November 17, 2003

• We flew out of Sydney on Friday afternoon and arrived in L.A. on Friday morning. Two days later we are still feeling the effects of jetlag from not having slept on the plane. It’s like we’ve lost an entire night’s sleep and our body clocks have gone crazy.

  We were only in Sydney for one week, but really enjoyed being back in the familiarity of our own studio. …Been working some more on our new Endsville mini-bible. I’ve been reading Confessions of a Ratfink (autobiography of Ed Roth) as research and inspiration while Eddie has been designing some awesome-looking RODS!

  
  Ramrod’s Bitumen Bandito (from Endsville)
  © 2003 FWAK! Animation

  I have a Palm Tungsten E! Now I no longer have to carry with me everywhere I go my three little notebooks full of memos, phone numbers, addresses, passwords, driving directions, random crap… Everything is organized in one handy-dandy little pocket-size device. At the same time, a whole new world of handheld gadgets has opened up for me…
  Cool Links: Gizmodo, OQO

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  Online communities
  Art of the Mix & Tribe.net

  Since our KKK2 mix had been selected as Mix of the Week (at the Art of the Mix website) we’ve been receiving emails from people wanting to hear this CD or to know how to receive a copy.

  Here’s a brief explanation of how Art of the Mix works:

  • AOTM is an online community. The site is all about mixes (= playlists ). Technically it’s not a music trading site. No uploads/downloads of music files. Only playlists – each one lovingly compiled by someone out there who has put together their own compilation CDs or cassettes for whatever purpose.
  • AOTM-ers submit their mixes/playlists to share with other AOTM-ers. Each mix is categorized by Title, Genre, Format.
  • To register with AOTM (to post comments, contact other members etc.), you have to submit at least ONE mix.
  • Comments are posted, emails are exchanged… and the CD-swapping thing takes place offline between consenting parties.
  • In the past year, Eddie and I have sent out 50+ copies of our mixes and received in exchange, 50+ compilation CDs from around the world. I can’t tell you what a buzz it is to get a bunch of CDs in your mailbox. It’s a cool way to expand one’s musical horizons and to *meet* new people.

  So if you would like to “trade” for any of our AOTM mixes, show us what you got! Or just let us know which mixes you’d like to listen to. We’ll make you a copy when we have a spare moment

  
  Tribe.net , as an online networking service, kicks Friendster‘s ass. (no offence to the people in my Friendster network whom I know. I do value our Friendstership) ANYONE can join and/or create ANY tribe. I like it that you are not restricted by who you know (or how many people there are in your network) to enjoy the Tribe.net experience. The site is MORE about networking via common interests and sharing information than about the acquisition of friends/dates. 99% of the forums and listings are “public” i.e., accessible by ANY registered member. Yes, you can engage in lively discussions and use the listings service even if you have no *friends*.

  In two days of browsing Tribe.net, I have discovered some useful music and travel-related websites, cool places to eat in L.A., and learnt about a garage sale in my neighbourhood next week. I guess it’s like a Friendster-meets-Yahoo Groups-meets-CraigsList.

  PS. You first have to register with Tribe.net to access the links above.

  And speaking of Friendster, check out Buttafly’s Guide to Interpreting Friendster Photos.

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  AWS Lucha Show

  We actually flew back on Friday so we could go to this AWS Lucha show at Frank ‘n Sons on Saturday. Keith was there; Rafael was there (doing some life drawing); even Peter Hastings (Mucha Lucha Season 2 story editor) was there. Thanks for coming along, Peter!

  The highlights:

  
  image of Solar, Ultraman & Super Astro
   from Lucha Mascarada book

  • The Main Event was awesome beyond belief. Super Astro, Ultraman, Solar & Piloto Suicida Jr (tecnicos) versus Shamu, Acero Dorado, Mysterioso & Pentagon. (rudos). Super Astro was technically-brilliant (he must be in his forties now?) The tecnico superstars stayed behind after the match to sign autographs and get their pictures taken with fans. I had my photo taken with the luchadores  Eduardo will write the full review below…
  • After the match, kids were jumping into the empty ring and doing elaborate lucha wrestling holds on each other. They were pretty good!I wished Broadcast Standards and Practices were there to witness this. I maintain the belief that kids will imitate wrestling anyway, if they are already exposed to the sport and know the moves.
  • Learning that Superboy‘s kids are fans of ML! (He told this to us in person)
  • Then Raf took us to Friscos (City of Industry)- a diner where the waitresses rollerskate! Too tacky and cute!

  Eddie’s review:

  Like the recent Santo Vs Super Parka match we saw in Tijuana, this was another one of those occasions when the main match was really what everyone came for.  And it didn’t disappoint.  Super Astro was amazing!  For a semi-retired luchador, he didn’t miss a beat.  It was awesome seeing Astro, Ultraman and Solar come to the ring in full lucha regalia – capes and all!  I heard Sr Navarro comment that they “looked like Gods”. He was right – shiny, interplanetary Gods at that. Peter’s 4 year old asked: “Are they superheroes?” The match itself was awesome – highspots, rudo beatdowns, foreign objects, chairshots, and a fantastic eight man pile up which saw the tecnicos win the match.  Probably the most underated guy in the match was Acero Dorado, who worked his rudo ass off to put his tecnico opponents over.

  This was as good as Lucha Libre gets, and is one of those timely reminders why I love this sport.  After the match, Super Astro, Ultraman and Solar posed for photographs.  Suddenly Astro motioned to Lili to come over, who then had her photo taken with the three luchadores!

  
  with Super Astro, Ultraman and Solar!

  They we’re also all selling autographed ring masks.  The masks were $150 each, and I felt the need to give something back to these guys after working their asses off in the ring.  So yes, Miss Chin and I are the proud owners of an autographed, authentic Super Astro hood! 

  Overall, another great afternoon spent at an independant wrestling show.  And it was great to hang out with Peter (and familia!), Keith, Rafael and Raquel – a RevPro mainstay and fellow Lucha diehard!

  • 12:26 pm
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