Broken Hallelujah // Independent Arts and Culture

WHOLE EARTH CATALOG

Saturday, February 28, 2009

WHOLE EARTH CATALOG
The Whole Earth Catalog is now online. This collection is not complete—and probably never will be—but it is a gift to readers who loved the CATALOG and those who are discovering it for the first time. The great stuff found on these pages is a celebration of the genius of Stewart Brand and all those associated with the WHOLE EARTH family of publications.

link | via MiShi on Facebook

The Graduates

Thursday, February 26, 2009

The Graduates

The Graduates is a fun coming-of-age comedy about four friends who head to the beach after graduation. They go to party and chase girls, but end up growing up over the course of the week.

The Graduates features music from Asheville's Mad Tea Party and also features Robin Williams' son Zak Williams in his feature film debut.

The Graduates was directed by Asheville's Ryan Gielen (also directed Larry Keel: Beautiful Thing) and will be in theatres nation wide starting May 8th and will run through the summer.

Here are the details:
Thursday, March 12th
Doors at 9:00pm
Screening at 9:30pm
Tickets $5
Venue Asheville Pizza Company

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT OUR SITE ONLY - Previous screenings have all sold out so get your tickets at the website soon.

The Graduates (Official Trailer) from Ryan Gielen on Vimeo.

Living Things Habeas Corpus

Lillian Berlin of Living Things

Living Things Habeas Corpus

On February 17, St. Louis, MO, garage rock quartet Living Things released their much-anticipated third album, Habeas Corpus, and it's solid as a motherfucker. No fancy riffs or vocal gymnastics, just a solid rock and roll sound.

The album was recorded in Berlin by the band -- St Louis, MO, brothers Lillian, Eve and Bosh Berlin, and guitarist Cory Becker. Lead singer Lillian (still looking like Jagger via Altamont) and band stay true to their lo-fi rock sound with only a modicum of compromise that may come with a new label. Or maturity.

Habeas Corpus

Habeas Corpus

The back story can be more interesting than the party line. Several years ago Lillian battled down a heroin addiction and went to jail several times. The Berlin brothers' Mom, mom, an activist from Chicago was raised Catholic and once tried to join the Black Panthers before moving to the conservative St. Louis suburb where her boys -- two of whom she named after their grandmothers -- were born.

While shooting a video in Prague, Lillian met the outstanding director, Italian filmmaker Floria Sigismondi. They married in 2004 and had a daughter that same year.
YouTube | Website

Michael Franti in Asheville, Again

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Musician/Poet/Activist Michael Franti is appearing tomorrow night in Asheville again. He's become one of our favorite touring bands because we like his music and we like what he stands for. A year or so ago he took a few days and helped clean up our river banks and in December he helped with Habitat for Humanity. Now that kind of good will goes a long damn way.

Mountain X: Can you share a story or memorable experience from one of your shows in Asheville?

Michael Franti: Well, the first one that comes to mind was the last show, the Christmas Jam, Warren Haynes came up to me and he says, “Michael there [are] a couple folks that would like to sit in with you, are you interested?” I said, “Yeah, of course, I’m always interested.”

He said, "Mickey Raphael, who plays harmonica with Willie Nelson would like to sit in." And I was like, “Oh, yeah, of course, that’d be awesome.” And then he said, “And John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin, would you mind if he played on a song?” My mouth hit the floor and I was like, “You kidding me?” So we went backstage and we just started jamming.

More »

I'm A Star, Baby!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Monday, February 23, 2009

Burma frees Suu Kyi allies

Damn. I got a jolt when I saw those first four words; then the last word became clear.

We are counting on you, Hilary. It's such a horrid tease and I cannot remotely imagine how Ms Suu Kyi feels.

Nineteen political prisoners, including allies of pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and five Buddhist monks, have been freed in military-ruled Burma as part of a general amnesty, an exile group said today.

The regime announced the release of over 6,000 inmates on Friday after United Nations human rights rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana ended a five-day visit during which he called for the progressive release of "prisoners of conscience". More »

Vintage Sunglasses
Cool 60s, 70s, 80s vintage sunglasses at affordable prices -- $12 - $24 found at Betsy's.

via

Mickey Rourke's Here To Stay

Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Wrestler

I've talked about The Wrestler here before but I wanted to expand on why I'm so passionate about this film. I've been a fan of Mickey Rourke's for over 20 years.

From Body Heat, Rumble Fish, Diner, The Pope of Greenwich Village, oh man, Angel Heart --what can I say, to Barfly, a Bukowski story. "To all my frennns", character Henry says in the film. My husband and I still imitate our favorite scenes from Barfly. Mickey's portrayal was phenomenal or he'd lived through that crazy life before.

So a few years of unforgettable work from Mickey finally leads him to Sin City. The buzz about him is good now but people are still skeptical. When you tell Hollywood to collectively kiss your ass then come back and ask them for work you'll have to prove yourself all over again. If you even get the chance.

Mickey was about to get that chance with The Wrestler. Five long years of raising money to get this independent, labor of love made. Friend Bruce Springsteen wrote and gave them the song that closes the movie. (Why was it not nominated?)

In The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke creates a galvanizing, honest and tender portrait that easily puts it among the great, iconic screen performances and he certainly deserves the Best Actor win.

Thomas Woodruff's Freak Parade

Thomas Woodruff's Freak Parade
Lovely little freaks. Go see all the freaks in a row. Or get the book.

I can't believe I've not posted any of his work here before because he's one of my favorite artists. (Must have been posted before on my SU or Tumblr website.)

Burmese Junta Sees Satellite TV as Threat

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Burmese Junta Sees Satellite TV as Threat

The Burmese junta believes information technology, particularly satellite TV, is a decadent threat that undermines nationalism and has warned the people to avoid satellite TV programs.

On Tuesday, the junta-controlled newspapers, The New Light of Myanmar, Myanma Alin and The Mirror, published a commentary blasting satellite TV.

When the junta found they couldn't stop satellite in Burma forever they ordered a massive hike in the annual satellite TV license fee. The license fee was increased 166-fold.

Those who couldn't afford satellite (most people) went to teashops. The teashops began doing better business.

link

"We want to see a time when citizens of Burma and the Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi can live freely in their own country,"

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

You can't hide the truth forever. What a happy day it will be when democracy finally comes to Myanmar (Burma).

The Indian Condom Song

Monday, February 16, 2009

The Indian Condom Song
Please-- no food or drink while watching.

link | via

Betty Blowtorch and her Amazing True Life Adventures

FILM THREAT'S TOP 25 DOCS THAT ROCK

This list was originally posted 6 years ago but the list still holds up quite well. I saw BETTY BLOWTORCH last night which is #1 on the list. The mark of a good documentary or film to me is that long after it's over I'm still thinking about it. I woke up today thinking about Betty Blowtorch and what could have been.

"Betty Blowtorch and her Amazing True Life Adventures" is jam packed with live footage of the band playing various shows. It also features interviews with the band and those fortunate enough to come in contact with them. The history of Betty Blowtorch is pretty well laid out here, giving plenty for the die-hard fans out there to drool over, and maybe even opening a few eyes and ears to their brutal power.

We dare you not to be moved by the tragic story presented here.

link

Sending You Valentine Love!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

"Exactly how long the prostitute, unbeknownst to my father, stayed at our house and slept in my bed is hard to gauge."

Does Maud Newton know how to write an excellent first line, or what?

link

Are you blogging in your Pajamas?

When another blogger made fun of Sister Wolf blogging in her pjs (but in her parents basement? hardly) she decided to have an online PJ Blogging Party and is posting photos.

Are you PJ Blogging this weekend? Send Sister Wolf a photo or stop by and leave a comment and tell her that you, too, have been known to dare I say it, take your bra or tie off when blogging and actually put on pajamas. Chuh!

link

Friday, February 13, 2009

Judges Busted for Jailing Youths for Profit

At worst, Hillary Transue thought she might get a stern lecture when she appeared before a judge for building a spoof MySpace page mocking the assistant principal at her high school in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. She was a stellar student who had never been in trouble, and the page stated clearly at the bottom that it was just a joke.

Instead, the judge sentenced her to three months at a juvenile detention center on a charge of harassment.

She was handcuffed and taken away as her stunned parents stood by.

“I felt like I had been thrown into some surreal sort of nightmare,” said Hillary, 17, who was sentenced in 2007. “All I wanted to know was how this could be fair and why the judge would do such a thing.”

The answers became a bit clearer on Thursday as the judge, Mark A. Ciavarella Jr., and a colleague, Michael T. Conahan, appeared in federal court in Scranton, Pa., to plead guilty to wire fraud and income tax fraud for taking more than $2.6 million in kickbacks to send teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers run by PA Child Care and a sister company, Western PA Child Care.

link

Today the families have filed a class action lawsuit against these assholios. link

there's a whole front row in hell reserved for assholes like this.

SOME SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE

Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to inner peace and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions, this could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

SOME SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE

* A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.

* An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

* A loss of interest in judging other people.

* A loss of interest in judging self.

* A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

* A loss of interest in conflict.

* A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)

* Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

* Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

* Frequent attacks of smiling.

* An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.

* An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

WARNING:
If you have some or all of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition of inner peace may be so far advanced as to not be curable. If you are exposed to anyone exhibing any of these symptoms, remain exposed at your own risk.

© 1984 Saskia Davis

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Building The Timothy Leary Archive
Supporters of the work of Timothy Leary attended a reception February 8, 2009, in San Francisco. The goal was (and still is as far as I know) to find patrons and a place to build a Timothy Leary museum to house about 400 boxes of archives and to digitize the material. John Perry Barlow, Joi Ito, and others attended.

link

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Marzipan treats

Cuteness overload. These sweet creations are from the
"Eugene and Louise Bakery", the fictional bakery which was created for an art show in Antwerp. {via}

Peanut Butter Products Recall

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Peanut Butter and other Peanut Containing Products Recall List

I went to the FDA website to check on some peanut butter products that I may have in my kitchen. My local grocery store hadn't removed any products as of Sunday.

The FDA list is updated and pretty extensive. It's a damn shame but until the quality of our food is better or regulated better it looks like being pro-active is the way to go; i.e.-- check for recalls instead of waiting until your grocery store pulls it from the shelves. They probably can't pull it until they get the word from the supplier who gets word from the FDA.

Just one more reason in the long line of reasons to rethink what you eat. Eat raw or unmodified. Let's add *Research* to the mantra of the day, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...and now Research.

link

Beautiful photos by model-turned-photographer, Robert Jaso.

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