Monthly Archives: February 2004

I really like the sound of the Steel Guitar. It’s used in tracks such as Lay Lady Lay by Bob Dylan and in a multitude of country records. I just find the sound very interesting and it always catches my attention with it’s easy, swaying melody. After browsing the various types of style (Indian country music anyone?) and instrument (Steel, slide, lap steel, ukelele) I came across Hawaiian Steel Guitar. Slack Key is a specifically Hawaiian offshoot. Think Blue Hawaii with Elvis, surfing or Hula Girls ie stereotypically Big Island. It has a long and colourful history formed well before tourists were using it as their own theme tune to getting smashed on mai tais and margaritas. The songs have lovely traditional lyrics, too

All the Hawaiian music has a very strange side effect upon me. It sends me into this weird uber-relaxed state. Bliss perhaps. I don’t know why. It’s like someone is giving me a very, very slow head massage. Oh my goodness i’m a puddle on the floor. What can I say? I love being touched. All i’m doing is listening to tracks downloaded off the net and sat not in Honolulu but sunny Reading. It’s so soothing and packs me off to a dream of sun, surf, hibiscus and spa treatments. Mmmmmm…

Watch the sun when it’s raining (either an uplifting or depressing experience) Kona Webcam

For all the Hawaiian and Polynesian music you could ever ask for: Mele.com

Hawaiian music, language and culture: NahenaheNet

After years of clipping pictures and staring longingly at my laptop screen i’ve changed my mind. The Maldives are out, Hawaii is most definitely in. Just as beautiful (if not more so) with much more. You can go on tasting tours of Kona coffee plantations. Wow I would be one jittery, buzzing Monky after that. Snorkelling, rainforests, surfing, swimming, Hawaiian art, sailing, riding it goes on and on. And volcanoes and lava woo hoo!

USGS Hawaiian Observatory
Kilauea

Campaign for an “Independent & Sovereign Hawaiian Nation” Hawaii Nation

I’ve just realised, the reason I probably like Hawaiian music is because it’s used a hell of a lot in Spongebob Squarepants episodes. Especially tracks like these. Argh.

Of course, the places I get excited about are all the super expensive resorts that are only feasible for maybe a couple of nights. On honeymoon. “You could save for it Monky” I hear you cry. It’s just never the same. When I’ve been somewhere solo I want to share the interesting things with someone else. The Hawaiian Islands will be crawling with couples anyway, just to make me feel extra special. Oh, sorry, I meant “When I encounter couples rubbing in my obvious deficiencies I feel extra special.” Whatever. I’d really love to go but i’d rather miss out than go on my own. It’s just not right.

Fuck it. Lets all go and live here.

At some point, I’m sure many of you will have come across the following picture:

It made me laugh, yes, but I rather taken by the small brown monster-type creatures chasing the kitten. As time passed I saw more of the little box monsters scattered across the internet and in magazine adverts. What were these things, I wondered?

After much trawling of links I discovered that this little fella is named Domo-kun:

He is a Japanese cartoon character who is used on the tv idents for the national broadcaster NHK. I know I am way behind the rest of the world in discovering him, but he is still great. Domo-kun appeals to me so because he is a combination of things- He looks scary, but is also quite innocent and cute in his own peculiar chocolate bar-shaped way. Scary yet strangely lovable? That’d be the Monky. I may eat too much chocolate but I am not square. Due to the chocolate.

For the full story of Domo’s origins see this excellent Domo and Friends Introduction …

“DOMO is a strange creature born from an egg. One day he fell into Usajii’s house, the old rabbit likes TV. After that he began to love watching TV. He is gentle and strong. When he is in a bad mood, he breaks wind.”

Domo-kun FAQ

Here are the idents, whilst here is a translation of all the clips. Japanese humour seems to be a bit hard to understand. Lost in translation, perhaps?

Happy Valentine’s Day from your favourite crushed romantic*

*tell me i’m the only one

fork+shoe=spleen

I challenge you: Giant Battle Monsters

This is cool- BBC News: Diver flees with shark attached. It reminds me of the scenes from Beetlejuice inside the waiting room- the corpse with the shark still clamped on. Sad to see the little fella had to pay with it’s life for equating a diver’s leg with a tasty snack.

The Connoisseuse of Slugs

When I was a connoisseuse of slugs
I would part the ivy leaves, and look for the
naked jelly of those gold bodies,
translucent strangers glistening along the
stones, slowly, their gelatinous bodies
at my mercy. Made mostly of water, they would shrivel
to nothing if they were sprinkled with salt,
but I was not interested in that. What I liked
was to draw aside the ivy, breathe the
odor of the wall, and stand there in silence
until the slug forgot I was there
and sent its antennae up out of its
head, the glimmering umber horns
rising like telescopes, until finally the
sensitive knobs would pop out the
ends, delicate and intimate. Years later,
when I first saw a naked man,
I gasped with pleasure to see that quiet
mystery reenacted, the slow
elegant being coming out of hiding and
gleaming in the dark air, eager and so
trusting you could weep.

— Sharon Olds

I came across this poem whilst searching for enlightenment in Broad Street’s Waterstones. Ha, Freudian there with Wasterstones. I did not find enlightenment, but I did find this strangely affecting poem. Slugs and men are similar after all; they’re squishy, sometimes slimey, eat lots and cause havoc near grass. I like them both. If only salt would dissolve the problems. I bought a thick tome of poetry as a salve for the emotional bruises i’ve accrued recently. I don’t think it will work but I just felt a need for some comfort which I can’t seem to find anywhere else at the moment. Why I thought poetry would help I do not know. Maybe it’s all the terrible Valentine’s Day merchandise everywhere.

I was looking for a collection of poetry by women so I could maybe share some life experiences with them. Sort of read and empathise and perhaps know i’m not the only one. I couldn’t find a volume I liked, however. Although she did not write many of her songs, Eleanora Fagan Gough provides a suitable voice to my thoughts. Lady in Autumn is the perfect accompaniment to an evening of deep sighs.

BBC Radio 4: Poetry Please!

Ooh- I have been linked by someone who I do not know: This brings my readership to, oh, maybe four. Of course, this is probably due to the fact that I have linked to them, but I am overly excited anyway. Thank you Ground Glass you have made an average sized Monky very happy!

Pics courtesy of Dwayne Johnson Online

These delightful pictures are from the set of Be Cool the follow up to Get Shorty. Dwayne is playing Elliot Wilhelm, a “gay bodyguard who wants to be a singer.” Good casting here, as the character is a 6 foot tall Samoan. A very interesting role for him given the industry he comes from which is overtly male, straight and macho (of course if you’re gay, you’re weak, obviously). His afro is most excellent.

I hate to say it but Fat Vince is perhaps looking a little less Fat. Mind you, all those layers aren’t exactly showing off his figure.

Peter Berg, director of Welcome To The Jungle: “Women were coming up and asking if they could touch him,” he says, “like a piece of exotic fabric.” Telegraph: Meet the new Schwarzenegger