In Morbid Resplendence...

I know I haven't posted much...

hobbitkicker — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:30:35 GMT

...but I felt it dire to inform you that Charlie the Unicorn is back! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFCSXr6qnv4

For Na'la...teehee

hobbitkicker — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:06:52 GMT

...and anyone else needing a good laugh today! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Wd-Q3F8KM

Shit...

hobbitkicker — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:49:35 GMT

Strangeland Records is closing. This is quite a blow to what little scene is here in DC. This will make buying music so much more difficult. It was so wonderful to be able to go into a music store and see the names of so many bands that I used to only find through online purchasing...with my credit card... and wait however many days or weeks for it to arrive by mail. At least I could walk in and drop $15 dollars in cash and have my cd with no wait and knowing it was going to a good business run by good people who truly cared about the music they were selling. Strangeland is also responsible for introducing me to very talented musicians in the area. To someone like me where music is a very integral part of my life, this is awful news. Fuck. From Ryan: Strangeland Records is closing... A Somber Announcement… It is with deepest regret that I must announce that on March 17th Strangeland Records will be closing its doors forever. Sadly, while we had no shortage of verbal supporters and well-wishers, in the end we simply did not have enough paying customers to cover our expenses and keep the shop going. An Honor to Serve… Since day one Strangeland has been an ardent supporter of the local art and music community. In our short time here I'm proud to say that we've hosted over 150 DJs and 200+ bands. We've also displayed on our walls the works of over a dozen promising local artists. I'm personally honored to have had so many talented bands, DJs, and artists come through our doors. I can only hope the other local shops/venues will carry the torch and help to further our DC music and arts scene. The Show's Almost Over… We'll be celebrating the memory of Strangeland "Irish wake" style with a series of going away parties here at the shop… Saturday 1/12 – Goth/Industrial Armageddon (2pm-10pm) w/ Ego Likeness, Red This Ever, The Opposite Sex, XUBERX, dharmata101, Rites of Ash and DJs Vlad, Shade, Liebchen, Kangal, Rift, DuJour, Cheetahdave Saturday 1/19 – Live @ Strangeland Apocalypse (2pm-12am) w/ Three Faces of Eve, Salome, Absolute Vengeance, Freehand Arson, Bliss, Ambition Burning, Vox Populi (more TBA) Saturday 1/26 – Strictly Locals End of Days (6pm-4am) w/ Muramasa, ODJ, Deinfamous, Alter-Ego, Encryption, Solace72, Jungle Jessi, Quannum Logic, Harry Ransom, Brandon Black, Miguel Lush, Nonchalant, Lycan, Psymon, Darkenetiks, Hollowpoint, Ademaro, Shaft XXL, Axios Last Chance Sale… Our liquidation sale will begin on Friday, February 1st. From here on out we'll be looking to get rid of everything, from merchandise to fixtures to DJ gear. The liquidation discount percentages will escalate with each subsequent week though the final day of business on 3/17. Details about the sale will be announced in late January. What can you do to help?… At this point the best thing you can do is spend some money here. Every dollar you spend at Strangeland from here on out is a dollar less that we will have to pay back to the bank. With that in mind, be kind; buy some CDs/vinyl/etc. as a final token of your appreciation. The Changing Face of Music… The independent music scene is dying a very painful death right now and it's dying at the hands of its alleged fans. Downloading/piracy from major labels may strike a blow against "the man", but doing the same for independent/underground music is KILLING those that make and make available that type of music, from the bands to the labels, the promoters to the shop & venue owners. Right now downloading is at the "fall of Rome" stage, with people ravenously downloading anything they can get their hands on, downloading stuff that they don't even get around to listening to just so that they can brag about how many songs they have. At the same time fewer people are pulling themselves away from their computers (Tivos, Nintendo Wiis, online gaming, etc.) to see, support and buy merch from bands who are struggling to tour at all before going back to their day jobs. The effects of this detrimental behavior won't be truly felt until a couple years from now. As the support structure for underground music continues to erode at an exponential rate, indie labels/shops/magazines will continue to fold. As show attendance continues to decline, fewer bands will tour and venues will shut down. As club attendance continues to decline, once popular club events will cease to be. And certainly the effects will be TRULY FELT when all that remains on the desolate musical landscape is local level MySpace band demos and major label pop fodder… with nothing in between, thus robbing us of the next generation VNV Nation, Jesu, Rancid, Dimmu Borgir, etc. You can only rape independent music for so long before nothing is left. Without support, art ceases to exist. So I urge you from the bottom of my heart, please support the bands you like. Buy their albums. See them live. Buy merch at their shows (very often this means dinner and gas money to them). In the end this is a very small price to pay in order to keep good independent music going. One Final Note… It has truly been a pleasure running the shop for these past two years. I'm thankful for all the new friends I've met, the excellent bands and DJs I've seen and the customers I've helped find and discover new music. After all, that was the point, wasn't it? For everyone who has come in and bought something, checked out a show, handed out a flyer for us, for everyone who has shown Strangeland, my brainchild and baby, some love… Thank You! Ryan @ Strangeland

Last night...

hobbitkicker — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:34:45 GMT

... I ate a Christmas cookie that tasted like how an old lady's house smells. And with that I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy holidays!

The Zen of Zombie promo is posted!

hobbitkicker — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:22:19 GMT

...yeah... I will be laughing about this for years to come. People catch me laughing and giggling to myself all the time. Usually, I am recounting things like this in my head. The memories I gained from participating in this were worth every bit of effort as the entertainment value is priceless. Also, it reconnected me with wonderful people from my past and it was my guess that this was my only chance to combine two of my favorite things: zombies and yoga. At the very least, I got a free book out of it. It had to be done. So here is the actual edited film short: www.zenofzombie.com So many adventures...so little time.

What does one do when they are in NYC on a beautiful Sunday?

hobbitkicker — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:45:40 GMT

Why zombie yoga of course... see if you can find me in this mess of rotting flesh. Keep in mind my hair is braided right now. The NY Times had folks there and they posted this in their city room blog... http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/taking-the-yoga-corpse-pose-literally/?hp I will post more on this event later but for now I will start by saying it is all Samira's fault...and I love her for it!!! To keep updated as to what happened this sunday check this site to see the fruits of our labor... http://www.wishnow.com/zombie/ I will say, zombie yoga is so much harder than regular yoga.

Have you seen them yet?

hobbitkicker — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:54:08 GMT

51 Peg, the band that one of our favorite photographers of the DC Tribal and Tribal Cafe Shows is a member of, will be playing This Friday! I shit you not, these guys are awesome and if I were to be in town this weekend I would be at this show. So go show your love for Carlo and Nondivulger (another of our favorite photogs that have graced our shows with their mad photography skillz). Here it is straight from Nondivulger's blog: "Carlo's band is performing at TT Reynold's in Fairfax VA, this Friday, September 21st. They had to cancel their last show because their drummer broke his hand, but he just got his cast off last week so the TT's show is still on! If you haven't had a chance to check out 51 Peg, you can find them here: www.51peg.com, or here: www.myspace.com/51peg. Hope to see you at the show!"

Happy Birthday Hoggle!

hobbitkicker — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:39:59 GMT

Today is the Hoggle's birthday! He survived a year with me! YAY! I need to take him to the dog park today and make everyone love him. AND yesterday there was an early birthday gift at the dog park. Hoggle met another red and white corgi that is a month younger than him named Rupert. There was much battling at the park and it was quite the spectacle! Hooray for corgis!

I shall now destroy you all...

hobbitkicker — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:11:54 GMT

...with devastating cuteness. This weapon of mass destruction was provided by Sterling Spider... http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/66652/detail/

No...hahaha...Really?

hobbitkicker — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:15:25 GMT

I have it on good tabloid authority that NBC is bringing back American Gladiators. I wonder if they are going to bring back the spandex and the bad hair. We are on our way to the coliseum program folks. For an arguably healthy reminder of the American Gladiator glory... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbblvdF0s04 Whoops sorry my mistake. I got confused...where is it? Ah, here it is...be sure to watch for Thunder's Pantene hair flip at around 1:20. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLfACqLDeTM I wonder if I should compete. I could take out one of those big muscle women. They are slow and cumbersome, like those 18 wheelers on the highways, you just need to get out of their way. Seriously, I would probably get taken out in the first round. I better start on those protein shakes and steroids to match them....hmmm on second thought getting put in a ring with one of those "ladies" and a case of roid rage doesn't sound too smart. Then I would have to classify myself with my math teacher that tried to fight an orangutan for 3 minutes for $300 dollars. Ugh, that makes me tired and cranky... well even more so than usual...I think I will just watch the show.

Prisoners, ninjas, and the algorithm march WARNING possible earworm infection by reading this post...

hobbitkicker — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:43:12 GMT

Once I had to write a satirical paper for college that was clearly satirical and yet still managed to make a commentary on society. I chose to write about the issue of relieving the overcrowded prison systems through a program of my own invention called "The Coliseum Program." The idea was that America was ready for a true blood sport and that we should have state run gladiator events using prisoners. All profits, including merchandising and concessions, would go to the government and help create tax breaks for the citizens. There could be both a state and federal circuits each with their own Coliseum. The program itself would be voluntary but the incentives for particitpation would be very shiny. Well, in the Philipines, it seems they found a much better and humane use of prisoners...but before I show you the prisoners you need to educate yourself of the Algorithm March and I have a clip here, with ninjas, to demonstrate... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDSGmx8c2AM And now for the prisoners... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjMd2Vabcv8&NR=1 And if you have time to watch it....and I seriously urge that you do...check out how they warm-up... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o

You want a romp of otters?

hobbitkicker — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:10:21 GMT

Or how about a rump of an otter...shaking it like a polariod picture? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LClXK59VP0Q

And suddenly...

hobbitkicker — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 06:09:40 GMT

...human contact jugglers just don't seem all that impressive... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmLQkBcemyE

Just getting around...

hobbitkicker — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:41:20 GMT

...to cross-posting this... Thanks to Asharah for showing me this. I haven't laughed so hard in a long while! HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHKFA-iOfqI

No loitering...

hobbitkicker — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:55:02 GMT

No loitering near parked cars in my condo's parking lot... No loitering near parked cars in my condo's parking lot with a strange looking hammer... No loitering near parked cars in my condo's parking lot with a strange looking hammer and act suspicious when I walk by with my dog... No loitering near parked cars in my condo's parking lot with a strange looking hammer and act suspicious when I walk by with my dog and then watch me as I watch you... And certainly no loitering as I go and report your fucking asses. I may not like people (or Hot topic) this week but I do love this... http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=8a25c392132b05a201132b1d30100044

Dear Hot Topic,

hobbitkicker — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 16:58:26 GMT

In the past I have defended you out of respect for the fact that you gave folks like me a place to shop even in the most podunk of malls and I could always find something that entertained me, made me feel pretty, or made me feel bad ass. For that I am grateful. However, when you succumb to the accusations that you are a watered down corporate version of the real thing and start selling lines of items that are clearly aiming for the fans of the likes of ..(excuse while I chew back the vomit)...Avril Lavigne, I cannot think of a worthy defense for you and must admit that they may be right. As long as you continue to buy into this mass media generated crap, and promote it as counter culture...I am afraid I have to break up with you. Go to hell. Hilary

Climbing and dogs...

hobbitkicker — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:54:10 GMT

...so I have been thinking about it for quite sometime and finally the stars have aligned for it to happen. I have joined a climbing gym with my sister on a family membership and some of the perks of being a member include free yoga classes held in the evening during the week. I was there for almost 3 hours yesterday and I am sore as hell. I decided to rest when I got home last night and slept for 12 hours and dreamt of climbing icy mountains to stay at strange resorts that can only be reached by climbing. Very strange but very restful sorts of dreams. I am quite addicted. I am very eager to get back and will be purchasing my own gear in the near future. Hoggle fared no less of a tiring weekend either. Sunday morning, we had some eerie action outside as there was something in Hoggle's elimination area that made him do his "fuck off" bark (yes, this dog is equipped with a bark that clearly states "fuck off"). I don't know what he was sensing but at one point there was something making noise in the tree that was out of place, as Hoggle only does that bark at things that are out of place. So I took him out of there as I did not want to find out what exactly was out of place at four in the morning. Sunday was his day at Bull Run park trying to keep up with TomTom and Belladonna's Dutch shepherd named Loki. He was swimming and running and pooping the full hour and half we were at Bull Run. He had the biggest grin you could ever imagine on a dog and he got to stay with Loki while I was at the climbing gym. It was reported that non-stop battling occurred between the two and the clash of the fuzzy titans continued even when I returned. He still had the smile on his face by the time I got him home and when I woke a few times in the night I could see him laying belly up with his mouth hung open and tongue draped to one side...still smiling. Actually, I had to wake him up this morning instead of the usual vice versa. One discovery I made about my dog is despite his little legs he has some serious climbing power as we witnessed him climbing mud banks that I was sure he would never be able to scale. I was certainly wrong. I new he could climb...but I didn't know he could CLIMB. So Sunday, my day of rest, was all about climbing...as it should be.

It is done...

hobbitkicker — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:45:26 GMT

Here are still from the filming of the Gothic Bellydance dvd recording. It was such a pleasure working with Neon and Scott of World Dance NY. I was so happy to meet Blanca and Sarah Skinner as well. It is really difficult to go into all that I learned this weekend, so without further ado... http://www.flickr.com/photos/worlddancenewyork/sets/72157600037094134/?page=6 What a weekend! Must nap now...

If you don't check the Shakra Tribe....

hobbitkicker — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 14:48:36 GMT

...then you have to check this out... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2cYWfq--Nw

It's been awhile...

hobbitkicker — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 19:56:47 GMT

...at least since I have last posted in this blog. It's not that things haven't been going on, I am just trying to find the time and energy to write about things. I feel I should post something... ...today I ate an obscene amount of Hot Cheese Curls...and loved it.

UBU this Saturday!

hobbitkicker — Wed, 02 May 2007 17:41:51 GMT

For those who will be in town...UBU is upon us once again! DJ Mellie Mel will be on her way to Africa by the time the party starts so what better way to welcome her home in July than with UBU still going strong? Come out and show your support from afar.

The Faint!!!

hobbitkicker — Wed, 02 May 2007 15:46:55 GMT

They are playing at the 9:30 club on 5/28!!!! That's a Monday!!! I am going and so should you! http://www.thefaint.com/news/ 9:30 link: http://www.930.com/fs.php?x=1024&ba=IE&bv=6.0&bp=Win

The stupidest research article I have ever read...

hobbitkicker — Tue, 01 May 2007 20:41:37 GMT

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070501/hl_nm/left_handed_dc WTF? How far must we regress? There be the devil with that woman...she be left handed...

For Tribal Fest attendees...

hobbitkicker — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:17:15 GMT

...who will be arriving by plane and driving to Sebastapol... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070430/ap_on_re_us/highway_collapse Looks like I have some research to do. Anybody know how this could affect a commute from Oakland airport to Sebastapol?

Ever drive behind a 747?

hobbitkicker — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:17:40 GMT

Well, don't... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvJ1hLS4Dfc Fast forward to the 2:20 mark and watch from there.