Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl oz. Why? Read the reviews!

Our UX brain and Yogic guru, Azmir Saliefendic, sent this around today under the heading "The Importance of Product Reviews".

From Azmir:

The more reviews you read, the more they seem to make sense.
There are so many gems on this page – keep clicking.

Every review of the 1000+ is rockin’.

Read the Reviews on Amazon.

Anyone got a plate of cookies?

Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat.

And meet Keyboard Cat! Mt. Holly has become so jaded about passed-along video that this is the only way we can enjoy them anymore. Thank you Keyboard Cat.

Meet Simon & Simon

Behold the regal protectors of the Mt. Holly mayoral mansion. It's a cat's and cat's life.

Gone Fishin'

Today is the Minnesota walleye fishing opener which means I'm up on Mille Lacs with my father-in-law netting some lunkers.

If you're not fishing you can print out and assemble a papercraft version of the band Flipper's tour van from the cover of their 1984 LP Gone Fishin'. Flipper rules!

Flipper suffering for their music. Now it's your turn.

The Saddest Music in The World + Guy Maddin Live!

From the folks at The Talkies:

“If you’re sad and like beer, I’m your lady”- Lady Port-Huntley

It may be cliché but what better way to ease our financial-minded woes than to gather round the silver screen to witness Lady Helen Port-Huntley’s (Isabella Rossellini) contest to end all contests: who can produce THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD?

Blowing in from the northerly diabolic region known as Winnipeg Guy Maddin’s live commentary marks The Talkies’ 5th installment. Uniquely gifted to push this nascent notion into uncharted waters Maddin, the maniac behind the expanded viewing spectacles such as Branded Upon the Brain and the beautiful essay My Winnipeg, innately understands how special the space in the cinema can be and will, on June 18th, transform The Heights Theatre into the best Talkies experience yet.

Arrive at 7p.m. on June 18th for a 35mm screening of THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD starring Isabella Rossellini and Mark McKinney (Kids in the Hall) . At 9:00p.m. this celluloid salvo screens again with the extra somethin' somethin' that only The Talkies provides: live commentary from Guy Maddin himself.

June 18th
7p.m.- THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD -screening only 7/advance & 8/door

9p.m. THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD with GUY MADDIN- 18.50/advance & 22.00/door

The Depression Special- Both shows for 20.00

FOR TICKETS HEAD TO: http://thetalkies.net

TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP THE NIGHT OF THE SHOW

A Joe Meek Showcase

Joe Meek was a huge innovator in music from the 50's on through most of the 60's. He started a powerful independent British record label, Triumph, and production company, RGM. Although much as been written about his obsession with the occult, homosexuality, and the murder suicide that ended his life, Joe Meek will forever be in my heart and ears for the wonderful sound that he created. Take a listen.



The Tornados brought Joe his biggest stateside hit with the instrumental Telstar. Here is a rare scopitone of the band playing their 1963 song Robot.




Although it hit #1 in the UK, Have I the Right by the Honeycombs stalled at #5 in the US. The Honeycombs, featuring drummer Honey Lantree seem to be trying to catch up with the track in this clip from the film Pop Gear. They should be. To add more energy to the track, Joe sped it up in the mastering process. Notice the stomping percussion performed by the entire band during the chorus. It's another signature Joe meek move. He had the entire band jump in unison on his studios wooden stairs to get just the right sound.



Johnny Layton was just one of the many vocalists that brought Joe many UK hits. Check out the footage of Joe manning his beloved tape machines in this video.



Rumors abound about how Joe's infatuation with Tornadoes bassist Heinz Burt, shown here singing the title track to the film Live It Up, led to Joe promoting Heinz as a solo singer and allegedly using another vocalist to actually perform the singing. This video of Heinz lip-syncing along to his Meek produced Cochran tribute on a show called Oldie Parade does little to dispel the myth.



Sorry there's no live footage of The Outlaws, and the image of Richie Blackmore here is a bit out of place since he didn't join the band until later in their career, but what a great tune. I implore you to find yourself a copy of The Outlaws Ride Again or Dream of The West and to spend the summer spend your summer in full western gear.

If this has whetted your appetite for more Joe Meek. Check out the dramatic tale of Joe's life, Telstar, which should be out this summer in the UK or be patient for the in-the-works documentary A Life in the Death of Joe Meek.

RIP Meinhardt Raabe - Munchkin Coroner UPDATE!

The last living munchkin has passed away. It's fitting that the actor who played the coroner outlived all the other citizens of Munchkinland.

(ed. 05/07/09) This is all wrong. I jumped the gun and I sincerely apologize to the dear coroner! It turns out that Micky Caroll one of the munchkin soldiers has passed.

Remaining living munchkins (can you believe it? The movie was filmed in 1939!)

Ruth Duccini
Karl Slover
Jerry Maren
Margaret Pellegrini
Meinharte Raabe

Check out http://www.kansasoz.com/infomunchkinbios.htm for munchkin bios!

Steve Lambert art shiow (SP?)

Steve Lambert solo show walkthrough from Steve Lambert on Vimeo.

Another great find from over at Dinosaurs and Robots. Yes, I'm talking about an actual rare and elusive Frauenfelder penned typo! (I know, I shouldn't cast any stones around typos myslef.) Look fast or you may miss it! Plus, this video walkthrough of Steve Lambert's amazingly beautiful new art show. Man, that feller is good.

My Drawing Kit

My Drawing Kit
Originally uploaded by mthaeg

It's a good day at my digital job when my desk gets this analog.

World Famous Wrestler, THE MYSTERION, Will Draw a Picture of Himself Kicking Your Ass for FREE!

For the past couple of years, I've been getting the cold shoulder from our postmaster. I finally found out why. It seems that as a result of a redesign oversight, this line disappeared from the bottom of each issue.

Philatelic Collectors mail to: 305 Holmes St • Mt. Holly, MN 55379 - all postcards answered by Mt. Holly postmaster & outlaw professional wrestler, the Mysterion.

Since retiring from the squared circle in 1994, the Mysterion has devoted much of his free time to making personalized drawings of himself mutilating all who challenge him by sending him their photo in the mail. The Mysterion speaks:

You senda da picture anda stamp, I unleash powerful fury of ALMIGHTY MYSTERION on you face anda body areas. I crack skulls. I wield foreign objects. I tear apart. I send back drawing and photo. You cry big tears like spring rain growing flowers for you own funeral.

In a message of goodwill (and fear for my own personal safety) this is a PSA for our good friend, The Mysterion. Send a photo, a stamp, and a nice letter of introduction to:

The Mysterion
305 Holmes St S
Mt. Holly, MN 55379

You can expect or receive your ass-kicking in 2-3 weeks.

Pablo skates his Baseman autographed deck

I love the fact that our friend's George and Jen have a boy thrashing around town on an autographed Gary Baseman deck. Apparently, Mr. Baseman did too. He signed the deck above the wheels where it won't get ground off. Smart!

Art Boat Party! Creative Electric SS Infinite Regress Opening

Safe House Boat
Originally uploaded by jennysalmela

For all of you artsters who will be looking for a relief from being packed into small studios in former grain silos, feed mills, and casket factories during this year's Art-a-Whirl. Take a break down at the river with the Creative Electric crew aboard their floating artscape!

Here's the skinny:

Creative Electric Studios to launch SS Infinite Regress during Art-a-Whirl 2009

DATES: May 15-May 17th
Bands / Dancing /special events at dusk on Friday and Saturday

LOCATION: Behind the Sample Room ( 2124 Marshall Street NE, MPLS) on the Mississippi River

Creative Electric Studios pulled the Safe House Boat into drydock over the winter and after extensive modifications the boat will be rechristened SS Infinite Regress and launched this May in time for Art-a-Whirl.

The public is invited to experience the infinite finite space inside the SS Infinite Regress. Visitors will be asked to don sterile white suits upon boarding. Once suited up visitors will be allowed entry to the bridge. Films will be projected and reflected through a series of glass mirrors onto the white suits, making them both the observer and the observed.

The design of SS Infinite Regress was predicated on this principle:

Infinite regress: in a series of propositions arises if the truth of proposition P1 requires the support of proposition P2, and for any proposition in the series Pn, the truth of Pn requires the support of the truth of Pn+1. There would never be adequate support for P1.

in other words ...

"an attempt to solve a problem which re-introduced the same problem in the proposed solution. If one continues along the same lines, the initial problem will recur infinitely and will never be solved. Not all regresses, however, are vicious."

Other christening ceremony events include:
Floating musical performances by White Map, Allison Lebon (of The Owls), Gay Witch Abortion
plus Modern Dance performances
(events subject to change)

Craftstravaganza! This Saturday! May 2!

There's a great post by Mr. Jalopy over at Dinosaurs and Robots called $upport Independent Business and Reject the Fakers that you would all benefit from reading. It is a case study around the corporate crapping on of Jenny Hart's Sublime Stitching by Urban Threads that demonstrates how corporations rip off individual artists and create shittier versions of fine goods to screw the consumer as well. Here's a killer Jalopy quote from a few years back.

Everything you love, everything meaningful with depth and history, all passionate authentic experiences will be appropriated, mishandled, watered down, cheapened, repackaged, marketed and sold to the people you hate.

This Saturday, you have the chance to perk up your life wih some quality and style while perking up the pocketbooks of some great local craftspeople and artists at Craftstravaganza in the Fine arts Building on the Minnesota State Fair grounds.

There's a lot of great stuff to be seen including work from these mayoral favorites:

Amy Jo
Nate's Custom Sewing
Mia Sorella Aprons
Meghan Elizabeth Pottery
Aisha Celia Designs
Cosmo's Collars

Pan Handling Competition is Running Hot in Minneapolis

Becoming unemployed means considering all of one's options, like taking up a position as a Public Fund Requisitioning Agent (bum). It's a tough business here in Minneapolis and considering I will be out of a job in two weeks, I think I need to get my game, beard and hangdog look in shape if I plan to continue to provide for the citizens of Mt. Holly while on the streets.

Yesterday, I saw a guy on the street in full clown gear blowing bubbles while holding up a sign saying "The circus laid me off." It brings me back to one of my favorite ad campaigns from the past few years.

Frequent Mt. Holly tourist, Todd Norem (noremipsum.com) (ed 5/4/09 - and his partner Liz Otremba LinkedIn) created these media appropriate and proven effective outdoor boards for his client Ed who reported at least a 800% increase in gross income on days his media ran.

Brother, can you spare a headline?

Another Great Illustrated Unemployment Haiku

As I prepare myself to join the ranks of the great unemployed in two weeks (by choice, if you can believe that), I discover beauty and solace and survival tips in the wisdom of these hardened masters of redundancy, Matthew Bottkol and Todd Eisner. You too can find the cadence in inertia every week at Unemployment Haiku Weekly.

Awesome 60's Hovercraft Video!

Head on over to Dinosaurs and Robots for a great video of one of the suavest modes of transportation ever conceived, a personal hovercraft!

CB Radio Voice Effects! 1

Double Nickel demonstrates the Echo.

More from the Your Business Card is Crap! fellow.

Chris Zubryd, the director/editor of "The Pitch, Poker & the Public" the 30 min doc the original Joel Bauer clip was pulled from, sent me a link to the full clip. I haven't been this creeped out since The Men Who Stare at Goats!

This video asks the question "Can you go corporate without losing your soul?” It explores some of the advertising and influence industry's giants through the lens of the greatest persuader of them all; P.T. Barnum. As it turns out he never said, "There is a sucker born every minute". Hear why you think he did, hear how Joan Jett's career was launched by the man who launched it, hear from the creator of the Marlboro man and from the greatest pitchman alive today as well as one of the greatest Texas hold'em players to sit at the poker table. These men have been in the business for decades and have learned valuable things about creating perceptions to turn a profit.

Big Daddy Roth would have called this Rat Puke Green

loafing dept
Originally uploaded by mthaeg

My new workbench surface is probably going to drive me nuts, but it's left over industrial paint from The World's Largest Cribbage Board. It's as durable as a nun's willpower.

Audible design? Musical Craftsmanship? The Band live in their Woodstock studio 1970

If there is a band that I would ever have wanted to be a part of, it would have to be The Band. I've tried to explain why. It's not because of the artists that they've backed up. It's not because of one particular individual, although they are all amazing musicians.

I think that the real magic of The Band is in how they worked together as a design studio or craftsmen's guild, each with individual talents that built on and played off of each other's creativity to create a hardworking yet beautiful article.

One get's the same feeling from the house bands of Stax, Motown, or Muscle Shoals. But, in Woodstock, The Band created something special. Here's proof.

Prove You're a Human

Got this random come-on from the human verifier over at Facebook. How it's not only my high school classmates who are stalking me there, it's the technology itself.

Everything is?

If you are looking for everything, you'll find more of it at Yahoo.

Yahoo: Everything is @ 2,310,000,000
Google: Everything is @ 571,000,000
MSN: Everything is @ 390,000,000

And for the sake of thoroughness
Neutral Milk Hotel: Everything is

Kermit gets a lesson in visual thinking from Harry the Hipster.

Your Business Card is Crap!

Thanks for the link from Cornelius Coons >

Will You Be Here Tomorrow? Industrial Education Video Carnage Compiled

Thanks to idea designer and budding cannibal Sean Whipps for sending this one along.

While I would love to think that this video exists exactly as it is currently edited, I have to believe that this is a compilation of scenes from an industrial safety video series. It's has to be. It's too insane.

Unless, perhaps the producers decided that the BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY model of teen instruction through terror is the only way to ensure a safe workplace.

The next time your boss tells you that you are lucky to have a job especially in this economy, tell him you're not so sure and send him a link to this amazing gorefest.

Possible Good Luck Charm Recall - RIP Art Car Genius and Political Prankster Tom Kennedy

Topsy-Turvy Bus (Ben & Jerry’s latest flavor?) @ Yahoo! Video

I was lucky enough to get to meet Tom Kennedy this last winter when he visited the Art Shanty Project. Right off the bat, you could tell this guy was something great. Denis the menace grin and a twinkle in his eye. Tom is responsible for many amazing art cars and political pranks. I just saw over on Boing Boing that he had passed away.

On February 13th, 2009, Tom posted this responce to recieving a Mt. Holly Good Luck Decoder badge.

Dear Mayor, Your frozen dice game was superb! Greetings from Tom Kennedy (www.tomkennedyart.com), who met you on the ice. I am back in San Francisco, and really appreciate your gift. Is it a decoder and will I get sent secret messages? When we make art boats and float down the Mississippi, you should consider floating dice!

I hope it was not defective, Tom. May it serve you well in the next world.

Anyone who can put me in touch with those art boat folks, let me know. I do indeed have a dice I'd like to float.

World War I re-enacted by dogs!

More from the Dogville Shorts! "Vell Mr. Schmartalec, zoon you will be a frankfurrrrtar!!!!!"

[SPOILER] Another soundtrack inspired spoiler - Electra Glide in Blue

As long as I am spoiling movies...

Anyone who has seen this movie will tell you how unexpected and moving this final scene is. I'll tell you what. It was even more unexpected to discover that all the hairy bikers in the film were actually played by members of the band Chicago, one of whom, Terry Kath, also sang the closing song.

SPOILER ALERT - Paris, Texas (1984)

PARIS TEXAS
by birdy66

Last night while I had some sketching to do I wanted something mellow and lazy to listen to, something that would sound good comping through the small speakers of the radio that I play my records through. I got to C and pulled out Ry Cooder's soundtrack to this amazing Wim Winders film. It was perfect. But, I had forgotten one thing . . . that half of one side of the LP is dedicated to Harry Dean Stanton's monologue from this incredible scene. It stopped me dead in my tracks.

Queenie in Trouble - 1930's dressed up dog movie

Hold on to your pig's ears, chomp on your rawhide, there's trouble brewing for poor Queenie. Thanks Nicole.

Nick Saloman aka Bevis Frond plays the Countdown theme on Countdown

I remember seeing somewhere back in the early 90's a magazine's list of the most 10 most amazing guitar soloists of all time. There alongside Hendrix and Beck and Page was the name Nick Saloman. I was floored. Up until this point, Saloman, had self-released 3 home recorded albums on which he played all the instruments under the moniker Bevis Frond. 3 mind melting albums of lysergic noodling, drippy farfisa and amazing songwriting (One of my favorite songs of all time, Lights are Changing off his Triptych lp was covered by Mary Lou Lord whose version appeared in some crappy movie).

If you have never heard these albums: Miasma Inner Marshland and Triptych you really owe it to yourself to give them a spin.

Here Saloman puts his licks to good work interpreting the them to his favorite gameshow. It's the closest thing I could find to showcase the sound and feel of that amazing early Frond sound.

La Mano Art Sale!

My buddy, Zak Sally, kingpin of the La Mano Comics and Shark Psychology Empire, is selling some original works of art.

From Zak

Yes.
Like many people in the country (...and just about everywhere else), I'm scraping the barrel. This is NOT my "long-talked about-but-never-instituted 'I WILL DRAW YOUR INSIDES' Initiative", nor is it my "Sammy the Mouse OUT-TAKES Project": it's just me selling some art for money.

Keep your eyes on Zak's blog for more art as it becomes available: Sleeping Bait

Artist Scott Seekins - The Britney Cove

Scott is one of my favorite artists in Minneapolis. His life is art. He is a master of many styles an techniques. If you are in or around town when he has his open studio, you must go to witness the breadth of his talents. One of his favorite subjects in the past several years has been Britney Spears. In honor of her show here in Minneapolis and the excitement Scott must be feeling, I would like to share with you Scott's Britney Cove.

Johnny Rex's super-8 movies from Minneapolis' skid row circa 1960

Visitor's to Minneapolis often remark about how much drinking goes on here.

They point out the few remaining buildings with any character downtown (There are really only one half a blocks worth left) and remark, "What happens in there?" but seldom wander inside.

And I'm glad.

Because, I tend to tipple in these places, to get away from the suits, the college kids, the convention goers, and the suburban sports fans. I enjoy cheap, stiff drinks, earnest conversation, and little or no distraction from either. It's a slice of heaven.

If I had a time machine, I would go back to skid row. Perhaps I'd see my grandpa brawling outside The Sourdough. He worked for the railroad. And from what I hear, he liked to get into his cups.

Enjoy this little slice of permanent happy hour. I hope it makes you as thirsty as it makes me.

Down on Skid Row by Johnny Rex.

Steve McQueen's Bullitt Car video and syncopated map!

I made a very rudimentary version of this route the first day I discovered that Google opened up their maps for route sharing. I just discovered Seero which allows users to watch a video, of , say, the best movie car chase of all times side by side with a map where the route is drawn out simultaneously!

Sorry, the embedding is a little wonky still, Click here for the full experience:

http://www.seero.com/video/Steve_McQueen_3

New Freeland

New Freeland - watch more funny videos

A classic from Bob & David.

New Register is online!

Mr. Doob's Unknown Pleasures AV

Mr. Doob has created a really sweet live version of the cover of the classic Joy Division Unknown Pleasures album cover that reacts to the music of the same. Click image above to check it out.

Another Gem from Unemployment Haiku Weekly

There is a certain zen to entering the folds of the unemployed. Some take it with grace, some take it with a short length of rope and a chair. We all, however, take it at least once in our lives. In recent times, purely as a result of some sort of BS on Wall Street, my pal and heckuva writer Matthew Bottkol and his pal and sometimes Mad Magazine contributor, Todd Eisner were both ejected out of the infernal bunghole we ad-men call The Industry.

And on days where I feel like i just can't take it anymore, without fail, I get a RSS ping that tells me Matt and Todd have posted another haiku. And I laugh. Not because I know these guys. Not because I still have a job. Mostly, I just laugh at the grace which which these two respond to the truisms around being an out of work creative in 5/7/5 form. Thanks, fellas.

You should too: Unemployment Haiku Weekly

The Amazing World of Song Poems: What is a song poem?

I can think of no better way to introduce you to song poems than through the words and music of an artist who is actively engaged in the process. The clips above are taken from an amazing documentary called Off The Charts, by Jamie Meltzer, which can be found on Amazon and Netflix, and help tell the story and present the work of Caglar Juan Singletary.

Singletary, like many song poem artists, stumbled across an ad in the back of a magazine that encouraged writers to submit their work, and the obligatory fee, to a company that will set their words to music with the promise of promotion through the music industry as a songwriter. What I find wonderful about many of these artists is that fame is usually not the primary goal for engaging in the song poem process. The artist's desire is to create a piece of work that expresses some heart-felt message that the artist is not able to create independently.

More to follow through the week as I will be introducing you to song poem organizations, artists, musicians and ultimately some of my own personal collection.

Tip of the hat to KEANON, whose comment over on Boing Boing led me to begin speaking about song poems with Singletary's story.

The Uncharted Zone - Say Goodbye to your Friday.

Thanks to Mr. Cornelius Coons and Ms. Domonique Franchesca for turning me on to this. The spirit of these singer/songwriters coupled with the video handiwork of Phil Thomas Katt has totally motivated me to spend the next week indulging myself and introducing you to the world of Song Poem Music. Stay tuned!

Until then, you can soak in more of this fine homegrown work on The Uncharted Zone's YouTube channel.

The Forest City Rockers Episode 2

The Forest City Rockers - Episode 2 from Eighty Four Films on Vimeo.

Eefin & Hambonin

World crisis charts fed into Microsoft songsmith.

My buddy Matthew from over at Unemployment Haiku Weekly (how appropriate) sent this over. Johannes Kreidler fed Microsoft Songsmith with charts based on plummeting stocks, war casualties and other doomsday statistics. The results are a lot more upbeat than you would expect.

RIP Jon Martyn

This past year, I've been really strung out on some of the unsung and british heroes of late 60's - early 70's experimental folk. This song is a gem that pops into my head at least once a week.

May you never.

Original Replacements photo up on eBay

Legendary sweetheart and MPLS back-in-the-day photographer Daniel Corrigan has put up an 11" x 14" print from the original negative of this classic Replacements photo on eBay. The photo, shot in an elevator at the University of Minnesota's Coffman Union Student Center, captures so completely the individual personalities of each of the 'Mats.

I just spent a half hour diging around Daniel's portfolio; a trip back through the heyday of punk / post-punk / pre-grunge days when Mineapolis was king.

Thanks in advance to you readers for pooling your money together and buying this for me.

Foghorn Leghorn vs. The Beatnick Banty

My pal, Jodi's da-da-dadyy-o just signed on to Facebook. He goes by the name Gomer and uses Foghorn Leghorn as his profile picture. Just knowing that, you get the gist of the kind of character he is. He was the inspiration for me going to look for what may be one of the best Warner Brother's cartoons of all time, Banty Raid.

Banty Raids
Uploaded by thadk

Local Wrestling Commercials from 1984

DotDotkins has posted up a slew of vintage AWA (American Wrestling Association) videos including these wrestler endorsements. I can remember each one of these from growing up. I still salivate over that Best of '84 long-sleeve T-shirt. However, nothing beats the original Claw Power shirt.

Art Shanty Projects 2009 -Opens on Saturday.

Hey all, I know most of you are probably sick of hearing me rant about the Art Shanty Project this year, but forgive me, but this year there are some amazing shanties on the ice. A pedal powered coffee shop, a sauna/distillery, an overturned rowboat complete with arctic survivors, radical mappers, a submarine (the USS Walter Mondale), plus some returns from precious years, K-ICE Radio, The Norae Bang Shanty, Blackbox Theater (new and improved), Snapshot Shanty, The Art Car Taxi Stand and a dozen more make this an amazing experience. (not to mention Mt. Holly's own dICEHOUSES Shanty!)

Among other events this year will be world record setting conga lines and cribbage games.

Open weekends January 17th through February 14th.

More information at the Art Shanty Projects website.

Gary Wilson - Cage Protégé / Self-taught Electronic Musician / Duck Walker

Gary Wilson's 1977 LP, You Think You Really Know Me?, was one of my favorite discoveries back in the late 80's while I Dj'ed a catalog digging show on U of M college radio station WMMR (now, the amazing Radio K)

From the self-designed cover featuring a blown out negative of a mousy looking man in a man's cardigan and woman's cat-eye glasses to song titles like 6.4 = Makeout and Chromium Bitch, the Lp promised a wild ride. While it truly provides a high degree of strangeness, You think You Really Know Me? is an extremely earnest and emotionally charged reaction to one man's alienation to the women he loved.

Gary Wilson's bio on wikipedia
Talk to Gary himself.