I just bought a nutsack protector and a sweat headband.


Either I'm getting serious about a sport or I'm gearing up for stag-party/Xmas hi-jinks.

Animation fix.

I've been feeding a little bit of an animation hunger lately and had the opportunity to visit some nostalgia cartoons from my youth.



Both He-man & The Masters of the Universe and Thundercats were a little disappointing. I found the stories in both instances pretty lame. I don't know if I was expecting HBO quality stories- but just found the plots and resolution of way too lazy. I guess they WERE glorified ads for the toy-lines.
However the character designs were still AS exciting as when I was a kid. The Masters of the Universe especially have such a rich line-up of cool characters, it was fun just watching them on the screen (even though what they did and said was lame.)

On the other-hand, I also watched Hellboy: Blood and Iron.



I quite enjoyed this and found it a much better adaption then the live-action films. The plot, the characterisations, the humour and the performances were so much more palatable too.



Although it didn't seem sanitised for the kiddies (Still plenty of blood, fights, murders and scary bad-guys) it lacked the suspense and mystery of the comics. Both the films and animations seem to drop the ball on one of the major charms of Mignola's original stories- and thats the menacing weirdness of his stories and world that comes out in his artwork and the pacing/set-up.

Correspondence from Iraq

Here's an email I received yesterday:
War is totally hell.


Dear Sir/Madam

My name is (staff Sgt.) David Bruce i am an American soldier, serving in the Military with the army's 3rd infantry division.
i have a very desperate need for Assistance and have summed up courage to contact you.
I found your contact through internet serching and I am seeking your kind Assistance to move the sum of Five million United States dollars (us$5,000,000) to you, as far as I can be assured that my share will be safe in your care Until i complete my service here.

Source of money: some money in US currencies were discovered in barrels at a Farmhouse near one of saddam’s old palaces in tikrit-iraq during a rescue operation, and it was agreed by staff Sgt Kenneth buff and i that some part of this money be shared Between both of us before informing anybody about it sinceboth of us saw the money first.
This was quite an illegal thing to do, but i tell you what! No compensation can make up For the risk we have taken with our lives in this hell hole, of which my brother in-law Was killed by a road side bomb last time.
The above figure was given to me as my share, and to conceal this kind of money become a Problem for me but with the help of a British contact working here and with his office Enjoying some immunity, i was able to get the package out to a safe location entirely Out of trouble spot.he does not know the real contents of the package, and he believes that it belongs to a British American medical doctor who died in a raid here in Iraq, And before giving up, trusted me to hand over the package to his family in country.

I have now found a very secured way of getting the package out of Iraq to you at home For you to pick up, and i will discuss this with you when i am sure that you are willing To assist me and that my money will be well secured in your hand.

I want you to tell me How much you will take from this money for the assistance you will give to me.


One Passionate appeal i will make to you is not to discuss this matter with anybody, if you have any reasons to reject this offer, please and please destroy this message as any Leakage of this information will be too bad for the u.s. soldier's here in Iraq.
I do Not know how long we will remain here; month of May was the deadliest month for us to be out Here. Totally, we lost 127 men and i have been shot,wounded and survived two suicide Bomb attacks by the special grace of god.

This and other reasons i will mention later Has prompted me to reach out for help.I honestly want this matter to be resolved immediately, please contact me as soon as Possible with my private e-mail address which is my only way of communication (email:sgtdavidbruce1@yahoo.co.jp)


May god bless you and your family

From David Bruce.

Jazz (We Have It)

A little jazz- mix sampler.

Shopping List

#1- Blood's A Rover by James Ellroy.

Here's a clip of book designer rockstar Chip Kidd extolling the virtues of James Ellroy and vice-versa. (With thanks to Doug for the link)


#2- The Spirit of Apollo by N.A.S.A

Here's a beautiful animated clip of the track Spacious Thoughts featuring the epic team-up of Tom Waits AND Kool Keith!

The Greatest Adventure.

Awhile ago I wrote here that perhaps I'm not bloging much because I'm not having as many adventures. While it's true that I haven't been on many travels of late, I have begun the biggest adventure any hip, bachelor playboy could do... and thats to enter into a monogamist marital life commitment with another.

I'll just let that sink in for a moment and hope that you'll continue reading regardless of where you might think this is going.



Now anyone who'd been through it already will tell you that organising a wedding is a huge endeavour. The logistics, the cost and the relationship minefield are pretty insane. Our original intention was to have an occasion where we could invite everyone we wanted for as cheap as possible.
However once you get into it, you find that your original wishes will be chipped away by family demands, venue capacity, and, of course, budget. Once you start thinking about other people's concerns the event can start to become about accommodating other people and not you two. Pretty much every step has been a minefield and you have to remember to reign it back into what we want.
Maybe the worst thing is ending up with a limited capacity for guests. We ended up with enough room for our large families, but probably not enough for all our friends. Which simply sucks.

Despite the drag of all this, we have had a lot of fun at times organising our day. We've come up with (usually- admittedly- while drinking) some damn exciting ideas to make our day special and unique.
I thought I'd share some of them.

*Arrival of the bridal party
We've come up with a lot of ideas for this.
The ceremony will be by the water on a small strip of beach. So there are MANY options for us:
1. By scuba. Ala James Bond/Charlies Angels, we emerge from the water unzipping our wetsuits to reveal our dress suits underneath.
2. Water ski.
The below configuration would work as we both have 2 groomsmen/bridemaids. We'd be at the apex.

3. Jet ski with a beach assault landing.
4. Being carried through the water on the backs of dolphins.
5. Arriving by horse back charge.
6. Arriving in a sled drawn by miniature goats. The goats MUST have their horns painted gold.

#Music for the ceremony
-Too obvious to actually use, but worth mentioning- The bride could walk down the aisle to this.
-On celebrating the end of the ceremony I'll turn to the crowd while pulling out a stoogie and say "I love it when a plan comes together", then this will play.
- OR, this will play, while the guests shoot pistols into the air.

*Mixing of sands ceremony (variation of).
Mixing of a cocktail. e.g gin martini (gin + vermouth).

*Releasing of white doves (a variation of..)
Some people release white doves, butterflies or balloons as a beautiful touch at the end of the ceremony.
I thought instead, we could release bees.
I'd LOVE to see the guests reaction when it's announced. I wonder how long it'd take for them to register that perhaps they should run. This idea is especially tempting as I heard that scientists have worked out that bee's have facial recognition with humans..... so you could train them to "attack" certain people.


Thats just a sprinkling.

Jazz at The Laundry

Strictly for YOUR information only, here is the setlist from the gig I did the other night at The Laundry, Johnston St, Fitzroy.
I got there a bit early and as there were a few people also there, I started to play some pre-set room warmers. I wanted to get the atmosphere up and swinging while people arrived, got their drinks and settled in. It was also a good excuse to play some fast hot stuff (with the exception of the 2 groovy tracks- Slims Jam/ Dupree's Blues) and lots of Fats Waller!
The dancing set started properly with Cab Calloways Oh! Grandpa.

Track/Artist/Album
Snake Rag (Instrumental)- Sidney Bechet - Sidney Bechet et Claude Luter
It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)/ Duke Ellington/ Introducing Duke Ellington Disc 2/
Dinah/ Fats Waller & His Rhythm/ If You Got To Ask, You Ain't Got It!
Slim's Jam/ Slim Gaillard/ The Legends of Savoy, Vol. 2
Dupree Blues/ Woody Herman and the Swingin' Herd/ Blues Groove
'Tain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)/ Fats Waller & His Rhythm/ If You Got To Ask, You Ain't Got It!
Shag/ Sidney Bechet/ 1924-1938
Old Grand Dad/ Fats Waller & His Rhythm/ If You Got To Ask, You Ain't Got It!
Oh! Gram'pa/ Cab Calloway/Are You Hep To The Jive?
Shake, Rattle and Roll (Afternoon of a Moax)/ Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra/ 1940
Silks And Satins/ Count Basie/ The Complete Atomic Basie
Jump Session/ Slim & Slam/ Lindy Hop Jamboree Part 3
Turn It Over/ Bus Moten & His Men/ Kansas City Blues 1944-1949 Disc 3
Blow, Man, Blow/ Calvin Boze/ Jumpin' Like Mad: Cool Cats & Hip Chicks Disc 2
Back Room Romp/ Duke Ellington/ Ken Burns Jazz Series: Duke Ellington
Four Or Five Times/ Woody Herman/ The Great Swing Bands (Disc 2)
'Til My Baby Comes Back To Me/ Blue Harlem/ Talk to me
Where were you?/ Nat King Cole with Pete Rugolo/ Now that's Swing
Ooh Wee, Then The Lights Go Out/ Jimmy Witherspoon With Jay McShann And His Band/ Goin' To Kansas City Blues
Your Feet's Too Big/ JB Scott's Swingin' Allstars/ Just Swingin'!
Potato Chips/ Slim Gailard/ The Best of Slim Gaillard: Laughin' in Rhythm
Talking That Talk/ Jimmy Liggins/ Jumpin' Like Mad: Cool Cats & Hip Chicks Disc 2
Viper Mad/ Sidney Bechet/ 1924-1938
Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood Mama)/ Fats Waller & His Rhythm/ A Handful of Fats: Original 1929-1942 Recordings
Laughing in Rhythm/ Slim Gaillard/ 1947-1951
Spreadin' Rhythm Around/ Billie Holiday/ Lady Day Swings
Le Jazz Hot/ Jimmie Lunceford / Lunceford Special
Summit Ridge Drive/ Artie Shaw/ The Complete Gramercy Five Sessions
I Can't Stop Now/ Blue Harlem/ Talk to me
Savoy Blues/ Louis Armstrong/ See You Later ...
Loose Wig/ Lionel Hampton/ Swingstation
A Viper's Moan/ Willie Bryant & His Orchestra/ Willie Bryant & His Orchestra
Sugarfoot Stomp/ Kid Ory/ Kid Ory Plays The Blues - Live Broadcasts From The Hangover Club In San Francisco
Blues My Naughty Sweetie/ Sidney Bechet/ The Blue Note Years
Hot And Anxious/ Fletcher Henderson/ Ken Burns Jazz
Shorty's Got To Go/ Lucky Millinder/ Apollo Jump
Up a Lazy River/ Bobby Darin/ Aces back to back
Sugar Blues/ Clyde McCoy/ Mixed Swing
For Dancers Only/ Junior Mance/ Happy Time
Bucket's Got a Hole in It/ Kid Ory/ 1944-1946
Whoa babe/ Lionel Hampton/ Swing - The Ultimate Big Band Album
All Night Long/ Sam Butera And The Witnesses/ Wild Cool And Swingin'

This might be the last lindy hop gig at the Laundry as they're closing for 6 weeks while the venue undergoes refurbishment under the new owners. Quite fitting perhaps as I played at their opening night only a few months ago.
It's a great location and a pretty good room except for the hard concrete dancefloor upstairs. Personally I find it too punishing to dance for long on it, and as a dj I've noticed that people won't tend to dance non-stop all night there. Thats OK though, as it gives people a chance to socialize and get drinks etc.
Never-the-less, it was a pretty good gig! The floor was always full and there was a high energy happening. I ended up playing both sets as no one told me to stop.

My old friend.

After spending last night djing some hot swinging jazz for lindy hoppers at The Laundry in Fitzroy, I'm feeling the influence of that old faithful friend- Indie pop nostaligia!

Listening to Stone Roses: Stone Roses and Primal Screams Screamadelica and Give Out But Don't Give Up on shuffle.

After 3 years in the same pad we're moving house tomorrow!
New Diggsville HQ!!

I've just finished off a job, code name: Ass-mo.


To celebrate I got onto another job for a mate that I've been neglecting for way too long.
I've also cracked open a beer.

Take THAT Facebook status update!!

The good kind of touching.

Actually I DO have a Diggsville-worthy anecdote from last week.
I've been experiencing some dizzy spells and mild headaches of late and last Wednesday I woke up with a particular knotted shoulders and stiff neck that was causing my head to hurt, so I went and got a massage.
During my treatment I was unsure whether or not the masseuse spent an unusual amount of time on massaging my arse or not. And then she left my buttocks exposed for about 20 minutes while she worked on my arms and shoulders.
WAS SHE USING THAT TIME TO PERVE???

Plans are in the works to determine if that was her usual technique or if she was just copping a touch and a feel.

The Death of Meaning.

I was just lamenting to Ainslie that I don't blog much anymore, after I spent some time goofing off this afternoon by re-reading past entries and revisiting old times!
I blame Facebook.
In the past if I had a train of thought on a subject or had an adventure, I'd think about how to retell it here. Where as now I'm thinking of how I can reduce my anecdote to a 2 sentence status update on Facebook.
This is where the future is taking us.
Also to blame is perhaps the fact I'm not getting into as many adventures nor having as many thoughts worth re-telling.

This post was actually going to be a rant about seeing a "news story" on msn titled "Paris Hilton Grocery Shops" with a bi-line "Paris Hilton goes grocery shopping in pink heels and leggings with a matching pink bag."


I really need to stop using Hotmail.

RIP John Hughes.

You made some great 80's films.

Topiary Tales.

In a thin effort to dust off the cobwebs and re-validate the BLOG, here's a scan of a photo taken from a photobooth last Saturday down in Hobart at a pretty cool handmade arts/craft/design market.

Normally those kind of events are quite lame and tacky... but this one had a lot of really cool stuff, including a stall by Chris Downes and his wonderful auto-bio comics. If you're not checking his stuff out daily you're really missing out on some honest, funny and beautifully drafted comic work.

But I digress.

I should bring the topic of conversation back to ME. And my HAIR.

Look at how curly and wavy my hair looks in those photos. Whats up with that?

My regular trendy and expensive hairdresser and I have stopped being on the same page the last few haircuts. Getting a tad bored with my short/bike-helmet-friendly style I've been rocking the last few years and wanting to capitalise on the length of my over-due-for-a-haircut head topiary, I've asked him to do something with the length.
Which has ended in mixed results.

To cut to the chase of it he wants to get all trendy with my head while I seem to be heading (no pun intended) for more conservative styles.

To make matters worse, by hairdresser is a really nice, sincere Japanese lad who gets really upset at himself if I request any changes.

Afraid of him committing Japanese hairdresser ritual suicide (Japanese have a ritual suicide for any occasion), I cheated on him last week.

Throwing caution to the wind I went down to a local Italian barber. I walked in and asked for a haircut thinking I'd have to come back later in the week. (At my old place I'd have to book in at least a week in advance.) But NO. I got one right there and then.

While I missed my usual shampoo and head massage from Yuski's lean but strong deft fingers, the Italian barber experience wasn't too bad. We made small talk about the weather and shaving
techniques (That morning I'd given myself a rare clean shave). Discussed the finer points of the cut-throat razor and such.
I was pretty happy with the final result, and paid less then half what I would've normally spent!

It was always a bit of a fantasy of mine to go and get a $5 haircut from a barber. Needless to say the price of a simple men's cut has gone up over the years, but I have only ever gone to a cheap mens barber (as an adult) twice before now.

The first was in 1998. I remember it well. I went in, asked for a short back and sides with a little off the top and walked out with a STEP.
This was in 1998, I remind you. Not the 80's when it was fashionable. And I was 24 years old.

The resulting stress of that bowl haircut gave me the Shingles. True story.

The second time was a few years ago when I was in London, unemployed, poor and in desperate need for a haircut. A reckless desperado, if you will, willing to pay the littlest amount possible for (once again) a short back and sides. A classic haircut that will never go out of style and (one would think) be impossible to mess up.

I ended up at a 6 quid barbershop run by some ex-communist Eastern Europeans. I may have already told of this story before somewhere in the archives. (Maybe around late 2005??).
Long story short, I paid my 6 quid and got a pretty rough haircut and an offer to buy a satellite dish. Go look it up in the Diggsville archives if you want the longer story.

Anyways.... like I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by my own red-wine infused rambling diatribes (YES, thats right! It's after 5pm on a Friday! It's ALLOWED!), I'm pretty happy with my current haircut.

Don't get me wrong- I'm not going to win any cutting edge (once again, no pun intended. Really.) style contests but trust me when I say I MAKE IT WORK.

The other weird thing is that people have been telling me I look younger.
This might have to do with the haircut and my clean shave or my daily moisturising routine.


BUT THATS ANOTHER STORY.

STARTLED!

I just opened up this blog and was startled to see that huge photo of that young man staring with his dark eyes at me.
It took me a moment to remember what he was doing there.

I know I've been neglecting writing anything here for awhile. If it's any consolation, I think about it often.

I'm not by nature a particularly violent human but, if I had the chance, I'd punch Zac Efron in the throat.
I'd be deluding myself if I said it'd be for his own good. Sure he MIGHT get something out of it, but really I believe we'd ALL benefit from his crushed windpipe.

Normally the likes of young Zac wouldn't even register a blip on my radar, but I came across some pictures of him while RESEARCHING haircut reference before my long-over due hair appointment last Saturday.

Incidentaly, I ended up getting a Hitler Haircut:
The thing I've since discovered is it's not very cool to have a Hitler Haircut if you look even SLIGHTLY like Hitler.
But the great thing about my current DO is it's versatility! With just a little bit of anti-grafity styling I can change my Hitler cut into something that resembles ME circia 1990.

And thats FUN FOR ALL!

Lie to me

Here's something cheeky that Ainslie whipped up while hopped up on a heady mixture of Mexican beer, red wine and a hot Melbourne night!




She was going through some photo's and was immediately struck with the resemblance.

Bye Bye!

To quote Lucky Millinder "Let the door hit you where the dog bit you"!


While the prospect of an Obama presidency is extremely exciting, I hope it won't be a huge let down (like our Rudd).

But fuck he's a great speaker and that was some speech!

2008 : A retrospective

Instead of a proper recap of the year thats been, I thoughtI'd answer this meme that I stole from T-Bird the other week.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Asked someone to marry me. Had an art exhibition. Dj'ed in Melbourne. Visited Tonga. Went to a Catholic Easter mass.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions and will you make more for next year?
While I don't remember making any resolutions I had 2 distinct domestic projects this year and I achieved one of them. I'd like to actually do the 2nd project sometime this coming year along with a bunch more. If I can get most of them done, it should be a good year!

3. Did anyone you know give birth?
Yes.

4. Did anyone you know die?
Yes.

5. What countries did you visit?
New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Financial stability. A dog.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I usually don't know what date it is that day, but I'll pick an easy one. 23rd of June. That was Ainslies birthday and I clearly remember what I did that day.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Some would say getting engaged. I'd also add I did some pretty great work. Had a few books published. Had a gallery exhibition. Went on a great OS trip. Spent some quality time with my family.

9. What was your biggest failure?
There were things that happened this year that I was pretty disapointed in, but I'm not sure if I should claim them as my personal failure. I dunno about this one. I guess I could've done more housework and I've kinda slipped off towards the end here on my motivation for my personal projects.


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Baby got a diamond ring.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Ainslies. She kicked arse this year in terms of her career and creative goals!

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Can't say who because I think they read this blog. No, it's not you.


14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, food and booze. Restocking my fishtank.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Working with The Wayward Toonists in the first half of the year. Lately it's been dancing, jazz music, getting fit and my fish. Although I'd knock a few of the "really" off. Those last things I'm only midly excited about.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Either "Your Feets Too Big" by Fats Waller, "Viper Mad" by Sidney Bechet "You Can't Rollerskate In A Buffalo Herd" by Roger Miller or "Rocketman" by ELton John.


17. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder, thinner or fatter, richer or poorer?
Sadder, thinner and poorer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Working. Although when I was in my busy periods I think I was doing the equivelant of 2 jobs. But it's be nice if it panned out more evenly.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Waiting for people to get back to me.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Up in Sydney. Christmas Eve and morning no doubt with the immediate family and then the big lunch with the extended family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes.

23. How many one-night stands?
Zero.

24. What was your favourite TV program?
True Blood, The Wire, Flight of the Conchords, Entourage, Angel, Battlestar Gallactica & Louis Theroux.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I ain't no player-hater. Feel me?

26. What was the best book you read?
True History of the Kelly Gang. Maybe.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Fats Waller, Sidney Bechet, Jimmy Liggins, the new Racounters album.

28. What did you want and get?
Cleared my credit card. Stayed out of the animation industry.

29. What did you want and not get?
To become the darling of the art world.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
In a year of mediocre film releases and where dvd tv series were king, Iron Man.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went to the pub. 33, baby.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A bigger bank balance.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Shabby-chic. Just like those bars in Melbourne that decorate with old worn couches.

34. What kept you sane?
Watching my fish.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Lucy Lawless.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The Moreland City Council elections.

37. Who did you miss?
All the pretty people.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
The Monday Nighters, the newborns, the lovers, the players.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
It's not easy being so good looking.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Enlightened and excited with a new priority
I shift my gears on a race to eternity
Feeling ever closer to a sense of humanity
rocking like a titan in a big bad mystery