My cat wants a pet

My semi-feral, outdoor cat brought home his own pet yesterday. I heard weird meows that were not Sal Mineo's or Ewok's and found a tiny, feral grey kitten all skin and bones. Sal was taking care of it and giving it love and showing it where the food was. It would follow him everywhere and cute to watch. I have known that Sal and Ewok do not get along and he has been a really lonely kitty so he seemed tres happy and content and even allowed me to get even closer to him than usual.

This morning the kitten was gone and Sal was looking all over the yard for it. I guess he might belong to a neighbor or maybe his mother came for him but it's left Sal tres sad. I'm hoping he is just hiding and wasn't some raccoon's midnight snack. Sal wants his own kitty.

Walter Edward Cox

Watched Brewster McCloud last night at the Paramount and LOVED it. It was cool to see old Houston circa 1970. I dug the story and who doesn't love Bud Cort! I want to buy it, I could watch it again and again.

I saw an interview of him on youtube.com from a few years back when Roseanne had a show and he was charming. It isn't often he does television interviews so it was a treat to see this. The audience didn't seem to know just how cool Bud Cort is and his gentle nature made Roseanne come off as even more abrasive and rude. I wish he had more scenes in Made.

It's sux that there isn't some uber tricked out DVD special for Harold and Maude, his commentary alone would be gold! But the guy is getting nothing from the movie so it's best that there's not until he does.

The Card Catalog

When I heard UT was going to dispose of it's card catalog and then saw bags of those familiar lil cards in bins headed for the trash EEEEEEEEEEEEEK! The horror. I love,love,love the card catalogs, any card catalog, they are all so familiar and hold the titles and authors and subjects of things I love. I had to have a piece of it for old time's sake.

I began looking up faves and then out of desperation and time constraints just dumped entire card catalog drawers into a bag. Then I thought of other like minded people who I worked with around campus and called them to come and pillage the card catalog.

Card Catalog Art Show coming soon!

WOWSERS!!!!!!!! Who Knew

That my Anarchy Irony Hat and Jolly Roger designs would inspire so much!

Pretty in Punk by Alyce Benevides and Jaqueline Milles

Punk Knits: 26 Hot New Designs for Anarchistic Souls and Independent Spirits

Honestly, I still think mixing the yarn with punk designs is tres tongue and cheeky but I also think it sends an interesting message. I was one of the first to make iconic punk designs in crochet in 2000 and 2001 and offer them for sale. I still think it's tres ironic to mix the two.

I've been trying to single handedly bring back the knitted tie (like those 60's Italian knitted ties but more up to date) but we'll see how that goes this fall. Heard it here first!

These books have patterns for woolly jumpers and the infamous mohawk hat so enjoy!

It's the lil things....

Maybe it was the alcohol in the champagne berry punch or the yummiest brie I have ever tasted or a sugar and caffeine high from the triple dose of fudge, but when my bubble gum baby sculpture was declared the winner at Nickie's baby shower, I was so proud, teehee.
Seriously, it seemed to have a bit of personality and sort of stood out.
Thought there was some tough competition too.

In:
Big, giant, black sunglasses and ponytails

Goodreads.com
Authentic embroidered Mexican tops

Al Stewart-finally everyone has come around

Tons Summer Movies for people over 30 and not 3

Miles: I dig his love for green boas, gold shoes, tap dancing and Lucha Libre. He is five and one of the coolest people I know.

La Mer

Out:
Big, giant trucks and SUV's: How can anyone drive a ZAP when these things are on your ass and driven by careless jerks?

Bad government- you'll see, bye bye

Yuppies, Yippies, Trustafarians and their affectations, actually it's their affectations that grate, not so much anything else.

Smugness, cockiness, posturing, trade it all in for coyness and become palpable

Old knick knacks from the past (threw out six boxes filled with things I no longer had any use for, didn't know I had, no longer liked, acquired by default and then two boxes of "valuable" knick knacks that went to a Salvation Army for their auctions)*
The media labeling Michael Moore a "liar" ummmm do you know what the Bush and the Dick did? And you're calling a guy this guy a liar??????

Media

Minutiae:
Watched Slippery When Wet-Bruce Brown: The soundtrack to that film was awesome. I actually enjoyed this film more than Endless Summer. It's got a totally accidental and earnest French New Wave feel to it sometimes. It's sort of Beat, sort of 50's teensploitation too. The shots are awesome! I highly recommend old surf films at midnight after a hard day.

Skin Flix: Funny check him out once a week.

Happy Father's Day

I bought a Fender in 1993 and did little with it until I met Ron, my father-in-law. Ron taught me a few chords: A D E and for Christmas one year set me up with a Pignose, capo, guitar strap and a stand so I could keep the guitar out and have easy access to it for practicing. I have not practiced in a few weeks but it is something I do and enjoy doing when I get a chance too. Being able to finally play something on the guitar in addition to the cool gear was the coolest gift ever!

I have seen the cool, vintage Martin he learned to play on. The guitar is well cared for and breathtaking, I love a vintage Martin. Ron was born and raised in The Magic Circle, taught guitar by Tillman Franks , got to see many perform on the Louisina Hayride, can tell you first hand stories about Webb Pierce. He got to witness rockabilly history in the making and had his own part in it performing on KRUS as part of the Hogback Mountain Boys as a teen. He had fun with music and still does to this day, it's a big part of his life. You should see him play the banjo, yeah, he does that too.

My father-in-law is so cool and I feel uber lucky being able to have him teach me and have his encouragement with learning to play my guitar. His understanding and appreciation for music and the guitar are contagious. It's no wonder Wm is a tres talented guitar player himself. Happy Father's Day Ron!

records, movies, books and me: New Fables

All versions of Fables make me swoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon. Man, I love Fables of Faubus, Original Fables of Faubus and New Fables. The lp version I have is Right Now: Live At The Jazz Workshop-New Fables(Meditation (For A Pair Of Wire Cutters)on the other side). I discovered this record in 1991 at Antones Records. I was 20 and brought my old Fisher Price record player to Austin to listen to records I was buying until I was able to procure an old school record player. The needle on the Fisher Price was pretty awesome but to get good sound I had to plug it into an old amp. That's how I'd listen to Fables over and over, each time it conjured a different story, different pictures, different place. This was also the time I got really into Cassavetes and the two sort of go together now in memory.

I was totally in my own world, no boyfriends, didn't want any either, just stopping by and hearing whatever Pierre Camille Joseph Foucher had to say while I bought dolmas from a cart was enough. I would walk around with Mingus playing in my head, go home and watch Cassavetes' movie on VHS and read my books, hang with the girls at Les Amis drinking wine, dance our way out and listen to jazz. It was bliss, it was September and Fall was coming in early that year because things were actually cooling down.

This went on for about two years, just records, movies, books and me. It was an in-between time, not a kid but not feeling like an adult either. When I hear that record or hear Fables of Faubus played it just catapults me back to that time and still has the same effect. Now days it is still records, movies, books but it's now us and it's yummy having someone to share it all with.

Pondering songwriting, sort of

Songwriting is something I greatly admire. The structure of the melody and the lyrics that make me swoon or cringe over a song. I adore a gorgeous voice or awesome guitar playing but if it's just too banal a song, that won't help it much. I appreciate clever lyrics (when there are lyrics), dig words I can relate too, the pictures they paint, a story or portrait. Not enough instrumentals. I indulge in a song that can fit a mood and be there. It's normal for me to play it over and over when it's perfect.

I've been lucky enough to have a song written for me, tres awesome song, great structure, builds, middle 8 and when performed it reminded those who heard it of the Velvet Underground. Thank you, Wm. But it's also awesome to feel like a song was written for you. There's no telling if it was or not anyway. The songwriter could have pictured someone just like you when he began composing his story and melody. So if you think it's for you, then it is.

I can't write a song, I tried once but it was aborted because it made me cringe, the chorus did at least. I gave up. I can't do that sort of thing but those that can do it so well and without much effort and have it turn into something I play over and over, heart be still. A good song is orgasmic.

PS: Yes, I know my blog was never cerebral, is always filled with typos and never really had that interesting bloggity appeal, those cutting edge postings that inspire passionate sparring. However, lately it's been sagging. I'm aware. Well, I've been tired, very tired, too tired to finish the books, too tired to keep up with the projects except the ones I am paid to do, too tired to take you with me on outings and field trips. It's starting to get hot outside, the beginning of a long, long Texas Summer (this will last until November). I am so alive when kept at a constant temp below 70. I'm only at the ideal temp at work and I can't do a thing for you guys there. My home is cooled so as to save money and my a/c, coils and such bust if they have to constantly run. It's Summer, ick. Hot, ick, Heat gets me down, makes me run slooooooooooooooooooooooooow motionlike and I get punchy and loopy and poop out fast. I just can't think. Even stepping out for a short walk about like to the car can kill brain cells. I just about faint in the tiniest bit of heat ya'll. I wish, wish wish we'd have a summer that never got into the 90's.

Bertrand Russell Sez

"The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile"

"The habit of thinking in terms of comparisons is a fatal one."

Distractions

1. The Belmont-midweek only, don't care for the weekends
2. This place
3. This site: Never wanted an office until now
4. Vintage work
5. Thank you Heidi for the awesome retro ephemera!
6. Michelle from NYC said to stop messing with the tapioca and try Galaktoboureko . I love it! Okay, calling all the best Galaktoboureko recipes. I have never made it myself, always had it at restaurants.
7. This book! and this book and this book are all on my wishlist. I never got enough of PAD.
8. Movies (aside from the Paramount):
Away from Her
La Vie En Rose
Crazy Love 6/15
Broken English 7/13

10. Art-O-Mats: Very addictive, I didn't want to even look at one again because I feared going broke in fives. (Procured my first Aldo Valdes Bohm piece! YAY! It's teeny tiny but tres,tres awesome)

11. Townes Van Zandt is so IN right now in my world.