HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM PERU - WHAT?

Yes, you read right. SAXOMAN is blogging live from Peru. What? Yes, I am enjoying the holidays and the warm summer time in Peru. Now so far I have seen more fireworks exploded on Christmas eve than I could ever have imagined and eaten lots of good food as SAXOMAN is taking full advantage of the Peruvian cuisine. Now there are some things that take getting used to like keyboards without a @ for some odd reason (whats up with that?) and the occasional cold shower that will wake you up in a hurry! My blogging may be a little sporadic as I am at the mercy of hotel computers and internet cafes. Anyway, I will be blogging as soon as I can. Oh yes, I am also watching the Simpsons in Spanish too. HAHA

60 FREEWAY FIASCO AND SAXOMAN IS THERE

Now for those of you that live in the Southern California area you may have heard or seen footage about the fuel tanker that caught fire on the 60 freeway recently. Now how was SAXOMAN involved in this major accident? No, no SAXOMAN didn't cause this accident but was very close to this whole situation. You see I was at work in my car and taking my daily lunch time nap. All of a sudden my deep, restful slumber was interrupted by the sound of helicopters buzzing overhead. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and got out of my car to see what was going on. There I saw three helicopters hovering over the 60 freeway. What is going on I thought. I went inside and hopped on my computer to see that a fuel tanker had caught fire and the off ramp just prior to where SAXOMAN gets off to go to work was being burned. I then see that they had closed the freeway in both directions! What? So for the next several days SAXO had to take alternate routes and alternate freeways to get to and from work. The problem was that everyone else had to use these alternate routes as well! Auuuggghhh! Anyway, I managed to survive several days of inconvenience and now all is back to normal.

SONG OF THE DAY - SUN

This weeks Song of the Day is a classic funk gem from 1976 from the group Sun. The song of the day is titled Wanna Make Love and is from their debut album of the same name. This song is probably best remembered for it's catch phrase "Come flick my bic". Now I don't know if this was a national hit or not but it sure was popular in good old Pasadena way back in the day. There were many other great tunes on Sun's debut album as well. Not hip to Sun and their hit Wanna Make Love? Well check it out and hip up!

PINK OR LAVENDER - HUH?

Pink or Lavender? What? Yes, this is the question the wife asked me recently while we were at the store. You see women for some reason don't like to use soap and think body wash is much better for your skin. Jeez, why can't I just use the same soap that I've been using for 30 years? So on top of the wife having both of us use body wash, she also feels we should wash our skin using a "pouf" instead of a washcloth. A what? Yep, see the photo to see what a pouf is cuz I had no idea what the hell this was. Jeez, as I write this I can feel the testosterone draining from my body. I have visions of my many readers exiting this blog for fear of SAXOMAN partaking in a serious man card violation. I thought to myself that you may as well snip off my testicles while you're at it too. Jeez! HAHA! OK, so back to the pink or lavender question. So as we were at the store the wife wanted to buy new poufs and for us to each have our own. What? Matching poufs? Are you kidding me! So as we viewed the slim selection, you guessed it! Pink or Lavender were my only choices! What? No wonder these things don't come in manly colors because these things aren't meant to be used by a man! So as my wife asked this question I heard a girl nearby snickering at my predicament. Pink or Lavender! How do I get into these things? I just shrugged my shoulders and said "Lavender, I guess...." I mean it has to be better than pink right? Right? Fellas? Hello? Is anyone out there?

PHILIPPE'S - A LOS ANGELES INSTITUTION

Home of the french dip, Philippe's is an L.A. institution not to be missed. Now yesterday SAXOMAN and the wife were in Chinatown (What! Again?) and we were deciding on where to eat. I said, "Hey, let's go to Philippe's". Just a block and a half from Chinatown the wife and I strolled over to enjoy an enjoyable French dip sandwich. Philippe's is also a short walk from L.A.'s Union Station as well. Now you can have pork, lamb, roast beef or turkey and I can honestly say every sandwich I have tried has been a winner. Now I know there is some debate as to who actually created the French dip and Philippe's is one of the places that claim this. Now I personally do not know who the creator was but in the meantime I will enjoy the sandwiches from whoever makes them. Now with a variety of sides to choose from you can pick and chose as you like. They also make their own mustard and I can tell you to use sparingly as it is as hot and spicy as Japanese wasabi. This will clear your head fast! Not hip to Philippe's? Check it out the next time you are over that way!

DRIVING A STICK SHIFT

I remember many years ago when I had to first learn to drive a stick shift. I was working in the kitchen at a hospital and they needed me to be able to drive the company truck to the opposite side of the facility to deliver food. One of my co-workers had the task of showing me how this was all done. Seeing as I had never driven anything but an automatic transmission before, I knew this would be quite an experience. I remember my initial attempts did nothing but stall out the truck. “Push the clutch in!” my co-worker yelled at me. I then had trouble learning the proper amount of clutch to be let out and the truck would start buckin’ like we were on a mechanical bull. HAHA! My co-worker would continue to yell (coach?) me. “Push in the clutch! Now let it out slowly! No, too fast! Slower! Foot on the brake! Give it some gas!” and on and on it went….. I remember him just putting his face in his hands and shaking his head. HAHA! Now eventually I started to get the hang of this and my shifting became crisp and clean. I would then enjoy my brief excursions to the other side of the facility. With the radio blasting and me leanin’ hard towards the center of the truck (gangster lean) I was a site to behold. Now eventually I ended up getting several cars after this that were stick shift and enjoyed winding out the gears and downshifting as well. Another memorable experience in the life of SAXOMAN. HAHA!

HO HO HO - JAMES BROWN STYLE

Yes my many readers it's that time of year again. Time to pull out that Christmas music and get in the holiday spirit. Now what does SAXOMAN play to get the holiday feeling? Why none other than the Godfather of Soul singing his classic hit Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto (from the album pictured). What? OK, now maybe not an international hit and not known by all but a favorite of SAXOMAN. So with that being said, check it out and hip up! P.S. I recently saw where there is a cd titled The Complete Recordings of James Brown's Christmas Music. I gotta get it!

CLOTHES THAT LAST FOREVER

Have you ever had some clothes that just never seem to wear out? I mean, why can't they make more clothes like this? Now I have to say that there are two pieces of clothing that I own that just never seem to wear out and I have worn these for years. Now I'm sure if my wife got wind as to how long I've had these clothes she would quickly dispose of them but for now I'm safe. Now one is just a simple short sleeve polo shirt and the other is just a simple ribbed tank top. How long have I had these? I dunno.....all I know is that these never lose their shape, never fade, and still don't have any holes in them. What's funny is when I wear the polo shirt at work someone will always say "nice shirt" HAHA! So in the meantime SAXOMAN will keep on wearing these as long as possible.....

REST IN PEACE

Usually this blog deals with my endless supply of nonsense and music/movie picks. I'm sorry to say that this post is one of a more serious nature. I'm sad to say that the other night was a very tough night for SAXOMAN and family. Our beloved cat of almost 17 years passed on. Our cat Flakita (aka Flacka or Flackies) was the nicest, friendliest cat you could ever hope for and was never any trouble. While other cats of ours ran and hid whenever company was over, Flacka would come out and socialize, rub against people and look for anyone to pet her on the head. She was a great cat and will be sorely missed. I guess we were lucky to enjoy her for as long as we did as most cats do not live to the age of 17. Now for those that don't have pets they wonder how someone can grieve so much for a pet. All I can tell you is that Flacka was a big part our lives and we will always be remembered fondly. Rest in peace Flakita!

LATIN JAZZ CD PICK OF THE WEEK = FRANCISCO AGUABELLA

This weeks Latin Jazz CD Pick of the Week is another winner from master conguero Francisco Aquabella titled Cubacan. I picked this cd up recently for only $5 and it is a real winner! Funky latin rhythms and scorching solos make this a must have for you latin jazz lovers. Now I currently own three other cd's by Francisco and they are all winners. Not hip to Francisco Aguabella? Then check out one of the many tracks from this great cd.

FUNK CD PICK OF THE WEEK - MANDRILL LIVE

This weeks coveted Funk CD Pick of the Week is titled Mandrill Live at Montreux 2002. OK, now don't think that SAXOMAN has created a new category but just felt this is where this funky cd belonged. This live cd captures Mandrill at their best gettin' funky with all of their hits. Now if you love the cd you can also get a dvd of this great performance as well. What? Now what prompted SAXOMAN to revisit this great cd was a recent e-mail from one of the founding members of Mandrill! What? Yep, one of the founding members is an avid reader of this blog. I kid you not. Now maybe I do have more than the 2? or 3? readers that I think typically follow this blog. Anyway, I've always wondered why every year I see the same groups at the L.A. County Fair (War, Tower of Power, Average White Band) but never see Mandrill playing the Fair. I dunno.......my guess is that the venue is too small. Anyway, not hip to Mandrill? What? Then check them playing their funk classic Fencewalk from the Live at Montreux dvd and hip up!

JAZZ CD PICK OF THE WEEK - JIMMY SMITH

This weeks Jazz CD Pick of the Week is by the great Jazz organist Jimmy Smith. This cd is simply titled "Standards" and is a simple trio of organ, guitar and drums. Now I have to confess that for quite a while I had steered clear of trio recordings. I always felt that something was missing, like a sax or trumpet. But this? This is a smooth as satin and as soft as butter. Jazz musicians interacting at the highest level. With Kenny Burrell on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums this recent purchase was a pleasant surprise. Now I have to say I've been a fan of Jimmy Smith for quite a while and currently own 11 of his cd's (mostly the Blue Note releases). The recordings he did with Stanley Turrentine are must haves for any jazz lovers collection. Anyway, here's one of the many great tracks from this cd. Check it out and you will know what SAXOMAN is talking' about.

THE FIST BUMP - I DON'T GET IT

Now I have to say that I've never really got the whole fist bump thing. I mean to me it just feels so unnatural. It's not like slapping' five or doing the regular handshake or the classic "bro" shake. To me it's more of an odd, impersonal type of thing. I mean, where did this come from and whoever decided this was hip? Now whenever anyone sticks their knuckles out at me it's like a don't know what to do. Do I barely touch the knuckles? Do I hit the knuckles hard? I dunno.....Then there's the people that go BOOM! and make and exploding motion after the fist bump. I'm sure you've all seen that one. My theory is once you see these things being done on TV sitcoms then there time has probably come and gone, like the fist bump. Anyway, just my two cents on the fist bump.

COCKTAILS AND A CAR WASH - WHAT?

The other day I'm relaxing getting my car washed because as you all know SAXOMAN cannot drive a dirty car. No way! Anyway, there were a couple of cars that had been done for a while and just sitting there but the drivers hadn't claimed them. The guys kept looking at me as if one of these cars were mine. Sorry, I can't help you. That's not my car. Anyway, I then see a guy running across the street that had just come out of the local bar. What? Yep, I kid you not. He then proceeds to pick up his car and drive back across the street to the bar for more drinking. What? I then see a lady run across the street and do the same thing. I guess they wanted to make the most of their available time and have some cocktails while they were waiting. I dunno.....oh well, so much for drinking and driving. Be careful out there!

BLACK FRIDAY MADNESS

Now I don't know about the rest of you but I think this whole Black Friday thing has gotten way out of control. It used to be that you could enjoy your Thanksgiving and worry about shopping the next day. Now? No way! This Black Friday madness has gone to new levels of craziness! I saw that people had been camped out at Best Buy for days waiting to be the first in line. Where stores used to open at 6:00AM, and then 5:00AM now it has gone way overboard. Several stores were opening at midnight and not willing to be outdone, other stores decided to open at 10:00PM and even as early as 6:00PM! What? Yep! Sheer madness! Now this morning I saw that one lady pepper sprayed several people just to get her stuff! What? Yep, whole new levels of madness I tell you. I guess the lady figured that was one way to get her stuff. HAHA! Anyway shoppers, be careful out there or else you may get pepper sprayed.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

SAXOMAN would like to wish my many (2? 3?) readers a very Happy Thanksgiving! Now today is a day to spend the day watching football, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, or The Twilight Zone marathon (my personal favorite). On top of this you have an excuse to eat until you burst! Now how can you not love a holiday that centers around food right? So I want all of you to give thanks for all of the good things in your life like being entertained by the mindless ramblings of this blog right? HAHA! Happy Thanksgiving!

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THOSE FEET - HUH?

The other day the wife and I were at the store looking for a pair of shoes for me. As we were waiting for the salesperson to bring me my size I noticed a large pair of shoes on the bottom rack. I told my wife "look at the size of those shoes! Those must be about a size 16 or something". My wife said to see what size they were. So I picked them up and I'm looking and looking and then finally I spot the size. What??? A size 12! What? Are you kidding me? This can't be! I wear a size 12. Those things are huge! My feet aren't that big are they? The wife told me to try them on so I gave it a try and barely squeezed into these things. HAHA! Anyway, SAXOMAN won't be purchasing this style of shoe anytime soon! HAHA!

MAIDEN VOYAGE - WHAT?

Yes my many (2? 3?) readers, this is SAXOMAN's Maiden Voyage blog. Huh? OK, let me explain. This is my maiden voyage (meaning my first blog posting) with my new Apple laptop. Yes, SAXOMAN has gone mobile! I can now blog from anywhere! From the comfort of my sofa while watching Asian cinema, from Starbucks (oh, that's right, I don't drink coffee), or anywhere there is an Internet connection. I consider myself armed and dangerous. No longer tied down to my old, ancient desktop. I am free. Now does this mean more blogging? Well I can't guarantee that but I will be much more comfortable when I'm blogging. HAHA!

KARATE BULLFIGHTER - WHAT?

Recently I watched a Sonny Chiba dvd titled The Karate Bullfighter. What? Yep, I kid you not! Now in this movie Sonny fights a real live bull and tries to karate chop him to death. What? Now some of this fight scene was real and some was pretty fake like when Sonny pulls off the bull's horn and blood shoots everywhere. Gross! Now I have seen a good share of ridiculous movies and this one has to rank right up there. Now after this movie I watched the other trailers that were on this dvd and what's this I see? Another movie titled The Karate Bearfighter! I guess one hit movie deserves a sequel right? HAHA! So I quickly checked the three dvd set I had just bought and lo and behold I had this movie too! HAHA! So I sat down and watched this as well and I must say it was a pretty dopey movie and the bear was totally fake. Oh well......Anyway, as you all know SAXOMAN is easily amused!

CRAZY PEOPLE MUSIC - HUH?

I remember many years ago when this cd by Branford Marsilis came out. The title of the cd is Crazy People Music. Now I remember Branford being on one of the late night talk shows where he played a few cuts from this cd. They asked him how he came up with the title for the cd. He said someone had invited a friend of theirs to come hear Branford play for the first time. After the set Branford walked over and asked her how she liked the music. She seemed a little disturbed by the music and said "that sounds like crazy people music". Branford was a little confused. He said "do you mean music that they would play for crazy people?". She said, "No, it's like you gave crazy people instruments and told them to try and play". HAHA! A story I always remember. Anyway, here's a cut from this cd for all you crazy people out there.

JAZZ CD PICK OF THE WEEK - MILES DAVIS

This weeks Jazz CD Pick of the Week is a new release by Miles Davis titled "The Miles Davis Quintet Live in Europe 1967" (The Bootleg series Volume 1). Volume 1? Yes, that means there's more to come later! Oh yeah... Now this recently released gem is actually 3 cd's and a dvd! What? Yep! This deluxe four disc set captures Miles and his group during his 1967 tour of Europe. The CDs features 24 tracks recorded live in Antwerp, Copenhagen and Paris. The 10 track DVD was recorded in Germany and Sweden. A great cd as this quintet takes the standards they were currently playing and stretches them to the limits. Here's the official advertisement for this set. If you're hip to Miles then check this out!

BEST SLURPEE EVER?

I have to say that sometimes I feel like I may never grow up. I mean I'm a guy that still enjoys drinking Slurpee's! When it's hot out the wife and I will go to the local 7-11 and cool off with a refreshing Coke Slurpee. Now I have to admit that one day I tried something new and different and no I don't mean one of those odd flavored Slurpee's they sell at the movie theaters. I was driving on the freeway and got off to get gas. I go into the 7-11 or AM/PM and they had the new Vanilla Coke Slurpee. WHOOAA! This was outstanding! Where have you been all my life I thought. Now the Diet and Regular Vanilla Coke flavors didn't stay around too long but that Vanilla Coke Slurpee was hands down the best Slurpee ever! What? Yep, I kid you not! HAHA!

HAPPY BELATED HALLOWEEN

Although a day late I just wanted to wish my many (2? 3?) readers a belated Happy Halloween! Now for those faithful followers of my blog you know that Halloween is not one of SAXOMAN's favorite holiday's. No way! Being the squeamish guy that I am I just can't get into the flesh eating zombies and all that other gory stuff that people think is what Halloween is all about. Give my some good old fashioned ghosts, goblins and harmless pumpkins. That's about all I can handle. Now I must say that I do enjoy all the chocolates and candy that people bring into work the day after Halloween. HAHA!

THE HAMBURGESA (THE HAMBURGER)

OK, this is the story of The Hamburgesa otherwise known as The Hamburger. Now your probably wondering if that's a real double cheeseburger in the photo. Well I am sad to say it is not. What it is though is a very, very large piggy bank! What? Yes, this giant ceramic hamburger is over 11 inches tall. Now I had picked this "hamburgesa" (the Spanish word for hamburger) up in Mexico several years back and have been stuffing it with quarters and the occasional bills. Well it finally reached capacity so it was time to bust it open. Out poured more money than I had ever seen in my life except the last time I busted open my other hamburgesa. Although I has hoping for more money than was in there I was able to count out $1,000 in cash! What? Yep, I kid you not. Now I must say that it took forever to roll up all of those quarters (over $600 worth) and even the cats fell asleep as I was doing this. So SAXOMAN has a grand that is now burning a hole in my pocket! HAHA!

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK - WUXIA

Finally a decent action movie from Hong Kong! After seeing many of the latest dopey comedies out of China and some painfully slow dramas from Japan and Korea there is finally an action movie I could sit back and enjoy. So with that being said this weeks coveted DVD Pick of the Week is Wuxia starring Mega-superstar Donny Yen. Now I'm not sure how many movies Donny makes a year but this has to be at least the third or fourth one this year! What? Yep, I kid you not. They crank out the movies a lot faster overseas than in the U.S. I had seen this movie for about a month but could never find one with English sub-titles that is until my last visit to Chinatown. Now although this movie dragged a bit in the middle the action scenes in the beginning and end more than made up for it. What? You haven't seen it? Well at least enjoy the trailer for this fine piece of cinema.

DREADLOCK WIGS - WHAT THE ???

Now I have seen many dreadlock wigs sold as fake, novelty type items but I don't think I've ever seen someone seriously wear one of these ridiculous looking things until yesterday. What? Yep, it's true! Yesterday yours truly was riding the train to Amoeba (what? Amoeba again?) and a guy got on the train. Now I had to stop and stare because curled up like a big giant bowl of spaghetti was one of these large dreadlock wigs. Now what made it painfully obvious was that the guy had a black beard that was mostly grey and his hair color was the same. The dreads? Now these were a deep, deep brown! Not a good match at all. Anyway, for those of you that wear these things just make sure it's a good match of your hair color. HAHA!

JAZZ CD PICK OF THE WEEK - SHIRLEY SCOTT

It's been a while since I posted my Jazz CD Pick of the Week so here's a winner you're sure to enjoy. This week's pick is titled Blue Flames by organist Shirley Scott. Now I will typically look under Shirley's releases when browsing the cd bins. Why? Well for those that don't know, Shirley was married to tenor sax legend Stanley Turrentine and he is featured prominently on this cd. Uptempo, blues and a ballad make this anther fine release you are sure to enjoy. Not hip to this? Follow the link and give it a listen! http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Flames-Shirley-Scott/dp/B000000YIC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1318471636&sr=8-2

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK - A CHINESE GHOST STORY

It's been a pretty slow period for Asian cinema lately. I've seen some pretty dopey Chinese romantic comedies but not too many good action movies. I recently saw this film and really wasn't expecting too much. I mean it is a remake of a classic so I really didn't know what to expect of the new version of "A Chinese Ghost Story". Well to my surprise this was actually better than expected and featured Louis "The Man with the Tan" Koo. Anyway, SAXOMAN recomended and deserving of my DVD Pick of the Week. Check out the trailer for this fine piece of cinema!

REGGAE / RAP CD PICK OF THE WEEK - HUH?

OK, my many readers (2? 3?) now don't think that I've created a new category for my weekly picks. It's just that I didn't see this cd fitting into my regular Reggae Pick of the Week. This is really a collaboration of two musical styles (Reggae and Rap). Anyway, with that being said, here is my Reggae/Rap CD Pick of the Week by Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley and rapper Nas with their cd titled "Distant Relatives". Another strong release from Damian that clearly shows he has quickly became the most talented of the Marley siblings and has surpassed the pop stylings of his brother Ziggy. Now I had picked this up on a recent trip to Amoeba and have been playing it repeatedly in my car. The track getting the most play and being bumped (played) rather loudly is the track 'As We Enter". Anyway, here's the video for this track. Check it out and hip up!

NO MORE WORLD PEACE - HUH?

That's right! No more World Peace! OK, now don't get upset as if I'm saying disastrous things about the world. What I am actually referring to is NBA star Ron Artest on Dancing With The Stars. What? Yes, for those of you that don't know, Ron Artest is (was) one of the celebrity dancers on this show. Now recently Ron officially changed his legal name to "Metta World Peace". Now although the show had just started on Monday, World Peace is no more! What? Yep, he has been voted off already as being the worst dancer. Sorry World Peace. Hey, at least I don't have a reason to watch this show anymore! HAHA!

TESTICLES - HUH?

Recently I was driving and there was a large truck in front of me. I noticed something swinging from down by the trailer hitch of the truck and what did I see? Yep, you guessed it. Testicles! What? Now I don't know what these were made out of (wood? plastic) but whatever they were it was a pretty big pair of a brown colored testicles. It seemed pretty odd to me. I mean why would you want a set of testicles swinging from your trailer hitch huh? I mean I just don't get it. I looked around and several other cars were noticing too and cracking up at this. Oh well, call me old fashioned but I just don't get it.

SONG OF THE DAY - JAMES BROWN

I was listening to the radio today and the James Brown song Cold Sweat came on. I hadn't heard this song in a while and for some reasons it is rarely played on the radio. I mean why do radio stations seem to constantly play Papa's Got A Brand New Bag over and over again? I mean James had a ton of hits right? Anyway, because I hadn't heard this song for a while I'm going to give it my coveted "Song of the Day". Now the version here is actually a live version from Zaire, Africa as part of the "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match between Ali and Foreman. Anyway, check it out! Oh yeah, what's that GFOS on James' clothes? Why that stands for Godfather of Soul knuckleheads!

SPITTING - I DON'T GET IT

Now I have to say that I've never really gotten the whole spitting thing. I mean I see people spitting all the time. Now SAXOMAN has never had this disgusting habit but there seems to be many people that do. I mean have you ever been next to a car and a guy rolls down his window and you think he wants to ask you for directions? Instead the guys ends up spitting out the window! Gross! Or how about when there's a car in front of you and the guy opens his door like he's going to check the air in his tires? Instead he ends up spitting on the ground. Gross! Have you ever watched a baseball game? Spitting all the time! Where does anyone get so much saliva? Now back in High School spitting was known as "hocking a loogey" which in itself sounds pretty disgusting. Anyway, SAXOMAN and spitting? Count me out!

GETTING FUNKY AT THE L.A. COUNTY FAIR

Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to get funky at the L.A. County Fair! Now actually the fair has been going on for about 2 weeks already so SAXOMAN decided to head over and check it out. Now as always there was the assortment of fried foods and other oddities that you see nowhere else. I mean when have you seen chocolate covered bacon! What? or deep fried Klondike bars! Huh? As always SAXOMAN gorged on an assortment of delectable treats and then it was off to the concert. What? Yes, the classic group War was playing so SAXO braved the crowd of shaved heads, Raider jerseys and tattoos to check out some classic 70's funk. The concert was a great show as always although I must say there was some strange odor and smoke wafting through the crowd. What is this I thought? HAHA! I also kept looking up at the trams passing overhead fearing someone would spit on me. My wife says I shouldn't have told her this now she's afraid to be under them too! Hey, better than being spit on right? HAHA! Anyway, hipsters, go check out the fair before it's too late!

ELVIS IS ALIVE AND WELL AND WORKING AT COSTCO - WHAT?

I swear it was Elvis. I mean it looked just like him (well sort of). Anyway, the wife and I were at the local Costco and as we are leaving the guy checking the receipt as you leave Costco is a dead ringer for Elvis (well kind of) . I mean he had the hair and of course the big sideburns. He even had an Elvis pin on his shirt. Now this guy was a little chubby so I figured he had to be the "Las Vegas Elvis". Anyway, I guess Elvis would be a little older now and this guy also looked a little Spanish but other than that, it was Elvis! HAHA!

P.S. On a side note, my wife for some odd reason still calls Costco, The Price Club. I mean they haven't been called that for years. Jeez......

DVD'S AT CVS? - WHAT?

Now CVS isn't the typical place you would expect to find dvd's but you just never know right? Anyway, I was at CVS earlier today and saw they had a rack of dvd's. Being a movie fan I wandered over to see what gems they might have. Now recently I had gone through their dvd's and found Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues (with Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes) for only $1.99. What? Yep, I kid you not! Anyway, most of the movies they had were pretty bad but I did see a few "gems" in the pack. I saw this Sonny Chiba (Japanese Action Star) three dvd set for only $3.99! WHAT? Now I figured it could be a pretty crappy three movies but a quick Amazon search showed this to be a four and a half star gem. Anyway, I picked it up and will watch it soon. Some other odd places where I have stumbled across bargain priced dvd's include, Walgreens, Marshall's and Ross. Who would have thought huh?

ZIPPERHEADS - HUH?

I was laying on the sofa last night flipping thru the channels when I came across the Clint Eastwood film, Gran Torino. Now I have to say that I hadn't seen this film for quite a while and probably since it first came out. Now this movie is famous for the quote "Get off my lawn" but what I didn't remember was Clint referring to all the Asians in this film as "zipperheads". Now I have to say that I've never heard this derogatory slang word before so had to look it up. Now Clint eventually becomes friends with the local family and seeks justice and revenge. In the end he leaves his beloved Gran Torino to his friend Tao but tells him in his will not to put flames or a tail on it like the other zipperheads. HAHA! Too funny Clint.

SAXOMAN AND DANCING - WHAT?

Now I have to admit that dancing really is not SAXOMAN's thing. It's really something that I'm not very good at but something that I am forced into doing occasionally at certain social events. Now for some cultures dancing is a very normal thing and is something you do all the time at parties and at a very young age. Now I have to admit that this was not the case for me as there sure wasn't dancing in my household when I was growing up. Now when I'm forced into a dancing situation I try to at least wait until the dance floor is fairly crowded, work my way to the middle of the crowd and then jerk around in the most uncoordinated fashion imaginable which is my way of dancing! Hey, at least in the middle of the pack you are somewhat hidden from bystanders who will say "Hey, look at SAXOMAN on the dance floor". People are also trying to take your photo or worse yet record a video of you for total public humiliation. HAHA! Dancing? Sorry, but not for SAXOMAN!

FONKEY AS A DONKEY - HUH?

Now way back in the day SAXOMAN played sax in a funk band. One of the many original "hits" we had was a song called Fonkey as a Donkey. Now our flute player wrote and sung this "hit" and all I really remember is the catch phrase that he would repeat throughout the song. It went "I said you be lookin' Fonkey as a Donkey, I said you, be lookin' Fonkey as a Donkey". He would then mutter some other unintelligble lyrics before returning to the Fonkey as a Donkey theme. Now I guess this song was meant to refer to a girl that was shall we say, not very pretty. Hey, I didn't write it or sing it however I did play a sax solo on it. HAHA!

JAZZ CD PICK OF THE WEEK - JACKIE MCLEAN

This weeks Jazz CD Pick of the Week is alto sax man Jackie Mclean with his cd titled "Consequence". Now this cd was recorded way back in 1965 but for some odd reason wasn't released until recently. A swingin' session that also features Lee Morgan on trumpet. A pleasant surprise and a recent purchase! Get it while you can because I've already seen copies selling for high prices. Not hip to Jackie? Check out one the cuts from this swingin' cd.

JAZZ CD PICK OF THE WEEK - DONALD BYRD

This weeks Jazz CD Pick of the Week is trumpeter Donald Byrd with his Blue Note release titled "The Cat Walk". Another swingin' session from Donald Byrd with Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Philly Joe Jones on drums, Duke Pearson on piano and Lavon Jackson on bass. I recently picked this cd up at Amoeba along with another Donald Byrd cd (Fuego) and they are both winners. Speaking of Amoeba, I have a complaint. Why is the jazz room the darkest room in the store? I mean I can barely read the titles of these cd's when I go there. Oh, I guess that could be my eyes too! HAHA! Anyway, here's one of the many fine cuts from this cd. The one to buy?
Why the Rudy Van Gelder Edition of course.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - THE AMAZON RIVER IN PERU

I hadn't posted a Photo of the Week in a while so here you go. This was a shot I took a few years back while visiting the Amazon in Peru. I thought this made a nice photo as the rising sun barely reflected on the river. What? This shot of the Amazon River was taken at sunrise and not sunset. What? Yep, you got to get up early to catch piranhas. What? HAHA!

SAXOMAN - WHO ARE THESE IMPOSTERS?

I recently did a Google search on SAXOMAN and was astounded by the number of SAXOMAN's out there. I mean, who are these imposters? These are not the real SAXOMAN? There is only one real SAXOMAN and that is me! All others are fake SAXOMAN's without a doubt. I mean there's even a Potato SAXOMAN too! WHAT? Anyway, all these others are just pale imitations, imposters and fakes! Don't be fooled my many (2? 3?) readers! HAHA!

PEEING IN THE HORSE TROUGH - HUH?

OK, first let me explain that I didn't actually pee in a horse trough. I mean why would I? I wouldn't want a horse drinking my urine right? Actually what I am referring to is something that happened to me many years back. I used to go to the Great Western Forum in Inglewood a lot to see my beloved Purple and Gold (Lakers). Now in the Men's Restroom they had this contraption along the floor that to me looked just like a giant, long horse trough. Anyway this was the men's urinal and it ran the floor of the complete restroom and you basically stood shoulder to shoulder with the next guy and peed in this "trough" that was on the floor. Jeez....so much for privacy! Now because this reminded me so much of a horse trough I usually skipped this and went into one of the stalls instead. HAHA!

SONG OF THE DAY - THE DYNAMIC SUPERIORS

Now I have to admit that I had completely forgotten about this song and this group! Anyway, the song of the day is Shoe, Shoe, Shine and is performed by The Dynamic Superiors. An old friend actually told me a story recently where he ran into me and another friend many years ago. He started to sing the lyrics to this song and asked my friend if he knew who sang it. My friend didn't have a clue but I'm told I didn't miss a beat and replied "Why the Dynamic Superiors of course". HAHA! Now I can say that I honestly don't remember it but I believe it to be a true story. Anyway, here is the Dynamic Superiors on Soul Tran performing their hit Shoe, Shoe, Shine. Check out the slick dance moves especially around the 1:58 mark when he sings the lyrics "when you're sitting in your rocking chair". HAHA! Too Hip!

LATIN CD PICK OF THE WEEK - LUIS ENRIQUE

This weeks Latin CD Pick of the Week is a brand new release from Luis Enrique and is titled Soy Y Sere. Now I have to admit that I knew nothing about this new cd until I and saw it on my latest trip to Amoeba this past weekend. Being a fan of the music of Luis Enrique I quickly scooped it into my basket along with many other items. Another winner from The Prince of Salsa. Not hip to the new cd by Luis Enrique? Here's an official video of one of the many great songs on this cd. Check it out!

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK - 13 ASSASSINS

This weeks coveted DVD Pick of the Week is a just released dvd and Japanese film titled 13 Assassins. I recently picked this up at Best Buy so you all can buy or rent this fine piece of cinema too! Although this movie (and this trailer) start out a little slow, the movie then kicks into high gear! Non-stop slicin' and dicin' as this movie relives the glory of past Samurai movies and more. A movie you are sure to enjoy and SAXOMAN recommended! Check it out, hear me!

IS THAT SAMUEL L. JACKSON?

The other day the wife and I were at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood entertaining some guests from out of the country. There we ran into a wide variety of people dressed up like various movie characters. There was The Dark Knight, Transformers, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson (I mean The King of Pop), and many others. One cool lookin' cat that I noticed leaning against a light post was a Samuel L. Jackson impersonator dressed like the character Jules in Pulp Fiction (see photo). I said "Hey, Samuel Jackson". He looked at me and said in that cool, slow Samuel L. Jackson drawl, "I prefer to be referred to as an associate of Marsellus Wallace". HAHA! Straight from the movie. Too, too funny! Not hip to Pulp Fiction? WHAT? If not you're not then you're in worse shape that I thought (hipness wise that is). Here's one of many great clips from the movie. Enjoy!

JAPANESE FUNK - WHAT?

Because SAXOMAN is always on the never ending quest for more music, I was browsing YouTube the other day and came across this super funky Japanese band called QASB. Now I'm not sure what QASB is supposed to stand for but let me tell you, this is one funky band! I also see that you can download their music from iTunes as well. Not hip to QASB? Well neither was SAXOMAN until yesterday. Check them out!

NO MONEY, NO HONEY - HAHA

Now you've all probably heard the phrase "No Money No Honey" a million times. I'm not sure where this saying originated from or if it came from one the Viet Nam movies that also came up with the catch phrase "Me love you long time". Anyway, when I was in Thailand a few years back I used to see this phrase all over on t-shirts. Why even the lady working at the hotel was wearing a "No Money No Honey" t-shirt. Hey, what are you trying to tell me I thought? Now I truly regret that I never bought one of these t-shirts while I was there. Maybe I'll buy one on line. So remember my many readers, No Money No Honey! HAHA!

CAPS - THINGS I DON'T GET

Now I have to say that I've noticed a somewhat disturbing trend (to me) in the wearing of baseball caps. I've noticed that nowadays people wear these hats with the stickers still on them like in this photo. Huh? I've also noticed that people wear them with the bill flat as a pancake like it is fresh out of a box (also like in this photo). On top of this I've noticed that people also now wear these hats OVER their ears as well! What? Now I don't now about any of you but to me a cap is to be worn without stickers, the bill should be slightly curved and the hat should be worn pushed back slightly and tilted to the left (also known as being cocked Ace-Deuce).
I dunno....maybe I'm just old fashioned and out of touch but I just don't get it.