Entry #525 Tuesday, April 10, 2007 Well, drivers from the Garden State - this one's for you. Here's Letters from Linda #28. Is it me or has she been quite prolific lately? Must be spring fever. Anyway, word on the street is Nick P was last seen lurking around Scranton, PA, filming some sort of competitive eating contest (cheese steaks, I think?) Don't worry, if it was gravy fries, my man would have broken the fourth wall and cleaned up. Apparently, he also mingled with Ed Harris on the set of National Treasure 2 and did a little work on the Get Smart film. And he was (again) involved in an award winning film in the year's 48 Hour Film Festival. Like usual, homeboy is on the move. What - you thought this was his only claim to fame? And when not destroying his body filming for his highly anticipated Fallen video part, Billy Marks practices his second passion - beer pong - and dude is just as good with the ball as he is with the board. I think I smell a new career brewing. Entry #524 Monday, April 9, 2007 I don't know about you, but I'm always hanging out with people who are like "I'm so crazy" or "So and So's totally insane" Whatever. After watching this trailer, I realized "No, bro - forget what ya heard, these cats are full on mental." Anyone who bombs a hill in a shopping cart at 40 mph has got a death wish. The documentary looks great, though. Former DEVO frontman Mark Mothersburg is showing some of his postcard artwork at Philly's Bambi gallery. I haven't checked it out yet, but I've heard good things. I also heard Jim Houser's show at the Painted Bride is excellent Entry #523 Friday, April 6, 2007 Vibe just posted the latest episode of Epicly Later'd - this one featuring an interview with Mark Gonzales and Christian Hosoi, filmed at their art opening in NYC last fall. Check it out here. I must admit - I'm quickly becoming addicted to this show. Anyway, thanks to everyone who came out to the Ramones tribute last night. I was so nice to see so many familiar faces and your support means a lot, seriously. And thanks to the rest of the band (Tim, Larry, Justin and JP) who really came through and threw it down hard, right and tight. I swear, I felt like I was 14 again, playing a broom in front of the mirror pretending to be Johnny Ramone or something. I had a great time. Hopefully we'll have some photos and video up shortly. Well, as some of you know, this is, like, the third tribute show that I've been in involved in (we did a Johnny Cash and a Clash one) and, previously, we had our old friend Sean Rule playing the role of Animal, banging away behind the kit. So, each time we got together, we talked about how much fun it'd be to play a Ramones show, since we were both major fans growing up. Unfortunately, he ended up moving west so the dream was put on hold since, honestly, none of us had the money or resources to fly Superman in for the show. So, with that in mind, this week's Top Five comes from former Plow United and Swingline drummer (and the man who coined the phrase "Discover Your Inner Caffeination") - the always energetic Sean Rule. Take it away homeboy. Sean's Top 5 Ramones Songs The Havana Affair Should Have Done: 5. Bonzo Goes to Bitburg 4. We Want the Airwaves 3. Do You Remember Rock n' Roll Radio? 2. Rockaway Beach (and of course) 1. Warthog Take it light, and have a GREAT TIME! I'm there in spirit! Thanks Sean! Let me know when Hands On Throat decides to come destroy the east coast 'cause I'm so there. Well, that's it for me. Have a great weekend everybody. Entry #522 Thursday, April 5, 2007 Once again, the girl proves she's got taste - here's Letters from Linda #27. I attended a meeting last night about a new skatepark the county's building in my old stomping grounds of Glasgow, Delaware. As of right now, things appear to be on schedule, and, if they stay that way, kids'll be shredding by the fall, which is great news. And the spot looks pretty rad to me - check out the plans here. And don't forget - Tonight, Tonight, Tonight! Hopefully I'll see some of you at the Ramones tribute show at Mojo 13. As previously mentioned, the bros and I are billing ourselves as The Havana Affair, whih will feature former members of The Situation, Invasion, Starter Culture and Swingline. I believe we go on somewhere around 10:00 PM so come out and get your Gabba Gabba Hey on. Again, this is a one night only, one time thing so it's now or never. And to help get you pumped up, here's a classic live clip from Fab Four of Punk! Entry #521 Wednesday, April 4, 2007 As of yesterday morning, after nine years of service, I officially resigned from my position of Art Director at Please Touch Museum. I have decided to start my own independent graphic design firm, which will be called Red Attic Studios. Look for a formal announcement and website launch in the coming weeks. On the plus side, Please Touch Museum will now become one of my clients. I have put a great deal heart, soul and hard work into creating the museum's brand identity and I'm looking forward to continue working with them as they prepare to move towards greener pastures at Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park. Thanks to everyone who's been helping out with this transition - this move is something I've been wanting to do for a long time and I'm really excited about taking things to the next level. Entry #520 Tuesday, April 3, 2007 We had our final Havana Affair practice last night and I can honestly say I have a new appreciation for the physicality it takes to pull off those Ramones songs live. We must've run through that set five times and by the end of the night I felt like I'd been in a serious bar fight. The band's sounding great though, and all involved really came through so I'm psyched. I think we're ready for Thursday night at Mojo 13. Personally, I can't wait. It'll be good to hit the stage again. And speaking of Mojo 13 - is it me or did they just steal my color combinations for their myspace page? And speaking of stealing, I can't wait to see this new Steve Rocco doc that's coming out this summer. For those who don't know, Rocco pretty much waged a David and Goliath type war against the big three skateboarding companies (except, in this instance, David was an evil little punk bastard) and pretty much just flipped the script on the industry as a whole. I still go back to some of those old World Industries ads for inspiration - just for the attitude. Blind, 101, Plan B - the guy was behind it all. He's legendary. Watch the trailer here and learn. Entry #519 Monday, April 2, 2007 The Wilmington Skate Project finally got a myspace page - check it out here and add them as a friend. Anyway, I walked out the back door this morning and was greeted by a decapitated fish head smiling at me from the bottom of the steps. Is that, like, a sign of bad luck or something? Or did some kind of rodent or possum do a snatch-by outta our fish pond? I don't know, but it made me think of this song. Entry #518 Friday, March 30, 2007 I can't post today - it's 65 and sunny and I've got spring fever so I'm off to soak up some sunshine. Linda's no slacker though - she came through with Letters from Linda #26. Have a great weekend everybody. And don't forget - this coming Thursday is the Ramones tribute show at Mojo 13 in Delaware and I'll be performing a few tunes with some friends as the Havana Affair. This is a one time only thing so don't sleep on it. More info next week. Entry #517 Thursday, March 29, 2007 JibJab pokes some fun at the sad state of America's broadcast news agencies and is once again spot on. Sometime's I just love the internet. I got word yesterday that two pieces I designed last year received awards from the folks over at Graphic Design USA. One was for Please Touch Museum's 2005 Annual Report, the other for this poster I did for a conference on youth voice. A third award was also given to a book I art directed that comes with a film on DVD that I edited and put together. Apparently, GDUSA received over 4000 entries this year and only 15% of those we recognized so it's quite an honor. Both pieces will be featured in July's American Inhouse Design Annual issue. Anyway, to celebrate, we're gonna rock out to a band of monkeys - Lancelot Link and the Evolution Revolution! Entry #516 Wednesday, March 28, 2007 Roberta Goes Off on life in in the workplace - click here for installment 5. And get a beverage 'cause this one may take a minute. Jen recently threw her keyboard into the blog-o-sphere with her own online travel journal entitled Second Star. If you know Jen, then you know she's not the kind of person when traveling on business to sit alone in her hotel room at night watching the idiot box. Whether it's stalking moose in Alaska or throwing her body down some giant sand dune in Colorado, she likes to get out there and mix it up. And, to top it all off, she's a damn good writer as well. Click here to follow her adventures. Entry #515 Tuesday, March 27, 2007 Apparently, Michael Jackson's building a giant robotic replica of himself in Sin City - damn, is dude stoked on that Transformers' movie or what! 638 Ways To Kill Castro is showing at this year's Philly Film Fest. Can you name them all? Anyway, spring is here and when the weather's warm, you gotta crank the tunes so here's a nice live clip of The Make-up throwing down with Live in the Rhythm Hive. Damn, I miss that band. Entry #514 Monday, March 26, 2007 Saw Reign Over Me over the weekend and, although it's flawed (it's long in the second half, a few characters are underdeveloped, etc), it's still a damn good flick. It's definitely Sandler's strongest dramatic showing to date and Don Cheadle, as usual, is top shelf. I mean, it's a little intense and it stayed with me for a few days which means it must have hit it's mark. We also saw the preview for Talk To Me, the new Cheadle led film about black activist and disc jockey Petey Greene, which looks super good. And if you're ever down in Rehoboth Beach, stop by the Cafe Au GoGo on Rehoboth Ave. It's a nice little coffee spot run by an adorable older Mexican couple and they make a dam fine Coradito, complete with Cuban espresso. You can also get a Red Alert (coffee with two shots of espresso) for all you night owls out there. Word - Operation Shed Pounds is back in effect and we've got the Sweatin' to the Oldies tape on loop kid! Entry #513 Friday, March 23, 2007 I came across this trailer for Love at First Bite, which was one of the first movies I remember seeing as a kid on the big screen. It was at some drive-in on Long Island that had a killer playground and those old school mono-speakers that you'd pull up to and hang in your car. Anyway, I spent most of the night terrified of of the Count, cowering under a wool blanket in the back of the station wagon. Cut me some slack though, bro, I was, like, 6. Later on, I realized I should have been more scared by George Hamilton's super-tan. And, no, there's no real point to that story. I must say I do miss drive-in's, though. Speaking of monsters - look out homeboy 'cause Frankenstein's calling you out! Live Free or Die! Anyway, if you haven't caught Vice's new internet show, Epicly Later'd yet, you really should 'cause it's well done. I especially enjoyed the episode with Andrew Reynolds, which talked about his being obsessive compulsive (who knew?). The latest one features graffiti artist Neckface (AKA Satan's Bride) . Check it out here. Well, that's all I got. The Top Five's should return next week. Have a great weekend everyone. Entry #512 Thursday, March 22, 2007 Damn, first they went after drunk drivers, now it's Mother's Against Peeing Standing Up. Mama don't take no mess son! Entry #511 Wednesday, March 21, 2007 For all you livin' large in the greater Northeast, just a reminder - not only is today free iced coffee day over at Dunkin, but it's also free water ice day at Rita's.  So go and get your refreshment on, homeboy. And since we're keeping it local, here's a classic commercial for Jersey's most famous spook house, Brigantine Haunted Castle. I just love that creepy organ music - I'll have to learn it so I can play along at home. Entry #510 Tuesday, March 20, 2007 Well, we haven't had any Brit-pop related posts here in a while so here's a classic Stone Roses clip. Damn, I miss 120 Minutes. And since we're flashing back a little bit, here's some Great Space Coaster action for your Tuesday. I don't know - I don't think that theme song aged too well. I mean, it's no Fat Albert. That's the jawn! Entry #509 Monday, March 19, 2007 I really enjoyed watching the American Hardcore documentary over the weekend - it brought back a lot of memories of being young, skating with your friends, listening to Minor Threat and Black Flag and going to see some basement punk show in Newark, DE. Honestly, though, it's worth checking out just to see the archival footage of Bad Brains. Seriously, it made the hair stand up on the back of my head. Those guys were insane. I recently accepted an invitation to perform a few songs at a Ramones tribute night so I've been in the process of rounding up some of the usual suspects to fill out the band, which we've dubbed The Havana Affair, just for the occasion. The show takes place Thursday, April 5 at Mojo 13 in DE and, right now, it looks like we'll be playing five songs. I'm not sure what other bands have signed on, but I will post more info as it comes in. I've decided to give any money the group earns from the gig to the Wilmington Skate Project, which is working to provide a free, public skatepark for the city of Wilmington - hopefully this will inspire the other bands to step up as well. Regardless, it's going to be a fun time and I'm stoked to be involved. Remember, this is a one time thing so don't sleep on it. It's like they always say - it's better to regret something you've done, then something you haven't. Entry #508 Friday, March 16, 2007 Holy Beauty and the Beat, Batman - we're my ears playing tricks on me or did The Sky Drop's drop a cover of Our Lips Are Sealed like that sh*t was hot last night! Seriously, it came from left field and it was brilliant. Catch 'em when you can - they're touring Cali in April and the mid-west in May. Click here for dates. And if you don't know who the Go-Gos are, well... you better ask somebody. And speaking of music, I've got a little announcement coming on Monday. Stay tuned for details. That's all I got - have a great weekend everybody. Entry #507 Wednesday, March 14, 2007 The word on high from the powers that be is The Situation's full length album will finally be available on iTunes by next Monday. Why did it take so long? I'm not too sure, really, but my guess is either Parasol and Apple were having some sort of lover's spat or some brilliant marketing genius decided to strategically put off it's web release until the record's one year anniversary. Regardless, we'll see what happens I guess but, personally, I'm not holding my breath or anything. I saw the trailer for the new Rodriguez/Tarantino double feature flick and I have to admit it looks pretty damn good. I went through a period where I watched a ton of those old school, b-movie exploitation films so I'm totally excited to see their homage. The Jackson 5 are reforming?!?! I'm sorry, Mike, but sometimes you just can't go home again. Entry #506 Tuesday, March 13, 2007 You know, I've always had true respect for Mayan people and their culture - I mean, I've read books, attended lectures, visited various ruins in Mexico, etc. etc, - however, this, my friend, just takes it to a whole new level. Anyway,I picked up the new Arcade Fire record the other day and it's damn good. No big surprise there though, I guess. Well, the weather's warmer and the clock's have sprung forward which means I'm off to go skating. For some inspiration though, here's a pretty sick clip of 2006 Skater of the Year Daewon Song from the DVS site. Enjoy. Entry #505 Monday, March 12, 2007 Those who wonder where my smooth moves on the dance floor come from, well - it runs it the family, dog. Here's a clip of big bro Tom taking us back to '83 with a little robotic boogie. And if you're unfamiliar with his blog over at the Marvel Comics site, you should really check it out. Anyway, I finally saw The Rolling Stone's Rock and Roll Circus when I ran across it on public television late Saturday night. Was it worth the wait? Well, I agree with Mick Jagger that the Stones' performance was less then stellar but The Who rocked, as did Taj Mahal and it's a good watch - even if just as a period piece from the height of British psychedelia. And when do you ever get to see John Lennon, Mitch Mitchell, Clapton and Keef jamming behind a screaming Yoko Ono? Immediately after, they showed Hendrix at Woodstock, and, as you'd suspect, the man was on fire. The guy knows no equal and, even though I've been listening to him for 20 plus years now, he still blows my mind. I must say it really made me miss playing live on stage. What ever happen to the guitar hero? I'm guessing that died along with rock and roll. Entry #504 Thursday, March 8, 2007 I found out last night that The Situation's self titled album was nominated in the Best Recording category for this year's Out and About Music Awards. Our good friend's The Sky Drops also earned quite a few well deserved nods, including Best Live Band and Best Rock Act. Now, for some unknown reason, I didn't see the name "Joe Castro" on the Best Guitarist list. I mean, is it because of my affiliation with the Green Party that I can't get on the ballot or are my licks just not hot enough for you bro? I think I smell a conspiracy (although I wasn't nominated in the Best Rapper category either, and we all know they're right on the money with that one 'cause my flows like mud.) Anyway, those of you interested in participating can cast your vote here. For the rest of us, it's time to Push The Button. Yeah, that tune puts a smile on my face every time. And speaking of The Sky Drops, they're playing The Manhattan Room in Philly tonight and Mojo 13 in Delaware tomorrow - be sure to catch 'em before they leave town and hit the other coast on tour. Word on the streets is they'll be dropping a few new recordings sometime in the not so distant future. Entry #503 Wednesday, March 7, 2007 Sorry for the lack of updates but things have been full steam ahead here the past few days. Like I mentioned, I've been helping out with an organization called Come Let's Dance, which sponsors an orphanage in Uganda, and on Saturday, March 24th they will be hosting an upscale art auction/dance party in Steamboat, Colorado, which will feature works of art that were created by a handful of the children. The goal is to raise enough money to purchase additional acres of land for farming in the hope to make the orphanage completely self sufficient. It's definitely going to be a cool event for a worthy cause - for more information, though, click here. I just heard that Ben from Elephant Stone recently announced his retirement from the music industry and that his label will no longer be releasing any additional discs. Such a shame but you gotta do what you gotta do. Best of luck for whatever comes next to all involved . And finally, I watched The US vs John Lennon over the weekend and I really, really recommend it because it's message is just as relevant today, if not more so. At the same time, I've also been reading this great book about Jerry Rubin, Bobby Seals, Abbie Hoffman and the rest of the activists involved in the Chicago 8 trail, called Conspiracy in the Streets, so it was nice to have both available for cross reference and dual perspectives. And apparently, Bobby Seals has moved on from the Panthers and recently published his own Barbeque cookbook! So, remember - if you're going to smoke a pig, make sure you're marinade is right and tight homeboy. Much respect, though, to Mr. Seals. Seriously. Entry #502 Tuesday, March 6, 2007 First off - here's Letters from Linda #25. She's livin' large, you know. Again, short update today since I'm still a bit preoccupied. Much apologizes but honestly, I don't know what to tell you - maybe you should read this excellent Louie Barletta interview instead. Entry #501 Monday, March 5, 2007 Can't write much - I'm in a mad rush putting finishing touches on some postcards for a benefit in Denver, CO to raise money for an orphanage in Uganda. No, I'm not joking - more info to come. Entry #500 Friday, March 2, 2007 Mike Sanchez must have a new muse or something 'cause he recently posted three brand spankin' new tracks on The Way It Is myspace page. Listen to Best of Luck 'cause it's the real deal - just solid songwriting with the a beautifully forlorn vocal. The fact that this music gets slept on is a crime. So, I had coffee with Laz the other day, and the first thing he's says upon sitting down is "Look, my first order of business tonight is to convince you that the new Shins album is the best thing they've done." "Well", I replied, my mouth still full of chocolate chip cookie, "why not take it a step further bro, and write about it for MJC.com?" So, on that note, I present to you this week's Mighty Top Five featuring my main man, Mr. Larry Laz. State your case, Ace. Larry's Top Five Reasons Why "Wincing The Night Away" Is The Shins' Best Album To Date I have taken it upon myself to help Joe Castro understand why The Shins' latest recording, "Wincing The Night Away", is their best effort to date. I find that when it comes to these sorts of things it is best be a guiding light to others rather than bludgeon them over the head with your opinion over and over again. So here are my top five reasons for loving this album: Reason number one: I find the song "Australia" to be the catchiest Shins song since "Know Your Onion!" from "Oh, Inverted World". It is infectious in such a wonderful way, making liberal use of the important lyrics "la" and "weooh" in addition to having one of the bounciest bass lines I have heard in some time. This song's melody line definitely pays homage to Morrissey. Reason number two: I really love "Sea Legs" and think it is a new direction for them musically. It isn't a song that they would have written four years ago and is a great progression for them. Musically it is very interesting and has some of the best bass playing on the album. Reason number three: I must stay true to my roots and say that this album overall has some of the best bass playing that I have heard from the Shins. Not to keep harping on the low end instrument, I also find many of the other instrumental aspects of this album to be extremely captivating, from new guitar tones to synthesizer sounds and a very sensible use of quieter moments. Reason number four: I know that people have come to expect a very high level of lyricism from James Mercer but it should not be taken for granted. The lyrics found on "Wincing The Night Away" deliver as expected. Vocally it is also a very strong performance. Reason number five: The Shins are still very sincere and do not take themselves too seriously and it really shows on this album. They don't seem either jaded or pompous and they continue to create wonderful music simply because they love to and they can. Thanks Larry - I will definitely give that disc another go. I mean, I want to love it, I really do - I was just a little underwhelmed. And I'll say "Hi" to JP for you - we're kicking it at a hockey game tonight. Anyway, I'm gonna go knock out my front teeth now - you know, so i can fit in and all. Well, that's it for me. Have a great weekend everyone. Entry #499 Wednesday, February 28, 2007 Well, it looks like MoJunk did the world a favor and finally posted Spindrift's experimental music collage Pulpo a la Maranera online, which has long been out of print and is easily my favorite thing the band's done thus far. Definitely listen to it in one sitting, though and in order, 'cause if you just throw that puppy on your iPod in shuffle mode, it'll sound like a total mess since the songs don't really have a beginning or ending, they just kind of, you know, exsist within one another. It's like an commune of sound man. Trip out. Trip out. Anyway, some friends of mine recently posted Posse, a short film created two years ago as part of Philly's 48 Hour Film Fest. Basically, filmmakers have from 6PM Friday night until 6PM the following Sunday to write, film and edit a short piece based on a specific genre. These guys were given "Western" and, in my opinion, they did a damn good job with it . The movie must also include a mandatory prop (an umbrella), a line of dialog ("'ve never seen one of those before.") and a character (a political activist). Is it good? Well, bro, it took home a few awards, including best sound, best acting and best direction. I mean, Nick P. was involved so what more do you want? Yes, it's funny and very clever. Check it out here cowboy. Entry #498 Tuesday, February 27, 2007 First things first - Roberta checks in with Roberta Goes Off installment #4. She tells it like it is bro. So, I got home yesterday and took a look out into the backyard and "Damn" I thought, "My eyes must be playing tricks on me" because there, creeping slowing across the snow covered lawn, was that damn possum! (see post #495) So yeah, I freaked out and I started having flashbacks of Pet Sematary all the while wondering if the beast came back from the grave for revenge ala some Edgar Allan Poe tale. But alas, I checked the trash and the former possum was still lifeless so I breathed a sign of relief. I did think about cutting off it's head though, since that's usually what they do in all those zombie flicks they used to run at midnight on Friday nights. Anyway, I figure the new possum was probably just out searching for his friend. Sorry, buddy, but the trash picked him up this morning. And aren't possums supposed to be nocturnal? Entry #497 Monday, February 26, 2007 Hayden Christensen's portrayal (if you can call it that) of Bob Dylan in Factory Girl is pretty much unforgivable but, over all, the film's not too bad , as long as you don't take it so seriously. The first half is pretty fun at least, showing life at the Factory, etc. And Guy Pearce does a decent Warhol. It's a rental. Speaking of Andy, here's a sweet clip of The Ramones playing Bonzo Goes to Bitburg on Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes, back when MTV actually played music. They're still one of my top five favorite bands of all time. Anyway, I also caught "the other Capote" movie, Infamous over the weekend and really liked it, although probably not as much as Capote. I just don't think it flowed as well. It did give a different slant on the same story, and filled in some gaps so - between watching both films and reading In Cold Blood, I feel like I got it covered now. And big ups to Scorsese for finally getting some Oscar love. It's been a long time coming. Entry #496 Friday, February 23, 2007 What ever happened to that band Old Skull. Remember them? They were billed as the world's youngest punk band. Damn, they must be, like, in their late twenties by now. Do you think they still hate Ronald Regan? Speaking of music, I picked up the new K-os record last night, Hymns for Disco and it's super good and, as expected, all over the place musically. There's a little Elvis in there, a little Screaming Jay Hawkins, a little folk, a little reggae and a whole lot of hip-hop. But don't take my word for it - you can listen to the whole thing on his myspace page. Valhalla is a current favorite. Solid. Well, no top five today. Too little, too late on my part. Life is a series of let downs, isn't it? I hope you're not too bummed but, if you are, you might want to click here. That's it for me - have a great weekend everyone. Entry #495 Thursday, February 22, 2007 If you picked up the latest issue of Tric Zine, you may have seen this ad - it's the beginning of our new marketing blitzkrieg, which pretty much consists of just posting the random ad whenever the new issue of Tric comes out. Ambitious, aren't we? I decided it'd be a good idea this morning to check on our frozen backyard pond - you know, to see how the fish have been making out during their winter hibernation, etc. Well, much to my horror, I was greeted by the rear end of a recently drowned possum floating upside down in the water ala Brian Jones. Now, if you've been reading this site for a while, you know how much I really, really, really can't stand possums. I think they're nasty and they seriously creep me out. And Milton just told me they taste pretty aweful when cooked so that's strike number three. Anyway, it looks like I'll be spending a good portion of this afternoon fishing the rodent corpse out from under the ice with a shovel. Luckily, I have Metallica's Trapped Under Ice on the iPod for just such and occasion. I may throw a little Creeping Death in there as well, I'm not sure. Entry #494 Wednesday, February 21, 2007 BooYah! When it rains, it pours - Linda strikes again with Letters from Linda #24. Recognize. So, after seeing so many fashionable people strolling around town today rocking that ashy "plus" sign on their foreheads, I decided, after I get home, I'm gonna dip my fingers into the fireplace and paint an "equal" sign across my dome, you know - just to be a little different. I figure it'd be a good way to pick up chicks, maybe drop a line like "hey baby, let's see what you plus me equals" or something equally lame. Either way, you gotta love the Ash Wednesday action. Ok ok - just kidding. Did I mention I was raised Roman Catholic? Entry #493 Tuesday, February 20, 2007 Jump back and kiss yourself 'cause Letters from Linda #23 is now online for your enjoyment. Read 'em and weep chumps. Anyway, sorry for the lack of updates but we were away in Pittsburgh, visiting the Warhol Museum, which, if you've never been, is worth the trip. My only complaint is that they didn't really talk much about his life, which is just as fascinating as the man's work. Very little on the Velvet Underground, his shooting in '68, life at the Factory, Studio 54, etc. etc. And they didn't have much about his films, either, which was disappointing since they're not readily available on DVD (I mean, it's hard to imagine someone putting an 8 hour movie of some dude sleeping onto a single DVD! It'd have to be, like, a four disc set or some other nonsense.) I've been told the collection rotates pretty frequently, so the next trip back might be totally different, which is cool. Click the image above for excessive photo documentation. Entry #492 Friday, February 16, 2007 This new NYC skate movie doc looks hot, and Nichols & Charnoski usually do a great job so I can't wait to see it. I think it premier's early summer. Anyway, everyone's been asking me about the new Shins album, and, to be honest, I'm just not feeling it too much at the moment. I've tried - Lord, how I've tried - spent hours listening to it over and over and yes, the lyrics are great and the production is strong but I just don't think the hooks are there. None of the songs get stuck in my head and, when it's over, it didn't leave me wanting more. So, yeah, I'm disappointed. Who knows, maybe it'll grow on me. Ok, so, like, we all fall victim to it right? I mean, we're hanging out at some dive or whatever, shooting the deuce with the locals when all of a sudden dude starts dropping some new lingo that leaves you like, "Hold up holmes - what the hell are you on about?" Well, people, once again, we've got you covered at MJC.com with this week's Mighty Top Five. It comes from former Verge drummer turned California beat maker slash party promoter, (and the smoothest talker I know), Mr. D-How (AKA DJ I-Pizzle, AKA Zambezi of the Bombdrop Brotherz). Take it away my man. D-How's Top Five Slang You Haven't Heard Yet. 1. Butteriffic (tight, awesome, cool, good) 2. Kush (the bomb, tight) 3. Kemome (Kee-Mo-Mee) means "come on, man" 4. Faded (fucked up, drunk, tipsy, wrecked) 5. The Richter (hot chick at the top of the scale, a "10", etc) And now, just to illustrate this vernacular in action, students - we're hitting you up with a bonus top 5. Booyah! D. How's The Richter Top 5 "that should be having my baby....baby" 1. Scarlett Johannsen 2. Thandie Newton 3. Jessica Alba 4. Famke Jaansen 5. Nelly Furtado Thanks Damon. Say "Hi" to the west coast for me. And remember people, use these words wisely and, when you do, say it, don't spray it. It's common courtesy. Well, that's all I got. Have a great weekend everyone. Entry #491 Wednesday, February 14, 2007 For all my friend's on the west coast who were shooting off emails last week about "yeah man, it's 78 degrees out here and I'm hanging out in Venice" or whatever - all I''ve got to say is two words: snow day. That's right bitches - you gotta love it when a little ice shuts down the east coast. Of course, after two and a half hours of breaking my back, trying to scrape ice off the driveway, I realized, "Damn, snow days is hard work son!" You gotta pay to play. Anyway, for everyone else who's snowed in (or just feeling lazy) here's a classic clip of Neil Blender from G&S' Footage. Enjoy with some hot cocoa, bro Entry #490 Monday, February 12, 2007 Me and some of the guys at work have become obsessed with Parkour, scouring the net for old David Bell clips and whatnot. Well, here's what happens when Parkour goes wrong. And just for good measure, here's the bail section from Toy Machine's Welcome to Hell. Nothing like a little carnage first thing Monday morning. Enjoy. Entry #489 Thursday, February 8, 2007 Sorry for not posting yesterday - the oil burner at the crib broke down, so I spent yesterday, last night and this morning snuggling as close to the fireplace as possible, waiting for Mr. Fix It. You gotta love these single digit temperatures that've been engulfing the east coasts of late. Could have been worse though - the toilet didn't freeze and I wasn't pissing icicles or anything. Anyway, just to clear something up - The Situation is not a movie about the band The Situation. Honestly, I have no idea what it's about and only heard of it when Christina sent a heads up. The other movie (AKA The Sitch documentary) is in limbo right now but, I suspect, will eventually see the light of day in some form or other. At least I hope so. Entry #488 Tuesday, February 6, 2007 Former Plow United and Swingline drummer Sean Rule checked in recently - he's still livin' large in the great Northwest and recently started pounding the skins for a new band called Hands on Throat. To quote the man himself, it's "Thrash/Punk/Metal/HC.  All my favorite flavors in one." Sounds good to me homeboy. And if you think the man's slowed down in his old age, check out these live MP3's. Holy 300 beats per minute Batman!  And speaking of music, this Lily Allen record is growing on me. She's got a good sense of humor. Reminds me a little of Betty Boo, though, if she had, like, all of a sudden fell in love with Lee Perry or something. Entry #487 Monday, February 5, 2007 Well, let's start the week off on a good note - here's Roberta Goes Off installment #3. Chris Malinowski recently set up a new myspace page for his latest film, entitled Alms You Say. According to the site, it's still in post production but should be ready for debut early April. Personally, I'm stoked and can't wait to see it. Hopefully he'll show it along with Son of A Fishlicker or something. More details to come. And speaking of film (well, digital photography.....I mean, let's be accurate here for once) this slimming feature on the new HP cameras has got to be one of the stupidest things I've seen in a very long time. Seriously, if you're that vain, you need to just airbrush yourself some self respect while you're at it. Modern life really is rubbish. Entry #486 Friday, February 2, 2007 I went to Wilmington, DE last night to attend their City Council meeting and I'm happy to report that the council unanimously approved awarding an additional $250,000 in funding for the construction of a free skate park. This is a major step forward, both politically and financially, for the Wilmington Skate Project so congrats to all involved. With roughly $310,000 raised and an estimated cost of half a million, they've still got some major funds to raise so, as always, help out if you can and definitely spread the word. Happy Groundhog Day everybody. I don't know if that rodent saw his shadow or not but my cat pooped under the bureau this morning, so, you know, I'm sure that's bad juju or something so be prepared for seven years bad luck and whatnot. And to help you with your big Groundhog Day celebration feast, I'm posting this link to an excellent recipe for Groundhog. Bon Appetite! Anyway, it's also Friday, which means it's time for the Mighty Top Five. This week's guest is no stranger to this site, he's written a few pieces for us over the past two years and he's one of my oldest and closest friends. For years, he was a major presence on the DE music scene, organizing shows while fronting such bands as The Invasion and The Joy Poppers. So, here's the man of the hour, Mr Tim Coslar. They're all yours bro. Tim Coslar's "Top 5 Strangest Things I've Seen" So Joe Castro asks me what are The Top 5 strangest Things I've Seen.  I'm not talkin' strange as in alien abduction or the bullets totally missin' Vincent and Jules in "Pulp Fiction".  Depending on your experiences and where you're from, one person's "strange" is another's commonplace. Especially in 2007, y'know what I mean?  A lotta weird shit's gone down. 5. Mist Man @ Dempsey's.  Joe's my witness to this one.  One dark, very early mornin' @ a diner in New Castle called Dempsey's, a bunch of us were takin' in all the colorful people and goin's on.  Besides our waitress takin' an hour to get our food, and the cook quitting after getting our orders, what took the grand prize that night was when we looked out through the huge diner window at the end of our booth, and saw a lone figure simply materialize out of the thin dark air.  Out of nowhere, this dude wearing all black, including a big, black cowboy hat, came floating across the parking lot.  First thing out of my mouth, after a few seconds of amazement, was, "I guess the freaks really do come out at night".  Then I heard a girl in the next booth with her boyfriend and infant child, snap, "You're the freak!" 4. Electric Bass.  When Joe played guitar and wrote music in the band Obese Pharaohs of Funk, the bass player was a pretty physically fit dude named Brett Isonogle.  I misspelled his name but that might have somethin' to do his mom being my 8th grade English teacher.  I say he was physically fit because the guy could walk up a flight of stairs on his hands, and he had to be pretty tough to survive what happened.  Right before the OPF began their set @ the Barn Door in Wilmington, DE, Brett plugged in his rig and got a shock that threw him 8 feet across the stage.  Yeah, it was a small stage, but an 8 feet jump backwards is 8 still feet.  Smoke was risin' up off his body.  Dazed and confused, Brett insisted on playing, and I think it was his best set ever.  When it was over, he went home and crashed, he was so wiped out. 3. Fight Like a Shirt.  One of the very nicest guys I've ever met worked as a door man @ various clubs.  His name's Matt, and  I mean he's been one of the friendliest people I can remember.  And also the one of the toughest. I'm not sayin' this because I'm sure he could tear me limb from limb.  But I'd have to have really done somethin' sinister to have set him off.  One night this other guy crossed Matt, and Matt grabbed him by the shirt.  Matt swung his fist, and hit the dude so hard he fell down a few feet away, and Matt was still holding on to the guy's shirt. 2. Unusual Suspects.  Johnny Dank and I had spent all night in Philly goin' from club to club.  We were exhausted and hungry.  Somehow we stumbled onto a diner that I don't remember the name of, hadn't heard of it before, and have never been back since.  We climbed into a booth that had only the worst music of every genre on the jukebox.  And then we looked around @ our fellow patrons.  One corner of the place had 2 booths stuffed with gangstas and hip-hoppas with joggin' suits, knit caps, and Timbs, and few girly-girls mixed in, too.  The next booth had three truckers in it.  Bearded, flannelled, and angry.  On the other side was a booth of mafioso-lookin' fellas, some with runnin' suits, one in suit jacket, and one guy in a trench coat.  An old man with a cane walked up to 'em, and the fattest one got up and kissed the ring on the old man's finger.  Worst, was that late @ night, you never get sick of thinkin' of silly ways to say "Conway Twitty"- he had a lotta songs on that jukebox.  @ one point we looked up to see the manager and the two older waitresses lookin' over @ us and shake their heads in slow motion, like we were the worst of everybody there.  As Johnny stuck his tounge between his teeth and said "Conway Thwitty", I heard the beared angry truckers say, "Homos". 1. Legend of the Black Squirrel.  My newly ex-girlfriend Bethanne had told me a few times that she'd seen a black squirrel when she was a kid in Jersey.  I never had, and seein' was believin'  I thought maybe it was a trick of the light or the result of an industrial accident.  I'm gonna use it for the name of a comic book super hero.  Anyway, we went up to NYC and while in Central Park, I saw one.  You may not think it's such a big deal.  I've seen one since in our back yard, and I've even had a grey squirrel growl @ me. But this black squirrel in NY was gettin' props from all the other squirrels, 'cause he was racin' across the tree limbs and cables.  On a 6 inch unicycle. Thanks Tim. I thought for sure though you'd mention that time we were sitting at a table in Club 218, waiting for Starter Culture's set to start, and to the right of us was D$ puking in a trash can, to the left an overweight heavy metal trailer chick being spanked on her rosy bottom by some buff black dude to the sounds of Duran Duran's Hungry Like The Wolf. Good times, good times. Anyway, that's it for me. Have a great weekend everyone. Entry #485 Thursday, February 1, 2007 Well, I've got nothing of any interest to say today so instead of wasting a bunch of my time (wait a second, Mr. Hand, isn't it OUR time?), I'm just going to post this classic Bill Murray clip. Gunga Gullunga. Apparently, this whole scene was entirely improvised, which is pretty impressive. Entry #484 Wednesday, January 31, 2007 I deal with a lot of sales people, mainly printing reps, and today, I had one mention how sick he was before proceeding to go into some serious detail about how black and foul his stools been lately. Maybe it's me but doesn't the whole bowel movement discussion push the limit of the acceptable sales pitch? Regardless, it's nasty as f*ck. I didn't know what to say so I just told dude to eat more roughage. Roughage - that's a great name for, like, some death metal band from Finland or something. Makes me wanna punch air and let the horns fly. Anyway, uh, yeah, things are pretty slow here today so just feel free to amuse yourself with this classic Johnny Rotten clip. Entry #483 Tuesday, January 30, 2007 Modern science comes through once again, this time with the all important caffeinated donut break through. Wash that bad boy down with some coffee brewed with caffeinated water and you're morning is ON son! Anyway, our friend Royce recently started selling some of her very own custom decoupage pieces via her new online store, Stuck Like Glue. Stop by and drop some clams why don't ya. And this is probably my favorite scene in Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes - as awkward as it is funny. Entry #482 Monday, January 29, 2007 While driving home last night on the Blue Route, we got pulled over: Officer: Do you know why I pulled you over sir? MJC: Umm....No. No idea Officer: You were driving with your four ways (hazards) on. MJC: Well, yeah - we had a flat so we're driving on a donut, which is why everyone's speeding past us at 80 while we turtle it at 50. Officer: Well, sir - you did the right thing. You did the right thing. MJC: Ok ,wait, so I got pulled over for doing the right thing? Officer: Well... yes, you did the right thing. Have a good night. And that was it. Personally, I think they should give you, like, bonus points toward your license for those instances. You know, like - "Ok, sir, you were doing the right thing so that's negative two points on your licence. You better save those bad boys for the next time you get pulled over driving down the exit ramp in reverse." I mean, you never know when those could come in handy. And, honestly, nothing makes you feel older than getting pulled over by a cop who's younger than you. It just a weird, weird feeling. Entry #481 Friday, January 26, 2007 I'm thinking about marketing my own line of Joe Castro's Philly Cheese Steak Cakes. You know - add a little chopped meat to some cheese cake, then drizzle it with cheese whizz, that sort of thing. I could market it with my pizza scented candles. Now, coming from a vegetarian who avoids cheese cake like it's the plague, this might not sound like such a good idea but from an entrepreneurial stand point, it's pure gold. It's time to make a little confetti bro. This new Krux commercial is damn funny and right on the money. That Louie Barletta can do no wrong. I know it's been a while but, starting this week, we're bringing back the Mighty Top Five. Holla! Now, if you're a regular reader of MJC.com, then you've heard me go on and on about the Wilmington Skate Project and how they've been struggling for years to raise the neccesary funds to build a high quality, free public skatepark in downtown Wilmington DE. Well, I first got involved with the WSP after being approached by the organizations founder, Mark Calder, at a Free Love Park rally and the one thing that impressed me most about him is that, throughout the years, he's put so much of his own blood, sweat and tears into getting this park built and the guy doesn't even skate (never really has, actually). I mean, he's doing it - number 1: for his kids and, number 2: because it needs to happen and no one else was willing to step up and, personally, I think that's pretty selfless and admirable. So, enough rambling from me, here's the man of the hour Mr. Mark Calder.Take it away homeboy. Mark Calder's Top Five Reasons to Build the Skate Plaza in Wilmington, DE. 5. There isn't one  ....  check it.. no real public skate-park in New Castle County. 4. A city has a responsibility to do this stuff and it's been way too long! 3. Favorable opinion from the community. I've only met one naysayer so far. 2. The design is the shizz!  (do they still say that?)  Tony Hawk even said so! 1.  It's what kids do nowadays. Thanks Mark. And for all those interested and available, there's a major City Council meeting coming up next Thursday, February 1st where they will most likely be voting on allocating some serious funding to the WSP so, if you can, please come out and show your support. It all goes down at 6:30 PM at City Council chambers , first floor of Louis Redding (city/county building), 800 N French St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Well, that's it for me. Have a great weekend everyone. Stay warm. Entry #480 Thursday, January 25, 2007 You can now add I Am: Danny Way to the ever growing list of skate-docs being released. If it's anything like the short piece On Video did on him a few years back, it should be pretty inspirational. I mean, the guy spent a year trying to recover from a crazy surfing accident that left his vertebrae smashed and his head dislocated from his spinal cord. No one thought he'd walk again, much less one day jump over the Great Wall of China. Dude's a warrior for sure. Anyway, the latest issue of Tric zine should be out by now and once again I contributed another collage to it's pages. Be sure to pick one up if you're in the DE/Philly vicinity. And speaking of collages, I've been really digging the work of Dash Snow lately. Entry #479 Wednesday, January 24, 2007 Sorry for the lack of updates - we took off for a quick trip to Colorado last Thursday to visit some fam and get in a little snow shoeing. During the trip, I ended up catching some weird virus and spent the last few days fever ridden on the couch watching I Shot Andy Warhol and Capote, among other films I had lying around on DVD. I'm feeling much better now though. Anyway, click the above thumbnail to enlarge a photo taken while hiking to Lost Lake, Colorado. And Nick P. recently sent over this clip, which I'm going to take as yet another sign of the impending apocolypse. Nas is right - hip hop, like punk rock, is dead. Entry #478 Wednesday, January 17, 2007 Today marks the two year anniversary of MJC.com - who knew we'd last longer than Britney and K-Fed. Kudos for us. And don't forget - be healthy and eat your onions dawg! Entry #477 Tuesday, January 16, 2007 Linda's been spreading the word lately that Hooters now serves some damn good fried pickles so, you know - for all you dude's out there looking for an excuse, you're search is over. And Linda also wants you to know that Letters from Linda #22 is available so get to reading ninja! Congrats to the Wilmington Skate Project who was recently awarded a grant for 5 grand from the Tony Hawk Foundation. Not bad at all - looks like you're one step closer Mark! And I finally uploaded a bunch of classic clips (including Fingerbanging) from MJC.com onto youtube - check them out here. Be sure to laugh at the old school footage of Nero performing live at the old Air Transport Command in New Castle, DE. Yeah, bro - the side burns are real and these colors don't run. Entry #476 Monday, January 15, 2007 Hey, friend, hey friend - you've just been kicked in the nuts. So wrong. Just so, so wrong. Entry #475 Friday, January 12, 2007 Check this out - click the above image to peep the cover of my latest literary opus. And yes, it is a true tale, based solely on my experiences with the supernatural while growing up in Glasgow, Delaware. Ok, Ok, I'm lying - I just found it while surfing the net. Looks like a great read though. Did anybody catch the fashion photo of A Place To Bury Strangers in the latest issue of Swindle? I can't say it's the most flattering pic of the band but it's cool nonetheless. Congrats fellas. The Good, The Bad and The Queen's album is available for preview in it's entirety on the bands myspace page. Some of it, I really like - other parts, I'm hoping will grow on me. I think a lot of it just needs some solid drums behind it. It's good to see Paul Simonon back in action after all these years though. And speaking of bands, The Sky Drops will be bringing the noise to the Fire in Philly tonight. The rest of the lineup is pretty tight as well so get there early and rock out somethin' proper like. That's it for me - have a great weekend everyone. Entry #474 Thursday, January 11, 2007 Word on the street is John Sinclair's speaking at Robin's Books in Philly tonight. Say what? Can you scream "Kick out the Jams motherf.....?" I'm thinking about releasing my own line of scented candles aimed toward the everyman that would smell like pizza. You know, the set could come with one giant plain cheese candle that's augmented with a set of smaller "toppings" like pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, whatever you're into. So, when you want the sweet scent of a mushroom pie with half extra cheese, half anchovies or whatever - break out the matches and get'r done dawg. It could go over really well in the heartland because everyone knows you can't get good pizza outside the northeast. Just a thought. Anyway, I finally got my copy of Chris Hall's flick Get Familiar and, like Sal Barbier, it's super good. Everyone comes up strong and there's a nice mix of different styles throughout the vid, complimented by killer tracks by Weird War and other DC area bands. I think Bobby Worrest out-does his Krooked Kronicles showing and, as usual, Daewon just kills it. The bonus clips are quite tasty as well, with lots of classic footy from C. Hall among others. Entry #473 Wednesday, January 10, 2007 So, remember that nasty little hipper bruise I posted a photo of recently? Well, another slam last night left me with a second (albeit smaller) one on the opposite hip - which means I'm now walking around sporting matching holster-style bruises like some kind of S&M cowboy. Anyway, D$ - I know you're looking for some new digs so I just wanted to let you know that Castle Dracula is up for sale bro. Throw some old Bauhaus records on the hi-fi and you've got yourself a pretty swinging bachelor pad. And I don't know how I feel about this - I mean, on one hand, I applaud the guy for promoting safe sex and all but on the other hand, I'm like "WTF?" Yeah, you heard it right - 50 Cent is launching his own line of G-Unit condoms Entry #472 Tuesday, January 9, 2007 I took this photo over the weekend. It's a shot of a fish swimming in the sky-reflecting water of our pond. Click above to enlarge. Remember last year when that creepy robotic monkey head was all the rage? Well, that same group of misguided manufactures are now dropping Robo Elvis! That's right - a fully animated E-bust, complete with 8 different songs performed with the trademark lip curl. Can you imagine waking up one morning with that thing in your bed ala The Godfather? Creepy. Anyway, I've been thinking about spray painting my car with a few cans of that chalkboard paint. You know, keep it jet black and sharp. Then, each week, I can rock a different hand drawn chalk graphic like that smokin' hot Trans Am logo or maybe the 01 General Lee Dukes of Hazard look or something. I don't know - the possibilities are endless bro. Entry #471 Monday, January 8, 2007 A pretty tough slam at Woodward skatepark last week left me with this nasty little hipper. It looks much worse then it feels though. Nick P - this one's for you. Click above to enlarge. For those of you who've read my Top Ten Records of 2006 on Pluginmusic.com, I just want to add that I recently got M. Ward's Post War (Thanks Tim!) and Belle and Sebastian's The Life Pursuit - both of which are excellent and probably had a good shot of making the list if I didn't wait until '07 to pick them up. I know, I know - such a slacker. Anyway, we saw The Pursuit of Happyness over the weekend and it's pretty damn good. Lots of pursuit and not much happiness though - it definitely left me feeling like a bit of a puss for whining so much about work lately. And I'm usually not the biggest Will Smith fan but, when he's inspired, he can still pull out a great performance (like Ali back in 2001). If you go, bring hankies (for your woman, of course.) Entry #470 Friday, January 5, 2007 Partially because I have nothing else to post today and partially because I found some CDR's laying around the attic with unreleased Sitch stuff on them, I decided to post this clip of John Paul and I being interviewed by 91.3 WVUD before a show back in November 2001. I may post more of these clips if anyone's slightly interested or amused so please let me know. Anyway, sit back and coast out to the sound of one guitar player who loves to run his mouth. Enjoy. Well, a few weeks ago Pluginmusic.com asked if I would contribute my Top Ten Favorite Records of 2006 and, after much contemplation and a little last minute record shopping, here's what I gave them. Feel free to send any and all music snobbery commentary concerning your favorite record that I left out to this email address. You know I always love to hear you bitch and moan. So, yeah - no Top Five this week. C'mon, bro - I gave you a top ten, what more do you want? Happy 2007. That's it for me everyone - have a great weekend! Entry #469 Thursday, January 4, 2007 Well, my list of "New Albums Coming Out In 2007 That I Can't Wait To Get My Greedy Little Mits On" just got bigger with the announcement that K-os is dropping a new disc February 20th. Throw in The Shins new record, Arcade Fire, Norah Jones (yeah, that's right - I said it) and the new Modest Mouse and you pretty much know where my heads at. It feels good to be excited about music again - it's been a while. And speaking of music, here's a classic clip of The Cramps tearing it up at the Napa State Mental Hospital, which kinda makes sense if you consider that Johnny Cash played Folsom Prison. And D$, this one's for you and all the other Hulkamaniacs. The sad truth is I still have all of mine in the attic. Entry #468 Wednesday, January 3, 2007 Apparently, kite surfing is, like, all the rage now down at the beach. Who knew? Well, bro - here's what happens when Papa Wind blows back. Anyway, the fellas over at Enjoi recently posted another short skate flick and, as usual, it's pretty rad. Peep it here. And speaking of movies, did I mention I finally saw Rocky Balboa over the holidays? How was it? Well, c'mon man - because of it's history, you're either gonna love the stallion or leave the stallion. Personally, I dug it. What's not to love when you're sitting in a theater with a box of snowcaps and a $5 cup of cola and people are cheering the Rock on like their impassioned cries are gonna somehow affect the bout's outcome? I mean, that's taking the whole armchair athlete thing to a whole new (albeit surreal) level. So, yeah, if you don't take the whole thing too seriously, it's pretty good. Much better than numero cinco. Entry #467 Tuesday, January 2, 2007 There's nothing like hanging on the corner of 2nd and Mifflin while a full on marching band is banging out The Temp's Papa Was A Rolling Stone to an intoxicated crowd of South Philly's most notorious who are lovin' it so hard, hands in the air, top of the lungs, getting their groove on and full out raging like it was Studio 54 circa '78. Yeah, the rain might stop the parade but nothing stops the Mummer's party. Honestly, I went there thinking I'd hate it, expecting nothing but some meathead mardigraw but damn, it felt good to be around so many people who just don't give a flying f what you think. The thing I loved about it (besides just the sheer madness of it all) is that this Mummers thing just evolved organically over the years. I mean - no big planning, no corporate sponsors - just the people in the neighborhood letting loose for a while and it's truly a Philly phenom. We'll be back for more madness next year for sure. Anyway, chalk this up as the first bad idea of 2007. I mean, the segway's bad enough as it is. Am I wrong? Entry #466 Monday, January 1, 2007 You know, as we rolled through the final moments of 2006 last night, I gotta admit I was a little bummed. Last year will go down as one of the best of my life and a tough one to top for sure. I mean, I won't bore you with details or anything - if you read this site regularly or talk to me at all then you know the score but, honestly, I really feel blessed for all the good things that've happened over the last twelve months and I want to make sure that I don't take that for granted. Thanks to all of you out there that helped make it all possible. I've got some of the best family and friends a little pain in the ass like me could ever hope for. And special thanks to everyone who contributes to this site - especially Linda, Roberta, Nick P and the rest of the MJC.com crew. So, on that mushy note, I just want to say I'm stoked on moving things forward in 2007. It's the year of James Bond, you know (007, fool!) Happy New Year everyone. Peace and good health to you and yours. Entry #465 Wednesday, December 27, 2006 Word - let's kick things off somethin' proper like with Roberta Goes Off installment #2. Well, there's nothing like waking up first thing in the morning to "Merry Christmas. Did you hear James Brown died?" Damn - another great bites the dust. Anyone who's ever heard me play music knows that the James Brown style had a huge influence on me. I had the pleasure of seeing the man live a few years ago - he still had the funk, he still had the moves (except for the whole drop to your knees thing - c'mon, dude was in his late sixties when I saw him) and he kept going on and on about how his newest song was going to get kids to stop shooting each other. It was called "Killing is Out, School is In. Don't make me say it again." Well, he may have been a bit delusional but the man is an icon nonetheless. I mean, how many people over the years have cracked you up by dropping a dead on James Brown impression? Of course, Eddie Murphy's was always top shelf. Anyway, here's a classic interview with Mr. JB himself in full on train wreck mode. Yeah, I wanna mingle baby. Rest in peace, James Brown. Entry #464 Friday, December 22, 2006 I recently finished this illustration for Please Touch Museum's Junior Jazz Festival - I've never worked with pen and ink before but I'm pretty happy with the results. I may have to bust out the old school pen nibs more often. As usual, click the thumbnail to enlarge. Monika Bullette and Hangnail Phillips got a nice shout out in this morning's USA Today for their Christmas original, The Finest Gifts. It's always good to see friends getting some much deserved recognition. Well, you've read the posting, now watch the movie! Christina and Mike review the Morrissey show in Chicago. Like I always say, you can find everything and anything on Youtube. Anyway, I picked up the new Nas record yesterday and it's a pretty solid f-ing release for sure. I mean - he doesn't hold back his feelings on the current state of the music industry and, as usual, he's right on point, not to mention the guy's got skills. And while in the quarter mile line at Best Buy, I got to listen to some dude on his cell phone blab on for twenty minutes about how he and his friends made hot cocoa with some year old powder mix that's been taking up space in his cupboard only to discover after a few sips later that it was heavily infested by maggots. I don't know about you homeboy, but I usually just use dental floss to clean around my gums. Well, that's it for me - happy holidays to all of you, especially those who read this site regularly. Your support means a lot. Peace and happyness to you and yours. We'll be back posting sometime next week. Entry #463 Wednesday, December 20, 2006 Word on the street is Nick P was recently spotted using the toilet at the White House while a freshly awoken and still unmade Mrs. Bush lurked around in the hallway. Does this mean my man's making himself at home before announcing his candidacy for 2008? Is Chocolate City ready for ready for this nonsense? Anyway, in keeping with the holiday theme (and because, honestly, there's not really much else going on right now), here's a clip of what it's really like to work as a North Pole Toy Maker. And while we're on the all-access-Hollywood-exposure tip, here's truth about Santa! If you see Santa Claus tonight, you better run boy - run for your life! Entry #462 Tuesday, December 19, 2006 I don't know how this one missed my radar but apparently Twisted Sister dropped one hell of a Christmas album this season, which, incidentally, should make it SO much easier to jingle hells bells this year. That's right Santa, we're not gonna take it! They've even got a power ballad version of I'll Be Home For Christmas featuring the femme fatal of headbanger's everywhere, Lita Ford. No, I'm not making this up, bro. The video is definitely worth watching just for the insanity of it all. Fat Thor - I think your prayers have been answered. Entry #461 Monday, December 18, 2006 We just got the new MightyJoeCastro.com stickers in - feel free to hit me up if you'd like one. Anyway, not much else happening here - I'm off today and participating in a little bit of last minute holiday shopping madness. So, in honor of that, I'm gonna leave you with a clip of the baddest band ever to rock a Christmas special (and possibly the only group who could out rock the The Electric Mayhem ), the Riverbottom Noghtmare Band! "They don't brush their teeth 'cause their toothache helps them be mean." Does it get any better, lyrically, then that? Entry #460 Friday, December 15, 2006 I'll be honest with you, I've never heard of Nerdcore in my life but I'm digging it for sure. Although, since they're nerds and everything, shouldn't they be spelling it "geekster" rap instead of "geeksta? I'm just saying. This Nerdcore For Life doc looks like a classic though. Let the revolution begin. And speaking of films, a lot of these mock trailers people have been posting online are garbage but this Mary Poppins one is a spot-on riot. Pure genius. And speaking of creepy, this guy is Canada suffered a server heart failure last November, so scientists installed this experimental pumping system into his chest to keep his blood flowing and now, because of it, he's alive but has no pulse. I mean, can you imagine not having a heartbeat? That's like straight out of Night of the Living Dead - except I don't think he hungers for human brains. Who knows though - those Canadians are pretty wild. And this week's Top Five is, well.... not happening. It's a long story. Look for it's return next week. Anyway, that's all I got - thanks for reading. Have a great weekend everybody. Entry #459 Thursday, December 14, 2006 Letters from Linda #21 - Linda checks in from Hawaii. Shaka Brah!!! So, we get home last night after picking out our Christmas tree, right - I mean, Brenda Lee's rockin' around the tree via the speakers, the stand is out, the lights are ready, the balls, ornaments, the works. Our cat (who I'm considering renaming "chickensh*t" because it's afraid of our caged-in guinea pig) takes one look at that lit pine and starts crying away madly. Remember that scene in The Omen where Gregory Peck tries to take Damian the devil child to Sunday mass? It was kind of like that. So we give here treats and wait on her hand and foot in an attempt to calm her down but the tree's definitely got her spooked. I look over at her and she's wailing away and the next thing I know, she starts making the motions like she's going to drop us an early Christmas present. So, in a mad attempt to race her up the stairs to her litter box, I scoop her in one hand and make off like an olympic sprinter - at the same time she's shooting poop out of her rear end like one of those rapid fire Nerf pellet guns. Boom, Boom, Boom - before I make it to the box she's shot off seven good rounds, just like a revolver and we're left to walk around and scoop up the shells. Anyway, that's just twenty minutes of my life, bro. Entry #458 Wednesday, December 13, 2006 For all of you who've been wondering what the other members of The Situation have been up to since the break up - well homeboy, they've been stickin' it to the man! I mean taking it to the streets, jack. Power to the people, hell no we won't go and all that while at the same time getting some much deserved PR. Here Meme Chris Tucker fights the power from the front page of today's Philly Metro. And you thought he only wrote tunes? And speaking of fighting the power, as if the upcoming Rocky movie wasn't bad enough, Stallone's also bringing the ultimate weapon of mass destruction, Rambo, out of retirement for one more round. Apparently he has to save some Christian Missionaries in Burma or something. Maybe Mel Gibson will co-produce? I don't know, but one thing's for sure - I'll still go and see it but I'll hate myself in the morning. Entry #457 Tuesday, December 12, 2006 Meme Chris Tucker called this morning to inform me that The Philadelphia Inquirer placed The Situation album in their Top Five Local CDs of 2006 list, which ran in last Sunday's paper. Again, my advise to all my fellow musicians - break up your band, then sit back and watch the praise roll in. I mean, things that are dead are no longer dangerous, right? I just got word that the forever mobile Jason C (AKA Tuuta), who, you might remember, recently returned from a two year stint in the ruralist parts of rural Africa, will be leaving once again this January for the ruralist parts of rural Virginia (AKA the Appalachian Mountains.) How one man can move around so much without a car or a job is a modern miracle. Anyway, happy trails and best of luck on your latest adventure, my friend. Stay in touch. I got a few emails yesterday from folks complaining that the Moz travel article wouldn't open correctly on their machines, so I fixed it. You can now check it out here. And finally - although I don't have much faith in their new album, if the Stooges tour next year, I'm so there. Nick P - are you with me on that one? Entry #456 Monday, December 11, 2006 I just learned that Dagger, a cool little zine outta Portland, Oregon, listed The Situation album as one of their Top 10 picks for October 2006. Good looking out, boys, and thanks for the support. If you know anything at all about Morrissey, then you know his fans are nothing if not obsessive. I mean, how many other artists can boast of the kind of stage invasions ole' Mozzer receives on the regular, where one can witness grown men clawing their way through a sea of disciples and storming the stage just for the chance to kiss the hand of the man who penned There Is A Light That Never Goes Out? Seriously, people plan their lives around his touring schedule and I don't mean that in a Dead-Head-tailgating-wastoid kind of way. His fans are 9 times out of ten much more together and intelligent. And it's no secret that, as someone who's been listening to him for nearly 20 years, I count myself among them. So, when I heard through the grapevine that two friends of mine were going to travel half way across the country to catch Moz's only US date this year, I said "Hey, you need to write a a road trip piece on that sh*t" So, I present to you this little tale of travel and tunes aptly entitled here.Christina and Anita travel 800 miles to see Morrissey. Enjoy. And I picked up the latest issue of Swindle Magazine yesterday, who included House Industries as one of their 60 featured icons of 2006. Also on the list were heavy hitters like Chuck Close, Judy Blume, Yoko Ono, Jane Goodall and Chuck D to name a few - good company to be in for sure. Congrats to Andy and the boys for the much deserved recognition. Entry #455 Friday, December 8, 2006 No Top Five today homeboy but, as always, Castro's got your back. Here's something better - Letters from Linda #20. I know you're dying for it. I keep hearing rumors around town about some top secret Young Vulgarians reunion show tonight, in some shady local near Paper Mill Road in Newark, DE. If you're in the area, you might want to think about doing whatever you have to do - be it learning the secret handshake or meeting up with some santeria priestess at a graveyard or whatever - to get down to this party because the boys of YV rarely disappoint and a spectacle is just about guaranteed. Actually, I just found out that you can download their never released album in full here so rock on. Anyway, we're keeping it short and sweet this week - have a great weekend everybody. Entry #454 Thursday, December 7, 2006 Traffic Skateboards is premiering their latest video, Via, this Friday night in Philly at North Bowl in NoLibs. The first showing's at 6:30 PM - after party to follow. I mean, Ricky Oyola - need i say more? Anyway, as promised, today we're debuting a new column here at MJC.com. Now, I don't know about you, but when I get my wig done, half the fun is shooting the sh*t with whoever's working the clippers. And believe me, my hair stylist is never short on opinions and, more importantly, she's usually right on the money. So, after thinking about it for a while I thought "Hey, everybody needs their own soapbox, right..... and besides, what's more entertaining than a damn good rant?" So, on that note, I present to you the first installment of Roberta Goes Off. Enjoy. And for the record: the views of Miss Roberta (and Miss Linda for that matter) in no way reflect the opinion of Joe Castro or this site, etc. etc. etc. and all that other legal mumbo jumbo that you always see at the end of talk shows. We promote free speech and an open mind herre so they write what they feel. Entry #453 Wednesday, December 6, 2006 You know what? I think the WWE needs to bring back all the classic wrestling stars from back in the day (you know what I'm talking about - Tito Santana, Superfly Snuka, The Iron Sheik, Hogan or whoever) and start a new show called....um, well - S.H.O.W. (Senior Heroes of Wrestling). They could have walker matches complete with a licensed doctor at ringside and wear their championship belts really, really high, just like their regular belts. And with that new Rocky movie coming out, now could be the right time to make some serious confetti bro. Or maybe this cold medicine I'm on has me a little loopy. I don't know. One thing's for sure though - nothing's more annoying than a nose that won't stop running. Anyway, new feature column dropping here tomorrow so be sure to stop by. Entry #452 Monday, December 4, 2006 Random notes from the weekend: 1) Stripping wallpaper, although it may sound fun at first, is really a drag man. I mean, it's nothing like strip poker or anything so make sure you don't get the wrong idea. and if you get asked to "strip", make sure you dress accordingly. 2) Some people find the idea of putting a large inflatable black infant jesus as the centerpiece of your front lawn nativity scene somewhat offensive. At least in Delaware county anyway. 3) Art School Confidential really nails every art student cliche right on the head and it made the walk past Moore College of Art this morning that much more amusing. I also saw a preview for The Devil and David Johnson and it looks as good as Bullette recently told me it was. I'll have to rent that one over the holidays. And this is why I like Nas so much - he walks it like he talks it. Entry #451 Friday, December 1, 2006 In the better late than never category, Pitchfork posted a nice review of Pine Street from The Situation album today. Check it out here. And hey - three and a half stars ain't nothin' to complain about. It's like Malcolm McLaren always said - "The best thing a band can do is break up and not play." And speaking of hot music, D$ sent over this crazy clip the other day. Personally, I think he's droppin' hints and secretly wants a drum kit like Luis Cardena's for Christmas. You know what I'm talking about - 360 degrees worth of skins to bang on, the triple bass drum set, the animal print, full on - the whole deal. I mean, I know it's not practical or anything (can you imagine loading THAT set-up into your truck at 3 AM in the east village) but seriously - can you blame him? We all need dreams to hold on to. But seriously - I've heard nothing but good things about the new Aerovox tracks that D$ and the boys have been laying down and I'm looking forward to peeping them myself sometime soon. Well, that's it for me today. No Top Five this week because...well, just because. I will tell you that we've got a new feature column coming next week so stay tuned. Have a great weekend everybody. Entry #450 Thursday, November 30, 2006 Damn, no one told me Mr. T's back on the idiot box with a self-help show called I Pity The Fool! What's up with that? I mean, I never would've cancelled my cable if I new the second coming of "T" was imminent! To my friends with cable - I'll be randomly dropping by on Wednesday nights. The jibber-jabber stops here bro. Anyway, I heard Tom Waits' cover version of The Ramones "Return of Jackie and Judy" today and it's the most glorious train wreck of a track I've heard in a while, a real sonic brawl and a total mess - I loved it . I can't wait to hear the rest of the record. Pitchfork recently posted a decent little interview with the man himself - check it out here. And last but not least, MEME Chris Tucker's playing a gig this Friday night at Johnny Brenda's. Homeboy has a habit of baking some seriously top shelf chocolate chip cookies for these Fishtown gig so it'll definitely be worth your time. Not to mention the fact that I heard a couple of his new songs and they were really good. What? Can't a brother squash some beef once in a while? It is the holiday season after all. Entry #449 Wednesday, November 29, 2006 I just learned that the 2006 Annual Report I designed for Please Touch Museum has won an award from the Philly chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Not sure which award yet, but the ceremony is tomorrow night at the Ben Franklin House Ballroom, so stay tuned for more info. The report itself features 16 custom acrylic paintings I did last winter of which I will try to post some photos of in the coming days. Can you hear that? That's the sound of Joe Castro patting himself on the back. Anyway, this means I'm going to miss the opening of the Mark Gonzales/Christian Hosoi collab show at the Journal's gallery in Manhattan, which is a bit of a bummer because I was really looking forward to it. So, if you're in the Big Apple Thursday night, definitely drop by - then shoot me an email at 3 AM telling me all the fun my lame ass missed. Things get started around 6:00 PM I think. And speaking of skateboarding, this site's pretty much got the market cornered on free skate video viewing and is chock full of classics like AWS' Memory Screen and Toy Machine's Welcome to Hell. It's by far the best resource I've seen online yet. Entry #448 Monday, November 27, 2006 Random notes from the weekend: 1) When you go to the World Cafe in Philly and order a vodka and Red Bull, not only do they charge you 6 bucks for the vodka, they also tack on an additional $6 for the Red Bull! Say what? Jigga who? Do you charge $6 for the cola in a capt'n'coke? Are you f-ing kidding me? 2) The Cobbs are highly underrated. Why these guys aren't more well known on the national scale is beyond me - must be the much talked about curse of the sixth borough. 3) Rumor has it that one MJC.com regular recently entered an amateur "adult film" contest to raise money for his first feature length film and took the the grand prize. Damn, holmes - so that's the way it is now? Umm, congratulations, I guess? 4) My favorite song of the moment is "Objects of my Affection" by Peter Bjorn & John, which sounds kind of like Simon and Garfunkel mixed with My Bloody Valentine or something. I first heard it in An Enjoi Film and have been hooked ever since. I mean, Pitchfork loves them - is that rock-snob enough for ya? Entry #447 Wednesday, November 22, 2006 When are people gonna wake up and realize - Dee Snider ain't nothing to F- with. I mean, you can't grow up on Strong Island wearing pink pants and make-up and not learn how to brawl. Other than heading out with the bros to catch Tahiti 80 tonight, not much else going down except some preparations for the big feast tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving to all the readers stateside. Save a slice of Tofurky for me. Entry #446 Tuesday, November 21, 2006 I found this photo while cleaning off my hard drive yesterday and couldn't help cracking up. It's the first "promo" photo The Situation ever used, taken, I believe, in early 2001 in Old New Castle. And no - this isn't a "spur of the moment" kind of image - we all worked really hard to look that bad. I think the Chanel shirt says it all. Anyway, it was taken about a month before we played with The Strokes - following that gig we all decided we'd better step up our threads. Good times, good times. Click to enlarge the embarrassment. Skateboard artists - so hot right now. I gotta give it up to whoever's been creating these spoof movie previews that are floating around the net 'cause this horror movie version of Office Space one is sh*t hot hilarious. Entry #445 Monday, November 20, 2006 Two things learned this weekend: 1. My paintings will never express that kind of moody realism in the way Andrew Wyeth's do, nor will they ever capture the primitive intensity of Basque's work, nor will they be as smart or clever as Warhols. I don't know - I think I'm sh*t outta luck bro. 2. Apparently, in certain areas of Africa, sex with a "professional" only costs 15 cents. Now, I don't have proof (I don't think they give receipts for that type of thing) but that's what I've been told. All jokes aside, we live in a sad, sad world my friend. Help out here. Anyway, I've heard the Rob Mueck exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum is pretty insane. I've only seen his mildy creepy sculptures in photos so I'm excited to check out his work in the 3rd dimension. I think it's on display until January (along with another exhibit entitled graffiti basics) so be on the lookout for Castro's Roadtrip to Crooklyn in the coming weeks. And on a sad note, another great passes on - Rest in Peace Ruth Brown. Entry #444 Friday, November 17, 2006 How cool would it be to have Motorhead sponsor your soccer team? I mean, seriously - can you imagine the fear you'd strike into the hearts of your opponents when you run onto the field decked out in some black skull covered uniform with "Ace of Spades" or perhaps "Dogs of War" blasting from the speakers? Well, for the kids at Greenbank FC, it's a dream come true. Who would have thought the man who wrote Jailbait had such a soft spot for children? Anyway, it's officially American Education Week here in the states so, in lieu of a Top Five, we've decided to do something a little different. Being a product of 15 years in the Delaware Public School system, my grammar's not always so good - you know what I mean: using the word "ain't", run-on sentences for days, etc., etc. So, we though it'd be a pretty good idea to bring in a professional editor and just let them go all red-pen-crazy on us in the hopes that we might all learn something from my mistakes. So, on that note, I present to you .... A Grammatical Spanking - Christina Grades MightyJoeCastro.com! A review of MJC entries spanning 6/7/06–11/7/06 yields the following remarks. Overlooking Joe’s colloquial writing style, I give MJC a final grade of B+. I want to start on a positive note: Not once in five months did Joe misspell definitely definately. This is such a common mistake (caused by laziness and sustained, in my belief, by the proliferation of informal electronic forums such as text messaging, message boards, and MySpace) that I made it my primary search. Most frequent error: Using apostrophes to pluralize words and numbers (20 instances recorded). Incorrect: Jones’, 70’s, T’s, Happy Monday’s, and credit’s. Correct: Joneses, 70s, Ts, Happy Mondays, and credits. Refer to Chicago Manual of Style 7.9 and 7.15 for further clarification. The It’s/Its issue: Use “it’s” as a contraction meaning “it is” or “it has.” Do not add an apostrophe to indicate possession (“its”). I counted 11 instances of using “it’s” for “its.” Example: It definitely gives Glitter a run for it's money. Proper names misspelled: Siouxsie (that oft-overlooked second ‘s’), the Louvre (tell your bro, bro: this happened twice in his Top 5), Axel for Axl, Phileberity for Philebrity, and even The Situation’s own The Reece Nasty EP was listed as The Reese Nasty EP. Well, we know Joe likes chocolate – perhaps he was distracted by dreams of peanut butter-and- chocolate cups to fix this Top 5 mistake? Maybe he’s just a cut-and-paste type of guy. I wasn’t given the nickname Spellchecker Stina for nothing…though Word’s spellchecker wanted to substitute Snitch/Stitch/Switch/Itch/Ditch/Witch for every mention of The Sitch. Thanks Christina! We'll do the math portion of MJCATs sometime next week. Well, that's all I got. I'm outta here. Have a great weekend everybody! Entry #443 Wednesday, November 15, 2006 As many of you know, I'm not one to get easily offended by things but honestly, the fact that O.J. Simpson has written a book about the murder of his wife Nicole entitled "If I Did It, Here's How It Happened" really pisses me off. I mean, the guy's just a piece of sh*t - simple as that. I don't even know what else to say other than the juice deserves everything he has coming to him. Entry #442 Tuesday, November 14, 2006 Science has finally discovered a way to level the "air guitar" playing field. It looks like I retired from music at the right time. Be on the lookout for men in safety goggles and T-shirts dropping hot licks while jamming along to their favorite Thomas Dolby record. Rock on bro! Just kidding - I'm not retiring from music yet. Sorry to get your hopes up. More on that in the coming weeks. Anyway, I finally got around to photographing some of the more recent paintings I've finished. The above piece is a commissioned portrait of '60's film starlet Brigitte Bardot (36" x 48") that I painted for Justin Clowes. The one below is the painting I showed at the Hypno Gallery's Old Glory show this past July. It's entitled Postcard from Guantánamo Bay (Stars and Stripes 2006) and it's 36" x 24". Click to the images to enlarge. And speaking of painting, this weekend's your last chance to catch the Factory Work: Warhol, Wyeth & Basquiat show at the Brandywine Museum in Chadds Ford, PA. I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard good things and am planning on swinging by this Sunday for a quick peek. Entry #441 Friday, November 10, 2006 So not only is this week's Mighty Top Five, um... obviously a Top Five...it's also a welcome back of sorts to an old friend who's recently returned from a year-plus stay in Africa with the Peace Corp. Some of you might remember him as the energetic maniac frontman for The Young Vulgarians (whose debut album, I must say, is, sadly, an unreleased gem), others may have read one of the internet novels he's written over the years - or maybe you just remember the Top Five he did for update #93 - I don't know. Anyway, the point is, we go way back and it's good to see that he's returned home safe and sound. Regardless, he gets my respect for sacrificing a year of his life to go help strangers who are struggling in a