Sleestak art branches out in strange directions. Below is a painting I found of the recently deceased North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Il with a Sleestak next to him. This velvet painting was apparently at a New York City art gallery at one point. It's not often that you find Sleestak art to go with current events, but here it is. It is a diptych rendered on black velvet. Yes, an art form usually reserved for Elvis Presley.
Sleestak with Kim Jong Il
North Korea postcard
To the right is a postcard, probably from the Soviet bloc heyday of the 1950s and 1960s, of members of the Worker and Peasants Association in North Korea. Like Kim above, they are smiling, but from all I know of North Korean history, these people likely didn't have much ti smile about.
The Sleestak below is sad to see the old year go. Have a Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas! And happy Sleestak Sunday. And yes, I received the Sleestak (or Altrusian, as it were) seen to the right as a gift.
Tne best gift of all I received was that a lost family member showed up two days before Christmas. Sorry, Enik. That beats a Sleestak any day.
Sleestak live in the Lost City, which is sometimes foggy with special-effects dry ice. Here's some Christmas music from another Fog, the famous "Velvet Fog" Mel Torme:
Also, I noticed that this morning's "Grand Rapids Press" has a front-page feature on Michigan home-town hero Bob Seger. I first discovered his version of "Little Drummer Boy" last year, and love it:
Remember, this is the first of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Did anyone get a partridge in a pear tree?
I've been reading about people going into stores, especially bookstores, armed with a smart phone so they can peruse the shelves and look at the books, and if they find any they want to buy, they order the books or other items from an online leviathan.
Well, it works the other way too. For my largest purchase yet of the holiday season, I researched it online, looking at the reviews that are part of an online leviathan sales site.... and then I went and bought it locally.
Is everyone done with their Christmas shopping? I think I am done with mine.
Today's "Sleestak Sundays" entry might be mouthwatering to you. Yes. mouthwatering.
Sleestak Lightning
I last blogged about Northwestern Michigan's legendary Dogman, who is sort of a like a werewolfy aggressive version of Bigfoot. Of course, Oregon has the actual Bigfoot. Lake Pepin has Peppy. Lake Champlain has its own monster. The song lyrics further down in this post mention others.
And it looks like the American South has Sleestak running in the back woods. This song "Sleestak Lightning" by the band Clutch documents someone who is being menaced by it: It's one of two actual pop/rock songs about Sleestak. Well, two that I know of.
I send pictures through the mail Well documented and very detailed To politicians and big celebrities, But none of them are believing in me And I await their response Some send none, most send cops But man it’s a dire situation And I will risk the public humiliation
Sleestak lightning on my trail It’s a dire situation, they are on my trail
West Virginia has its Moth Man, Pan handlers’ got their Skunk Ape. But I have a tazer and night vision goggles, Costco rolls of black duct tape. It’s got red eyes, it’s got razor claws, It’s got green skin, no it ain’t a meth-head. And after studying its behavior, objectively and critically, I believe I have a reliable method.
"Sleestak Lightning" reminds me of "Smokestack Lightning', which is a fine book on barbecue which I have in my library. Click here for a link to a review at the "Full Custom Gospel BBQ" Blogspot blog.
From the review: of "Smokestack Lightning".
"This may be the single finest book written about barbeque. By combining
the essence of the great American road trip with the medium of smoked
meat, it makes for great, mouthwatering prose"
I don't recall ever having any authentic Southern BBQ other than at a place in downtown, Henderson, Texas, in the very western edge of a large area of the country I've never been to. An area of the country filled with BBQ stands. The Henderson BBQ joint is not showing up in Google, but you can check out Bob's Barbecue in the same town, which looks to be similar.
I've had lots of BBQ, but not really authentic Southern, in the deep south. Maybe a barbecue roadtrip might be a good idea someday.
The phrase "Smokestack Lightning" goes back to a blues song by Howlin' Wolf from 1956.
Sleestak might like barbecue. While they eat moths, they do also like pork.As for the moths. if the Sleestak in the back woods meet the Mothman, there might be trouble.
Does anyone want to chime in on their favorite barbecue place? Or if you hate BBQ you can mention that too.
The first movie about Northwestern Lower Michigan's "Dogman" premiers tonight at Michael Moore's State Theatre in Traverse City, Michigan. Documentary, or fiction? The film is made by Rich Brauer, a filmmaker who has made several recent movies starring Ernest Borgnine (yes, Ernie is not only doing Spongebob as "Mermaidman"). The official Dogman blog has a page about this movie. No word on whether the Dogman in the movie morphs into a Quilleute Indian, or if a
wan young woman has to choose between the Dogman and a vampire. The legend of the Dogman was first documented by radioman and word guy Steve Cook.
Benzie Dogman sighted in Benzonia, Michigan
older Dogman movie poster
The movie poster to the right is from the Lost Plumber at Deviantart, as his idea how an eventual Dogman poster might look.
And here is the Dogman song, to the tune of "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon or (sort of) "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock.
"I saw a dogman clutching today's mail in his hand Walking through the streets of Benzonia in the sleet He was looking for a place called Roadhouse Mexican Grill Going to get himself a big bowl of taco meat.
(It was summer-time in northern Michigan...)
Ahooo, dogman of Benzie..... Ahoooo..... Ahooo, dogman of Benzie..... Ahoooo.....
He's the hairy-handed man, prowling round Lake Ann Lately he's been seen far south as Joyfield.
If you see him, run away! He'll tear your spleen out, Jay! I'd like to meet his tax man. Ahooo, dogman of Benzie..... Ahoooo..... Ahooo, dogman of Benzie..... Ahoooo.....
Well, I saw Steve Cook walking by the bay Rappin' the dogman of Benzie I saw Frank Holes Jr. walking by the bay Writing the dogman of Benzie I saw a dogman drinking a soda at the L.A. Cafe His hair was perfect...."
There are no Amazon links for this, nor is there a mention
Isn't it amazing what topics can be gleaned from the Sleestak, and the variety of art and images that have been inspired by these 1970s Saturday-morning lizardmen? Today, Sleestak Sundays goes to church. Or at least to church windows. And don't miss the newest Sleestak Sunday entry at Gorthridge Manner (the blog that started this idea).
This gorgeous example of Sleestak-related artwork is from Dave Warshaw. He's selling prints of this. He has entitled it "Our Lady o Slee" This art is actually tattoo-related, and is in the style of the classic Madonna and Child image. There are actually several examples where people have been tattooed with Sleestak
I grew up in a town with lots of great stained glass in the church windows, both classical (similar to the image seen to the right, but without Sleestak or Chaka) and the more modern abstract style. Some houses in the neighborhood even had actual stained glass windows. That's because there were stained glass producing companies in town.
Tiffany stained glass postcard
Winona "Sugar Loaf" Stained Glass at Watkins HQ
I don't know of many pop-culture uses of stained glass art. The cover art from the famous Alan Parsons Project album "The Turn of a Friendly Card" appears below as an example.
The modern postcard to the left depicts a very recent installation of Tiffany stained glass at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, Minnesota. Museum of Maritime Art in Winona, Minnesota.modern stained glass install by Reinarts Stained Glass Studios.
I've heard for years about diets where you only eat food produced very close to home. On the radio yesterday, I heard of something similar called the Decolonizing Diet Project.
This mainly involves eating indigenous (Native American) foods. Yes, this doesn't particularly mean frybread or casino buffets. The blog 'A Week of Eating Indigenous Foods' covers this also, with some recipes which include wild turkey, corn, and peppers.
I love turkey, corn, and peppers. I've never had wild turkey, and am not sure to get it without hunting for it.
The first postcard image to the right is of a stereotypical Indian agricultural maiden figure (similar to what is still seen on a "Land of Lakes" butter box), and the one below is of more historic interest, likely from the 1920s, showing Pueblo women in Aguna, New Mexico grinding corn.
This project includes a mini-challenge: to eat only pre-contact foods during the first week of November. Well, it's a month late for that, but I only heard of this for the first time yesterday. A Thanksgiving dinner doing this might have been interesting, actually using the foods likely eaten in the early 1600s in barely-colonized Massachusetts.
Is this something any of my readers have tried? Or has anyone tried anything like this?
Here's another bookstore related post, with a humorous take on the ongoing battle between brick-and-mortar bookstores and Amazon/e-readers. The battle between small bookstores and the big chains takes a back seat for the moment.
The recent issue of Consumer Reports has arrived in mailboxes. Like many magazines, they have a funny page in the back. Most often it is bizarre labellng on packages.
The current issue has this photo of a sign on the bathroom door at the now-defunct Borders bookstore in Traverse City, Michigan:
"Sorry, No Public Restroom. Try Amazon.com"
The Borders has long since closed, and has been replaced with a similar large diverse (books, greeting cards, music, electronics. movies) bookstore called Books-a-Million, or "BAM!"
The big sign over the door says "BAM!". No word whether or not Books-a-Million got permission from Emeril Lagasse. And I don't know yet if they refer would-be bathroom goers to Amazon.com still.
Those who are thinking of going into a bookstore bathroom and taking a book with them had best view this video on the perils of the toilet book:
