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Meg 2010

Posted on October 25, 2010 by The Bay Area Brit

Meg 2010  parody    Click on image for full size

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A Guide To Being A Halloween Vampire

Posted on October 18, 2010 by The Bay Area Brit

Yes, it’s that time of year again: You go shopping for your kids’ Halloween costumes, but inexplicably end up spending more money on yourself. Blue wig—check. Vampire teeth hand-crafted by your dentist—check. $120 for 1 oz of Cle De Peau Ivory foundation (vampire make up for your sensitive skin.)—check.

Used to be that Halloween was one night of merriment, but as often happens in a country with a consumer-based economy, through the years, the holiday has gotten stretched out from a day-to-a-weekend-to-a-week-to-a-month.

So you’ve decided this year to go “old-school.” You’re going to be a vampire. However, there are some things that you need to know. The rules have changed. More often than not, your suburban Halloween vampire looks like an overweight opera singer with grotesque Goth-band make up and a dodgy spray-on black hairdo from a can.

If you look in a Halloween store and find the “Vampire Section” The picture of the male Dracula model on the cape and plastic teeth combo package, looks like his diet is less virginal blood-based and more French brie-based, and his make-up looks as if it was done by his special needs six year-old daughter.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are your new and improved choices starting with the classics, moving towards the ridiculous. Pick the vampire to model yourself after based on your looks, body type, and personality.

Here are your 10 choices. Happy costume shopping!!!!!!

Redd Foxx’s catchphrase befits this iconic vampire’s image. If you’ve not been blessed generously in the handsome department, consider Nosferatu.

Dracula: The classic vampire. One-third Rudy Valentino, one-third bat, one-third heroin addict.

1970s English Dracula: Christopher Lee. If you can handle the bleeding eyes effect, and you’re tall, thin, and distinguished, this might be the vampire look for you.

Unless you look a lot like Jack Bauer, you might be a lost vampire.

The beginning of the end if you are anti “Pretty-boy vampire.” The Vampire Lestat as played by a goofy Scientologist

Gary “Old-Man” ‘s Dracula is worth a look, especially if you happen to look like a 300 year-old Glenn Close.

If you’re pretty and have good hair you might want to do the Edward. There might be more soft touching and nuzzling than tearing into a virgin’s jugular, but what do you want?

If you’re a 70 year-old Rabbi, you might want to take this route. Of course you still might look better than Grampa Munster.

Kids will love you as this vampire, and their blood is fresh and untainted with the Earth’s pollutants…but I’ve already said too much.

If this is what you’re left with just run with it. You won’t scare anyone but you might have someone tell you that you’re quite yummy.

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The Thing About Lamont Dozier

Posted on October 11, 2010 by The Bay Area Brit

One of the things about living in California is it’s easy to meet someone “famous.” A month ago I met Motown legend Lamont Dozier. He’s responsible for writing some of the greatest songs that you’ve ever sung in the shower. According to his website, he’s written songs recorded by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, and The Who. He has written 54 Number 1 hits. That’s the thing about Lamont Dozier: He knows how to write a hit song.

I happened to be in a bar in the East Bay and sat next to him. He took a shine to me, so I got to hang out with him for a while. It turns out it was his birthday. Wait, Mr. Bay Area Brit, you were hanging out with Motown legend, rock and roll hall of famer, Lamont Dozier, on his birthday? Yes I was, and he was smoother than marble and cooler than, well, marble again, I guess. Anyway my point is that he was both cool and smooth.

He had some great stories about growing up in Detroit and working with musicians who are now household names. He seemed apologetic and even hesitant to tell some of the more gossipy tales of life working with Berry Gordy and the other stars at Detroit’s famous music factory. He told me of his love for his wife, Gertie. They’ve been married for almost 50 years; he broke out into a soppy smile as he talked about her, and how much he misses her when he’s on the road. Lamont oozed charm and personality. I ate it up. Seriously, how often do you get to meet someone who helped change the course of history, musical or otherwise? That’s the thing about Lamont Dozier: he helped change musical history.

My friend was having a CD release party at a club around the corner, and I thought, how awesome would it be if I took “the” Lamont Dozier to see his band. Who knows, maybe he might take an interest in my talented friend, and use one of his influential contacts to make something happen for him. Stranger things have happened. Time and time again you’ll hear it. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” And you know what, I know Lamont Dozier, Lamont fucking Dozier!  Did I mention the man is a legend? That’s the thing about Lamont fucking Dozier: he’s a legend.

So I took Lamont to the venue. He said he couldn’t stay out too late though because he was flying to Vegas in the morning to perform with The Temptations. How cool is that?

Lamont Dozier doesn’t like carrying cash, because he is worried someone might try to roll him. After all, he’s 70 years old. But I didn’t mind paying for him to get into the venue. I also bought him some more birthday drinks. The great man likes Brandy Separators…and boy can he drink. That’s the thing about Lamont Dozier: he likes his Brandy Separators.

We stepped away from the show because he wanted to check out some other bars in Martinez.  I had never been to the small town before and so I thought well, yeah, that’s cool. As we walked down the dimly lit streets, Lamont Dozier confided in me that he carries a gun. He patted his hip and I was kind of nervously impressed. But, I thought, it’s kind of strange that he has a gun, but yet worried about carrying cash. I mean that’s kind of weird. If you’ve got a gun, your cash should be safe, right? But that’s the thing about Lamont Dozier: he’s packing heat and he don’t carry no cash.

Lamont Dozier kept telling me that he had a bunch of CD’s and stuff he wanted to give me: a package he said that was worth over $600. “Motown promo stuff,” he said. I can imagine if you’re one of the greatest songwriters in history, people give you a lot of stuff like that, so I said I’d be happy to take it off his hands. So I bounced around a few more bars with him, and even watched him sing some old Motown songs on a stage with a house band. The guy kicked ass. Man, even at 70, Lamont Dozier can still hold a tune. That’s the thing about Lamont Dozier: he can still hold a tune.

After spending the best part of a hundred bucks hanging with Lamont Dozier in every “cash only” bar in Martinez (and somehow never getting that Motown CD package) I was out of cash, and so I said goodbye to him. Although I spent some money, I knew I had a pretty good story to tell people. I was a bit disappointed that he didn’t offer to buy me at least one drink, but whatever, it was, after all, his birthday, which means he’s a Virgo. Just like me.

I got home still reveling in my night, and thought I’d check out more online about my new best pal Lamont Dozier. I wondered which venue The Temptations were playing in Vegas. Okay, that’s weird…The Temptations are playing in Baltimore, not Vegas…and Wikipedia says that his birthday is in June not September. He’s not a Virgo; but whatever, Wikipedia is wrong all the time. Oh no, stop the presses, Lamont Dozier’s wife’s name is Barbara, not Gertie.

Noooo!!!! This cannot be!!! That’s the thing about Lamont Dozier: He was not Lamont Dozier.

Okay, so you know that bit at the end of “The Usual Suspects” when Chazz Palminteri slowly realizes that Kevin Spacey has been feeding him a long story of bullshit, and all this time Palminteri was in the presence of the arch super-villain Keyser Söze—well in this scenario, I was Chazz Palminteri. Except Chazzy boy wasn’t out a hundred bucks.

I couldn’t (and still can’t) understand why someone would impersonate a celebrity for a few free drinks. The web of lies that you’d have to build would be immense. It doesn’t seem like it would be worth the trouble. And boy howdy, wait until my buddy Lamont Dozier finds out about this…oh, wait, Lamont Dozier isn’t my buddy. That’s the thing about Lamont Dozier: He’s not my buddy.

The link to the news article below details what the Lamont Dozier impersonator has done. It’s worth a read.

Here’s the thing about The Bay Area Brit: I had fun. The Lamont Dozier impersonator was kind of a cool dude. Maybe when he gets out of prison, I’ll call him up and see if he wants to hang out again. But if he says yes, he’s buying the drinks.

http://www.thesfnews.com/artman2/publish/local/San_Francisco_Police_Warns_Public_Of_Motown_Impersenator.shtml

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Get Out Your Butterfly Nets

Posted on October 4, 2010 by The Bay Area Brit

Thanks to the small army of insane men and women roaming the San Francisco Bay Area streets, it is possible to observe a large variety of conversational monologists. While it is not politically correct to refer to the mentally disturbed as “insane,” I feel in my case it is okay, because for all you or I know, I might be “insane.” And if I am “insane,” by the unwritten rules of modern day name-calling I can call “insane” people whatever I want–right?

There are different types of conversational monologists.

The Angry Ranter might threaten violence, as they play out moments in their life, screaming something that they said, or wish they had said. These are the ones you have to watch for, because more often than not, they don’t want anything from you, and therefore have no reason not to shank you with a rusty corkscrew. If confronted by The Angry Ranter, stand your ground and slowly walk backwards while making a bleating sound like a baby goat hungry for its mother’s teat.

Mr. Mumbles sits quietly on the park bench talking to imaginary pigeons who are eating imaginary scraps of food that he dropped from an imaginary sandwich, bought with his imaginary money which he earned from his imaginary job. Mr. Mumbles is safe to sit next to if you’re waiting for a bus, but don’t get started in a conversation about life being like a box of chocolates.

Cellphone Bluetooth Prick is the most obnoxious monologist. If I see someone (dressed in business attire) gesturing and yelling randomly while walking down the street, I am unsettled. I secretly hope that the man has just lost his life savings on a bad stock deal. However, this kind of wishing can lead to dangerous consequences. Cellphone Bluetooth Prick’s life may be spiraling downwards and he might want to take someone down with him. Perhaps he might be on the brink of purchasing a high-powered rifle; minutes away from embarking on a spree, of the non-shopping variety. Fears are assuaged however, when the Cellphone Bluetooth Prick stops every ten seconds to meekly say, “Can you hear me now?”

The Whitney Houston Syndrome Monologists vary in levels of irritation. They were probably once told by someone that they have a nice singing voice, and so they demonstrate their skills (not by applying to be a contestant on American Idol) but by roaming the city streets and public transportation wearing headphones while singing loudly and out of tune, scaring passing children and small dogs. These are the most selfish of monologists because they don’t hear the torture they are serving.

The Delusional Writer Monologist is usually locked away in his studio apartment molding his borderline tasteless, semi-amusing gibberish into something tangible. He’s usually editing his manifesto or working on that hilarious buddy cop screenplay. However, every now and again he will leave the security of his writing environment to sit in a café or a bar with his notepad and pen and chuckle as he reads his musings to himself. Occasionally someone might overhear his mumblings and interrupt to ask, “Are you a writer?”

His answer of course, is “No, I’m just insane.”

*                             *                                 *

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