mr tom waits and mr beck

in the interview they talk alot about LA, a city they both grew up in (Waits has since moved to Wine Country to be with his mules, etc). In this exchange they diss Frank Sinatra, X, and my boy Randy Newman (indirectly)

TW: “LA, You’re a Lady.” It was one of those lame, awful … Maybe it’s the rhyme or the rhythm of the name Los Angeles.

BH: Yeah I don’t think anyone has written a definitive LA song.

TW: Maybe it’s the rhyme or the rhythm of the name Los Angeles.

BH: Yeah, I don’t think you can…

TW: But Chicago or St Louis, such cool sounding names. New Orleans. So many songs about New Orleans.

I wrote about it a tad over on the Pop n Hiss blog, but it would probably be in your best interest to read the whole thing over at Beck’s web site.

and i listened. im not the best person to tell these things to.

im someone who wants to fix things, and fixem fast. its my belief that time is so short

oh so short.

that you should fix it and or forget it. because there are bigger better things right around the corner that want your attention

that need your attention.

glorious treasures await that require both of your hands and all of your mind and all of your heart to fully enjoy

but if you arent all there, all ready, in the lets get it on position, then you wont be ready for the full force of the la di da.

she told me the thing and it wasnt the best thing for anyone but she told me and i had two choices, i could tell her wtf or i could say ahhh and let that path work out to whatever that path would do.

on one hand if someone tells you something, dont you think they want you to say wtf if wtf is indeed the correct response?

on the other hand ive been wrong before, whose to say i wont be wrong again

although im not wrong on this one. wtf is precisely the correct response.

but because im selfish and lazy and not very courageous any more in my old age, i sat on my hands and smiled and nodded and bit my tongue.

again.

listen how he decided how to take his number. and the almost childlike respect he has for the chicago bulls, the team that drafted him.

i read about how he picked his number earlier today and scoffed at it, but listening to him explain it in his own voice, in context (i believe that’s Plaschke asking the question) won me over.

finally the lake show has someone truly interesting to perk up to. rare are those guys where so much of what they say is funny and oftentimes dangerous. he plays like that too.

video from the kam bros of the lakers blog who have a great post about the artest press conference here.

i was doing laundry.

she complained that i dont write very much anymore. that i throw videos up and say a few words and thats it.

“i used to come to the busblog to hear you rant and rave and pontificate” she whined.

i was at a hollywood coin op laundry called Lucy’s. people were selling drugs out of their cars outside.

next door was a motel where hookers would pace and compel cars to screech or U-Turn for a second look.

strangely there is no graffiti anywhere around the motel or the laundromat.

i tolder “i wonder if the businesses allow the activity to happen in exchange for lack of tagging and actual crime”.

“SEE THIS IS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT – THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD WRITE ABOUT!” she said.

and i said but all i wanna write about is the cubs. the team i love. the team that might get sold for $900 million.

the team the Ruth killed.

the team that should rip down their lights.

the team that gave me my first beer at 14.

later i powerwalked while waiting for the whites to dry.

Organist Robert Ridgell at the Trinity Wall Street Church. via Gothamist

for years michael kept these kids covered up and hidden, today Paris spoke and she ruled.

for the king of pops funeral precession

which might be the highest respect Los Angeles could ever give you.

rock on gloved one

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LA Times MJ

for example, the one thing i like better than blogging, is taking photos for this blog.

and yet here i had a trip to vegas and of course i leave my camera in my desk at work.

therefore all i had was my iphone to document the weekend.

we stayed at the luxor, because im also a cheapskate, and they had this great deal

every other hotel for the fourth was two hundred a night but luxor had all u can eat all day

and two tickets to chriss angel, vip entrance to each of their clubs, and tix to the bodies world exhibit and this thing called treasures of the titanic.

but all we wanted to do was hang out at the pool and drink

soon as we got there these two offered a round of malibu and coke gratis

i said only if i can take yr picture.

later these other women had some mikes lemonade. those plus two margaritas plus a quick dinner made us wanna dance next door at The Hotel

64 stories above the vegas strip.

since it was the fourth of july there were fireworks viewable, despite the strip

but its the food im sure you care about. all you can eat breakfast lunch and dinner

they gave you a wristband so they knew you were good.

all sorts of food, even grits, even piles of cocktail shrimps, even dessert.

we went to the chriss angel show and i cant say ive ever hated life so much for two hours despite being buzzed full and a tad richer because of the roulette

yet after the show my truest and i were angry.

so angry.

we got stuck in a little sunday afternoon traffic that made it so a 15 mile stretch of desert took an hour and a half to traverse.

yet we still werent even half as angry about that as the time spent in the presence of Chriss Angel

i got to spend it with my truest in one of my favorite places ever

was it as fun as hanging out at the playboy mansion + slip n slide?

strangely, truly, unbelievably…

yes!