Yum for the Holidaze

I went to my local HEB here in Austin on Saturday and discovered that it was a holiday madhouse. An Xmas youth choir was singing, Elvis was slinking around, and Santa was "Ho-Hoing" somewhere out of sight.

What caught my eye, however, was these two beautiful purchase options. The first is the infamous Tur-Duc-Hen. If you've never had this culinary science experiment you just haven't lived. It's stuffing inside a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey. No bones, much deliciousness.

The second item is a cake formed in the shape of a turkey, complete with frosting stuffing. The whole thing is made of meringue, which just seems weird, but I couldn't take my eyes off of it.

Famile Friendly Fun

Many people, when they want a little cultish, quasi-religious music in their lives immediately turn to the Polyphonic Spree. Yes, I am in Texas and would love to support the locals (though, really, they are from Dallas so who gives a shit?), but I find their choir robes annoying...even if they have moved on to military garb, as I've read they recently did. There is something annoying and calculated about it that I can't explain.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre are a little more my speed. Charlie Manson, guns, feuds, and fights all rolled into one. The dark soul ego oozing out of Anton make them entertaining, if a little uneven. Cocaine--it's a hell of a drug.

There is one band that brings the uplifting together with the secret dark spaces and some catchy costumes in a way that I actually love. The Danielson Famile. Ever since the first album I heard by them, Tell Another Joke at the Ol' Chopping Block, I have been captivated. Whether it's Brother Danielson on his own or with the family, there is something about his screeching vocals that makes my skin crawl as it uplifts my heart. The Famile has never "gotten big" beyond the initial hype with indie kids around the release of the first album, and rightfully so. Brother Daniel hasn't ever really deviated from his mission of screeching out the word of Jesus, which makes a lot of people a little uncomfortable.

The reason I bring up the Jesus in Danielson is I read on the dreaded Pitchfork that there is a documentary about the Danielson Famile on its way. I simply cannot wait. (As if it's really coming soon to any theater near me.)

Here's the movie site: Danielson: A Family Movie
And here's the trailer, which looks awesome: Danielson trailer

Boobies of the Dead

I saw this in the window of a random shop on my way to Poison Girl in Houston the other night. It made me think of the (NSFW) porno version of Re-Animator that I read about a while ago. But less about the gore and more about the cheesiness of boobie novelties.

When I was really young and living in Pueblo, Colorado, we used to get a charge out of going to Spencers (was it ever subversive, or was that just my sheltered upbringing? I think in the '70s it was definitely a cultural threat) and looking at the adult novelties there. Now that I look back on them, they were pretty tame--fake sweaters to warm your tackle box, naughty party games, wind up penises that jumped around, and nudie jigsaw puzzles. The big thing to do was to go to the jigsaw puzzle and dig out the "guide" photo of the naked woman (since they couldn't put nudity on the puzzle can) and steal it. Much nervous looking and giggling would follow.

Ceci n'est pas l'art

Found this on a wall where I sit to wait for my bus. I love lightening bolts almost as much as I love stars. Perhaps those sharp edges get me all worked up.

Triangle Man Hates Particle Man

Saw this on my way from the Menil Museum in Houston. It was an almost fitting endnote to the Klee retrospective there.

After complaining that I was writing too many grafitti posts, I returned to Texas and found that my favorite Austin poster grafitti artists are either dormant or moved along. Very depressing...my ride to school is much less sanguine without it.