A weblog about stuff and junk by Jake Sutton
I’d like to share a few “moment of zen” type links:
George was kind enough to send me this depressing bit:
ON THE BRINK OF IRRELEVANCE: Hockey Through American Eyes
Congratulations are surely in order. It took nearly a decade, but the NHL has finally been run into the ground. While it would certainly be convenient to place all of the blame on the shoulders of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players’ Association President Bob Goodenow, the decay of the National Hockey League in the United States has, in actuality, been the result of negative associations (everything from annoying glowing pucks, crazed hockey dads, low ratings, and even un-Americanness) that have crept into the subconscious of the average American. With the 2004-05 season officially over, and the chances of a season next year becoming doubtful, the lone silver lining of the league’s uncertain future is the opportunity to re-introduce the game of hockey to Americans, free of all these damaging stereotypes.
Sad but true. At this point I think the best thing that could happen is a total restructuring of the professional game.
The one good thing is that it’s been a banner year for minor league and college hockey. True hockey fans do exist, and they will watch hockey whereever they can find it.
Victory Day Show at Russian Circus to Feature Nazi Monkeys (Bad photoshop ahoy!)
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Soviet victory in World War II a circus show will dress monkeys as Nazis and have them act in wartime stories, NewsRu reports.
Why monkeys? Well, as the circus director says: “You can not dress a horse like a Nazi.�
Then there’s the idea of a SWAT monkey. Not for fun, folks — this is for teh reals.
The Mesa Police Department is looking to add some primal instinct to its SWAT team. And to do that, it’s looking to a monkey.
“Everybody laughs about it until they really start thinking about it,” said Mesa Officer Sean Truelove, who builds and operates tactical robots for the suburban Phoenix SWAT team. “It would change the way we do business.”
Oh, I’ve thought about it, alright. In fact I’ve been sitting on this story for over a week because I was so dumbfounded at first. No, Sean, after much too much consideration, SWAT monkeys are still way freakin’ funny.
These are my URL ABCs:
Just a quick catch up on stuff I’ve enjoyed lately:
OK, that’s it. Carry on.
I usually sit in smug judgement of VH1’s Best Week Ever: “Seen it. Heard it. Yeah, I know about that. Big deal.” I mean, I live on the internets. Plus, thanks to the brother-in-law, I know people who work on TV shows and stuff. I hear about things, yo.
Well, not today. Today they featured an act that set me on fire. His name is Matisyahu, he is a Hasidic Jew, and he sings some funky fresh reggae, raps and rocks a killer beatbox. It’s amazing.
Combining the sounds of Bob Marley and Shlomo Carlebach, yet remaining wholly original, Matisyahu’s performance is an uplifting, powerful experience for all in his presence. Even the most pessimistic in his audience is inspired by his ability to so honestly convey such a delicate, topic as faith/spirituality. It is his dedication to his belief and openness to others that compels one to respect his artistry and message. It’s in that fleeting moment when our skepticism melts and our souls open up, that Matisyahu enters with his booming sound of faith.
So check it out:
Any plans for other collaborations? I have a lot of ideas. I did this performance with this guy Kenny Mohammed [sic], he’s a beatboxer, and a pretty famous guy. He’s a Muslim guy. I have a thing I would like to put together: a Rasta, an Arabic dude and myself. And do a project, even a song, like a more pop-y kind of song, something like that.
Kenny Muhammad (aka the Human Orchestra) is the beatboxer you may have seen making the rounds on the intarweb performing in front of an actual orchestra (the NY Philharmonic, it turns out).
Update: There are tons of live recordings at the Internet Archive. Get to downloading!
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