HowlerCafe

Hello World.

 The Boys rippin’ and riffin the script

Otis was as gracious as Aretha was soul-full. I don’t care about the present day insanity we are gripped in, there is not a soul on Earth that isn’t saddened by the passing of Aretha Franklin.

Harlan Ellison informed my teen years, touched me with his writing on countless occasions, from Star Trek episodes, through Spider Kiss, Dangerous Visions, Demon with a Glass Hand, a Boy and His Dog and so many others.. Paingod and other Delusions, The Glass Teat, Repent Harlequin, Gentleman Junkie, Deathbird Stories, Approaching Oblivion, Love Ain’t Nothing But Sex Misspelled, Angry Candy, Shatterday, Jefty Was Five, All the Lies That Are My Life, Angry Candy, No Doors, No Windows...these books shaped me..the Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World. Reflective on the death of a grandmaster.

I only saw Glenn Branca’s Ensemble once, in a church. All those guitars on 11 tuned to the same key. When it stopped the building itself settled back on to its foundation. It was like seeing a Rothko in person for the first time. Genius.

Recommended

I backed in to Ursula’s writing through SRD’s complicated “Trouble on Triton an Ambiguous Heterotopia” which may have been a response?dialog with? Le Guin’s “The Dispossessed”.  This unplanned diptych lives in my mind as clearly as if it were written yesterday. In addition to “The Dispossessed” she is responsible for “The Lathe of Heaven” and “The Left Hand of Darkness,” all three shaping my fragile eggshell mind as a teenager in the ‘70′s. It is a shame she is gone from us before we get to a better place as a species to thank her.

Watched every episode. Haven’t thought about him in a long time. RIP

Thor Ragnarok - We Don’t need no stinking hammers! See it on the big screen or go home. Recommended

The Foreigner is better than we deserve. The story is an interesting twist on the father who happens to be ex something losing a loved one seeking justice. Nuanced in ways that seem to be important these days: “The Chinaman” - title of the source material and casual racial slur is played by a Chinese actor, Jackie Chan. One of the men in a position of power is Black, without comment, the rest of the cast diverse except the Irish, at the center but I guess that follows the new paradigm in casting logic. Recommended.

Hudson, Live. The Pixies were playing across town - Boomer Bait chumming the waters! No frenzy at the Carlsen Center, just a great set of tracks by masters of their craft clearly enjoying themselves. 

I’ll be using some of these in Christmas Mixes should that tradition ever rise from the ashes. Enjoy a record you know all the words to from a delightful singer in full control without the hunger of ambition revealing desperation. I’m taken back to Tim Curry’s “Simplicity” way back in the day. Recommended as well, of course.

Recommended 

Reviews after listening at appropriate volume.

Recommended.

Kudos to Lawrence, Bardiem, Harris and Pfeiffer and the camera guy..this could not have been an easy shoot. Recommended!

Record is great.(OK CD) They are playing in Kansas less than a week after Hudson (who will kill it, a little different [lee],) . Who can I convince to join me in a little Japanese (how did they get visas?) Metal noise? I’ll hit up Darren. He liked the SG after all.