Lost in GroVont : a blog

SFist: Other Things That Happened Today

SFist: Other Things That Happened Today.

Kink.com did indeed buy the Armory at 14th and Mission to use for filming fetish porn. The Armory's architecture was inspired by Moorish castle architecture, and the directors at Kink.com were particularly excited by details like a "dungeon-like basement," the stone staircases, and a drill court that covers an acre.

Hee. This is a couple of blocks from my apartment. I used to walk by this place when I actually left my apartment during the day. (Ah, I miss those days!) The building is a really interesting structure, and I always wondered what it was used for. Now, I know it is going to be used to film porn. Fun!

The new cameras that are going to be installed on 16th & Mission will be able to film the porn stars during their commute.

The San Jose Sharks lost tonight, but Cheechoo and Thorton will be starting in the NHL all star game. I really know nothing about hockey, but I like to say Cheechoo.

Update: The Chron has published a story and pictures of the soon to be porn studio on Mission Street.

Dirt, not unlike the magazine rack

January seems to be the month for the cable networks to introduce all their new shows or begin the new season of old shows.

Dirt is the FX submission. The only pre-show hype I initially paid attention to was Carly Pope's introduction as the lesbian informant "Garbo" by episode three. (Pope was great as "Sam" in the short-lived Popular.) Though the critics were throwing around negative adjectives like confetti even before the new year. After watching the pilot Monday night, I'm intrigued and impressed. The world of tabloid editing in Los Angeles looks glamorous when helmed by Courtney Cox and parade of writers who look more like actors than the kids you sat next to in journalism class. All of the characters on both sides of the camera are desperate for vindication and will go to extremes to get what they want. Maybe I'm so far removed from "Hollywood" that it is easier for me to see the fiction in it all. The part of the show that most impressed me was the surrealism surrounding the schizophrenic photographer. The cinematography was beautiful when it was raining blood and the show put on by pill bottles destined to be cast in a Blue Man Group show.

Dirt airs Tuesday on FX and repeats several times throughout the week.

 

Lovely Rita Meter Maid

From the New York Times - San Franciscans Hurl Their Rage at Parking Patrol:

Burdened with one of the densest downtowns in the country and a Californian love for moving vehicles, San Franciscans have been shocked in recent months by crimes related to finding places to park, including an attack in September in which a young man was killed trying to defend a spot he had found.

This is why I do not want to own a car in this city. I probably spent less than $50 last year on transportion around the city. That includes several trips to the airport and the occassional cab ride.

You definitely do not need a car in the city. If you live in the Eastern peninsula, the T-Third Line will get you from point A to B. A result of the Third Street Light Rail Project, the T-Third Line runs up and down third street connecting Downtown to Monster Park. And starting on January 13th, you can ride on the weekends for free! Full service does not start until April 1st. Unfortunately, this new line doesn't really benefit me unless I become really lazy and would rather switch trains and ride an extra 15 minutes to walk 3 fewer blocks in SOMA.

The dream to provide wireless access to everyone in the city may actually happen. Mr. Mayor has signed an agreement with Google and Earthlink. Don't cancel your DSL or cable internet service though. The speeds are slow and the additional monthly fee for an upgrade isn't really worth it. The full details of the agreement are available here. Speed and security are the most obvious concerns for those of us that work and play online. It will be nice to not have to look for "Free Wi-Fi" signs before patronizing a coffeshop or bar, but I'm not giving up my home service.

The Last Town Chorus

What does it take to get my attention these days? The following sentence:

Centered around Megan Hickey's achingly plaintive voice and mournful lap steel, The Last Town Chorus trades in sad, slow-burn country vibes with enough spaciness to achieve low orbit.

That one line from a post at the always excellent Chromewaves sent me to eMusic where the debut album from The Last Town Chorus was available for download. As much as I love the look and feel (scratch-n-sniff) of an album, I thrive on the immediacy of downloading music: Change Your Mind (mp3)

From an article in Dusted Magazine online:

Megan Hickey may be the first person inspired to start a band in order to realize country’s affinity with polished ‘80s dream-pop. “Standing in my living room on 4th Avenue in Brooklyn,” Hickey recalls, “I had a sudden and certain feeling about a musical sound – the push of solid ethereal pop (a la Cocteau Twins’ Heaven or Las Vegas) and the pull of country songs, all doused in the feeling of life in New York City.”

It is not surprising that their cover of Culture Club's "Do you really wanna hurt me?" (mp3) is amazing.

Their new album Wire Waltz is only available overseas at the moment but is scheduled to be released in North America this March.

When I did I become someone who listens to country music? Maybe I just needed to find the right musician to spark my interest. I used to loathe country music. Of course, my music collection at this time consisted of mostly Madonna, Bobby Brown, and the rest is even more embarrassing. Now, I do not hesitate to listen music I would describe as country or alt-country. Lap steel. Twang. "Three chords and the truth." I love it.

Contested in Scrabble

Did you know that vegging is an actual word in the dictionary? File under "What I learned today" and forget it.

veg   (věj)  Pronunciation Key     intr.v.   vegged, veg·ging, veg·es Informal To engage in relaxing or passive activities. Often used with out.

As it is my day off, I am officially vegging out and watching dvds. Currently, the last season of "24". Chloe is by far the coolest geek on television.