Goodnight Blogger...

We, the Cornslaw Industries Board of Directors, have decided to do as so many have done before us. We have decided to leave Blogger. Blogger, it's not you, it's us. We swear. The newly remodeled Cornslaw.net uses Wordpress, so we have migrated most entries over there or to ColinHelb.com.

Thanks for the memories.

VISIT CORNSLAW DOT NET

VoTe YoKo

New Cornslaw music is coming soon, we swear

Though the Board of Directors prematurely foresaw a solid street date of September 1st, 2008 for the “08.32″ releases, the releases are mere days away from mass availability.

Here is a list of all the new releases, included five new artists.

Danger Vacuum presents Read (pronounced “Red”)
Doc Mailman presents Is It Too Doc Mailman
Stark and Nemo presents …Not Dark and Emo

1000000 a.d. presents Four Tracks From the Four Track II
Dewback presents Dewback II
Tyler Kinney presents EP

The Birch Run Russell presents Telescope
The Grossly MisJudged Collective Works of Barry’s Listening presents Prog

Unfortunately (or fortunately) The tribute album Weird Al Ruined My Life has been postponed until mid to late October, 2008. Contributions will still be considered.

Freedom of Expression

Help us celebrate the return of the TUESDAYS AT THE GISH film series with a screening of Dr. Kembrew McLeod's (U of Iowa) award winning and thought-provoking documentary. Though the event, like always, is free, we will be collecting donations for The Legion Arts in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Following this summer's floodings, the building which houses Legion Arts, located a few blocks from Cedar River, was under water from June 11 to June 15. Though the upper levels of the building suffered limited damage, the building's first floor, staircases, and electrical systems are in need of repair. Legion Arts is a "nonprofit dedicated to the creation, presentation, understanding and impact of contemporary art." We suggest a $5 donation, but anything you can offer will be appreciated and will be donated in the name of The Culture Club and the BG community to Legion Arts.

About Freedom of Expression: In 1998, university professor Kembrew McLeod (Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa) trademarked the phrase “freedom of expression” — a startling comment on the way that intellectual property law restricts creativity and the expression of ideas. This provocative and amusing documentary explores the battles being waged in courts, classrooms, museums, film studios, and the Internet over control of our cultural commons. Based on McLeod's award-winning book of the same title, Freedom of Expression® charts the many successful attempts to push back the assault on free expression by overzealous copyright holders. Freedom of Expression® is an essential tool for educators, activists, filmmakers, students, artists, librarians, and more. (http://freedomofexpression.us)

Spread the word.

The entire schedule can be found at: http://battlegroundstates.org/gish

Legion Arts website at: http://legionarts.org

Kembrew McLeod's website at: http://kembrew.com

Danger Vacuum

Old West End Pics, 2008 Edition

Gas Station Attendant Becomes Famous Overnight Sensation After Being Discovered

So, my weird, little--initially research-driven in order to support some stupid point, but now fodder for procrastination--obsession of the day is the tale in which a would-be star is discovered pumping gas.
So far, I've come across a story involving Toni Braxon, but that is about it.
I was sure, when I made the original point, that the story involved James Dean in some way, but then I dicovered, via a little wiki-search, that Dean was far less of an overnight sensation than his persona might suggest.

Other celebrities seem to have worked at gas stations.

Apparently, Ray Romano "worked variously as a gas station attendant, bank clerk, and truck driver" during his early career, but was not "discovered" at a gas station.
In '94, Johnny Depp confessed to Allen Ginsburg that despite his success, he still feels like the "seventeen-year-old gas station attendant in south Florida" he seemingly was before fame. 

Was he discovered there?
Even Clint Eastwood pumped gas for a living.
So, famous people have pumped gas in their pre-fame lives and I am sure that some has-beens and never-weres have pumped gas in their post-fame lives, but who was discovered pumping gas?
Just an urban legend or was someone--I mean, besides Ms. Braxon, because I am sure the archetype of the gas pumping star to-be is older and more traditionally male than her--actually discovered at a gas station and "made into" an overnight star?

Tuesdays at the Gish, Season 2

Just announced:
The regular schedule for Season 2 of The Tuesdays at the Gish Film Series
Gish Film Theater, Hanna Hall, BGSU
BattlegroundStates.org/Gish