This guy's work makes me smile. For all the nerds who grew up in the 80s (and, like me, pretty much kept geekin' out throughout the 90's), I think you'd appreciate his "updates". Click on the images for bigger versions. You might've seen his work as the lead character designer for the Hellboy animated movies and the new Spiderman and Transformers cartoons...and if so, you're a big fucking dork...and I love you.

The Pantheon: Optimus Prime, Trapjaw, Beast Man, Dex (Space Ace), Cheetarah, Dirk (Dragon's Lair), Panthro, Snarf, Prince Adam, Lion-O, Abe Sapien

Skeletor & his lackeys, Triclops, Evil Lynn, Beast Man, and Trapjaw

Spiderman

Silverhawks bad guys...Buzz and Mon Star

Thundercats

Panthro of the Thundercats

Blue Falcon

Ultraman!!!

Not to hate on the new X-men, but this time period was the shizznit: Cyclops, Colossus, Magik, Wolverine, and Lockheed

Lion-O

Mazinger Z

Space Ace

Thundercats baddie, Slythe

Street Fighter(s)

Daphne & Dirk from Dragon's Lair

The Mighty Thor

That's probably the kinda thing people are wondering when they see CNN reports on the uprising Greece. People around me seem quick to point out that destroying banks and occupying universities will only add to the problems of the country, which is by the way one of the nations in Europe with the highest levels of debt. But I challenge folks in the Bay to step out of our own shoes (aka kicks) and imagine what it would be like when your economy's so bad that hope for a decent future seems grim. Imagine growing up in a place like Greece...a place that's celebrated by the Western World to be a "birthplace of civilization"...that's never had to deal with a legacy of economic plunder by invaders and colonization like the majority of the world (eg Africa, Asia, Latin America, indigenous North America), and yet you're still poor and your country is generations in debt. It seems that a large number of Greeks have lost faith in their government to handle the economic needs its people. Now imagine that a 15-year-old kid gets killed by the police. Powder keg.

Long live Alexandros Grigoropoulos!!!

Now when these things happen, people, especially those of us watching a world away from the comforts of our homes getting ready for a nice holiday with family, tend to blame the protestors while equally poo-pooing the police for "going too far". The internal back-and-forth might continue with, "If I were a police officer and people were throwing rocks at me, I could see why I'd get angry and get even more violent." And somewhere the end result is, "Vandalism just isn't right."

Get to the point already Serg...

The challenge is to really understand what would drive people en masse to be so angry...so frustrated...that they'd go beyond non-violent protest. I mean, it's not like their doing all this for no reason.

"Things happen for a reason, they say
But I say there's a reason things happen
And it wasn't all good way back in the day
Struggled then, struggle now, still standing" - Blue Scholars

We gotta ask "Why?" We can't just say, "That's wrong." Before the "right or wrong" of the resulting actions, I just want people to try to first imagine what it would take to get themselves there. Could things ever get so bad that you might actually get so distraught and angry that you'd challenge authority and risk being hurt in the process?

Oh, and if I were one of those that can't really empathize or imagine what it would be like to be so lacking in hope that you'd take it to the streets to find/create some semblance of hope, then I think I shouldn't be so quick to judge and write folks off as being "stupid", "childish", "immoral", "evil", or "retarded" as I've heard many Americans do in the last few days. If I can't imagine the kinds of conditions one must feel in order to "take it to the next level", then I need to realize just how "lucky" and sheltered I really am and factor that into my ability make a fair and honest judgment.

Sometimes paying $3 for gas isn't "as bad as it gets". It's hard to see that from the Matrix.

"If something scares us, it is the return to normality. For in the destroyed and pillaged streets of our cities of light we see not only the obvious results of our rage, but the possibility of starting to live. We no longer have anything to do, other than to install ourselves in this possibility and transform it into a living experience: by grounding on the field of everyday life, our creativity, our power to materialize our desires, our power not to contemplate but to construct the real. This is our vital space. All the rest is death."

- statement from the occupation of the Athens School of Economics and Business

Thanks to Dead Time Pacifies for the info and photos.

I found these via pnoy apparel and was completely floored. Growing up in Downey, CA during the early 80s, my identity was f%#k'd. Hell, at that time, you'd watch TV or go to the movies and would hardly ever see non-white faces...folks you could relate to or connect with. Ha, I don't think I even ever heard the phrase "People of Color" til like 1996. (BTW, I think I came home from college once and family had questions about the phrase.) And folks from the continent of Asia...well, that was even rarer. The depictions sucked and were pretty limited. (This post is so "mass line". Ha.) Anyway, the one exception was Bruce Lee. I'm not feeling very eloquent right now, so just watch the videos below. They're pretty self-explanatory and ridiculously amazing...mind-boggling. Dude was more than a "Hollywood Phenomenon". I haven't seen much come out of martial arts since this guy that's really blown me away with the exception of demos of Shaolin Monks. Anyway, check it out...

Some amazing photos from 2008 in one and two parts. Part 3 to come. This first photo looks like Galactus in "Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer". But you wouldn't know that cuz I think I'm the only one who actually saw that. (On video, for the record.)

A: ______________________________________

Folks have been asking about the From Monument To Masses tour and I've kinda been flustered each time. In case you were wondering why I act all stupid when asked, I've decided that the best way to answer is to put on my hip-hop face, do my best Geologic impression, and recite:

I know time moves slow, we on the road again
I hate leaving but I love coming home again
It's like we only see the citys at night but
Phonecalls and voicemails from home make me feel alright

"Ordinary Guy" off of Bayani -

I'm really grateful to be able to have art up in this show. I was on tour and got an email about a 1968 show and had to do it, even if it meant doing some last minute ish that I knew I wouldn't be 100% happy about quality-wise...couldn't resist the show's concept. If you don't know me too well, now you know why I have a "6" and an "8" on my calves. It's not just about the Philippines. It's about being worldwide, international. I'll write more later, but let's just say that stuff of that vintage captured my imagination a long time ago and opened up my mind about what's possible. Kinda makes the "hope" and "change" of 2008 look like "hope for pocket change". It was a year when people couldn't help but really look at and listen to the majority of people on this planet for change while in 2008 the whole world seems like it's gaze is stuck on staring at one dude. Weird. Anyway, check out the show if you can, and thanks to Rhonda for letting me take part. Oh, and thanks to Juanito for the assistance putting up this show. That's him in the middle...the young homie from D.F.

[ Oh, and if it's true that Facebook will take these posts from LJ, then I guess I'm not killing this blog after all. ]

Damn, this last FMTM tour was crazy. (Or as Francis circa 1998 woulda said, "Crajee!") 24 shows in 26 days...that's one "day off" for driving / ferrying from France to Scotland and one "day off" for flying to Moscow. WTF!?! (Yeah, we asked ourselves that a couple of times.) All said and done, it went well. Still tripping out on how people across the ocean know FMTM and are super supportive. For those of you who asked for souvenirs from Moscow, sorry. There really wasn't any time. (Plus I'm broke as f*%k...musician, remember? And my "sugar mama" is a public school teacher, so...)

With all that said, the thing that always gets me when I'm on tour is that I LOVE COMING HOME. So here's my top ten list of things I miss while on tour:

1. Jo
2. Homies / Kasamas / Pamilya
3. The color Brown
4. Silogs
5. The Liwanag Kultural Center
6. Daly City Youth
7. Vegetables
8. 3G
9. Quiet
10. Music in which soul figures in prominently

Now I'm switching gears and painting. Actually making thirty-six 4" hardboard panels right now and getting anxious as I realize that not a single drop of paint has been used yet. Ha.

Oh, and happy bornday to Mr. Glenn Aquino. Woodihoo! Not sure what's going on yet in terms of celebrating, so give him a call or harrass him here to get details.

[ Originally posted on the From Monument To Masses LiveJournal ]

Hmm...I didn't make the list. Note that 5 are "industrialists", 1 heads a media corporation, and 4 are in finance. If that means anything to you, cool. So, how much are you getting paid? As a public school teacher in Daly City, I'm pulling in $44,000...that's $39,056,000 less than the lowest paid person on this list, Mr. Gap. I wonder if they trip about rising gas prices? To quote Linkin Park: "Like they understand you in the back of the jet / When you can't put gas in your tank".

-----------------------

Associated Press

The 10 highest-paid CEOs for 2007 at Standard & Poor's 500 companies based on calculations by The Associated Press. The total pay figures are rounded, and are based on the AP's compensation formula, which adds up salary, perks, bonuses, above-market interest on pay set aside for later, and company estimates for the value of stock options and stock awards on the day they were granted last year.

1. Larry Ellison, Oracle Corp., $84.6 million


2. John Thain, Merrill Lynch & Co., $83.1 million


3. Leslie Moonves, CBS Corp., $67.6 million


4. Richard Adkerson, Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc., $65.3 million


5. Bob Simpson, XTO Energy Inc., $56.6 million


6. Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., $54.0 million


7. Kenneth Chenault, American Express Co., $51.7 million


8. Eugene Isenberg, Nabors Industries Ltd., $44.6 million


9. John Mack, Morgan Stanley, $41.7 million


10. Glenn Murphy, Gap Inc., $39.1 million

The Dark Knight was brilliant. The Watchmen trailer was brilliant. People booing Star Wars: Clone Wars...priceless. I guess this is what happens when "nerd movies" start getting good (eg Lord of the Rings, Matrix, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Wanted, Hellboy 2 [flawed, yes, but still good], The Dark Knight, etc.): People start to realize what a steaming pile of crap Lucas' beaten dead horse is. Don't worry nerdos, I still got a soft spot in my heart for the "The Wars" and will probably hate my contradictions for going to watch the computertoon...but that's only cuz I'm just as succeptible to nostalgia as the next old man.

To show my age, here's a little old-school SAT analogy test for all my simpatico pop culture geeks. We're such losers...and we love it.


The SW Original Trilogy : The SW Prequels
:: Mommy's Little Monster : Sex, Love, & Rock 'n' Roll

Episode I : The Clone Wars
:: Nothing's Shocking : Strays

Episode IV : Episode I
:: Conan The Barbarian : Conan the Destroyer

Episode IV : Episode I
:: Highlander : Highlander II

Episode IV : Episode I
:: Alien : Alien Resurrection

Episode IV : Episode I
:: The Unforgettable Fire : Zooropa

Star Wars : The Matrix
:: Wild in the Streets : Frances the Mute


This is the kinda post that turns 16-year-old suburban white kids into angry, blog-defacing, flame-war ninjas.

That whole sound thing was buggin' me. CLICK! Janet Jackson tribute on America's Best Dance Crew? Say what!?! Sorry Who, no contest.

Is anybody watching the VH1 Rock Honors right now? They're honoring The Who...definitely an inspiration. Easily one of the best rhythm sections (bass and drums) in rock. Anyway, the real reason I'm blogging is cuz I'm annoyed as fuck that VH1 can't figure out how to mix live sound. It sounds like ass. I've noticed that even with those MTV awards shows. What the hell? Have they gotten too used to prerecorded tracks that they don't know how to run live sound and mix it for broadcast? And don't get me started on how loud the flippin' commercials are. What a jerk I am.

Here's episode 2 of the From Monument To Masses mini-docs. It focuses on the opening track of the upcoming album (due out January 2009...ahh the business side of this whole music thing), showing kinda how we write shit and record it. Nice and short.

Fuck the new From Monument To Masses record...what do y'all know about One Day As A Lion? No really. It's Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine) and Jon Theodore (The Mars Volta) hooking up to make revolutionary music. These guys are easily one of my favorite vocalists and one of my favorite drummers. Stripped down, raw sound with Zack on vocals and keys and Jon doing vocals and drums. Like an aggressive Mates of State with Radical Politics replacing the cute "love" thing. EP due out July 22.