Some marketing company is sending out press releases, apparently at random, on behalf of this lady in New Jersey who is hawking “high quality paper” prints of her extremely orange tea party still life, which should appeal “to members of the new political movement.” The painter is “one of Americas [sic] most talented up and coming young artists,” and has “painted in France and Italy.”

France AND Italy? Where do I send the check?

Other benefits:

* “may be used to encourage membership and party unity”

* “may well become a valuable investment in due time”

* provides “an apt common focus for loyal tea party members”

* “suitable for framing”

* “is initially being offered at a special introductory discount”

Book Review: Absence of the Hero, Vol. 2 by Charles Bukowski
City Lights, April 2010
by Adam Perry

Charles Bukowski was not a great role model for me as a teenager in suburban Pittsburgh. As a junior and senior in high school, I stole all his novels and short-story collections from the local Borders and reveled in reading Bukowski’s (mostly) autobiographical tales of alcoholism, misogyny and poetry in California, a place I never dreamed I’d even get to visit. I was enthralled that enthusiastically menacing stories such as “Elevator Man” (1983)—about a serial rapist in an LA apartment building—and the literature-of-desperation-meets-porno novel Women (1978) even existed, and backed up my voracious reading of Bukowski’s entire prose catalog with a sort of Chogyam Trungpa, “crazy wisdom” explanation about Bukowski living on a reckless road so that we don’t have to.

Seeing that I went on to live out ill-fated Bukowski-inspired dreams in California, drink alcohol to excess on a regular basis and lead women who loved my writing on so I could sleep with them, the aforementioned justification was 100% bullshit. But Bukowski’s catalog, which continues to grow with new releases even 16 years after his death, is not all trash. I never much liked Bukowski’s poetry—in general, it’s all one long poem about loving beer over mankind and writing in order to get laid—but the best of his short stories are among the most exciting and well-written American literature of the past century.

Continue reading »

Yesterday, New Mexico Wildlife Federation Director Jeremy Vesbach told SFR that State Land Commissioner Pat Lyons was planning to open up lands near the scenic but embattled White Peak area to oil and gas development. Vesbach called it “a violation of [Lyons] January promise not to lease the white’s peak [sic] area” and illustrated his point with maps (after the jump).

Good thing he noticed. State Land Office spokeswoman Kristin Haase says Lyons didn’t actually know that the 20,000 acres in Mora and Colfax counties that were up for lease sale on June 15 included a 1,000-acre tract  close to White Peak.

“Frankly, we’re not really sure how that [got] through, because the Commissioner has said he doesn’t want to lease land in the vicinity of White Peak for oil and gas development,” Haase tells SFR. “We’re a little concerned about how that got through.” Continue reading »

According to court records, on May 18, the Land of Enchantment Federal Credit Union sued formerly embattled Public Regulation Commission Vice-Chair Jerome Block, Jr. for $2,115.70. The credit union wouldn’t talk—the woman on the line even refused to give her name—but Block called SFR back promptly with an explanation: It wasn’t his money.

Despite a string of scandals that culminated a New Mexico grand jury indictment last April (all of which SFR covered extensively), Block has held onto his seat on the PRC with comparatively little uproar.

“I had to co-sign for an uncle of mine,” Block tells SFR. “I don’t really have much accounts over there.” Block says he didn’t know about the debt, but when the suit was filed, he paid it. “Now it’s taken care of, and that complaint is going to get lifted by the end of the week,” Block says.

Ambient Music Pioneer Robert Rich Live
8 pm 

Friday, June 4

$12 at the door

Santa Fe Complex
632 Agua Fria
216 -7562

By Intern Angelique Robinson

If you’re the kind of person who will happily spend a Friday night listening to chill music and zoning among a crowd, next week you’ll be a happy camper. Robert Rich, a longtime veteran in the ambient music field, is coming to Santa Fe for a one-night-only performance at the Santa Fe Complex. Rich is more than your average dude behind a synthesizer—he’ll happily whip out handmade flutes and a steel guitar to add more depth to the flowing tune.

Rich is renowned not only for his talents in the ambient music industry, but also for his famous all-night sleeping concerts. During these shows, the audience would doze off in their sleeping bags brought from home and awake to music still flowing through their ears. Sometimes, Rich would even serve the audience tea following the sleep concert. Yeah, he’s cool.

Rich has been active in the ambient music biz internationally since 1982, but his music shows no sign of weathering. His songs posses an earthy comfort, despite the sound’s technical origin.

Although Friday’s event won’t be a sleepover, there is still plenty in store for all who attend. The music will be coupled with laser projectors and heavily intentional lighting. This concert is an opportunity to kickback and enjoy yourself. For you workaholics out there, consider it more as an affordable aural therapy session.