kevincasper.net

i found two rolls of black and white film in the back of my desk drawer recently. a roll of 35 and a roll of 120 i shot on that old toy diana camera big kev gave me for my birthday one year.

found a place in town that still developed film (even the 120) and got the prints back today.

memory lane …

***

the brothers blue.

halloween, 2004? 5? 6? probably 5. we went to a party at a guy’s house i met in my art history class at csun. johnny v. we were standing around a bonfire talking to these chicks that nader was trying to get to go to las vegas with us … that night, and at one point they agreed. i remember nader interrupting one girl in the middle of whatever she was talking about and saying, ‘hey, do you wanna make out?’ and her saying, ‘ok.’ and they made out for a few minutes and then she continued the story.

anyway, johnny v. great guy. fucking mental, he was. seriously. he made this, which is completely brilliant, offensive, disgusting, brilliant, and brilliant:

***

little liv lekovish. must be about five years ago.

nancy feeding little liv lekovish. yes, that’s high life:

***

pretty nice shot of ole jessica in her natural habitat:

***

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the guy doing the commentary is having way too much fun with this. way to much fun.

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so i got sucked into some noel interviews today when i was supposed to be revising a paper.

i love this dude.

he talks about manchester city like me and christian talk about the warriors.

rock and roll and shitty, blue collar sports franchises.

good on you, mate.

for those uninterested in hearing football talk, skip to the 4:15 mark.

priceless.

Tags:   noel gallagherNo Comments.

***i know the blog posts have been infrequent, and i’m developing a bit of a ‘fuck this and that’ theme. it’s not permanent. lots going on. good things. sad things. hopeful things. creative things. much more to say soon. but must experience it all more first.***

so, anyway …

fuck chase bank.

these capitalist pigs, man. anybody who thinks this whole thing we got going over here is really good for the common human is fucking out of their mind.

case in point:

last year, new administration passes an early financial regulation bill aimed to make it harder for banks to just pile fees on people without them having an option to decline the ’services’ creating the fees.

for example, let’s say you have a bank account without a lot of money in it, say $10. you go buy lunch somewhere that costs $12 using your check card. the bank would ‘cover’ that payment, allowing it to go through, but would then hit you with a fee. mine at chase bank was $27 when this happened recently. so i end up paying $39 bucks for lunch.

but let’s say i have another account, or a credit card, and could have just used that account had the card just not worked in the first place. declined. no money. gotta find some other way to pay. or no lunch. or you’re washing dishes.

so i’m in the bank today, and they say, ‘oh, there are changes coming to your account soon. you need to go sign a paper over there with ms. jones.’

so i go see ms. jones, and i say, ’shit, ms. jones, when there are changes to the bank account, it’s usually not good for the consumer, huh?’

she says, ‘oh, no! people are really liking these changes!’

right.

so she gets up, gets some forms, and sits down with a stack of huge, colorful, laminated cards and attempts to sell me what chase bank has called ‘triple protection!’

here’s the scoop. the new law says that customers need to be able to opt out of these ‘protection’ services if they don’t want them. sometimes you don’t need to spend $39 for a $10 lunch. i get this. this is smart government. this is what i want.

but chase has clearly spent millions in marketing to make the new law … a profit reducer for them, to be sure … something that the consumer really needs and wants. ‘triple protection’ means that if you write a check over the amount you have, the bank will cover it for you! for a fee!

that’s the same fucking deal i have now that sucks. they’re trying to tell me to select the shitty status quo by rebranding it and trying to sell it to me as a positive.

who thinks this shit up?

i told ms. jones, ‘this is clearly a way to get around the effects of that new law, isn’t it?’

she gave me the whole, ’sir, that’s why we give you a choice.’

i said, ‘bull shit, ms. jones. this ‘choice’ is the result of the government slightly fucking with the racket you folks have going, and you folks trying desperately to skirt the issue. this is shameful shit, ms. jones.’

’so you don’t want triple protection, then?’ she says.

‘that’s correct. i am declining triple protection.’

then, after all this, she tried to get me to pay $25 a year for a check card that accumulates points at kohl’s and home depot and some such shit.

unbelievable.

moral of the story:

fuck chase bank.

fuck triple protection.

fuck ms. jones and all who conspire with her.

workers of the world.

unite?

yeah, right.

Tags:   fuck chase bankNo Comments.

i’m rooting for kobe over this douche bag from here on out.

there, i said it.

i’ve never been that enamored by lebron. yeah, he’s amazing, and he’s always seemed (been marketed as, it turns out) a stand up guy.

but this fiasco of the last week is the douchiest thing i have ever seen in all my days of following sports.

a recap:

1. the guy quit on the cavs in the playoffs. game 5 was shameful. this guy thinks he’s a superstar … jordan/bird/magic/barkley/kobe would never … ever … have laid down like that in the playoffs.

shameful.

2. the day he became a free agent, he did an hour long special with larry king at his house to say, larry, i’m a free agent. yeah, we know that. douche.

3. he’s from ohio. they love him there. love him. he gutted that town for the next two decades, at least. it may never recover.

4. even if it is his right to do what he wants, you don’t organize a prime time tv special to kick cleveland in the nuts when they’re down. punk ass bitch move. if you’re gonna leave, leave. don’t throw a party for yourself. douche.

5. let’s not forget, this guy has never won anything. anything. ok, the 2008 olympic gold medal. sure. ok. but i could have started at small forward on that team and they would have won a gold medal. we’re really good at basketball over here. and kobe did all the heavy lifting in those games anyway. and i hate kobe, keep in mind.

***

and now a letter from cav’s owner dan gilbert, my new hero:

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE”

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown “chosen one” sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day….

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue….

Dan Gilbert

Majority Owner

Cleveland Cavaliers

***

go get ‘em cleveland. i’ll be rooting for you.

and lebron, you’re a world class punk ass bitch douche.

and the next person i see who compares you to jordan i’m punching in the face.

***

in other news, our golden state warriors landed david lee from the knicks. probably a horrible trade, but time will tell.

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you gotta love san francisco, man.

a woman who sells tamales to drunks at dive bars gets a front page article.

why?

because it’s god’s work, that’s why.

she’s an angel.

and i love her.

i miss you, tamale lady.

a beautiful little article on a beautiful human being.

makes you feel inspired and lazy and whiny all at the same time.

***

The Tamale Lady talks fillings, kids, Twitter
Meredith May, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, July 8, 2010

On a recent summer day in San Francisco, the Tamale Lady celebrated her 57th birthday at Zeitgeist bar.

For the past 17 years, the Patron Saint of the Tamale – otherwise known as Virginia Ramos – has peddled her homemade tamales and motherly advice late into the night at bars in the Mission and South of Market.

A rockumentary, “Our Lady of Tamale,” has been made about her, not to mention a 50-song tribute CD. “I (Heart) The Tamale Lady” stickers adorn Critical Mass bikes and dive bars throughout the city.

What gave you the idea to start selling tamales?

I needed to put seven kids through college, and I wasn’t making enough cleaning houses.

Was the extra income enough?

Five went to college, and one is in the military, so I did all right.

How did you learn to make tamales?

The church ladies in my little Mexican town, in Nayarit.

How did you get to San Francisco?

I had a hard life, no parents to buy me food or anything. I married at 14 because I had no place to go. Then he started with alcohol, so my brother helped me move to California. I worked cleaning houses until one by one I could bring my kids here.

How has your life changed since you’ve been in the newspaper and a film?

People give me a lot of congratulations, and companies like Dolby and Lucasfilm ask me to bring tamales.

Is it still a surprise when you show up in a bar, or can people follow you on Twitter now?

I am all kind of places on the Internet. Face … Face … what’s that Face thing? I don’t know it, but my son put me on there, yeah. He does the Twitter, too.

Have you expanded your menu?

I still make chicken mole, pork, and vegetable, but I added bean and sweet potato, and bell pepper with cheese. Chicken mole is still the best seller.

How many do you sell?

I get up early in the morning, and make 100. I have a couple helpers. I clean houses, then take a nap and start selling at 6 p.m. until the bars close.

Do you ever get any free time?

If I do, I like to go to church. To thank God. I go to St. Charles or St. Peter’s. I have saints at home, I do a little Santeria.

Do you have a pet?

Josephine. She’s a Lab mix/pit bull whatever.

Where do you live?

In the Mission, honey!

What would you buy if you could?

Maybe one day I will get enough money to open my own place. Everybody could come in and I could join them in one place. I could hug my people and make sure they don’t go to sleep hungry. And tell them not to break themselves doing drugs.

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i must be maturing, because it’s much easier to get my friends organized around a simple task than it used to be.

in the past, we were flakes.

we still are in many ways …

i recall the time me and chin and paco and scotty were going to the warriors game in oakland. game started at, let’s say, 8. paco shows up at 7:50 and his first words were, ‘are we going to grab a bite before the game?’

paco. a man out of time.

but getting these tickets to matador 21 is going to be tougher than i thought. there’s 2100 tix. i think i personally could name forty people who want to go. no shit. if you start thinking about all the 90s indie rock dipshits still running around, there could be some serious sadness going on tomorrow.

i will cry.

***
but consolations are in vogue these days.

take lebronorama, for example. the poor knicks … sucked for two years, lost ten first round draft picks, and ended up with half-blind, bad-knees amar’e to show for it.

and the nets … worst record in the league last year, missed out on john wall in the draft … not even jay-z could pull the chosen one to that roster now.

but, shit, when you can’t get what you want, you take what you get.

and sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need …

***

so as a consolation, this afternoon i bought three tix to the black crowes at the pageant in st. louis in august.

the ’say goodbye to the bad boys tour.’

supposedly, this is it.

‘infinite hiatus’ to follow …

it’ll be hard to top the last time i saw them, though.

right up front in some lovely casino theatre in biloxi w/chicago mel in tow.

i framed the trip as some sort of peace offering following what at the time was a quasi-indiscretion.

a memorable line from the evening:

’so let me understand this … you’re apologizing to me by taking me to see your favorite band in the world?’

exactly.

(remember when they opened the encore with rich singing velvet underground’s sweet nothing after listening to that song on the drive over there? again with the coincidences … )

that was so good.

***

chris cracks me up in this clip. the outfit, the performance, everything:

‘but my baby
is wanting
me to roll around
in her bed all day.’

gonna miss you, boys. it’s been a nice ride.

maybe someday again when we’re old, eh?

***

scenes from the 4th-ish:

catherine looking lovely, and perplexed, at 40.

lucy in the sky with dillon’s sunglasses:

the future goal keeper of manchester city and the 2022 u.s world cup team:

after watching jaws 2, roy said: ‘i would be scared of myself, if i were a shark.’

robyn, minutes before getting most of the party into the water to create what became a pretty impressive whirlpool:

chicago mel, not cracking up, just getting older:

if i ever buy another vw bus (and i can feel it happening), clark is to blame:

***

i’m getting constant texts and emails and calls about this matador thing.

fuck.

it’s like my corporate days, revisited.

the point man.

eye on the big picture.

just

gotta keep.

all the balls

in the air.

mine.

yours.

theirs.

all our balls

are

flying.

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and i’m not talking about the knicks’ chances for landing lebron improving after signing amar’e.

i’m talking matador 21.

scotty came up huge booking a room at the gold coast (it’s scotty’s birthday weekend after all). that was before we realized that there’s some weird tandem ticket/room deal you have to follow. complicates matters. and there’s only 2100 seats. complicates matters. and we got a room at the gold coast we gotta get rid of.

but scotty is in and hooch is interested – broke, but interested – and ralph is interested if he can postpone his europe trip (whoever thought ralph would be the fucking jet setter? all it took was a taco truck …), and dh said he’s in, and nader has shown interest, and kd is already vested, and paco will probably stroll up at the last minute wondering when pavement goes on, and christian even sounded somewhat intrigued, which for christian is a tremendous outpouring of emotion.

it’ll be like 1996 all over again. (and i’m trying to think of something witty to say that demonstrates how different my life is now than it was in 1996, but it’s really almost exactly the same. troubling …)

these things can happen once in awhile.

life can work itself out.

blind date with a chancer …

let’s not fuck up getting these tickets.

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the photo in this article is … speechless.

Deep sea dog: Russian teaches dachshund to scuba – latimes.com.

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ooh las vegas. ain’t no place for a poor boy like me …

ok, so, pavement, gbv, chavez, sonic youth, jsbx, yo la, cat power, new pornos, spoon, superfuckingchunk … did i mention chavez?

who’s in?

Tags:   matador 215 Comments