Classic Fanzines Make Me Weep

The website, FANAC, the fan history project, is wonderfully cool. This is a picture from it (Ben Bova, Joe Haldeman, and !!!!Roger Zelazny!!! at the Disclave Con in 1972). There's a really cool letter from (god himself) Gene Wolfe to a British SF fanzine called "Speculation" from 1973. Check it out.
- posted by Mason @ 12:35 AM (0) comments

I met an industrial legend...
and he ate some jelly beans I offered him.


This guy is En Esch, from the band Slick Idiot, and who used to be in KMFDM (who, in case you hadn't heard, are a drug against war). I ran sound for them the other night, and he told me the following story: (i would like to point out that this is paraphrased and should be read aloud in a heavy german accent)

"In 1997 or 98 we were opening for Rammstein in Dusseldorf, you know it? Well, we were on stage and I felt this spirit, like a presence. I felt that it must be the ghost of Bach channeling through me. He had played the same concert hall many years before, but I don't know if I was tripping or what..."

He was pretty cool, even though I hate industrial music, and he alternated drinking from a half gallon of cheap orange juice and bottles of Heineken. Also this band called More Machine Than Man (who, according to their website are cybergoth and electrofetish, whatever that means) opened and amused me with their quasi-pornographic-horror-shock-video sync'd up to the music.
- posted by Mason @ 5:25 PM (0) comments

Guilt vs. Shame
This topic came up the other night, and I couldn't quite put my finger on how I wanted to express the difference between the two, so I consulted my authority on all things academic, Dr. David Hibbard (you can call him H-Bomb, but just for the summer). Here's his take on it:

...guilt is strictly an internal emotion. It seems to keep us from doing bad things (as Freud might say). You could actually feel guilty just imagining doing something "bad". But no one else seems to know what you are feeling (unless you tell them, I guess).

Shame, on the other hand, seems to be what you feel when you have actually done something "bad" and are publicly embarrassed in some way.

Developmentally speaking, my guess is that shame rears its head pretty early in life, whereas guilt takes a certain level of cognitive advancement and may develop a bit later.

-David R. Hibbard, PhD
Department of Psychology
Illinois Wesleyan University
dhibbard@iwu.edu

So this is what I was trying to say, I just couldn't get it out as succinctly. I guess that's why I'm a college drop out and H-Bomb has a fucking professorship. I love my Uncle Dave, he's the only person I know who knows the guitar intro to "Rebel Rebel" and the answers to all my questions about psychology.
- posted by Mason @ 1:01 PM (0) comments

Moon Mission show you won't miss

I'm playing a solo acoustic show at the Book Beat/Electric Chair Art Gallery. Check the deets from Shilo himself:

Friday, April 28th:
2nd ANNUAL WOODSHEDDIN’ NIGHT OF ACOUSTIC MUSIC:
BLOODY OL’ MULE
SUNNYVALE
OUR ANTICIPATION
WADE ED STANLEY
ZACH FLOWERS
MOON MISSION DEATH SQUAD

$5 Cover
Doors open at 8p.m. Show starts at 9 p.m.
THE ELECTRIC CHAIR
6409 S. Western
Okc. Ok. 73139
405-616-7407
www.bookbeatco.net

So show up or you're a fucking bitch.
- posted by Mason @ 12:49 PM (0) comments

Midstates and American Princes show you missed


You fuckers are all the same, you show up in droves for garbage local high school kids in tight jeans, and totally flake out on excellent touring indie rock bands. The show Sunday (that you missed) was awesome. Midstates, from Chicago, and American Princes, from Little Rock, destroyed to the max. But you wouldn't have liked it anyway since your taste in music runs the gamut from banal and derivative to wholly grotesque and despicable.

Also, both bands were super cool and nice and funny and they gave me free cds and I love them now. When either of them come back, the Moon Mission will surely open.
- posted by Mason @ 12:39 PM (0) comments

Ice Cream Skittles


These things are sort of poopy. I liked the chocolate and the orange, but the caramel was vomitous. They were only 35 cents at Family Dollar. You know how I love a wacky limited edition snack product. For more info on snacks and snackabillia, check out taquitos.net and candyblog.com.
- posted by Mason @ 3:04 PM (0) comments

"Have you ever heard of a 95 year old woman going to bed nude?"
My grandmother just said this at lunch in reference to her mother, who, we were all shocked to learn, sleeps in the buff.

Also, my grandpa thought he was having a heart attack friday, but then he belched and felt fine.
- posted by Mason @ 1:47 PM (0) comments

Things I bought in Dallas, TX

Even though I'm selling all my star trek novels, I just can resist.


This Raiders of the Lost Ark storyboard and script book from Half Price is tasty to the fucking max. It has zany, cartoony nazis.


And I like this shirt because it's upside-down-on-purpose.
- posted by Mason @ 3:56 PM (0) comments

A Canadian Mining Horror?

Meg and I rented this piece of crap from netflix this week. It was pure ambrosia. I loved it, it was fabulous. I HIGHLY suggest watching it. There's sex, gore, mining, moosehead beer, and "aboots" and "i'm soories".

There's even gas mask fondling. It gave me a chill.
- posted by Mason @ 3:46 PM (0) comments

I haven't updated in week because...
I'm a fucking asshole. I'm on it now though.
- posted by Mason @ 3:25 PM (0) comments

Mason+Megan+Centro+Dallas=Heaven

I'm in the DFW Airport North Red Roof Inn (it's the only metroplex Red Roof with wifi) waiting for Meg to get out of the shower so we can go see Centro-Matic, our favourite band of all time. I'm so pleased right now. We hit a few thrift stores here today without much luck. Tomorrow is a Will Johnson in-store at Good Records and then more thrifting and Half Price Books-ing. Sunday is the Dallas Aquarium, IKEA, then back home. Did I mention that this is great?
- posted by Mason @ 7:59 PM (0) comments

You know how I love a ruined future...

Once again, my unemployed status has allowed me to read a totally fucking awesome sci-fi novel. Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game". I'm about halfway through it, and I LOVE IT. I don't know why I haven't read it before; I've owned a copy for years. I'm pretty sure it's another one of those things I'm going to become consumed by and post about over and over again.
- posted by Mason @ 4:02 PM (0) comments

DOOGIE!

We spent several days this week plowing through season one of Doogie Howser, M.D. from netflix. The first four seasons are available, and as much I enjoy it, I don't know if I can bring myself to watch all four seasons back to back. I think we'll probably move Dallas Seasons 1&2 up in the queue.

Yes, it's true, there are some things you just can't download, so I've sucked it and gone back to the jesus of online movie rentals. It's ok, because I'm copying them all. So I'm really getting my money's worth. And we all know how I feel about that.
- posted by Mason @ 3:45 PM (0) comments

John Wayne's America

My ever observant girlfriend (can you really still call someone that after five and half years?) Megan snapped this at Mary's Swap Meet last sunday. Check out her Flickr for more from the Flea Market.
- posted by Mason @ 3:39 PM (0) comments

Why Daniel and I are now even cooler than you

Dad totally hooked me and Daniel both up with one of these very expensive bass synth pedals. I'm tingling, just tingling.

Check the specs from Boss.
- posted by Mason @ 8:38 PM (0) comments

How the mighty have fallen...
Everyone's favorite misanthrope, Pat Hill Farris, has finally hit rock bottom. He now has a myspace. Sickening. Truly sickening. Where are your bolshevik friends now, COMRADE? I would like to know what the party has to say about myspace.


I hope I've made it abundantly clear that myspace should only be used for pedophillic teen girl stalking and nothing else. You can also take your Facebook and stick in your urethra.

I would also like to point out, that I continue to be one of Mr. Farris's most ardent supporters.
- posted by Mason @ 8:27 PM (0) comments

My own Estate Sale Shocker
Megan and I went to an estate sale in MWC yesterday, right? No big deal, old lady house, old lady stuff. It was, however, run by her grotesquely fat, skulleted son and sort of normal daughter (both probably in their late 40's). It looked like her grandson might have lived there at some point, as there was a cheap shelf unit with TUPAC written on it in paint pen and several ICP posters for sale in the back bedroom. In the closet of said bedroom, there was a cardboard box containing a dvd copy of the movie pictured below, SPANKENSTEIN, priced at $7.50.

There were two other bondage/spank dvds (same price), an issue of Butt Lust, an old Penthouse and a copy of Latin Girls (all $1.00), and some terrible 80's big box porn, the title of which escapes me.

I was only shocked by the fact that they had the audacity to sell them.

UPDATE: Having looked it up online, it looks REALLY, REALLY funny, and I kind of wish I'd bought it now. Oh well...
- posted by Mason @ 6:05 PM (0) comments

Berries and Cream
At it again, Dr. Pepper has produced yet another wholly undrinkable version of my nectar of choice, Diet Dr. Pepper.


It defies the taste buds, truly. I cannot begin to accurately describe how fucking vile this stuff is. It's like 12 ounces of mildly pleasant cream soda with six ounces of raspberry body spray and two ounces of Diet Dr. Pepper flavored chapstick. I hated it, but I bought it knowing full well that I would.



- posted by Mason @ 7:18 PM (0) comments

YAFLWMCT*

*(yet another fat loser with a motley crue tattoo)

I'm not poking fun, I just think this really, really sad.
- posted by Mason @ 9:31 PM (0) comments

Italian Transformer Ad from 1981

I don't really like Transformers (I did at the time, I suppose), but I really like this ad. It makes me want to cry. More italian Transformers stuff here.
- posted by Mason @ 7:20 PM (0) comments

Mormon response to HBO's "Big Love"

Now, I LOVE this series (even though I think character blogs on a show's site are weird and creepy), and I find the following excerpt from LDS.ORG very, very amusing:

Despite its popularity with some, much of today’s television entertainment shows an unhealthy preoccupation with sex, coarse humor and foul language. Big Love, like so much other television programming, is essentially lazy and indulgent entertainment that does nothing for our society and will never nourish great minds. Parents who are casual about their viewing habits ought not to be surprised if teaching moral choices and civic values to their children becomes harder as a result.

Read the rest on the LDS website.
- posted by Mason @ 6:50 PM (0) comments

One more reason why I LOVE Chris Meloni

Meloni is such a fucking thug! Oh my god, if I was 1/1,000,000th as cool as he is, I would be unstoppable. Elliot Stabler doesn't fuck around.
- posted by Mason @ 6:23 PM (0) comments

I started a blog for my mom.
It's about the crazy stuff she finds at estate sales. It's called: estate sale shockers. I encourage you to encourage her. I'm pulling her kicking and screaming into the world of blogs.
- posted by Mason @ 6:07 PM (0) comments

Thrifting with Megan and Eric

Two things, one I GOT NEW GLASSES! It's really, really fucking weird to be able to see. Also, this mug is shaped like a titty, and you can drink from the nipple. This was not purchased, for a variety of reasons I won't go into at this time. Suffice to say, I relish in it's tastelessness.


Hey big daddy, you like-ee SCSI cd drives? I sure as fuck do. The changer is delicious, isn't it? Oooohhh, and the Apple one makes me hard as steel. If you never used a caddy loaded Grolier's Encyclopedia at the school library, your cred isn't worth shit to me.


And finally, sure, you see a lot of Kaypro IIs, but when was the last time you saw FOUR of them? I was pleased. Check the specs:

2.5 MHz Zilog Z80 microprocessor
64 kB of RAM
2 single-sided, 191 kB 5¼ inch floppy disk drives
80 column green monochrome 9" CRT

Choice, eh?
- posted by Mason @ 9:32 PM (0) comments

And More Sci-Fi Book Scans
Click 'em to enlarge 'em.


Of these, I've only actually read the Lem novel (oh, Stanislaw, you're so Polish!).
I'll get around to the others later.
- posted by Mason @ 5:29 PM (0) comments

So I guess I like fantasy now.
Well, some of it at least. I just finished Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber, Vol. I (which is the first two books in the series). It gives me a real bone. It's fantasy, but there aren't any dragons or anything, and it moves between our world and theirs pretty seamlessly. It's not like it's about some fucking knights om arms and their chivalrous ways or anything.

Also, my copy is this edition, but in much better condition.
- posted by Mason @ 5:20 PM (0) comments

More Gene Wolfe Scans
I went ahead and scanned my copies of the first three Book of the New Sun novels since I couldn't find them anywhere online. (click the pics to view the full size)


- posted by Mason @ 6:51 PM (0) comments

I am again reminded why I despise Gallagher.

About a month ago, I bought a copy of "Melon Crazy" at Unique Thrift for 25¢. What a total waste of a quarter. I forced Megan to watch it this morning. Even for 1984, his jokes are pathetically dated and unfunny. Bill Kirchenbauer (aka, the dad from Just the Ten of Us) is also featured, and also unfunny.

It's mostly just that I'm totally offended by Gallagher's right wing, libertarian, misogynist, no taxes, no big government, marijuana is good for you, racist, "the intellectuals are the idiots" ideology. I'm fine with the melon craziness, the melon smashing, even the poorly sewn melon costumes, but I don't want to hear his vile, uneducated socio-political rants.

At least Carrot Top keeps that shit to himself.
- posted by Mason @ 6:23 PM (0) comments