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blackswaneuroparedux · 5 years

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James Bond and the Vesper Martini

“I can’t drink the health of your new frock without knowing your Christian name.”

“Vesper,” she said. Vesper Lynd....”

“I think it’s a fine name,” said Bond. An idea struck him. “Can I borrow it?” He explained about the special drink he had invented and his search for a name for it."The Vesper,” he said. “It sounds perfect and it’s very appropriate to the violet hour when my cocktail will now be drunk all over the world. Can I have it?”

“So long as I can try one first,” she promised. “It sounds a drink to be proud of.”

- Casino Royale by Ian Fleming (1953)

In 1952, British writer and former spy, Ian Fleming, penned what would become the first in a series of novels featuring a British secret agent named James Bond. In Casino Royale, published in 1953, Bond meets his American counterpart Felix Leiter for drinks and orders a very unusual martini. Bond’s instructions to the waiter are detailed and specific.

“A dry martini,” Bond said. “One. In a deep champagne goblet.” “Oui, monsieur.” “Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?” “Certainly, monsieur.” The barman seemed pleased with the idea.

Bond initially tells Leiter the martini has no name, but later in the book Bond invites a beautiful Russian double-agent named Vesper Lynd to dinner and again orders his favorite cocktail. Increasingly smitten with the Russian beauty, Bond decides to name his unique martini after her.

But can the drink essentially be reproduced today exactly as author Ian Fleming envisioned it at the time?

It’s remarkable that this drink has become so famous when you consider that for more than half of its lifetime it has been impossible to make it properly. The enigmatic ingredient that Bond calls for, Kina Lillet, is notoriously hard to get hold of.

A French wine-based aperitif that first appeared in 1887, Kina Lillet became immensely popular, particularly in American cocktail bars. Technically categorised as an aromatised wine, it’s made by fortifying a Bordeaux wine, Semillon, with liqueurs, then barrel-ageing. The number and flavour of the liqueurs is a closely guarded secret, the company only conceding that they use sweet and bitter oranges and lemon.

Unfortunately, the original 1887 recipe was reformulated in 1986 when the original quinine was removed to create a lighter drink, leaving fans of the Vesper bereft.

However, Cocchi Americano is considered a reasonable alternative.

But some simply replace Kina Lillet with Lillet Blanc, which works well, but others say it is not as good. The main difference between the two spirits is that the Kina Lillet contained quinine, a component which makes the liquid extremely bitter, therefore dramatically altering the taste of the cocktail.

Finding a bar in London that had Lillet Blanc used to be a problem, unlike in France. But over the years more and more bars in London started stocking it after the release of the 2006 Casino Royale movie.

It gets worse for Vesper Martini fans. The gin that Bond drank has changed. Indeed the proof of Gordon's Gin was cut in 1992. But thankfully there are alternatives out there.

To top it all off, the vodka also posed a problem for the Vesper Martini drinker. The recipe calls specifically for Russian vodka which in 1953 almost certainly meant Smirnoff. But the Smirnoff available in England today is mostly not made in Russia either - most of it's made in Scotland.

However it can be argued that a Vesper isn’t a martini at all, because a martini must be made with vermouth. Whilst aromatised wines and vermouth have much in common they are distinctly not the same. Further, reputable drink mixologists will argue that the martini should only be stirred and never shaken

Sorry, James.

Incredibly, Ian Fleming also admitted in a letter to the editor of The Guardian newspaper, published in 1958, that he, “proceeded to invent a cocktail for Bond (which I sampled several months later and found unpalatable)… The gimmickry grew like bindweed and now, while it still amuses me, has become an unfortunate trademark. I myself abhor wine and foodmanship.”

As is so common with authors, a story is often conceived off the back of a real-life experience of which the truth is of many shades.

It may well be Fleming told a little white lie that he actually invented the Vesper Martini. In actuality, the book version of the Vesper was created by Fleming's friend Ivar Bryce. They were childhoods before they went to Eton and both served in British intelligence during the war. They were bosum buddies for life.

In Bryce's copy of Casino Royale Fleming inscribed "For Ivar, who mixed the first Vesper and said the good word."

In his book You Only Live Once, Bryce details that Fleming was first served a Vesper, a drink of a frozen rum concoction with fruit and herbs, at evening drinks by the butler of an elderly couple in Jamaica, the Duncans, the butler commenting, "'Vespers' are served." Vespers or evensong is the sixth of the seven canonical hours of the divine office and are observed at sunset, the 'violet hour', Bond's later chosen hour of fame for his martini Vesper

Whoever actually invented the Vesper Martini we do know Fleming was inspired by a real life Vesper.

Fleming’s background was in British naval intelligence, and it was during his time as part of World War II that he was introduced to Krystyna Skarbek, or Christine Granville. Christine was a Polish who worked as a British secret agent for Special Operations Executive (SOE).

She became celebrated especially for her daring exploits in intelligence and irregular-warfare missions in Nazi-occupied Poland and France. She was awarded the OBE, George Medal and the Croix de Guerre for her outstanding services.

The beautiful Christine had many alias’, one of which was Vésperale. It is thought that Fleming may have had a brief love affair with this agent, but even if he did not, it seems likely that she was the muse for the very first Bond girl and subsequent potent cocktail.

Casino Royale is in fact the only time Ian Fleming has James Bond order a Vesper; in the other books he drinks regular vodka and gin martinis. But 007 gave the recipe with such inedible conviction, that it’s become an enduring part of popular culture.

As Bond famously noted, this cocktail is to be very well shaken until ice cold. It’s generally accepted nowadays that this was foolish from a mixologist’s perspective. Shaken drinks tend to be those that include juice, egg whites, or cream; cocktails with those ingredients need to be very well incorporated, and even a little frothy.

Cocktails that include purely alcoholic ingredients should rather be stirred in a glass of ice then strained out into your glass, as shaking will make the drink cloudy and can excessively water it down, as the shaking melts the ice.

Perhaps Bond thought that shaking would chill the cocktail quicker (he does prefer his pre-dinner drinks “very cold,” after all), and actually liked it a bit watered down, given how strong it is.

We’ll never know, but since 007 insisted on shaking, that’s what we’re going to do too in the following recipe that I do for friends and guests.

Peel a wide strip of lemon zest. I rub it all around the glass edge first. Then I put it in the glass. When you pour the drink, this allows the essence of the peel to be more evenly incorporated throughout the drink rather than just plopping it in at the end.

Fill your shaker with ice.

Add all liquid ingredients to the shaker. Rather than making the uber-boozy drink that Bond requested, I did half measures. Since the recipe is listed in parts rather than specific measurements, it’s easily scalable. The cocktail is still plenty strong, don’t worry. Of course, if you’re feeling plucky, feel free to go with Bond’s full measures.

1.5 oz Gin. Go with Gordon’s Gin or Beefeater’s Gin.

.5 oz vodka (again, preferably a grain vodka) I use Beluga vodka, a very fine quality vodka still distilled and bottled in Russia.

.25 oz Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Aperitivo Americano.

Shake it up! Hold the shaker in both hands and vigorously shake the cocktail for a slow count to 10, or until the outside of the shaker gets cold and frosty.

Pour into your champagne or cocktail glass. Interestingly, Bond requests a champagne goblet as his vessel rather than a standard cocktail glass with a stem and wide triangular bowl. It’s up to you champagne goblet or cocktail glass.

Enjoy!

#vesper martini #vodka martini #martini #bond #james bond #ian fleming #casino royale #literature #drink #vesper

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langwrites · 6 years

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How to Make Friends and Influence People

I have been toying with a revamp of my Dragon Age fic, so... I guess it might end up being a bunch of drabbles? Here’s a sampler.

A Discordant Note

“This is the story of how I died.”

…Morbid, I think, and perhaps not particularly accurate despite its pithiness.

“An elf, a witch, and an abomination walk into a cave…”

I think not.

Perhaps I should start from the beginning, without all of this posturing. I should leave the tale-spinning to true masters of the art, and instead tell my story as I remember it.

My name is Nyx.

This is certainly my story—my memoir, if you will—but the story as the world sees it is not mine, you see. I am, at best, something of a background figure in the epic saga of the Warden-Ensigns who ended the Fifth Blight. I should know; as a Warden myself, I am hardly ignorant of the trials they faced in their journey.

But once, I was in their position.

I was a bright-eyed youth with no notion of what my future would hold. All I knew was that my mistakes had somehow earned me a second chance—a chance to be free of Kinloch Hold, to turn away from blood magic that marked my recent past, to find a future with those who would value my power over the source. I owed my future to those who allowed me to live long enough to have one.

I joined the Grey Wardens when I was twenty and never looked back.

This is not the story the Wardens remember.

Per Weisshaupt’s records, I joined Warden-Commander Duncan of Ferelden in the Frostback Mountains, during the early spring of 9:24 Dragon. By all accounts, I was already a seasoned apostate who had successfully evaded Templar notice for years before volunteering to join the Wardens as an adult. That I was already afflicted with the Taint was a confounding variable, but not an insurmountable one. The Grey Wardens have had many strange and unique recruits over the years, after all.

By my own account, I was recruited through the Right of Conscription in 9:30 Dragon. I have a reason for it, and it does not involve madness outside of the ordinary course of the life of a Grey Warden. No, that comes later.

That story will follow.

With regards to fellow historians, Senior Warden Nyx Surana

??? Dragon

Crawling out of a fetid swamp and breathing in the sort of air cold enough to freeze your lungs solid: Not anyone’s idea of a pastime, I should think.

I would have honestly preferred to take a second shot at that Eluvian and just face-plant in the Brecilian Forest in the middle of a werewolf infestation but, alas, it was not to be.

On the other hand, I am now dry, clothed in actual cloth as opposed to mail, and not freezing to death. It was a near thing, but it seems I have survived. When I get my hands on that bastard, I will make him rue the day he dared step foot out of his cozy lair and strip the flesh from his spongy bones while I am at it.

First, though I need to get my bearings. Then I may properly contemplate taking up demon-slaying in addition to darkspawn-slaying as a lifelong career choice.

1 Drakonis, 9:24 Dragon

Even looking at that date, written longhand, gives me chills.

Something is very wrong.

2 Drakonis, 9:24 Dragon

My worst fears are confirmed. The Eluvian does indeed lead to a world beyond the Fade, after a fashion. But it does not lead to a place farther from the Thedas I knew—rather, further. Backward.

I have to wonder if Morrigan knew what I was about to do.

Lesson learned: When a great big demon makes a point of herding you toward the mirror, Nyx, do not let him do so. Certainly not if the mirror is active.

Lothering’s Chantry has at least been helpful, assuming that the Revered Mother indeed believes that I am a mere misplaced Dalish tribeswoman. Were she clever enough to identify me as an apostate, Grey Warden or no, I would have a fight on my hands. Not for the first time, I appreciate how little humans understand about the Dalish. While I myself am no expert, I would hardly expect the Templars to be so forgiving to a tattooed elf woman wielding a staff such as I have.

Hiding my equipment outside of town worked out well. I only have to hope that no hapless farmer comes across it. Not all of the things I carry on a mission are safe to handle.

Addendum: Or, if someone does so anyway, that the farmer in question has two apostates in the family. Himself included.

7 Drakonis, 9:24 Dragon

Perhaps running south hadn’t been his best idea.

It was the sort of thing that made Anders regret his penchant for escaping without an actual plan, per se.

Slightly.

The Frostback Mountains composed most of the border with Orlais, which was part of the reason why he hadn’t expected to run into the foothills so soon. The maps in Kinloch Hold didn’t really do it justice—after miles upon miles of green hills and gently rolling landscapes dotted with fir trees, the Frostbacks rise up out of the earth like spines on a dragon’s neck. And the path just kept going up.

It wasn’t cold yet, but sunset would probably bring a brand new array of interesting frost patterns and icicles soon enough. The grey-streaked green slopes were hardly inviting, snow or not. Spring came slowly to a place like this, meaning that there was enough snow far enough down the slopes to be unnerving, almost as much as the lack of humans in the area. Thus far, he had only seen scattered herds of sturdy mountain goats, probably tended by handlers no other living human had seen in ages. The lack of human contact was downright disorienting—after Redcliffe and Honnleath, he’d made the mistake of supposing there would be more people to talk to, even well into the mountains’ shadows.

At the very least, the inevitable templar pursuit party was probably going to have just as much trouble as he did. The frigid weather in the Frostbacks didn’t agree with the metal armor templars insisted on wearing. Granted, it didn’t much agree with him—see the robes? Not insulated!—either.

If he looked back, down through the vale he’d already passed through, Anders was almost certain he could see the faintest gleam from a pack of the helmeted bastards following in his footsteps.

Or maybe it was a trick of the fading light.

Anders turned back to the seemingly endless uphill climb ahead of him, sighing. His breath made a translucent white cloud.

It would all be worth it… Well, if he could get out of the country. True, Orlais was on the other side, but White Spire didn’t have his phylactery. The jurisdiction confusion could hold the templars up for a day or two, if they realized they’d popped over into the next country. Unless they just handed the tracker over to the Orlesians, anyway.

Of course, by the end of the day he still hadn’t gotten out of Ferelden, properly run away from his niggling worry about the pinheads inevitably dogging his heels, or managed to find shelter.

Worse, it got astoundingly cold as soon as the sun finally decided to drift off behind the peaks. Almost without thinking about it, Anders found himself speeding up whenever he saw a patch of rock or greenery still bathed in light—there, at least, it would be slightly warmer. Eventually, though, there was no more light and the wind continued to howl mercilessly across the rock, and he shivered in his suddenly too-thin robes.

Clutching his staff, currently more of an expensive lyrium-infused walking stick, he continued onward and upward into the thin air.

Sometime after the sky began to darken in earnest, and every breath he took was wheezy and showed up in the air, Anders crested a small hill and stumbled into something he hadn’t expected. The tree line had started to clear out a little, probably because there was a little game trail winding through the cliffs, but there was still a grove a little ways off and up.

Ringed by knotty mountain trees, crammed against the meeting place between a rock and a tree, was a sort of improvised tent made of evergreen boughs, moss, and dirt. The camp was well above the road, providing a perfect vantage point while being almost invisible to any creature passing below. In fact, Anders wouldn’t have seen it at all if he hadn’t smacked right into the low-grade illusion over it and known how to dispel it.

(Though he was certain that he would never tell anyone that he’d poked it with his staff first. That sort of thing could have cost a foot off the end of it, with a different spell.)

After confirming the camp was empty (by throwing a rock into it), Anders crept into it with curiosity leading him by the nose. Not for the first time, really.

Well, for a camp there wasn’t terribly much in it. Aside from the evergreen bedding, a campfire that didn’t look like it had yet been lighted, and a burlap satchel sitting on the ground, it looked like no one had bothered to do much at all to the little clearing. Anders didn’t have much experience with camping or tracking, but he did have enough book knowledge to know to test for traps. He prodded experimentally, looking for ankle snares or tripwires that most people used when trawling for thieves.

Granted, if the illusion had been cast by the sole owner of the campsite, then at least he might have a sympathetic ear (of the sort that didn’t generally use traps. Nasty things).

Though one of the trees nearby looked like it had taken a sword to the trunk at some point, peeling the bark back, which was less encouraging.

Still, nothing in the campsite looked abandoned, precisely. No dust (…did the outdoors gather dust?), no extra ashes in the fire pit…

Hm.

Well, if his options were staying here and probably being captured by Templars again, versus trying to run off on his own and likely being eaten by a red lion or breaking his fool neck trying to scale a cliff, Anders could honestly say that the former managed to win out by the slightest of margins. Assuming that the Templars were close enough to reach him in a day or so, anyway, he’d probably be woken by a kick to the head and have to trek downhill again.

…At least they couldn’t kill him. Not after he passed his Harrowing. In hindsight, perhaps it was best that his first and second attempts at apostasy had been short-lived.

Anders sighed to himself and began to settle in. Hopefully, the campsite’s owner wouldn’t be any angrier about his presence than the Templars would be, though he was at a loss to imagine such a thing.

#Dragon Age #Dragon Age Origins #Dragon age Inquisition #Anders #Warden Surana #Nyx Surana #fanfiction #snippet #snippets

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malte1mj-blog · 7 years

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2006/2007 TV Awards

2006/2007 Best Drama Series: Battlestar Galactica Friday Night Lights Lost The Sopranos The Wire HONORABLE MENTION: Boston Legal, Brothers and Sisters, Deadwood, Dexter, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, House, Lost, Medium, The Riches, Rome, Veronica Mars Best Actor - Drama Series: Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights - "Eyes Wide Open" Michael Chiklis, The Shield - "Chasing Ghosts" James Gandolfini, The Sopranos - "Kennedy and Heidi" Michael C. Hall, Dexter - "Pilot" Hugh Laurie, House - "Words and Deeds" James Spader, Boston Legal - "Angel of Death" HONORABLE MENTION: Jamie Bamber, Battlestar Galactica; Matthew Fox, Lost; Eddie Izzard, The Riches; Anthony LaPaglia, Without a Trace; Denis Leary, Rescue Me; Kevin McKidd, Rome; Ian McShane, Deadwood; Christopher Meloni, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Edward James Olmos, Battlestar Galactica; Timothy Olyphant, Deadwood; James Purefoy, Rome; Kiefer Sutherland, 24; Sam Waterston, Law & Order; Barry Watson, What About Brian Best Actress - Drama Series: Patricia Arquette, Medium - "Be Kind, Rewind" Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars - "Spit & Eggs" Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights - "I Think We Should Have Sex" Minnie Driver, The Riches - "Been There, Done That" Edie Falco, The Sopranos - "The Second Coming" Katee Sackhoff, Battlestar Galactica - "Maelstrom" HONORABLE MENTION: Rachel Bilson, The O.C.; Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters; Calista Flockhart, Brothers and Sisters; Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Evangeline Lilly, Lost; Sarah Paulson, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip; Ellen Pompeo, Grey’s Anatomy; Joely Richardson, Nip/Tuck; Maura Tierney, ER Best Supporting Actor - Drama Series: Zach Gilford, Friday Night Lights - "Eyes Wide Open" Aiden Gillen, The Wire - "Margin of Error" Walton Goggins, The Shield - "Haunts" Robert Iler, The Sopranos - "The Second Coming" Andre Royo, The Wire - "That's Got His Own" Jim True-Frost, The Wire - "Alliances" HONORABLE MENTION: James Callis, Battlestar Galactica; Justin Chambers, Grey’s Anatomy; Gaius Charles, Friday Night Lights; Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal; Jack Coleman, Heroes; Brian Cox, Deadwood; Michael Emerson, Lost; Omar Epps, House; Josh Holloway, Lost; Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos; Taylor Kitsch, Friday Night Lights; T.R. Knight, Grey’s Anatomy; Julito McCullum, The Wire; Gerald McRaney, Deadwood; Terry O’Quinn, Lost; Masi Oka, Heroes; Scott Porter, Friday Night Lights; Zachary Quinto, Heroes; Matthew Rhys, Brothers and Sisters; Jake Weber, Medium Best Supporting Actress - Drama Series: Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy - "Time After Time" Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica - "Crossroads, Parts 1 & 2" Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost - "One of Us" CCH Pounder, The Shield - "Baptism by Fire" Sonja Sohn, The Wire - "Know Your Place" Aida Turturro, The Sopranos - "Soprano Home Movies" HONORABLE MENTION: Rosanna Arquette, What About Brian; Candice Bergen, Boston Legal; Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos; Linda Cardellini, ER; Alana de la Garza, Law & Order; Lindsay Duncan, Rome; Lisa Edelstein, House; Rachel Griffiths, Brothers and Sisters; Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactica; Yunjin Kim, Lost; Paula Malcolmson, Deadwood; Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy; Adrianne Palicki, Friday Night Lights; Mary Lynn Rajskub, 24; Sofia Vassilieva, Medium; Polly Walker, Rome; Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy Best Writing - Drama Series: Battlestar Galactica - "Occupation"/"Precipice" - Ronald D. Moore Friday Night Lights - "Blinders" - Bridget Carpenter & Carter Harris Friday Night Lights - "Eyes Wide Open" - Jason Katims The Sopranos - "The Second Coming" - Terence Winter The Sopranos - "Soprano Home Movies" - David Chase, Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider & Matthew Weiner The Wire - "Final Grades" - Ed Burns & David Simon HONORABLE MENTION: Battlestar Galactica - “A Day in the Life”; Battlestar Galactica - “Maelstrom”; Boston Legal - “Angel of Death”; Deadwood - “Tell Your God to Ready for Blood”; Dexter - “Pilot”; Friday Night Lights - “Mud Bowl”; Friday Night Lights - “Upping the Ante”; Grey’s Anatomy - “Time Has Come Today”; Heroes - “Company Man”; House - “Meaning”; Law & Order - “Fear America”; Lost - “The Man Behind the Curtain”; Lost - “Through the Looking Glass”; Medium - “Be Kind, Rewind”; Rome - “De Patre Vostro”; The Shield - “Baptism by Fire”; The Shield - “Chasing Ghosts”; The Shield - “Haunts”; The Sopranos - “The Blue Comet”; The Sopranos - “Kennedy and Heidi”; Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - “Pilot”; Veronica Mars - “The Bitch Is Back”; What About Brain - “What About the Lake House”; The Wire - “Corner Boys”; The Wire - “Misgivings”; The Wire - “That’s Got His Own” Best Directing - Drama Series: Battlestar Galactica - "Exodus, Part 2" - Felix Enriquez Alcala Friday Night Lights - "Mud Bowl" - David Boyd Lost - "Through the Looking Glass, Parts 1 & 2" - Jack Bender The Sopranos - "Kennedy and Heidi" - Alan Taylor The Sopranos - "The Second Coming" - Tim Van Patten The Wire - "That's Got His Own" - Joe Chapelle HONORABLE MENTION: Battlestar Galactica - “Crossroads”; Battlestar Galactica - “Maelstrom”; Battlestar Galactica - “Occupation/Precipice”; Boston Legal - “Angel of Death”; Deadwood - “Amateur Night”; Dexter - “Born Free”; Dexter - “Pilot”; Friday Night Lights - “Eyes Wide Open”; Friday Night Lights - “Pilot”; Friday Night Lights - “State”; Grey’s Anatomy - “Time After Time”; Heroes - “Company Man”; House - “Words and Deeds”; Lost - “Greatest Hits”; Medium - “Be Kind, Rewind”; Rome - “De Patre Vostro”; Rome - “Passover”; The Shield - “Chasing Ghosts”; The Shield - “Haunts”; The Sopranos - “The Blue Comet”; The Sopranos - “Soprano Home Movies”; Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - “Pilot”; Veronica Mars - “Spit & Eggs”; The Wire - “Corner Boys”; The Wire - “Final Grades”; The Wire - “Refugees”; The Wire - “Unto Others” Best Guest Actor - Drama Series: Charles Durning, Rescue Me - "Devil" Gregory Itzin, 24 - "Day 6: 6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M." John Mahoney, ER - "Somebody to Love" Kurtwood Smith, Medium - "Profiles in Terror" Pruitt Taylor Vince, House - "Que Sera Sera" Forest Whitaker, The Shield - "Baptism by Fire" HONORABLE MENTION: Ed Begley Jr., Veronica Mars; Chad Brannon, Friday Night Lights; Tim Daly, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Peter Dinklage, Nip/Tuck; George Dzundza, Grey’s Anatomy; Christopher Eccleston, Heroes; Judd Hirsch, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip; Arliss Howard, Medium; Eriq La Salle, Without a Trace; John Larroquette, House; Tzi Ma, 24; Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Grey’s Anatomy; David Morse, House; Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Mark Sheppard, Battlestar Galactica; Stanley Tucci, ER Best Guest Actress - Drama Series: Kathy Baker, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - "Sin" Kate Burton, Grey's Anatomy - "Wishin' and Hopin'" Sally Field, ER - "Graduation Day" Christine Lahti, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - "The Long Lead Story" Lyndsey Marshal, Rome - "De Patre Vostro" Jean Smart, 24 "Day 6: 6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M." HONORABLE MENTION: Rachel Boston, Grey’s Anatomy; Neve Campbell, Medium; Leslie Caron, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Diahann Carroll, Grey’s Anatomy; Meagan Good, House; Lisa Gay Hamilton, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Lucinda Jenney, Battlestar Galactica; Margo Martindale, Dexter; Debra Monk, Grey’s Anatomy; Megan Mullally, Boston Legal; Rosie O’Donnell, Nip/Tuck; Parker Posey, Boston Legal; Franka Potente, The Shield; Charlotte Ross, Law & Order; Susan Sarandon, Rescue Me; Marisa Tomei, Rescue Me Best Ensemble - Drama Series: Battlestar Galactica Deadwood Friday Night Lights Grey's Anatomy Lost The Wire HONORABLE MENTION: Boston Legal, Brothers and Sisters, Dexter, ER, Heroes, House, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Medium, Rescue Me, Rome, The Shield, The Sopranos, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, 24 Best New Drama Series: Brothers and Sisters Dexter Friday Night Lights Heroes The Riches Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip HONORABLE MENTION: Dirt, The Nine, Runaway, Shark, Six Degrees, Vanished Best Comedy Series: How I Met Your Mother It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia The Office 30 Rock Ugly Betty HONORABLE MENTION: Entourage, Extras, Gilmore Girls, The Knights of Prosperity, The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Sarah Silverman Program, Scrubs, Weeds Best Actor - Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock - "Black Tie" Zach Braff, Scrubs - "My Musical" Steve Carell, The Office - "Business School" Ricky Gervais, Extras - "Orlando Bloom" Josh Radnor, How I Met Your Mother - "Brunch" Tony Shalhoub, Monk - "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing" HONORABLE MENTION: Kevin Connolly, Entourage; Ted Danson, Help Me Help You; Kevin James, The King of Queens; Jason Lee, My Name Is Earl; Donal Logue, The Knights of Prosperity; Andy Richter, Andy Barker P.I. Best Actress - Comedy Series: America Ferrera, Ugly Betty - "Pilot" Tina Fey, 30 Rock - "Hiatus" Lauren Graham, Gilmore Girls - "Bon Voyage" Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine - "Oh God, Yes" Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds - "Pittsburg" Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program - "Not Without My Daughter" HONORABLE MENTION: Tichina Arnold, Everybody Hates Chris; Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls; Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives; Teri Hatcher, Desperate Housewives; Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives; Eva Longoria, Desperate Housewives; Leah Remini, The King of Queens Best Supporting Actor - Comedy Series: Charlie Day, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Charlie Gets Crippled" Kevin Dillon, Entourage - "The Resurrection" Glenn Howerton, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare" John Krasinski, The Office - "The Job, Parts 1 & 2" Jeremy Piven, Entourage - "Sorry, Ari" Jason Segel, How I Met Your Mother - "Arrivederci, Fiero" HONORABLE MENTION: Creed Bratton, The Office; Terry Crews, Everybody Hates Chris; Donald Faison, Scrubs; Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother; Justin Kirk, Weeds; Hamish Linklater, The New Adventures of Old Christine; Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock; Rob McElhenney, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; John C. McKinley, Scrubs; Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock; Kevin Michael Richardson, The Knights of Prosperity; Michael Urie, Ugly Betty; Rainn Wilson, The Office Best Supporting Actress - Comedy Series: Jenna Fischer, The Office - "The Job, Parts 1 & 2" Melora Hardin, The Office - "Back From Vacation" Kaitlin Olson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Hundred Dollar Baby" Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl - "Very Bad Things" Cobie Smulders, How I Met Your Mother - "Slap Bet" Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty - "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" HONORABLE MENTION: Kelly Bishop, Gilmore Girls; Sarah Chalke, Scrubs; Alyson Hannigan, How I Met Your Mother; Ashley Jensen, Extras; Rashida Jones, The Office; Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives; Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock; Becki Newton, Ugly Betty; Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds; Judy Reyes, Scrubs; Phyllis Smith, The Office Best Writing - Comedy Series: Gilmore Girls - "Bon Voyage" - David S. Rosenthal How I Met Your Mother - "Slap Bet" - Kourtney Kang It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare" - Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton & Rob McElhenney The New Adventures of Old Christine - "Oh God, Yes" - Jennifer Crittenden The Office - "Business School" - Brent Forrester The Office - "The Job, Parts 1 & 2" - Paul Lieberstein & Michael Schur HONORABLE MENTION: Desperate Housewives - “Bang”; Entourage - “One Day in the Valley”; Extras - “Orlando Bloom”; How I Met Your Mother - “Arrivederci, Fiero”; How I Met Your Mother - “First Time in New York”; How I Met Your Mother - “Monday Night Football”; It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - “Dennis and Dee Get a New Dad”; The Knights of Prosperity - “Operation: Deliver the Case”; Monk - “Mr. Monk Can’t See a Thing”; My Name Is Earl - “G.E.D.”; The New Adventures of Old Christine - “Sleepless in Mar Vista”; The Office - “The Convict”; The Office - “The Negotiation”; The Office - “Traveling Salesmen”; The Sarah Silverman Program - “Not Without My Daughter”; Scrubs - “My Musical”; Scrubs - “My Therapeutic Month”; 30 Rock - “Up All Night”; Ugly Betty - “In or Out”; Weeds - “Pittsburgh” Best Directing - Comedy Series: Desperate Housewives - "Bang" - Larry Shaw Entourage - "One Day in the Valley" - Julian Farino The Office - "The Job, Parts 1 & 2" - Ken Kwapis The Office - "Traveling Salesmen" - Greg Daniels Scrubs - "My Musical" - Will Mackenzie Weeds - "Pittsburgh" - Craig Zisk HONORABLE MENTION: Entourage - “The Resurrection”; Extras - “Orlando Bloom”; Gilmore Girls - “Bon Voyage”; How I Met Your Mother - “Arrivederci, Fiero”; How I Met Your Mother - “Slap Bet”; It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - “Charlie Gets Crippled”; It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - “Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare”; The Knights of Prosperity - “Operation: Panic Room”; Monk - “Mr. Monk Can’t See a Thing”; My Name Is Earl - “Blow”; The New Adventures of Old Christine - “Oh God, Yes”; The Office - “Business School”; The Office - “The Convict”; The Office - “The Merger”; The Sarah Silverman Program - “Not Without My Daughter”; Scrubs - “My Best Friend’s Baby’s Baby and My Baby’s Baby”; Scrubs - “My Road to Nowhere”; 30 Rock - “Black Tie”; 30 Rock - “Up All Night”; Ugly Betty - “In or Out” Best Guest Actor - Comedy Series: Beau Bridges, My Name Is Earl - “Guess Who’s Coming Out of Joy” Adam Goldberg, Entourage - "Return of the King" Martin Landau, Entourage - "What About Bob?" Ian McKellen, Extras - "Sir Ian McKellen" Paul Reubens, 30 Rock - "Black Tie" Jason Sudeikis, 30 Rock - "Cleveland" HONORABLE MENTION: Will Arnett, 30 Rock; Ed Asner, Andy Barker P.I.; Orlando Bloom, Extras; Bobby Cannavale, The Knights of Prosperity; Dan Hedaya, Monk; Mick Jagger, The Knights of Prosperity; Nathan Lane, 30 Rock; Daniel Radcliffe, Extras; Stanley Tucci, Monk; Michael Weston, Scrubs; Dean Winters, 30 Rock; James Woods, Entourage Best Guest Actress - Comedy Series: Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Scrubs - "My Musical" Carla Gugino, Entourage - "Manic Monday" Judith Light, Ugly Betty - "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Laurie Metcalf, Desperate Housewives - "Bang" Emily Mortimer, 30 Rock - "Corporate Crush" Isabella Rossellini, 30 Rock - "Black Tie" HONORABLE MENTION: Elizabeth Banks, Scrubs; Dixie Carter, Desperate Housewives; Zooey Deschanel, Weeds; Loretta Devine, Everybody Hates Chris; Salma Hayek, Ugly Betty; Tamala Jones, My Name Is Earl; Patti LuPone, Ugly Betty; Laura Marano, The Sarah Silverman Program; Stephanie March, 30 Rock; Roseanne, My Name Is Earl; Keri Russell, Scrubs; Amy Sedaris, My Name Is Earl; Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock; Kiersten Warren, Desperate Housewives Best Ensemble - Comedy Series: How I Met Your Mother The Office Scrubs 30 Rock Ugly Betty Weeds HONORABLE MENTION: The Class, Entourage, Everybody Hates Chris, Gilmore Girls, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Knights of Prosperity, My Name Is Earl, The New Adventures of Old Christine Best New Comedy Series: Andy Barker, P.I. The Knights of Prosperity The Sarah Silverman Program 30 Rock Ugly Betty HONORABLE MENTION: The Class, Help Me Help You TV Movie/Miniseries: Jane Eyre Longford Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act Tsunami: The Aftermath Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy HONORABLE MENTION: Angel Rodriguez, Broken Trail, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Best Actor - TV Movie/Miniseries: Jim Broadbent, Longford Robert Duvall, Broken Trail Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tsunami: The Aftermath Matthew Perry, The Ron Clark Story Toby Stephens, Jane Eyre HONORABLE MENTION: Adam Beach, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee; Jonan Everett, Angel Rodriguez; William Hurt, Nightmares & Dreamscapes; William H. Macy, Nightmares & Dreamscapes; Tim Roth, Tsunami: The Aftermath Best Actress - TV Movie/Miniseries: Sarah Chalke, Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act Samantha Morton, Longford Sophie Okonedo, Tsunami: The Aftermath Ruth Wilson, Jane Eyre HONORABLE MENTION: Debra Messing, The Starter Wife; Queen Latifah, Life Support; Gena Rowlands, What If God Were the Sun? Best Supporting Actor - TV Movie/Miniseries: Hugh Bonneville, Tsunami: The Aftermath Andrew Buchan, Jane Eyre Thomas Haden Church, Broken Trail Frank Finlay, Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act August Schellenberg, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee HONORABLE MENTION: Jay Harrington, Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy; Gary Lewis, Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act; Wendell Pierce, Life Support; Aidan Quinn, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee; Andy Serkis, Longford Best Supporting Actress - TV Movie/Miniseries: Toni Collette, Tsunami: The Aftermath Judy Davis, The Starter Wife Lindsay Duncan, Longford Laura Greenwood, Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act Anna Deavere Smith, Life Support HONORABLE MENTION: Tara Fitzgerald, Jane Eyre; Rachel Griffiths, Angel Rodriguez; Gina McKee, Tsunami: The Aftermath; Anna Paquin, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee; Anika Noni Rose, The Starter Wife; Gwendoline Yeo, Broken Trail Best Variety Series: The Colbert Report The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Late Night with Conan O'Brien Late Show with David Letterman Saturday Night Live The View HONORABLE MENTION: Real Time with Bill Maher Best Variety Special: Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner The Light in the Piazza (Live From Lincoln Center) The 60th Annual Tony Awards Tony Bennett: An American Classic Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired HONORABLE MENTION: The 79th Annual Academy Awards, AFI’s 100 Years…100 Cheers, Comic Relief 2006, Dane Cook: Vicious Circle, The 49th Annual Grammy Awards, Lewis Black: Red White and Screwed, The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show Best Male Performer - Variety Series/Special: Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett: An American Classic Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report Andy Samberg, Saturday Night Live Jon Stewart, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live HONORABLE MENTION: Fred Armisen, Saturday Night Live; Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live; Lewis Black, Lewis Black: Red White and Screwed; Jake Gyllenhaal, Saturday Night Live; Aaron Lazar, The Light in the Piazza (Live From Lincoln Center); David Letterman, Late Show with David Letterman; Prince, Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show; Jason Sudeikis, Saturday Night Live Best Female Performer - Variety Series/Special: Victoria Clark, The Light in the Piazza (Live From Lincoln Center) Rosie O'Donnell, The View Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live HONORABLE MENTION: Drew Barrymore, Saturday Night Live; Joy Behar, The View; Beyonce, The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards; Katie Rose Clarke, The Light in the Piazza (Live From Lincoln Center); Ellen DeGeneres, The 79th Annual Academy Awards; Molly Shannon, Saturday Night Live; Wanda Sykes, Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired Best Animated Series: Family Guy The Simpsons South Park HONORABLE MENTION: King of the Hill Best Voice-Over Performer - Animated Series: Alex Borstein, Family Guy - "Prick Up Your Ears" Nancy Cartwright, The Simpsons - "The Haw-Hawed Couple" Dan Castellaneta, The Simpsons - "Springfield Up" Seth MacFarlane, Family Guy - "Road to Rupert" Kathy Najimy, King of the Hill - "The Peggy Horror Picture Show" Trey Parker, South Park - "Go God Go XII" HONORABLE MENTION: Hank Azaria, The Simpsons; Seth Green, Family Guy; Mike Judge, King of the Hill; Tom Petty, King of the Hill; Harry Shearer, The Simpsons; Yeardley Smith, The Simpsons; Matt Stone, South Park Best Reality Series - Competition: The Amazing Race America's Next Top Model Big Brother Project Runway So You Think You Can Dance Top Chef HONORABLE MENTION: American Idol, Beauty and the Geek, Hell’s Kitchen, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno III, Survivor, World Series of Pop Culture Best Reality Series - Non-Competition: The Hills Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Tabloid Wars 30 Days Wife Swap Work Out HONORABLE MENTION: The Real World, The Simple Life, Supernanny, Two-a-Days Breakthrough Male Performance: Gaius Charles, Friday Night Lights Zach Gilford, Friday Night Lights Taylor Kitsch, Friday Night Lights Julito McCullum, The Wire Scott Porter, Friday Night Lights Tristan Wilds, The Wire HONORABLE MENTION: Jermaine Crawford, The Wire; Jonan Everett, Angel Rodriguez; Jesse Tyler Ferguson, The Class; Mark Indelicato, Ugly Betty; Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock; Alex O’Loughlin, The Shield; Jesse Plemons, Friday Night Lights; Michael Urie, Ugly Betty Breakthrough Female Performance: Dana Davis, The Nine Becki Newton, Ugly Betty Adrianne Palicki, Friday Night Lights Aimee Teegarden, Friday Night Lights Ruth Wilson, Jane Eyre Shannon Woodward, The Riches HONORABLE MENTION: Sophina Brown, Shark; Kerris Lilla Dorsey, Brothers and Sisters; Julie Gonzalo, Veronica Mars; Minka Kelly, Friday Night Lights; Eden Sher, Weeds

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deathridersofficial · 3 years

Photo

Jeff Duncan ARMORED SAINT DC4 Neil Turbin THE METAL VOICE photo by Happening Harry THE CAT CLUB Hollywood CA Sunset Strip #tourlife #jeffduncan #happeningharry @jeffsplanet @thearmoredsaint @themetalvoice #neilturbin #deathriders #bleedthehunger #screaminsouldemon #vocalfirepower #anthrax #themetalvoice #metalhalloffame #themetalbeast #fistfulofmetal #armedanddangerous #purplerainbowx #spreadingthedisease #metalthrashingmad #thebig4 #texashatters #lewisleathers #bluguitar #solodallas #empireears #enkiusa #g7thcapo #chromehearts #matrixamplification #originalanthraxsinger #originalscreamindemonofthrash @deathriders @bleedthehunger @purplerainbowexp @screaminsouldemon @vocalfirepower (at The Cat Club Daze) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPuCPxcBR3c/?utm_medium=tumblr

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mandygilberton · 5 years

Text

New Builds on the Block—Sneak Peek at Six Stunning L.A. Homes

From a sleek Santa Monica contemporary moments from Montana Avenue to a Sunset Strip showpiece that soars above the city lights, these six newly constructed residences are setting the standard of luxury in L.A. 526 23RD STREET | SANTA MONICA Custom built by GAIA Construction, along with Desai Architects and Italian interior designer DI Group, this warm, contemporary Santa Monica home, represented by Cindy Ambuehl, showcases a seamless, open floor plan, soaring ceilings and ample natural light. A floating wood and glass staircase is an art piece in itself, while European white oak floors and sophisticated design elements, including a chef-caliber kitchen with Miele and Zephyr appliances and Binova cabinetry from Italy, speak to the home’s unrivaled craftsmanship. Arcadia pocket doors line the living spaces, opening to remarkable outdoor entertaining areas, including a large grassy lawn, patio, heated pool and spa, dining area with barbeque, and pool house with bar, bathroom and outdoor shower. Just moments from the shops and restaurants on Montana Avenue and Brentwood Country Mart, the home is the pinnacle of Santa Monica sophistication. 816 GLENMERE WAY | BRENTWOOD Deftly executed by Rick Perkins of Perkins Development Group, this tech-savvy architectural estate is perched in the hills of Brentwood with views stretching from the Getty Center to Downtown L.A. Represented by Billy Rose, the estate features complete smart home automation, an underground car lift and full off-the-grid capabilities, powered by solar panels and backed by Tesla batteries. An integrated helipad for a personal drone helicopter graces the expansive pool terrace. Premium designer finishes and exacting attention to detail put this home in a class of its own, including 28-foot wide glass walls that foster a harmonious flow between the sophisticated kitchen and living areas and expansive pool terrace. With its gallery-like design, an enviable lower level is fit for a discerning art collector and includes a large gym, far-infrared sauna and room for a spacious theater. 642 PERUGIA WAY | BEL AIR Situated atop approximately one acre overlooking views of the Bel Air Golf Course, this newly built architectural home, represented by James Harris, David Parnes and Mauricio Umansky, offers the perfect balance of sleek, contemporary style and timeless sophistication. Exquisitely executed by renowned London-based studio Quinn Architects, and offered fully furnished with Minotti, Henge, Rimadesio and Misura Emme pieces, the European tour-de-force offers incredible privacy in a world-renowned location. From its incredible, 40-foot skylit atrium entry with floating staircase to the spectacular, 2,100-square-foot master suite, the home is a true showpiece in one of the city’s most coveted neighborhoods. 2110 HERCULES DRIVE | SUNSET STRIP Soaring atop the summit of Mount Olympus in the Hollywood Hills, this newly built, contemporary home, represented by Jon Grauman, showcases elegant finishes, exquisite craftsmanship, and extraordinary jetliner views from Downtown to the ocean. Sliding walls of glass open grand-scale living spaces to an expansive backyard with drought-tolerant landscaping, a bold fire feature and zero-edge infinity pool and spa that appear to float weightless over the city skyline. A floating, glass-sided staircase leads to the second story, which boasts a sprawling entertainer’s terrace and enclosed, restaurant-caliber bar. Complete with a cinema and smart home automation, the home is a masterful achievement of architectural prowess and site-specific design in one of L.A.’s most sought-after neighborhoods. 2484 ROSCOMARE ROAD | BEL AIR This newly built contemporary stunner in prime Bel Air exudes sophistication and style with endless views of the Los Angeles city lights to the ocean. Represented by Emil Hartoonian and Mauricio Umansky and showcasing three levels of living space, highlights include a fully imported Italian kitchen with built-in Miele appliances and Caesarstone cabinets, stunning imported lighting and floor-to-ceiling pocket doors that foster an effortless indoor-outdoor living experience. A floating staircase leads to the spacious second level, replete with custom wall murals and an incomparable master suite with showroom closet. Outside, a 32-foot pool appears suspended over the city below, while a rooftop deck with fire pit is perfectly conceived for year-round L.A. entertaining. 915 DUNCAN AVENUE | MANHATTAN BEACH A model of sophistication, this newly constructed residence, designed by award-winning architect Louie Tomaro and built by Titan and Co., is a triumph of style, design and craftsmanship. Represented by Kristin Regan and Sharon Umansky Benton and located in the prestigious Hill Section enclave of Manhattan Beach, the home offers an elevated coastal living experience surrounded by incredible ocean views, cool breezes, brilliant lights and technicolor sunsets. French white oak floors, Ann Sacks tile and walnut interior doors elevate the interiors, while a series of glass-walled terraces and expansive media lounge with an eight-foot quartz wet bar and surround sound are primed for entertaining. Located just blocks from pristine beaches, top restaurants and boutiques and an award-winning elementary school, this beautifully executed home offers an unprecedented living experience in one of California’s most beloved beach communities. New Builds on the Block—Sneak Peek at Six Stunning L.A. Homes published first on https://theopuscondo.tumblr.com/

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lunarfae714 · 7 years

Text

after the vernal equinox, 2015

intimacy

in the unseen,

microbes flee

off the tongue

dance on the dirty rim of the teamug

bliss

on the mountain bald: the numbing wind of soltitude

guilt

in the bloodmarks on the tight, smoky skin of my lover.

***

let it go--

tybee mushroom tea

the soft songs of wind

playing in the pilsner bottles,

the mildew edges of

sharpened teeth

washed up on a

jetted shorline

catnaps on crooked grey

dark matter comes

in clouds

of grease.

painted scenes from

manhattan museums

& the gulls laugh in ritual

-the squall of sunsets

broken images super-

imposed

into sunflower seeds.

***

jaco

the woman of the sea

reigns the high tide

her power unseen,

& women drink free.

my intuition is stronger here,

dreams dark & strange, now i

watch the fan,

how the spinning taco

moves the water bubbles

on my skin.

i hear voices in the fan,

through the bamboo,

spirits dance through shadows

in sober hallucinations

my magic is fueled-

i know how people feel, where the

lost objects go.

the abuelita ghost

disgraces our dirty hostel,

why she hangs around above the cast irons

to shame how the land has moved.

the land of iguanas

and stray dogs,

the street horses

for show.

dazed by the dark

crows above,

the birds yell here

woo hoo hoo hoo,

a deep waltz of the hermit.

crabs run free to

challenge me

to a claw-off.

the birdsong &

roosters in early

sunrise & sets.

who now sows the

seeds of this

town of cement?

***

the open heart chakra

unreal

"there is so much Light coming through your eyes"

Light confused, real, or passing

Love talk dissolved into frustration fleeing

"i will take care of you"

in the bathroom at the devil's hour

nude gymnastics on the handicap bars

or the black leather couch

outside in the rain,

where the cameras don't record.

on the beach at the crowded club with the

beds for "lounging," empty pools,

loud music & people changing faces

where's does Light go when you throw your bottle on the street?

you taught me to read the ocean

when to dip on the board, so the currents

wont

sweep me away.

***

forced hustles

when i ride my bicycle out of the tourist town

on to the highway

the welcome goes dissipates.

mango falls like lullabies

over the mountaintops,

the afternoon storm comes every day.

the zebra chicken pace roads

of tall pines lining like curtains

to hide broken huts,

roofs with holes, clustered together,

the old women and men sit

in folding chairs & scorn us

(to stare with a darkness)

my wide eyes and white skin,

undesired swords

papayas for cash

from their backyards

in their grass

walking bills

families against intruders

but the dark pretty boys

beneath the banana patch

throw hellos and whistles into the air

friendlier than the rest

its hard to follow the surfers advice,

shrug it off like layers of clothes

but to be a woman in a sexist country

to hear one more "ay mama"

to try and block out horns

from each car that passes by,

thumbs up, glazed stares,

but i often still take the free drinks

bring peace to

strip the patriarchy at

the end of the night when the lines

between prostitutes and strong women

turn grey with each tequila shot

in fake plastic.

and you are naked in the rain at the end of the night

jumping off the roof of the hotel next to you

shaky shingles under my wet feet

into the swimming pool.

women here are like the horses on the beach

slapped and rode without say,

"when it swells, ride it" says the beach bar,

without question.

the club called space, "because in space,

no one can hear you scream."

i will be strong

when the police motocyclist

stops me to ask if i have a boyfriend,

i got asked today

why my eyes show such confidence

he didnt understand,

pura vida.

***

nunca me dejes con el sabor de miel en mis labios

the roosters warn us of morning

& the grey stray gnaws at my toes

***

embracing the mother archetype

in the hostel home--

herd in the streetpeople,

feed 'em & paint

the cycle of Sky on the walls

because no one should spend a moment

without seeing mother moon.

***

My taste is Aging. With time, I desire someone for the whole run or nothing at all. & the platonic moments in-between....glimpses of Love, some, through the gaps of teeth of sweet teachers, Love is kindness, and I don't hesitate to tell them everything on my mind. But it's not about me. My taste is Aging. As seasons pass, quicker now, i want the patterns on my clothes to fade away-- the prints on t-shirts to melt, words to unwrite themselves, so I can be only color. Earthly hues, crotcheted shades that reflect patterns of time...mud, grass, & mojado. Celery, mirrors of colors i see most. i want to become dirt, for my fingertips to play the piano of the earth. i want to disappear into the bench so they stop looking. or to the bright colored buildings, fade into them, brilliant stains of Spanish colonization, streets once threaded by pirates, filibusters.... my skin is browning, French bread in the oven. caramel flavor in the throat every time I look up, come to the caldeza calle later, let me take you on a trip, familiar faces now they know my name...let me melt into the park bench. now a smiling man asks to share the bench, not an invitation for 20 questions, i thought, as i watch the sweat balls fall off his thick brow and slicked back hair...so much gel satures the combed jetblack hairs...he asks if im a Christian missionary, why i am not writing in Spanish can't you see I'm writing on a stream of consciousness and I cannot understand when you speak as fast as my mind runs why can't I just glide into town and eat scraps like the coyote dogs and men that circle us. the men stand in a pack in all directions, staggered, still. ready to attack. the stranger talks about nica peligroso & I wonder. sweat pounds down my face, no clouds crowd the 3pm sun, and I am wearing white, Duncan's shirt because it reminds me of him. He is my fuel when I am down, I know he will always listen & lift me up. Even if the words aren't always right, the Love, the strongest I have known. Yet my sweat swims on my chest--I love to be naked but I can't here. I return to my job at the bar, a date with my notebook. Interrupted. pass the young kids who sell cigarettes & candy in their handwovenbaskets. I sure wish they weren't so cute. I listen to the church bells ring 5pm, catholic country, mass and processions and women who do Hail Marys in silence as they pass by churches into the streetmarkets where even toy dinosaurs are laid out on the cement. Old town. I will erase my mind so it can be filled with beauty--sights, openness, to experience as I prepare to travel again, alone, in love with the land, in love with the new. Who isn't? I love it here too, I just keep getting myself tangled in neon cobwebs. Who painted my cobwebs? The beach is dirty here & the some serpents love to bite. why are my dreams so vivid and I can feel everything? I have never felt so present, the subconscious world of the bodysoul, reigns in Granada. The volcano watches over everyone. Waiting. On clear days, i can track the crevices with raised eyes, the dips of destruction. Back to the men, there's no darkness in their eyes, only glimpses of sincerity, friendliness in their throats. i want them to notice the dark circles, crescent moons that wax under my eyes- I am tired--the scorching sun, the dorm life of people forever coming & going, the sore back and calves from wandering juices out the bubbles from my blood. I can bounce back. being of water, I am one with the the waves. I will be still soon~I can ignite locals & travelering folk with music, dancing, fast-paced mojitos, sass & stories. I can love everyone when i remember we are one. Traveling tests the pesos mi corazon can lift, what am I doing here, how can I keep the golden light with strangers when such a huge part of me is carved away & replaced by a nervous heart and dizzy stomach. I am learning. It comes in waves & will pass with time. Oscar, the cattle farmer, makes me laugh now as the dogs fight in the street, with cheesy smiles and goofy dances. He tells me I have to learn the history of dance, it's charming. If the moon is right, we will partner as he continues to tell me the rich culture of poor nicas from a sharp tongue. A barb wired bar does the appearing act with the strangers of the eve. i am learning lessons on nourishment from strangers, friends are the richest. I no longer crave what i used to, short affairs, instead Receive Love through language , through movement or starry or sun-eyed guitarists i learn ambitions & spirit through reflections and grow from similar drives in the health way.

Waiting is rich, mature, perfect. I wait for the Love.

Stimulation so easy, so much culture & more flavor to feed the eyes. And Walking, wandering, is meditation, a way to see and cycle mantras in my head, to a clear mind--

***

there is a time of night

when only salsa music plays from the bar

as the nacho macho men

with the necklaces of saints

sing along to ballads of love lost

in the land of lotus flowers

ritual earth dance

smoke & stones

hummingbirds,

sun and no sickness,

hangovers island cured

woken by wild birds of paradise

i wear dirt & facepaint,

smell of smoke & incense,

do not hunger

because food is all around us,

in the sunrays,

the moonbeams.

the land is kind,

inviting to connect our barefeet

to our bare selves,

our purpose, our blessings.

Isla teaches us to be kind,

in the hours of the scorching sun

we carry each other

when the gravel is too hot for the other.

my heart understands-

loses the worry, jealousy, darkness

out of my true essence.

spirit dances down my hairs

wavy & free,

dressing my naked skin

the dirt carresses my feet

clay & the smoothest sand

nothing bites my skin

& the volcanoes are gods,

watching over the island.

we eat vegetarian hot dogs on the beach

(bananas in bread)

over translator books

to aid our conversation.

we watch the rain fall

on the watchtower

we paint cosmic triangles:

material, spiritual, divine

and hold on.

***

warm rain,

and strands of lightning dance

freckles are the stars of the body

telepathy & laughter.

senses awakened, cleansed, reborn

native islandfolk offer rides on their

motorcycles, stuffed with four people

or a place at their home to sleep,

next to giant pigs

gallos replace Granada's churchbells.

crickets, the serenaders of the night.

peter pan, i saw on the ferry

wanted to cradle in his lap

with the large lips

of a cancer man.

old soul

with marypoppins backpack

& digeridoo.

and the sailor.

my time by the water

in the hammock hut

by pirates & drugas.

when i was wondering what to do,

peter told me,

"todo esta volando"

he sucked out the venom.

we’d fry yucca cakes

over a little fire at sunset

local farm workers

passed around a coco loco,

my skin was like job's in the devil's curse

i took it as a sign to leave.

we slept on the sunmat on the porch,

& woke each other up to speak of our dreams

after an evening

of moonlit walks around sleeping bovine

& barbed wire,

stopping to hear the tongue

of mother moon.

on a secret path

through neighbor's farm

staring in awe,

the boys and i.

we then watched the sun set

behind Concepcion volcano

trix-yogurt colors

on a paddleboard with simone

our silhouttes divine

activitating our third eye

sunset on the pineal gland.

nude, smoking the pipe

from a mermaid,

and i thought i’d changed my mind.

the simplicity of island life,

fallen fruit & fires,

houses from palm,

folks drank rum like water,

fished for dinner,

lived with the land,

making love at nighttime.

***

after the island

the angry boss

who doesnt share his fancy meals

speaks only french in a spanish country

has never laughed.

he looks at me, wide-eyed

like im an alien in his house,

terrified & confused

when i go in for a hug.

he spit at me

when i walked away

"an immature child

destined to go nowhere"

i can't say i didn't cry

but i sure have grown a bit

and been around

***

puerto viejo

maid life with the mad frenchman

can't he look around

at the abandoned beaches, clear as sky

with the occasional wanderers,

constant rainbow butterflies

& rich smells of the land, the jungle.

i bicycle on the one sacred road

between the jungle & sea,

a blood vessel highway,

we are beating cells

the strong heart of the land

string nebula clouds circle

between the daily storms

the beach is like a painting-

exposing the meaning of seafoam green

the brushstroke overhead is a jaded blue--

i run my toes along the coral

and the brilliant eyes-turquoise

of a slovenian man meet mine

to ask the time

he holds my hand as i try his slackline.

if only the madman could open up to see

the spiders, sacred mothers of the forest

palm-sized, red-striped, abundant

with webs like vecinas

they are the grandmothers, the ones

with the power in the latin way.

but he couldn't--

so i ran away from the french jungle regime.

that day, the sun painted a golden halo

on each passing body,

the sand & sea shone like glitter--

cerulean & pumpernickle

i ran faster than my sweatfall,

fueld by french elitism & the manic madman.

& the hearts, doors, jobs, opened as answers,

enlightened spacetalk from starseeds,

touch, words, and galatic downloads

purififying

maca starships & hummus hugs,

raising vibrations,

a new environment

for a deadly disease.

followed by wild dog

i out hold my thumb

and trust in the yoniverse.

***

We hide our room key in Ulysses

& fall asleep to the stream.

This truely is the rich coast--

i watch prices ascend in the tourist blackholes

of the sea. you have to pay to leave

this country, and pay hundreds

for an import.

lets turn folks to dollar signs

stand at the cascada,

dive past the reef to see clearly

the creatures live more freely than us.

***

the only sunny day in a month,

everyone at the playa

& i

cluelessly mind the lodge

watch the freckle bugs do the pac man

along the bamboo bench,

the curtains' slow return

after the windspell,

the slightest turn from the

four diseased & sleeping dogs

& the still spider

above the bookshelf.

i listen to sitar instrumentals,

peck through Wuthering Heights,

pick a stray banana off the bunch,

as the howler monkeys' deathly cry grows & grows,

and wonder if i am moving at all.

***

the longer i wait,

the longer Plath resonates--

[i think i made you up inside my head]

***

my life is funny--

each night i have sleepovers

with a sweet, random man:

construction worker, volunteer,

survivor, who's made it.

enamored with fishing,

his desert home,

indian warfare,

accidents.

we drink from dirty glasses

(in the night, the cucurachas

throw a party--i see them scrambling

in the morning

with the eggs)

i think life focused on investments,

retirement plans, the great divide

is a scary story

as he pokes at me for being so lost,

but now-

the sun climbed out after days of strong tears--

tears that took electric sockets so we could remember

to live with the land

tears that knocked a tree

on the house of Tao

so his books could be cleansed.

the hummingbirds' salsa

& my dirty, lost self

will take each moment with gratitude,

each bite on my body, doubt on my mind

and just be--

as i wander the garden of Tao.

***

my spanish is best with the children,

they are on my level,

delany, the nude 3-year old

i met in the ocean

we sat in shallow water

& played with the crabs,

their elusivity, our entertainment.

alejandra, the maid's daughter,

my closest nina,

we share a wildness of emotions,

and snacks.

***

throwing rocks at plastic bottles

the wasteland is wasting away,

soon, we will too.

***

bocas del toro,

dirty, spanish verision of venice.

can be oddly romantic,

fellow travelers look to fall in love,

on the candlelit pier

pure families outside the port town.

drunk taxi boat drivers,

dirty turquoise water,

& translucent waters of starfish beach

too beautiful to be touched, free

unlike the lobster in mesh bags,

the unreal clouds a spliff in the sky,

wild colors at sunset

over a wild jungle,

waves

in theit flavor-colored homes,

people are happier by the sea.

on bastimentios,

a neighbor isle,

i am one of five non-natives,

hike for hours in the jungle,

thick mud paths,

found petroglyphs,

to the beach with the piercing redfrogs.

beach hunger

of stray dogs

& children with machetes,

who want a pack of cheap ham.

i play poker,

cook for a family

in an unlocked pastel cabin

over the sea.

i escaped to the cloud forest in the mountains

where the deerflies roam freely,

& the men here stay forever, living on student loans.

where Boquete means blow job,

the nights are cool & calm

& filled with whiskey & warm stews.

Where the bulidings are painted yellow,

on the steep hill, trails

to the waterfalls, treasure hunts

for miles & miles.

“no kids, no debt, no drama”

the giggly panamanian

honeybear caretaker

starts the massage train

& we are off.

***

lost on the outskirts

there is nothing more satisfying & sensual

than being alone with the river.

men have been disappointing me,

with false friendships & mal intent,

i have to be alone--

open my legs only to the rapids

washing machine, pleasure in

singing the mating song

of prayer.

***

(bad) cravings from the worm

the hungover italian boy

working construction in the city

keeps me company at breakfast.

i taught him to put bananas in his pb&j

and it may have changed his life.

Panama City

vibrantly loud town--

the parties & streetpeople last all night,

and in the mornings, (Spanish) church bells blast

for all to hear (repent)--

angelic foreign voices praise gods

this cloudy Sunday

to wake me from dreaming

of smoking fruit loop blunts,

& having my child art sold for thousands

in the galleries.

families of blackbirds circle in the sky

on beat with the songs,

to attack the sinners,

or embody ascendance?

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scuddish · 2 years

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TOMMY FLANAGAN as DUNCAN REED SUNSET STRIP 2000 | dir. Adam Collis

#sunset strip 2000 #tommy flanagan #duncan reed #sunset strip duncan #scuddish.gifs #HIM HE HIS #tommy flanagan was doing something so right here #characters #favorites #mine #tommyflanaganedit #2022 favorites #underrated

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tommyflanagansleftnipple · 2 years

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Temporary Wings

#sunset strip 2000 #sunset strip film #tommy flanagan #Duncan Reed

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medicalmarijuana-news · 7 years

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The HIGH TIMES Interview: Marzi Montazeri

I arranged to meet guitarist Marzi Montazeri (former Phil Anselmo and the Illegals) a couple of weeks ago at the Rainbow Bar and Grill on Sunset Strip. The plan was to enjoy a few drinks, have a nice dinner and dive into the interview like a true, brazen professional. But as with any situation involving rock ‘n’ roll, an insatiable thirst for cheap beer and the adrenaline that was sure to spill while mingling in the very spot where legendary bands like Led Zeppelin and Mötley Crüe once came to relish in drunken savagery, the chances of getting out of there with any memory of the night whatsoever, much less with a well documented account of Marzi’s current affairs, were not on my side.

I thought about this, as my Uber driver dropped me off in front of the bar. “Welcome to the drunken jungle,” I thought. “You’re screwed.”

Once inside, I could tell the evening was destined to go down pretty much the way I had anticipated. There was simply too much happening all around us to properly take care of the business at hand. But then again, I began to ponder, through a series of two-fisted flashes of quasi-philosophic swill and burp-infused backwash, how this meeting was never really about work—although I had an editor back in New York that would surely beg to differ. From where I was sitting, Marzi and I were just a couple of guys with good intentions, each doing their best to conduct themselves like true masters of their respective trade in the midst of a wild-eyed Saturday night. Greater men than us would have broken under the weight of less debauchery. I had watched it happen countless times before.

Somewhere along the way, the mission, my assignment to find out more about this prolific guitar player, had taken backseat to the rapid pulse of the Hollywood music scene, and there was a point—I swear to the Gods of Earth and heavy metal, there was—when Marzi began to subliminally transmit a signal to me from across the table, quite possibly in the key of E-flat minor, that when translated to the English language sounded a whole lot like, “Fuck this interview shit, let’s just go out back and get stoned.”

So, that’s what we did.

We fired up a joint in what has been deemed Lemmy’s Lounge and proceeded to smoke the damn thing as though we were literally standing in the boots of those untouchable high heroes that had come before us. But the grand illusion was soon shattered when one of the Rainbow’s security guards politely told us that we would have to take the weed outside. Of course, we obliged. It was then that Marzi, a real charismatic force and all around nice guy, really began to loosen up. The man had a story to tell. So, no matter how hard his manager mad dogged me from across the way (at least that was my perception… but then again, I was probably just high), I kept my recorder rolling the entire time. It seemed the interview would go down as planned.

HIGH TIMES: You’re in town playing the Randy Rhoads Remembered show at the Jost Theater. How did you get involved with that project?

Marzi Montazeri: Brian Tichy, a former drummer for Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Billy Idol and a slew of other folks, reached out to see if I was interested in playing. So I came out here [to Los Angeles] and picked out S.A.T.O. [from Ozzy’s “Diary of a Madman”], because I really wanted to play that song. I think Sebastian Bach wanted to play it also, so I was like, “Whoa, I get to jam with Sebastian.” But then Tichy told me that Sebastian wanted to play it with his guitar player. On the night of the show, they told me that Gus G [former Ozzy guitarist] cancelled, so they wanted me to play “Mr. Crowley” instead. Crowley has two solos in it, so I had to learn the stuff real quick.

HT: Hell yeah, I saw that video. You got to jam with legendary bassist Rudy Sarzo. How was that experience?

MM: You know, so the time comes to go on stage, and I’m taking a leak, and I hear someone calling my name, “Marzi!” So I just run downstairs grab my fiddle, jump on stage and we started playing “Crowley.”

When it was over, I looked to my right and Rudy’s just walking towards me, man, and he reaches out his hand for a handshake. I shake his hand and say, “I love you, man,” and then he pulls me in for a hug. It was a very emotional moment for me. It was absolutely cool. This time around, on Thursday night, as a matter of fact, I got to jam with Phil Soussan.

HT: You also performed with a Rush tribute this week at the Jost Theater.

MM: Yes. I played in “A Farewell to Kings,” which is four decades of Rush music. I picked the song “Anthem” from the Fly By Night album. I knew I could get away with playing it a little bit heavier than what Rush had done it and still pay homage to it…and so I did. I think that’s probably the heaviest version of “Anthem” being played, you know. I know other bands have covered it, but I did it quite differently that night. I even pulled off Alex’s [Lifeson] solo close to what he had done, even though I’m not the note for note guy. It was really fun.

HT: Washburn is about the release a signature series Marzi Montazeri guitar called “The Priestess.” How did that come about? I mean, how does a musician end up getting his own guitar model?

MM: A big part of it has to do with a gentleman named Joe Delaney, who is the president of U.S. Music Corporation. I had my eyes set on a signature amp, to be honest with you, and that’s what the talks were about…and it’s still going to happen. It’s going to happen next year at NAMM—my Marzi Montazeri signature head. But with the guitar, that’s first obviously, that was the push from Joe. I think he has the same kind of spirit as I do. When he saw me play, I think he saw this wild American blues, hard rock, aggressive metal, extreme player, where it was just like fun and dangerous. I think that’s what he liked about me, and he pushed for it.

So he connected me with Greg Heritier, who has been with Washburn for about 15 years, and Greg and I—Greg lives in Amsterdam mind you, I live in Houston, Texas—went back and forth in the beginning. It was like a tennis match. We weren’t seeing eye-to-eye. He had some vision and I had some other vision. But we created this baby together. The Priestess that you see today is our baby. It’s the fruit of our labor, so to speak. I got to tell you, it exceeded my expectations. It’s comfortable to play it and it gets so many different varieties of tones from like a Les Paul to the thing I love the most, which is a Gibson Firebird. Seymor Duncan designed a couple of Humbuckers for me we call “Hickups,” instead of pickups, because I’m a damn hick. It’s an extreme instrument…you can just get after it, you can go crazy with it, and you can literally play any sound of music that you want with it. It’s about to be available through Musician’s Friend.

HT: Let’s address the elephant in the room. What happened with Phil Anselmo and the Illegals?

MM: It ran its course. I did what I was supposed to do and it ended. I found out through the Internet. Someone posted a picture of the band with another guitar player, so that’s how I found out. I was more relieved than anything. It had run its course for me, and musically I’m obviously already doing other things. I’m glad it happened. I’m really happy where I’m at, and I wouldn’t be here right now if that gig wouldn’t of happened. I have no ill feelings whatsoever, and what I accomplished during that time was notable. I’m off to a new chapter.

HT: When you and I first met in St. Louis during the PHA and Illegals “Technicians of Distortion” tour a couple of years back, you seemed pretty excited to get started on the band’s second record. Did everything just go to shit from there?

MM: In my heart, I thought there was going to be a sophomore attempt, but a sophomore attempt would have pushed that band, especially with the same line up, to another level. And I don’t think it was something they were welcoming with me being a part of it. I require a certain type of attention. I’m a songwriter. I’m not a follower. I’m not going to have my contribution not be noted, and they were not noted. I was not credited for the things I had done, so I wanted to take charge of that this time around.

HT: So, that’s when you decided to go out on your own?

MM: You know, I was really anxious because I obviously want to put music out, but I didn’t want to rush anything. I thought, “What do I have to prove…why don’t I take my time and do certain things to make sure that this music gets heard on a broader scale.” So I met with a friend of mine [Paul Provost] that had the same idea about my career, so we became partners and started a label called Crunchy Western Records, which pretty much describes what type of music I play. If you were to dissect that label, I would call it heavy Texas blues and beyond. Now you can take that to any kind of southern genre and change it to Mississippi and you’re still going to get that same kind of thing. I think there’s a little bit of Marzi in everybody, so I wanted to make sure that I get this music out to people and share it with them.

HT: Does that mean there is a new Marzi record coming out in the near future?

MM: Yes. My first attempt on Crunchy Western is slated for 4-20, for obvious reasons. It is Marzi Montazeri featuring Tim “Ripper” Owens… or something like that. It’s just me and Tim Owens, who is former Judas Priest. It’s unlike anything else he’s done before, which makes it really interesting. It’s refreshing, and at a time like today, for us to be doing what we’re doing, I cannot wait for the people to hear it. We got Chris Collier, a Grammy nominated engineer/producer from Los Angeles to work on this record. He has put his golden touch on it and made it sound absolutely amazing. I can’t wait, and it’s coming April 20th. By then, we will probably release a video or sneak peak of song. And that’s just the beginning.

HT: How did you get involved with Tim Owens?

MM: I was backstage trying to catch my breath after a show ,and this girl comes and says, “Bobby Blotzer from Ratt wants to say hi to you.” Now I’m like in North Houston, okay, what’s a Hollywood boy doing there? I thought they were full of shit, and I was like, “Go fuck yourself.” The door opens up and he’s just sneaking his head in. He was lit up and said something about doing too many shooters. I didn’t know what “shooters” were because we do shots in Texas. He tells me my performance was the greatest display of metal he had ever seen. We befriended each other that night. He later invited me out to his house for a little barbecue. After that, he asked if I wanted to be on the Judas Priest tribute record [Hell Bent Forever]. We were going to do the song “Exciter.”

He had a studio in Houston, and when I showed up he said, “Where’s your guitar?” I told him I brought a pick. I was so unprepared. There was a cool guy at the studio and he let me borrow his Les Paul. As I’m warming up, this guy tells me, “Hey, you know I come to Houston often. If you want me to give you guitar lessons, I will.” It was Tim Owens. He’s perfect. His harmonies are amazing. He is a freaking machine, man, and he’s a true gentleman. He’s an articulate guy who takes care of business, and to top it all off, he has a great sense of humor.

HT: What about your band Heavy As Texas. Can we expect to hear new music from that as well?

MM: Yes. The next release we’re doing is from my band Heavy As Texas. It’s got unbelievable members in it, just great, talented, beautiful people. We got the great Kyle Thomas of the original Exhorder from New Orleans. Best heavy band ever. He was with many other bands, like Alabama Thunder Pussy, which had a hit song called “Words of a Dying Man.” It was on MTV. He is now the current singer for Trouble, and he is also the current singer for Heavy As Texas.

HT: Are there plans to tour with any of these projects?

MM: Definitely. Not only will Heavy As Texas tour the U.S., we’re going to go to Canada, Central and South America, and I really predict Europe before anything else, too.

HT: I was just talking to a member of your crew. He told me that you get stoned before every live performance. Is that true… because your playing seems flawless?

MM: Oh man, yes absolutely. It’s a ritual. There’s nothing wrong with it. Best thing to do is to medicate. But I’ve never done it for the sake of wasting time. It’s always inspired me. First thing marijuana did for me in my twenties was make me a more focused musician. I was such a sporadic, son of a bitch guitar player… all over the place. It made me very perceptive in this world where you have nothing but distractions. So I’d put in a movie like “Pink Floyd: The Wall” with my buddies back in high school. I’d even tell em’, “Man, not a peep out of you motherfuckers. Nobody talks until after the movie and we can discuss.” So we’d burn one and watch the movie. You could tell everyone was into it. You can hit a joint without having to flap your damn mouth. And it was awesome. Then we would have a lot of pizza and jam out. You know there’s always a fun aspect to it.

HT: So do you prefer marijuana to booze?

MM: The alcohol versus marijuana debate is the most asinine, ignorant thing I grew up with. I still hear about it, and I’m like, “you must be joking.” People drinking bottles of whiskey, looking down on you cause you smoke weed. Living in Texas, it’s just taboo. They sit there with a drink in their hands, slurring their words, but criticize me for doing something natural, from the earth, to help myself focus or help myself because I’m sick…because I am, in many different ways.

HT: Have you ever been busted for marijuana possession?

MM: Man, I’ve had so many brushes with the law, it’s not even funny. But it is funny as hell. I can tell you stories for days. One time, we had like a half-pound, and my buddy and me get pulled over. Both of us had warrants. The cop took our licenses and you know, the pot was right under my feet. He came back and said, “You both have warrants, you know.” I was just thinking of all these bad things, and then he tells us that he doesn’t feel like dealing with it. It was after hours, and he was ready to go home, so he pardoned us and said, “I’m sure you guys are going to take care of these warrants.”

Another time, I had a couple J’s rolled in my truck for after a gig. The truck was a ’62 Ford…no tags or insurance. I don’t know why I took it to the gig. So we get pulled over by eight state troopers. It wasn’t eight in the beginning, it was just one. But they were like piling up one after another. I gave these two joints to my guitar tech and told him to get rid of them. This cop got us out and he questioned us. I remember he put me back in the truck, and he took my friend out. He was asking us if we had dope, and of course we told him no. He’s going through my guitar case, going through my cables and then second car comes, third car comes, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth car comes.

So they get us out and say, “what do we got here?” My brilliant friend had just tossed them, but the eight cops found them. So the main guy gets me out, but before I get to the bed of my truck he says, “We can talk about two chicken shit joints all night or,” as soon as he said they’re chicken shit joints, I told him they were mine. I saw anger in him, so I fessed up quickly. I told him I was going to smoke them after my show. And he says, “Well, why did you lie to me?” I said I got nervous man, I’m scared, my girlfriend’s 10 months pregnant. I remember saying that: My girlfriend’s fucking 10 months pregnant (laughs). Then he said, “Go on and get then.” I swear to you. Go on and get. After 45 minutes, get it to a climax like that. I fucking took off and got with my buddy. The joints were on the dash and I helped myself to one on the way home. Good times. It was awesome.

Mike Adams is a freelance writer for HIGH TIMES, Snoop Dogg’s Merry Jane and several other marijuana-themed publications. His work has also appeared in Playboy. You can follow him at: http://ift.tt/1ZNXISA, on Twitter @adamssoup or on Instagram @mikeadamsofficial.

Keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ culture coverage, here.

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