Literally just got back from a sneak preview of Fox Searchlight’s new potential sleeper Whip It! Gotta say, I really enjoyed it. Good job, director-lady Drew Barrymore. Good job, cast of rad ladies. If you follow this blog and like what you read, I think you should see it. Let’s watch that trailer one more time.

I’ll admit that certain things are problematic, like the “hey, we’re at Waterloo! Hey, we’re watching The Jerk at the Drafthouse,” feel of certain scenes. And there’s certain a potential argument to be formed out of how white roller derby appears to be, based on the movie (Eve is the only woman of color I saw represented, playing Rosa Sparks, a member of the Hurl Scouts). Also, Hurl Scout teen rookie and protagonist Bliss Cavender has a coming-of-age romance with an indie rocker named Oliver that, while it ends up being far-from-idealized, is unnecessary to me. Finally, I think the movie gets a little too plot-heavy at the end — I really don’t mind a movie that focuses more on character development instead of pushing action forward. Though most of the movie was shot in Michigan, it takes place in and around Austin. We keep it relaxed here, and I feel like the movie really flies when it keeps story structure loose. 

That said, I found it to be a delightful, feel-good movie with a great feminist message: be your own hero. So let’s run through why I think you should see it when it comes out later this month.

1. Ellen Page brings it as Bliss. I still don’t know if it’ll catapult her to mega-stardom, but these sorts of roles fit her like a worn-in pair of jeans.

"Oh, I got this part down"; image courtesy of aceshowbiz.com

2. Alia Shawkat plays Bliss’s bestie Pash. She a) is totally awesome and funny, b) should be in more things, c) rocks a hot vuluptuous body, and d) should be my friend.

BFFs Pash and Bliss; image courtesy of aceshowbiz.com

3. Ellen and Alia are totally convincing as friends, both on- and off-screen.

4. To that end, all of the female homosocial relationships are interesting — especially the intergenerational ones Bliss forms with mentor Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), nemesis Iron Maven (Juliette Lewis), and her beauty pageant enthusiast mother, Brooke (Marcia Gay Harden). Most of the characters, almost all of whom are female, are thoughtful and well-developed.

Juliette Lewis's Iron Maven and Bliss Cavender's Babe Ruthless don't meet cute, but in the end make friends; image courtesy of trailertracker.wordpress.com

5. Some good dude allies, particularly coach Razor (Andrew Wilson) and proud papa Earl Cavender (Daniel Stern).
6. Interesting class touches as well. Bliss is decidely lower-middle class. Her mother works as a mail courier. Bliss’s team-mates seem to suggest similar class backgrounds. Wiig’s Mayhem is a single mom. Kick-ass stunt woman extraordinaire Zoë Bell, who plays former Olympic figure skating contender Bloody Holly appears in scrubs, suggesting that she is either a nurse or a med student. And Drew Barrymore’s Smashley Simpson plays Austin’s most popular Whole Foods bagger.
7. Neat little feminist music geek touches abound. Note that Bliss gets Oliver to start talking to her by escaping a house party scene to play an album in an empty room upstairs. Giggle at the scene when Bliss and Pash dance together at their part-time job at a local greasy spoon, reconfiguring the words to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” to be about the sad failure that is their hometown of (fictitious) Bodeen. Show your Texas pride by clapping along to Bliss and Oliver’s a cappela version of “Deep In the Heart of Texas” (we did at our screening). And beam at the realization that Bliss’s beloved Stryper t-shirt comes from her mother’s closet.

8. Girl-on-girl dancing and, I believe, implied girl-on-girl romance between Rosa Sparks and Ari Graynor’s Eva Destruction. When they shoo derby emcee “Hot Tub” Johnny (Jimmy Fallon) away from the jacuzzi at a house party after a meet, I think it’s just as much because they’re into each other as they aren’t into him.
9. Girls fall down and get bruised and get right back up. Sometimes someone helps them. Sometimes they help themselves. But they never stay down, even if they don’t have their next move plotted out yet. Always a good lesson, one that I hope will inspire many ladies to join a derby league or start playing some other sport. Fuck, now I wanna strap on some skates myself.

You’ve gotta do something. Don’t you?
-Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

Spank Rock plays Sonar Friday with Black Lips

I’m not going to talk about that thing that happened to me, (that most of you already know about anyway) because I’m not yet in the safe zone health-wise. So I’m not really ready to turn the ordeal into an amusing blog-worthy anecdote.

For now all you have to know is that I am utterly housebound, and have been so for the past week. In fact it would be more accurate to say that where I am is Kylie’s (lovely, and gloriously stair-free) apartment and Hospital Britanico, rather than Buenos Aires. I only ever see the city in passing through my taxi window as I make my way from the apartment to the hospital or back again.

Kylie has been an absolute god-send; making sure I’m completely comfortable, making my bath, cooking me delicious meals, supporting me emotionally as I howl and cry through a pain-session, accompanying me to the hospital when she has a day free, and then just generally being such a fun, lovely person to be around. The world would be a much happier place if every person had a friend like her.

Lately, however, there’s been one thing I’ve been craving that Kylie definitely can’t provide: A PASH FROM A HOT GUY.

Of course even while I was mobile, pashes from hot guys were rare to come by. Not even being in a country filled with famously forward Latin lovers improved my chances. Not even hitting the road this last month and meeting more new people than I have in two years helped. Nope, the last pash was before this trip, in Sydney, 9 goddamn months ago.

And it’s May, right? That’s the 4 YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the last time I’ve had sex.

So yeah, not getting any action now, isn’t that different from not getting action from before. But at least before there was the potential for me to hook up. Now with my involuntary hermit existence there’s no hope!

“Man, I wish I could just order a hot guy to come over and pash me. There really needs to be some sort of home-delivery service like that,” I grumbled to Kylie.

“Kind of like with the ice-cream?” she replied. Here in Buenos Aires you can get ice-cream home-delivered, until very late in the evening!

“OMG imagine if they combined the two? A hot guy delivers your ice-cream and for an extra fee you get a pash as well!” I proposed, ecstatically. And you could pick the boy just as you’d pick the ice-cream flavour!

However Kylie wanted to give another word for it. Prostitution. And truth is, when I actually picture it, I wouldn’t want a hot guy who wasn’t into me being paid to pash me. I want a hot guy who’s really into me wanting to pash me free of charge. (Maybe someone who finds leg braces sexy.)

by Katie

Last week, DC’s Title Tracks released their debut single, and threw a little CD release show at the Black Cat Backstage. The band is the new project from John Davis (formerly of Georgie James and Q and not U) along with Merideth Munoz of Pash on guitar/keys, Michael Cotterman on bass, and Andrew Black on drums.

Gimmy is my resource for all Georgie James info; “Need Your Needs” is her ringtone! She seemed underwhelmed after the show, remarking that she didn’t dislike it but “just wanted it to be better.” That’s a shame, because I thought it was enjoyable enough.

Title Tracks play poppy, poppy, poppy pop music driven by Davis’s strong melodies and sometimes sharp, sometimes garbled delivery. (It took me a few listens to realize that the chorus to “Every Little Bit Hurts” didn’t start “Yeahhhhh it hurts.”) The lyrics border on the nonsensical (Just keep chewing your black, black bubblegum./You’re still number one/Even if you share some) but the sounds of the words catch in your ear, hum around a bit, and leave you casually humming “Black Bubblegum” two days later at work.

Live, Davis is a powerhouse who swings his acoustic guitar like he might just throw it and never notice. He has a big-venue stage presence that you don’t usually see in such a small space, but which makes you appreciate being there anyway.

Being in the early stages, the band lacks material; they played for thirty minutes, possibly a shorter set than openers (and 90’s alt-rock nostalgics) Pash. I don’t have a record player, but I’d probably pick the Title Tracks full-length up when it’s released.

“I’ve always got impish dance moves. That will never change.”

-Mer, lovable DC compatriot and my once-upon-a-time violin student, in Brightest Young Things

Here is Mer’s full self-interview on Brightest Young Things. It’s a trip.

Speaking of which, this… tonight! A shame for Em and me, since we took too many days off last week for our tour and will be stuck finishing a brain-numbing assignment that’s due tomorrow. But for the rest of you, a brain- and adrenal gland-stimulating show at Black Cat tonight with Title Tracks and Pash!

Mature and young people like to party. And sometimes they party together in a seamless way. Tonight’s location had a one man band that played to the crowds needs. There was a mix of over 40’s and youth. So he played the over 40’s stuff and have both generations on the floor.

That Katie Perry song of I kissed a girl whips up some fun. I noticed two girls doing the pash as a performing art, while guys were remixing the words girl to boy in jest. This song seems to bring out the party in the people.

Ouch! A young lady approached me to explain that her friend had hit her head in the toilet. She was standing right next to me and I asked her how she was. Her response was quite dazed and disorientated. Very worrying so I called an Ambulance to check her over. Of course that just raised the number of rumours about the venue to an all time high. Fortunately the lady was fine and after a significant rest went on to other venues.

Domestic violence was occurring outside. A tall well built gentleman was being flogged, pushed and hit by this petite young lady half his height. Some argument over a mobile phone. However on closer inspection it was part of the dating ritual of gaining some type of physical contact.

New Years Eve

Wow. What a night.

I am having trouble finding the words to describe election day but as a writer, I suppose I must.

I woke up early on the 4th and dragged my tired ass for a walk to my polling place. I was braced for long lines with a paperback and my cell phone, but I was able to breeze right in and dot with indelible ink my vote to end the eight years of soul sucking, gut wrenching madness.

As soon as I had collected my free Starbucks coffee (a ringing endorsement of voting even for the non-politically motivated) my phone started buzzing. Clifton asked whether I had found a nice flat in London and could he join me?…apparently McCain was up in the polls

“It’s too early!” I texted back. “It’s too early!” I screamed to the heavens. “Everyone chill the fuck out!”

But I did start pricing plane tickets to Heathrow.

It was hard for an election junkie such as myself to stay off the computer and away from the TV on a day like this, but I forced myself to do it. I didn’t want the anxiety or stomach ache to worsen due to some mewling pundits. So, luckily when evening fell, I dashed off to meet Jim at the Declare Yourself – Keldof Election party at Zune.

Zune’s circular lobby space made the perfect environment for a gang of anxious hipsters and media professionals. A huge screen projecting the CNN projections was monitored closely while people enjoyed the open bar and some Pinks hot dogs.

I hadn’t eaten all day and Pinks is about as appealing to me as the smell it emits, but I ordered one anyways. My stomach was in complete knots as I attempted to get it down me. The wine went down a lot easier.

Kevin of Keldof ran around, headset on, making sure everyone was enjoying themselves. Rich Kim from Blink Of An I took photos of our nervous but hopeful faces. There were electoral maps to color in with red or blue markers once a candidate was announced a winner, and Ana of La Boum and Pash was spinning on the decks. A top ten of the best political comedy shorts by Funny Or Die was promised following the election results and acceptance speech.

Blue baby, blue!

It felt like the air was slowly being sucked out of the room as each state come back with their tallies. Obama was up, but I didn’t feel safe. If you need to ask why, well, there are some ballot boxes floating somewhere off the Florida Keys that can explain my caution.

Then the countdown until the California polls closed…5, 4, 3, 2, 1…and all of a sudden, the chyron on the screen flipped…OBAMA IS THE PROJECTED WINNER…OBAMA IS THE PRESIDENT ELECT.

President Elect Obama

It seemed like it happened so fast. True, it took the DNC to start planning in 2006. This was a long hard road and an excruciating wait…but the last few seconds were a blur. Champagne was popped and people screamed and shouted. Strangers hugged each other and cried.

Obama supporters of all ages

Three little girls danced and threw their hands in the air as Blur’s Song blared over the speakers (nice call, Ana). I stood stone still with my mouth covered in happy shock, as Jim stood beside me saying “we did it.”

Jim and Ali celebrate - Yes We Can!

The party was a bi-partisan party as declareyourself.com is about voting, not one particular candidate. But the crowd was overwhelmingly pro Obama. The look on the faces of the people there was incredible. It’s a happiness and joy I haven’t seen on the faces of Americans since pre 9/11…

Electoral joy

Not only did the entire country celebrate in the streets, but CNN showed people celebrating all over the world. Our new president elect has the potential be a world leader, a great man, a respected man…haven’t been able to say that for eight years…

Kevin from Keldof threw a great party

Calls and texts started coming in on my phone. I had a few messages from some Londoners congratulating me and hoping I was partying the night away. I told them that “we” as a collective, had done something right for once in 8 years. Perhaps now we could hold our head up high again and be proud to be Americans. Perhaps now when we are over seas, other countries won’t point to a newspaper headline, look at is and say “what the fuck”?

Yes we did

It is the end of an error. Celebrations and congratulations are in order…but next week we must roll our sleeves up and help our president elect put this country back together

The future is here. Let’s rock.

Youtube is al een zeer populair medium.
Bijna iedereen heeft ooit wel een youtube-filmpje bekeken , en het wordt ook door bijna iedereen gebruikt.

Zowel muzikanten , gewone mensen , bedrijven , kunstenaars en andere gebruiken het om hun creatieve/grappige/getalenteerde of andere kwaliteiten te tonen. Maar onderstaande filmpjes laten zien dat ‘Youtube’ zelf ook creatief aangepakt kan worden.

Ben Coonley – Acetylsalicylic acid (bufferin™)

Pash – Moonwalk

Julien Levesque – most viewed, all time, all category, all language

Constant Dullaart – YouTube Disco

Avtar Singh Sandhu ‘Pash’

If not Frontier, read Tribune
If not Calcutta, talk about Dacca
Bring the clippings from
Organiser and Punjab Kesari
And tell me
Where are these eagles flying?
Who has died?
Time is not any dog
That can be chained and driven wherever you like
You tell us
Mao says this and Mao says that
I ask you, who is Mao to say anything?

For the complete poem, click here.

It was long overdue but I finally dropped by Sticky Rice, H Street’s new late-nite sushi + tatertot joint. This place is practically run by our buddies in the band Pash!

A+ for decor. A+ for food and A++ for service, charm & hospitality (aided by Erik & Ryan Pash, and MaryBeth “Glib” and our awesome waiter). PLUG: Don’t Be Glib plays this Tuesday at Black Cat. Pash headlines Iota this Sunday, Aug. 31.

We sat out on the patio so the pictures are a smidge dark. I’ll have to lighten them more in a bit. But this is a dish called the Secret Garden… It’s a garden of various cuts of sashimi. The salmon melts in your mouth!

When it started to rain outside, the rest of our fellow patio patrons cleared out, but we were loving it. We moved to a table right under a bunch of leaves, which pretty much shielded us from the rain. Here’s the shot of the tree right above us.

Ryan picks at the “Tuna Bites” appetizer… seared tuna. mmm!

Poems by Pash

NO, I AM NOT LOSING MY SLEEP

No
I am not losing my sleep over
how and when
you�ll strike
to finish me off
frankly, I couldn�t care less
about it
because
I don�t have the patience
of a watchman
to be on eternal guard
to sift and filter
countless moments
to await
the time slot
your henchmen have fixed for me.
No
I don�t waste my time thinking such trifles
nor am I sentimental about
the memories of my village
and the folks I left behind
No I don�t think now about
such things as
the fine hues of red
when the sun sets over the village
nor do I care about
how she feels.

THE MOST DANGEROUS THING

The life of a pirate is not so dangerous
nor is a bashup in a police lockup
spying too is not very dangerous

to be woken up in the middle of the night
by the secret police
I admit is nerve wrecking
so is the quiet lonely fear
which follows you
and throttles your chest
when you are locked up in a cell
on a framed up false charge
for a crime you did not commit
all this I admit is bad enough
but all these are still not so dangerous

because the most dangerous thing is
to live like a dead man
when you don�t feel any thing
when the routine of daily life saps you totally
the fixed life of
home to work
work to home
that is a life without dreams
that is the most dangerous thing

that is when
the hour is alive and kicking for everyone
excepting for you
that life is the most dangerous thing

because
like the eyes of a dead fish
you stare at everything
but cannot feel anything
about yourself
or about others
that�s why
the most dangerous are those people
who have forgotten how to love people
for such people
live and shift aimlessly
in the ordinary humdrum orbit of their lives
in which nothing happens
nothing moves
like a placid cemetery

these people
are like that cold blooded moon
which feels nothing
no pain, love, sympathy or revulsion
when it goes over the courtyards
of the innocent victims
butchered in a slaughter

the most ugly sight is
that of a debauched old man
who is trying to sing a melody
but only succeeds in racking his weak chest

So the most dangerous life is the one
in which our conscience doesn�t prick you
because your soul is dead
that�s why I say

piracy is not so dangerous
spying is not so dangerous
bashup in a police lockup is not so dangerous
the most dangerous life is…

Ray and I realised last night that after almost 6 years of being together, we have *forgotten* how to kiss… we’ve developed all of these ‘other’ kisses, such as the simulated ‘Simpsons’ kiss, the good night kiss, the ‘ello baby’ kiss, the turn and dip kiss, not to be confused with the ‘turnip’ kiss…

but…

we’ve forgotten how to pash.

We keep laughing.

And I’m damn sure I’d get in trouble for practicing with a non-laughing participant.

*sigh*