the dragon sleeps tonight

I may have mentioned, I'm writing for an antiques website called Collectors Weekly, and I'm really into it.

More importantly (to you), the site is full of music geekery.

1. Do you like to fight about Top 10s? I know you do! My young colleague just posted his list of the "Top 10 Albums of the 2000s." Think he's right? He's totally wrong?" Tell him: http://bit.ly/c3Wk1B

2. An artist just posted these pieces he made out of old vinyl, and it's just "Whoa!" http://bit.ly/cJ4QjD

(This "Show & Tell section is awesome because you can post whatever you geek out on. I just put up some photos, including a story about my grandparents swing-dancing to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa: http://bit.ly/cDVHJI)

3. Vinyl nerds! We have more collector nerdy than you can shake a stick at! British invasion! http://bit.ly/b0dUSE Psych records! http://bit.ly/1LMNUU Beatles memorabilia and 78s! http://bit.ly/aNQQRL Coming soon: Blue Note.

4. Gear heads! We also have guitar collecting nerdery: http://bit.ly/Xrcpa Uke nerdery, too: http://bit.ly/aMGN7H

5. Posters, too! My editor is a Fillmore poster obsessive. Check out his amusing tale of wrangling for a Phish poster yesterday. http://bit.ly/a4aLhu

+ My latest piece is on '60s dresses http://bit.ly/b77Hm8+ and I'm soon going to post an interview about female superheroes of the past century.

Part 2: Regular five

1. Arcade Fire, "The Suburbs." I have to say, it didn't wow me on the first listen. But the second time around, it touched me. It's more standard pop-rock with '80s and old-timey influences, but it's still brilliant – well-crafted, beautiful and moving. This line kills me: "It seems strange, how we used to wait for letters to arrive. But what's stranger still is how something so small can keep you alive." MP3: http://bit.ly/98bsgq

2. Menomena, "Mines." This album is more disjointed and slow-moving than the others. It's no where near on par with "I Am the Fun Blame Monster," or even "Friend & Foe." That said, it's Menomena, and it's still freaking awesome. Songs like "Tithe" and "Killemall" haunt me. MP3s here! http://bit.ly/9aK9lX

3. Spoon on Jimmy Fallon with Questlove! http://bit.ly/9515YB I looove this song, "No One Gets Me But You." Is there anyone else obsessed with "Transference"? I'm itching to talk about it.

4. "Disciplinarian punk" band Generalissimo put on a blistering show last Thursday. You should buy their new record. http://www.generalissimo.mu/

5. My former Flavorpill cohort Andy Phillips and his team at MOG just launched this awesome new music blog. They have an exclusive of Oakland's the Packs new song called, "Titties." I have not listened to it yet, so I don't know if it offends me. http://www.mogmusicnetwork.com/

- Les Savy Fav, "Root for Ruin." This album is so boring it makes me want to cry. It's possibly even more boring than "Go Forth." "Inches" and "Let's Stay Friends" are so great. W'happened?

+ PROP. 8 OVERTURNED, WHOOT!

++ I will be at the Mother's Cookies Factory in Oakland tonight to see Conan Neutron play with Hurry Up Shotgun and the return of Ghost to Atom. Plus, Portland hotties Wisdom Teef. Come say hi!


xoxo,

Lisa DL

PS Follow me on Twitter at @lisahix

My Collectors Weekly blog on stilettos, sexuality, Chinese foot-binding, and Cinderella got picked up last week by Bust!

http://www.bust.com/blog/2010/07/28/our-bodies-our-stilettos.html

Even better - They called me "Our own Lisa Hix." I love it. It makes me feel like a member of the feminist media. I did have the abortion doula article in the February issue, and the feminist porn article in the May issue. I'm talking to my editor about profiling an eccentric young artist I found in Norman, OK (represent!).



Bust has 13,000+ followers on Twitter and 15,000 on Facebook. With the promos on About-Face and Woodhull Institute, that added up to about 300+ unique page views. Which really impressed my bosses.

(By the way, if you want to give me page views, it is here: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/our-bodies-our-stilettos/)

I've just re-interviewed Mike Madrid on female superheroes, and I've talked to underground comix feminist leader Trina Robbins about her new book on SF Chinatown nightlife in the '40s, vintage clothes from the '20s, female superheroes and a whole host of other things. Next week, my bosses put me on an investigation of museum policies.

Also, I am grateful to simulacrum for contributing to Show & Tell. My bosses love you!

One of the more exciting aspects of my new job is that my bosses WANT me to inject feminist sensibility into the Collectors Weekly blog, and are happy to have me spark controversy.

We had an interview with Elizabeth Semmelhack, a woman who curates a shoe museum in Toronto. It seems she's actually on a tear against high heels, and was quoted into an NPR article on how they hurt your Achilles tendon. We had these quotes about sexual power and stilettos, but they were buried under collector chat. So I told Dave that I could write a blog about it, focusing on the more buzzy gender politics angle.



And voila! A blog packed with the history of the stiletto and its impact on the man-woman power dynamic, plus its connections to Chinese foot-binding, Cinderella, and TMI about my deformed skeleton.

Our bodies, our stilettos

I've managed to get it reblogged at About-Face ("Why I have decided that high heels are evil") and at the Woodhull Institute (full reprint). Also, the lovely Melissa Walker, former Elle Girl editor, young-adult author, and creator of the hilarious Before You Were Hot blog tweeted it. (Thanks to bonniegrrl and Flavorpill for tweeting the Pekar blog!) I haven't had any luck with Bust, Bitch, and Jezebel so far.

Speaking of Collectors Weekly, I really do love this place, so I am pimping it out of the generosity of my own heart. I know many of you (I'm looking at you simulacrum and whataboutprom) have great collections. Vintage clothes, hats, pins; old comic books; records; cameras; antique furniture; etc. etc. I would love it if my friends, for fun, wanted to take over the "Show & Tell" section.

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories

You post a picture (of something preferably older than you are) and tell why it's special to you. Fun, right? I'm going to make this plea on Facebook, too.

In other news, I've joined Twitter, if you don't already know. I'm @lisahix. I'm kind of scared of it.

Oh, and I'm thinking of renaming my Don't Call It Cute blog Don't Want to Be Your Girlfriend. Get this - that goofy, loving song neutron_x, Stephanie, and Trott wrote for me HAS GOTTEN 8,558 VIEWS IN 3 YEARS. That is nuts.

Hmmm, Google says it's a Melissa Etheridgey type song by someone named Kelli Owens. On "The Replacements" soundtrack, which sadly, has nothing to do with The Replacements. Maybe that would confuse Google?

I know I've been sort of a Debbie Downer de-motivational speaker lately. But I would be remiss if I failed to mention how much I like my new job. My new bosses are SO NICE. And they're going to let me blog, which is awesome.

Today, I got to publish my first Collectors Weekly blog post, a tribute to Harvey Pekar.

Harvey Pekar: The Splendor of an Ordinary Life

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/harvey-pekar-the-splendor-of-an-ordinary-life/

More on this later.

They have a staff writing job open, too, I believe ... from Media Bistro


Editor, Knit Today Magazine

Publication or Company Future US
Industry Magazine Publishing
Job Duration Full Time
Job Location South San Francisco, CA USA
Job Requirements Future Plus, the highly dynamic custom publishing division of leading publisher Future US (www.futureus.com), is seeking an extremely talented, extraordinarily creative Editor to work on a brand new crafting magazine launch.

Sound like a dream job? It most certainly is!

Published six times a year, Knit Today magazine delivers patterns, how-tos, features and news stories to knitting fans of all ages. As part of Futures Knit Today team, the Editor is flexible, proactive and is able to act autonomously to effectively deliver on the responsibilities outlined below. This job is a full-time position at Futures offices in South San Francisco.

Position requirements:

Ensures all work produced is of the highest quality and meets the magazines standards.
Works with other editorial team members and the Editorial Director to ensure cutting edge quality and client satisfaction.
Create copy that delivers on and regularly exceeds customer as well as client satisfaction, and is delivered before deadline.
Work with the Art Director/Designers to help them understand your copy so that they can create a page that helps bring your vision to full potential.
Help specify photography or screenshots that will ensure a high-quality visual experience is created.
When temporary or freelance staff is required, ensure that they are briefed and directed efficiently and cost-effectively.
Attend regular documented Editorial meetings for your team, and participate in discussions to address senior management directives, editorial issues and initiatives as well as conduct analysis of competitive and parallel markets to ensure Future Plus products are always on the cutting edge.
Encourage and realize market and editorial awareness.
Develop freelance writer and general contacts of worth and always be on the lookout for new and upcoming talent.
Editorial-conscious and aware of competitors magazines, realize appropriate content for the market and dissuade from self-indulgent/referential editorial style. Look to other areas of copy or content relevant to their markets for influence and inspiration.

Required Qualifications:
Ability to work well in a team environment
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines
Strong communication skills
Minimum of 2 years full time editing/writing experience

What we offer:
A casual, comfortable dress environment with musicians, gamers and journalists roaming the halls.
A culture that encourages a passion for life both inside and outside of the office.
Generous 100% company paid medical, dental and vision plans.
Dont want to drive? Not to worry Future US offers a free shuttle from BART and CalTrain to the office.

To apply please click the link below:
About Our Company Future US is a leading publisher of special-interest magazines and websites and one of the fastest-growing media companies in the US. With market-leading publications in the Games, Music, Technology and men's and women's special-interest markets, Future's targeted publications reach a young, active, affluent and highly influential audience selling over 1.4 million copies per month. Future's web properties complement its print portfolio and currently reach more than 23 million unique visitors in the US each month.
Future US, Inc. is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Future US, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ultimate parent company, Future plc, an international publishing company headquartered in the UK with offices in the US and Australia.

Let me know, text me or something. I'll put you down for Refer-A-Friend. Then someone can put me down, too.

http://www.sfraffle.com/FAQ.aspx

EDIT: Never mind, found a taker! But feel free to say Lisa Hix referred you. ;)

I wrote about a book in female superheroes. It's completely fascinating how women have been presented through this male-fantasy-centered genre. I discovered all sorts of wonderful characters from the '40s, crime-fighting women who had secret identities, like Lady Luck and Phantom Lady.

S.F. writer gives female superheroes their due (Disappointing headline, though)

Mike didn't have money to buy image rights, but he collected many of the panels and images here:

http://www.heaven4heroes.com/heaven4heroes/Heaven4Heroes_SUPERGIRLS_Visual_Guide.html







Another local author, Trina Robbins, has also written a lot about female superheroes.

I've been getting props from the Woodhull people for my story, which makes me happy:

http://margotmagowan.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/sf-writer-gives-female-superheroes-their-due/

http://woodhull.tv/2010/02/s-f-writer-gives-female-superheroes-their-due/

In other news, I'm really glad SFist Brock got picked for the Nob Hill Gazette's Eligible List, so he couldn't rag on me too hard. He says there's a single mixers event attached to this?? I am intimidated.

http://sfist.com/2010/02/09/nob_hill_gazette_releases_annual_el.php

I got my physical version in the mail, too. No picture of me in there.

This is really probably the coolest, most feminist, most revolutionary story I've worked on in a long time: Women who comfort other women while they're having abortions.

It's on page 81 of the Feb./March issue of Bust Magazine (America Ferrara is on the cover).

http://www.bust.com/magazine/on-newsstands-now.html

I'm totally excited about it. :)

In other revolutionary news: I really want to see Conan's Karl Rove culture-jam project become a huge success. Can you help?

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/conanneutron/project-courage-and-consequence-an-lp-comp-cu/backers

Come to my house 7pm Wednesday!

We're watch the last two episodes together so we can OMG WTF at the same time. The finale will be at Stefanie and Bean's.

Lemme know if you wanna come: lhix2000 at hotmail

Whoo-hoo!