Also if you could not pick your nose and then touch me, I think I might love you. Seriously, don’t do that. It is completely vile on at least 150,516 different levels.
Cracker is an American alternative rock band featuring Johnny Hickman and Camper Van Beethoven singer and guitarist David Lowery. They are best known for the hit songs “Low,” “Eurotrash Girl,” “Get Off This” and “Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now).” In 1993, Cracker contributed the song “Good Times Bad Times” to the Encomium tribute album to Led Zeppelin (which was recorded after their rendition of “When the Levee Breaks” was deemed “too weird”). Cracker mixes influences and sounds ranging from classic country music, psychedelia, punk and folk into their brand of “Americana” style rock.Cracker is still around. They’ve taken a similar tack as TMBG in that they promote and produce their music and sell it through an online outlet. They have both a MySpace page and a band site that are well worth checking out!
The song received widespread critical acclaim and enjoyed commercial success in Winehouse’s native England and abroad. The tune won the 2007 Ivor Novello award for Best Contemporary Song. “Rehab” won three Grammy Awards in 2008, including the “Record of the Year,” “Song of the Year” and “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.”
Winehouse has received media attention apart from her singing. Her distinctive style, most notably her signature beehive hairstyle, has spawned imitators and been the muse for fashion designers, most notably Karl Lagerfeld. The singer’s problems with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as self-destructive behaviour, have become regular tabloid news since 2007. She and her husband have been plagued by legal troubles that have led to the cancellation of several tour dates.The big selling point to Amy Winehouse is that she manages to really capture a hint of the Motown sound in her music. It’s good stuff but, for all the press she is getting people seem to forget she’s still very much a kid (not even 25). I’m not as familiar with her music as I should be but, I am going to check it out because what I’ve heard I like quite a bit!
The main riff was propulsive, instantiating itself in a battle of acoustic guitar against snare drum with fuzz guitar laced underneath and with vocal “ooh-ooohs” keeping that sense in full mind throughout.The other thing that it has going for it is that it pays homage to Windsor McKay who happens to be another favorite of mine.
The music video for “Runnin’”, directed by Jim Lenahan, featured animation, based on several episodes of the classic comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay, featuring a drawing style reminiscent of McCay’s and showing Petty and a character who resembles Flip traveling through Slumberland.
Real people. Used without consent.This is a complicated story but, it involves the son of a Nazi (who changed his name to escape his family’s infamy), a Chinese doctor with little scruples and the wholesale use of the bodies of prisoners without their consent after they were killed. It’s the kind of story that at first made me think of Soylent Green or Coma except this stuff is really happening and is being disguised as some kind of art when the truth behind it is a lot gorier.
Cynics call it “corpse art.” But Bodies:The Exhibition and Gunther Von Hagen’s Body Worlds call their shows “educational.” Everyone agrees it’s profitable. More than $2 billion.
New York State is cracking down on controversial museum exhibits. Last September, the Rochester Museum and Science Center hosted “Our Bodies” exhibit. It showed specially embalmed bodies and is used to educate the public on human anatomy. Rumors swirled that the bodies in other exhibits, not “Our Bodies” were illegally obtained in China, and that the humans these bodies once were never consented to be part of the exhibit. That’s why state senators passed a bill that would require anyone showing an exhibit that uses real human bodies in museums across New York to get a permit to show where exactly the bodies came from. Senator Jim Alesi (R-Perinton) says, “It’s human dignity and I think it’s also consumer protection because if people knew the origins, if they’re suspect, then they probably would be less likely to go to some kind of display like that.” Senator Alesi sponsored the “bodies exhibit” legislation.
Article from Wall Street Journal:Now, I don’t know if this is actually from the Wall Street Journal. I don’t even know if this can in fact be attributed to Bill Cosby as the email says. The general inference I imagine though is because Bill Cosby is black, if he did in fact make these comments, they carry even more weight because of his color. Somehow, Barack Obama is being indicted by ‘one of his own,’ a member of the same ethnic group he is most readily identified with. Further, the inference is of guilt by association – Obama’s contact with the man tarnishing him.
Rev.Wright epitomizes the thoughts and actions that have prevented and continue to prevent black America from moving ahead and achieving their potential as a people. He suggests that this United States of America, made up of sons and daughters of immigrants (I’m talking of the millions of 1st, 2nd, 3rd generation immigrants in this country) of every race, creed, color and religion each and everyone of them who had nothing to do with slavery, somehow owe something to a group of people who have never been slaves. It’s amazing. It seems everyone is to blame for the shambles black society is in with its violence, drugs, high school drop out rates, misogyny, and a host of other real and virulent problems, except for the very people who engage in such behavior. Enough. As a society, culture or people, they should look within themselves and fix their problems. When did this man become the spokesman for the ‘black church?’ And of course his church is different, but that doesn't mean his message and philosophy is acceptable, or productive or non-offensive or not-racist or indicative of our greater cultural behaviors, values and norms as Americans. And yes, the link between this man and Obama really does matter. At a very minimum, it provides insight into the political and philosophical strain that Obama adheres to.Comment by Bill Cosby
Again, there should be a separation of church and state.Now, that’s not going to stop this kind of stuff from going on. Probably won’t even make a dent in it but, I have to say I sure wish things were different.
Further, ask yourself this question: how many times have you been in a social setting or as a member of a part of a group where someone you know and perhaps like utters something that you find absolutely abhorrent? Something that makes you cringe. If you value the person, you choose to turn a blind eye to the offensive statement they have made because you believe the good outweighs the bad.
Now, let's take that a step further for a second... what if at some point in your life just because of your association with this person, those views were ascribed to you even though you disagreed? It wouldn't make sense, it would defy logic.
If we are going to move forward as a nation, we need to talk about what either of these men will do when they achieve the office of chief executive. Probably though the thing not to do is to try and scare people in any manner possible.
Let's take this a bit further... there are things in John McCain's past that could paint him as a corrupt and immoral politician:
McCain received $112,000 by 1987 from Keating and Keating’s relatives and employees to McCain’s Senate campaign, more than any of the other Senators. The Arizona Republic reported that in addition to campaign contributions, McCain’s wife and her father had invested $359,100 in a Keating shopping center in April 1986, a year before McCain met with the regulators. The paper also reported that the McCains, sometimes accompanied by their daughter and baby-sitter, had made at least nine trips at Keating's expense, sometimes aboard the American Continental Corporation (parent of Lincoln) jet. Three of the trips were made during vacations to Keating's opulent Bahamas retreat at Cat Cay. McCain also did not pay Keating for some of the trips until years after they were taken, after he learned that Keating was in trouble over Lincoln. [3] Lincoln Savings and Loan's collapse is said to have cost taxpayers $3.4 billion [4].
Now, these are facts and actions that are directly attributed to John McCain. Does that erase any of the good that he’s done over the course of his career? No. Does that lessen the strong convictions he has shown over his lifetime or the record of service he has to this country? No.
But, the thing is something like this would have to be given even more credence than the tract, "Politician A was present at a place where person B said this and so by association, Politician A is indicted."
I think we’d all be better off if we focus on the direction these men would take our country as opposed to making mountains out of molehills or trying to use scare tactics to sway people's opinions.
In the US, the song was believed to euphemistically refer to masturbation, specifically referencing certain facial distortions that may resemble the stereotypical image of a Japanese person. In fact, some US media outlets claimed that the phrase “turning Japanese” was a popular euphemism in the UK for masturbation; in reality, however, it has only become such a euphemism subsequent to the release of the song.
The band released two albums: New Clear Days (the pun on “nuclear” being intentional) and Magnets. The first was more clearly in the “traditional” New Wave style of music, while touching on social issues such as the nuclear threat as well as love themes. The second album dealt more extensively with themes of alienation, with many dark lyrics about apparently psychotic characters, including the opening track, “Jimmie Jones,” about cult leader Jim Jones. Sales of the second album were poor and the band broke up soon after its release in 1981.
Your article, as well as Larsens essay, is stuff that has been tossed around the internet by Vin-haters for years. In our conversations, as well as in the article, I am surprised that Erik has given Colletta as much credit as he has, actually. My blog is the flip side of the coin-mostly because I am not one of these goofballs who thinks they are being “fashionable” by knocking Colletta. I’m glad I started posting, it seems there are a shitload of people who loved his work that were actually sacared to profess it!Now, flattered as I am, what I wrote wasn’t much of an article being more of a pointer to Larsen’s column – a column I read and found pretty balanced.
Regards, Dan McFan
http://ismarkevaniermentallyill.blogspot.com
Peej-
Coletta gets a lot more kicks in the ass than he deserves, in my opinion. One of the first times I saw his work was over Joe Orlando in DD #2. I thought it was a little too sketchy, especially compared to Kirby inked by Chick Stone, Dick Ayers or Geo Bell. And I was convinced that Ditko was so tits that nobody compared with him! Ditko was hands down my favorite super hero comic book artist. Until he got weird later on.
But people forget that this work was never supposed to see the light of day again after publication. It was supposed to be disposable. Maybe it might be reprinted in a 25 cent Annual, a new publishing concept at the time in the early ’60s. But would this work be looked upon as art? No way — these were comic books for goodness sake!
It’s very easy to sing the praises of all things Kirby, so maybe it’s Coletta’s unfortunate association with the King that places him under such a harsh light. Tell the truth; you really wouldn't give a crap if he eff'ed up an inking job by Don Perlin or Paul Reinman, but poor Coletta had to be assigned to the King.
I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Coletta had to bang out a late delivery from Joe Orlando to Marvel on DD #2. Things happen. It’s hard to crank out penciled pages when you’re trying to raise a young family. Most people don’t realize how much concentration and physical time it takes to produce storytelling. It’s a real pain in the ass. And most of the time you’re drawing a story by a writer that you'd never concoct for yourself to illustrate. It ain’t easy. Or always enjoyable. But in the days when Mr. Coletta was slinging ink it was a good job for a kid who wanted to be an artist. Nothing more, nothing less.
Thank god for people like Kirby, Eisner, and Ditko, who showed what you could achieve artistically. But for every Kirby or Eisner or Ditko there were thirty other guys out there hacking it out. Slinging ink.
If comic book history were put in its context, it would be a lot kinder on the likes of Mr. Vince Coletta.
Take care pal,
*****
Hey *****,At the end of the day, I’m a bit amazed of what seems to be controversy over Colletta’s work. As much as I’ve enjoyed comics over the years, I wasn’t aware of any particular bias before now. I will say though that even though Vince Colletta is gone over seventeen years now, it’s nice to see he still has his defenders.
I’ve heard various things about Colletta through the years.
I found Larsen’s column interesting not because of any particular reason other than the fact that I saw a lot of Vince Colletta inking while I was growing up on comics.
Some of it I liked and some of it, not so much.
I can remember him inking Sal Buscema and not minding the output so much. I don’t have a strong opinion either way about his run on Thor over Kirby and I seem to remember him being paired off with George Tuska a lot (maybe Iron Man?). I also
remember seeing him do a lot of those horror books from the seventies as well.
Some people you wind up liking and some people you just can’t stand (in terms of their work). It has to do with your own personal preference more than anything else. I could never really like Don Heck’s work, there was something about it that just always rubbed me the wrong way. When Frank Robbins took over Captain America I was absolutely horrified.
I did like the context Larsen put things in though. The fact that although he worked to a certain level, he met his deadlines and that was what separated him from the amateurs. It’s something that is even more relevant in today’s comic book industry where people can’t meet a deadline to save their life.
Kind of amazing when you think about it – comics is perhaps the only business where they ALLOW people to blow deadlines!
Understand, I find myself moving away from the whole “comic book’ thing - a New Year’s resolution was to end the weekly fix of buying comics and 6 months in it’s stuck. Now to get rid of the many boxes of them I have lying around here!
On another note, I had heard through our mutual acquaintance at one point that Colletta... (I’ve edited this because it’s not right to publicly give credence to unfounded rumors) Again, other than the story I heard through BP I have nothing to confirm this.
You know as more time goes on, I think comics missed out somewhere along the line by becoming the specialty product it now is - there is something to be said for those newsprint treasures of our youth.
PJ
Some people believe the song is about a serial killer and some of the lyrics seem to agree with this claim. “The man in the dark will bring another attack” and “I close my eyes and wait to hear the sound of someone screaming” certainly seem to refer to a murderer. However, a number of the lyrics point to the song being about prostitution. The mention of things like “red lights” is just one possible indication. Further evidence to support this claim is at the end of the song where “A hand in the bush” is repeated over and over. This could be a reference to fisting. Some people prefer to take a hybrid view and believe the song is about a killer with a modus operandi similar to that of Jack the Ripper.
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