Newlywed Katy Perry says that she is ‘a freak in the bed” for which, she believes, hubby Russell Brand would give her ten out of ten. The singer is confident her partner will never stray because she”s so good between the sheets. “Like Ludacris rapped, ”I”m a lady in the street and a freak in [...]
Posts Tagged ‘freak’
Members of R.E.M. Team Up On SF Giants Song “Panda & The Freak”
October 28th, 2010 |
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NEW ALBUM VOL. 2: HIGH AND INSIDE DUE OUT FEB. 2011
You may have heard it in AT&T park already this season, but on the heels of the Giants’ commanding seizure of
game 1 of the 2010 World Series last night, baseball-themed rock outfit The Baseball Project have released
“Panda & the Freak.” Comprised of Bay Area native and Giants fan Scott McCaughey (R.E.M., The Minus 5,
Young Fresh Fellows), Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3), Peter Buck
(R.E.M.) and Linda Pitmon (Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3, Smack Dab, Golden Smog) the band’s resume is as
undeniable as their baseball knowledge. “Panda & the Freak” will appear on their new album Vol. 2: High
and Inside due out in Feb. 2011 on Yep Roc Records.
“Panda and the Freak” celebrates the long history of amazing baseball nicknames, concentrating on Giants ace
Tim Lincecum and the ninja-like skills of big man Pablo Sandoval. Take a listen below and click
here to
grab the song on iTunes.
The Baseball Project
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Madonna accused of looking like a â€freak†after plastic surgery
August 13th, 2010 |
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Actress Sofia Vergara has accused Queen of Pop Madonna of looking like a ”freak” after plastic surgery. “Women all look the same now,” the Herald Sun quoted the 38-year-old Colombian beauty as telling Esquire magazine about the plastic surgery craze in Hollywood. “That thing with the cheeks. Like Madonna. Who do they think they”re fooling? [...]
Sir Richard Bishop:
The Freak of Araby
September 2nd, 2009 |
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By: Ron Hart
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On the MySpace page of former Sun City Girls guitarist Sir Richard Bishop and his new group, the Freak of Araby Ensemble, their listed genres read “Psychedelic/Surf/Pop.” While not exactly off the mark, the sounds featured on the post-punk legend’s latest Drag City release predominantly stem from Bishop’s Middle Eastern roots.
Following up on his explorations into flamenco and gypsy music on the excellent 2007 release, Polytheistic Fragments, The Freak of Araby (Drag City) finds the guitarist paying homage to his Lebanese heritage by covering several traditional compositions native to his motherland in combination with a variety of original arrangements crafted in the spirit of the Arizona-born Bishop’s Middle Eastern roots, while continuing to keep one foot in the American Primitive stylings of the late, great John Fahey. Right off the bat, The Freak of Araby finds SRB paying tribute to one of his biggest heroes, Egyptian guitar legend Omar Khorshid, on the album’s first track, “Taqasim for Omar,” a spare, sprawling raga that offers but a glimpse of the rich melodies and textures awaiting the listener deeper within the album’s corridors.
From there, the songs get swept even further into the multi-faceted complexities of Arabic composition, as the rest of Bishop’s Freak of Araby Ensemble, consisting of drummer Mohammed Bandari, percussionist Abdulla Basheem, bassist Ahmed Sharif and second guitarist Rasheed Al-Qahira fill in the colors, particularly on Freak‘s interpretations of traditional Lebanese songs “Kaddak el Mayass” and “Sidi Mansour.” However, glimmers of Western influences do come through in narrow beams of light across the Arabian vibe beyond Bishop’s allegiance to Mr. Fahey’s Takoma label sound. You can certainly hear fragments of the aforementioned surf category in elements of “Solenzara,” which aims to trace The Ventures’ Pacific Ocean blues to the mouth of the Nile, while the seven-and-a-half-minute closer “Blood Stained Sands,” a Bishop original, peels back the layers of American psychedelia to reveal the Eastern influences beneath the acid-laced drones – or is it the other way around?
While the overall feel of The Freak of Araby might not scream “Psychedelic/Surf/Pop,” an educated ear can certainly hear the sketches of such sounds against the heavy Middle Eastern currents crashing inside these ten compositions, which not only result in one of Bishop’s best solo recordings to date but also will remind many Americans sullied by the pragmatic ignorance of their own fears of the unheralded beauty and mystery the Arab world has to offer.
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Scientists get closer to understanding ‘freak waves’
August 9th, 2009 |
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By Griet Scheldeman
Science reporter, BBC News
Scientists in the US have made a major advance in their understanding of so-called freak waves.
These monster waves present a major risk to ships and offshore platforms.
A computer simulation developed by oceanographers in the US could help locate where and when these "rogue" phenomena are most likely to occur.
The theoretical study shows that coastal areas with variations in water depth and strong currents are hot spots for freak waves.
The history of seafaring is littered with tales of rogue waves capable of rendering ships asunder.
A freak wave is one that measures roughly three times higher than other swells on the sea at any one time. These phenomena can measure up to 18m (60ft) – the height of a six-storey building.
The new computer simulation was developed by Tim Janssen of San Francisco State University (SFSU) and Thomas HC Herbers of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Their findings are published in the Journal of Physical Oceanography.
Focal zone
Sandbanks and strong currents may cause waves to change direction and speed. This concentrates wave energy into a single point, which oceanographers call a "wave focal zone".
This zone is like a burning glass, Dr Janssen explained, where the light comes in and focuses all the energy on a single point, forming a hot spot.
The same happens when a wave travels over, for example, a sandbank, or over a current. The energy is being focused on to a single point.
The researchers found these hot spots were much more likely to drive the formation of extreme waves.
"In a normal wave field, on average, roughly three waves in every 10,000 are extreme waves," Dr Janssen explained.
"In a focal zone, this number could increase to about three in every 1,000 waves."
The scientists fed data on real waves into their computer model. Then, they repeated a single experiment over and over, each time using different data.
The SFSU oceanographer said he next hoped to go to known freak wave hotspots such as the Cortez Banks on the coast of California to test whether his simulations held true.
"What’s really important about this research, is that it is easy to validate. We have a theory now, a prediction, and we can go to areas and actually measure whether this happens or not," he told BBC News.
Vital knowledge
Understanding where and when freak waves are most likely to occur could assist shipping and navigation in coastal areas.
The knowledge could be used for marine weather forecasts and could also inform the design of offshore platforms.
"If you know that a certain area is very prone to freak waves, then you might wish to stay away from it," Dr Janssen said.
"Anybody out in the ocean would like to [have this information]."
However, Dr Janssen was keen to stress that the study is theoretical.
"We have tried to be as realistic as we could, but we are a long way away from making a prediction solid enough for people to actually use. However, it might be something to work towards," he said.
Dr Janssen added that the word "freak wave" was unfortunate, as it suggests these types of wave are unexpected. But, he explained, the random nature of ocean waves means that any size of wave can happen at any time.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
John Medeski Recovering From Freak Bacteria Infection
July 20th, 2009 |
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MMW’s John Medeski Recovering From Freak Bacteria Infection
 John Medeski |
Earlier this month, while Medeski Martin & Wood toured Europe they were forced to cancel all remaining dates because keyboardist John Medeski fell ill. Very little was known, recently the band made the following announcement from mmw.net:
John would like to thank all of his friends and fans for their support during his recent illness.
While on tour overseas in early July, John began experiencing flu-like symptoms, and very severe headaches. He was seen by doctors in Croatia, Slovenia, and finally in Austria, where he was admitted to the University of Innsbruck Hospital on July 5. It was determined that John was fighting a severe bacterial infection and experiencing cluster headache symptoms. On July 6, the doctors advised us that John could not continue with the tour. After 150+ tests, MRIs, pain management protocols, antibiotics, and 3 days of excellent care in the University hospital, no one could identify John’s infection.
On July 7, John checked out of the hospital to rest in a hotel until he was strong enough to travel home. Though the infection has still not been identified, he is currently in treatment here in the US, and doing MUCH better. His headaches have subsided, and while not at 100%, he is functioning very well.
Needless to say, we’re glad to have John back and feeling better as the band looks forward to Camp and upcoming shows this fall. Thanks again for everyone’s well wishes!!
MMW’s next scheduled show is for September 11 in Philadelphia, complete dates available here.
Michael Sigman: Language Patrol
July 13th, 2009 |
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The most risible language contortions this side of Dick Cheney’s tortured definitions of “torture” surround mavericky Sarah Palin, whose regular butchering of the English language rivals that of George W. Bush.