Pheaturing Erik Smith From The Erik Smith Project

PHIRST OF

Hello, welcome to the last entry of the Phile for this year. Actually, it's the last entry of this decade, isn't it? Yes, the new decade starts in 2010. I hate it when people say it starts in 2011. I know I am not good with math, but come on. Alright, so last week Jen, Logan and myself went to the Holy Land Experience here in Orlando. I was happy that I didn't burn up when I walked through the gates. I guess it was kinda like a redemption for me. I actually had a good time sitting in the Last Supper which was just a small cup of fruit juice and a cracker, and learning a lot that I didn't know about. And no, they didn't have a Jesus on a stick ice cream bar. That was kinda disappointing. I did get my picture taken with Jesus though. Check it out.

Everybody talks about the Baby Jesus and the grown man Jesus, but what about the teenage Jesus? So, did you have a good Christmas? Two words: Blu-Ray. Okay, for months I have been showing you different inspirational posters you can buy. I found this one, and I thought this teamwork poster was kinda odd.

Okay, now let's play the most popular on-line game. It's...

So, is this picture of Bush porn?

That's what I call a Bush sandwich.


AVATAR

Disabled ex-Marine Sam Worthington is sent on a mission to the planet Pandora to help convince its indigenous population of blue-skinned warriors that allowing Earth to mine a rare mineral will be good for them too. (It will also save the Earth and/or make Earth people a lot of money. It kind of flew by as exposition and is only touched on again when Giovanni Ribisi is on screen as the evil environment-raping corporate guy with dollar signs for eyes.) Worthington becomes an avatar, a human mind in the blue body one of Pandora's people to try and make this hostile takeover seem friendly. Then everybody starts dying via giant, flame-throwing, robot battlesuits. James "King of The World" Cameron has a good reason for being the reportedly arrogant S.O.B. that he is: HE MAKES MOVIES THAT ARE AWESOME. Because it's such a monstrously dangerous thing, the big-budget mass appeal must-make-a-billionty-dollars-at-the-box-office-or-we-all-commit-suicide-from-the-shame-of-our-failure film. So many things can go wrong and then you wind up with Will Smith and giant mechanical spiders in Wild Wild West. But Cameron seemingly micromanages the hell out of everything until it's exactly the amount of shiny he wants it to be and, consequently, delivers hugely entertaining (and surprisingly moving) spectacles. Like this one. How shiny? If you mocked the early trailer and Twitter-scoffed at the blue people, you're going to be thrilled by the finished product. Cameron is the first director to use motion/performance capture technology properly. No dead eyes, no jerky movements, nothing. You forget you're watching a computer generated character. Meanwhile the other animation, invented surroundings and special effects are seamlessly integrated into the live action. In 20 years it may look as fake as Bedknobs and Broomsticks, but for right now it's as perfect looking as you could ever imagine. It's a world you've never seen on screen before and it envelops you. And who needs Linda Hamilton when you've got the always under-appreciated Michelle Rodriguez? I don't think she's ever acting. I think she cultivates a non-stop badass presence and gets people to pay her for it, just walking through life actually connecting the barrels of guns to the skulls of tough guys and cracking lines like, "Uh-huh. You know what this is" before leaving him in a bloody heap and stealing his girlfriend. At least that's what I hope she does. From 1 to 10, it gets a 10, and yes, I will get it on Blu-Ray.

The 4th book in the P.P.B.C. is...

Flinx and his feisty minidrag, Pip, reunite with old friends for one final slam-bang universe rescue in the 14th title of one of science fiction's longest running series. After the devastating events of 2008's Quofum, Flinx is at his most self-destructive. His malaise is compounded by his knowledge of the Great Evil that threatens to destroy all intelligent life, a monster only he can defeat. On his way to that fateful confrontation, dodging dark agents of the Order of Null, Flinx negotiates a temporary peace between the human Commonwealth and the AAnn, reconciles with his one true love, Clarity Held, and reunites with his old mentors Truzenzuzex and the sociologist-soldier Tse-Mallory. Once the story picks up steam, the pace never slows. Flinx fans will delight in seeing familiar faces come together for one last grand adventure. You can buy "Flinx Transcendent" off from Amazon. Look for Alan Dean Foster on the Phile in a few weeks.

1170
Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, is slashed to death by four of King Henry II's knights at the altar of the Virgin Mary. "Is there no one who will rid me from this turbulent priest", cried Henry in frustration earlier that month. It was apparently not a serious demand for Becket's death, but that did not stop his brains from being splattered in Canterbury Cathedral.
1890
The Wounded Knee Massacre took place in Wounded Knee, South Dakota as over 200 Sioux were killed by US troops sent to disarm them.
1972
Members of a Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes admit at a press conference that they survived by Cannibalism. This spawned a popular theme for bumper stickers, "Rugby Players Eat Their Dead". But best of all is the quote from one of the team, "If we had been soccer players, we would have died."
1975
Bomb explodes at LaGuardia airport in New York, killing 11 people and injuring many others.
1993
Former child star Todd Bridges (who played Willis on "Different Strokes") arrested for transportation of methamphetamine.
1997
Male nurse Orville Lynn Majors is charged with six counts of murder at Vermillion County Hospital in Newport, MD. He is suspected of many other murders, likely over 100. Majors would apparently inject older patients with potassium chloride or other drugs, and frequently he expressed a dislike for elderlies. When off duty, hospital deaths occurred once every 551 hours; but on duty, once every 23 hours.

The last guest of the year is a talented musician from Kansas City whose debut album "Fly" will be out in 2010 on Aerophone Records. Please welcome to the Phil... Erik Smith.

Me: Hello, Erik, welcome to the Phile, sir. How are you?

Erik: Hey man, I'm good, thanks for asking.

Me: You don't live in a cabin in the woods, do you? Oh, wrong Erik Smith.

Erik: LOL... Ya , I looked on Myspace there's a couple Erik Smith's out there, but I'm the REAL one... LOL.

Me: So, what is your Project about?

Erik: Actually my project now is Aerophone Records, I really needed to find a tax write off for my hobby of 40 years. Now that I'm set up as an official business I'll continue recording my compositions which are jazz based fusions. My music is creative release for me really and hopefully others enjoy it as well. I strive allways to improve my playing and never quit learning for there are so many awesome musicians out there to learn from. It's all good ...

Me: Who is helping you, musician wise?

Erik: I'm lucky that I'm Kansas City, so many great jazz musicians here. Two that I have worked with, Mark Lowrey, Carl Bender are some of K.C's finest.

Me: You have a CD coming out, or is out, called "Fly". Did it take a long time to record?

Erik: "Fly" is a couple years in the making...

Me: Is that your first CD?

Erik: It's my first solo CD but its my 4th really, having written and performed some guitar work for other artists. One being Jessica Harp of country music fame, I was her teacher/guitarist for a few years before she signed with WB. So it was really nice to have been part of that, real special.

Me: Are you originally from Kansas City?

Erik: I was born and raised in Pittsburgh Pa. "Go Steelers" but have made my home in K.C. for the last 20 yrs.

Me: Who are your influences, Erik?

Erik: Being a "Boomer" I've been influenced by all the greats of my time but probably most by the Beatles , I'd be lying if I said I was'nt.

Me: You have a song called "Rebecca". Is there a Rebecca in your life? If so, what does she think of the song?

Erik: Rebecca is my lovely wife of many, many, many years. It was well deserved and good strategy to name what probably is my best composition after her.

Me: Are you planning on touring?

Erik: I can't see me quitting my day job and going on tour unless Jess hires me back for it. LOL... She has Keith Urban doing her guitarwork on her new single on iTunes by the way "A Boy Like Me" by Jessica Harp. Now theres a plug !

Me: Hope this was fun, Erik.

Erik: Thanks for the interview I appreciate the attention!

PHINALLY

That's it for another entry of the Phile. The Phile will be back next Tuesday with a very special guest. I will give you a clue who that is.

Okay, it's special to me, and any "Doctor Who" fan. Thanks to Wikipedia, Amazon and of course Erik Smith for today's entry. Until next week, spread the word, not the turd, bye love you bye.