Cecil Vortex

Project “Fun-Time Challenge Project” Presents: Cauliflower Maximus

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The Challenge goes on! Two new mixes just in from the uber-talented and oft overheated mind of reclusive madman MC DD von H. Both build on the original piano number plus eb’s stellar vocals.
First up is Radio Cauliflower, a radio friendly mix with guitar, beats, bass, beach sounds, and more. Then comes something really extraordinary — a 3 minute feast of a remix called Cauliflower Maximus. And I’ll just say: Holy cow. Well worth your time.
For a quick recap, here’s the whole sequence:

If you’re thinking of joining the mad loop, start with any one of these versions, do whatcha gotta do, then email whatcha got to: vortex@mediajunkie.com. Thanks for listening. And thanks to everyone who’s participated so far. I dig each version, and the sequence from start to finish is quite a neat nod to the personal nature of creativity. -CV
MC DD von H’s Remix – Radio Cauliflower
time: 1:15; specs: 1.1MB
Press Play to play.
MC DD von H’s Extended Remix – Cauliflower Maximus
time: 3:13; specs: 2.9MB
Press Play to play.

Hate

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I wear your hatred
like a badge
like one of those
toy sheriff badges
made out of spray-painted
fake-metal
plastic.
Look at me: I’m a cowboy!

The Gravity’s Rainbow Deathmarch, Week 13

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Welcome to Week 13, Part 4, and the start of the last big push. I’m still a little bit behind my own self, chasing after the march, coverless copy flapping in my left hand. But I read 50 pages in the last two days and now my head, it’s swirling with Deathmarch.
Early on I read someone somewhere saying that one of the special things about this book and Pynchon in general is the way he wows you on virtually every page. Over and over and over again. And I continue to find that to be true and baffling.
For example: “‘Say, there.’ It appears to be a very large white Finger, addressing him. Its Fingernail is beautifully manicured: as it rotates for him, it slowly reveals a Fingerprint that might as well be an aerial view of the City Dactylic, that city of the future where every soul is known, and there is noplace to hide. Right now, joints moving with soft, hydraulic sounds, the Finger is calling Tchitcherine’s attention to–”
It’s those big, juicy ropes of taffy that keep pulling me through. That taffy and all of youse leading the way. So here we go, just three (3!) weeks left. By my insta-math, it’s looking like 10-12 people will make it all the way through to the other side. Perhaps right before we finish, we’ll take two hours and walk around the island making totems to all the fallen, like they do on Survivor. “This circle represents a donut for Jeff. He always wanted a donut.”
Next week: It’s a hike up to the peak of “Mount Page 663 (p/v)”. Let’s meet at the cafeteria. I’m told “there are things to hold on to. . . .”

Saturday

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What’s going on?
“What do you mean?”
All these cops. Why are all these cops all over the place?
“What?”
They’ve been circling the coffee shop for the last hour.
“Hunh. Really?”
Haven’t you noticed? On motorcyles? Walking past with trained dogs? They seem tense. Don’t you think? Even the dogs seem tense.
“I don’t know.”
You do. I can see it — please — please tell me. What’s going on?
“OK, look. All I know is, the Pope is dead.”
He chewed his lower lip. She watched him chew.
“I saw it on TV. Alright?” He took his coffee and scooped up his change. “The Pope is dead. The Pope is dead and there are cops everywhere.” He turned toward the door. “You do the math.”

Clean

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Little bird people
with their hollow bones
heads uplifted
trying out afterhours fancy soap.
Bath salts.
Sugar scrubs.
Sometimes
it’s not all about you
applying topical sweetness.
Sometimes
it’s all about
traffic hums
warm door
happy birds.

The Gravity’s Rainbow Deathmarch, Week 12

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It’s Week 12 and I can literally feel the back of the book in my hands when I’m reading. That’s how close to the end we are. By my admittedly rough and unreliable calculations, just 4 weeks remain. Der Jinkeys!
Enough of us marchers have fallen a little bit behind that I think this would be a good time for a demi-catch-up week. Instead of tackling the usual 50, let’s target around 36 pages, which will take us all the way to the end of the Zone and the start of Part 4.
Next week: See you at page 616 (p/v), which rumor has it “is done on paper….”

Project “Fun-Time Challenge Project” Presents: Straight Up: Cauliflower

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About a week and a half ago I posted a short piano number and asked folks to mess around with it. Here’s a brief recap of the excellent and harmonically vivid versions we’ve gotten back so far:

Today we post our first third-generation remix, in which Panamanian strongman Jake Vortex weighs in with Straight Up: Cauliflower, which starts with eb’s vocal mix and then lays down a smokin’ sax intro and outro. Dig.
If you’re taking the challenge, feel free to start with any of these versions, then email whatcha got to: vortex@mediajunkie.com.
Thanks for listening, a tip of the reed to Jake for this latest rev, and please, watch the skies, -CV
Jake Vortex’s Remix – Straight Up: Cauliflower
time: 1:12; specs: 1.1MB
Press Play to play.

Sleeping in

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Lying in bed
scooping a little more sleep
into my bowl, like soup
until the soup goes cold
and starts to overflow
onto the table.
There’s the metal
of the ladel and it clinks
as a thin carrot wedge
rotates past
following the current
toward the table edge.