Tango Papa Whiskey

Test: Universal Subtitles

2011-03-08T10:27:00.001-08:00

Pharmacy of Love

2010-04-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

I am really getting into Bettie Serveert's new album, Pharmacy of Love. A review will be forthcoming but for now I want my readers to be aware of this band and their new album.

Each album is a little different but the essential ingredients are all there.

You gotta love guitar driven rock from the Benelux. Well, at least I do.

The new album has made me return to the rest of their catalog. I find myself listening to "Attagirl" and the album that started it all (for me) "Palomine."

Check them out on LaLa.

Los Lobos at the Zoo

2010-03-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/86507997.html

According to the above referenced article, Los Lobos will be playing two shows at the Summer Concert Series at the Minnesota Zoo in 2010.

This band is fantastic. Their music has flavors from Mexican folk, Norteno, Zydeco, Roots, and Country. That said all of it is flat-out guitar driven rock and roll. I think they are one of the best rock bands playing. I really appreciate their instrumentation. Layered guitar tones, baritone sax, Hammond organ and great vocal harmony all contribute to their sound. At times they can be a bit of a jam band, I forgive them. With music this great, I don't care if a song is 27 minutes long. Their version of Bertha is one of my favorites.

Colossal Head is one of my top 5 albums of all time.

I certainly don't want to miss one of their show this year.

Meet the MIA: My Profile on Flickr

2010-02-22T07:38:00.000-08:00

I was profiled in the MIA's Flickr feature last week. Check it out.
http://ow.ly/196bs

King Cakes in Minneapolis

2010-02-15T14:18:00.000-08:00

Each year on Fat Tuesday I look for New Orleans-style King Cake. They are hard to find in the frozen northland. My previous source, Scandia Bakery, is no longer.

This year I found one at Lunds in Highland Park. I am not sure if all the Lunds have them available. If you are searching for King Cake as I was, check out lunds.

I will post on Wednesday to let you know how it was.

Good Film: Away We Go

2010-01-05T07:26:00.001-08:00

I enjoyed seeing Maya Rudolph in this picture. I hope that we get to see her in more feature films.

The writing was very good. There were some laugh out loud while snorting moments. There were also moments that made you think about parenting and about being a child of parents.

I recommend this one.

For more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Away_We_Go

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2009-12-23T04:51:00.000-08:00

Look for more posts on movies, books, comics, cooking, eating, drinking, and music in 2010.

Thanks for reading.

Barbara Dennerlein

2008-06-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I caught Barbara Dennerlein's second set at the Dakota.

Barbara Dennerlein is one of the world's great masters of the Hammond B3 Organ. While her repertoire covers jazz standards, improvisation, contemporary original composition, and liturgical music (on a pipe organ) this set was made up of her own jazz, blues, and funk compositions.

I was too caught up in the experience to write down the set list. Here are the titles I remember: Fly Away, Farewell to Old Friends, Grandfather's Funk, and Funkish. She opened with a number with "Jimmy" in the title, a reference to Jimmy Smith.

This show was like going to church. It was a fantastic moving experience. Dennerlein plays with her eyes closed moving in an ecstatic trance. She plays the entire instrument using the entire foot pedals, Leslie controls, and draw bars to get her sound.

One of her solos was done entirely on the foot pedals. I have seen some of the acknowledged greats of the instrument (Booker T. Jones, Joey DeFrancesco, and Dr. Lonnie Smith) and I have never seen or heard anything like this.

She was accompanied by a great saxophonist and drummer. Both are local musicians. ~~Please add a comment if you know their names.~~ Joe Pulice was on drums and Pete Whitman on sax. They are both players to look out for. The musicality presented was incredible. Especially when you consider that this trio hasn't played together regularly. There were sections where the organ and the horn played call and response. I am not an accomplished musician so it was amazing to me when Dennerlein and the saxophone played the same line together in the middle of a complex improvisation. I could see the horn player looking at his score while Dennerlein swayed behind her organ eyes closed.

I am not sure if she has ever played the Twin Cities before or if she will again. I am so happy that I took the time to see this show. I do not know when I would be able to see her play again. I hope it won't be too long a wait.

All of the Jazz lovers and organ aficionados in the audience were talking before the show about the huge amount of organ shows this week. It turns out that the American Guild of Organists is having their annual convention in the Twin Cities. This could be what brought Barbara Dennerlein to the Cities.

Later this week Tony Monaco will be playing at the Dakota at 10:30 on Thursday and again in Peavey Plaza on Friday at 9:30. Friday's show is a free open air concert. I understand that Tony will be playing with Captain Jack McDuff's band. I hope to attend at least one of these shows.

Iron Man - Movie

2008-05-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

As you may remember I am a life-long comic book fan (see earlier posts). This sets the stage a bit for my response to the latest superhero movie. There are quite a few movies this summer that started as comic books including The Incredible Hulk, Batman - The Dark Knight, and my personal favorite Hellboy.

I as never a big fan of Iron Man comics. It was not one of the comics that read regularly or collected. I have been aware of the character through his inclusion in the Avengers and more recently through Marvel's Ultimates.

I saw the Iron Man movie last night. I really enjoyed it. I have nothing bad to say about it. I am sure that someone more familiar with the history of the character will have some criticisms but that isn't me.

You do not need to know the comics to enjoy the action and the humor of this film. There are a few jokes and comments that will mean something to the initiated but only a few. If you like action and adventure films you will like this one.

The movie has a great cast and solid writing. The special effects were great. It is definitely a movie to see on a big screen with a good sound system.

If you have any knowledge of the Iron Man the comics, especially the Ultimates storyline, be sure to stay through all of the credits for the extra footage. There are a lot of credits but it is worth the wait.

Ralph

2008-04-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

The author of a blog I was reading the other day made a reference to being "viking" and the context was that he was asleep. I didn't get the reference. At first I thought it was cockney rhyming slang (thanks to w.s. and a.s.). I did a little googling and found that it was a reference to the Simpson's character, Ralph Wiggum.

The quote is "Oh Boy, Sleep! That is where I am a viking." Apparently, there is a lot of internet traffic about what the writers meant by this.

In any case I present to you a link I found of Ralph Wiggum quotes. They make me laugh.

http://snpp.com/guides/ralph.file.html

Scarlett Sings

2008-04-25T08:17:00.001-07:00

At first I thought this was a hoax. I mean what would you think if you read "Scarlett Johansen sings Tom Waits" is the new album by the actress Scarlett Johansen.

It turns out to be true.

Wired Magazine has an online listening party for her new release. I gave it a listen and...

I liked it. Her speaking voice is spiced with notes of Marlene Dietrich and Liz Fraser (Cocteau Twins) as she sings. I have always enjoyed Tom Waits's music but I don't really know his work. I can't compare the two.

Check it out.

http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/04/scarlett-johann.html

I want this now!

2008-04-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.twine.com

Twine is a new service that helps you organize, share and discover information about your interests, with networks of like-minded people. You can use Twine alone, with friends, groups and communities, or even in your company.

Anyone I know working on the beta version? Can you get me an invite?

Shine a Light

2008-04-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

Martin Scorsese's documentary film "Shine a Light" features concert footage from the Rolling Stone's most recent tour.

We saw it on the IMAX screen, the only way to see a concert film.

It was great to see the Stones play live. What a show. It was true theater. I heartedly recommend it.

Here are some of my thoughts as I reflect on the film:

IMAX doesn't leave a whole lot to the imagination. Some details just shouldn't be as big as a house, like Mick's fillings when he opened his mouth to sing.

The movie really emphasized the musicality, or lack of it, that a band that has touring for over 4 decades. Scorsese may not like Keith Richards. Keith did not come away from this treatment a hero, at least not in my eyes. I think that Scorsese is taking sides in the Woods versus Richards battle for Guitar God. If this was the best footage he got of Keith performing then I would hate to see what was left on the cutting room floor. I definitely left the movie thinking about which of the guitarists I have been listening to and admiring all of these years.

Go see Juno

2008-01-07T12:08:00.000-08:00

We went to the movies this past weekend. Juno was showing at the Grandview in the large theater. Unlike many films with similar hype machines this one delivered.

Here is what Juno has going for it:
writing, casting, acting, soundtrack, and art direction.

The characters speak like real people. The pacing is fast and I know I missed some of the dialog due to the overwhelming laughter. The entire theater laughed loud throughout this movie.

There were some surprises.

The cast is filled with "hey it's that guy" actors along with some well known actors playing minor roles.

The music is an important actor in this film. It starts with the opening credits and carries forth to the end.

There are some great visual themes.

Go see it. Buy the sound track. Buy the DVD.

It will be worth revisiting these characters again.

Hellboy 2 Movie Site Launched

2007-10-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Check it out. There is a new site for the latest Hellboy film.

http://hellboymovie.com

Booker T and the MGs - Minneapolis - The Dakota - August 8, 2007

2007-08-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

This image is from the second set last night and is used without permission. Photo credit Brad Nelson August 8, 2007 www.flickr.com

Booker T and the MGs

I wrote this post last night upon returning from the first set at the Dakota in Minneapolis.
(http://www.dakotacooks.com)

Tonight was something special. Booker T, Donald, and Steve wer
eaccompanie4d on drums not by their current tour drummer, Anton Fig,
but by Minneapolis homey, Gordon Knudtson (whom you may know from his
work with regional favorite The Steve Miller Band). Apparently,
Anton's flight was delayed by weather. Booker calls Gordon whom he
knows through Steve Miller. The rest is musical history.

It was a phenomenal show. I have seen many amazing players. I have
never seen Booker T and the MGs play before. It was always a hope that
I would. I thought the recent Zappa plays Zappa show was the best live
show I had ever seen. This topped that. It was short but it was
amazing. These guys are on top of it all and with a seasoned drummer
with whom they had never played.

I talked with Gordon and his wife after the show. He claimed to know
Green Onions and that was it. Donald Duck Dunn and Steve Cropper led
him through the scores with hand gestures, facial expressions, and
enthusiastic grins. It was magic.

I, along with a lot of you, grew up listening to Booker T. Their music
has been part of all my 37 years on this planet. This was my first
opportunity to see them play. When the first measure of hang em high
came through that leslie, tears started to flow. It was an amazingly
emotional experience.

If they come to your town on this tour. Buy tickets. Don't fret over
the short set time or the price of the ticket. My ticket would have
been worth twice what I paid. I may go back tomorrow for SRO tickets
to the sold out shows.

Here is the set list:

1. Gotta Serve Somebody B. Dylan
2. Hang 'em High
3. Summertime
4. Hip Huge Her
5. Green Onions
6. Born Under a Bad Sign (Booker Sings!!!!)
7. Behave Yourself
8. Time is Tight
Encore
9. Soul Limbo

Part 5: San Diego Comic Con

2006-08-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday Night

After the masquerade, Greg and I went from the convention center to the hotel where Dark Horse Comics staff were staying. We walked in just as Matt was walking up to the bar. Matt coordinated the contest I won and was my contact at the company. Dark Horse folks had taken over an outside lounge area. We ordered some drinks at the bar and then headed out to join the assembled crew.

It was great to have the opportunity to get to know Matt and the others. It turns out that we had more than comics in common. Greg and Matt are both bass players. We talked about instruments, playing and recording music, and the music we grew up on. I am hoping to hear some of Matt's music one day. After hearing him talk about his art, his music I am sure I would like it.

For a time, Scott Allie, Editor and writer, joined us. We talked about Arturo Perez Reverte. That was a great conversation about a writer that I really enjoy. I know that he has a fan base but I run into so few people that have discovered him on their own. I have loan out my books to several friends to get them started. Reverte's work is full of mystery, history, and action. Many of his earlier works involved art.

We talked into the night. At about 2 am it was time to get some sleep and prepare for the following day.

Sunday

This was the last day of the convention. Our flight out of San Diego was at 3 in the afternoon. When we were back in Minneapolis we had thought that Sunday morning would be our time for visiting the ocean. Once we were at the convention we realized that we had to spend as much time at the convention as possible. We could come back to the beach any time but this was our last day at the San Diego Comic Con as the guests of Dark Horse Comics. We need to make the most of it.

After a great breakfast at the Cafe on the Park with, our friend and San Diego resident, Jody. We headed back to the convention. Our goal was to make it to the 11:30 panel on Comic Book Covers.

We first stopped by the Dark Horse booth to say "thank you" and "so long."

We said our good byes to all the Dark Horse staffers that had been so great to us. We found Matt and took some time for a few pictures. Dark Horse really knows how to treat a guest. It was wonderful to win this trip and to meet such great people. I would buy Dark Horse Comics anyway but it feels even better knowing who is behind all those great books.

The 11:30 panel "Cover Story: The Art of the Cover" may have been the best panel I attended. As a museum educator I have attended and presented at many conferences. I had hoped that the panels at the Con would represent the same level of interest and scholarship. This one, led by Mark Evanier, did not disappoint. In fact, if you have a chance to witness or join a panel led by Mark take that opportunity. He knows what he is doing. Mark is a writer and a fan. He has history. I am sure he would be a great guy to have a cup of coffee or a beer with. (Mark, if you are ever in Minneapolis contact me.)

The panel was made up of legends and greats from comic books and illustrated magazines. The panel included Basil Gogos, George Perez, Neal Adams, Adam Hughes, Brian Bolland, and Mark Chiarello.

This group of guys sat and talked about the work that they do. They talked about what they liked and what they didn't. It was amazing to sit and listen to Neal Adams talk about his craft. He was full of praise for his co-panelists. They talked about what makes a great cover. What the role of a cover is- last line in marketing and first line of story. Should covers be more narrative - yes! Why covers aren't more narrative-marketing needs cover art before the story is even finished in most cases. I was impressed by the work that these gentlemen do and more impressed by them as businessmen, artist, and people by the time I left.

After that it was time to leave the convention, finish packing, and head out to the airport. It was a great experience for us both but we were ready to get some rest and get back home. I thought that this trip might get Comic Con out of my system, instead it has created a desire to return. I hope that I have the chance to attend another some year. If you like comics and haven't gone. You should check it out.

Part 4: San Diego Comic Con

2006-08-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday!

The day started with Greg and I synching our schedules. We compare notes as to which panels we wanted to see and what exhibitors we wanted to visit. We then found coffee and food, unfortunately at a Starbucks not too far from the convention center.

Our first stop was the Dark Horse booth to get our passes to the Kazuo Koike and Frank Miller signings. Then Greg headed out to the panel on "Lost." I went to the exhibition hall to gather signatures and to look for those items and books that will fill gaps in my collection. Our plan was to meet up at the panel, "Spot light on Kazuo Koike" at 11:30.

I was able to meet and talk with Gary Gianni. His style is that of pulp novel covers and the great illustrators of the early 20th century. He is currently drawing the Prince Valiant daily strip. One of the items missing from my collection was The Sword of Solomon Kane a novel by Robert Howard. Gianni did hundreds of b/w illustrations and full color paintings for the novel. Gianni drew Solomon Kane for me. It is amazing. We had a great chat. He was among the nicest comic book professionals I encountered at the convention.

I also found Doug Tennaple's booth. He is a writer, artist, film maker, designer of video games, and a musician. He was behind Earthworm Jim, Nevermind, Skull Monkeys, Battlebots, Gear, Creature Tech, Earthboy Jacobus, and so much more. He had an amazing poster of Earthworm Jim for sale. I had no place for it so I didn't get one but I had such a nice chat with Doug that I forgot to have him sign my book. He did tell me that he has a new book out called Iron West and that Image is reprinting Gear later this year. I haven't been able to find it so I am glad to hear it.

I searched for the comics missing from my collection: Mignola's run on the Savage Sword of Solomon Kane, Marvel Team Up 141, and an Elfquest book that a friend is looking for. I found nothing. It seems my collection fell into an area the dealers weren't selling. Not Silver or Bronze age and not brand new.

I made it up to the meeting rooms in time to get a great seat for the Koike panel.

The Spotlight on Kazuo Koike began with and introduction and presentation of award by one of the con administrators. We learned that this was Koike's first American convention appearance. The panel was made up of Dark Horse personnel and the staff members of Koike's new representation in the United States, KK Tribe. The highlight of the panel was that Koike is currently working on Lone Wolf and Cub 2. It should be out "soon" Koike said. In the comic world that could mean 3 to 5 years from now. Let's hope not. We left the panel early so we could get in line for the Frank Miller signing at the Dark Horse booth.

It was great to meet Frank Miller. I thanked him for all of his great stories, Daredevil, Electra, Dark Knight, etc. He was very cordial and appreciative of the attention. At the same time he seemed very much in control of the situation. While I was waiting in line Koike came by and he and Frank exchanged hugs. Miller illustrated the covers for First Publishings run of the Lone Wolf and Cub stories. The program for the con had a Miller Lone Wolf image on the cover. This is what I had him sign along with a copy of 300. The signing was in part a promotion for the book and its upcoming movie.

Almost immediately after the Frank Miller signing, Dark Horse hosted a Kazuo Koike signing. This was a true honor to say hello and get his signature. I had him sign a copy of Dark Horse's recent publication Path of the Assassin.

How do you top that? I tell you it was going to be difficult. After a morning like that if I had to go home I would have done so happily. Thank you again Dark Horse.

After the Koike signing we learned that Grant Morrison would be at the DC Booth signing autographs. Greg has brought a copy of the Invisible for just such an occasion. We made our way over there and got in line. DC's staff was poorly organized despite headset communicators. It turned out we were waiting in line for someone else who was at the same table as Morrison. It all worked out in the end as Greg was able to get to Morrison once he was at the table.

Greg wanted to check out a panel on Stargate SG-1. I wasn't interested so we parted ways with the idea that we would hook up either at the Brisco County Jr. panel or a the Brian Bolland signing. I was off for more shopping. I ended up buying a book from Bud Plant and the Lone Wolf movies I was missing from Animego.

On our way we stopped at the Oni Press booth. Much to my surprise and great joy, Chynna Clugston was there and signing autographs. I got into her work through Hopeless Savages and then continued with Blue Monday and Scooter Girl. I would buy anything she writes or illustrates. It is just that good. Most of the stories deal with young people involved in plots of intrigue and music. One great feature is that she lists the song you should be listening to as your read each chapter or page. The music is mod, ska, new apache, and very much what I listened to back in the day (and still do). I was a huge fan of Adam and the Ants and Bow Wow Wow back in the day. Adam is a major plot point in Blue Monday. I was knocked over and star struck once again. She signed my sketchbook and I bought a "Chynna Rocks" pin from her.

The Brisco County Jr. panel had a line miles long. I decided to skip it. It turns out that it doesn't matter if you have no idea why he is there that Bruce Campbell draws a crowd. What we learned: when attending comic con skip anything scheduled in a large hall. I ended up finding Greg in the Autograph hall looking for the Brian Bolland signing. Before I found him I took these photos of the ever present costumed attendees. Someday I want to come back to comic con and take more pictures.

Greg was seventh in line for Brian Bolland's signature. Unfortunately, he was directly behind a guy who brought an illicit rolling suitcase full of comics for him to sign. I am not sure how many got signed before they turned him away but I waited for Greg a bit longer than I thought I would. It was cery cool though. Greg now had an issue of the Invisibles signed by Grant Morrison and Brian Bolland. Very cool indeed.

After this we took another tour of the exhibition hall. We looked for back issues, checked out all of the resellers, visited Artists' Alley, and the Small Press area. Greg found some great prints there. The amount of talent in that one place was staggering. It could be either encouraging or extremely discouraging for anyone wanting to break into comics or illustration. I have to say that I was encouraged. My plan is to only have two jobs next year, one at the museum and the other in my studio.

See a later post for some photos I took at the Gentle Giant booth. This is the company who will be producing a line of toys for the animated Hellboy movies.

Greg and I decided upon Italian for dinner. The concierge suggested Panevino and we were off. It was amazing Italian food. The waitstaff were all Italian, from the Piedmont. I used all the Italian I remembered from the summer that I lived and worked there. We got great service and had a wonderful meal.

We had plans to hook up with the Dark Horse staff at the lounge in their hotel around 10. So we headed over to the convention center for a peek at the Masquerade Contest. It was truly a sight to behold. We had seats at the back of an overflow room. The contest was simulcast on the large screen. The best costumes, and the judges agreed, were Dancing with Celebrities from the Stars.

This is turning into a really long post I am going to stop now and pick up later. Maybe that will mean less scrolling for you.

Part 3: San Diego Comic Con

2006-07-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

So we made it to Comic Con, we had just been introduced to the staff of Dark Horse Comics. They set us up with great bags of swag. These included pins, stickers, comic books, posters, and two cool 20th anniversary items, a coin and a key chain. (I will post pictures of these two items when I get a chance.) We deposited our bags of stuff in the "green room" of the Dark Horse booth, fueled ourselves with Red Bull, and began to review the program for panels of interest that we could still catch. Due to the late arrival of our flight we missed the panels on Hellboy animated movies, the Dark Horse 20th Anniversary, Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror, and Scott McCloud.

We decided to take a preview of the exhibition hall and try our best to make it to the Wildstorm: Crossroads panel at 3:30. Greg is a great fan of Grant Morrison. I was excited to learn more about the new WildCats comic with Morrison writing and Jim Lee's pencils. More on this panel later.

First stop, the Hot Chocolate booth. This is Jim Silke's booth. He was joined at various times by other artists, including Mike Mignola and Geoff Darrow. I needed to pick up Mignola's convention sketchbook and limited edition print for my collection. I wasn't sure how long they would hold out.

There was a short line at the booth. While I waited I checked out the surroundings and was dumbfounded but the talent in the surrounding area. Within 20 feet of where I stood were booths for Mike Mignola, Gary Gianni, Geoff Darrow, and Arthur Adams. These four artists' work make up a huge part of my comic book collection. This was a section of the exhibition hall that I planned to return to again and again over the course of the convention.

I was a little star struck by Mignola. I thanked him for all of the great art and stories. He personalized the inscription in the sketchbook for me. I didn't think to ask him to sign my sketchbook too. I wish I had. There was a line and I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the whole experience. I was affected by the environment of the exhibition hall(which to say it is over stimulating is an understatement), traveling through time zones, sleep deprivation, and Red Bull.
We spent some time looking around. I did my best to track down some of my online friends from the Hellboy Forum. I went to the Animated Hellboy and to Pan's Labyrinth looking for anyone. It was too late. We then headed up to the meeting rooms to find the WildStorm panel.

The highlight of the Wildstorm panel was hearing Grant Morrison talk about all of the projects he is working on with Wildstorm. As per usual most of his monologues left me saying to myself "what the..." It sounds like the new WildCats series is going to be fantastic. They showed a variant cover my McFarlane that was pretty cool. I am sure that it has made its way around the Web by now. All of my pictures of Morrison had a professional photographer's tripod in them.

Jim Lee showed up late but he brought cookies. He passed them around. I got a very fuzzy picture of it. It was a nice gesture.

After the Wildstorm Panel we checked out the exhibition hall some more. The size of it combined with the lack of sleep, it was all a lot to take in.

Before too long it was time for dinner. We went to an upscale Mexican restaurant on 5th Avenue called La Fiesta. We shared the Ceviche. I believe Greg had carnitas and I had an amazing mole poblano. If you ever go to San Diego check out that mole.

We spent part of the evening checking out what the Gaslamp district of San Diego had to offer. We ended up getting a scotch in the hotel bar before getting some sleep for another busy day.

Part 2: San Diego Comic Con

2006-07-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

It had been a month since we found out that I was the grand prize winner and here we are in the airport waiting for our flight. Dark Horse booked us on a flight through Denver to San Diego. If we hustled we might just make it to the convention in time for the last half of the Hellboy Animated Panel.

Then we found out the flight was delayed. Our plane was at the gate in Minneapolis but our crew was still asleep in their hotel. There was to be a delay of 2 hours and 40 minutes.
After waiting almost 4 hours...

We decided it was time to get in line and ask United to get us on another flight on another airline if necessary. We had already missed part of the convention. This was our once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend Comic-Con as the guest of one of the major comic book publishers (not to mention the publisher of my favorite books). They took pity on us and got us on the next flight out on Northwest, non-stop.

I called Matt at Dark Horse and left him a message that we were delayed and would arrive much later than planned. He called us back just as we were boarding the Northwest Flight. We made plans to contact him after checking into the hotel.

The flight to San Diego was uneventful. The airport in San Diego was much closer to the convention center than I had thought. It took us about 15 minutes in a cab to get to our hotel. Due to the non-stop flight we arrived only 2.5 hours late, despite waiting in the airport for 5 hours.

We stayed at the Marriott Gaslamp. Our room on the 16th floor had a great view of Padre stadium.

We called Matt as planned. He met us out in front of the hotel and walked us straight to the Dark Horse Booth. Our convention badges listed us as professionals. This was handy in that there is no waiting in line to get into the convention center for professionals. It also raised a few eyebrows with the fanboys who tried to figure out who we were and if we were worth bothering. (Only one did, he didn't seem disappointed to find out that I was a museum professional and not an inker for his favorite title.)

Once we were at the Dark Horse Booth we got to meet almost the entire assembled staff. What a great bunch of people. We were welcomed by Mike Richardson, publisher; Matt Dyer, Editor; Dirk Wood, Director of Marketing; Scott Allie, Editor; and so many more (I am sorry if I have forgotten or left out your name). To meet the publisher and the editor of so many of the books I loved was great. We were off to a good start.

Part 1: San Diego Comic Convention 2006

2006-07-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I entered an online contest at Dark Horse Comics. The grand prize was a trip to the San Diego Comic Con.

The last week of June I got an email, "Congratulations you are our grand prize winner..." My first reaction was "yeah, right." I was sure that this was another piece of junk mail that got past my spam filter. Then I read the message completely. My next thought was "this could be for real." The prize announcement ended with a name and phone number. I called the number and sure enough. A receptionist at Dark Horse Comics answered the phone. I was transferred through to Matt Parkinson, Online Marketing Coordinator. He assured me that this was for real. I had won a trip for two to San Diego to attend Comic Con. The prize included airfare and lodging for 2, $500, passes to the convention and VIP passes to Dark Horse events.

I needed to figure out who my guest would be. Dark Horse wanted to post the winners of the contest as soon as possible. My first call was to my wife, Aneka. We decided that though she has wanted to visit San Diego that I should take someone that would enjoy the Con. That person would be my friend Greg. He and I have a regular date for lunch and then comic shopping at our local comic book shop, Big Brain Comics.

The convention takes over the San Diego Convention Center. This huge building has over half a million square feet of exhibition space and almost 100,000 square feet of meeting rooms. The convention is much like any other professional convention or conference. It consists of an exhibition hall and a program of panel discussions and scholarly presentations. The program also includes a lot of marketing presentations for movies, TV, and comic books.

My Favorite Things>Musical Instruments>Hammond Organ

2006-05-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

The common element in most of my favorite music is the sound of a Hammond Organ. Most music aficionados know about the legendary B3. The model pictured here. The Hammond Organ is a performance instrument for the stage, church, or home. When married to a Leslie Tone Cabinet the sound of these organs is unmistakeable and hard to beat.

My Favorite Things>Music>Bettie Serveert

2006-05-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

Bettie Serveert has been one of my favorite musical groups for years. I caught a live show at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis and it was incredible. I have all of their major releases and look forward to a new album and DVD coming out this year.

Check them out

Hubert Sumlin Live at Famous Dave's 3/26/06

2006-03-30T07:58:00.000-08:00

image copyright Kristofer Leifland http://www.flickr.com/photos/toffe/
This image is not from the Famous Dave's performance

On Saturday, March 26, I was lucky enough to see Hubert Sumlin perform. He played at the BBQ restaurant and blues club in Uptown Minneapolis, Famous Dave's. He was supported by the Butanes. The show was entertaining. The best part was seeing Hubert Sumlin play Killing Floor. This is one of my favorite blues songs. Hubert is getting on in years and at times it showed. He played at least one song twice and forgot the words to many. I came to see him play his guitar and that he did just as well as he had done on the now famous recordings with Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters. It was an honor to see one of the legends play. It is too late to catch many of them. There are just a few left.

Sad news: Link Wray

2005-11-21T07:28:00.000-08:00

Link Wray, perhaps one of the best and most influential rock guitar players, is dead at age 76. Link was best known for his early rock instrumentals, such as Raw Hide and Switchblade.

Link's music has influenced so many and his sound is so pervasive that you probably know his music even if you don't know his name. If you haven't heard his work go out and buy a disc or rent one from your local library.

My first memory of Link was his album with Robert Gordon. This was released during the Rock-a-Billy resurgence of the late 70's early 80's. Rhino has released a great compilation of his guitar intrumentals. My music collection would be incomplete without it.

For more information check out his official web site

Vampire Bats

2005-11-02T07:27:00.000-08:00

Vampire Bats Attack!

The BBC reports that 23 people in the last two months have died from rabid vampire bat attacks in Brazil.

The bats are getting into people's houses and attacking them while they sleep.

Truly scary.

Happy Halloween

More cool science: Giant Squid!

2005-09-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

Architeuthis

Japanese Researchers have been the first to capture on film a true giant squid. This squid was 15 meters long. That is about the length of a city bus or a two story buidling. It may be that this particular species can get to be as long as a five-story building is tall. Click the picture for the BBC's article on this amazing find!

Scientific Advancement!

2005-08-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Urine Battery Turns Pee Into Power
John Roachfor National Geographic News
August 18, 2005
Scientists in Singapore have developed a battery powered by urine.

To make the battery, Lee and his colleagues soaked a piece of paper in a solution of copper chloride and sandwiched it between strips of magnesium and copper. This sandwich was then laminated between two sheets of transparent plastic.
When a drop of urine is added to the paper through a slit in the plastic, a chemical reaction takes place that produces electricity, Lee said.
The prototype battery produced about 1.5 volts, the same as a standard AA battery, and runs for about 90 minutes. Researchers said the power, voltage, and lifetime of the battery can be improved by adjusting the geometry and materials used.

What I am reading now: The Historian

2005-08-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

The Historian
by Elizabeth Kostova

I haven't read much of the press on this book. I borrowed it from my friend who enjoyed it and that was good enough for me. I have read the first 100 pages and it is engaging and well written.

One thing I have learned fromthe hype is that the author wrote this book while working on a creative writing MFA at the University of Michigan. I think that's a good reason to give it a try.

It is also a work of historical fiction and could be categorized along with the works by Dan Brown, Iain Pears, and Umberto Eco. I think if those three authors reprented a continuum that this one would be closer to Brown than Eco but no less entertaining or thought provoking.

I will comment more once I have completed it.

Time Killer: Just Curious Web Site

2005-08-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

Have some extra time on you hands? Near a computer hooked up to the internet. Then check out the just curious web site.

The site asks a question for you to answer. After answering the question you are asked to supply a new questions. Questions and answers can be searched or read in order they were received. The site is all text but some of the questions are NSFW.

Just Curio.us

The folks at Just Curious have created another site calle 10 by 10. Every hour, 10x10 collects the 100 words and pictures that matter most on a global scale, and presents them as a single image, taken to encapsulate that moment in time. Over the course of days, months, and years, 10x10 leaves a trail of these hourly statements which, stitched together side by side, form a continuous patchwork tapestry of human life.

Check it out

Archaeology in Action

2005-08-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

French town builds medieval castle using period construction techniques.

Artisans in the Burgundy hamlet of Guedelon are building a medieval fortress from scratch. Expatica visits the 'open-air laboratory' and meets the workers who are passionate about medieval construction.

Here is a link to the project's web site.

Some things never change, however, the above linked article mentions that there are few women on the worksite. The women that are present are working on weaving and gardening. I wonder if this is out of historical accuracy or because no women stone masons or engineers have volunteered?

Historic American Cookbooks

2005-08-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Click the picture above to visit an online archive of historic American cookbooks. There is a very cool visual glossary of antique kitchen implements.

Find out what a whipchum is used for or what a piggin is. It's edutaining.

Fo-shizzle Ica-zizzle

2005-08-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

Lee Iacocca and Snoop Dogg pitching cars together

Check out the Snoop DeVille

Car Talk Auto Choice Advisor

2005-08-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Use this online tool to find the car that is perfect for you.
Try a little game with it.
In the first stage of the game answer the questions according to your current practical needs for transportation. Then start over answering the questions as if you had just won the lottery and want to purchase your dream car. Are there any similarities between the practical and the dream car choices?

The Honda Accord showed up on both of my lists. It was number one on the practical and number three on dream car list.

Number one on the dream car list was the 2005 BMW 745Li Sedan. I need to find out more about this car.

Link to Auto Choice Advisor

The Thin Man

2005-08-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

The Thin Man movies have finally been released on DVD. I don't have it yet but I hope too soon. The Daschell Hammet novel was great. The movie may even be better. The chemistry between the two actors is fantastic. If you haven't see the movies or read the book. Check them out.

What I am reading: The Glorious Deception

2005-08-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo, the "Marvelous Chinese Conjurer" by Jim Steinmeyer

I have always been fascinated by magic and magicians. One of my favorite memories from childhood is seeing Doug Henning perform at the Ohio Theater. My brother was selected as a volunteer to inspect the trunk for the "Metamorphosis" illusion. We went to the stage door after the show and had the opportunity to meet the magician and talk with him for a short while.

Steinmeyer last book Hiding the Elephant was full of great stories about famous illusions and illusionists. It suffered from poor editing. I was happy to see that he has better support with this well written biography.

If you are interested in magic at the turn of the last century, you too will enjoy this book.

To listen to the review written by Teller (of Penn and Teller) follow the link below to NPR's website.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4750603

Broken Flowers

2005-08-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

I have only seen the trailer for this film. I will write a review once I have had the chance to see it. What I have seen so far looks good. Jim Jarmusch and Bill Murray working together is bound to be good. Lost in Translation and the Life Aquatic are among my favorite movies. I am excited about the possibilities of this one. Bill Murray has the ability to convey the pathos of the everyman with a comedic edge. I am not sure if there is another actor working today who can pull that off. Sophia Coppola deserves some credit for creating a forum for Bill to shine. It is great that other artists are creating new works for him. So far they haven't been too much alike and each has it's own merits. If there is one thing to be wary of in this film is that it will be more of the same thing that Lost in Translation offered. That could be a good thing but cinematic history has taught us that it usually isn't.

June 29, 2005 Moot Davis, Pete Anderson, and Bill Kirchen at Famous Dave's Minneapolis

2005-07-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

Last night I saw a great show of guitar music. The line-up consisted of a new artist, Moot Davis, Bill Kirchen, and the Hacienda Brothers. The location was Famous Dave's BBQ in Uptown Minneapolis. Famous Daves has an amazing booking agent and house band in Paul Metza.

Moot Davis is a relatively new country artist. His singing style conjures up a time when there were only two types of music, country and western. His voice reminds me of Hank Sr. and Johnny Horton mixed together. He is a backed up by a great rhythm section and one of my guitar heroes, Pete Anderson. Pete was to be the guitar behind Dwight Yokam's greatest hits.
Their set was great and included a few covers, Johnny Cash's Big River and a bluesy version of a Lefty Frizzell number.

Bill Kirchen was backed up by members of the Hacienda Brothers. Bill was a member of Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. Bill's solo career is marked by his dieselbilly truck driving songs. He did a number of songs from his Commander Cody days including, Seeds and Stems and Hot Rod Lincoln. Hot Rod Lincoln was the show stealing number. Here Bill and the band displayed their virtuosity. The song describes a car race between a Mercury and a Lincoln (driven by the singer). At one point in the race, Bill begins to pass other guitarists. He shouts their names and plays a short theme based on their most popular song. They switched songs and tempos quickly and played a variety of styles from Link Wray to Jimi Hendrix. At one point he passed the entire king family quickly shifting from licks by Albert King, B.B. King, Ben E. King, and Elvis. It was a fantastic experience that I am so glad I didn't miss.

You won't regret checking out either of these two performers.