(03.31.08) Recommends:

The LA64.
#56: The Griddle Cafe.
7916 W Sunset Blvd.

(explanation of series here.)



We like waking up on the weekends and making pancakes. We cannot always, however, vouch for their tasteyness. Therefore, if you find yourself in LA, and in need of a pancake fix, there's really only one option: Griddle Cafe. Their pancakes -- and we're not exaggerating here -- are bigger than your face. You will be unable to eat, and probably move, for no less than three days. We would try to spend paragraphs exalting the virtues of this place, but frankly, words are insufficient here. So we'll just give this: If you were to reduce Griddle Cafe pancakery to an SAT question, you would have:

Griddle Cafe: LA pancakes:: Arthur Bryant's: KC bbq.

One more thing worth mentioning, now that we're reviewing that picture. You'll notice a really long line. Regardless of time or day, there's always such a line outside this place. You'll also notice the female: male ratio in the picture to be roughly 5:1 (wait, is that what they mean by the Golden Ratio?) And that should end the discussion right there. Any pancake place that serves pancakes bigger than your face, in a stack thicker than your thighs, and still gets that many females clamoring to queue up has to be amazing, right?

Right.

Go already. You'll thank us later.

(03.29.08) Recommends:

The LA64.
#58: Merry Karnowski Gallery.
170 S. La Brea Ave.

#57: Shepard Fairey.

(explanation of series here.)

It feels like Shepard Fairey is an artist whose work we've always known. Obviously this can't be right; at some point we came across an Andre the Giant sticker and through due diligence discovered Shep as the mastermind. Growing up, we were huge fans of both the WWF and the absurd (query whether there is actually a difference between mid-80s WWF and absurdity) so our affinity for Shep comes pretty naturally.

We've taken advantage of seeing his work in a formal setting; we've attended opening receptions at Exhibit A Gallery:



and at Merry Karnowski Gallery:



We've stopped into Merry Karnowski Gallery a few other times. There's always something interesting being shown there. From what we can tell, it's widely regarded as one of the most important galleries in LA for cutting edge and underground art. And Shep, of course, is known primarily as being an underground artist, a street artist. So the thing that we've really come to
appreciate about him is that he makes us question our assumptions about what should be considered Serious Art and what should be considered Underground Art.

See, we grew up in a family that demanded respect for Serious Art. When our family would go on vacation, part of the drill would be to visit the local art museums. And we have very fond memories of these excursions. But here's the thing. Going to a Serious Art museum always felt -- still feels -- like a Big Event. You have to Dress Presentably. You have to speak in Hushed Tones. You have to Behave Yourself. These are all manners of behavior that no doubt have there required place in a civilized world. But.

But. It feels so stiff, you know? Isn't art supposed to inspire, to make the days more bearable, to create the unexpectancies that make life so exciting?

On the other hand, the other day we were just walking to the Beachwood Market, the local market that serves our neighborhood, Beachwood Canyon, and we happened to stumble upon this awesome Shep guerrilla job:



You may recall another Obama-inspired Shep piece that we stumbled upon during a Silverlake blogging adventure from earlier this month:



And seeing this kind of stuff makes us really, really giddy. That's what art is supposed to do, right? So here's the thing. Maybe Serious Art should actually be considered Underground Art. Because Underground -- at least to us -- suggests something that isn't experienced every day. And the Good Lord (along with our co-workers) knows that Dressing Presentably, speaking in Hushed Tones, and Behaving Ourselves just doesn't regularly occur. And, between working and carrying out the bare minimum necessary to get by -- eating and showering, we're thinking -- it's increasingly difficult to actually get to a museum during official museum hours, yaknow?

The flip side to this, of course, is that Shep should actually be considered Serious Art. And this makes sense. Shep takes it to the street; he adds unexpectancy and vibrancy and vitality to our daily view. He adds the color to our every day aesthetic that is both surprising and completely necessary.

Finally, we understand that there's a fine line between street art and vandalism. But we think Shep has demonstrated knowledge in navigating that line. And that makes his vision very necessary to our culture. It's a vision that demands respect from us all.

(03.29.08) Recommends:

The LA64.
#59: The Old LA Weekly Building.
6715 Sunset Blvd.

(explanation of series here.)


They say a picture is worth a thousand words. A picture of words? We don't know how much they say that's worth. But, we're sure we can all agree that the words pictured are words to live by.

Earth Hour - Because We Hunger to be Part of Something Bigger than Ourselves

Cynics love to attack popular campaigns, and that is exactly what is happening with Earth Hour.

"Won't Earth Hour be a failure if the entire city doesn't go dark?" a friend asked last week of the campaign to have residents and businesses in the Greater Toronto Area and around the world turn out their lights at 8 p.m. this Saturday for an hour to show support for action on climate change.

"Do you really think turning off your lights for an hour is going to change anything?" my friend added. "Isn't it just a feel-good thing? And why is the Star involved at all in it? Shouldn't a newspaper be a fair and neutral observer?"

Such skepticism isn't limited to my cynical friends. A columnist for The Globe and Mail this week labelled Earth Hour "a sham," a "racket," "flimflammery."

Any doubt I may have had about the phenomenon that is Earth Hour was erased earlier this month when I walked into an arena in Ajax for my regular Monday night hockey league game. There, in the main entrance, was a huge Earth Hour poster touting an event to be held Saturday night at the Ajax town hall as part of the community's plan to mark the campaign.

That poster drove home the message that, cynics excepted, Earth Hour has touched a chord with Canadians like nothing else in recent years. <Toronto Star>

I don't think anyone imagines that shutting off our lights for an hour is going to change the world. It will save some carbon, but only a relatively tiny amount. The vast carbon pumping machine of world industry and commerce will go on as usual. But, well, it might be cool.


Many of you reading this will remember the great 2003 blackout. A disaster, on the one hand, but at the same time, it was an experience. That first night, it was extremely hot, and extremely dark. People came out of their homes and into the streets and yards of the city. We all blinked - the stars! We could see the stars!

Nobody really knew what was going on, but someone with a car would listen to the news and then people would talk, and soon we all knew this wasn't a terrorist attack or the end of the world or anything. I finally met my upstairs neighbours. Everyone was sharing their ice cream, since it would have melted anyways. The pizza place (with a gas oven) was selling slices (cash only) by candlelight. My drunk next-door neighbour (yes, the naked one), proud owner of a pair of flashlights, tried to direct traffic at a nearby intersection but soon gave up. In fact that night (once the horrible commute was over!) people tended to walk instead of drive. If they did drive, they drove slowly. The whole city was transformed. It was actually quite beautiful.


It wasn't really the darkness that caused the togetherness. It was being forced to pause the hyperactive drive. For that night, we took a break from the run around: We need so damn many things/ To keep our dazed lives going/We can be bound, run around/ Fooled animal bite its tail

No television to watch, too dark to read, too hot to stay indoors. All that was left was interacting with fellow humanity. I think in our market-driven super-capitalist individualist society, we crave this, we hunger for it. I think we want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. That is why people go to church, and that is why we will participate in Earth Hour. Plus, it's a great excuse to get out in the city for a free concert or one of the other cool events.

The "Good Good War" Is A Bad War

We, the women of Afghanistan, only became a cause in the west following 11 September 2001, when the Taliban suddenly became the official enemy of America. Yes, they persecuted women, but they were not unique, and we have resented the silence in the west over the atrocious nature of the western-backed warlords, who are no different. They rape and kidnap and terrorise, yet they hold seats in [Hamid] Karzai's government. In some ways, we were more secure under the Taliban. You could cross Afghanistan by road and feel secure. Now, you take your life into your hands.

- "Marina" from RAWA, in The "Good Good War" Is A Bad War By John Pilger on Znet

(03.27.08) Recommends:

Measure for Measure.

Two of the most common themes that have emerged in this space are our appreciation of Andrew Bird as maker of some of the most compelling music we have, and our appreciation of the New York Times' embrace of the internet such that it has become one-stop news shopping. Today we were thrilled to learn that these two juggernauts are combining forces. Andrew Bird will be contributing to a new nytimes blog called Measure for Measure. The blog's description:

With music now available with a single, offhand click, it's easy to forget that songs are not born whole, polished and ready to play. They are created by artists who draw on some combination of craft, skill and inspiration. In the coming weeks, the contributors to this blog -- all accomplished songwriters -- will pull back the curtain on the creative process as they write about their work on a songs in the making.

Check out Andrew Bird's first contribution here.

(03.26.08) Recommends:

The LA64.
#60: Blue Neighborhood Signs.

(explanation of series here.)

We like to discover a town not by map, but by just getting in the car and getting lost. But for neighborhood-centric cities, one of the most apparent shortfalls of this method is that it takes a while to figure out the contours of the various neighborhoods. That's what is so genius about LA's decision to plaster blue signs to announce the official and unofficial boundaries of neighborhoods. You can never go more than about a half mile without learning where you are!

We recommend checking back to this post often, because we plan to continue documenting the blue signs we come across, and when we do, we'll be sure to post them here.

(03.25.08) Recommends:

The LA64.
#61: Brunch at Chateau Marmont.
8221 W Sunset Boulevard.

(explanation of series here.)


So, we were first taken here by family of family of a family friend. Or something like that. Neither party was exactly sure of the connection, but we were pretty floored by the generosity. Taking a wagon full of ne'er-do-wells such as ourselves to brunch is more than we could ever reasonably expect from others. But time and again -- as we've mentioned here several times -- the people we've come across in LA have showered us with enough hospitality to make a midwestern mother's son blush. And we think that's a tremendous storyline, and one underreported by makers of city stereotypes.

(03.25.08) Recommends:

The LA64.
#62: The Mendel's Hollyway Cleaners Sign.
8359 Santa Monica Blvd.

(explanation of series here.)


When we first moved down to LA -- okay, we realize that this is the second post in a row that starts with that phrase and we promise to stop it -- we found ourselves driving by this sign every morning to make sure that (a) it hadn't disappeared during the night, or (b) we hadn't just dreamed it up. LA does not have a ton of stunning architectural highlights, but what it lacks it more than makes up in awesome signage (we're predicting a good 30 of the LA64 could be signs -- we told you we're pretty new here).

Has either Mr. Mendel or this sign appeared in a Simpson's episode yet? We're pretty sure neither has and we're pretty sure there's not a reasonable explanation for such absence.

While we whole-heartedly recommend this sign, we've never actually used the cleaner. And we only mention this because it's received some pretty crappy yelp reviews.

(03.22.08) Recommends:

The LA64.
#63: The View From Everett Park.
Everett Street, One Block North of Sunset.

(explanation of series here.)

When we first moved down to LA, we were not willing to surrender to the fact that LA has crappy traffic. We were convinced for a brief period of time -- such time has long since passed, mind you -- that we could find secret routes! that would make our morning commute more manageable. The interesting thing about this is that, with certain big caveats, we are believers in the power of free markets. So it is unclear to us why we believed that, in a town with literally millions of commuters, we could just show up one day and find a route that nobody had yet discovered. [Whether this should be classified as being stubborn or delusional, we'll leave for you to decide.]

Anyway. What would inevitably happen while looking for secret routes! is that we would get completely, hopelessly lost. And getting unlost would just add another 45 vein-popping, nerve-shattering minutes to the commute.

What changed a lot for us was the time we got lost in Everett Park. Everett Park is somewhere either in or between Echo Park and Downtown. We realized that we were headed North and were driving up a Big Fucking Hill. We work more south and on Flat Land. Something was Seriously Wrong. Until we turned around and saw this:


And at this point, two things happened. One, it hit us that we actually lived and worked in Los Angeles, and this was a kinda exciting realization. Two, it occurred to us that everything would turn out okay.

We like this story because we think there's truth in it, corny though it may be. We are human and thus it is our wont to feel confused and sad and anxious at times. But sometimes, at the height of that confusion, sadness, and anxiety, the best course of action is to simply turn around and look at our surroundings. Sometimes, when we feel the most unsure, it turns out that we're actually just at the top of the mountain, overlooking our kingdom.

Of course, it also helped that Everett Park has a sign that reminded us, once again, that we are a government of laws and not of men:

Random Thoughts on Race, Crime, and Human Resilience

I'm currently working on a project on memory and South African exiles. I was reading Lewis Nkosi's Home and Exile and other Selections when I came across a passage that sat with me. It's in the essay "Apartheid: A Daily Exercise in the Absurd". After describing some of the odd, horrible and certainly absurd things that went on in Apartheid South Africa (like the court wrangling over such questions as at what point does a kiss become passionate enough to convict someone of interracial sex) he wrote:

One could go on, of course, recounting the morbid aspects of apartheid, but it all sounds so hopelessly melodramatic that the total effect is to undermine people's credulity. Sometimes, people wonder after reading about these conditions how the Africans are able to survive at all. One Englishman who attended a first night of a Johannesburg opera was surprised to find well-dressed Africans who looked reasonably happy, mingling with the white audience. From that he concluded that the stories he had read about South Africa were grossly exaggerated. To my own mind that was the highest tribute anybody cold pay to the indestructibility of the human spirit, the ability to absorb hurt and injury and still maintain a semblance of human dignity.

It made me think about people who, say, visit the West Bank and see people smiling and even dancing and think - wow, this isn't so bad. People make the best of things. They don't sit around waiting for someone to come rescue them - they form formal organizations, they practice everyday forms of resistance, and they find ways to live as happy an existence as possible. Sometimes they live for the moment, focusing on the present, concerned little with a future that looks only bleak.
He continues:

Africans have learned that if they are to remain sane at all it is pointless to live within the law. In a country where the government has legislated against sex, drinks, employment, free movement and many other things, which are taken for granted in the Western world, it would take a monumental kind of patience to keep up with the demands of the law.
[...]
They know every time a policeman encounters a black man in the street he assumes a crime has been committed; so why bother to live a legal life?

When people are put in conditions that anticipate their criminality it is indeed a monumental effort that is required to avoid that very thing. I'm thinking about crime among minority populations, like in the black ghettos in the US for instance. Now consider in this context Bill O'Reilly's remarks after Hurricane Katrina:

Every American kid should be required to watch videotape of the poor in New Orleans and see how they suffered, because they couldn't get out of town. And then, every teacher should tell the students, 'If you refuse to learn, if you refuse to work hard, if you become addicted, if you live a gangsta-life, you will be poor and powerless just like many of those in New Orleans.'

The Stupifying World of Fox News

So I was reading about the mainstream media's lack of coverage of Winter Soldier. In a way I was surprised, since the winter soldier testimonies were all over my feed reader, from Democracy Now to Common Dreams to The Real News. On the other hand, I guess it isn't so surprising after all.

I thought I'd check Google News, and indeed, the only coverage of Winter Soldier was from the independents and a few local papers. There were only 240 results. (As a comparison, just try searching for "American Idol" - nearly 14,000 results.)


So I thought, just for kicks, that I'd check to see if there was even a speck of coverage on CNN or FOX.


On Fox, the only results from 2008 was a story about Captain America, the ultra-patriotic comic book superhero.

Then I started browsing FOXNews.com. Why? Must have been momentarily possessed by a self-destructive devil. The subcategories under U.S. are all about fear and distraction. Crime, Sports, Education, Live Audio, War on Terror, Homeland Security, Law, Immigration, Natural Disasters, Sept. 11, U.S. Military. And who, oh who, can protect us from the brown hordes that threaten us (learn all about it under Immigration, September 11, Homeland Security, War on Terror)? And from our neighbours? And the damn planet? Then there's the "HOT TOPICS": FOX News Election Coverage, Celebrity Gossip, FOX Movietone News. Hmm, that's basically sports and entertainment. Even though sports and entertainment have their own top level categories. I guess the American economy is doing A-OK. I could feel my brain turning to mush already.

Next, I went to the videos, where I was treated to some interestig headlines:
Axis of Evil - Is there a connection between Iran and Al Qaeda in Iraq? The Axis of Evil is back? Ma, we better make ourselves a fallout shelter.
Man's World? - Can Hillary Clinton use business leadership skills to reach the White House? Everyone knows Hillary has bigger Kahunas than most men. She should really go home and bake a cake.
Damage Control? - Obama, church blame media for controversy over pastor's provocative comments But of course, that's just damage control, or maybe it's the liberal media's fault. Because everyone knows Fox is fair and balanced.
Losing His Religion? - Obama distances himself from controversial pastor Catch-22: if Obama distances himself from the pastor he's losing his religion, and if he doesn't, then he's racist.
Losing My Religion? - New poll suggests shrinking spiritualism in U.S. Must be Obama's fault.
Racism or Sexism? - Is racism or sexism the bigger problem? Because we must hierarchize, always. By the way, the host's answer was that people just need to stop whining.

Of course, it wasn't all bad. I did learn about panda porn.

(03.21.08) Recommends:

The LA64.
#64: The Silver Lake Lounge.
2906 W Sunset Blvd.

(explanation of series here.)


So, the Silver Lake Lounge. This one will throw the midwesterns for a loop: during the week it's a full on gay bar, then on the weekends, the place takes a break and transforms itself into a hipster indie rock bar. LA is smooth like that.

The place is our kind of place to see a show. Regardless of the weather outside, it is always dark, dark, dark inside. It's small and gets crowded and the sound can get sketchy and the sight lines can get sketchy. But when the stars align, the club is capable of putting on the Most Compelling Live Show You've Ever Seen. The bar is narrow and opens to a small stage off to the back left. The stage is adored with an illuminated sign that says "Salvation." With all the cynicism and sarcasm and detachment and aloofness in our society, there's something that devastates us about that sign.




The last time we were there we caught a great show by the Dodos. This morning the Dodos got a great write up on pitchfork. The Silver Lake Lounge gets a shoot out in the review. Good job, peeps.

(03.20.08) Recommends:

The LA64.

So as we find ourselves at the start of another round of March Madness, we also find ourselves at the end of our first six months living in Los Angeles. And we thought we would use the tourney as a hook to reflect back on what we've discovered since we moved down from the Bay Area. So starting later today, and continuing throughout the tournament, we will present, in full photoblogging glory, the 64 people, places, and things in Los Angeles that get us excited to wake up in the morning and reluctant to go to bed at night. [1] They will be presented in an order that is meant to portray whimsy, not preference. We hope everybody learns a little from it.

If you see us out and about documenting the city we love, don't be shy -- come up and say hi! Who knows, you may be or become one of our 64 favorite things in this city.



[1] Some people may claim that, despite all the awesomeness surrounding us, we still manage to be conked out cold, every night, by 11pm. The veracity of these claims, alas, will not be considered during this blogging experiment.

Half a Decade in Iraq

A lot can happen in five years. In five years, a toddler will grow old enough for her first day of school. In five years, a schoolboy of eight will become a teenager.

In five years, a proud country and its vibrant population has been reduced to a desolate killing field.

Ellen Weinstein - Camouflage, 2007 Collage

Lies, hundreds of them, that led up to the war in Iraq have been revealed. Five years later, the liars are still busy crafting the Iran propaganda.

Tony Auth - Roots, Unpublished Pen, ink, and wash

In 5 years, the American military has put down roots. At least 75 permanent bases have been established in Iraq.

Koren Shadmi - Tasting Victory, 2007 watercolor, ink and digital

In 5 years, countless Iraqis have been killed and wounded. (We've lost count, you see, since each Iraqi life is not precious enough to concern ourselves with an accurate count. Estimates are as high as a million deaths due to the war.) One in five displaced (around 2.7 million Iraqis). A generation traumatized. A cycle of violence set in motion. The economy and infrastructure of the country destroyed. 3,987 dead American soldiers.

Yes, a lot can happen in five years.

All images from Artists Against the War

(03.16.08) Recommends:

Swinging Nachos Like You Just Don't Care.

So, last night we made tacos with a Fellow Blogger. And whenever we eat tacos late-night-style, we tend to wake up real early-morning-style the next morning. And this Sunday morning, we had some business to attend to in the Hills of Beverly. And one of our favorite parts of living in California for the last nearly four years has been finding ourselves traveling through locations -- much like the Hills of Beverly -- that we heretofore knew only through songs. And usually, when we find ourselves in these places that seem familiar, we put on the song that makes them feel familiar, and bump it, real loud like. So this AM, while still under the influence of a post-taco glow, we were blaring Pavement. We're not sure if the denizens of Beverly Hills were quite feeling what we were feeling. But at any rate, they were hearing us. And we thought we'd share with you that song, as well.

Hurrican Katrina and American Diaspora

Hurricane Katrina caused the biggest mass migration in U.S. history. More than than 1 million people were forced to evacuate. Although many people have been able to return home, many are still displaced.

Thousands will not be able to return for years, both because the damage is so catastrophic and because so many were already living in poverty. Many experts are telling churches and other groups to focus on helping people relocate permanently.

So where are they?


This neat map was based on more than 40,000 postings on Internet "safe lists" by Katrina survivors. ePodunk analyzed messages containing both the person's hometown and the location after fleeing the storm. It only shows American cities, though I know some ended up in Canada, and I'm sure elsewhere also. If you click to the full version of the map you can run your cursor over the points on the map to see city names and to click to information about the community.

(03.11.08) Recommends:

Dawn Landes, "Fireproof" (Cooking Vinyl, 2008).

We've blogged about Dawn Landes before here and here, and this week she released a new album. We've been listening to it all week and we're really enjoying it. "Tired of This Life" is thus far our favorite track of the year. Luckily for you the new album can be streamed right here.

Dawn Landes -- Fireproof -- streaming audio.
Dawn Landes @ Myspace.

The tragedy of having more money than you can spend

People, the suffering has gone on too long. No more should our celebrities have to deal with the horror of having far too much money.

They have run out of ways to spend it. Tons of time, energy, initiative, Swarovski crystals and other valuable resources are being used up trying to come up with the latest ridiculous, meaningless bling to ensure that our sad, pitiable celebrities don't have to face overloading their bank accounts. It's heartbreaking, these tumour-like bank accounts, infinitely growing.

They have to live all isolated in gated communities and private islands and have really ugly pets, just to try to decrease their out of control bank accounts. I mean, how can you look into their big vacuous puppy dog eyes without wanting to rescue them from the plight of having far more money than they can ever hope to spend. Won't somebody pleeeez think of the celebrities?

I weep for them

(03.10.08) Recommends:

Pastrami Sandwiches.

So we ventured out to our neighborhood deli yesterday. We got to the counter and were in a red meat mood. Just as we were about to order up some roast beef, the phrase "a pound of pastrami please" floated out of us. And we've gotta say, we can't remember the last time alliteration tasted this good. Why has it been so long since we've had a pastrami sandwich? We're not kidding around here, we've already had about three of them today. And if we're not careful, the whole pound will be gone by dark. We're told that pastrami was created as a method for preserving meat from spoilage in an age before modern refrigeration methods. Today, it preserved us from the Monday blahs and for that we could not be more grateful. Thank you, pastrami sandwich. You really are the king of the salt-cured meats. We promise not to neglect you for this long again.

(03.09.08) Recommends:

Not Overdoing It.

So yesterday was another action-packed day in Beachwood Canyon. We woke up super-early stizz, only to stumble upon a horribly visual car wreck in which the backside of a poor Mini Cooper was absolutely pancaked. Then it was off for some self-pamper -- calm down back there, it's been a rough month. We tried to get our hair in order, got to smelling pretty again, and got some fancy pants. Then it was off to catch an early show by the Dodos at Silverlake Lounge and an opening night reception at an art gallery. We dutifully recorded all of this via camera, but in our haste to upload the pics, we managed to destroy the chord that is needed for the transfer.

And this mishap caused us to realize that there's been too much stress in our lives lately and all of our hustle and bustle -- our need to be constantly on the move -- is probably a sign that we're trying to overcompensate for something.

Probably we just need to chill for a bit.

So then we hopped into bed and opened Life of Pi, hands down one of our favorite novels ever. There is so much about the novel that absolutely devastates us, but there is one passage in particular that we come back to, time and time, when we think that our emotions are getting the best of us. And we thought we'd share it with you all today.

I wept like a child. It was not because I was overcome at having survived my ordeal, though I was. Nor was it the presence of my brothers and sisters, though that too was very moving. I was weeping because Richard Parker had left me so unceremoniously. What a terrible thing it is to botch a farewell. I am a person who believes in form, in the harmony of order. Where we can, we must give things a meaningful shape. For example -- I wonder -- could you tell my jumbled story in exactly one hundred chapters, not one more, not one less? I'll tell you, that's one thing I hate about my nickname [editor's note: his nickname is Pi] the way that number runs on forever. It's important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise you are left with words you should have said but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse. That bungled goodbye hurts me to this day. I wish so much that I'd had one last look at him in the lifeboat, that I'd provoked him a little, so that I was on his mind. I wish I had said to him then -- yes, I know, to a tiger, but still -- I wish I had said, "Richard Parker, it's over. We have survived. Can you believe it? I owe you more gratitude than I can express. I couldn't have done it without you. I would like to say it formally: Richard Parker, thank you. Thank you for saving my life. And now go where you must. You have known the confined freedom of a zoo most of your life; now you will know the free confinement of a jungle. I wish you the best with it. Watch out for Man. He is not your friend. But I hope you will remember me as a friend. I will never forget you, that is certain. You will always be with me, in my heart. What is that hiss? Ah, our boat has touched sand. So farewell, Richard Parker, farewll. God be with you.

2008 International Debate Academy Announced

It is with great pleasure that ZIP-Slovenia and WDI-USA announce the Sixth International Debate Academy to be held in Slovenia in November 2008.

2008 DATES ARE NOVEMBER 23-30

SEE OUR BLOG AT http://internationaldebateacademy.blogspot.com/

THREE EVENTS:

WORKSHOP FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

WORKSHOP FOR TRAINERS, COACHES AND TEACHERS

AN INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT

For university students and trainers/teachers
23– 30th November 2008, Slovenia

Organized by:
ZIP – Za in proti (ZIP), Pro et Contra, Institute for the Culture of Dialogue, Slovenia
WDI – World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, USA

Webpage, registration form, scholarship form: http://debate.uvm.edu/idas2008.html

What is it?

It is the most international British Parliamentary Debate Training in the world with a distinguished training group. Attendees have come from over 26 different debating nations. The program involves a rigorous combination of lectures, skill exercise sessions and two practice debates per day. A major tournament will take place at the end. This year the tournament at the end of the Academy is open to all interested university debaters, so everybody who does not have time to come for the whole week can join us only for the tournament.

FACULTY FOR 2007 (MOST RETURNING FOR 2008)

Jens Fischer, Berlin Debating Union, Germany, Europeans CA
Neill Harvey-Smith, UK, Former WUDC Finalist
Steve Llano, St. Johns University, USA
Loke Wing Fatt, SAID, Singapore, WUDC breaking judge
Branka Marušic, EUDC President, Croatia
Rhydian Morgan, UK, Euros winner & multiple CA
Sam Nelson, Cornell University, USA
Uve Poom, Estonia, 2007 Euro ESL Champion
Bojana Skrt, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga, Slovenia
Alfred C. Snider, University of Vermont, USA, Director, World Debate Institute

Who can apply?

Students: For the whole Academy, everybody interested in debating is welcome, and can be beginners or they can be very experienced. The training will be divided into different tracks, based on the participant’s needs and experience, but reflecting realistic pedagogical needs.

Students: For the tournament only. Come and join us for spirited competition and fellowship. For the tournament only you apply as a team. One judge per 1 or 2 teams, 2 judges per 3 or 4 teams.

Trainers and Teachers: We will also have a track for trainers, coaches, team organizers and club trainers that will be far more flexible. See how debate training is done by those experienced, attend seminars on materials and technique, learn adjudication and a lot more.

Participation fee

• The whole Academy (it covers 8 days full room and board – accommodation/food, training and materials) TO BE ANNOUNCED.
• Tournament only (it covers 2 days full room and board – accommodation/food, tournament expenses) TO BE ANNOUNCED.
• The payment should be made in cash on arrival.
• This is a non-profit project, and no organizers or trainers are paid for their effort. Fees are designed to cover some costs only.

Scholarships
There are limited scholarships available. The scholarship application procedure is as follows: submit a scholarship form, receive a scholarship, and formally accept the scholarship. Scholarships will not be available for travel. SCHOLARSHIP FORM WILL BE AVAILABLE LATER.

Organizing committee:
Director of the Academy: Bojana Skrt, ZIP, bojana.skrt@siol.net
Head of Training: Alfred C. Snider, World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, alfred.snider@uvm.edu

(03.08.08) Recommends:

The Craigslist Dating Blog.

My oh my. So we have this friend. He's smart and funny and gentle and outgoing and pretty much the perfect guy. He's everything we wish we were. But despite everything he has going for him, he is recently out of a relationship. And he's always recently out of a relationship. He's kinda girlie like that. So we took him out for "sympathy drinks" last night and convinced him that there were only two reasonable solutions to his problems. The first, start dating through craigslist. The second, blog the experience. Luckily our friend has taken our advice, and today passed along the blog. And now we present the blog that will do no less than change your entire life:

Craigslist Dating.

Alberta Oils Sands Land

Did you hear about the hottest new vacation destination? It's Alberta Oil Sands Land, with a travel review by Thomas King:

Personally, I was more interested in the Ralph Klein Earth Mover rides, but the lines were always much too long. In the end, I spent most of my time at the Waste Water Park, watching happy families relaxing and enjoying their tax dollars in action.

But the best part of the entire vacation was watching the sun set each evening on what was left of the Athabasca River. Mr. Harper would strum his guitar and tell us how his heart swelled when he looked out over the landscape and saw the sheer beauty that human ingenuity and corporate genius could create.

Even Mr. Dion got a little teary as we all watched the smoke stacks discharge their billows of pollutants. He said that the soft clouds floating over the high prairies reminded him of the old days when Native people sat around their council fires and told stories about living in harmony with the earth.

All the kids want to go to Alberta Oil Sands Land!

(03.05.08) Recommends:

Jeffrey Lewis and the Jitters.

So this band opened the Mountain Goats show at the Troubadour last night. As my friend and I entered the venue and were milling about in the front bar area of the Troub, we thought the Mountain Goats were already on stage; Jeffrey Lewis can sound uncannily similar to John Darnielle at times. But we hurried into the main room just as Jeffrey Lewis said the next song would feature a slide show, which seemed a bit un-John Darnielle-esque. In this song, Jeffrey Lewis had made an illustration for each line of a hilariously endearing song about the trials and tribulations of young punks and hippies. It set the tone that this is a seriously quirky band. A bit like the Moldy Peaches meets the Dead Milkmen meets Daniel Johnston meets X meets probably a ton of influential lo-fi punk bands that are too underground to even appear on our radar screen meets a bunch of graphic designers and comic book artists. It could easily come off as being too cute, but they rock enough and there's enough of an edge to make it work. They played for about an hour and we found it a completely satisfying hour.

So check 'em out.

On the web.
At myspace.

US Plotted To Overthrow Hamas After Election Victory

In the Guardian UK:

The Bush administration, caught out by the rise of Hamas, embarked on a secret project for the armed overthrow of the Islamist government in Gaza, it emerged yesterday.

Vanity Fair reports in its April edition that President George Bush and the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, signed off on a plan for the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to remove the Hamas authorities in Gaza. The plan called for Washington's allies in the region to funnel arms and salaries to Fatah fighters who would lead a rising against Hamas.

Democracy turned into a farce. Scores of dead women, men and children. A horrible situation (which was slowly showing some progress) made even worse. Yep, good job, Bush.

The Bush administration plan sought to undo the results of elections in the West Bank and Gaza in January 2006 which, to the chagrin of White House and State Department officials, saw Hamas win a majority of seats in the Palestinian legislature.

The project was approved by Bush, Rice, and Elliott Abrams, the hawkish deputy national security adviser.

The 2006 election result was seen as an affront to the central premise of the Bush administration's policy in the Middle East - that democratic elections would inexorably lead to pro-western governments.

Whoops. Is our face red!

Not that this is entirely news, we all knew that this is what was going on. Of course, the Bush administration is denying the report "in unusually strong terms".

More in Vanity Fair, which broke the story. And on Democracy Now: Iran Contra 2.0: How the Bush Admin Lied to Congress and Armed Fatah to Provoke Palestinian Civil War Aiming to Overthrow Hamas

(03.04.08) Recommends:

Concert Photography, vol. 13 [Limited Edition vol.]
The Mountain Goats,
The Troubadour,
West Hollywood, Calif.
03.04.08.

We just got back from the show and we'll have more to say on it tomorrow. One thing that struck us at the show. Some people communicate through omission. Other people communicate through, well, words. The Mountain Goats communicate with words. We appreciate that. People who communicate through omissions are mostly pussies. See you tomorrow, folks.



Update: After going through our pics there aren't any good enough to post. The above picture is the clearest thing we got and it's pretty bad. It gets really dark and packed at the Troubadour and we're too reluctant to use our flash. We still obviously need training at taking pics in dark rock clubs. If any readers out there want to give us some pointers, we'd love some lessons. We're also thinking about moving beyond our old digital camera into something a bit more fancy and would love input on that decision as well.

A Mormon Guide to Overcoming Masturbation, or How to avoid Self-Love

Are you concerned about the tussle with your muscle? Fortunately, here's a Mormon guide to Overcoming Masturbation (although to be accurate, it should really be called undercoming).

1. Never touch the intimate parts of your body except during normal washing and using the bathroom.

2. Avoid being alone as much as possible. Find good company and stay in this good company, especially when you are feeling particularly weak.

3. If you are associated with other persons having this same problem, YOU MUST BREAK OFF THEIR FRIENDSHIP. Never associate with other people having the same weakness. Don't suppose that two of you will quit together, you never will. You must get away from people of that kind. Just to be in their presence will keep your problem foremost in your mind. The problem must be taken OUT OF YOUR MIND for that is where it really exists. Your mind must be on other and more wholesome things.

4. After you bathe, don't admire yourself in the mirror. Stay in the shower just long enough to clean yourself. Then dry off and GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM into a room where you will have some member of your family present.

5. When in bed (especially if that is where you masturbate), wear pajamas or other clothes so that you cannot easily touch yourself (and so that it would be difficult to remove those clothes. The time it takes to remove your clothing gives additional time to controll your thinking and overcome the temptation).

6. If the temptation seems overpowering while you are in bed, GET OUT OF BED! Go into the kitchen and make a snack, even if it is in the middle of the night, and even if you are not hungry. The purpose behind this suggestion is that you GET YOUR MIND ON SOMETHING ELSE. You are the subject of your thoughts, so to speak.

7. Never look at pornography on the internet or elsewhere. Never read about your problem (even on sites claiming to be "educational"). Keep it out of mind. Remember -- "First a thought, then an act." The thought pattern must be changed. You must not allow this problem to remain in your mind. When you accomplish that, you soon will be free of the act.

8. Put wholesome thoughts into your mind at all times. Read good books, scriptures, talks of church leaders. Make a daily habit of reading at least one chapter of Scripture, preferably from one of the four Gospels in the New Testament, or the Book of Mormon. The four Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John -- above anything else in the Bible can be helpful because of their uplifting qualities.

9. Pray. But when you pray, don't pray about this problem, for that will tend to keep it in your mind more than ever. Pray for faith, pray for understanding of the Scriptures, pray for members of your family who need help. Pray for your friends, BUT KEEP THE PROBLEM OUT OF YOUR MIND BY NOT MENTIONING IT EVEN IN YOUR PRAYERS. KEEP IT OUT of your mind! The attitude of a person toward his problem has an affect on how easy it is to overcome. It is essential that a firm commitment be made to control the habit. As a person understands his reasons for the behavior, and is sensitive to the conditions or situations that may trigger a desire for the act, he develops the power to control it.

If getting rid of all your horny friends, investing in the most impenetrable pajamas known to man, eating til you weigh a thousand pounds, and fully repressing any and all normal desires haven't stopped you from spanking your monkey, don't despair. You can avoid walking Willie, the one eyed wonder worm, by, um, thinking of worms:

In the field of psychotherapy there is a very effective technique called aversion therapy. When we associate or think of something very distasteful with something which has been pleasurable, but undesirable, the distasteful thought and feeling will begin to cancel out that which was pleasurable. If you associate something very distasteful with your loss of self-control it will help you to stop the act. For example, if you are tempted to masturbate, think of having to bathe in a tub of worms, and eat several of them as you do the act. It sounds goofy, but it actually works!

Once it starts producing the "lifegiving substance", you better keep your hands off your "little factory":

Sometimes a young man does not understand. Perhaps he is encouraged by unwise or unworthy companions to tamper with that factory. He might fondle himself and open that release valve. This you shouldn't do, for if you do that, the little factory will speed up. You will then be tempted again and again to release it. You can quickly be subjected to a habit, one that is not worthy, one that will leave you feeling depressed and feeling guilty. Resist that temptation. Do not be guilty of tampering or playing with this sacred power of creation. Keep it in reserve for the time when it can be righteously employed.

Chicken choking is a gateway. Did you know that jerking your johnson can quickly cause you to catch teh gay?

This habit-forming activity quickly leads to other activities such as viewing pornography and participating in homosexual activities.

Fortunately there are many other ways to protect your dolphin from being flogged. And kids, don't forget to say no to pornaaaaaawgraphy.
Via The Friendly Atheist

(03.03.08) Recommends:

Concert Photography, vol. 12.
The Airborne Toxic Event,
The Troubadour,
West Hollywood, Calif.
03.03.08

So, at a very young age we discovered that we possessed a genuine talent for getting into sold out events. We also happen to be maniacal procrastinators. (It's unclear in which direction causation runs). So for most of our live event going lives we have employed the following tactic. We see that a band we love is coming through town. Then we tell ourselves that we should totally -- oh, totally! -- go to the show. Then, we completely forget about this until about a day before the show, only to learn that the show, invariably, is sold out. Then with about two hours before the show, we conjure our awesome hidden talent and manage to procure tickets, and usually at or below face value. We have used this talent to get/impress at least three dates.

But then an interesting thing happened. We moved to Los Angeles. And we have friends who are ridiculously well-connected [1]. Which means that our special talent has laid dormant for months. One less thing to worry about, we suppose. But also one less thing with which to impress people. At this point, we're worried we might never get another date.

So tonight's two cell phone call last minute hook-up resulted in a spot at the sold out Airborne Toxic Event show.



We first heard them when we had just moved to LA and were convinced that we were on our death bed. Luckily, we lived another day. And we've spent many of the lucid days that have followed listening to tracks from this band.



The crowds keep getting bigger, and more energetic, with spontaneous sing-alongs and fist pumps a common scene.



The fiddle is pretty much the neuroscientist of rock bands: we'll always have a soft spot in our hearts for them.



We know we've gushed about this band every time that we've blogged about them. But we really believe that they have the qualities to be a band that tours nationally and becomes a big sensation. They have a very big stage presence. And the crowds eat this band up.



But even if they don't become superstars, they still put on a really fun show. And they got a room full of hundreds of people to sing and smile and dance and bop their heads. And when we stepped back to get a better view of how the crowd was responding to the band, we noticed some stalwarts of the east side LA music scene smooshed next to people who probably have never ventured east of Cahuenga for their live music fixes. And that's a pretty cool thing. We could heard Willie Nelson singing, the life I love is makin' music with my friends, and I can't wait to get on the road again.



[1] These people are also well-mannered, well-tailored, well-coiffed, well-read, well-educated, smell pretty, cook gourmet meals, run sub-four minute miles, can create complex origami figures, engage in linear algebra over lunch breaks, look reasonable in Speedo brand swimsuits, and stop-drop-and-roll before you even smell the smoke. We don't know where they come from or why they agree to hang out with us. But we're not complaining.

(03.02.08) Recommends:

Exploring Your Neighborhood.

So as we promised earlier, we set aside some time during this weekend to do nothing but sit on a patio, soak in the beautiful weather, and enjoy some beer.

So we woke up Sunday and set out by foot looking for adventure.



Readers of this blog know we've become completely obsessed with Project Runway this season. So we were pretty stoked when came around the bend and happened to glance across the street.



That's right. We stumbled unto Rami Kashou's Silverlake studio. Note the drapes in the front windows. Homeboy knows how to drape, there's no denying that.



A Sunny Day + A Random Pop Cultural Sighting = Time to Get our Thai Beer on, Yo.



Not wanting to mess with what proved to be a successful formula, we kept on truckin', Thai beer style.



By this point, things like formulas were too much for our malleable minds. So we threw caution to the wind and set out by foot looking for more adventures.



While Chuck Taylor's make us 13% hipper, Thai beer makes us 14% more tired.



So we flagged down a DD and continued the adventure in a big SUV [thus also doing our part to contribute to the War in Iraq].



We continued heading eastward.



Listening to MGMT makes us an additional 13% hipper.



Burrito King makes us an additional 13% fatter.



We might have gotten fatter today. But we can change; we can lose that weight.
Yes! We! Can!