Fantastic Spaztic

These are some of Damon’s handwritten notes.  I adore his handwriting.  His & Jamie’s  & my own.  Jamie’s & mine look like graffiti.  & Damon’s little signature with his little peace sign in the O is just one of the most adorable things.  It’s so him. But it’s also so awesome to look into his mind like that.  The messy writing & “ it’s a bit short but you get a sense of the journey Africa Express is talking.”   LOTS OF LOVE TO YOU, TOO, DAMON.  But if you couldn’t tell, he is a hero of mine.  I’m so jealous of so many people running into him & posting their iPhone / smartphone pics with him.  I’m just… so jealous.  I mean I’ve seen him live, which is a lot more than some people… but I’d really love to just randomly run into him.  Maybe while I’m getting coffee.  & we strike up a random conversation in line.  & then we sit together & discuss the world....

I saw “The Pearl Fishers” @ the San Jose opera. I went into it with an open mind – because I HAVE been disappointed when I have expected extreme brilliance.  But this was fabulous. It’s an “Orient” opera, because it’s during that time during the Romantic period when the vogue thing to do was to explore everything that wasn’t European, taking from it & passing it off as art.  Or belittling it & passing it off as art.  Although instead of “Oriental” women naked & being just there as sexual objects – which is pretty much rude as fuck – this opera is respectful.  There is a non-European feel with all of the harps, oboes, triangles, percussion, & drums… but it’s not ORIENTAL.  Or @ least there’s no OVERT belittlement of culture.  They probably kinda screwed up with the whole like “pray to the golden tresses of Siva thing,” tho.  Also I thought Siva was Shiva .  Like the guy.  Like the GOD of death.  Like who is the ...

because grant is a genious also santiago did something crazy again http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2012/5/22/3036919/the-santiago-casilla-instructional-hitting-video-vol-i Tom Emanski : Okay Santiago, we're almost ready for you. This is going to be a part of tape #9, which is a part of our pitching series, and … phone rings Emanski : Hold on, let me grab that. Emanski exits, talking on the phone. Casilla motions to the director to start recording Santiago Casilla : Santiago Casilla has more to offer the children of today than instructions on how to pitch. You do not need to know how Santiago Casilla pitches. First step: Throw 95 miles per hour. You cannot. So you have wasted Santiago's time and your own money. You are a stupid child. But if you are interested in learning the ways of how Santiago Casilla swings the bat, we have much to discuss. Santiago would be honored to teach you what he has learned. The first step is to approach the plate The white lines a...

Just a few little pics:  [& i may or may not have just discovered that you can change the sizes to the original sizes of the pictures.  i may go back & change the rest of my blog LOL] This is a setlist.  I thought it was awesome to see how it was constructed.  Clint Eastwood is a fabulous song, btw. & here's someone's artwork of the whole experience. all from verityflute.tumblr  It’s a very abstract, but very beautiful look of the aesthetics of Africa Express.  Because, sometimes, it is fun to look @ things outside of the political aspect.  & just look @ the visuals.  The forms of people & the like.  Like what that “art for art’s sake” mantra dictates. But not all the time.  But sometimes.  Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the craziness “social justice” viewpoints will drive you to.  Sometimes it’s nice to stop & take a few steps back & NOT over-...

This is a continuation of Africa Express posting / superposting / spamming more like. If you already forgot what that was, here’s a refresher vid: This will probably be a post of the random pics that I liked.  Since I like photography.  Also there were some great shots.  I owe  damonalbarn.tumblr.com  &  milkonlegs.tumblr.com So we have some more documentary shots Like here's the hypnotic brass ensemble Africa Express | London by Tim Holt both by  tomcardiff     ( x ) damon being cheeky ( x ) & have some more artsy fartsier ones, too the following by  danidebutx.x both by  doyleheima Africa Express | Middlesbrough by Michael Putland damon with his trusty melodica by  rwthwaites   oh yeah damon’s actually a musician if you couldn’t tell.  Like if you thought he was just some old dude who used to be pretty…...

book burning trolling to save books?   smart people are so smart >:D.  

Picture Africa. Did you picture it as a continent or a country?  A land made up of diverse nations, or some ethnic & mystical place where you want to visit just for a safari?  Full of individual human beings, or full of savages or lesser beings that have to be saved?  Did you picture possibility or pity?  Awareness or dominating intervention? I hope the former of all of those things.  However a lot of people suffer from the savoir complex – or the “ white savior complex.”  Look @ TOMS.  Look @ what KONY 2012 was or was supposed to be.  Look @ every little celebrity activist embracing African children & taking them home, effectively solving every economic, social, & political problem just by gracing Africa with their presence. Those images are wrong.  & they perpetuate an Africa forever “lesser” than the “developed” world – even though the developed world made that world lesser by starving it of its resources ...