If anyone has the Death of Vegas remix of 'Message Personnel' could they get in touch.
Sunday, 12 April 2009
Saturday, 11 April 2009
God's Army! What became of Luther & Johnny Htoo?
A frightening yet fascinating 17 minute film 'Twin Crusade' shot in 2000, can be watchedhere.
Where are they now?
Luther Htoo and his twin brother Johnny were the boy leaders of God's Army, a Karen militant group in Burma. Only nine years old at the time they founded the group, the boys would eventually surrender to Thai authorities in 2001 after the Burmese army had all but destroyed the operational strength of their outfit.
Much of the publicity surrounding the God's Army was a product of its young leadership. The group became famous after a picture (see right) of the two brothers was published in newspapers around the world. Luther is widely regarded as more vocal and gregarious then his twin, but it is possible that this information was simply extrapolated from this famous image.
According to sources within the tribe, in 1997 a local pastor (the Karen believe in a blend of Christianity and animism) brought the two boys to a military commander, saying they had been touched by God and they could bring salvation to the Karen who had been fighting against the Burmese government for nearly 50 years. The story continues that the two brothers then led a successful military operation against the Burmese army, despite overwhelming odds.
The story of the brother's prowess soon spread to the rest of the tribe, and men flocked to join the God's Army from other Karen militant outfits. Rumors spread that the boys had magical powers and were immune to bullets. At peak strength, the boys reportedly commanded 500 militants.
Despite this, the God's Army soon found itself the target of a renewed Burmese crackdown, and by 2001, the boys' supporters had been whittled down to about 20 fighters. Exhausted, the two brothers crossed the Thai-Burmese border and surrendered to Thai authorities in late January of that year. Johnny and Luther were 13 years old at the time.
The Thai government re-settled Johnny and Luther in a Karen refugee camp where they were re-united with their mother. Despite efforts to bring the Htoo's to the United States, the family continues to reside in this camp.
In July 2006, Johnny reportedly left the camp to return to Burma where he promptly surrendered to Burmese authorities. It is unknown why Johnny left the camp, and by all accounts, Luther remains in Thailand.
Some have speculated that Johnny and Luther were nothing more then figureheads for the God's Army. Thai military officials have commented that the boys were a front for older militants in an effort to raise morale and attract fighters. While this theory certainly seems plausible, and a great deal of information surrounding the Htoo brothers is clearly myth, Johnny and Luther are still widely considered the youngest military commanders in history.
(WikiAnswers)
Happy birthday Moira!!!
Not bad...after missing your last 30 birthdays, I am a day ahead of you now too and therefore behind!!!Hey there is always next year!
Have a wee toetap on me.
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The Threshold HouseBoys Choir - A Time of Happening
Filmed at the GinJae (vegetarian) Festival held in Bangkok Thailand.
This was Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson's first musical venture since the untimely death of his Coil partner John Balance.
This video is incredibly hypnotic and is the first part of the Threshold HouseBoys Choir CD/DVD release 'Form Grows Rampant'.
All voices are from indigenous sources, completely re-styled, re-tuned and re-arranged.
The sound & vision on this release work perfectly together.
Would you expect anything else from someone who was part of the Hipgnosis design group for so long?
This was Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson's first musical venture since the untimely death of his Coil partner John Balance.
This video is incredibly hypnotic and is the first part of the Threshold HouseBoys Choir CD/DVD release 'Form Grows Rampant'.
All voices are from indigenous sources, completely re-styled, re-tuned and re-arranged.
The sound & vision on this release work perfectly together.
Would you expect anything else from someone who was part of the Hipgnosis design group for so long?
Sleazy is probably packing his bags at his compound in Thailand at this present time to go and 'wreck some civilisation' in America as Throbbing Gristle are about to perform there for the first time since 1981.Boy am I jealous of the people going this time around, though I was lucky enough to have witnessed numerous performances by TG in London in the seventies and (very) early eighties.
(Use the search engine to the right as there is more TG scattered throughout this blog!)
Friday, 10 April 2009
Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine*
Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow.
It was bought in 1951 for £8,200 although Dali initially asked the Glasgow Corporation for £12,000 for the painting. Unusually, Dali also signed away the copyright of the image.
The purchase proved controversial coming as it did just seven years after the end of the Second World War, with many suggesting the funds would be better spent elsewhere.
The Spanish government is said to have recently offered £80 million for the painting, an offer allegedly turned down.
In 1961 a visitor to the museum threw a brick at the painting seriously damaging it. His reason being that he objected to the fact that the viewer is looking down on Christ.
Kelvingrove Gallery is now the most popular free visitor attraction in Scotland and the 14th most popular major gallery in the world.
Growing up in Glasgow I used to wag, sorry (been in Australia so long) skive school (a lot) and take myself off to the gallery and I could (and did) spend hours just looking at this picture.
I really am not a fan of the majority of Dali's paintings but there is something about this picture that intrigues me.
When/If I ever work out what it is - I shall let you know I promise.
* Patti Smith
It was bought in 1951 for £8,200 although Dali initially asked the Glasgow Corporation for £12,000 for the painting. Unusually, Dali also signed away the copyright of the image.
The purchase proved controversial coming as it did just seven years after the end of the Second World War, with many suggesting the funds would be better spent elsewhere.
The Spanish government is said to have recently offered £80 million for the painting, an offer allegedly turned down.
In 1961 a visitor to the museum threw a brick at the painting seriously damaging it. His reason being that he objected to the fact that the viewer is looking down on Christ.
Kelvingrove Gallery is now the most popular free visitor attraction in Scotland and the 14th most popular major gallery in the world.
Growing up in Glasgow I used to wag, sorry (been in Australia so long) skive school (a lot) and take myself off to the gallery and I could (and did) spend hours just looking at this picture.
I really am not a fan of the majority of Dali's paintings but there is something about this picture that intrigues me.
When/If I ever work out what it is - I shall let you know I promise.
* Patti Smith
Brion Gysin's illustrations for 'Time' by William S. Burroughs (1965)
William S. Burroughs created his own version of Time magazine in 1965.It included a cover taken from the authentic 'Time' (November 30, 1962) which was then collaged over by Burroughs with a reproduction of a drawing, four drawings by Brion Gysin and twenty-six pages of typescript comprised of cut up texts and various photographs serving as news items.
Time was bootlegged in 1972 by Roy Pennington as an 'Urgency Press Rip Off'.
According to Maynard & Miles, Pennington published this bootleg edition for sale at the Bickershaw Festival.
Note: There is a copy for sale at present here for $350 (US)
My late friend Mike Hart (from Compendium Bookshop in Camden Town London) had a copy of this as well as Burrough's
'Mayfair Academy Series More or Less' (also published by 'Urgency Press Rip Off').
I hope that after Mike passed away his amazing collection of books and records found a good home (tho' if his son Stephen is anything like his Father, they will be in safe hands).
Back in the 70's in London I had actually managed to collect most of the original issues of 'Mayfair' from the couple of years or so that contained Burrough's column.
Most (but not all) of them were collected in such anthologies as 'Port of Saints' & 'Exterminator!'
If there is anyone out there who has a copy of either of these and wouldn't mind photo-copying or scanning the contents...well I would be eternally grateful!Full story & scans of 'Time' available at 'Reality Studio' here.
Kanye's blog response to 'South Park'
"SOUTH PARK MURDERED ME LAST NIGHT AND IT'S PRETTY FUNNY. IT HURTS MY FEELINGS BUT WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM SOUTH PARK! I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY EGO THOUGH. HAVING THE CRAZY EGO IS PLAYED OUT AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE AND CAREER. I USE TO USE IT TO BUILD UP MY ESTEEM WHEN NOBODY BELIEVED IN ME. NOW THAT PEOPLE DO BELIEVE AND SUPPORT MY MUSIC AND PRODUCTS THE BEST RESPONSE IS THANK YOU INSTEAD OF "I TOLD YOU SO!!!" IT'S COOL TO TALK SHIT WHEN YOU'RE RAPPING BUT NOT IN REAL LIFE. WHEN YOU MEET LITTLE WAYNE IN PERSON HE'S THE NICEST GUY FOR EXAMPLE. I JUST WANNA BE A DOPER PERSON WHICH STARTS WITH ME NOT ALWAYS TELLING PEOPLE HOW DOPE I THINK I AM. I NEED TO JUST GET PAST MYSELF. DROP THE BRAVADO AND JUST MAKE DOPE PRODUCT. EVERYTHING IS NOT THAT SERIOUS. AS LONG AS PEOPLE THINK I ACT LIKE A BITCH THIS TYPE OF SHIT WILL HAPPEN TO ME. I GOT A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF ME TO MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE I'M NOT ACTUALLY A HUGE DOUCHE BUT I'M UP FOR THE CHALLENGE. I'M SURE THE WRITERS AT SOUTH PARK ARE REALLY NICE PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DRAW MY CREW. THAT WAS PRETTY FUNNY ALSO!! I'M SURE THERE'S GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN THIS... THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW IT'S ME!" (here)
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Boris: graphics
These graphics are affectionate pastiches of the Virgin Records logo (circa the mid seventies) designed by Roger Dean and of Nick Drake's classic 1970 album 'Bryter Layter' for the cover of 'Akuma no Uta'.The original inspirations:
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