http://www.brickweekly.com/ Brick Weekly Blogs en-us sitehelp@gatewayva.com Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:21:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/blogs/pick_of_the_week_my_bloody_underground/ The Brian Jonestown Massacre / a Records Have you guys ever seen DiG!? Highly recommended. Viewers essentially learned that the dude from the Dandy Warhols is a douchebag of epic proportions, and that Anton Newcombe is an insane rock-and-roll muddafugga who will totally kick you in the head if you harsh his buzz. But if you listened close, you’d pick up that Newcombe is a pretty decent songwriter, who had a solid grasp of pop mechanics and a good ear for a catchy hook. So it’s good to see another album from the bunch, even though it’s become something of a yearly tradition by now. It’s not the best album of the year, but it’s a definite pick of the week, and a solid treat for any popheads in need of a gritty sugarfix. A BLAST OF SILENCE Aaron Baren / Criterion Hells bells, I didn’t think I’d ever dislike a Criterion disc. But here we are. At best, their latest release is unnecessary. This flick is a by-the-numbers noir piece with neither vim nor vigor. There are better noir thrillers you can waste your time on, like Criterion’s own excellent release of the classic Le Samourai. Give this one a pass. THE VEGAS YEARS Everclear / Capitol Fuck me, did you know that Everclear is still around? Proof-positive that, at the end of the day, sheer mediocrity is the only sure path for long term success. Yeah, I’ll admit it; I have the first three chords to “Santa Monica” burned into my soul, forever cursed to bust ‘em out whenever I’m near a guitar. And yeah, there are a few good pop gems here. But we got bored of this shit back in 1995, folks! Let the dead rest. JUNO Jason Reitman / Fox Searchlight Pictures I have no idea why I have this disc. I butchered this movie when it first hit theatres, and received a very nice letter from the producers that essentially told me to fuck myself. Well, let me just repeat my piece here: Diablo Cody is a pretentious twat, and the only reason this movie got any play at all is because the media was in love with the idea of Cody. This flick is a poorly shot hackjob riddled with indie film clichés. Michael Cera is brilliant, however. I’D LIKE Dalkey Archives Michalopoulou is a goddamn brilliant young writer. This small collection of short stories is an absolutely enchanting and riveting read. Each tale bleeds gorgeous prose and details, spilling out of each page with an enchanting verve that flirts with magical realist surrealism without ever surrendering to its absurdity. The worst thing I can say about this collection is that it ends far too soon.         Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:24:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/blogs/blog_pranks/ There are countless reasons April Fools’ Day will never be a well-observed national holiday, but the shoddy craftsmanship of novelty gags is perhaps the biggest one. Case in point: Westminster’s Radio Controlled Whoopee Cushion is supposed to have a range of 50 feet, but the remote control didn’t even work properly within five feet during numerous tests. The oversized receiver unit also makes a garbled noise as soon as you turn it on, which defeats the element of surprise. I hoped I would witness the next-generation of pranks when I tried it out, but I was sadly mistaken. Smaller, less obvious pranks are still the best way to go. Try an inflatable whoopee cushion, a fake cockroach or the time-tested “kick me” sign and a fresh piece of tape instead. Happy April Fools’ Day, everybody! (Disclaimer: Brick is not responsible for the lost friendships, terminated marriages or subpoena deliveries that may occur as a result of attempting these gags. Prank responsibly.) Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:54:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/blogs/rip_hd_dvd/ Pour out a little liquor for Toshiba’s dead homie, the HD DVD player. The electronics giant announced on February 19th that it will no longer manufacture the high-definition movie format it created.  Film studios have also announced that no new titles will be released on the HD DVD or the HD DVD Combo formats. A statement on Toshiba’s website said that “as a result of recent market developments, the company has decided to discontinue sales and marketing of HD DVD players.”  The company has begun to cease shipments of its HD DVD products to retail channels. The news recently set videogame chat rooms on fire as Sony PlayStation 3 fanboys began to rejoice.  Microsoft’s Xbox 360 touted its external drive as a direct competitor to Sony’s Blu-Ray format.  Microsoft’s Web site states that it has discontinued production of its drives for the 360.  At press time, the company had reduced the price of the 360’s HD-DVD add-on to $49.99 MSRP. Over 400 HD-DVD titles are available domestically, which guarantees that the format won’t end up collecting dust next to your Betamax and Laserdisc players. Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:20:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/blogs/schoolhouse_scandals_at_canal_club/ Tonight, the Richmond Moving Image Co-op present “Schoolhouse Scandal,” a selection of educational films from the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. The films are provided by AV Geeks, who have an archive of over 18,000 films meant to mold America’s youth into germ-phobic, nuke-fearing, sex-avoiding, courtesy-loving, patriotic citizens. Five bucks gets you in the door. At the Canal Club (1545 E. Cary St.), starting at 7:30pm. Music by Bock’s Car after the flicks. To get you in the mood, here are some helpful hints to keep you safe at Halloween. And a handy way to spot perverts… Fri, 05 Oct 2007 09:39:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/blogs/they_listen_to_britney_so_you_dont_have_to/ The shameless plugs continue… Today (Friday October 5) at noon on WRIR 97.3 FM, tune in to “Wordy Birds” with Liz Humes. Today Liz interviews Greg Kot (rock critic for the Chicago Tribune) and Jim DeRogatis (pop critic for the Chicago Sun-Times), hosts of the syndicated public radio rock and roll talk show, “Sound Opinions.“ In addition to their regular gigs writing about popular music for daily newspapers, both have written books. Most notably, Jim wrote a biography of rock critic Lester Bangs called “Let It Blurt” and Greg penned 2004’s “Wilco: Learning How to Die.“ Tune in at noon to WRIR 97.3… or stream it online at http://www.wrir.org. That is all. Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:58:01 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/blogs/punch_bon_jovi_in_the_mouth/ Think of it as figuratively pushing Justin Timberlake down a flight of stairs, punching Bon Jovi in the mouth and sending the Nickelback tour bus into the ravine. But supporting WRIR 97.3 is better than daydreaming about doing violent things to vapid pop stars. Supporting Richmond Independent Radio actually makes a difference and adds to the karmic balance in the epic struggle against soul-sucking corporate broadcasters and the harmful, pointless noise they force in our earholes. Right now, the WRIR Fall Pledge Drive is in full swing. Tune in to 97.3 FM and support locally-DJed music shows, great national programming from NPR, Pacifica, American Public Media and Air America and excellent local news and talk programs. Where else are you going to hear The Drive-By Truckers, BR549, Muddy Waters, The Asylum Street Spankers, The Bad Livers, Joy Division, Spankrock, Metallica, The Damned, Animal Collective, Gaybomb, Ghostface Killah, The Slack Family, The OK Bird, Robert Pollard, Corey Harris, Peter Tosh, Richard Hell and Moby Grape in the same week? There’s only one place… 97.3FM. The same place you get Democracy Now with Amy Goodman, Le Show with Harry Shearer, Talk of the Nation with Neal Conan, The Splendid Table, Free Speech Radio News, Tell Me More, This Way Out, Sound Opinions and Wordy Birds. WRIR 97.3 FM. Does this sound like a commercial? Too bad. There are some things in this city that only exist because of the people who pulled it up by its bootstraps. WRIR is one of them. All they ask in return is a little support, a little cash, a little acknowledgment that someone is listening. A nod or a wink that someone out there appreciates an oasis of intelligent community radio in the midst of the vast wasteland of commercially produced sludge that filthys up our dial. Call now and give them something… 804-622-WRIR (9747) Go online now and give them something… http://www.wrir.org The WRIR Fall Pledge Drive goes on through Thursday October 11.  Friday October 5, there will an art show at The Metro Space Gallery (next door to Metro Sound and Music). At 6pm, Richmond bands Marionette and Dark Little Rooms will perform live. In addition to the gallery performances, DJs will be spinning music across the street at Turnstyle (102 W. Broad Street). Refreshments at the gallery will be provided courtesy of Cous Cous and Sticky Rice. Both the gallery event and musical performances are free of charge. There will be a $5 suggested donation and proceeds from sales of the art go toward supporting WRIR Richmond Indie Radio. This is your chance to support one of the great things in Richmond. Don’t blow it. Skip lunch today, donate $10. Skip dinner out tomorrow, donate $25. You know you can afford it. You know it’s the right thing to do. Viva Richmond Independent Radio! Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:17:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/blogs/hometown_heroes_disappoint/ Mankind has yet to invent the technology to measure my disappointment. Therefore, you must take me at my word. I am more disappointed now than at any time previously in my life. What a shame. What a disgrace. I cannot begin to describe how it pained me to watch my City Council sit idly by while the power mad Mayor had his way with the School Board.  What good are superpowers if you don’t use them? I remember back when I first heard about the City Council’s superhuman abilities, I thought to myself, finally. Finally we can get some results around here. But apparently I was wrong. Apparently the power to fly, see through walls or bend steel with your bare hands does not give you the courage to face your enemies. Honestly, I hope the truth is that Mayor Wilder discovered some power-sapping talisman that rendered the Council’s powers useless. I hope that he constructed an army of oversized robot henchmen. I hope that something big happened. Because the alternative is that they just don’t care. Mr. Pantele, what gives? Your inconspicuous absence during this debacle leads me to believe that you have no business heading up the Richmond Municipal Hero League. As Captain Galaxy you have complete command of the forces of gravity. You have the ability to redirect the heat of the sun. Yet you stand idly by while a small army of movers infiltrates your inner sanctum? Had it not occurred to you to increase the gravitational pull in order to render each and every file cabinet as immovable as the Lincoln Memorial? At the very least you could have superheated the sneakers of the moving crew. And Mr. Hilbert—or should I call you Atomic Noggin—did your super-genius suddenly up and quit? Did the wisdom of the universe slip out of your smooth-shaven dome? You have the power of infinite wisdom, sir. One shouldn’t have to explain that ‘infinite’ means ‘without end.’ Perhaps you were indisposed at another sports bar trivia competition, wrapped up in proving your superiority by answering questions about RBIs and free throw percentages. Your brain’s cortex contains the complete volumes of world knowledge. We get it. Instead of using your gift to acquire free nachos, I must insist that you use your powers for the common good. At least, Reva Trammell, you have an excuse. It is a stretch of the imagination to figure out how your shape-shifting abilities could have prevented Mayor Wilder’s fiendish power play. Sure, as Miss Morphin’ you could have transformed into a fly on the wall and learned about the Mayor’s plans sooner. Or you could have altered your chemical structure to become a grease puddle that would have prevented some of the moving crew from getting the proper footing. If anything, the most promising idea would have been to repeat your Kodiak bear mutation (like you did when arguing for the erection of four-way stop signs last month). It seemed to work in swaying that vote… perhaps it could have done some good. I suppose we’ll never know. As for you Mr. Tyler, you have some real explaining to do. I expected much more from Doctor Von Magic. Was there really nothing you could do as a full master of the dark arts? What about all the bragging you’ve done on the morning talk shows? I watched in embarrassment while you performed like a cabaret act for Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera. I saw you fold sheet metal like origami with the power of your mind. I saw you pull a cupcake from behind Al Roker’s ear. And I watched Ann Curry giggle like a schoolgirl as you levitated her over the Hudson River. Impressive stuff. But where was that magic last Friday? Where were your powers when Wilder was making the Richmond Municipal Hero League look like a bunch of chumps? I saw Wilder walking around and he wasn’t even wearing his armor. He was completely vulnerable, taunting you. And don’t give me a line like “the Mayor must have jammed our surveillance cameras or early warning systems.” Because I know that Marty Jewell as Mindphisto has perfected the art of mental projection. He can take anything happening in a 100-mile radius and project it on a wall clearer than any HD television screen. I’d like to leave each of you with a quote. A man once said, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others, at whatever cost.” That man was Arthur Ashe. He had no superpowers, unless you count his backhand. His quote speaks volumes about how a City Council/Superhero Team needs to behave. Instead of using your remarkable powers in trivial combat over politics and petty matters, you should use them to their fullest potential… to serve.  Kathy Graziano, as Lightnin’ Lady you have the power to fly faster than the speed of light. But do you use that ability to do anything else besides win the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k every year? Why not push yourself to the limit? Think about flying around the planet at super-speed, counter to the Earth’s rotation, to reverse time. It worked in “Superman.” And it seems worth a try. Rewind us back to Friday morning when things were still okay. Rewind us back to Friday and rally your colleagues, call each of them to action. Tell Douglas Conner Jr. it’s time for FireBug to “Light ‘Em Up!” Tell Dolores McQuinn that Electro-Gal should get crackling and Ellen Robertson that Thunder Woman needs to make some noise. If all of you can work together as a team, remembering to serve others, I promise you the Richmond Municipal Hero League will never again be defeated. Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:09:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/blogs/porn_again/ Press releases from the mayor’s office come every day. But they usually tout some sort of leaf-removal celebration or minor staff change. Nothing to get excited about. Today, everything changed with this whopper: “Porn Site Visits Discovered on Council President’s Computer” Say what? While this may smack of small town scandal, the deeper you read, the more it seems like a political street fight. It’s the electronic equivelant of a kick to the groin or a biting of the ear. It reminds me of that Lyndon Johnson story, the one about the pre-Presidential campaign tactics of the Texas politician. He told his campaign managers to spread a rumor that his opponent had sex with farm animals. When they protested because the story was false, Johnson allegedly said, “I know, I just want to hear him deny it.“ Here’s the rest of the press release copy: The City’s continuing investigation of inappropriate usage of City equipment now indicates a pattern of “porn site” usage on the City Hall computer located in the office of Council President William Pantele. Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Harry Black has forwarded these findings to Police Chief Rodney Monroe for further investigation. “I am sure that the Police Department will be meeting with the involved parties to further investigate this evidence to ascertain whether criminal activity has occurred,” Black said. “We will expect the fullest of cooperation from Mr. Pantele, as he himself has been quoted as saying that such behavior is inexcusable.” Inappropriate usage of City equipment such as computers and cellphones is prohibited by the City’s Code of Ethics as well as Employee Administrative Regulation 2.5, which indicates that such violations can be grounds for disciplinary action to be taken. The City’s Police and Information Technology Departments continue to lead an ongoing investigation of alleged abuses involving City equipment among employees. Investigations involving the abuse of City equipment have been ongoing since late 2006. Earlier this month, it was discovered that a number of sex calls were being made by outside contractors on various City telephones, mostly after the close of regular business. Thu, 13 Sep 2007 01:58:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/blogs/fixing_the_tragedy_of_suburbia/ Here’s twenty minutes that anyone interested in the Downtown Master Plan should watch. It’s a speech by James Howard Kuntsler about the tragedy of suburbia and the basic mission of the New Urbanists. It’s quick, funny and includes more than a few revelations about why driving 20 minutes west down Broad Street leaves one feeling so despondent. Watch it here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3057280178909051497 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 03:45:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/blogs/the_interviews_the_city_doesnt_want_you_to_read/ Just last week two of our senior reporters spent the day at city hall talking with some of the most powerful players on the local political scene. This is going to be part of a larger series of stories later this month, which will tackle those very same issues of which you speak. It won’t come out for a few weeks, but I got permission from both writers to run a little preview of some of the dirt they uncovered and the muck that they raked. Enjoy!* . . . Here’s an excerpt from Gina Bell’s interview with Richmond City Council President William J. Pantele: Mr. Pantele, is it true that City Council has purposely set out to make life difficult for Mayor Wilder? That’s completely untrue. From the very beginning of his term, every member of the Council has sought to work with the Mayor in order to achieve what is best for the citizens and the city of Richmond. Okay, but why would you confront him in an elevator and make, what he has asserted, were blatant threats? That never happened. According to my sources, you followed him into the elevator in City Hall, wagged your finger in his face and held a tomato in your right hand. You told him that if he didn’t “play along” that “something bad might happen to that precious little face,” at which point you squeezed the tomato and the juice and guts oozed through your fingers. That’s ridiculous. I also understand that you were wearing a fake moustache and vampire teeth. Why? That never happened. What about the roller blades? Was that to hasten your cowardly escape back through the halls to your office? It never happened. I suppose you’re also going to deny that you had anything to do with shaking up all of the Diet Cokes in his mini-fridge and removing all of the vowels from his computer keyboard. I really don’t have time for this. Neither do the taxpayers Mr. Pantele. Neither do the taxpayers. . . . Here’s a snippet from Tad Herriman’s in-depth discussion with Richmond Police Chief Rodney Monroe: Since you’ve taken over as Chief of Police is it true that crime in the city has virtually ended? Not exactly. There are still plenty of challenges that we’ve got to face and a lot of work that needs to be done. We’ve made some great strides, but the fight has just started. But it’s a much safer city than it was under the previous Police Chief, Jerry Oliver. I really don’t want to comment on the job that Jerry did. That’s old news now, I can’t do anything about that. All I can do is deal what’s in front of me today. Right, but when it comes to law enforcement, the guy couldn’t police his way out of a wet paper bag, right? I wouldn’t say that. But you’re kind of bitter that he was so slack. He sat on his hands while drug dealers and thugs ran roughshod over Richmond. He left you one heck of a mess to clean up. Right? Absolutely not. I read somewhere that you were terrified of rattlesnakes. No, not especially. I read that you were so afraid of rattlesnakes that you’d break out in a cold sweat even if you just saw a picture of a rattlesnake. No. That’s not true. Well, I just happened to have a picture of a really mean looking rattlesnake right here. A nice big glossy photo that really shows off those fangs. Scary isn’t it. Sure. And it looks like there’s something written here on the photo in Sharpie. Do you want to read what it says? Not especially. Okay, since you’re clearly terrified, I’ll read it to you. It says, “Dear Rodney, I hope you enjoy this picture of a rattlesnake. Love, Jerry Oliver.” Hmm. What do you think about that? What kind of jerk would send someone who is terrified of rattlesnakes a picture of a rattlesnake? Are you going to ask me any more questions? Well yeah, I’d like to know just who the hell Jerry Oliver thinks he is and why he just won’t leave you alone. I really don’t have time for this. . . . * For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is weirdly coincidental. All quotes are purely fiction. The presence of an asterisk and italicized text automatically indemnifies us against any legal action.