was Mexico City’s own Torreblanca, the project of Juan Manuel Torreblanca, who acted as “a sort of MC” introducing the players as they came on and off stage - sitting in on backup vocals, accordion, piano or percussion on each other’s songs. The performers included French/Mexican chanteuse Andrea Balency, Javiera Mena from Chile, and a new personal favorite, Natalia Lafourcade from Mexico City (who is apparently a big star over there, and was until then known to me as “the girl with the bow in her hair who was standing next to me at the Band of Skulls show”). The Torreblanca band also featured the beautiful and bubbly Carmen Ruiz on vocals and percussion, drummer Jerson Vazquez, bassist El Abuelo, and saxophonist el tio. Oh, and Ximena got to play a couple songs at the end.Gracias, Torreblanca y amigas. Great to meet you all.

Trixie Whitley

The minute Trixie Whitley took the stage, literally close enough to where I could touch her, I started to well up. I had met her father, Houston-based blues legend Chris Whitley, in 2003 here at SXSW shortly before he died of cancer. He performed a beautiful trainwreck of a set at Maggie Mae’s in front of an intimate crowd that somehow managed to keep the entire room in silent rapture and dumbstruck awe.

Two songs into Trixie’s set and tears were streaming down my face. Partly due to exhaustion, but also because Whitley’s music comes from a dark place where she struggles to reconcile the early loss of her father, reluctantly and painfully communicated in the language that he himself taught her. Their mannerisms are the same, from the strained facial expressions to their gaunt frames stomping on the stage floor - a thud that echoed out into the street and drowned out the surrounding din of rock and techno bleeding in from the neighboring clubs. Her set was even fraught with the same technical difficulties. Three times members of the audience took the stage to attempt to fix a keyboard (provided by the venue) that had way too many knobs and no sustain pedal. The audience waited patiently each time, while she sweetly apologized and thanked the crowd and sound man for their patience, all the while a visible rage growing inside of her.

By the time her set was over, there was a release of energy - part anxiety, part joy - that was palpable in the venue. We had been paid a visit by the princess of blues and soul. And we took pictures of her while she kicked like a pony and listened while she spoke to us in a language as old as man, handed down to her by one of the greats. The world never knew her father well enough, never understood him, and his memory is kept alive by the too-few brilliant albums that he managed to record, but he has left us with possibly the greatest gift of all - Trixie.

Also see photos of Cults; He's My Brother, She's My Sister; Kaiser Chiefs; Temper Trap; Madi Diaz.

SXSW - 3/14/12 - Day Six

After mailing a postcard, and watching The Christopher Brothers' impressive-but-quickly-busted street performance (see the YouTube channel), I met up with photographer Kelley Jackson at Manuel’s. We had an amazing dinner and got our game plan on.

Even if both of us split up and saw one song each, there was still no way to catch it all. I wanted to see Dan the Automator’s new project, Pillowfight. She’s heard that singer-songwriter Emily Wells was in town and wanted to track her down. We headed first to 512 to get in line for Pillowfight, managing to snap a pic with Automator after his soundcheck.

It turned out that the lead vocalist for Pillowfight was none other than Emily Wells. She was joined by Kid Koala on the turntables, a triple threat (piano, vocals and beatbox) named Butterscotch, and an “all-star” band that included Automator himself on the laptop, Kaoss pad and mixer. They performed “Sentimental,” which is the single from the forthcoming record, but the rest of the set proved to be much stronger than the lead track. For fans of Automator’s Lovage record, this one is a must. Really dynamic stuff, ranging from full-on turntablism and heavy beats to sparse, sultry vocal harmonies accompanied by piano.

It was then on to The Haven to catch Band of Skulls. These guys were a surprise discovery of mine a couple years ago at SXSW, only to get home and find that half the world had already heard of them after being included on the Twilight soundtrack. I admit, that one slipped by me. But for two years now, I’ve been telling everyone I could about them, describing them as “Black Sabbath meets The Pretenders by way of the White Stripes.” It might not be the best pitch, but it’s mine.

Band of Skulls flat-out killed. Katie’s boyfriend, Karl Simon, even came down for the set and was blown away. he said it was the first “proper concert” he’d seen at the festival. Basically meaning that they weren’t set up on a riser in a parking lot and that the sound was decent.

Tennis and Kasabian had to wait for another day, as we needed sleep. Had to get up early this morning to get in line for the Springsteen keynote. Stay tuned.

SXSW - 3/13/12 - Day Five

You know, I thought it interesting that a band was setting up while I was browsing through vinyl at Waterloo Records. It turned out to be Delta Spirit, whose new record hit shelves yesterday. In the time I had my head down, the room had filled up completely. I couldn’t make my way to the register, so I camped out and got some video (see below). I was then humming this song for an hour.

I got a tip (thanks, David) that St. Petersburg City Councilman, Steve Kornell, and his partner Rob had arrived in Austin for the music portion. I hit them up and we grabbed dinner at Garrido’s, a sit-down, Mexican restaurant that I remembered being better two years ago, but it being the first sit-down meal I’d had in four days, I couldn’t complain. We discussed the music scenes in Austin and St. Pete, talked about participatory government, recounted how many times we’d had bicycles stolen in St. Pete, and agreed to text if we found something cool.

My good friend Shawn from The Beauvilles was sitting in on lead guitar with Thomas Wynn and the Believers at the Club 606, so I busted ass across town to catch the last song. Luckily, I got some pics and video, and they sounded great! After their set, the MC took the stage and told the crowd that he was “out front listening” to their set when he overheard someone say, “Damn, them niggas got soul,” and reminded the crowd that none of Thomas Wynn’s band members were black.

Downtown Austin is walkable, but damn, tonight was a challenge! All the way back across town to La Zona Rosa to try and catch Santigold. I was with my friend and INMotion game designer, Chris Ledwith, and as I had a badge, we had to stand in different lines. Non-badge holders were notified that the show was at capacity and that no amount of money or showing of tits would get them in (seriously, this happened). They were only allowing badge holders, one-in, one-out. Luckily, when Theophilus London ended his set, a group of ten people decided to leave and I squeaked my way inside and muscled my way into the crowd near the stage just in time to see Santigold.

Holy shit, Santigold.

There was already an energy in the room - everyone dancing and head-bobbing to the dubstep being played between sets, and the sound at La Zona Rosa was pristine. When the band took the stage, the room exploded. They were in full costume, players outfitted in white caps with flat tops to look like albino frankensteins and the backup singers/dancers wearing colorful jackets with white sunglasses and gold pom poms. Santigold appeared wearing a gold crown and tore right into the first song. There were at least three costume changes within her 45 minute set - including black and white bowtie ensembles, sparkly gold tunics, black and white parasols and a huge white horse (which must have contained at least two crew members) that danced center stage while the dancers twirled lassos above their heads on either side. The backup dancers moved easily from expressionistic modern dance and Thriller-style zombie moves to booty shaking hip-hop and cheerleader kicks and tumbles. Santigold’s voice was flawless and she sweetly and casually engaged the crowd between songs, stating at one point (when the backing track crapped out), “I’ll sing a capella for y’all if I have to!” This show will be hard to top this year. A great set by a great artist.

Local Austin hard rock/metal band Scorpion Child was already playing across town when Santigold’s set ended, but I hopped in a cab and made it to Hotel Vegas just in time to catch their last three songs. Scorpion Child sounds like a cross between Led Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers with a little Judas Priest thrown in for good measure, and I’ve been a fan of theirs since I caught them here three years ago. I spoke with singer Aryn Black (by day, a bartender at Barbarella’s) about the changes in their lineup (specifically a new, and visibly younger, lead guitarist named Chris Hodge) and about their new record. Scorpion Child usually has between 3-5 appearances booked for SXSW, but this was their only date on the festival this year. When asked why, Black said, “We usually get asked to play a bunch of parties, and that just didn’t happen this year.”

I also ran into music blogger and German marketing director, Tina Kavanagh, who has recently worked on Suzuki’s “Mehr Vagen” campaign (“vagen” means both “car” and “courage” in German) and also campaigns for Play Doh. It was fascinating to hear stories about shooting in an empty swimming pool containing a green screen lifted by balloons and how Play Doh’s only German competitor is a product without a name or brand that’s available widely in the market and used in elementary schools.

Trending Topics: There’s been some backlash against the Homeless Hotspot project in Austin, saying that the organization is exploiting the homeless by paying them only $50/day to promote their free wi-fi locations for SXSW.

SXSW staff have denied the rumor that Gibson’s sponsorship is the reason for excluding the Vintage Guitar Show (a much-lauded used gear showcase) from this year’s conference. We’re told the two are “totally unrelated.”

SXSW has also announced the winners of 2012's Film Awards, including Battles for Best Music Video.

SXSW - 3/12/12 - Day Four

I suppose when you get drunk and start telling stories abut your kids it's a sign that you miss them, and that's how day four ended. I did, however manage to finally track down my new favorite local brew Thirsty Planet’s Buckethead IPA at Opal Divine’s, so at least it ended on a high note.

The day began with Howard Rheingold. Rheingold is the grandfather of Virtual Communities, and the rise of “Community Management” among branded content and media companies continues to rely on his expertise and innovation dating back to the early 1980s. For two years now, at Creative Loafing, we grant the “Howard Rheingold Award” to site editors doing innovative and engaging work within their channel. And it’s all based on a document that he drafted in the 1990s.

His solo presentation was upbeat, informative, optimistic and charming. The crowd in attendance was inquisitive, respectful and visibly engaged. The two 20-something girls handling the sound and wireless microphones were utterly fucking bored.

Key takeaways (Here’s a graphic courtesy of Ogilvy Notes):

Self-election is what makes open-source work. New ways to participate are born every day.
There is no general definition of a virtual community. Some use it as a lifeline, some as an escape from reality.
Peer-to-peer universities and cooperative learning are coming. Wikipedia is just the beginning if collective knowledge.
Capital opportunities arise from trusted networks.
The difference between mindfulness and hyper-vigilance? Take a breath, pay attention to your body.
Position matters within a network. Thriving is based on centrality and how many people need to go through you to meet their needs.
Don't just keep up with the hardware or software of new systems, keep up with the literacy.
A schoolteacher asked how she could motivate the under-served, specifically low-income students and those who don't self-elect. Rheingold replied that gamers are peer learners, it may work to reach them with a medium/platform they understand.

Later, outside the CNN Lounge, I bumped into Jesse Thomas of the agency, Jess3. Thomas is known for the ubiquitous colorful posters and diagrams plastered all over Austin during SXSW, primarily illustrating new models of content delivery and the “State of the Internet.” He’s also known for his work as a Forbes contributor and as Social Media Adviser to NASA, organizing the first geosocial check-in from space. I’d been collecting their street art, posters, infographics and data visualizations for five years now and was pleased to finally meet the man behind all the artwork hanging in my cubicle at the office. Thomas was a humble dude, and gracious enough to offer to send some t-shirts and posters to the CL office for the staff. Thanks, Jesse, we’ll sport them proudly.

Of course, The big news of today, was that CNN and Mashable are in talks for a deal hovering around $200 million. We’ll keep you posted.

SXSW - 3/11/12 - Day Three

On Sunday, I was hurting (did I mention #gettingoldsucks?) and didn’t leave the apartment until around 5 p.m. but we headed straight to the steadily-growing line outside The Parish and waited for 2 hours to get into the PBS party. Normally, I don’t wait in lines - It’s just not how I roll at SXSW, gotta keep moving - but Katie was geeked (literally) about meeting Steven Moffat (writer for shows like "Sherlock," "Jeckyll" and "Doctor Who") and his wife Sue Vertue.

While in line, we just happened to realize we were standing next to former Apple evangelist and superstar blogger, Guy Kawasaki. Guy was as cool as could be, actually asking us where some of the parties were, and telling us about all the free drinks he'd just downed at the Rackspace party at Bat Bar. Good times.

I had low to no expectations for this party and it ended up being one of the coolest and most pleasant parties I’ve ever been to at SXSW. Moffat was kind enough to stand at the bar while a line to get autographs and photos snaked through the venue, PBS rolled a great video intro including clips from Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street and ending with previews of their newer and more popular shows ("Sherlock," "Downton Abbey") and the catering from Beale Street was some of the tastiest food I’ve had in Austin. We connected with independent filmmaker, Quark Henares (His father’s name was Atom, get it?) and we all got awesome retro PBS shirts on our way out the door. Mine is probably one of a few free shirts I’ll actually wear. Bravo, PBS!

We made a failed attempt to track down Omar Rodriguez-Lopez at the official Los Chidos party at El Sol Y De Luna and then cut over to Coppertank Brewing Co. for Tom Hanks’ Electric City presented by Yahoo! No sign of Hanks, but Blaqstarr was onstage when we arrived, turning in a truly great set that had the party moving while cyclists on stationary bikes doggedly pretended to be generating electricity for the building.

The Nokia Lab was next. It was a huge, triple-domed white structure set up in a vacant parking lot, spewing fake snow at passers-by. The Nokia crew, outfitted in white labcoats and goggles had been hyping this party on the streets all day, and we wanted badly to see what it looked like inside. It was impressive. 3-D renderings of the new Lumia 900 phone and tweets from attendees were being projected on the inside of the curved ceilings. The room was divided by yellow strips of industrial plastic hung from tubular blue frames. White cake balls and free drinks were being served, ping pong and foosball tables were set up, an interactive photo booth spat out your print while you waited and there was even room for a stage where featured artists will be performing over the next few days.

The interior of the NokiaLab

Our evening ended at Swan Dive (formerly Barbarella’s) after I got a text from Shawn Beauville that our friend Brad Register’s band The Tenant (formerly Summerbirds in the Cellar) was about to go on. Katie and I hustled over just in time to catch their set. The Tenant performs intense, 80s-informed rock with plenty of dynamics and hooks. If you’re a fan of U2 and Foo Fighters and wish that they would one day collaborate, stop holding your breath and just buy a Tenant album. You can thank me later.

SXSWi - 3/10/12 - Day Two

Day Two was a full one (a little too full). But registration went smoothly (big shout outs to Morgan Catalina and Amy Wanke at SXSW).

The first panel I attended was called "Brands as Patterns," moderated by Marc Shillum. There was a great image on-screen when I arrived that looked like a cross between a DNA spectrograph and a subway schedule. Those who know me, know I'm a sucker for a good infographic.

Key takeaways:

Marc Shillum: "If the brand is interface, then the brand is temporal ... and it should have a theme."

From Robin Lanahan: "Branding is story. And dynamic storytelling is knowing what can move and what stays the same. Learn from Hollywood in how you plot your "story" structure, with attention to positive and negative tension for brands and products."

Walter Werzowa: "Composing music is similar to brand development ... Females [and other demo/psychographics] feel and react to different key notes ... Give up focus grouping, give the money to musicians instead ... Motifs that repeat are measurable and means there is a way to anticipate user needs, and interaction with the brand."

The fields of music, art, neuroscience, branding, empathy are all closely connected.

"Don't make experts, make comprehensivists."

Mashable Goes Print for SXSW

The second panel of the day was Emotional Equations for Connecting With Your Customers with Chip Conley

Key Takeaways:

Conley has developed emotional equations based on Robert Plutchik’s “Color Wheel of Emotions” including:

Anxiety = Uncertainty (What don’t I know?) x Powerlessness (What can’t I influence?)

Despair = Suffering - Meaning

Authenticity = Self-Awareness x Courage

Based on Albert Maslow’s pyramid of needs, Conley has developed his own version (Meet user expectations/Survival, Meet user desires/Succeed, Meet unrecognized user needs/Transformation).

Unrecognized user needs are things like the fax machine or the toilet, that once adopted fall to the bottom of the pyramid.

Brands need to “be a mirror for the aspirations of their customers and create an ‘identity refreshment.’”

Humans have “a predilection for loss aversion” (we don’t want anticipated regret) and 2/3 of people will choose $100 now vs. $0 or $200 from a coin toss.

Greater choice=greater regret

Audi showed an increase in buyer happiness by restructuring the way users select the various features on their vehicle (interior, colors, transmission) by adjusting the selection process to begin with fewer choices and end with the most.

Head and Shoulders increased sales by 10% by narrowing their product line from 26 to 15.

As a brand or business, ask yourself three questions:

1. What business are we in? (Ask this five times, answers should drill deeper each time, usually by the fifth response, an “identity refreshment” should be indicated).

2. What courageous, rebellious decision have we recently made that could be perceived as brilliant or foolish?

3. What would it mean to the world if we didn’t exist anymore?

Suggested Reading:

The Soul of the New Consumer by David Lewis and Darren Bridger

Connected by Nicholas Christakis

A lot of the panels I pre-selected ended up being way out at The Sheraton on the other side of town (including one by friend and former Creative Loafing alum, Max Linsky), so I missed those and am hoping to listen to them all when the podcasts go up.

We also visited the Mashery’s "Circus Mashimus," where Flipboard was in the house taking photos of attendees on the #redcouch and posting to their Twitter feed.

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We just happened to be standing on 6th Street when a flash mob decided to head straight for us. The timing couldn't have been better (video below).

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SXSWi - 3/9/12 - Day One

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UPDATE: SXSWi is Live Streaming their interactive sessions. WATCH THEM HERE!

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I'll soon be headed deep into the heart of Austin, TX to the annual South by Southwest Interactive, Film and Music Conference. Whether you know it as "SXSW" or by it's more common nickname, "South By," you know it as the place where new technologies are born and/or embraced by the masses (Twitter, Foursquare), new films are premiered and new bands are broken. It's the home of events like "LANFest" and "FlatStock" and during the music portion (in addition to the hundreds of official shows) you can also expect super-secret showcases to be announced spontaneously. Secret shows have been turned in over the years by everyone from Metallica to Foo Fighters to Muse, and if you're not on Twitter every five minutes, chances are you'll miss the set.

I'm furiously selecting the panels I plan to attend this weekend - names like, "Brands as Patterns," "Storytelling Beyond Words: New Forms of Journalism," "Designing Tomorrow’s Digital/Physical Interfaces" - and will be covering them all right here, so keep checking back.

Expect some up-to-the-minute coverage of the panels and parties starting first thing tomorrow morning, and most likely some guest appearances by former Food Editor, Katie Machol!

Stay tuned to the blog, or follow me on Twitter @joranslane

If you're in Austin for the conference, and interested in seeing my schedule on the SXSocial site, here it is.

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A great American trailer park epic

William McKeen — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:33:18 -0500

It’s a hard road for the first-time novelist.

First of all, you're confronted by a general lack of interest in fiction, unless you’re James Patterson or Stephen King.

Then there’s another Everest in your way: How do you get attention for your writing, unless you’re a serial killer, disgraced politician or a pregnant reality-show sleaze?

Of course, there’s also talent.

That’s the route Tupelo Hassman is using.

You’ll be hearing a lot about her first novel, Girlchild (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $24). Mostly, it’ll have to do with the strong voice of the narrator, a young trailer dweller named Rory Dawn Hendrix. She’s third generation poor, growing up around a truck-stop bar and among legions of mouthbreathers.

But, of course, she has a voice, and a view of the world shaped by the Girl Scouts Handbook. If I tell you she’s indomitable, then you might think this is some Disneyesque rags-to-riches story. It is not. But it is a story told in a unique voice, a voice of a young girl who tries to work through the agonies and the ecstasies of modern life among the have-nots. Rory is a child left behind.

But somehow she carries on and, at the end of the story, with a life change dropped in her lap, she manages to persevere.

It’s a novel, but it’s also good when it’s read in short bites, like a collection of stories. The point is: This is a book that deserves your attention.

SOME SILLY STUFF: Here are a few books that don’t advance the literary ball, but are just good fun.

The Boy in the Song by Michael Heatley and Frank Hopkinson (Chicago Review Press, $14.95) is a sequel to their book of a while back, The Girl in the Song. Both books offer short (2-3 pages) histories of rock songs and what inspired them.

So we get the story behind Pink Floyd’s “Shine On, You Crazy Diamond” (about leader Syd Barrett), “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton, about his son’s death, and Loudon Wainwright’s “Rufus is a Tit Man,” about his infant son (and future musician) when he was nursing at his mother’s breast. Mom, of course, is also a musician — singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle.

Maybe women are better muses. The first book was better and certainly better edited. (A few goofs here and there mar the text.)

Still, this is good fun for the rock’n’roll fan in your life.

Sign Language (Aurum Books, $16.95) is a little small to be a coffeetable book, but maybe that’s a good thing. It fits in your suit pocket, so carry it around and show it to your friends.

It’s a collection of photos from readers of The Telegraph in Great Britain — some silly, some nasty, some stuff. Broken down into categories, there’s something here to get you laughing.

And for pure silliness, check out Sheridan Simove’s What Every Man Thinks About Apart From Sex (Summersdale, $13.75). Of course, the book is blank.

DON'T MISS RANDY: Meet novelist Randy Wayne White March 8 as he discusses and signs his latest mystery, Chasing Midnight at Sophie's French Bakery and Cafe in Hyde Park Village. This event is done in conjunction with Inkwood Books.

Inkwood tells us there is ample parking in two garages. Sophie's will be serving pastries, soups, sandwiches, and salads. Seating starts at 6 and the event starts at 7.

White is the author of several fine novels featuring his marine-biologist hero, Doc Ford.

William McKeen chairs the journalism department at Boston University and is the author of several books, including Mile Marker Zero, about Key West in the 1970s, and Outlaw Journalist, a biography of Hunter S. Thompson.

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Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign playlist — Spotify style

Rebecca Forman — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:10:00 -0500

Last Thursday, our president released his official 2012 campaign Spotify playlist via his Tumblr account — yes, you read that correctly, Tumblr. (He also has Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Flickr, and Instagram.)

It would probably be silly to assume this was all Obama’s idea and that he actually compiled this list, but I'd like to think he had at least some say in it.

The Spotify description reads: "The official 2012 playlist features picks by the campaign staff—including a few of President Obama’s favorites."

Hey, at least he puts an effort into today’s technology, and I’d put money on him being the only current candidate who is actually computer literate.

Check out all 28 tracks after the jump...

"Different People" — No Doubt
"Got to Get You Into My Life (Live version!)" — Earth Wind & Fire
"Green Onions (Single/LP Version)" — Booker T. & The MG's
"I Got You" — Wilco
"Keep on Pushing" (Single version) — The Impressions
"Love You I Do" — Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
"No Nostalgia" — AgesandAges
"Raise Up" — Ledisi
"Stand Up" — Sugarland
"This" — Darius Rucker
"We Used To Wait" — Arcade Fire
"You've Got The Love" — Florence + The Machine
"Your Smiling Face" — James Taylor
"Roll With The Changes" — REO Speedwagon
"Keep Marchin'" — Raphael Saadiq
"Tonight's The Kind of Night" — Noah and the Whale
"Keep Me In Mind" — Zac Brown Band
"The Weight" — Aretha Franklin
"Even Better Than The Real Thing" — U2
"Home" — Dierks Bentley
"Everyday America" — Sugarland
"Learn To Live" — Darius Rucker
"Let's Stay Together" — Al Green
"Mr. Blue Sky" — Electric Light Orchestra
"My Town" — Montgomery Gentry
"The Best Thing About Me Is You" — Ricky Martin
"You Are The Best Thing" — Ray LaMontagne
We Take Care of Our Own - Bruce Springsteen

So what do you think? A little somethin’ for everyone — well, there’s no Weezy in there, but whatevs.

Personally, I’m especially happy to see Ray LaMontagne, Florence + the Machine, and Arcade Fire in there. I'll admit the Ricky Martin track threw me for a loop, though.

So in giving credit where credit is due - kudos to his campaign crew. And it doesn’t appear they’ve been sued yet…*cough* Newt Gingrich *cough*.

I wouldn’t say a candidate’s mixtape would be a dealbreaker for me, but it’s nice when things like this come about and remind us of the human side to our nation’s leader.

Would this at all factor into your decision-making process? What would you add to the playlist? What songs would you expect to see on say, the GOP candidate’s Spotify playlist?

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Punny Grammy Snacks: 54th Annual Awards Edition

Amanda Allwood — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:23:00 -0500

Credit: DisneyDreaming.com

Last year, I decided to have a Grammy Party and was in need of some snacks, so I came up with the best "punny" Grammy foods for your Grammy party. And one year later, here we go again, Punny Grammy Party Recipes: 2011 Awards Edition. For maximum impact, I recommend making little signs for your food and drinks. Otherwise, how will people know how incredibly clever you are?!?!

First up, Egg Rolling In The Deep...

Egg Rolling In The Deep

Ingredients
4 cups (about 1/2 of a 12-ounce bag) dry coleslaw mix
4 ounces cooked and chopped ready-to-eat shrimp
1/2 cup canned sliced water chestnuts, drained and cut into strips
1/4 cup bean sprouts, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced widthwise
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium or lite soy sauce
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash black pepper
6 large square egg roll wrappers*
Sweet and sour sauce, for optional dipping
Directions
*Can be found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket with the other Asian items.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Put slaw mix in a large microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and microwave for 2 minutes. Drain any excess water from the bowl. Add all of the other ingredients except the wrappers and optional sauce, mix well, and set aside. For a more intense flavor, allow the mixture to marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Prepare a large baking sheet by spraying it lightly with nonstick spray. Place an egg roll wrapper on a clean, dry surface. Evenly distribute about 1/2 cup of the mixture onto the wrapper, in a row a little below the center. Moisten all four edges by dabbing your fingers in water and going over the edges smoothly. Fold the sides of each wrapper about 3/4 inch towards the middle, to keep the mixture from falling out of the sides. Then, roll the bottom of each wrapper up around the mixture, and continue rolling until you reach the top. Seal the outside edge with another dab of water. Carefully transfer egg roll to the baking sheet.

Repeat the process with the remaining wrappers and filling, making sure you have a clean, dry surface each time.

Spray the tops of the egg rolls with nonstick spray. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Allow them to cool slightly. If you like, dip the egg rolls in some sweet and sour sauce!

Recipe Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

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Corn This Way Nuggets

Ingredients
1 (11 ounce) can creamed corn
1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg white
2 tablespoons milk
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together the creamed corn and drained whole kernel corn. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Drop spoonfuls of the corn mixture onto the sheet, and freeze until firm, about 3 hours.
Heat one inch of oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a large deep skillet, or fill a deep-fryer with oil as directed by the manufacturer.
Mix together the cornmeal, flour, egg white, milk, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Dip frozen corn nuggets in the batter, and quickly fry in hot oil until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain.

Recipe Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

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Skrillex Potatoes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon hot chili oil
1 cup cooked Yukon gold potatoes
2 minced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions
Heat hot chili oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the potatoes. Stir in the garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until crispy.

Recipe Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

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Red Hot Chili Pepper Salsa

Ingredients:
Serves: 32
1 can tomatoes and green chilies
1 can whole canned tomatoes (plus the juice)
4 teaspoons jalapenos (canned,diced, not pickled)
1/4 cup yellow onion (diced)
1/2-3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
In food processor place jalapenos and onions. Process for just a few seconds.
Add both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar, and cumin.
Process all ingredients until well blended but do not puree.
Place in covered container and chill.
A couple of hours of chilling will help blend and enrich the flavor.
Serve with your favorite thin corn tortilla chips.

Recipe Courtesy of Food.com

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Taylor Swiss and Bacon Dip

Ingredients
8 slices center cut bacon, chopped
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 rounded teaspoons prepared Dijon style mustard
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, available on dairy aisle
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped
Baby carrots and a selection of spiced flat breads, cocktail sized pumpernickel or rye breads, or sliced whole grain baguettes, for dipping

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Brown bacon in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drain crisp bacon bits on paper towels.
In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon, Swiss and scallions with cooked bacon. Transfer to a shallow small casserole or baking dish and bake until golden and bubbly at edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Top with chopped smoked almonds. Place dip on a platter and surround warm casserole with breads and carrots for dipping.
Variation: Swiss and Bacon Dip with Horseradish - Stir in 2 rounded teaspoons prepared horseradish when combining cheese and bacon.

Recipe Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

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Bananas Foster The People

Ingredients
1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 bananas peeled and halved, cut lengthwise
1/4 cup dark rum

Directions
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add brown sugar and stir together. Add the bananas and cook until caramelized over medium-high heat. Pour in the rum and catch a flame off of the gas stove or a BBQ lighter. Stand back when ignited and flambe. Be careful; a flame will shoot up above the pan. Let flame die down. Serve over vanilla ice cream and/or a slice of pound cake.

Recipe Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

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The Band Berry Cobbler

Ingredients
Filling:
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen strawberries
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen blueberries
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen raspberries
1/3 to 2/3 cup sugar, depending on your level of preferred sweetness
1/2 cup baking mix
Topping:
2 1/4 cups baking mix
1/4 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Directions
Spray the insert of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together all the frozen fruit, sugar and 1/2 cup baking mix. Transfer the fruit to the slow cooker. In another large mixing bowl, stir together 2 1/4 cups baking mix, 1/4 cup sugar, melted butter and milk with a wooden spoon. With your hands, drop bits of dough on top of the fruit in the slow cooker. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the dough and place the lid on the slow cooker. Turn the power onto high and slow cook for 3 to 4 hours until the topping has puffed and the fruit is bubbling.

Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream

Recipe Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

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Moves Like Jager Cocktail

Ingredients
1 oz. Sauza Tres Generaciones Anejo Tequila (more Sauza Tres Generaciones Anejo Tequila drinks)
1 oz. Jack Daniel's Whiskey (more Jack Daniel's Whiskey drinks)
1 oz. Jagermeister (more Jagermeister drinks)
Crangrape Juice (Preferably Langers 100% cranberry grape juice) (more Crangrape Juice drinks)

Instructions
Fill a highball glass halfway with ice and add the ingredients. Stir and drink.

Recipe Courtesy of BarNoneDrinks.com

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Death Cabernet For Cutie

Ingredients:
Bottle of Cabernet
Paper
Spray Glue
Directions:
Use your graphic design skills and your printer at work to make a new label that reads "Death Cabernet For Cutie"
Adhere to the wine bottle using spray glue.
Watch your guests giggle.

Recipe Courtesy of me.

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You And Tequila Sunrise Punch

Ingredients
1/2 cup silver or gold tequila
1 liter citrus-flavored club soda
2 limes, quartered
1 small unpeeled orange, cut into 1-inch chunks, plus 1 orange, sliced, for garnish
1/2 small unpeeled grapefruit, cut into 1-inch chunks
Ice cubes

Directions
In a pitcher measure tequila, club soda, and cut fruit. Add enough ice to the pitcher so that the punch rises to the top. Pour into tall glasses and garnish with sliced orange.

Recipe Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

The end. Have fun!!

Follow me on Twitter at @mandaann

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Ten dragons to celebrate the Chinese new year

Christopher Spata — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:00:00 -0500

Happy lunar new year! If you skipped the festivities in Beijing this week (or you totally ignored that paper placemat at your local Chinese restaurant), maybe you missed the good news. We’ve transitioned from the Year of the Rabbit (yawn) to the epically mythical and badass Year of the Dragon. Need evidence that it’s going to be a good year? Consider the accomplishments of the last Year of the Dragon, back in 2000: scientists mapping the human genome, astronauts opening the International Space Station — Richard Hatch winning the first season of Survivor. And, the Y2K bug didn’t turn ATM machines into flesh eating kill-bots! So in honor of the next twelve sure-to-be-awesome months, here’s a list of cool dragon stuff, put together in no particular order.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: It doesn’t matter if you’re talking the first novel in Stieg Larsson’s “Millenium Trilogy”, the Swedish film adaptation, or the recently released American film by David Fincher, Tattoo is a worldwide phenomenon for good reason. Aside from being a dark, twisted and smart thriller, Larsson created the most compelling and original character in years with Lisbeth Salander, the tatted-up and pierced super hacker anti-heroine with Asperger’s, who proves she’s definitely not to be screwed-around with. Also, he managed to create a male protagonist who’s both a financial magazine writer, and an irresistible ladies man — no small feat in itself.

This guy with a dragon tattoo: The muffin top says “I love McDonalds,” but that hardcore back tattoo says “I’m a Yakuza hitman, and I will cut your pinkie off with a samurai sword.

Dragon’s blood: Three ounces of vodka, four ounces of cinnamon liqueur, three ounces club soda. Makes six shots. Tastes like Red Hots that get you drunk.

Bruce Lee punching a guy right in the beard in Enter The Dragon: Nothing like a slow, dramatic buildup to the world’s fastest punch in the head. (Check it out after the jump.)

Dragon Ball Z: The Cartoon Network anime series was a melodramatic mix of super-powerful alien beings defending the earth from the more-powerful alien beings, by transforming into even-more-powerful alien beings, with a lots of bright flashing colors. It was universally beloved by geeks, stoners and stoned geeks (did I mention the bright flashing colors?), but the genius was that it played out like an old-school serial, with a cliffhanger at the end of every show. Sometimes you’d have to watch for 90 minutes just to see if Goku landed a punch he threw four episodes back — insanely addicting.

Dueling Dragons roller coaster: When Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park opened up in 1999, there was no doubt that Dueling Dragons was the king of Florida thrill rides. The coaster featured two separate trains, “Fire” and “Ice,” which met up along the track for one of the world’s only interlocking corkscrews, and what seemed be an impending head-on collision, before the two trains swoop back into gigantic loops, barely missing each other. Unfortunately, a couple of accidents involving riders who were hit with debris led to Universal cutting out the dueling aspect of the ride. Without the near-misses, it’s just not the same.

Dragon breath: Noun. The absolute funniest way to refer to someone’s offensive mouth odor. As in “dude you need to take care of that dragon breath.”

Komodo dragons: Fact — it is impossible to flip past Animal Planet if they’re showing a documentary on these bad boys. Truer fact — The saliva of these 300-pound lizards contains over 50 types of bacteria which will usually kill its prey within 24 hours of a bite. It’s not quite breathing fire, but that definitely qualifies as "dragon breath."

Year of the Dragon Phantom: The limited edition of the 2012 Rolls Royce Phantom features dragons embroidered on the seats, hand-painted on the body and inlaid on the polished wood passenger panel. Don’t start pulling out that debit card yet, the $1.2 million sedan has already sold out.

Bowser: The princess kidnapping dragon from the Super Mario Bros. franchise. Can you even name another video game villain? You can? Nerd.

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Dry January: Week 1 of a booze-free month

Louise Rocco — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:12:00 -0500

Today marks the first day of a month-long period of sobriety. You might be saying to yourself, Self, this chick decided not to drink for a month. So what? Who cares? Granted, it won't bring about any lofty changes in the world, but it will take me out of my comfort zones. Wine and beer are like a favorite sweater, comfortable and familiar. Without them, my interactions will (hopefully) be more lucid, and that lucidity will allow me to think about more important things and have more interesting conversations.

We all know how it is. We think we are so attractive, great dancers, witty and urbane when we drink. Of course by "we" I mean "me." What is closer to the truth is that we stumble around with one eye half-closed and tell jokes that go like this: "Hey! You wanna hear a joke? Ha! There's your joke." I cannot take credit for the previous description. That goes to Anna, but I thought it was so funny and spot on that I couldn't resist.

Not drinking for a month may not seem like the most courageous feat, but my brother did once remark that I put whiskey on my corn flakes in the morning. Anyone who knows me knows how utterly absurd that is. I don't even LIKE whiskey. Sheesh. No. I am not an alcoholic. No. I am not one of those people in denial about how much they drink or how often. Yes. I enjoy having drinks with friends and in social settings. The issue is, there is always a social setting, and when one doesn't exist, you create it. November and December were not lacking for reasons to imbibe. For the better part of the last two months I felt as though I have had either a confection or a glass of something in my hand. Sometimes both. I was not alone in this. After speaking with several friends, we tossed around the idea of abstaining in the new year. Some have already dropped off like barflies. So far Anna, Julia, Malissa are still in it.

I have friends who have gone through dry periods before and lived to tell about it. Miah, aka Express Monkey, did so in February of last year, and then Michael last June. Michael even dubbed it Dry June, a title which I borrowed to describe my own endeavor.

Now it's not that sobriety is tough; it is the realization of how prevalent alcohol is in social gatherings. At dinners, game nights, or even going to a movie, someone brings a bottle of wine or suggests getting drinks. Of course one can have an active social life and not touch a drop. People have been doing this forever and don't think twice about it. I can draw the parallel, having been a vegetarian for the last 22 years. The thought of eating meat doesn't appeal to me, just like the thought of drinking doesn't appeal to some people.

The next two days will be a proving ground. The weekend. Happy hour after work. Free time. Hanging with friends. Will I fold like a house of cards? I can say with confidence I will not. Earlier this week I had my friends Julie and JB over for dinner and wine flowed. I held fast and remained dry. What do I hope to learn from this? I don't know. I am fairly certain that this change isn't permanent. I enjoy having a drink now and then. I think ultimately what this will show me is that I am the one fully in charge. I chose to have an adult beverage for no other reason than I want one. That's it. Then again, who knows? What I discover may surprise me. Only one way to find out.

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Reel Projections: Not your grandma's Christmas movies

Matthew Schiel — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:52:00 -0500

'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the office, not a Christmas movie was rolling, not even Die Hard. Reel Projections regulars David Russell and Joe Bardi, accompanied by Arts and Entertainment editor Julie Garisto, got together to discuss their Christmas favorites —, with a CL twist, of course. You won't hear our thoughts on It's a Wonderful Life or a review of A Christmas Story. Instead, we discuss the horrors of Rudolph and why The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo might be a new holiday favorite (at least for Dave).

Keep reading for links referenced in the video …

Extend your viewing pleasure with Dave's handy links:

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Top 10 Most Insane Pieces of Twilight Merchandise

Amanda Allwood — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:14:59 -0500

As Twilight-Fever sweeps America, I can't help but notice all the sweet merchandise out there to commemorate Breaking Dawn - Part 1. In fact, I find it all so totally amazing, that I had to compile a little list of the top 10 most insane pieces of Breaking Dawn/Twilight merchandise. Also, it's a great Christmas gift list for your fave twi-hard.

10. The Edward and Bella Barbie Dolls

Sure, if you are seven years old, these are insanely cool. Past that point, you are getting creepy. Thank god there isn't an accompanying bed with "breakaway headboard."

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9. Bella's Hair Comb

The only reason this is so far up on the list is that legitimately, no one would even know that it's a piece of Swann family memorabilia, except other Twi-hards. Everyone else would just think that you have crappy taste in accessories.

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8. The Jasper doll

This only makes the list so that I can make the obligatory "are you sure that isn't Austin Scarlett?" joke.

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7. Bella's Engagement and Wedding Rings

Do you want a life of wedded bliss to a man who loves you so much it takes everything in him not to literally drink your insides? This is the ring set for you. Warning: It will turn your finger green.

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6. The Jacob-Widdled Wold Bracelet

It was Jake's graduation present to Bella. So give this to the lady you hope will run away with your arch nemesis and become impregnated with your future soulmate.

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5. Edward vs Jacob, the Locket

For the lovely lady who just cannot decide (now you don't have to cuz they'll always be in your heart).

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4. Edward and Bella's Wedding Invitation

Didn't get one? It's cool, it seemed like a super-lame wedding anyway. NOT, it seemed like the best wedding ever! So get your own wedding invitation now and make all your friends crazy-jelly.

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3. The Breaking Dawn Lunchbox Set

Show your love while you eat your turkey and cheese sandwich under the oak tree in the quad. I am sorry, but seriously, this is insane. No one buy this ever.

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2. Essence of Edward "Erotic"

Sometimes you just want to feel "erotic," you know, you want to smell like a man who is literally as cold as ice and as hard as stone. Sidenote: this is the creepiest thing I have ever written and I have to stop now.

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1. The Jacob Fleece Blanket with Tribal Tattoo Design

Or as I like to call it "The Dealbreaker."

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That's all folks! Now go get your Twilight on and buy some holiday gifts!

Follow me on twitter @MandaAnn and get all your pop-culturely needs fulfilled @AltDotPop.

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Spoiler Corner: Glee,HIMYM, Once Upon a Time and more!

Bianca Rosen Siegel — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:36:15 -0500

Curious about your favorite shows? Is someone going to die? Is your favorite couple getting engaged? Hookups? Breakups? Well, here you will find all the answers to your burning questions!

Glee It's my favorite time of the year! Which means tonight's episode brings one of the most anticipated Glee episodes of the season, "Mash up." Although the song list for this week is already epic (join me after the break for that) this episode also marks the 300th performance. Mercedes and Santana belt out a hauntingly passionate version of "Rumour Has it/Someone Like You" by Adele. If this performance does not give you goosebumps you are not a true Gleek ... but if you are a true Gleek and can't even wait for tonight's 300th performance I have a sneak peak after the break!

"Mash Up" episode up Song List
- New Directions (boys), "Hot for Teacher" (Van Halen)
- Will & Shelby, "You and I / You and I" (Lady Gaga / Eddie Rabbitt & Crystal Gayle)
- New Directions & Trouble Tones, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot / One Way Or Another" (Pat Benatar / Blondie)
- Young Sue Sylvester, "Oklahoma" (from Oklahoma!)
- New Directions, "I Can’t Go For That / You Make My Dreams" (Hall & Oates)
- Trouble Tones, "Rumour Has It / Someone Like You" (Adele)

Big Bang Theory It looks like Amy is a hotter commodity than Sheldon expected and she is being asked out on a date with none other than nerd extraordinaire and comic book enthusiast, Stuart! When Sheldon is faced with his female half possibly being swept away he is forced to define the relationship in more realistic terms, something Sheldon is unfamiliar with. Sheldon is even considering taking his relationship with Amy to the next level. What level will that be for Amy and Sheldon — could it be true love and Sheldon and Amy will make passionate love to each other, probably not but I guarantee whatever this step is hilarity will ensue.

Gossip Girl Since Blair and Chuck are taking a break from being the epically dramatic couple there is room for a new scandalous couple ... can anyone say Ivy and Nate?! It looks like these characters are going to get hot, heavy and risky considering Nate's cougar relationship. Are you rooting for Navy? Or is ~~Charlie~~ Ivy getting on your nerves already? Hit the comments!

How I Met Your Mother After last weeks scandalous episode filled with Barney and Robin's lustful evening it seems both Barney and Ted will be discussing making a life-changing decision together. They aren't the only ones making life-changing decisions, Lily and Marshall are thinking about moving to Long Island! The ultimate sin for a group of 20-somethings living in Manhattan is to leave Manhattan so I can't imagine them breaking the cardinal rule ... but you never know as they grow to a family of three.

Once Upon A Time This week's episode is all about Rumplestilskin or Mr. Gold if you are living in Storybrooke. We will find out all of the details of Ashley's arrangement with Rumplestilskin about her unborn child, none of which are magical, but never fear this is still a fairytale and Emma will come to the rescue by offering up an unknown favor to him - and let's just say the devil is definitely in the details.

Is your favorite show not here? Let me know! E-mail me at gossipbianca@gmail.com or tweet me @gossipbianca and ask me about your favorite television shows, I always have the gossip!

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Spoiler Corner: Glee, Up All Night, Vampire Diaries and more!

Bianca Rosen Siegel — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:39:49 -0500

Curious about your favorite shows? Is someone going to die? Is your favorite couple getting engaged? Hookups? Breakups? Well, here you will find all the answers to your burning questions!

Glee Regardless of whatever is going on in your sex life tonight, the Glee seniors will definitely be getting it on. The ultimate virginity episode is finally upon us. Blaine and Kurt will be having sex, and although the details are being kept under wraps, from the picture it looks like Blurt fans are in for a romantic and passionate encounter. Although Finchel fans should be equally excited about Finn and Rachel's sex scene as well ... a little more sweaty, apparently happening in front of a fireplace. But this week is not allabout sex; it also marks the triumphant return of The Warblers. For a sneak peek at their fabulous performance and a list of tonight's songs, join me after the break!

The First Time Song List:
"Tonight" (from West Side Story) - Rachel & Blaine
"Uptown Girl" (Billy Joel) - The Warblers
"A Boy Like That" (from West Side Story) - Rachel & Santana
"America" (from West Side Story) - New Directions
"One Hand One Heart" (from West Side Story) - Rachel & Blaine

Happy Endings Unfortunately, this Wednesday will not include any Happy Endings, but it looks like they will make up for it in the next few episodes. Actress Faith Prince and none other than Kardashian trainer Gunnar Peterson are joining the series in guest roles. Faith will be playing Penny's quirky therapist and Gunnar will be playing — surprise — the owner of a gym.

Up All Night What do you do when you don't have a babysitter but a night out is calling your name? Obviously the choice is to leave your baby with an inspirational yet a little off-her-rocker talk show host. That's right: This week Amy is left in the care of Ava ... do I really need to say anything else? I bet Amy will learn to be the best baby she can be!

Vampire Diaries First of all I have some bad news: This is the last new episode until January 5th, but I also have good news: This week is Homecoming! Elena, Damon and Stefan are all going to the Homecoming dance this Thursday, but as usual nothing in Mystic Falls is ordinary. Rebekah tells Elena this Homecoming has a more supernatural significance involving sharpened stakes and wolfsbane. Will someone die this Homecoming night?

Is your favorite show not here? Let me know! E-mail me at gossipbianca@gmail.com or tweet me @gossipbianca and ask me about your favorite television shows, I always have the gossip!

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Reel Projections: video games give Hollywood a 1-up

Matthew Schiel — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:09:00 -0400

Video games have evolved over the years, with the state of the art moving from two rectangles knocking around a square to realistic modern warfare simulations. Hollywood has long supported the video game industry, committing millions of dollars to adapting titles to the big screen. But has the maturity in video games helped or hindered their cinematic counterparts? The (freshly re-dubbed) Reel Projections crew — Dave Russell, Joe Bardi, and Reel Projections producer Matthew Michael "Awesome" — discuss the best and worst video game to movie adaptations.

Check out this Mario trailer as mentioned in the video.

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