"Watch Me Zoom By..."

"What up to all the ladies hanging out in Mumbai." Snoop makes Bollywood bounce. The story is here thanks to PRI's, The World.



If Richard Gere almost got jailed for kissing a lady on stage in India, what happens when Snoop rolls up with the entourage?

The Dark Knight!!!

Just saw it today, got my beautiful lady to play hookie from work. Have been really excited for it and it did not disappoint me. I loved it. It lived up to all the hype. The best comic book to movie movie of them all. Yes it was pretty dark (I don't mind dark) and it was long (2 and 1/2 hrs) but that was only slightly a problem. Action, lots of tension, Heath Ledger was gripping with his maniacal Joker performance. Christopher Nolan is the man. (also a big fan of Memento by him). I think the people that didn't enjoy it are not the types that like comic book movies, or fantastic, non-reality based movies. This is as brainy as pop entertainment gets. I thought it was brilliant. 4 1/2 out of five. Go here for the official trailer (much higher quality than the youtube one)... http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/




Go see it!!

Life is calling...

By the way, did everyone say hey to El Manicero? He's our newest contributor. Here's a pic of him from the Pitchfork Music Festival:



The Pitchfork Music Festival has now become an annual APT Summertime Outing.

Check my lady's shots from the festival here...shout out to Caroline, Mags, Emma, Tyler and the man from Amsterdam, Mauricio. Chi-town forever...APT for life...

Kernals of Peace

Roomie is out of town....LA, Paris, Japan, Milan. Who knows. But I got to keep my boy in step with all that is happening in my adopted home state of Maine.

Several NBA A-listers (okay C-listers) showed up in Maine to work with teenagers at the Seeds of Peace International Camp. The camp is located in Otisfield, ME and brings together kids from Middle Eastern countries to discuss gender roles, tolerance, diversity, and PEACE. Ballers, Derek Rose, Brain Scalabrine, Jordan Farmar, Dj Augustin, Side Show Lopez, and his brother Date Rape, were all in the house.



"I always get peaceful, that is why I am into yoga. Yoga class is also a great place to meet girls. I like girls...and pizza. Does anyone want to see my ring?" Brian Scalabrine, of the World Champion Boston Celtics during his keynote address at he Seeds of Peace Camp 2008.


Catch the story...here.
LA Laker Jordan Farmar looks like a middle school kid...here.
Killer slideshow from the Sun Journal...here.
More Scali...here.

W.

Not the Wu Tang record, the flick by Oliver Stone (due out this fall). I didn't even know Stone was still alive. I am not a huge fan of the bio-pic, but this joint looks like it may have some legs on it.



Pre-game...Yale style.

Get your legends of Rap Trading Cards here

What up people. Got 30 euros burning a hole in your pocket? You're gonna love this....


"Legends of Rap is a classic trading-card deck with 32 cards that give respect to the groundbreaking figures from the early days of hip hop.

Hip hop - the most vigorous cultural phenomenon to emerge in the last three decades - was created by people growing up in housing projects around Harlem and the South Bronx in New York City. The Caribbean-style sound-system battles that took place in city parks, schoolyards, and at block parties in the 1970s were breeding grounds for the rap, break-dance and graffiti styles that now echo through pop culture worldwide." Pick em up now at Colette, and remember the good ol' days of Hip Hop from Run DMC to Afrika Bambaata. 30 euros for the set."

The site this was found on is for Colette, which is apparently like a french urban outfitters and is really really cool and really hard to figure out where I found the cards... see if you can find them... There are some shots of the different cards here...

Enjoy!

Katahdin Adventure

We loaded up the Block-Doyle Minicruiser with gear and provisions on Sunday morning at 2:00am. Coffee, egg sandwiches, and Alberto's i-pod (dude even when you are not around your music is...how does that happen?) fueled the 3 1/2 hour drive from Portand.

The mountain was incredible. This was the most rewarding and dynamic climb I have ever done. Check some pics...

The Approach. Millinocket ME.

W2 contemplating the 4,500+ vetical ruggedness.

Top Shelf with B Nice, W2, The Bird, and Bloc Party

Mountain Love.

Knifes Edge. Ineffable!

The post game was rowdy. I got so geeked on dark chocolate smores I felt like Chris Farley getting loose with ODB. Plus, we were attacked by some kind of giant bird, and ejected from a local country store. Minus the Celtics Championship and my introduction to the loaded cerveza, this was it!

Make Like Emil

I wanted to drop in and share some APT well wishes. For many of us summetime is a chance to heed the call of the open road. APT hall of famers King Roomie Rock and El Manicero are soaking up the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago and two other close personal homeboys are on a plane as I write this.

Big trip for two big time players. RV, aka Big Brother aka Poor Man's Pacino aka "I hate James Posey" and Dr. D, aka Grog aka Ras Dumas aka Gandalf, are headed to Alaska this morning for 12 plus days of strangeness. All the best gents. Stay tuned for Dr. D's photo essay upon safe passage.

PS Pics of killer Katahdin adventure forthcoming!

The weekend in the Vale

The week is winding down in the Vale of Paradise. So what do we do around here?

Friday

It's the second weekend of the musical Assassins at the Chicago Street Theatre featuring some amazing talent. Check out Doogie in the Broadway Revival.



Saturday

Taking in an independant film that stars a tragic clown. Not sure, but it could be an adaptation of Pagliacci. Found some less than glowing reviews here, here, and here, so it's sure to be a stinker. We're going early in the morning so no one sees us.

Sunday

Sunday brings new episodes of the best "cartoon" on TV. And I'm not talking about the Simpsons, here. I'm talking about The Venture Brothers on Adult Swim. If you haven't seen it, see it. It brings some of the best characters, villians, and obscure pop culture references around. How obscure? Check out this homage to Brock Samson, bodyguard to the Venture family (voiced by Patrick Warburton). Check out 1:12 where Brock is fighting Bigfoot, and yes, her lover Steve Austin.

See how I brought that all together?

Major League

And I am not talking about these guys.

I have just returned from a family function where my better half unearthed a relic of days gone by. We came across a headshot of Lee Majors. Autographed. That is right...The Six Million Dollar Man.

Some of you may be more familiar with his work as the Fall Guy, but make no mistake, Lee, robotic or otherwise, is all man, all of the time.

The back of this headshot included homeboy's vitals, dutifully written by hand.
Born in Wyandotte, Michigan (hollar!) April 23, 1940. Blondish-Brown Hair. 6 feet tall and 175 lbs. Blue Eyes. Taurus.

Peep him here battling Sasquatch...played by Andre the Giant!

The Dude has sick bionic hops just like W2.

I am going to miss this guy. Hardly knew you Big Game.

APT Summertime update

It's summertime at APT and that means the weekend starts, well...on Wednesday night.

All is going VERY well at APT...so, King Roomie hosted an improptu "ladies-only" lunch this afternoon...seated left to right, TE, MAV (from Port2Port Press), and Masta Key.

Per usual, Roomie was both behind the decks and behind the stove. The menu comes with little help from this book by APT Hall of Famer, Gordon Ramsey.

APT loves this guy. Sure, he's rough around the edges, but if APT ever wanted to hold a dream gala, this drill sargent would be the first choice to plan the catered dig. Always bringing 100%, never phoning it in like the Detroit Pistons, Ramsay provided the following recipes for today's lunch:

Avocado/Cucumber soup with toasted baguette



and for dessert, bluberries with honey, almonds and yogurt.



Let's have a look inside the APT fridge, shall we? Always stocked and ready...most of the time...

...various cheezes (bottom shelf, in the plastic), veggies (beets and carrots for salads, top shelf), red meat (steak, top shelf...right next to the veggies...yeah, that's how we roll!) Bells and Allagash beer (tucked away in the back).
Not pictured...Mt. Gay Rum and Sauza Hornitos Tequilla (top of fridge).



APT summertime mix on the box.

On the music end of things, APT always offers the finest in used records not many folks would dare to play. Let's see whats on the decks...

APT turntable setup

Here's the current wax selection King Roomie has been bumping this summer...peep the Cathy Dennis, primed for a dope mix...


The Black Box record was a gem find in NH this spring...Luscious Jackson's "Naked Eye" on top, a Malasto dance party classic...Madonna's first record is buried at the bottom...everyone loves Holiday...



Crown Heights Affair has "Far Out", a disco classic fav of APT...the two Markus Enochson singles are dope broken beat finds...all in all, a very uptempo summer...


On the Moviemate, APT is feeling this new HBO series .

This film was just screened at APT for the first time last night...this scene made the crew almost pee their pants...Anthony Anderson is the sh*t!
"Come on Pookie, let's burn this muthaf*cker down!"

It's a pleasure to serve you tonight...

Hello, ladies. The Drizzle, your elected Midwest Representative, reporting in. Before I get started, I know what you're thinking: "Sure, he's handsome, but can he post clips from obscure French films?" The answer is no, but I can post clips of me playing video games. But we'll get to that later. I'm just happy to have been asked to contribute to what is easily one of the Top 200,000 blogs on the internet. But what makes me qualified to comment on APT topics? Let's run down the list, shall we?

Movies

OK, here are my Top 10 favorite films. These are personal, so the film school students can keep to themselves:

1. Jaws
2. The Big Lebowski
3. The Godfather
4. The Matrix
5. A Clockwork Orange
6. Pulp Fiction
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
8. Se7en
9. Animal House
10. V For Vendetta

Is it wrong to purposely avoid putting Se7en at #7?

Music

Well, I like this guy



These guys



I really like these guys



And this is pretty cool, too



Food

Um...




So, there you go.

Sports

My household as a child involved no sports. My father thought they misreprented achievements we should try and accomplish and instead subjected his children to multiple sessions of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. I mean, really? Wow... I didn't get into sports until my 20's (missed those 90's Bulls titles - thanks Pop), so my view of it is skewed slightly. I have no "built-in" love for any team. I still love the Bulls and Bears, but I would be more excited to see the Kings or Steelers win. The Cubs I loooove, but I hate baseball. And my favorite college is in Wisconsin, and the one I hate is in my hometown. Here is the least handsome picture of me I own taken at the Badger/Crusader game. Truly horrible.


Design
Got it covered


So, that's what I'll bring. I still need to figure out the finer workings of things, but I'll represent the midwest like it used to be. Good Night!

The Drizzle

Please say hello to Live From APT's newest author, The Drizzle.

Vital stats: Die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers, Wisconsin Badgers and Sacramento Kings fan, father, actor, director, comedian, heartbreaker and the former (and best) neighbor that King Roomie Rock has ever known, The Drizzle don't play. Finally, APT has some midwest representation up in this piece. EM is still the most beautiful memeber of the APT authors, but The Drizzle, as handsome as he is, is certainly in contention...

For more on The Drizzle, please see his profile below, lifted from his Myspace page:

"Your Political Profile:
Overall: 10% Conservative, 90% Liberal
Social Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal
Personal Responsibility: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal
Fiscal Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal
Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal
Defense and Crime: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?
Your World View
You are a happy, well-balanced person who likes people and is liked by others.
You question whether many conventional views on morality are valid under all circumstances.
You are essentially a content person.

Sometimes, you consider yourself a little superior.
You are moral by your own standards.
You believe that morality is what best suits the occasion.

What Is Your World View?
You Are 50% American

America: You don't love it or want to leave it.
But you wouldn't mind giving it an extreme make over.
On the 4th of July, you'll fly a freak flag instead...
And give Uncle Sam a sucker punch!

How American Are You?
You Belong in Amsterdam

A little old fashioned, a little modern - you're the best of both worlds. And so is Amsterdam.
Whether you want to be a squatter graffiti artist or a great novelist, Amsterdam has all that you want in Europe (in one small city).

What European City Do You Belong In?
You are an Atheist

When it comes to religion, you're a non-believer (simple as that).
You prefer to think about what's known and proven.
You don't need religion to solve life's problems.
Instead, you tend to work things out with logic and philosophy."

What more can be said. Welcome, Drizz...

In other news, my man is already off to a great start...
And let's not forget this either...

PES

Via the TTL Estoy Con Estupido blog from the other day...meet PES.



Here's a few more...



For Sister TE and W2...


In other news, this guy...


...is too good.

Check the vid below...minute 2:23 is priceless...

Uprgaded the Casbah

What do an armadillo Beyonce Knowles, The Clash, Nelly Furtado, Ofra Haza, oil wells and beer drinking Arabs have in common?



This killer mash-up.

Czech Tower Jumping

Seems like a sport that the folks at APT would be into, yes?

Click here and don't forget to scroll all the way down and watch the vid.

Nike Be True City Collection

Info via Cool Hunting...


"The folks responsible for starting the whole limited-edition trend are at it again with the Nike Be True City Collection. Continuing to torture their customers with skinny releases, only be 86 pairs of each color will be available in seven select cities—New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Rio de Janiero. After that you're gonna have to comb eBay.


I haven't been a big fan of some previous Dunk releases, but I like this black-on-black version, because it puts more emphasis on the texture and materials . If you look closely, they also feature coordinated accents, matching laces to the trim. Price and store locations have yet to be released, but prepare to spend top dollar if you want to put these on your feet."

Nike Dunks are no joke...I am going to issue an "APT Special Addition" of these...all black Converse Chucks with lime green laces...or army green Chucks with white or black laces. What do you think, EM?

Townes Van Zandt

He has been in heavy rotation on my i-pod. The man was being groomed to be the next Governor of Texas. Perhaps he could have been President. Instead he blew it off and became a legend.

He is an influence on MMJ's Jim James, who nearly stopped my heart with his rendition of Goin' to Acapulco in the Not-Exactly-Dylan-Bio Pic, I Am Not There.

Here is the Sunday morning love. Pardon the cheesy dying flower montage (I couldn't resist. It makes me laugh). I do love this joint. It appears during the closing credits of this APT favorite.



They also made a film about the fellow. This is a must see.



I am on vacation so Roomie will have to pick up the slack. Nos Vamos.

Why NYC is the best...

From the NYTimes interview conducted on the "Q" train today.
Click graphic below for larger...



Also, check Roomie's movie pick of July here.

Independence Day

On July 4th, 1776 the United States Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. This came on the heels of the American Revolution. We have pretty much been on a roll since then...



From Big Willie, Roomie, and W2, happy Independence Day. Big Brother, don't eat too many hot dogs.

Rupa and the April Fishes

I moved to Portland about seven years ago. When I first arrived, my homeboy The Mad Scientist introduced me to the most lovely couple called Lars and Rupa. Lars hosted a photography show on the side of his house at Higgins Beach which still remains one of the coolest parties I have ever attended.

These two were responsible for introducing me to Canadian power pop and several killer World Music acts which I have long forgotten. Shortly after I met them they moved to San Francisco and I not seen them since the Mad Scientist got hitched.

Well It seems they are making a return to Portland. Rupa's band will be laying it down tonight at One Longfellow Square. Show time is 8:00pm. This group is no joke. They have dates in LA, NYC, Chicago, and the Montreal Jazz Festival. So Peep the video and catch these here Fishes if and when they come to your town.



Who wins at chess...Bobby Digital or that Horse Man? Peace.