Here's a bizarre video (directed by Eric Wareheim of Tim & Eric) for "Parisian Goldfish" by Flying Lotus.
(Flying Lotus is Steven Ellison [great nephew of Alice Coltrane]. He made beats for Adult Swim before releasing his debut album, 1983, on the Plug Research label in 2006.)
This video below below contains some explicit cartoon scenes, flashing lights and is FOR OVER 18s ONLY.
Directed by Eric Wareheim (Tim & Eric) in association with Warp Records and Warp Films. Music by Flying Lotus. Co Directed/ Animation by Devin Flynn. Co Directed/ Edited by Eric Fensler. More info at dancefloordale.com
25 September 2008
23 September 2008
just because you fear it / doesn't mean it's there
With the first presidential debate, which will center around foreign policy and national security issues, just three nights away, I thought I would share the following opinion piece written by Fareed Zakaria (the piece was published in last week's issue of Newsweek). It's difficult to imagine that John McCain and the GOP would use their primary scare tactic and most successful campaign "issue" -- terrorism -- at this point in our country's history (as if the prospect of another Great Depression isn't terrifying enough), but, then again, this is the same Republican party that has used the tragic events of 9/11 as a political prop and launched a "War on Terror," which constitutes a "War on Civil Liberties."
Zakaria offers an eloquent voice of reason to a subject that is usually doused with gasoline and lit afire by words of fear, death and colonialism.
The World Isn’t So Dark
Ever since WWII, America has tended to make its strategic missteps by exaggerating dangers.
Fareed Zakaria
NEWSWEEK
From the magazine issue dated Sep 22, 2008
On the campaign trail, the debate over foreign policy has been muted of late. That might be because more-important topics like lipstick and hockey moms have taken center stage. But the contrasts between the presidential candidates also seem to have softened. Their differences over Iraq policy have shrunk as the place has stabilized somewhat and the Iraqi government looks for a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal. Both candidates oppose Iran's nuclear ambitions and Russia's incursion into Georgia. Both support a vigorous fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Yet there's clearly a fundamental difference in the way the two candidates see the world. The split might best be captured by asking a simple question: what kind of a world do we live in? Neither candidate has been asked this, and I doubt either would answer as frankly as I am suggesting, but here's my guess—drawn from their writings and speeches—about what each might say.
We live in a very dangerous world, John McCain would respond. In his eyes, Islamic extremism is the transcendent challenge of the age. Jihadist warriors—funded and supported by states that adhere to their views—pose the central threat to the United States. In the rise of China, Russia and India, McCain sees turbulence. Russia and China, being autocracies, represent a special danger. Moscow's attack on Georgia was, for McCain, the "first serious crisis since the end of the cold war." The role for America, in such an environment, is to aggressively use its power—hard power—to fight evil, spread freedom and defeat the enemy. Otherwise we will lose the struggle for the 21st century.
Obama's sense of the world is more optimistic. The dangers are real but not so all-encompassing. Obama speaks less of Islamic extremism in general and more of Al Qaeda and its affiliated groups specifically. He points out that compared with the cold war—when thousands of Soviet nuclear missiles were pointed at American cities—the threats we face today are reduced. He argues that most people in the Islamic world want development and a better life, not jihad. America's promise remains alive even in these countries.
America's role, for Obama, is to restore its military strength, fight Al Qaeda and its ilk, and deter rogue regimes like Iran. But it is also to stay calm, because in overreacting to dangers, we often cause new problems and crises. To lump together all Islamist groups is to exaggerate and misunderstand the threat. The Iraq War, for Obama, is a prime example of an alarmist overreaction, one that had the United States launch an unprovoked invasion of a country and rack up huge costs. If America can keep its cool and provide the help that countries really seek—in development, modernization and democracy-building—then we will gain in both security and legitimacy.
There is some truth to both visions of the world, but in my view the reality is much closer to Obama's—more so than most American politicians seem willing to admit. We live in remarkably peaceful times. A University of Maryland study shows that deaths from wars of all kinds have been dropping dramatically for 20 years and are lower now than at any point in the last half century. A study from Simon Fraser University finds that casualties from terrorism have been steadily declining since 9/11. It is increasingly clear—look at their voting from Indonesia to Iraq to Pakistan—that very few Muslims anywhere support Islamic fundamentalists. More countries than ever before now embrace capitalism and democracy.
It's also worth noting that ever since World War II, the United States has tended to make its strategic missteps by exaggerating dangers. During the 1950s, conservatives argued that Dwight Eisenhower was guilty of appeasement because he was willing to contain rather than roll back communism. The paranoia about communism helped fuel McCarthyism at home and support for dubious regimes abroad. John Kennedy chose to outflank Nixon on the right by arguing that there was a dangerous missile gap between the Soviets and the United States (when in fact the United States had almost 20,000 missiles and the Soviets had fewer than 2,000). The 1970s witnessed a frenzied argument that the Soviet Union was surpassing the United States militarily and was about to "Finlandize" Europe. The reality, of course, was that when neoconservatives were arguing that the U.S.S.R. was about to conquer the world, it was on the verge of total collapse.
Since end of the cold war, similar alarms have been sounded several times. In the 1990s, the Cox Commission argued that China was building a military to rival ours, citing numbers that soon proved to be bogus. Then there's Saddam Hussein, who was described as a powerful and imminent threat to the United States. In fact, the greatest problem that we have faced in Iraq is its weakness, its utter dysfunction as a state and a nation. Rhetoric about transcendent threats and mortal dangers grips the imagination of the American people. But it also twists U.S. foreign policy in ways that can prove to be extremely costly to the country and the world.
URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/158764
Zakaria offers an eloquent voice of reason to a subject that is usually doused with gasoline and lit afire by words of fear, death and colonialism.
The World Isn’t So Dark
Ever since WWII, America has tended to make its strategic missteps by exaggerating dangers.
Fareed Zakaria
NEWSWEEK
From the magazine issue dated Sep 22, 2008
On the campaign trail, the debate over foreign policy has been muted of late. That might be because more-important topics like lipstick and hockey moms have taken center stage. But the contrasts between the presidential candidates also seem to have softened. Their differences over Iraq policy have shrunk as the place has stabilized somewhat and the Iraqi government looks for a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal. Both candidates oppose Iran's nuclear ambitions and Russia's incursion into Georgia. Both support a vigorous fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Yet there's clearly a fundamental difference in the way the two candidates see the world. The split might best be captured by asking a simple question: what kind of a world do we live in? Neither candidate has been asked this, and I doubt either would answer as frankly as I am suggesting, but here's my guess—drawn from their writings and speeches—about what each might say.
We live in a very dangerous world, John McCain would respond. In his eyes, Islamic extremism is the transcendent challenge of the age. Jihadist warriors—funded and supported by states that adhere to their views—pose the central threat to the United States. In the rise of China, Russia and India, McCain sees turbulence. Russia and China, being autocracies, represent a special danger. Moscow's attack on Georgia was, for McCain, the "first serious crisis since the end of the cold war." The role for America, in such an environment, is to aggressively use its power—hard power—to fight evil, spread freedom and defeat the enemy. Otherwise we will lose the struggle for the 21st century.
Obama's sense of the world is more optimistic. The dangers are real but not so all-encompassing. Obama speaks less of Islamic extremism in general and more of Al Qaeda and its affiliated groups specifically. He points out that compared with the cold war—when thousands of Soviet nuclear missiles were pointed at American cities—the threats we face today are reduced. He argues that most people in the Islamic world want development and a better life, not jihad. America's promise remains alive even in these countries.
America's role, for Obama, is to restore its military strength, fight Al Qaeda and its ilk, and deter rogue regimes like Iran. But it is also to stay calm, because in overreacting to dangers, we often cause new problems and crises. To lump together all Islamist groups is to exaggerate and misunderstand the threat. The Iraq War, for Obama, is a prime example of an alarmist overreaction, one that had the United States launch an unprovoked invasion of a country and rack up huge costs. If America can keep its cool and provide the help that countries really seek—in development, modernization and democracy-building—then we will gain in both security and legitimacy.
There is some truth to both visions of the world, but in my view the reality is much closer to Obama's—more so than most American politicians seem willing to admit. We live in remarkably peaceful times. A University of Maryland study shows that deaths from wars of all kinds have been dropping dramatically for 20 years and are lower now than at any point in the last half century. A study from Simon Fraser University finds that casualties from terrorism have been steadily declining since 9/11. It is increasingly clear—look at their voting from Indonesia to Iraq to Pakistan—that very few Muslims anywhere support Islamic fundamentalists. More countries than ever before now embrace capitalism and democracy.
It's also worth noting that ever since World War II, the United States has tended to make its strategic missteps by exaggerating dangers. During the 1950s, conservatives argued that Dwight Eisenhower was guilty of appeasement because he was willing to contain rather than roll back communism. The paranoia about communism helped fuel McCarthyism at home and support for dubious regimes abroad. John Kennedy chose to outflank Nixon on the right by arguing that there was a dangerous missile gap between the Soviets and the United States (when in fact the United States had almost 20,000 missiles and the Soviets had fewer than 2,000). The 1970s witnessed a frenzied argument that the Soviet Union was surpassing the United States militarily and was about to "Finlandize" Europe. The reality, of course, was that when neoconservatives were arguing that the U.S.S.R. was about to conquer the world, it was on the verge of total collapse.
Since end of the cold war, similar alarms have been sounded several times. In the 1990s, the Cox Commission argued that China was building a military to rival ours, citing numbers that soon proved to be bogus. Then there's Saddam Hussein, who was described as a powerful and imminent threat to the United States. In fact, the greatest problem that we have faced in Iraq is its weakness, its utter dysfunction as a state and a nation. Rhetoric about transcendent threats and mortal dangers grips the imagination of the American people. But it also twists U.S. foreign policy in ways that can prove to be extremely costly to the country and the world.
URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/158764
15 September 2008
pink floyd's richard wright loses battle with cancer
From the Associated Press:
Pink Floyd Member Richard Wright Dies Age 65
By MEERA SELVA
LONDON (AP) — Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65.
Pink Floyd's spokesman Doug Wright, who is not related to the artist, said Wright died after a battle with cancer at his home in Britain. He says the band member's family did not want to give more details about his death.
Wright met Pink Floyd members Roger Waters and Nick Mason in college and joined their early band, Sigma 6. Along with the late Syd Barrett, the four formed Pink Floyd in 1965.
The group's jazz-infused rock and drug-laced multimedia "happenings" made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene, and their 1967 album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," was a hit.
In the early days of Pink Floyd, Wright, along with Barrett, was seen as the group's dominant musical force. The London-born musician and son of a biochemist wrote songs and sang.
The band released a series of commercially and critically successful albums including 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon," which has sold more than 40 million copies. Wright wrote "The Great Gig In The Sky" and "Us And Them" for that album, and later worked on the group's epic compositions such as "Atom Heart Mother," "Echoes" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond."
But tensions grew between Waters, Wright and fellow band member David Gilmour. The tensions came to a head during the making of "The Wall" when Waters insisted Wright be fired. As a result, Wright was relegated to the status of session musician on the tour of "The Wall," and did not perform on Pink Floyd's 1983 album "The Final Cut."
Wright formed a new band Zee with Dave Harris, from the band Fashion, and released one album, "Identity," with Atlantic Records.
Waters left Pink Floyd in 1985 and Wright began recording with Mason and Gilmour again, releasing the albums "The Division Bell" and "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" as Pink Floyd. Wright also released the solo albums "Wet Dream" (1978) and "Broken China" (1996).
In July 2005, Wright, Waters, Mason and Gilmour reunited to perform at the "Live 8" charity concert in London — the first time in 25 years they had been onstage together.
Wright also worked on Gilmour's solo projects, most recently playing on the 2006 album "On An Island" and the accompanying world tour.
Pink Floyd Member Richard Wright Dies Age 65
By MEERA SELVA
LONDON (AP) — Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65.
Pink Floyd's spokesman Doug Wright, who is not related to the artist, said Wright died after a battle with cancer at his home in Britain. He says the band member's family did not want to give more details about his death.
Wright met Pink Floyd members Roger Waters and Nick Mason in college and joined their early band, Sigma 6. Along with the late Syd Barrett, the four formed Pink Floyd in 1965.
The group's jazz-infused rock and drug-laced multimedia "happenings" made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene, and their 1967 album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," was a hit.
In the early days of Pink Floyd, Wright, along with Barrett, was seen as the group's dominant musical force. The London-born musician and son of a biochemist wrote songs and sang.
The band released a series of commercially and critically successful albums including 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon," which has sold more than 40 million copies. Wright wrote "The Great Gig In The Sky" and "Us And Them" for that album, and later worked on the group's epic compositions such as "Atom Heart Mother," "Echoes" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond."
But tensions grew between Waters, Wright and fellow band member David Gilmour. The tensions came to a head during the making of "The Wall" when Waters insisted Wright be fired. As a result, Wright was relegated to the status of session musician on the tour of "The Wall," and did not perform on Pink Floyd's 1983 album "The Final Cut."
Wright formed a new band Zee with Dave Harris, from the band Fashion, and released one album, "Identity," with Atlantic Records.
Waters left Pink Floyd in 1985 and Wright began recording with Mason and Gilmour again, releasing the albums "The Division Bell" and "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" as Pink Floyd. Wright also released the solo albums "Wet Dream" (1978) and "Broken China" (1996).
In July 2005, Wright, Waters, Mason and Gilmour reunited to perform at the "Live 8" charity concert in London — the first time in 25 years they had been onstage together.
Wright also worked on Gilmour's solo projects, most recently playing on the 2006 album "On An Island" and the accompanying world tour.
13 September 2008
free and legal live radiohead download
Hey kids, looking for two hours of live Radiohead? Then check out NPR's latest All Songs Considered Live Concerts podcast. Once you subscribe to the podcast, Radiohead's 28 August 2008 show at the Santa Barbara Bowl in California is just a click away.
xx
xx
11 September 2008
hurricane palin
Since John McCain introduced Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential candidate, the Obama campaign has been spinning its wheels, desperately trying to shift out of defense and resume its plan of attack, which was successful pre-hurricane Palin.
The Palin surge can be attributed largely to the shortsighted, ADD-affected, and, quite frankly, stupid American people. Too many Americans are willing to roll the dice and elect now, ask questions later. Too many Americans refuse to read past the headlines. Too many of my fellow citizens are swooned by campaign images and slogans.
Case in point: McCain claims he will put "country first," but was he and his cronies putting country first when they chose Palin? Palin: a person McCain had met only once prior to the VP announcement on 29 August 2008. Palin: a person who has been governor of Alaska for a mere 21 months and served two terms as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (population 7100). Palin: a vice-presidential candidate who, in her first interview as McCain's running mate, wouldn't rule out an armed conflict with Russia.
Is there a single McCain supporter who can look me in the eye and say Palin has the resume to sit just one heartbeat away from the presidency?
The McCain camp deserves credit, however. Not only are they using Hillary Clinton's absence to exploit Palin's sex and thereby playing the gender card, they have also tapped America's idiotic fascination with image and celebrity. Since her nomination, Palin's exposure to the voters and media has been limited to one interview and a series of carefully orchestrated -- and repetitive -- campaign speeches. (But despite the McCain campaign's best efforts to reconcile the obvious distance -- both political and personal -- between McCain and Palin, their joint appearances remain tainted with awkward exchanges and forced smiles, as though McCain were the estranged father and Palin the scorned yet determined daughter.)
If Americans weren't so easily sold on the used car promises of political candidates and the media's coverage of election year "issues" such as pigs and lipstick, perhaps more of us would realize the significance of this year's presidential election and become more engaged in the political process. How many potential voters are aware of Palin's stance on abortion? (She's a staunch pro-lifer and does not support a woman's right to choose even in cases of rape and incest.) How many Americans know Palin's view on sex education? (She supports abstinence-only sex ed, despite her unwed 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy. If abstinence-only doesn't work in her own home, how can it work in the halls of public schools across this country?) And do Americans really believe the Iraq war is a "task from God"?
Will Barack Obama change the face of politics if elected? Probably not. But change has to begin somewhere. And I have faith that the citizens of this great country will awake to this fact, break the cycle of cynicism and cast their vote for Barack on 4 November 2008.
xx
The Palin surge can be attributed largely to the shortsighted, ADD-affected, and, quite frankly, stupid American people. Too many Americans are willing to roll the dice and elect now, ask questions later. Too many Americans refuse to read past the headlines. Too many of my fellow citizens are swooned by campaign images and slogans.
Case in point: McCain claims he will put "country first," but was he and his cronies putting country first when they chose Palin? Palin: a person McCain had met only once prior to the VP announcement on 29 August 2008. Palin: a person who has been governor of Alaska for a mere 21 months and served two terms as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (population 7100). Palin: a vice-presidential candidate who, in her first interview as McCain's running mate, wouldn't rule out an armed conflict with Russia.
Is there a single McCain supporter who can look me in the eye and say Palin has the resume to sit just one heartbeat away from the presidency?
The McCain camp deserves credit, however. Not only are they using Hillary Clinton's absence to exploit Palin's sex and thereby playing the gender card, they have also tapped America's idiotic fascination with image and celebrity. Since her nomination, Palin's exposure to the voters and media has been limited to one interview and a series of carefully orchestrated -- and repetitive -- campaign speeches. (But despite the McCain campaign's best efforts to reconcile the obvious distance -- both political and personal -- between McCain and Palin, their joint appearances remain tainted with awkward exchanges and forced smiles, as though McCain were the estranged father and Palin the scorned yet determined daughter.)
If Americans weren't so easily sold on the used car promises of political candidates and the media's coverage of election year "issues" such as pigs and lipstick, perhaps more of us would realize the significance of this year's presidential election and become more engaged in the political process. How many potential voters are aware of Palin's stance on abortion? (She's a staunch pro-lifer and does not support a woman's right to choose even in cases of rape and incest.) How many Americans know Palin's view on sex education? (She supports abstinence-only sex ed, despite her unwed 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy. If abstinence-only doesn't work in her own home, how can it work in the halls of public schools across this country?) And do Americans really believe the Iraq war is a "task from God"?
Will Barack Obama change the face of politics if elected? Probably not. But change has to begin somewhere. And I have faith that the citizens of this great country will awake to this fact, break the cycle of cynicism and cast their vote for Barack on 4 November 2008.
xx
03 September 2008
'elephant 6 holiday surprise tour' will visit bloomington
From PitchforkMedia.com:
Elephant 6 Crew to Embark on "Holiday Surprise Tour"
Music Tapes frontguy/Neutral Milk Hotel member Julian Koster describes the upcoming "Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour" as something like "a big orchestra, variety show, silly happy thing." How very fitting.
The tight-knit, loosely-defined Georgia-based psych-rocking collective will assemble its ranks (well, quite a few of 'em, anyway) for an October jaunt celebrating the music of Olivia Tremor Control, Circulatory System, the Music Tapes, Elf Power, the Gerbils, Scott Spillane, Nana Grizol, Nesey Gallons, and more. Joining Koster on the trek are Will Cullen Hart of Olivia Tremor Control, Scott Spillane of the Gerbils, Laura Carter of Elf Power, Eric Harris of OTC and Circulatory System, Nesey Gallons, and whoever else they can fit in the van.
Plus, Koster will be bringing along such Music Tapes "members" as the 7 ft. Tall Metronome and Static the Television. The trek comes on the heels of Merge's October 7 release of the Music Tapes' The Singing Saw at Christmastime. (It's the second Music Tapes album this year; Merge released Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes on August 19.)
Alas, there's no mention of the participation of Jeff Mangum on this tour. But, hey, there's nothing that says he's not coming, either!
But the reclusive Neutral Milk Hotel bard does appear in Major Organ and the Adding Machine, the decade-in-the-making short film directed by Joey Foreman and Eric Harris we first mentioned last winter. And he's wearing a full-on lobster costume, too! Orange Twin is set to release a CD/DVD combo of Major Organ in the fall of 2009, with the audio portion comprised of an expanded edition-- with seven bonus cuts-- of the 2000 LP that features Jeff Mangum, Kevin Barnes, Will Cullen Hart, Julian Koster, Andrew Reiger, and Dixie Blood Moustache. The flick will premiere during the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour, and is currently being submitted to film festivals.
In addition to all the E6 family fun, the Music Tapes will perform at Merge Records' CMJ showcase at New York City's Mercury Lounge on October 25.
"Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour":
10-09 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
10-11 New York, NY - Knitting Factory
10-12 Boston, MA - The Church
10-14 Portland, ME - Space Gallery
10-15 New Haven, CT - The Space
10-16 Purchase, NY - SUNY Purchase
10-17 Rochester, NY- The Bug Jar
10-18 Pittsburgh, PA - Brillobox
10-19 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center
10-20 Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Pike Room
10-21 Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
10-22 Bloomington, IN - Cinemat
10-23 Lexington, KY - University of Kentucky
Elephant 6 Crew to Embark on "Holiday Surprise Tour"
Music Tapes frontguy/Neutral Milk Hotel member Julian Koster describes the upcoming "Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour" as something like "a big orchestra, variety show, silly happy thing." How very fitting.
The tight-knit, loosely-defined Georgia-based psych-rocking collective will assemble its ranks (well, quite a few of 'em, anyway) for an October jaunt celebrating the music of Olivia Tremor Control, Circulatory System, the Music Tapes, Elf Power, the Gerbils, Scott Spillane, Nana Grizol, Nesey Gallons, and more. Joining Koster on the trek are Will Cullen Hart of Olivia Tremor Control, Scott Spillane of the Gerbils, Laura Carter of Elf Power, Eric Harris of OTC and Circulatory System, Nesey Gallons, and whoever else they can fit in the van.
Plus, Koster will be bringing along such Music Tapes "members" as the 7 ft. Tall Metronome and Static the Television. The trek comes on the heels of Merge's October 7 release of the Music Tapes' The Singing Saw at Christmastime. (It's the second Music Tapes album this year; Merge released Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes on August 19.)
Alas, there's no mention of the participation of Jeff Mangum on this tour. But, hey, there's nothing that says he's not coming, either!
But the reclusive Neutral Milk Hotel bard does appear in Major Organ and the Adding Machine, the decade-in-the-making short film directed by Joey Foreman and Eric Harris we first mentioned last winter. And he's wearing a full-on lobster costume, too! Orange Twin is set to release a CD/DVD combo of Major Organ in the fall of 2009, with the audio portion comprised of an expanded edition-- with seven bonus cuts-- of the 2000 LP that features Jeff Mangum, Kevin Barnes, Will Cullen Hart, Julian Koster, Andrew Reiger, and Dixie Blood Moustache. The flick will premiere during the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour, and is currently being submitted to film festivals.
In addition to all the E6 family fun, the Music Tapes will perform at Merge Records' CMJ showcase at New York City's Mercury Lounge on October 25.
"Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour":
10-09 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
10-11 New York, NY - Knitting Factory
10-12 Boston, MA - The Church
10-14 Portland, ME - Space Gallery
10-15 New Haven, CT - The Space
10-16 Purchase, NY - SUNY Purchase
10-17 Rochester, NY- The Bug Jar
10-18 Pittsburgh, PA - Brillobox
10-19 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center
10-20 Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Pike Room
10-21 Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
10-22 Bloomington, IN - Cinemat
10-23 Lexington, KY - University of Kentucky
30 August 2008
maybe this time
You have watched this movie countless times. You've memorized the dialogue and the actors' actions. You know how the story ends, but every time you view this film you lock your eyes shut and wish for a different outcome.
This is the magic of the movies: for 90 minutes you can forget yourself. Become something else. Lose yourself in some foreign world of Technicolor and beauty, a world in which good always triumphs over evil. This is your own personal Oz.
So just lose
Yourself.
You lock your eyes shut and wish for a different outcome. Maybe this time, you tell yourself, things will be different.
But no.
The hero must always pay a fatal price for saving the day. The hero has to sacrifice his life to rescue the damsel in distress.
And you know what happens next.
Under the glow of flashbulbs and news cameras, the police apprehend the villain. And a few blocks away, hidden from the hoopla in a darkened alley, he is there. The dying hero. She cradles his mortally wounded body. Her tears swell from the corners of her eyes. They glisten in the pale light. And he struggles to speak.
And you know the words that will crawl from his lips.
"Please, Marie, don't cry. I... I knew I had to be willing... willing to die to save... to save... you. Sometimes a price must be paid... for love. Don't worry... don't worry about me. I'm going to die a happy man because... because I know you will go on... start a family... and be happy. My only regret is that... I... I won't be there... with you. Always remember, Marie, that... I... love... you."
A final breath.
Her fragile body collapses while cries fly from her mouth.
And you. You've watched this movie countless times, and every time you relive the tale you close your eyes and hope for a different ending.
Maybe this time, you tell yourself, the hero will get the girl and live to see another day. Maybe this time... things will be different.
xx
This is the magic of the movies: for 90 minutes you can forget yourself. Become something else. Lose yourself in some foreign world of Technicolor and beauty, a world in which good always triumphs over evil. This is your own personal Oz.
So just lose
Yourself.
You lock your eyes shut and wish for a different outcome. Maybe this time, you tell yourself, things will be different.
But no.
The hero must always pay a fatal price for saving the day. The hero has to sacrifice his life to rescue the damsel in distress.
And you know what happens next.
Under the glow of flashbulbs and news cameras, the police apprehend the villain. And a few blocks away, hidden from the hoopla in a darkened alley, he is there. The dying hero. She cradles his mortally wounded body. Her tears swell from the corners of her eyes. They glisten in the pale light. And he struggles to speak.
And you know the words that will crawl from his lips.
"Please, Marie, don't cry. I... I knew I had to be willing... willing to die to save... to save... you. Sometimes a price must be paid... for love. Don't worry... don't worry about me. I'm going to die a happy man because... because I know you will go on... start a family... and be happy. My only regret is that... I... I won't be there... with you. Always remember, Marie, that... I... love... you."
A final breath.
Her fragile body collapses while cries fly from her mouth.
And you. You've watched this movie countless times, and every time you relive the tale you close your eyes and hope for a different ending.
Maybe this time, you tell yourself, the hero will get the girl and live to see another day. Maybe this time... things will be different.
xx
28 August 2008
historic
The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America – they have served the United States of America.Barack Obama (28 August 2008 at the Democratic National Convention)
So I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.
Barack Obama Hits McCain, Sets Tone for Campaign with Historic Speech
BY MICHAEL McAULIFF, MICHAEL SAUL and DAVID SALTONSTALL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
DENVER - Barack Obama claimed his spot in history as the first African-American standard bearer of a major party Thursday night, rallying Democrats with his sharpest-ever assault on Republican leadership.
"Sen. McCain likes to talk about judgement, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90% of the time?" he said of the Republican nominee-to-be.
"I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10% chance on change," Obama said in his prime-time speech.
Before a raucous, flag-waving crowd in Denver's 75,000-seat Invesco Field, Obama crafted a message that was both more personal and more pointed as he kicked off his fall campaign.
With Republicans suggesting his improbable run has been long on hype and short on specifics, the Illinois senator used the opportunity of a massive audience - both in the stands and on television - to forcefully lay out the choice ahead.
"Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it," he said.
"Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship our jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.
"I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise
taxes on the middle class."Forty-five years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, an electrified throng was on hand to be part of history - to see and hear the man who could be the first black President, and to be part of the largest crowd to witness a convention acceptance speech.
"Obviously it's a very proud moment for me to see this happen," said City Councilman Bill Perkins (D-Harlem), an early Obama supporter. "If I wasn't so macho, I'd probably break down and cry a little bit."
Before his big moment, the Illinois senator found time to shoot some hoops at a local basketball court.
Adding a touch of celebrity to the convention's final night, the singer will.i.am led the diverse crowd - young and old, black and white - in a rousing version of "Yes We Can," a campaign theme the singer transformed into a song.
Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson kicked the celebration off with a thunderous version of the national anthem.
The stakes Thursday night could not be much higher for the 47-year-old Obama, who - despite a campaign marked by huge crowds, record fund-raising and scores of new voters - remains essentially tied in most polls with McCain.
The GOP has cast Obama as too young, too inexperienced and too liberal to lead the country, especially at a time of war and international unrest.
Obama forcefully contrasted the Democrats' handling of foreign affairs over time to the Republican's stewardship of the last eight years.
"We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country," Obama said. "The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans - Democrats and Republicans - have built, and we are to restore that legacy."
An American story
The son of a black Kenyan father and a white mom from Kansas, reared in Hawaii and educated in the Ivy League, Obama's biography is unquestionably unique among anyone who has ever run for the White House.
It's a humble story, Obama suggested, that could only be written in America and had left him with a deep appreciation of the nation's enduring values.
"It is that promise that has always set this country apart - that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well," he said.
Obama accepted his party's nod on a day that few might have imagined back in 1963, when King dreamed of a nation where his children "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
Obama - whom many see as the realization of that dream - made note of King's speech and another historic marker that he says shows the government's lingering indifference to blacks: today's third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
The disaster struck many of New Orleans' black residents particularly hard and has become symbolic, many believe, of Republican indifference toward minorities.
The speech marks the capstone of a week when Team Obama ceded much of the spotlight to his one-time primary rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
Critics have mockingly called it "the Clinton convention." But Obama insiders said Thursday they had long viewed the convention as their last best chance to unify the Democratic Party - a mission they now consider accomplished.
"One of our principal goals of the campaign was to come out of Denver as a unified party," said Obama spokesman Josh Earnest. "And I think everybody would agree that our party is 100% unified behind Barack Obama as the nominee."
Well, maybe not everybody.
At a morning breakfast of the DNC's women's caucus, several protesters carrying "Hillary: Smart Choice" signs were quietly ushered from the room.
But most in the room were like former Vermont Gov. Madeleine Kunin, who sported a button that read, "Hillary supports Obama, and so do I."
"The choice is no longer between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton," said Kunin. "The choice is between John McCain and Barack Obama."
24 August 2008
run
Smoke another cigarette.
Take a few more pills.
Swallow some more whiskey.
Run.
Run away from the unforgiving thoughts and images that fill your head.
Run away from yourself.
But your legs will not move fast enough. Your feet are too slow.
And you know where she is. And whom she is with.
Under the shadows of a darkened bedroom she is there. And she is a contortionist wrapped around his figure. The walls absorb the sounds that escape from her tepid lips.
The very lips you once tasted.
The very lips that spoke words you once thought were impossible: "I love you."
She loved you, Christopher.
Smoke another cigarette.
Take more pills.
Swallow more whiskey.
Run.
Run away from the agonizing images flickering inside your head.
Run away from yourself.
But your legs cannot carry the carriage of regret. Your feet are steel anchors. And you are sinking a million miles offshore.
And she cannot hear your cries. She is the concrete floor that catches his frame -- a structure collapsing from a blast of ecstasy.
She was your catcher in the rye.
She was the net that caught your body -- an object of flesh and bone that once fell from a cloudless sky.
And she loved you, Christopher.
So you smoke another cigarette and fill yourself with intoxicants -- the pseudo-killers of pain. And you run. Just run. Run until your feet blister and bleed. Purge yourself of regret. Run away from your mistakes.
But you know where she is.
Run.
And whom she is with.
Run.
He is there.
Just run.
And she is asleep.
Run.
Two sleeping bodies. Touching.
Just fucking run.
"I loved you, Christopher."
The words you once thought were impossible.
xx
Take a few more pills.
Swallow some more whiskey.
Run.
Run away from the unforgiving thoughts and images that fill your head.
Run away from yourself.
But your legs will not move fast enough. Your feet are too slow.
And you know where she is. And whom she is with.
Under the shadows of a darkened bedroom she is there. And she is a contortionist wrapped around his figure. The walls absorb the sounds that escape from her tepid lips.
The very lips you once tasted.
The very lips that spoke words you once thought were impossible: "I love you."
She loved you, Christopher.
Smoke another cigarette.
Take more pills.
Swallow more whiskey.
Run.
Run away from the agonizing images flickering inside your head.
Run away from yourself.
But your legs cannot carry the carriage of regret. Your feet are steel anchors. And you are sinking a million miles offshore.
And she cannot hear your cries. She is the concrete floor that catches his frame -- a structure collapsing from a blast of ecstasy.
She was your catcher in the rye.
She was the net that caught your body -- an object of flesh and bone that once fell from a cloudless sky.
And she loved you, Christopher.
So you smoke another cigarette and fill yourself with intoxicants -- the pseudo-killers of pain. And you run. Just run. Run until your feet blister and bleed. Purge yourself of regret. Run away from your mistakes.
But you know where she is.
Run.
And whom she is with.
Run.
He is there.
Just run.
And she is asleep.
Run.
Two sleeping bodies. Touching.
Just fucking run.
"I loved you, Christopher."
The words you once thought were impossible.
xx
21 August 2008
refusal
It would be so easy for me to call myself a fuck-up and other self-loathing pronouns. But I won't. Where has that childish behavior gotten me? Nowhere. It's only caused harm to myself and potentially permanent damage to those who care about me.
Over the past several weeks I've been able to expunge myself of the demons by being active, both physically and creatively. Simply attending a bi-monthly bipolar support group has helped me immeasurably.
I know I will never rid myself of this "disease," but I can manage it through various means.
No, I won't resort to the self-loathing tactics that I've so readily embraced in the past.
xx
Over the past several weeks I've been able to expunge myself of the demons by being active, both physically and creatively. Simply attending a bi-monthly bipolar support group has helped me immeasurably.
I know I will never rid myself of this "disease," but I can manage it through various means.
No, I won't resort to the self-loathing tactics that I've so readily embraced in the past.
xx
16 August 2008
UPDATED bloomington music calendar UPDATED
Here is an updated list of upcoming shows in Bloomington:
Band names are linked to their respective MySpace pages
08/15 - John Terrill @ Bear's
08/17 - Oneida @ Bluebird
08/19 - Pterodactyl @ Bluebird
08/22 - John Mueller @ Waldron
09/06 - James Toth (Wooden Wand) & The Dutchess and the Duke @ Fester's
09/09 - Tussle @ Waldron
09/12 - These Are Powers @ Bear's
09/14 - Langhorne Slim @ Bluebird
09/17 - Maps & Atlases @ Jake's
09/18 - Daedelus with Eliot Lipp @ Neal Marshall Center
***Recently added*** 09/21 - Sunset Rubdown with Evangelicals @ Bluebird
09/23 - Monotonix @ Bluebird
09/29 - Awesome Color @ Jake's
***Recently added*** 10/09 - The Dodos @ Rhino's
10/16 - Deerhoof @ Buskirk-Chumley Theatre
10/21 - Magnolia Electric Co. @ Buskirk-Chumley Theatre
11/19 - Parts & Labor @ Bear's
Band names are linked to their respective MySpace pages
08/15 - John Terrill @ Bear's
08/17 - Oneida @ Bluebird
08/19 - Pterodactyl @ Bluebird
08/22 - John Mueller @ Waldron
09/06 - James Toth (Wooden Wand) & The Dutchess and the Duke @ Fester's
09/09 - Tussle @ Waldron
09/12 - These Are Powers @ Bear's
09/14 - Langhorne Slim @ Bluebird
09/17 - Maps & Atlases @ Jake's
09/18 - Daedelus with Eliot Lipp @ Neal Marshall Center
***Recently added*** 09/21 - Sunset Rubdown with Evangelicals @ Bluebird
09/23 - Monotonix @ Bluebird
09/29 - Awesome Color @ Jake's
***Recently added*** 10/09 - The Dodos @ Rhino's
10/16 - Deerhoof @ Buskirk-Chumley Theatre
10/21 - Magnolia Electric Co. @ Buskirk-Chumley Theatre
11/19 - Parts & Labor @ Bear's
14 August 2008
12 August 2008
UPDATED palahniuk, radiohead and sasha UPDATED
Radiohead Deny Film Score Claim
Chuck Palahniuk, whose 2001 book Choke has been adapted for the big screen, told BBC 6 Music that Radiohead had written the score.
But spokesperson for the band said they had only contributed a song to the film - In Rainbows track "Reckoner" - to run over the final credits.
Choke, starring Sam Rockwell, is due to open later this year.
Speaking to 6 Music's Shaun Keaveny Breakfast Show earlier this week, Palahniuk said he listened to Radiohead while writing the book, and it was "incredible" the band had written the film score.
"Clark Gregg [Choke director]... knew that I'd written Choke while listening to [Radiohead's 1993 debut album] Pablo Honey, with Creep over and over and over," he said.
"So Clark got Radiohead to contribute a song; to write a song for the very end of the movie, the final credits.
"Apparently Radiohead liked the movie so much, they've written the score."
But a spokeswoman for Radiohead said the band had not submitted any music to the film other than Reckoner.
Palahniuk's 1996 novel Fight Club was made into a film starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.
The Pixies' Where Is My Mind was used during the finale of the 1999 film.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/7560237.stm
From the BBC's Matt Everitt comes this fantastic story:
Radiohead Score New Chuck Palahniuk Film
12 August 2008 - Controversial Fight Club and Snuff author Chuck Palahniuk has revealed Radiohead have written brand new music for the soundtrack to the new movie adaptation of his book Choke.
Speaking to 6 Music on the Shaun Keaveny Breakfast Show, Palahniuk explained it all came from his love of the band’s music, saying:
“Clark Gregg, who directed the movie version of Choke which comes out in November, he knew that I’d written Choke while listening to [Radiohead’s 1993 debut album] Pablo Honey, with Creep, over and over and over.
“So Clark got Radiohead to contribute a song; to write a song for the very end of the movie, the final credits.
“Apparently Radiohead liked the movie so much, they’ve written the score, most of the ambient music throughout it. So it’s ‘Choke – with the music of Radiohead’“
When asked if he felt honoured to have such a respected band write music solely for his film, the author laughed, “I quit believing in my own life at this point! My life is just too incredible to be believable anymore. It’s a living dream.”
Palahniuk’s work is famous associated with alternative music, with his use of Pixies’ Where Is My Mind during the finale of the feature film adaptation of his novel Fight Club.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And Pitchfork Media's Matthew Solarski reports ...
Thom Yorke, M83, Ladytron, Apparat on Sasha DJ Mix
Sasha's Invol2ver, the follow-up to acclaimed 2004 mix Involver, descends on the world at large on September 9, thanks to Global Underground. The set packs in 13 Sasha re-workings of such gems as Ladytron's "Destroy Everything You Touch", Thom Yorke's "The Eraser", M83's very recent "Couleurs", and Apparat's very lovely "Arcadia." There's also, for some reason, a track featuring Ray LaMontagne.
Bonus! Folks who scoop up one of the first 10,000 copies of Invol2ver will get a bonus disc packing in some exclusive remixes, including a different take on Thom Yorke's "Eraser".
Invol2ver:
01 Badger: "Intro"
02 Telefon Tel Aviv: "You Are the Worst Thing in the World (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
03 Rone: "Flesh (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
04 Sasha vs. Ray LaMontagne: "Eclipse"
05 Sasha vs. Adam Parker: "Lowlife"
06 Charlie May: "Midnight"
07 Apparat: "Arcadia (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
08 Home Video: "That You Might (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
09 Ladytron: "Destroy Everything You Touch (Sasha Revol2ver Remix)"
10 M83: "Couleurs (Sasha Revol2ver Remix)"
11 Thom Yorke: "The Eraser (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
12 Sasha: "3 Little Piggys"
13 Engineers: "Sometimes I Realise (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
Bonus Disc:
01 Thom Yorke: "The Eraser (Sasha Coma Remix)"
02 Girls in Hawaii: "Flavor (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
03 Lostep: "Burma (Involver Dub Mix)"
04 Home Video: "Gas Tank (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
05 Charlie May: "Midnight (Extended Mix)
06 Sasha vs. Ray LaMontagne: "Eclipse (CM Dub Mix)"
Chuck Palahniuk, whose 2001 book Choke has been adapted for the big screen, told BBC 6 Music that Radiohead had written the score.
But spokesperson for the band said they had only contributed a song to the film - In Rainbows track "Reckoner" - to run over the final credits.
Choke, starring Sam Rockwell, is due to open later this year.
Speaking to 6 Music's Shaun Keaveny Breakfast Show earlier this week, Palahniuk said he listened to Radiohead while writing the book, and it was "incredible" the band had written the film score.
"Clark Gregg [Choke director]... knew that I'd written Choke while listening to [Radiohead's 1993 debut album] Pablo Honey, with Creep over and over and over," he said.
"So Clark got Radiohead to contribute a song; to write a song for the very end of the movie, the final credits.
"Apparently Radiohead liked the movie so much, they've written the score."
But a spokeswoman for Radiohead said the band had not submitted any music to the film other than Reckoner.
Palahniuk's 1996 novel Fight Club was made into a film starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.
The Pixies' Where Is My Mind was used during the finale of the 1999 film.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/7560237.stm
From the BBC's Matt Everitt comes this fantastic story:
Radiohead Score New Chuck Palahniuk Film
12 August 2008 - Controversial Fight Club and Snuff author Chuck Palahniuk has revealed Radiohead have written brand new music for the soundtrack to the new movie adaptation of his book Choke.
Speaking to 6 Music on the Shaun Keaveny Breakfast Show, Palahniuk explained it all came from his love of the band’s music, saying:
“Clark Gregg, who directed the movie version of Choke which comes out in November, he knew that I’d written Choke while listening to [Radiohead’s 1993 debut album] Pablo Honey, with Creep, over and over and over.
“So Clark got Radiohead to contribute a song; to write a song for the very end of the movie, the final credits.
“Apparently Radiohead liked the movie so much, they’ve written the score, most of the ambient music throughout it. So it’s ‘Choke – with the music of Radiohead’“
When asked if he felt honoured to have such a respected band write music solely for his film, the author laughed, “I quit believing in my own life at this point! My life is just too incredible to be believable anymore. It’s a living dream.”
Palahniuk’s work is famous associated with alternative music, with his use of Pixies’ Where Is My Mind during the finale of the feature film adaptation of his novel Fight Club.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And Pitchfork Media's Matthew Solarski reports ...
Thom Yorke, M83, Ladytron, Apparat on Sasha DJ Mix
Sasha's Invol2ver, the follow-up to acclaimed 2004 mix Involver, descends on the world at large on September 9, thanks to Global Underground. The set packs in 13 Sasha re-workings of such gems as Ladytron's "Destroy Everything You Touch", Thom Yorke's "The Eraser", M83's very recent "Couleurs", and Apparat's very lovely "Arcadia." There's also, for some reason, a track featuring Ray LaMontagne.
Bonus! Folks who scoop up one of the first 10,000 copies of Invol2ver will get a bonus disc packing in some exclusive remixes, including a different take on Thom Yorke's "Eraser".
Invol2ver:
01 Badger: "Intro"
02 Telefon Tel Aviv: "You Are the Worst Thing in the World (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
03 Rone: "Flesh (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
04 Sasha vs. Ray LaMontagne: "Eclipse"
05 Sasha vs. Adam Parker: "Lowlife"
06 Charlie May: "Midnight"
07 Apparat: "Arcadia (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
08 Home Video: "That You Might (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
09 Ladytron: "Destroy Everything You Touch (Sasha Revol2ver Remix)"
10 M83: "Couleurs (Sasha Revol2ver Remix)"
11 Thom Yorke: "The Eraser (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
12 Sasha: "3 Little Piggys"
13 Engineers: "Sometimes I Realise (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
Bonus Disc:
01 Thom Yorke: "The Eraser (Sasha Coma Remix)"
02 Girls in Hawaii: "Flavor (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
03 Lostep: "Burma (Involver Dub Mix)"
04 Home Video: "Gas Tank (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)"
05 Charlie May: "Midnight (Extended Mix)
06 Sasha vs. Ray LaMontagne: "Eclipse (CM Dub Mix)"
09 August 2008
and so it begins (again)
I can't believe it, but I just purchased a Korg Triton Music Workstation for the unbelievable price of $575 on eBay. This is the same Triton model that I owned several years ago but sold in 2005 to diminish the amount of credit card debt I had at the time.
I'm still stunned ... a fantastic Triton shall be in my possession once again ... my winning bid of $575 was too good to be true ... I didn't think I'd win the Triton with such a low bid ... but I did ... wow ... the music bug has been biting me for a couple months ... I miss composing songs ... applying sounds to thoughts ... yes, the music bug was biting ...
And now it's time to bite back.
I'm still stunned ... a fantastic Triton shall be in my possession once again ... my winning bid of $575 was too good to be true ... I didn't think I'd win the Triton with such a low bid ... but I did ... wow ... the music bug has been biting me for a couple months ... I miss composing songs ... applying sounds to thoughts ... yes, the music bug was biting ...
And now it's time to bite back.
comedian, actor bernie mac dead at 50
Actor and Comedian Bernie Mac Dies at Age 50
By F.N. D'ALESSIO, Associated Press Writer
Bernie Mac, the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and comedian who worked his way to Hollywood success from an impoverished upbringing on Chicago's South Side, died Saturday at age 50.
"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.
She said no other details were available and asked that his family's privacy be respected.
The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.
Recently, Mac's brand of comedy caught him flack when he was heckled during a surprise appearance at a July fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate and fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama.
Toward the end of a 10-minute standup routine, Mac joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity, and used occasional crude language. The performance earned him a rebuke from Obama's campaign.
But despite controversy or difficulties, in his words, Mac was always a performer.
"Wherever I am, I have to play," he said in 2002. "I have to put on a good show."
Mac started his comedy career at age 8, with a standup performance at a church dinner. In 1977, at age 20, he took that act to comedy clubs in Chicago.
His film career started with a small role as a club doorman in the Damon Wayans movie "Mo' Money" in 1992. Mac went on to star in the "Ocean's Eleven" franchise with Brad Pitt and George Clooney and his turn with Ashton Kutcher in 2005's "Guess Who?" — a remake of the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn 1967 classic "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" — topped the box office.
Mac also had starring roles in "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers."
The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show," which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006.
The series about a man's adventures raising his sister's three children, won a Peabody Award in 2002. At the time, judges wrote they chose the sitcom for transcending "race and class while lifting viewers with laughter, compassion — and cool."
The show garnered Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Mac. He also was nominated for a Grammy award for best comedy album in 2001 along with his "The Original Kings of Comedy" co-stars, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Cedric The Entertainer.
In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on CBS' "Late Show" that he planned to retire soon.
"I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit," Mac told Letterman. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977."
Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago. He grew up on the city's South Side, living with his mother and grandparents. His grandfather was the deacon of a Baptist church.
In his 2004 memoir, "Maybe You Never Cry Again," Mac wrote about having a poor childhood — eating bologna for dinner — and a strict, no-nonsense upbringing.
Mac's mother died of cancer when he was 16. In his book, Mac said she was a support for him and told him he would surprise everyone when he grew up.
"Woman believed in me," he wrote. "She believed in me long before I believed."
___
Associated Press writer Carla Johnson also contributed to this report.
By F.N. D'ALESSIO, Associated Press Writer
Bernie Mac, the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and comedian who worked his way to Hollywood success from an impoverished upbringing on Chicago's South Side, died Saturday at age 50.
"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.
She said no other details were available and asked that his family's privacy be respected.
The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.
Recently, Mac's brand of comedy caught him flack when he was heckled during a surprise appearance at a July fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate and fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama.
Toward the end of a 10-minute standup routine, Mac joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity, and used occasional crude language. The performance earned him a rebuke from Obama's campaign.
But despite controversy or difficulties, in his words, Mac was always a performer.
"Wherever I am, I have to play," he said in 2002. "I have to put on a good show."
Mac started his comedy career at age 8, with a standup performance at a church dinner. In 1977, at age 20, he took that act to comedy clubs in Chicago.
His film career started with a small role as a club doorman in the Damon Wayans movie "Mo' Money" in 1992. Mac went on to star in the "Ocean's Eleven" franchise with Brad Pitt and George Clooney and his turn with Ashton Kutcher in 2005's "Guess Who?" — a remake of the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn 1967 classic "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" — topped the box office.
Mac also had starring roles in "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers."
The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show," which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006.
The series about a man's adventures raising his sister's three children, won a Peabody Award in 2002. At the time, judges wrote they chose the sitcom for transcending "race and class while lifting viewers with laughter, compassion — and cool."
The show garnered Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Mac. He also was nominated for a Grammy award for best comedy album in 2001 along with his "The Original Kings of Comedy" co-stars, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Cedric The Entertainer.
In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on CBS' "Late Show" that he planned to retire soon.
"I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit," Mac told Letterman. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977."
Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago. He grew up on the city's South Side, living with his mother and grandparents. His grandfather was the deacon of a Baptist church.
In his 2004 memoir, "Maybe You Never Cry Again," Mac wrote about having a poor childhood — eating bologna for dinner — and a strict, no-nonsense upbringing.
Mac's mother died of cancer when he was 16. In his book, Mac said she was a support for him and told him he would surprise everyone when he grew up.
"Woman believed in me," he wrote. "She believed in me long before I believed."
___
Associated Press writer Carla Johnson also contributed to this report.
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