The Skunkeye Consumer Guide

Appalachian Skunkeye

Skunkeye is really digging the new Loretta Lynn. Jack White really found the right tone for the album, simple and straightforward, letting her songwriting and voice stand out. The folks at Olssons say Van Lear Rose is just flying off the shelves. What a fantastic return!

Its funny because when I was in the studios yesterday the Mandarin infotainment show was broadcasting a live set from Shania Twain. I just find her completely vulgar. Let’s hope country radio embraces Loretta Lynn’s new material. It wasn't until Johnny Cash died that mainstream radio played his American Recordings-era music - and it was a stoopid overwrought NIN song!

Also Appalachian-veined is Escondida from newcomer Jolie Holland. She’s been highly praised by Nick Cave and Tom Waits, but she’s on the same label so its not surprising. I was too busy listening to Loretta Lynn last night, but from what I’ve heard so far, Holland is one mesmerizing talent. Should appeal to Cat Power devotees – she sounds a bit like a Chan Marshall who has her shit together. I really get sick of all those white girls whose voices critics compare to Billie Holiday but I’m willing to suspend judgement in this case. This is highly original, beautiful material.

Oh, The Man really pulled a number today and we’re all disturbed and pissed off and its going to get even worse once every one finds out what he did. There will be tears. And possible legal action. We're always on our toes here, just have to laugh...

The Ladies have been obsessing about New Orleans House all month. The Man was supposed to take them there for Administrative Professional’s Day but he’s been all namby-pamby about it all course. I’ve dealt myself out of this one. So The Ladies just up and decided to go there themselves today. I guess I’ll have to watch The Bold & Beautiful by myself today. It’s finally getting a little bit interesting again. I’m so sick of Brooke crying all the time.

Essie was delighted to read today that the Snakehead fish was found in the park where The Man wants to have the stoopid division picnic that none of us want to go to. She took great pleasure in pointing out that bit of information this to him this morning.

Oh, the president of Kosovo is in the building right now.

I’m meeting Denby at lunch to show her the Douglas Gordon exhibit today tomorrow and we’ll come back to the office to meet The Ladies and my people. The weather is beautiful out.

I can't wait to see this.

Ay, Skunkeye is so flustered right now at work. The task at hand actually should be a piece of cake but this place is so bureaucratic, the technology is so inefficient, and there are too many damn micromanagers here. Basic things should not be so difficult to accomplish. I’m just taking publicity photos, for god’s sake. Meanwhile, I’m running all over building with a clumsy government-issued digital camera, trying to round up the on-air talent and find a halfway- presentable studio to shoot in, and searching for a workstation which supports something besides Windows 1952 in order to upload the shots. It seems – with all the high profile guests coming to our building - nobody here ever thought to keep any promotional photos on file. Coming from a PR background, I wonder how we are ever supposed to compete with other media outlets and market ourselves - so much red tape, inefficiency, and so many out of touch decision-makers.

Well, Dad left Monday after giving an impressive talk here in town. He’s speaking/doing some kind of junket in Texas and the West Coast right now. Mom returned to Korea this morning. It was a nice family visit. Denby arrived yesterday for a few days – I can’t wait to spend time with her!

Speaking of departures, Bumblefuck will be leaving the house and DC at the end of June. What’s even better is that D agreed to no more housemates after that, so it will be just the two of us. We are both neat, keep very different hours, and respect each other and the house. I’m so relieved – the Bumblefuck experience has been very hairy indeed.

Skunkeye thoroughly enjoyed his brief time away at the beach. Especially off-season, I always get lost up in the rhythm and beauty of life there. The sound of the waves, a long, empty stretch of beach to explore by myself, and how, at sunset, the sand and the water and the shells take on the most amazing hues. And, at the house, the frog orchestra around the pond was in fine form and I saw a family of deer prancing around. Maybe I'm not such a city boy after all.

So nice to be at the beach worry-free, without reality nagging at me. Actually I was supposed to be studying for the exam, but of course spent the whole time daydreaming and reading.

Skunkeye gave Hotel Honolulu to my Dad a while back as gift. And somehow, across the continents and the seas, the book made it back to me. We both enjoy reading Paul Theroux. He's written extensively about places we've lived and visited and loved and been perplexed by and often know very well. We’ve spent many holidays in Hawaii and it seems like my folks go there at least once a year for a conference so we could really relate to Hotel Honolulu Its really one of those laugh out loud reads.

Theroux always seems to bring his own nastiness to his travelogues and semi-autobiographical novels, tainting his observations of each far-flung locale. The man is perpetually seething from a divorce or some kind of screw-up in his personal life. From Patagonia to London and the South China Sea, dispensing shrewd, biting, and often poignant observations, Theroux tends to color his observations with his own dreck..

What I liked about Hotel Honolulu is that Theroux brings less of his own jadedness, and, well, his Skunkeye, to the mix. This time he really listens, trying to decipher the pidgin spoken around him - and makes an honest effort to understand. Honolulu Hotel is ultimately about storytelling, how we all chose the words and details and that define and establish our own histories

What a brilliant cast of characters! Buddy Hamstra, the bawdy, drunk owner of Hotel Honolulu, who once gave a dog a hand-job; Pinky, the biting mail-order Filipina bride; Puamana, the prostitute who escaped from a convent on the Mainland; her daughter, Sweetie, the product of a one night with JFK; Roland Miranda, the long-term resident who fashions an elaborate coffin in his room and then dies in it; Amo the flower arranger and his lover, Chip, son of the society columnist grande dame - I've known a Madame Ha in every city. Every one at the Hotel Honolulu has a colorful and involving story.

This passage really reminded me of my recent experience in the Philippines:

“What I missed most was solitude. I had not minded being cut off from my past – in fact, one of my first pleasures in Hawaii was that my past did not matter. But somehow I had taken hold and become involved with these strangers, who seemed as ferocious and simple and unreadable as savages, and in time I had learned that they had unguessable, improbable histories. I had attached myself to them, and had to listen to its details, even if if it was not mine.”

Skunkeye Goes on Holiday

Taking off to the beach house for a few days. Not that Skunkeye could get any more sunfried at this point. Need a break from pigeontown and have to study for big exam on Saturday. Check this out: Franz Ferdinand guest-edits G2.

Skunkeye and The Bride, Vol. II

Skunkeye stole out and caught the late afternoon matinee of Kill Bill, Volume Two - lemme just say it went by too quickly. I left wanting more. More backstories - wanna know about the circumstances that led Elle, Bill, Budd, and especially, The Bride, into the killing life. Can see why the film was split in two - the whole ying/yang, East/West thang - and QT has gone on record saying he meant it that way, wanted to just run with it with the crew during production and keep the Miramax at bay. Its apparent he knew whaht he was doing. As a cineaste and lover of a good, complex yarn, Skunkeye has been sucked into his universe and vision and is hungry for more. When did I become such a fanboy?

Uma will get an Academy Award nomination for this, at least. She busted her chops - not only wielding a sword - The Bride fought her way out and through situations and circumstances that would make Nicole Kidman's stay in Dogville seem like a leisurely and pastoral holiday. My friends who have experienced it say that "motherhood changes you." I tell you, the audience was all gung-ho and loud and participatory throughout the onset of the film. The witty and spot-on kung-fu master and disciple exercises and trailer trash domestic violence (taken to new acrobatic and bloody levels) are highly rousing. But - yowza - that last quarter - the theater was rapt and silent.

The weather looks promising tis weekend. Just gotta help my sister set up for her Bridal Shower/Tea tomorrow a.m. then pick up Dad from Dulles and then I am homefree to play out in the sun.

Skunkeye and The Bride

Ayo-oo, Skunkeye may be getting in over his head! Looks like I’ll be the official MC at my sister’s wedding reception. And I ain't the Master of Cermonies type. Actually, I prefer to be busy, have things to do, at events. It's all about crowd management anyways. Also, guests are coming from all over the world and I’ll be one of the few familiar faces (other than The Bride and my parents) to most of them. Hope I don’t sweat too much!

We just got back from a tasting at the caterer. Mom arrived from Korea on Tuesday and she’s taking over the show. Which is actually appreciated since my mom is a formidable and legendary hostess (hundreds are entertained at the residence weekly). I still think its kind of funny that so far my sister (and her fiance) have followed my suggestions for reception venue, gown designer, and now caterer. The Church was preordained - where my folks got hitched. Also where they filmed The Exorcist. Looks like the food will be a combination of Lebanese/Mediterranean appetizers and a pan-Asian main course to refelect the backgrounds of bride and groom. Although The Groom is half Lebanese but knows little about the region/cuisine. And The Bride, of course, isn’t Asian, but like her brother Skunkeye, spent much of her life there. Also, there will be no Wedding Cake. Just a lot of desserts.

Speaking of The Bride, Skunkeye has been listening to the Kill Bill Vol. 2 Soundtrack. Skunkeye was surprised and pleased that Tarantino used Shivaree’s “Goodnight Moon” – a killer track – the band was critically lauded with brilliant debut, “I Outta Give You a Shot…” a couple of years back and lead singer Ambrosia Paisley (her real name) was even profiled in Vanity Fair’s music issue (which can either be seen as a good or bad thing) – but then they just disappeared. A follow-up was released in Europe, where more challenging music is better appreciated – though Shivaree is entirely appealing - and hopefully with the Kill Bill exposure the album will see the light of day in the US.

The rest of the CD… a lot of Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western music. Dialogue from the movie. The late Johnny Cash’s recent version of Hank William Senior’s “Satisfied Mind.” Charlie Feather’s “Can’t Hardly Stand It.” A vintage Japanese female vocals/ film closer ballad (so sad I even recognize it from childhood watching flicks on TV as a street-smart kid in Roponggi.) All great stuff but somewhat predictable. Not as rich and diverse and satisfying as the Kill Bill Vol. 1 OST. At least there is less RZA, which totally did not work on the previous effort.

However, the real stand out for Skunkeye was Malcolm MacLaren’s “About Her.” I dunno if it is a new production – the beats sound a bit heavy and more than a little dated. It’s a bit like what Moby was doing on Play – mixing vintage gospel blues (W.C. Handy) with electronica. What’s so genius is that the Zombies’ “She's Not There” is thrown in to impressive and poignant effect. Skunkeye reveres The Zombies and they have sort of been the soundtrack to my life over the past few weeks. Quel coincidence!

Skunkeyeville

Skunkeye enjoyed a fantastic Easter weekend. Caught up with visiting old friends, and when it turned all lovely on Saturday afternoon, we lolled about Meridian Hill Park, walked around the hood, and admired all the pretty flowers. Went to St. Matthews with MJ, who just got back from Argentina, on Sunday – the mosaics inside are really quite spectacular. Unfortunately, the weather has turned and we were standing by the drafty open door, and caught quite a chill. Fancy brunch was thwarted – too wet and cold to walk back to mi casa – so we grabbed some epanadas and caught a matinee. Despite the uncomfortable conditions, it was a memorable and fun Easter.

Skunkeye also thoroughly enjoyed Dogville. I seemed to be the only one in the theater who did. MJ was squirming and scoffing throughout, others cheered when the final chapter was announced. The film was long, heavy, and slow but it was a completely engrossing experience. Refreshing even. And the cast was stellar- every one found just the right tone for the material. Really dig the homespun/morality tale/parable, Brechtian/Our Town qualties. (Can't seem to artculate today sorry.) I guess something in my head when I sat down decided not to take it too seriously. Certainly Dogville was presented in stagey, half high school production, half experimental theater, rather than a realistic style. So how could one take it too literally? I found a lot of clever dark humor – a bit like Edward Gorey - in the dialogue, structure, characters, and their actions – all building up to a brilliant finale. It just got nastier and more over the top and I thought it was just hilarious. One has to remember that Hans Christian Anderson is also from Denmark - his Little Mermaid was some pretty dark stuff. Lars von Trier has reportedly never even been to the United States and is well known as kind of a nut-case so whatever perceived anti-Americanism or misogyny just has to be leveled with a grain of salt. It’s just a movie, baby, …just sit back and take in his unique vision. It is certainly more different than any thing that has played on the screens recently and at the very least, leads to heated dialogue and debate after the show, which is what all art should do.

Howver, I felt the "Young Americans"/dust bowl/hillbilly/poor folk photo montage at the end was not really necessary or effective and just stoopid really.

Cooked a wonderful Easter dinner for my grandmother. Last year she was spending the night in the ER, the beginning of a long stay in the hospital. We have a lot to be grateful for this Easter.

Here Comes Skunkeye Cottontail!

Skunkeye and the Ladies did absolutely zero work today. The Man was out today – he has been experiencing pain in his ass and had the doctors check it out. Seriously. Must be something karmic. We just talked about food all day, which isn't unusual. And Onorosa. She was on Oprah yesterday with Mr. Trump and I caught it by oft-chance. I could tell Oprah soo much wanted to like her, give her some fellowship, but Onoroosa just blew it big time with her attitude and lying. Heard her publicist fired her today. The Ladies, by the way, do not like her and think Mkwame is fool for picking her for his team.

The Ladies and I took a leisurely walk to the Fish Market and waited forever in line for expensive crab cakes and soup. The People Upstairs are letting us out an hour early today. I was going to see Dogville but it might be depressing so I’ll just play outside. I’m finally starting to get some color. Rather the first burn of the season, which I always delusionally think of as my base tan, a prepper of sorts. My skin is paying for this cyclical madness.

I dig the new Toys R Us “Bunnies” commercial. Kind of creepy and cute.

Easter is actually one of the few holidays Skunkeye thoroughly enjoys. Maybe its the nice weather, the chocolate, hiding hand-colored eggs... Easter, April Fools(wasted this year), and Christmas, those are the ones I like. And Chinese New Years. Dread Halloween, New Years, St. Patricks Day, and Valentines Day.

Have dear old friends in town for Easter weekend. Made so much chili yesterday – was inspired so I added some V-8. V-delicious. Also promised MJ that I would go to Mass and also brunch – she’s punishing me right now because I wasn’t up for celebrating with her on Monday after she got her good news.

Oh, and we just recieved word at work that this weeks tests "have shown lead levels above the recommended maximums." Great, Skunkeye been guzzling the stuff for nearly three years since I'm too cheap/poor to purchase bottled water and consume at an abnormal rate.

Skunkeye Tropicalia

Skunkeye took a lunch break visit to the Bartholdi Park. I have bulbs emerging that I planted two years ago and thought had just rotted – I’m really curious about what they will turn out to be. So I checked out the garden to see what is seasonal. Every one in this office - in this building - is so stir-crazy today because of the weather. Not an ounce of work getting done, they might as well just release us. No one wants to be in here in The Factory. It is so lovely out today- almost tropical.

Speaking of tropical, Skunkeye was digging the new Caetano Veloso album, A Foreign Sound, last night. Almost didn’t purchase it on account that it is all jazz/pop standards in English and I haven’t been in the mood for that kind of music lately. However, I noticed included in the track list “Something Good,” my favorite and oft-overlooked song from The Sound of Music. Those bittersweet lyrics, that haunting melody - I can listen to Christopher Plummer sing that over and over I can. Was on heavy rotation on my Fonz/"Happy Days" turntable as a strange, tortured kid going to Catholic school in Paris - song gave me hope. Veloso’s take is short, simply arranged, poignant, perfect, and, boy, does he nail it. Just about broke my heart it did. Man, if Skunkeye were a troubador, "Something Good" would be my encore.

A Foreign Sound is Caetano Veloso’s affectionate and heartfelt tribute to the American songbook and it is truly magical. Veloso seamlessly brings his trademark saudade to classics such as “So In Love,” “Love for Sale,” “Manhattan,” and “Body and Soul.” His “Cry Me a River” is plaintive and detached rather than angry and self-pitying. Backed by a talented orchestra, the arrangements range from a cappella to boppy, simple to lush and always inventive and surprising and wholly satisfying. Comes dangerously close to being syrupy at times, especially with Veloso’s melifluous and feathery vocals. Like a speed-free Chet Baker on top of his game and letting it all hang out in the tropics with a slight exotic, and definately sexy, inflection. There is just the right amount of art and intelligence in Veloso's choice of songs and delivery. The material really becomes magical with his treatment – Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies,” Stevie Wonders’ “If It’s Magic,” and David Byrne’s “(Nothing But) Flowers” are triumphs. Veloso even manages to salvage that mawkish 1970s hit, “Feelings”(which actually has particular significance in the context of Brazilian culture, the song is widely used to teach English there.) Veloso elevates the material, or, rather, restores the songs to their original, primal, and most heatfelt form. The one track I didn’t care for was “Come As You Are.” Dani Siciliano has already done that. Although I suppose I fall into the "Nirvana-generation", Kurt never had much of an impact on me. Always thought he was a bit of a sad fuck.

A funny thing for Skunkeye and this album is that almost all of the selections are compositions I learned to figure out how to play the piano by, and thus the tunes have particular resonance. Was way into the American Songbook back then. Never had piano lessons, but I can (could?) read music and find the keys... my fingering is way wrong though. The only instrument they offered at my elementary school - and lemme tell ya Miss Yoko - Yamaguchi senseii- had horrible sashimi breath - in Tokyo was the flute. Which I got quite good at. But nonethless detest. Don't even dig the sound of the flute and its so not rocknroll. Haven't touched a keyboard in nearly three years now. Ain't got no grand piano these days - not to mention an upright. Maybe its time to invest in a Casiotone.

I could even jam with Bumblefuck. Who was away for a few days and it was idyllic in the casa - no noise, no caked hair and phlegm in the bathtub, and nothing haphazardly and clumsily broken. Well, Skunkeye's Rhapsody has been broken. So-o, he's back now, comatose on the couch in front of the TV in the dark and watching something mindless and random on cable... all greasey, depressed, and ever-permeating B.O. Apparently he went home to New Jersey for the first two days of Passover...

Skunkeye asked him in all earnestness, "Well, why didn't you just stay for the whole week?"

Moreno Veloso, Caetano’s son, along with Daniel Jobim, grandson of the great bossa nova composer Tom Jobim, performed a touching version of "I'm Wishing" (from Disney's Snow White) on Music Typewriter. Perhaps that’s where the elder Veloso got his cue. As far as I know, he has never produced an all-English album before.

A Foreign Sound is the perfect soundtrack for one of those spring/summer romances that end sadly after a few months. I’ll be listening to it a lot in the coming months but I doubt there will any romance for Skunkeye. Actually, in all honesty, I'll be sick of the album come Thursday.

Skunkeye is a Geek

Since the weekend weather was not quite spring-like, Skunkeye was able to catch up on some movies. I’m feeling a bit guilty - that I worry about these things is pretty geeky - for not showing up for the ongoing Ozu retrospective, but when the work week is done, the last place I want to spend my downtime is downtown, especially with all the touristas mulling about. Besides, I’ve seen most of his films already. They are well worth checking out.

I’m surprised Intermission isn’t getting more buzz. It does feature Colin Farrell, after all. The film is quite an enjoyable ensemble production with a colorful cast, including the lovely (and underused) Kelly Macdonald, the brilliant (ableit, again, underused) Shirley Henderson (bravely sporting substantial upper-lip growth), “It Boy” Cillian Murphy, and, well, basically every working Irish film star. Intermission manages to be gritty and endearing at the same time, comedic moments punctuated by acts of violence, with a clever and sharp screenplay. There’s a tough police detective (Colm Meaney) who fancies Clannad and dreams of being on his own cop reality show. His foil (Farrell) is a live-wire, loose-cannon psychopath who just dreams of home appliances and settling down (geeky Skunkeye can relate to that). He enlists a team of geeks, including a disgruntled fired bus driver, a plain boy just looking for love, and his pare, Murphy's character - definately a geek, who cannot muster a way to express his feelings to his girl (MacDonald), who has taken up with a married (and totally geeky) bank manger - to orchestrate a heist. Intermission is all topsy-turvey but ultimately comes together seamlessly. And Skunkeye was craving some of dat brown sauce!

Cillian Murphy is getting muy big after 28 Days Later and his appearance in Pearl Earring – I highly recommend checking out his explosive debut in Disco Pigs, which had an all too brief and limited run here. Memorable, edgey performance - fantastic, poignant film (imagine an off-kilter urban Heathcliff & Cathy in contemporary Ireland) which desrves cult status. Intermission should appeal to Tarantino fans as well as filmgoers grown weary of the usual Irish fare.

Skunkeye is such a geek. Also lined up outside the Uptown with all the fanboys to see Hellboy. Never read the comic book but I really enjoy the films of Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. The Devil’s Backbone was sublime! Apparently del Toro turned down directing a Harry Potter film so he could make Hellboy. A very wise gamble indeed – if del Toro stays at the helm, Hellboy is going to turn out to be an awesome franchise. Really one of the most original, effective, satisfying, and enjoyable “comic book” movies I’ve seen. Fantastic art direction. A great ride. Ron Perlman – remember him as Vincent on TV’s Beauty and the Beast opposite pre-Terminator Linda Hamilton years back? – turns in a charismatic, soulful and engaging performance as the title character. Check him out in Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie) and Marc Caro’s The City of Lost Children.

Before you think Guillermo del Toro will let success spoil him, I read that he will going back to Spain to film a “bookend” to Devil’s Backbone called Pan’s Labyrinth. Interviewed in AICN – talk about being geeky! – he said, “to me, DEVIL’S BACKBONE was about the Civil War in Spain. It’s a little story about fascism at its very roots taking over the entire country. PAN’S LABYRINTH, to me, is fascism has won, and basically make it a reflection of that period in Spain. It’s a story about a girl who falls in love with a fawn that lives in the center of a labyrinth, and starts asking for things.” Looks very promising.

Skunkeye also wants to see Dawn of the Dead. And Starksy and Hutch.

And the shameless geekiness continues… I was reading The Guardian and came across this article on Carla Bruni. You know Skunkeye is a total geek for models/ingenues who date rock stars – especially if their first names are Mick or Keith or Serge - and then become rock stars themselves (Nico, Marianne Faithful, Miranda Lee Richards, Jane Birkin, Vanessa Paradis, oh, the list goes on). I guess Skunkeye was too busy moving house to write about Carla Bruni’s album, Quelqu'Un M'a Dit. I had planned to rave about Carla Bruni despite possibley being ridiculed. Honestly, its one fine debut album – she wrote and played guitar all the songs herself (!!!) and thecomposiions and the earthy production values are really tight and smart and good and it isn’t pretentious or fey and her voice is sexy as all hell. Imagine Jackie deShannon crossed with Jean Moreau - mostly acoustic guitar - solid, engaging, and frankly, lovely, songwriting without going into preciousness. Well worth paying import prices for.

Okay, I'm about to go to the gym. Reclaim whatever non-geekiness Skunkeye has.