(Li'l) Son Of The Beach Returns!

Oh, Dauphin Island. I just made it back there one more time - and as usual I feel a better person for it. I feel a need deep within every year or so, calling me back to the ocean. The tide, the wind, the open sky and stars, shrimp boats and seagulls....it puts me at peace. It is amazing. This year I once again met my parents down there to spend a few days in a rented beach house. Like Samuel Adams, always a good choice.


The island has been hit over the last6 or 7 years by waves of hurricanes - usually right about the time my parents are trying to get down there. After years of anxiety over last minute cancellations due to incoming storms, the folks thought it over and decided to rent in May. This meant we didn't have to sweat hurricane season - but what would be left from the last few? We hadn't seen the island in 2 years and last year's trip was cancelled due to one of the worst storm hits in a while (and yes that includes Katrina).
Well, the island still stands, I tell you what, and it seems to be thriving in some odd way. There are LOTS of lots, empty that is, where houses used to be. And the drainage ditch beside the main road is completely filled in with what used to be beach sand. And a few of the restaurants are blown away. BUT wherever there used to be a 60's/70's style house, there is now a modern, pimped-out house or a lot where there will be one. Also, there are two public beaches now which i have to think pumps some steady money into the island economy without jeapordizing what makes staying at a private house so special (and private).

All the staples are still in place, though. Seagulls steadily fly past the deck. For an investment of $2 worth of bread, you can have afternoons of pleasure feeding them. And they recognize you and remember, too! After day 2, they would stop by our deck just to see if I was feeling generous!

Dolphins were jumping around in front of the house, shrimp boats were puttering up and down the shoreline, a blue heron walked around in front of our deck, sand crabs skittered under our steps digging their holes to hide in.
The Estuarium which has the saaaaaame crap year after year (much like the Pink Palace, but with more living things) shocked me this year with this awesome dinosaur hanging in theier lobby - he's even gonna eat that bigass turtle! Yowza! They had a kid's book about sea dinosaurs on display at the counter which said to look in the gift shop. There was some difinite perpetratin' going on however because I saw no signs of dinosaur anything - and believe me when i tell you i looked!! Oh well, this picture of this dinosaur will have to do.

While we were there, we got to enjoy Mother's Day on Sunday which was very cool. Folks close to me can tell you my Mom and I can get into it with the best of em. But my Mom is great - especially in a mellow environment like Dauphin Island. And just to explain the title of today's blog, she and my Dad had a conversation concerning my nicknames and which came first. To my Dad, I have always been Cozmo or Coz. Dunno quite where that came from but its been there since before I can remember. His brother was Jitter (real name, Bill) to everyone he knew til the day he died. Go figure. Anyway, my Mom calles me Li'l Son. I cant say when this started but it seems to me it was well after I ceased to be li'l anymore. So it was meant more in a familiar, humbling sort of gesture - like to your Mom you will always be little and their son.
Also, while we were there, these two celebrated their (drumroll please)...31st Anniversary!
I love these guys! And we had a lot of fun - golfing with Dad, shopping with Mom, eating oysters and shrimp, watching monster movies, talking music in the waves....moments to cherish, for sure.
The house we stayed in was WICKED bad. 4 bedrooms with king sized beds, 4 big bathrooms, the covered deck, great kitchen with an island, high def flatscreens with cable and built-in DVD players in EVERY room. The houses have come a long way since my parents took Aaron and I long ago. Hopefully I will be back there next year - maybe you'll join me?

In Memory of My Buddy, Danger

It saddens me greatly to tell you that last week one of my best friend's best friends, his dog Danger, was hit by a car and died. His mom, Daisy, was also involved but managed to make it, though roughed up a bit.
Danger was my old friend Chris Walker and his lady, Allison's, big, goofy, sweet young dog. He was my good buddy, too, and was almost destined to have been my dog. A few years ago when i moved into my current digs downtown, I realized I was beginning to feel the yearning for a dog. Around the same time, Daisy managed to have liasons with the neighborhood Border Collie, Ranger, and thus Chris & Allison came to expect puppies....which never came. I went ahead and found Arrow - and we all know how that has turned out - but Daisy Dog never got preggers. Or so it seemed. One day I got a call - Daisy had surprised everyone by dropping of a single pup. Danger.

As you can see, even when he was small, he was BIG. And this trend continued! But despite being a big lug, he was a sweetheart. When I had to crash on Chris' couch once, Danger slept at one end under my feet. When I would come over, he would talk to me in his Wookie talk. At the park, he never stopped trying to be friends with Arrow (who in contrast does not like my feet, is generally quiet, and does not like to socialize) - despite being rebuffed on more than one occasion.
Great dog. Very sad. I know Chris and Allison loved Danger a lot - and he was worth loving. My thoughts go out to them. I am putting up this pic not to make anyone silly or corney, but because i thought it was a great pic. Not only of Danger in his full-sized glory, but of the dynamic between these two - true buddies.

B'More Funky

Hey guys - do we still like B'More Booty Funk? Of course we do - its been cool since Stan Bell was playing The Perculator in 1990 and its cool now. There have been so many neato remixes popping up over the last 12 months or so i just had to get a hand on some and do this damn thang. This set is way more straight forward than my usual mixes and it is 100% dance floor. Its also rather adult-ish (its no DJ Sluggo, but....). Clocks in at a sweaty 35 minutes or so. Enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=6e6fa47a93bda1b0ed24a2875c7fa58e1f49edf0 067b3bb1c95965eaa7bc68bc

1. James Brown - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag (Dj Eli re-dit)
2. Bonde de Role - gasolina (buraka som sistema dub remix)
3. Aphex Twin - Windowlicker (Mac 3000 Video Remix)
4. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - T.R.O.Y. (DJ Dusty Remix) R.I.P. K-Swift
5. Spank Rock - Put That Pussy On Me (DIplo Tonight remix)
6. Suzanne Vega - Toms Diner (Tittsworth remix)
7. Cajmere - Its Time For The Perculator
8. Harry Belafonte - Jump In Line (Shake Shake Senora) (John Bourke Bmore Mix)
9. Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (Titsworth remix)
10. Spank Rock - Lyndsay Lohan's Revenge
11. Tittsworth - Nappy Headed Hoes

Back up in this....

Well, well....it's been a minute since you came here and read a true post, eh? Yes I admit the blogosphere has been hurting in my absence - but at least I saw fit to post up some cartoons and pics, right?
Well, it certainly hasn't been boring. Tigers season alone and the Coach Cal incident rocked my world - as evidenced in my past few posts - and I would have blogged about it, but it seemed wherever I went, and I mean WHEREVER I went, its all anyone could talk about. I wonder what the last time something so affecting happened here in Mempho. Whether you think its bad or stupid or whatever that people care so much about basketball around here, we do. Black, white, young, old, rich, poor - it is amazing the effect that these Tigers have on my community. Oh, and if you care about my 2 cents worth on Josh Pastner, I will say this: I am very hopeful for this guy. If Cal had to have him and he is indeed the ace recruiter they say, he already has an ace in the hole. With a decent batch of players and the right assistant or two, this guy could do a lotta good in C-USA. And, should he turn out okay, he will be a Memphis hero, shaped before our eyes. If he sucks, well, at least he will do so with a decent roster and an excuse. Its not like he can pull any power moves on us against our will...but I think we gon' be aight.
What else to report? Lots of truck wrapping going on - the rappers seem to be coming back out from the shadows...we hadn't seen them much in the last year or so, as cheaper (crappier) competition began springing up all over the place. But in recent days I have been graced by both Criminal Manne (pronounced Mayne for all you squares) and The Don Davinci (though I think he is just professionally creepy - I never saw any evidence that he actually raps!?)...
Last week I got a great dj gig from the Memphis Grizz for the Grand Opening of the Boys and Girls Club in what we call Nutbush - the area north of Summer & Highland. I have always wondered why they call it that...its not the Nutbush Tina Turner sang about, right?! Anyway, the gig was entertaining the youth while the grownups cut ribbons and did their thing.
DJ'ing for kids is tricky. They don't have the longest memories or attention spans, and they can be quite fickle. Plus, who the hell understands them or what they like?! The stuff i was into in 6th grade was retarded!!

But i did my homework and researched the top tracks on the pop and rap charts around here...having done the Grizz / kids dj thing a few times before, I was pretty well aware of their speed and taste - but some things never cease to amaze.
When you were in jr. high, did you know any dance routines? I don't mean like a cheer or The Kid n Play - I mean involved, hardcore, step by step dances? Well these kids are NOT playing. they are poppin, lockin, droppin it, bouncin it, flauntin it, and pushin it thees way and that. It is insane!

They do the birdwalk, the Cupid shuffle, they turn their swag on, and the stanky leg.....OH, the stanky leg. I could have put it on loop....Sunday I dj'd the Grizz's ticketholder appreciation perty at Putt Putt and got hit up for it 4 times. Thankfully my contact at the organization put down the "No Stanky Leg" mandate of just once.

My favorite was this one, where they let the kids have a showout on the dancefloor. The little girl in the center obviously rocked the joint - she was rockin, fuzzy boots and all. The little girl to her right was going off, too, though a little young to rule the floor just yet. But the one to watch is the little boy on the left. His Bill Cosby-ish shuffle (wiuth a dash of Chunk's Truffle Shuffle from Goonies) combined with his compulsion to fall to the ground and spin, made for the hilight of my evening.

Keep playing trivia for our tournament, but damn it gets frustrating...can you put these films in order? Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead, Encino Man, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, & Heathers?! Seriously, we lost it all on that one...
Anyway, I guess thats it fer now....getting tired - and we do like to get our crash on round hyah:

Kentucky? More like "Ken Kiss My..."

It must be March again in Memphis....

Crappy bank....but awesome windows!

True Blue

It had been on my mind for some time that the famous "Blue Dog" was merely a ripoff of my awesome "Arrow Dog". After seeing posters everywhere for the Blue Dog art show in midtown then seeing Blue Dog grace the cover of this month's Animal News magazine, i had had enough. I got Arrow to do his Blue Dog look and snapped him with my trusty cell phone.
I emailed the above to Mr. Rodrigue's website contact and immediately got the following back:

Hi Justin:
We received your email and appreciate you sending us the photo - I suppose of your dog? Quite a resemblance!!! The ears, the face, the nose!!! Blue Dog is everybody's dog!! I will make sure that Mr. Rodrigue sees the photos you sent...he will get a kick out seeing the dog that resembles Blue Dog!

Thanks again!!

Bertha Bernard
Assistant to Mr. Rodrigue