It just sucks getting old

I took Whitey to the vet this morning for his annual vaccinations. Next thing I know, they're checking his bad eyes (he's got cataracts now) and looking at his old man moles. I was going to get his teeth cleaning and was ready to set up an appointment.
The vet determined that his moles are growing at alarming rate and need to be removed ASAP. Now I have to fret about vaccinations, teeth cleanings and surgery to remove his moles which then have to be sent away to the pathology lab to determine whether or not cancer could be involved.
Now I've been bawling like a child for an hour.When it comes to the dog, I have no reserve and no self-control, I lose it at the drop of a pin.
Surgery is set for Wednesday, barring issues with the blood work they took today.
Meanwhile, the dog is fine, barking out the window at the mailman and happy to be back at home. It just sucks getting old, whether you're human or an animal or somewhere in between.

Unforgivable

As many of you are aware, I am in love with the film Let the Right One In. I know a few of you are, too. This distressing article was sent to me yesterday from Emily, herself a big fan of the film. Almost immediately I went home and picked up my unopened Blu-Ray disc and shot it right back to Amazon. I'll buy it once its fixed, but until then I will not support this sort of pandering. I was rather fond of Magnolia Pictures, but this sort of pandering is unforgivable. The company has promised that future pressings of the DVD and Blu-Ray will include the theatrical subtitles.

http://iconsoffright.com/news/2009/03/let_the_wrong_subtitles_in_to.html

Even NPR got hip to this point and reported on it:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2009/03/a_let_the_right_one_in_subtitl.html

Hitting the road! Tour dates are here!

The world's best pop punk one man band is hitting the road, friends!

Uglyography is making some stops in Virginia and beyond, so be sure to check it out if you're nearby!

Washington, D.C. - Friday March 27 - @Crooked Beat Records at 2318 18th Street NW 7:00pm with The Andalusians.

Roanoke, VA - Saturday, April 4 - @ The Water Heater with Kid A and Billy Wallace 7:30pm, $5, all ages

Washington DC -Sunday, April 5 - @ Solly's U Street Tavern with Sean K. Preston and a special guest 8:00 pm, $5, 21 and up

Charles Town, WV- Monday, April 6 -@ Jumpin' Java with Rob Crutchfield 6:00 pm, $3, all ages

Johnson City, TN - Tuesday, April 7 - @ The Hideaway with Killbot 11:00 pm, $5, 18 and up

Chapel Hill, NC - Wednesday, April 8 - @ The Cavedetails to come 10:00 pm - $5, 21 and up

Blacksburg, VA - Thursday, April 9 - @ Gillie's Late Night with Schmarx of the Incline8:00 pm, free, all ages

Harrisonburg, VA - Friday, April 10 - @ The Little Grill Collective with Buck Gooter, Book of Kills, and Don Zientara 8:00 pm, $5, all ages

Richmond, VA Saturday, April 11 - @ Wonderland with One Friend and Push Button Reaction 10:00 pm, $5, 21 and up

Bass Ackwards

I was a big time party gal this weekend, reliving my heyday as a hipster youth hitting the scene. Hahahaha!

No seriously, I attended two shows in Norfolk this weekend. Neither one was really planned, I usually buy tickets for concerts months in advance but not this time. First up was The Mountain Goats at the beautiful Attucks Theatre. I was taken aback by the loveliness of the venue. John Vanderslice opened and The Mountain Goats only consisted of one goat, lead singer-songwriter John Darnielle. I kept waiting for another goat to join him (I was under the impression that there were at least two of three touring goats). Nope, just John Darnielle giving us 100% raw, pure emotion. The show was packed which was shocking to me as the theatre holds almost 600! I was unaware of the popularity of the Mountain Goats. There was a striking polarity in the attendees. There was the majority which was the 20 and 30-something hipsters with their black framed glasses (I counted six pairs in one row alone!) and their skinny jeans. Lots of very pretty little hipsters indeed. The other portion consisted of 50 and 60-somethings, subscribers to the Attucks' Discovery Music Series. About 1/3 or halfway through the concert, there was a mass exodus of the Discovery subscribers. John Darnielle has a very distinctive voice that you either love or hate, and I think it was a bit too much for the subscriber crowd to handle. I enjoyed every moment, it was one of the most powerful performances by a solo artist that I can recall. At the end, Darnielle was joined by Vanderslice for a few songs, and they played my favorite song. I didn't even know the name of the song, I'm terrible remembering song titles. It was an excellent show.

Next up was another big surprise. Matt wanted to hit up the Boot on Saturday for The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players. I agreed to go and requested that he purchase in advance as the Boot generally hosts mainly local acts. The Trachtenburgs are a national act out of Brooklyn and have a good reputation as well as an album on Bar None Records. My buddy over at Toggle Switch plugged the show a few times and I was certain that the house would be packed on Saturday evening. Not so much. I cannot fathom why, but the Trachtenburgs only attracted a handful of folks Saturday night. However, they gave us a terrific night of entertainment that I'll not soon forget. Opening was a musician/artist/comedian performing under the name Touching You. He gave us about 15 minutes of his hybrid of music and performing art. The Trachtenburgs took the stage right after and it was so much fun!

If you are not familiar, then here's the trick: The family band collects old slide photos of random strangers at yard sales and estate sales and then write songs about them. The live performance is set up so that the slides are projected as the songs are performed. The band is singer/songwriter/father Jason Trachtenburg, projection operator/fashion designer/mother Tina Pina Trachtenburg and drummer/singer/daughter Rachel Trachentburg. It's gimmicky and kitschy as hell, and it's completely delightful. I was just floored that the crowd that packed the Mountain Goats didn't show up for the Trachtenburgs. Granted, these are two very different music acts but I would think that there would be some overlap in the audiences they attract.
After the Trachtenburgs left the stage, they hung out and talked to the audience and sold their handmade wares (big kudos to their DIY style). Oh, and if the Trachtenburgs read this: I'm sorry that we could not offer you a place to stay for the evening. We are cat owners and the cats have long fuzzy fur. :(

Now I am still recovering from staying up late two nights in a row (I am so very, very old and decrepit). However, it was well worth it. Despite the strange surprises of having a packed house for the Mountain Goats and a sparse one for the Trachtenburgs, it was wonderful gaining new appreciation for the Goats and falling head over heels in love with the Trachtenburgs.

Potato Salad - The Ross Sisters (1944)

My lovely friend Mara sent this to me. This is a bizarre combination of sideshow acrobatics, Ethel Merman and Big Top Pee-Wee. Worth a quick look-see.

Coming soon to a DVD near you

In the past couple of weeks, I have heard about two movies that have such excellent titles that I must see them. First up is Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre. What an incredible title! Next is the Lorenzo Lamas (f^c# yeah!) and Debbie Gibson (huh?) vehicle Mega Shark versus Giant Octopus. With a title and "stars" like that, it's bound to show up soon on the Sci-Fi channel so I immediately informed my mom. My mom is rad, she watches all the crapbird Sci-Fi movies all day Saturday and Sunday while she does her household chores.

Last night I watched Repo: The Genetic Opera. I got a free copy, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I rather liked it. Quite a lot, actually. I think my job and the endless hours and the Kubrick class are taking a toll. All work and no play make Maria a dumb girl.

Rebel Rebel!

My blogger buddy Jeff (of Amiyumidas and Alphabet City) has become quite the entrepreneur over the weekend.

It is with great joy that I herald the welcome of the new webstore Tokyo Rebel!

Tokyo Rebel is the brainchild of Jeff and his wife. They are both aficionados of Japanese punk, rock and goth fashions. However, they have a keen awareness of how expensive these clothes can be and how costly it is to get single items shipped from overseas. Their goal with Tokyo Rebel is to offer brand name Japanese fashions (no knockoffs here, thank you!) at reasonable prices with proper U.S. shipping rates. They offer both new and used fashions by designers like Sex Pot Revenge, Super Lovers and Baby, The Stars Shine Bright. Can't wait to see some h. Naoto in there, too!

The store is up and running, but it is still a work in progress. New items are being added as quickly as they are able. It's a small stock right now, but they hope to expand quickly. The site is simple and easy to navigate, the checkout process is quick and efficient. The whole thing is remarkably user-friendly.

Some of the items may seem a bit expensive for those unfamiliar with the brands. You may think "Wow! $150 for a little girlie jumper is CRAZY!". Actually, that's an amazing price as jumpers from Baby, The Stars Shine Bright will usually set you back around $300 and up. I myself am not much for the Lolita look, I much prefer the J-punk and J-rock looks with some goth thrown in. I set myself up with a Sex Pot Revenge tank (a steal at $25). My order already processed and in the mail, too! I am an impatient person so I revel in webstores that ship quickly.

As much as I adore Japanese fashions, I own very few items of Japanese clothing. I really cannot justify the expense of the clothing plus shipping. Tokyo Rebel is an excellent option for me and anyone with a desire to have these clothes and not go to the poor house because of it. So many congratulations to Jeff for launching this killer store!

Been caught sleepin

I came home from work and couldn't find the dog. He usually is asleep in the closet by the front door of the house. We have a burglar alarm that I have to turn off when I come home. Through all the noise of my arrival, there was no dog to greet me. When I found him, he was sleeping so soundly that I was able to snap a number of pics without him ever stirring.

The Eleventh Day

This is my eleventh day of work without a day off. Its about 7:45 in the evening and I'm counting down my very last hour until...a whole day off!

After 11 days, 87 work hrs, 4 performances, 3 hrs of bellydance workshops, 5 hrs of Kubrick films, an hr and a half of teaching, and a night singing for the old folks at the retirement home, I'm completely wiped.

Morrissey is on tomorrow night at The National in Richmond, so I'm beginning to feel excited despite not looking forward to the drive there and back. At least I get some time with the husband who I haven't spent much time with thanks to work and over scheduling.

Then back to work on Saturday.

For any interested parties, DragonForce has announced a show in Norfolk on Sunday May 10th. That's my mother's birthday, so I'll have to try to get her to celebrate on the 9th instead! DragonForce is the most ridiculous, energetic, delightful and entertaining super power fantasy metal band ever. Go see them if you can.

Most importantly, The Mechtorians series I arrived today. I love them so much...these Mindstyle releases are truly remarkable.

My name is Bruce - The Legend of Guan Di

I have had this damn song stuck in my head since Friday. Thanks a lot Bruce Campbell. No, really. Thanks a lot Bruce Campbell!

The saga continues...in July...

Heads up, particularly to Waltzing Mathilda and Punchbuggy Blues. Better plan a trip to my house at the end of July!

Please read carefully, and rejoice in the good news:

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1550692/20070124/kelly_r.jhtml

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1554181/20070308/kelly_r.jhtml

Boogie fever

Ugh. I feel like a human slug. A pesky sore throat has led me to consume mass quantities of Edy's slow-churned ice cream, alternating Chocolate Fudge Chunk and Take the Cake flavors. I need to get up off my bum and shake off a few calories.

March madness is at hand. We have 10 shows in three weeks. Fortunately, the Bellydance Superstars are coming this weekend! The lovely ladies are back to shake a tail feather again, and they are having workshops at my dance school. Thanks to some fortuitous timing, I'll be in a workshop with the luminous Zoe Jakes next Sunday. That's Zoe's picture above...ain't she purdy? She's also extremely sweet. I can't wait, I wish it was today even thought I'm still not feeling at the top of my game. At least I have something to look forward to over this coming rough week. I'm ready for dancing and ready for a real workout.

Sorry for the quiet here. Today is my first day off since the 16th of Feb and my last day off until March 13th. Yup, that's a total of one full day off in a month. It's no wonder I've been going to bed at 9:30 pm and sleeping past the alarm.