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Cavalcade of Raunch
Frey's conceit reminds me of Spider Robinson's critique of the late, great Roger Zelazny, who truly did tend to use sentence fragments. As paragraphs. Part of a highly self-indulgent trope. Like a college sophomore. Pulling an all-nighter. Actually, it reads like very bad haiku. By the way, Brother John, your idea of a television column is NOT bad. You could pitch it as "The Man from Mars Watches Late Night Television," followed by "The Man from Mars Watches 'Women's' Television," and so on. Your NOT watching the stuff helps with that pitch. Enjoyable column, with or without Jack Daniel's sauce. Hope you are healing on schedule.— March 26, 2008 8:30 p.m.
Bad Winters
Brother John, I don't have an elegant quote from people far smarter than your old friend here. But there is a truth: we all have a funhouse mirror inside our heads, when we examine what happens to us in our lives. Some people exaggerate the good, others exaggerate the bad. Few seem to see life as it is, which is probably a blessing. The truth is a harsh emetic for almost everyone to swallow. But I hope that your taxidriver Mel has reminded you that there are many, many people who wish you and your son goodwill and happiness. I include myself among that throng. Since I no longer live in San Diego, I cannot put myself out in front of the crowd, raising a lighter in tribute. But I am like one of those long time Grateful Dead fans, following your career from afar, and wishing you well. Try to remember all the goodwill that exists for you out there when the bad mojo threatens to envelope you. My life is so much richer for your friendship over the years, and I am far, far from the only person who believes that to be true. You are quality, John. And as I have long said, I only wish you would treat yourself with the patience, humor, and forgiveness you have extended to people like myself over the years. You deserve it. I wish I was in San Diego to go share some seafood pasta with you. Or some carne asada made the right way!— March 19, 2008 8:31 p.m.
Oprah and Mr. Frey
Sleeping beneath Castle Elsinore, awaiting the hour of Denmark's need. Brother John, I think that Frey has paid his dues for mythologizing his experiences. What is he doing now? On the other hand, Rigoberta Menchu made things up in her autobiography and was awarded the Nobel Prize. God is a iron, as Spider Robison wrote. I hope you are well, old friend.— March 15, 2008 1:50 p.m.
Greeks in the Streets
It takes me back, Brother John, to "Airplane," with Mrs. Cleaver translating jive between two passengers and a stewardess. Keep in mind that there is literally no one more Caucasian than Weird Al Yankovitch, and he made serious bank on his famous "White and Nerdy" video. Check it out on YouTube if you are so inclined (also his brilliant send up of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" reworked as "Amish Paradise"). "There's no killer app I haven't run At Pascal yo I'm number one Do vector calculus just for fun Ain't got a gat, but I got a soldering gun" One way trip to Hades for your rap number? Unlikely. It is far more likely that the vengeful shade of Hank Williams will drag you into perdition for yet another magnum opus of yours, "Hard Truckin' Man." I hope your healing up well enough to "face the bass" at the rap-inspired play.— March 5, 2008 1:21 p.m.
Welcome to Tool Town
Hey, Johnny B. I didn't think I would end up almost anywhere I have lived! I hope you will tell the sailing story (the one only your ex-wife will believe) sometime soon. I'll believe you, my friend.— February 27, 2008 4:39 p.m.
So Much Comedy, So Little in My Life
What's the old saying? "Dying is easy; comedy is hard." I tried improv myself, John, back in the Day. I had one good night on stage, and for the rest of them, I died, big time. The one good night never recurred, so I didn't try it again. The thing I never "got" was that comedy was decidedly not about telling jokes. If you haven't read Steve Martin's recent autobiography, it is worth your time. Personally, I never got his "humor" (arrow through the head, etc). But I sure enjoyed how he used humor to insulate his soul. I enjoyed your post, as always.— February 20, 2008 1:38 p.m.
Treacherous Bodies
By the way, I asked a faculty member who teaches anatomy about this subject. He pointed me in this direction: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/apr/02/china.ar… My favorite part is this quote: "Hongjin's record has been called into question in the past. In 2004 he and von Hagens were accused of using the bodies of political prisoners in a similar exhibition, Body Worlds - charges which they denied. They did, however, return seven bodies from their exhibition to China after two were found to have bullet holes in the back of their heads." True or not? Who can say? As for art, I'm with my old friend Chad C. Mulligan, from "The HipCrime Vocab": "Art: an old friend of mine whose name has been taken in vain recently." To each their own.— February 15, 2008 4:47 p.m.
Treacherous Bodies
Well, I don't mean to get into blog battles...but I am amused that you think that I would use Wikipedia as a research tool. If you intended to insult me, you failed. I am a scientist and teacher by profession, and I know better. I don't mind your snark, but it does take away from your attempts at politesse. I'm not interested in lecturing, since this is my friend John Brizzolara's microphone. But this subject may be of interest to people, who should read for themselves and make up their own minds. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/visualart/286689_bo… http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/s… http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/18/nyregion/18bodi… http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/15313582… Just to be clear, the last reference contains the following: "But Ross wanted answers, so he went to China to investigate. Dalian University told him they have no connection with the exhibit and do not provide any bodies to Premier Exhibitions, which is the company that runs the show in Pittsburgh. "We found the place they get their bodies from way outside of town, littered with garbage and what we were told was that we found the core of what essentially is a black market in bodies," said Ross. Additionally, Ross said he found that the cadavers were obtained in violation of Chinese law and that some were executed prisoners.." You can certainly deny Ross' reporting, if you like. The organizers of the exhibitions do. But I think it is fair to say that there is no paper trail for these bodies, any attempt to find out has not panned out, and China has a uncontestedly horrid human rights record---the trafficking of human body parts from executed prisoners for transplant and other purposes. It seems to me that it should be easy to create exhibitions from bodies donated legally and with paper trails to document that fact. The exhibition under discussion is not one of them.— February 15, 2008 4:14 p.m.
Improv Comedy Night
Cosmo, I don't know if you know the story that I am alluding to with Johnnie B. You might ask him offsite. Buddy Guy, all jokes aside, is a truly great musician, and I am privileged to have heard him play---with John explaining what was behind the music as Guy played. Sort of a Blues Seminar Field Trip. He gets to be in the upcoming movie based on James Lee Burke's "In the Electric Mist With Confederate Dead." Tommy Lee Jones seems a bit old to play Streak, and I am worried about his Texan-flavored Cajun accent. But Buddy Guy's music is an unexpected bonus.— February 14, 2008 6:04 p.m.
Improv Comedy Night
If I still lived in San Diego, John, I would simply take you on some of those adventures. Remember going to see Buddy Guy? Or the time you saved me from "Cookie Night" at the Casbah with Rick Gazlay? You laugh at the things I miss about San Diego. Grunion running at Scripps Pier in La Jolla. Alberto's gigantic carne asada burritos. Watching Campbell Scott doing MacBeth at the Old Globe. I still think about the broiled chicken quesadilla at the Old Town Mexican Cafe. Walking through the Whaley House and hoping to hear a ghost (though I never did). Going on a sailplane ride out in Temecula.— February 13, 2008 4:50 p.m.