Thursday, September 29, 2005
All This For a Dead Irishman
I'm typing this from the Tip O'Neil memorial library on the leafy campus of Boston College. Were I ol' Tip, I'd be rightly pissed at my memorial library. It smells awful in here, like a drunk's soiled underpants the day after a titanic bender. Obviously Tip liked to party (just look at that ruddy, bulbous nose), but I'd think this aroma would be much more appropriate for whatever building they name after the soon-to-be-dearly-departed Ted Kennedy. C'mon, BC, I know you're not exactly known for being classy, but couldn't you have evinced at least a little bit of decorum, just this once?
Speaking of Teddy, I think I've seen him driving a late '70's Camaro twice in the last few weeks. If not him, then his body double. Dude looks just like him, and sports an awesome set of wheels. Of course drunken, elderly Irishmen are about as rare in Boston as fat dudes in overalls at the CiCi's buffet.
I'm typing this from the Tip O'Neil memorial library on the leafy campus of Boston College. Were I ol' Tip, I'd be rightly pissed at my memorial library. It smells awful in here, like a drunk's soiled underpants the day after a titanic bender. Obviously Tip liked to party (just look at that ruddy, bulbous nose), but I'd think this aroma would be much more appropriate for whatever building they name after the soon-to-be-dearly-departed Ted Kennedy. C'mon, BC, I know you're not exactly known for being classy, but couldn't you have evinced at least a little bit of decorum, just this once?
Speaking of Teddy, I think I've seen him driving a late '70's Camaro twice in the last few weeks. If not him, then his body double. Dude looks just like him, and sports an awesome set of wheels. Of course drunken, elderly Irishmen are about as rare in Boston as fat dudes in overalls at the CiCi's buffet.
drunk justice
Even better than drinking while watching fantasy/sci fi TV: being hung as fuck at work the next am. Urgh, why must you cave my skull in, Three Philosophers? You were so kind to me last night. If Liquor World hadn't been peddling Tremont Summer Ale for five bucks (past the freshness threshold, but every good beer needs a great home), perhaps I'd be less brittle right now. Anyhow, despite the nay-sayers, including one certain wife of mine, I dug last night's Lost. Yeah, we're nowhere farther along the story, chronologically, but they are slowly filling in the gaps, which everybody should realize by now is this show's m.o. Wifey and I agree that the former Augustus Hill is the best actor on the program, at least until Adebisi shows up for real next week.
Top Model's going well thus far, too. I'm not too blown away by any of these chicks, not like with Naima last year, and thus the contest seems wide open. Lisa seems like the favorite thus far, but she's really not that pretty, is she? Sometimes she looks great, but there's some weirdness going on around her eyes and nose. I want Kim to be my favorite, and she's pretty damn adorable, but her personality's really turning us off, way too stuck-up and uptight. And that Texas girl, damn, so annoying, and not even all that good looking. I thought the Farrow hair would be irresistable on her, but it looks bad. One of the judges said she looks like she's sucking on a lemon, or something like that, and that's true, her face is always so tight and intense.
I'm interested in watching Veronica Mars, but I realize that would just give Crews free license to cock-punch me whenever he wanted.
Even better than drinking while watching fantasy/sci fi TV: being hung as fuck at work the next am. Urgh, why must you cave my skull in, Three Philosophers? You were so kind to me last night. If Liquor World hadn't been peddling Tremont Summer Ale for five bucks (past the freshness threshold, but every good beer needs a great home), perhaps I'd be less brittle right now. Anyhow, despite the nay-sayers, including one certain wife of mine, I dug last night's Lost. Yeah, we're nowhere farther along the story, chronologically, but they are slowly filling in the gaps, which everybody should realize by now is this show's m.o. Wifey and I agree that the former Augustus Hill is the best actor on the program, at least until Adebisi shows up for real next week.
Top Model's going well thus far, too. I'm not too blown away by any of these chicks, not like with Naima last year, and thus the contest seems wide open. Lisa seems like the favorite thus far, but she's really not that pretty, is she? Sometimes she looks great, but there's some weirdness going on around her eyes and nose. I want Kim to be my favorite, and she's pretty damn adorable, but her personality's really turning us off, way too stuck-up and uptight. And that Texas girl, damn, so annoying, and not even all that good looking. I thought the Farrow hair would be irresistable on her, but it looks bad. One of the judges said she looks like she's sucking on a lemon, or something like that, and that's true, her face is always so tight and intense.
I'm interested in watching Veronica Mars, but I realize that would just give Crews free license to cock-punch me whenever he wanted.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
tv is all we care about
1. As mentioned elsewhere, I missed My Name is Earl last night. The first episode was pretty good, but no idea about the second.
2. Last night's The Office was alright, but not as good as the season premiere.
3. Monday night was a bust all around.
5. The first episode of Everybody Hates Chris was good, as discussed here, but I may not make a point to catch it in the future.
6. The Lost season premeire was, uh, yeah. Great. Of course.
7. Still, nothing beats VH1 Classic. Except for that cheesy soft-core porn I saw on Showtime with Timothy Bottoms.
1. As mentioned elsewhere, I missed My Name is Earl last night. The first episode was pretty good, but no idea about the second.
2. Last night's The Office was alright, but not as good as the season premiere.
3. Monday night was a bust all around.
a. Arrested Development was surprisingly bad.4. This most recent The Simpsons is a top contendor for worst episode ever. The quality's been a yo-yo this year; that manatee episode stank, last week's was pretty good, and then this latest one was just embarrassing. Two promising storylines flushed down the toilet so that they can do "Marge and Homer split up" for the 87000th time. What bullshit.
b. The second episode of Kitchen Confidential was awful...
c. ... as was the second half of How I Met Your Mother.
d. The bits of Raw I took in blew, too.
5. The first episode of Everybody Hates Chris was good, as discussed here, but I may not make a point to catch it in the future.
6. The Lost season premeire was, uh, yeah. Great. Of course.
7. Still, nothing beats VH1 Classic. Except for that cheesy soft-core porn I saw on Showtime with Timothy Bottoms.
a fantastic drunk
Years ago I'd meet up with Rippy, Chris Thorn, and Greg Vagen every Tuesday night to get drunk and watch Buffy. These fine gentlemen taught me that few things are more enjoyable than getting wasted while watching well-written sci-fi/fantasy tv. The tradition laid dormant for a couple years, as for a while there were no such shows I gave a shit about. Last year I got back in the habit with Lost, though, and Wednesday night quickly became my preferred worknight for getting totally shit-faced. Last year I'd head straight from the train to Marty's on the corner of Harvard and Commonwealth, and pick up a couple bottles of Sam Smith's for five bucks. Since moving to Somerville, Liquor World has become my dealer of choice, and even though their store is maybe a third the size of Marty's, they have a more satisfying beer selection. They keep everything chilled, including the fancy-ass import and craft stuff, which Marty's mostly keeps shelved out on the floor. But so tonight I'm thinking of picking up a bottle of something nice, maybe one of those Harpoon 100 Barrel deals, or the old favorite, Three Philosophers. Any suggestions?
Years ago I'd meet up with Rippy, Chris Thorn, and Greg Vagen every Tuesday night to get drunk and watch Buffy. These fine gentlemen taught me that few things are more enjoyable than getting wasted while watching well-written sci-fi/fantasy tv. The tradition laid dormant for a couple years, as for a while there were no such shows I gave a shit about. Last year I got back in the habit with Lost, though, and Wednesday night quickly became my preferred worknight for getting totally shit-faced. Last year I'd head straight from the train to Marty's on the corner of Harvard and Commonwealth, and pick up a couple bottles of Sam Smith's for five bucks. Since moving to Somerville, Liquor World has become my dealer of choice, and even though their store is maybe a third the size of Marty's, they have a more satisfying beer selection. They keep everything chilled, including the fancy-ass import and craft stuff, which Marty's mostly keeps shelved out on the floor. But so tonight I'm thinking of picking up a bottle of something nice, maybe one of those Harpoon 100 Barrel deals, or the old favorite, Three Philosophers. Any suggestions?
I got to North Carolina for a weekend, and return to a fuckin' soap opera
I wrote that in an instant message a couple Fridays ago, on September 16th. It was late in the day, most folks had gone home, and my manager Randy* was loudly arguing with his wife on the telephone. A few days later another manager, Elizabeth, was fired. I figured it was for poor performance; her department had a massive back-log that I occasionally had to help out with. That maybe had something to do with it, but, according to my gossip-hound co-worker Luigi, there were other reasons for the dismissal. Apparently Elizabeth would return drunk from lunch on occasion. Also, according to Luigi, she was overheard making fun of the handicapped guy in her department, using foul language and calling him a retard. But the capper, and the kicker, and what elevates this semi-boring office gossip into a realm of marginal awesomeness, is the fact that she was having an affair with my manager Randy, the very same Randy who’s married and has some not insubstantial number of children. Well, Mrs. Randy found out about the affair, and called up human resources, Randy’s boss, Elizabeth’s boss, and the head of our entire department. Shit blew up real quick-like, and within a few days Elizabeth was gone. Randy’s been out all week; I don’t know if he’s on suspension, or what, but he will be returning. I don’t know how they can expect me to work for the creep, though.
Anyway, I think I might apply for Elizabeth’s position.
* : names have not been changed whatsoever
“hmm... with all employees gone, my boss is now having a slowly escalating disagreement with his wife/girlfriend on the phone...”
I wrote that in an instant message a couple Fridays ago, on September 16th. It was late in the day, most folks had gone home, and my manager Randy* was loudly arguing with his wife on the telephone. A few days later another manager, Elizabeth, was fired. I figured it was for poor performance; her department had a massive back-log that I occasionally had to help out with. That maybe had something to do with it, but, according to my gossip-hound co-worker Luigi, there were other reasons for the dismissal. Apparently Elizabeth would return drunk from lunch on occasion. Also, according to Luigi, she was overheard making fun of the handicapped guy in her department, using foul language and calling him a retard. But the capper, and the kicker, and what elevates this semi-boring office gossip into a realm of marginal awesomeness, is the fact that she was having an affair with my manager Randy, the very same Randy who’s married and has some not insubstantial number of children. Well, Mrs. Randy found out about the affair, and called up human resources, Randy’s boss, Elizabeth’s boss, and the head of our entire department. Shit blew up real quick-like, and within a few days Elizabeth was gone. Randy’s been out all week; I don’t know if he’s on suspension, or what, but he will be returning. I don’t know how they can expect me to work for the creep, though.
Anyway, I think I might apply for Elizabeth’s position.
* : names have not been changed whatsoever
Thursday, September 22, 2005
OJ's been in a study. Ice goes to Braves games too
Updated: Sep. 22, 2005, 11:06 AM ET
Braves fans wash hands of cleanliness in studyAssociated Press
WASHINGTON -- Men are dirtier than women. So scientists confirmed by spying in public restrooms, watching as one-quarter of men left without washing their hands.
The worst offenders were at an Atlanta Braves game.
In contrast, 90 percent of the women did wash up.
Wednesday's results mark the American Society of Microbiology's latest look at how many people take what is considered the single easiest step to staying healthy: spending 20 seconds rubbing with soap under the faucet.
It also explains why these infection experts tend to use paper towels to open bathroom doors. There is no telling what germs the person before you left on the knob.
"It's a gamble," said microbiologist Judy Daly of Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, the society's secretary.
Back in 1996, the society first studied how often people follow mom's advice to always wash up after using the toilet. Researchers lingered in public restrooms, putting on makeup or combing their hair, while surreptitiously counting. They concluded about one-third of people did not wash.
The group sponsored an education campaign about how hand-washing can stop the spread of flu, diarrhea and other infectious diseases. Every few years, researchers repeat the spying.
This time, 83 percent of people washed, reported Harris Interactive, a research company that last month monitored more than 6,300 public restroom users for the society.
That is a little better overall. But take a closer look:
• The worst hygiene was at Atlanta's Turner Field baseball stadium, where 37 percent of men left the bathroom without washing, and 16 percent of the women did.
• New York's Penn Station had the biggest gender disparity, where 64 percent of men washed their hands compared with 92 percent of women. Grand Central Station was almost as bad.
• The best hygiene was at San Francisco's Ferry Terminal Farmers Market and Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry and Shedd Aquarium, where only about 12 percent of people left without washing.
People exaggerate about hygiene. A Harris telephone survey of 1,000 more adults found 91 percent insisted they wash in public restrooms. Additionally, 77 percent claimed to always wash before handling or eating food, and 32 percent after coughing or sneezing.
It is hard to double-check the latter claims. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says poor hand-washing contributes to almost half of all foodborne disease outbreaks.
With influenza season approaching, microbiologists warn that it is easy to catch a cold or the flu by shaking hands with someone who just used that hand to cover a sneeze. The viruses can stay alive for two hours on hands, and for 20 minutes on hard, dry surfaces those germy hands touch.
So sneeze into your elbow instead and wash frequently. There is no need for special anti-bacterial cleansers, Daly said, although alcohol-based hand gels can substitute when soap's not available.
Updated: Sep. 22, 2005, 11:06 AM ET
Braves fans wash hands of cleanliness in studyAssociated Press
WASHINGTON -- Men are dirtier than women. So scientists confirmed by spying in public restrooms, watching as one-quarter of men left without washing their hands.
The worst offenders were at an Atlanta Braves game.
In contrast, 90 percent of the women did wash up.
Wednesday's results mark the American Society of Microbiology's latest look at how many people take what is considered the single easiest step to staying healthy: spending 20 seconds rubbing with soap under the faucet.
It also explains why these infection experts tend to use paper towels to open bathroom doors. There is no telling what germs the person before you left on the knob.
"It's a gamble," said microbiologist Judy Daly of Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, the society's secretary.
Back in 1996, the society first studied how often people follow mom's advice to always wash up after using the toilet. Researchers lingered in public restrooms, putting on makeup or combing their hair, while surreptitiously counting. They concluded about one-third of people did not wash.
The group sponsored an education campaign about how hand-washing can stop the spread of flu, diarrhea and other infectious diseases. Every few years, researchers repeat the spying.
This time, 83 percent of people washed, reported Harris Interactive, a research company that last month monitored more than 6,300 public restroom users for the society.
That is a little better overall. But take a closer look:
• The worst hygiene was at Atlanta's Turner Field baseball stadium, where 37 percent of men left the bathroom without washing, and 16 percent of the women did.
• New York's Penn Station had the biggest gender disparity, where 64 percent of men washed their hands compared with 92 percent of women. Grand Central Station was almost as bad.
• The best hygiene was at San Francisco's Ferry Terminal Farmers Market and Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry and Shedd Aquarium, where only about 12 percent of people left without washing.
People exaggerate about hygiene. A Harris telephone survey of 1,000 more adults found 91 percent insisted they wash in public restrooms. Additionally, 77 percent claimed to always wash before handling or eating food, and 32 percent after coughing or sneezing.
It is hard to double-check the latter claims. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says poor hand-washing contributes to almost half of all foodborne disease outbreaks.
With influenza season approaching, microbiologists warn that it is easy to catch a cold or the flu by shaking hands with someone who just used that hand to cover a sneeze. The viruses can stay alive for two hours on hands, and for 20 minutes on hard, dry surfaces those germy hands touch.
So sneeze into your elbow instead and wash frequently. There is no need for special anti-bacterial cleansers, Daly said, although alcohol-based hand gels can substitute when soap's not available.
no radio today
I'm working a full day, to help make up for missing tomorrow. I was up late last night, though, overslept, and got here an hour late. First time I've been late for reasons over than subway malfunction in the two years I've been here.
The Nurse and Soldier show went well last night. Sloppy, but fun, and somehow we made a small amount of money out of it. The drummer from Karate's solo thing, the Organelles, opened. It was him playing drum karaoke to prerecorded noise and "soundscape"-y type stuff. It was really good, especially when the saxaphone man started barfing up all over the last song. Forbes Graham's twenty minutes of skronking, atonal trumpeteering started the show. It was nicely confrontational. Anyhow, we've got another show, with the 400 Blows, at O'Brien's in October.
Is it inappropriate to wear a Braves tie to a funeral?
So, yes. Finally, a query: how was Lost? I hope to watch the tape this evening.
I'm working a full day, to help make up for missing tomorrow. I was up late last night, though, overslept, and got here an hour late. First time I've been late for reasons over than subway malfunction in the two years I've been here.
The Nurse and Soldier show went well last night. Sloppy, but fun, and somehow we made a small amount of money out of it. The drummer from Karate's solo thing, the Organelles, opened. It was him playing drum karaoke to prerecorded noise and "soundscape"-y type stuff. It was really good, especially when the saxaphone man started barfing up all over the last song. Forbes Graham's twenty minutes of skronking, atonal trumpeteering started the show. It was nicely confrontational. Anyhow, we've got another show, with the 400 Blows, at O'Brien's in October.
Is it inappropriate to wear a Braves tie to a funeral?
So, yes. Finally, a query: how was Lost? I hope to watch the tape this evening.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Nip/SUCK!!!!!!! hahahahahahah
So, of course, like all right-thinking people, I knew, instinctually, without ever having seen an episode, that Nip/Tuck was the worst show on tv. Every commercial, all the articles I'd read (which is a ton, since the critics go nuts for it), and basically just every single thing I had ever heard or seen about this show made it look like the worst thing since Sex in the City. Until last night I'd never watched even a second of the program, though, so its unmitigated awfulness was merely conjecture on my part. Informed conjecture, but lacking in experiential proof nonetheless.
Last night, after getting fitted for a suit, I popped open a bottle of Three Philosophers, and kicked back for some good televisual enjoyment. My Name is Earl was solid, more likable than funny, but a show doesn't have to make me laugh out loud to be pleasing, even a sitcom. And that's what Earl was, a pleasant sitcom. The Office was pretty great, the best American ep after the diversity day one from last season. The show is more sentimental and sympathetic than the original, but that's not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it helps to separate the two, providing the US version with a distinct enough identity.
So one good hour of tv down, and another one and a half or so to go before dreamtime. I was flipping the channels, past the early local news on Fox 25, past Aaron Brown, past the Tom Petty video on VH1 classic. I came upon the woman from 101 Dalmations writhing between the sheets; the info bar said it was Nip/Tuck, and I figured, what the hell, I'll give it a shot. Prove to myself that it is as awful as I've always known it to me. What do I care, I'm drunk, and on my way to only being drunker.
So I watched the damn thing, steady, for about 45 minutes. I realized that it's not as awful as I thought it was. Still, though, it's really fucking bad. It's basically a semi-soft-core soap opera for Maxim readers, as far as I can tell, and a poorly acted one, at that. I'd think there'd be enough story potential in plastic surgery without having to resort to crazy sex and stupid slasher-film boogeymen, but I guess it's easier to be sensationalistic. I've read how all the bizarre medical cases are based on fact. The most interesting and effective aspect of last night's episode was the storyline with the monstrously obese woman. Of course it was undermined by the somewhat hackneyed presentation, but for what it was it was okay. It also indicated that you could make a good show out of the premise without resorting to all that other silliness.
I started switching around after those first 45 minutes, caught a few minutes of Glory, a little bit of news, some videos. When I put it back on Nip/Tuck, a threesome was about to break out between Dr. Doom, his porn-star fiance, and the detective who was investigating his rape and mutilation. That sentence, right there, describes why this show blows. It tries way too hard.
Anyway, My Name is Earl and The Office are both worth catching. Arrested Development was good on Monday, and Kitchen Confidential shows some promise. I have to tape Lost tonight, due to the Nurse and Soldier show, but hopefully I'll be able to watch that and maybe Invasion before Friday. Magnificent!
So, of course, like all right-thinking people, I knew, instinctually, without ever having seen an episode, that Nip/Tuck was the worst show on tv. Every commercial, all the articles I'd read (which is a ton, since the critics go nuts for it), and basically just every single thing I had ever heard or seen about this show made it look like the worst thing since Sex in the City. Until last night I'd never watched even a second of the program, though, so its unmitigated awfulness was merely conjecture on my part. Informed conjecture, but lacking in experiential proof nonetheless.
Last night, after getting fitted for a suit, I popped open a bottle of Three Philosophers, and kicked back for some good televisual enjoyment. My Name is Earl was solid, more likable than funny, but a show doesn't have to make me laugh out loud to be pleasing, even a sitcom. And that's what Earl was, a pleasant sitcom. The Office was pretty great, the best American ep after the diversity day one from last season. The show is more sentimental and sympathetic than the original, but that's not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it helps to separate the two, providing the US version with a distinct enough identity.
So one good hour of tv down, and another one and a half or so to go before dreamtime. I was flipping the channels, past the early local news on Fox 25, past Aaron Brown, past the Tom Petty video on VH1 classic. I came upon the woman from 101 Dalmations writhing between the sheets; the info bar said it was Nip/Tuck, and I figured, what the hell, I'll give it a shot. Prove to myself that it is as awful as I've always known it to me. What do I care, I'm drunk, and on my way to only being drunker.
So I watched the damn thing, steady, for about 45 minutes. I realized that it's not as awful as I thought it was. Still, though, it's really fucking bad. It's basically a semi-soft-core soap opera for Maxim readers, as far as I can tell, and a poorly acted one, at that. I'd think there'd be enough story potential in plastic surgery without having to resort to crazy sex and stupid slasher-film boogeymen, but I guess it's easier to be sensationalistic. I've read how all the bizarre medical cases are based on fact. The most interesting and effective aspect of last night's episode was the storyline with the monstrously obese woman. Of course it was undermined by the somewhat hackneyed presentation, but for what it was it was okay. It also indicated that you could make a good show out of the premise without resorting to all that other silliness.
I started switching around after those first 45 minutes, caught a few minutes of Glory, a little bit of news, some videos. When I put it back on Nip/Tuck, a threesome was about to break out between Dr. Doom, his porn-star fiance, and the detective who was investigating his rape and mutilation. That sentence, right there, describes why this show blows. It tries way too hard.
Anyway, My Name is Earl and The Office are both worth catching. Arrested Development was good on Monday, and Kitchen Confidential shows some promise. I have to tape Lost tonight, due to the Nurse and Soldier show, but hopefully I'll be able to watch that and maybe Invasion before Friday. Magnificent!
Monday, September 19, 2005
Quick Arthur Fest Review (2 Weeks Late)
Hello Sara Hayes, it sure is hot today, but wait 'till evening. It will surely get chilly. "Yeah, that's why I wore jeans."
Hello Dan Donahue. That's a nice camera. "Thanks I'm filming the freaks."
Dos, Sunburned Hand Of Man, Residual Echoes, Devendra Banhart and Hairy Fairy, Pole, T-Model Ford, Sleater Kinney, Six Organs of Admittance, Magik Markers, Josephine Foster, The Juan McLean.
3 Tasty Tacos and a Jamaica Drink.
The Hollywood Hillz are pretty.
Hello John Fernandez. "Hey man. I smuggled some pot on the plane in a jar of peanut butter. AND I've got the van all to myself tonight. I'm gonna fucking party, then sleep at Mike Mills house. My son has gotten fat and I need to get him on a fittness program"
Sonic Youth.
"Pass the sheeb brah. I gotta get mellow before I text my broker." Hippies with blackberries and 500 dollar cell phones.
Hello Chris Robinson. Your wife sure is pretty. "Thanks dude. I used to date Lil' Flip Skoldja's girlfriend."
Comets On Fire, Future Pigeon (VERY large, VERY white reggae/dub band - hmmm), Wolfmother, Marissa Nadler, Dead Meadow, Olivia Tremor Control.
Hello Chris Billheimer. I don't really know you.
3 more tasty tacos and a tamarindo drink.
Hello Lance Bangs. I REALLY don't know you.
SUNN 0))), Yoko Ono.
Shit I missed Merzbow, but what a good time!
Hello Sara Hayes, it sure is hot today, but wait 'till evening. It will surely get chilly. "Yeah, that's why I wore jeans."
Hello Dan Donahue. That's a nice camera. "Thanks I'm filming the freaks."
Dos, Sunburned Hand Of Man, Residual Echoes, Devendra Banhart and Hairy Fairy, Pole, T-Model Ford, Sleater Kinney, Six Organs of Admittance, Magik Markers, Josephine Foster, The Juan McLean.
3 Tasty Tacos and a Jamaica Drink.
The Hollywood Hillz are pretty.
Hello John Fernandez. "Hey man. I smuggled some pot on the plane in a jar of peanut butter. AND I've got the van all to myself tonight. I'm gonna fucking party, then sleep at Mike Mills house. My son has gotten fat and I need to get him on a fittness program"
Sonic Youth.
"Pass the sheeb brah. I gotta get mellow before I text my broker." Hippies with blackberries and 500 dollar cell phones.
Hello Chris Robinson. Your wife sure is pretty. "Thanks dude. I used to date Lil' Flip Skoldja's girlfriend."
Comets On Fire, Future Pigeon (VERY large, VERY white reggae/dub band - hmmm), Wolfmother, Marissa Nadler, Dead Meadow, Olivia Tremor Control.
Hello Chris Billheimer. I don't really know you.
3 more tasty tacos and a tamarindo drink.
Hello Lance Bangs. I REALLY don't know you.
SUNN 0))), Yoko Ono.
Shit I missed Merzbow, but what a good time!
we're officially cat people
And not like Natassja Kinski. We went to PetSmart on Saturday to get a new litter box for Bricks and Rigby, and walked out with little HammJamm. She's a really skittish five-month old calico who's still unsure about her new parents. She's been introduced to Bricks and Rigby, but they're not really the best of friends yet. In fact Rigby wouldn't stop growling, and Bricks was in perpetual furry cobra mode the whole half-hour they were in the same room. Bricks and Rigby fought constantly for a week or so when first forced to live together, and now get along fine, so hopefully it won't be too much longer before they accept Hammy.
Okay, yes, I realize how ridiculously lame this post is, but I've been looking for something write about all day, and this is the best I can think of. Sorry, folks. This is as exciting as my life gets.
And not like Natassja Kinski. We went to PetSmart on Saturday to get a new litter box for Bricks and Rigby, and walked out with little HammJamm. She's a really skittish five-month old calico who's still unsure about her new parents. She's been introduced to Bricks and Rigby, but they're not really the best of friends yet. In fact Rigby wouldn't stop growling, and Bricks was in perpetual furry cobra mode the whole half-hour they were in the same room. Bricks and Rigby fought constantly for a week or so when first forced to live together, and now get along fine, so hopefully it won't be too much longer before they accept Hammy.
Okay, yes, I realize how ridiculously lame this post is, but I've been looking for something write about all day, and this is the best I can think of. Sorry, folks. This is as exciting as my life gets.
Friday, September 16, 2005
tv ain't always for suckers
Man, digital cable is nice. I've spent like seven hours this week watching VH1 Classic. Their alternative hour takes me back to '91, staying up 'til 2 am on Sundays watching a bunch of flouncy pouty Brits on 120. Watching Showtime kind of takes me back to the same time, and the same curfew-busting situation, but for, um, entirely different reasons.
But so, cable is not necessary to enjoy television. No, sir. For the last two years we've done just fine with our antenna, which is all you'll need to watch one of the better shows I've seen recently. Last night my wife and I were fortunate enough to become one of only... uh... however many people got this week's Entertainment Weekly, and thus caught an early sneak preview of the first episode of the new UPN/Chris Rock sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris. We've both been looking forward to this one, and, for the most part, it didn't disappoint. It's a bit sloppy at times, relying too much on asides that are just lines from Rock's stand-up routine. It is a pilot, so some sloppiness is expected. The kid playing Rock is likable, though, and the parents were both very good, especially Terry Crews. There are the well-noted similarities with The Wonder Years, yes, but there's also a bit of Malcolm in the Middle, with the whole "befuddled, smart-ass thirteen year old living in a crazy family" dynamic happening. I don't believe Malcolm has ever had to deal with racism or a neighborhood crack epidemic, though, but I've only seen like fifteen episodes of that show, so who knows, maybe. Overall, not a bad way to spend twenty-two minutes; we'll probably even waste the extra eight it'll take to watch it on the tv.
Actually, while writing this up, I realized for the first time that it's a single-camera, laugh-trackless show. I mean, it's obvious there's no braying jackassery while you're watching it, but that fact never registered as anything distinctive or noticeable. Even though every active sitcom but like five still follows the boring, predictable old format, we're so far removed from those shows that what once seemed slightly novel is now the standard. Maybe if a couple of these shows would actually do well in the ratings we as a society could kill the laugh-track off once and for all. Even though it's on the UPN, I'd think Chris has a better chance of doing that than any of the other recent single-camera shows.
Man, digital cable is nice. I've spent like seven hours this week watching VH1 Classic. Their alternative hour takes me back to '91, staying up 'til 2 am on Sundays watching a bunch of flouncy pouty Brits on 120. Watching Showtime kind of takes me back to the same time, and the same curfew-busting situation, but for, um, entirely different reasons.
But so, cable is not necessary to enjoy television. No, sir. For the last two years we've done just fine with our antenna, which is all you'll need to watch one of the better shows I've seen recently. Last night my wife and I were fortunate enough to become one of only... uh... however many people got this week's Entertainment Weekly, and thus caught an early sneak preview of the first episode of the new UPN/Chris Rock sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris. We've both been looking forward to this one, and, for the most part, it didn't disappoint. It's a bit sloppy at times, relying too much on asides that are just lines from Rock's stand-up routine. It is a pilot, so some sloppiness is expected. The kid playing Rock is likable, though, and the parents were both very good, especially Terry Crews. There are the well-noted similarities with The Wonder Years, yes, but there's also a bit of Malcolm in the Middle, with the whole "befuddled, smart-ass thirteen year old living in a crazy family" dynamic happening. I don't believe Malcolm has ever had to deal with racism or a neighborhood crack epidemic, though, but I've only seen like fifteen episodes of that show, so who knows, maybe. Overall, not a bad way to spend twenty-two minutes; we'll probably even waste the extra eight it'll take to watch it on the tv.
Actually, while writing this up, I realized for the first time that it's a single-camera, laugh-trackless show. I mean, it's obvious there's no braying jackassery while you're watching it, but that fact never registered as anything distinctive or noticeable. Even though every active sitcom but like five still follows the boring, predictable old format, we're so far removed from those shows that what once seemed slightly novel is now the standard. Maybe if a couple of these shows would actually do well in the ratings we as a society could kill the laugh-track off once and for all. Even though it's on the UPN, I'd think Chris has a better chance of doing that than any of the other recent single-camera shows.
it's their color scheme: the red and black interview
Michelle Floyd at the Red and Black done did an interview with the France this week; the results are up here. Very little of the actual interview made it in, so here's the whole damn thing. DJ and I answered these questions on Monday; he took the first few, I picked up the second half. See if you can find the dividing line.
1) You're music is pretty psychedelic and eclectic. Where do you draw your inspiration from? Is there an audience for it, especially in Athens and Atlanta?
A: I don't think we ever try to write a specific style of music, we just try to write what comes naturally to us. At times there is a pretty heavy psych sound but that probably only comes because there are 9 guys playing at once and its pretty dense sounding. We all have hearing problems, so we crank the levels as loud as they go and the waves you hear in the audience is actually the sound of your eardrum turning to liquid. There really isnt one specific type of sound that we shoot for in our music, which I think really makes The France. We could go from a 15 minute long uber-jam to a 2 minute rocker and still have fun with both. We like making music we can high five to, a lot. We just do what is fun to us and what sounds good to us, in that way I think we are pretty self-centered but we are also really really happy when other people are interested in our music. We also are a bunch of jackasses at times and really test the patience of our audience and friends. They have stuck with us so far, which is awesome and hopefully those who stick with us understand that our number one priority is to go to space and also have fun and we hope they do too. As far as influences go, it's pretty much a crap-shoot. We all love all types of music and bring them all to the rickety card table. Hip Hop to Drone and back again, whatever is cool with us. In that sense, most of our music is pretty eclectic, I guess, we have a lot of non-psychedelic, non electric stuff that we do all acoustically and with tribal influences - so yeah we are all over the place. Whether that is good or bad, we'll let the fans decide.
2) How did you get involved playing that kind of music, rather than something else? Was that the idea for the band when it started?
A: When we started it was simply because we had friends in bands (The Wee Turtles, The Masters of the Hemisphere, Nipples For Days, etc.) and we thought - "man, we can do this and make it fucked up". We started out playing 3 minute Archers Of Loaf rip offs and then as we played longer and ended our stint as the worst band in Athens, things just came naturally. The first article we read about the masons really inspired us as well, but we cant talk about that at all because if we do - we will have to cancel our show, because we will be dead.
3) On your news page, you mentioned using gong, bird whistle, etc. -- what
other kinds of instruments/etc. do you use to get the background sound? Where do you get the idea to use that? Do you write the music with those in mind?
A: We will literally put any instrument that we can find laying around onto a recording. Recently I just bought an Australian Didgeridoo and a set of pan flutes so God knows where we are going next. Probably the sound of Argentina. A lot of our recorded music is pretty thick stuff, hairy. We are big fans of the "Wall Of Sound" technique and incorporate that in a lot of our music. On our new record, we have songs that probably have somewhere in the range of 20-30 guitars on a single track, couple that with gongs, creeks, alien noises, Crog eating Taco Bell, keyboards, duck calls, elephant blasts, beer bottles, piano strings, refrigerator boxes, bums, penny whistles, organs, synths, cracker attacks, papa john's commercials, jesus' back, and a crap load of delay - then you have our recipe for a pretty righteous song.
4) On your bio, it says you refuse to take yourself too seriously. So no deep
messages in the songs? If no, why not? Are you trying to accomplish anything with your music?
A: Its not that there aren't messages in the songs, its just most people don't take a band seriously when they have an entire 14 song EP devoted to President Arnold Schwarzenegger and his favorite slice. And we don't blame them. We don't take our selves too seriously b/c this is a hobby to us, and we just wanna laugh, man. I think the great thing about The France is that our number one goal is to totally jam the shit out of ourselves, and anyone who wants to join the band for a sesh, hey that's cool. If we started worrying about what we looked like on stage, or "what people would think about this new song" - that would ruin our band and our buzz. Our next album is about the island we bought in the Caribbean and the jerk chicken salads we will serve from there.
5) Is your next release the one on AMT? Named yet? When will it be released?
Since in your bio it said that your 2nd album was more of a stretch, will
your next album be more different? If yes, how? How the same?
A: Our next project that we are releasing is going to be a split 12" record with the Japanese band Acid Mothers Temple and The Cosmic Inferno. Darkness and I run a small record label, Nokahoma Records, (www.nokahoma.com) which has released 20 or so CDR releases and a few 7" releases. However this project with Acid Mothers Temple is actually our first really big project. We contacted Acid Mothers to see if they wanted to release the record and they were very excited about doing it. They are extremely nice people and they are one of our favorite bands - so to be able to do a split 12" with them is a big deal to us. Each band is doing one song for their side of the record. Our song ended up being a 17 minute mind melter. Our next full length record is called Afrikan Majik and is really close to being done. We are putting the final touches on mixing and mastering the thing, and it will hopefully be out before the end of the year.
6) How many people are currently in your band (9, like says on news page?)?
If that many, do you play onstage all at once? What is that like? Is it
difficult to play with that many people or is there any confusion?
A: Right now there are currently nine people that play with us, and that does not include our spiritual guidance. Crog, Darkness, Ice, Griggs, SA, Jeremy "The Lord", OJ, Croxton, and Ken are the physical beings. Bob Marley and the Ghost of Norman Schwarzkopf are the spiritual masters. Actually Ken just climbed aboard recently and has been helping us out in the studio mainly. We actually havent played a full show with all 9 people yet, that would be a barn-burner. We have done so with 8 at the 40 Watt though and that was total fun with multiple high fives. The coolest part about it is probably the fact that when we are in the middle of a killer jam - you can step out go grab a brew and the band is still rockin'. Then you come back up on stage, have a chat, have a slice of pizza, then pick your instrument back up and join back in. It also is great b/c having that many people onstage playing at once - hides a lot of the mistakes! They get drowned out by the 3 other solos going on at the same time. I think it brings a higher level of excitement to our live show. Having three drummers is just mind blowing. Having three amazing drummers and Bob Marley whispering in their ear is even more mind blowing. When they set a rhythm down that is tight as hell, its easy for us to jam over top of that. Man, I sound like such an awesome hippy. Sweet.
7) Are you based out of Athens? (since you said you were living in Atlanta)
A: The France started in Athens and we play probably 90% of our shows here, but we all live in different cities. I think 3 of us still live in ATH right now. Ice and I live in Atlanta, Darkness lives in Boston, Crog lives in Los Angeles, and Sean lives in San Francisco - yet we have been more productive in the last year than we ever have. We cant even figure that one out. Athens is essentially where at least 50% of the audience might understand 20% of the show. So those are better odds than most other cities. I heard we are actually pretty big in Missoula, MT.
8) You said on the news section of your web site that one song was 17 minutes long -- do you like to play longer music? How do you keep people's attention? What is the longest song you've written?
A: We never sit down and say to ourselves, "well, this one'll be twenty minutes", or anything like that. Once we grab that comet's tail, no telling where we're headed, you know? Some songs will be 17 minutes, some will be three seconds. If people want to pay attention, they will; if not, we already have their money, anyway. We wrote a song about snakes and the Jemdat Nasr period of ancient Sumer and pro wrestling that lasted for about three hours. And in 1999 we played our song "Memorial Day" for 24 straight hours on the holiday in question, over at the River Mill pool.
9) Since you said "for some reason" you are headlining on your news part of the web site, do you headline much? If so, where? Do you play many shows (seen your name a few times, I think I remember, but I dunno how much)? Where do you normally play in Athens?
A: In Athens, we are fans of the 40 Watt, Caledonia, Tasty World, Buckhead Beach, the Blind Pig, Ember's Lounge, Mama Sid's, Bear Hollow, and the second floor of Creswell. We headline sometimes, and other times we support. We used to play three or four shows a week back in our heyday, but since Ice's hip replacement we limit ourselves to three or four a year. Our last show was at the Mind Zap fest in San Francisco. Our last show was also the sixth annual Twilight Delirium, held this year at the 40 Watt.
10) What will your show be like/What can people expect? What is the energy
like? Audience involvement? Will you play new songs from your upcoming release?
A: The energy is not unlike that at Thermopylae when those 300 valiant Spartans
gave their lives to help save Greece from the Persians. We're the brave soldiers protecting our music, instruments, and women from the audience, who are nothing more than a savage band of invading marauders. If the audience tries to get involved, we will stop them. And we promise all new material, plus a passel of unironic covers of theme songs from early '80's children movies. And sensitivity.
11) Since many acts playing that night, do you know yet how long your set will be?
A: Well, time is a lie, and anything lasts only as long as you want it to. To us, the France is eternal, an endless column of horror marching ceaselessly through our brains. The "set" will be infinite, for the "set" is life, and the universe, and all of creation, stretching far past infinity.
12) Any other news?
A: Crog bought a boat. And DJ sure would love a pizza party.
13) Anything else you want to talk about?
We want to talk about politics, baseball, rap, history, ancient cultures, astronomy, conspiracy theories, gender studies, pro wrestling, Bob Marley, and how totally awesome all those drugs are. Instead, we must return to our eternal hunt for the infinite hamm-jam. Thank you, Melissa; thank you.
Michelle Floyd at the Red and Black done did an interview with the France this week; the results are up here. Very little of the actual interview made it in, so here's the whole damn thing. DJ and I answered these questions on Monday; he took the first few, I picked up the second half. See if you can find the dividing line.
1) You're music is pretty psychedelic and eclectic. Where do you draw your inspiration from? Is there an audience for it, especially in Athens and Atlanta?
A: I don't think we ever try to write a specific style of music, we just try to write what comes naturally to us. At times there is a pretty heavy psych sound but that probably only comes because there are 9 guys playing at once and its pretty dense sounding. We all have hearing problems, so we crank the levels as loud as they go and the waves you hear in the audience is actually the sound of your eardrum turning to liquid. There really isnt one specific type of sound that we shoot for in our music, which I think really makes The France. We could go from a 15 minute long uber-jam to a 2 minute rocker and still have fun with both. We like making music we can high five to, a lot. We just do what is fun to us and what sounds good to us, in that way I think we are pretty self-centered but we are also really really happy when other people are interested in our music. We also are a bunch of jackasses at times and really test the patience of our audience and friends. They have stuck with us so far, which is awesome and hopefully those who stick with us understand that our number one priority is to go to space and also have fun and we hope they do too. As far as influences go, it's pretty much a crap-shoot. We all love all types of music and bring them all to the rickety card table. Hip Hop to Drone and back again, whatever is cool with us. In that sense, most of our music is pretty eclectic, I guess, we have a lot of non-psychedelic, non electric stuff that we do all acoustically and with tribal influences - so yeah we are all over the place. Whether that is good or bad, we'll let the fans decide.
2) How did you get involved playing that kind of music, rather than something else? Was that the idea for the band when it started?
A: When we started it was simply because we had friends in bands (The Wee Turtles, The Masters of the Hemisphere, Nipples For Days, etc.) and we thought - "man, we can do this and make it fucked up". We started out playing 3 minute Archers Of Loaf rip offs and then as we played longer and ended our stint as the worst band in Athens, things just came naturally. The first article we read about the masons really inspired us as well, but we cant talk about that at all because if we do - we will have to cancel our show, because we will be dead.
3) On your news page, you mentioned using gong, bird whistle, etc. -- what
other kinds of instruments/etc. do you use to get the background sound? Where do you get the idea to use that? Do you write the music with those in mind?
A: We will literally put any instrument that we can find laying around onto a recording. Recently I just bought an Australian Didgeridoo and a set of pan flutes so God knows where we are going next. Probably the sound of Argentina. A lot of our recorded music is pretty thick stuff, hairy. We are big fans of the "Wall Of Sound" technique and incorporate that in a lot of our music. On our new record, we have songs that probably have somewhere in the range of 20-30 guitars on a single track, couple that with gongs, creeks, alien noises, Crog eating Taco Bell, keyboards, duck calls, elephant blasts, beer bottles, piano strings, refrigerator boxes, bums, penny whistles, organs, synths, cracker attacks, papa john's commercials, jesus' back, and a crap load of delay - then you have our recipe for a pretty righteous song.
4) On your bio, it says you refuse to take yourself too seriously. So no deep
messages in the songs? If no, why not? Are you trying to accomplish anything with your music?
A: Its not that there aren't messages in the songs, its just most people don't take a band seriously when they have an entire 14 song EP devoted to President Arnold Schwarzenegger and his favorite slice. And we don't blame them. We don't take our selves too seriously b/c this is a hobby to us, and we just wanna laugh, man. I think the great thing about The France is that our number one goal is to totally jam the shit out of ourselves, and anyone who wants to join the band for a sesh, hey that's cool. If we started worrying about what we looked like on stage, or "what people would think about this new song" - that would ruin our band and our buzz. Our next album is about the island we bought in the Caribbean and the jerk chicken salads we will serve from there.
5) Is your next release the one on AMT? Named yet? When will it be released?
Since in your bio it said that your 2nd album was more of a stretch, will
your next album be more different? If yes, how? How the same?
A: Our next project that we are releasing is going to be a split 12" record with the Japanese band Acid Mothers Temple and The Cosmic Inferno. Darkness and I run a small record label, Nokahoma Records, (www.nokahoma.com) which has released 20 or so CDR releases and a few 7" releases. However this project with Acid Mothers Temple is actually our first really big project. We contacted Acid Mothers to see if they wanted to release the record and they were very excited about doing it. They are extremely nice people and they are one of our favorite bands - so to be able to do a split 12" with them is a big deal to us. Each band is doing one song for their side of the record. Our song ended up being a 17 minute mind melter. Our next full length record is called Afrikan Majik and is really close to being done. We are putting the final touches on mixing and mastering the thing, and it will hopefully be out before the end of the year.
6) How many people are currently in your band (9, like says on news page?)?
If that many, do you play onstage all at once? What is that like? Is it
difficult to play with that many people or is there any confusion?
A: Right now there are currently nine people that play with us, and that does not include our spiritual guidance. Crog, Darkness, Ice, Griggs, SA, Jeremy "The Lord", OJ, Croxton, and Ken are the physical beings. Bob Marley and the Ghost of Norman Schwarzkopf are the spiritual masters. Actually Ken just climbed aboard recently and has been helping us out in the studio mainly. We actually havent played a full show with all 9 people yet, that would be a barn-burner. We have done so with 8 at the 40 Watt though and that was total fun with multiple high fives. The coolest part about it is probably the fact that when we are in the middle of a killer jam - you can step out go grab a brew and the band is still rockin'. Then you come back up on stage, have a chat, have a slice of pizza, then pick your instrument back up and join back in. It also is great b/c having that many people onstage playing at once - hides a lot of the mistakes! They get drowned out by the 3 other solos going on at the same time. I think it brings a higher level of excitement to our live show. Having three drummers is just mind blowing. Having three amazing drummers and Bob Marley whispering in their ear is even more mind blowing. When they set a rhythm down that is tight as hell, its easy for us to jam over top of that. Man, I sound like such an awesome hippy. Sweet.
7) Are you based out of Athens? (since you said you were living in Atlanta)
A: The France started in Athens and we play probably 90% of our shows here, but we all live in different cities. I think 3 of us still live in ATH right now. Ice and I live in Atlanta, Darkness lives in Boston, Crog lives in Los Angeles, and Sean lives in San Francisco - yet we have been more productive in the last year than we ever have. We cant even figure that one out. Athens is essentially where at least 50% of the audience might understand 20% of the show. So those are better odds than most other cities. I heard we are actually pretty big in Missoula, MT.
8) You said on the news section of your web site that one song was 17 minutes long -- do you like to play longer music? How do you keep people's attention? What is the longest song you've written?
A: We never sit down and say to ourselves, "well, this one'll be twenty minutes", or anything like that. Once we grab that comet's tail, no telling where we're headed, you know? Some songs will be 17 minutes, some will be three seconds. If people want to pay attention, they will; if not, we already have their money, anyway. We wrote a song about snakes and the Jemdat Nasr period of ancient Sumer and pro wrestling that lasted for about three hours. And in 1999 we played our song "Memorial Day" for 24 straight hours on the holiday in question, over at the River Mill pool.
9) Since you said "for some reason" you are headlining on your news part of the web site, do you headline much? If so, where? Do you play many shows (seen your name a few times, I think I remember, but I dunno how much)? Where do you normally play in Athens?
A: In Athens, we are fans of the 40 Watt, Caledonia, Tasty World, Buckhead Beach, the Blind Pig, Ember's Lounge, Mama Sid's, Bear Hollow, and the second floor of Creswell. We headline sometimes, and other times we support. We used to play three or four shows a week back in our heyday, but since Ice's hip replacement we limit ourselves to three or four a year. Our last show was at the Mind Zap fest in San Francisco. Our last show was also the sixth annual Twilight Delirium, held this year at the 40 Watt.
10) What will your show be like/What can people expect? What is the energy
like? Audience involvement? Will you play new songs from your upcoming release?
A: The energy is not unlike that at Thermopylae when those 300 valiant Spartans
gave their lives to help save Greece from the Persians. We're the brave soldiers protecting our music, instruments, and women from the audience, who are nothing more than a savage band of invading marauders. If the audience tries to get involved, we will stop them. And we promise all new material, plus a passel of unironic covers of theme songs from early '80's children movies. And sensitivity.
11) Since many acts playing that night, do you know yet how long your set will be?
A: Well, time is a lie, and anything lasts only as long as you want it to. To us, the France is eternal, an endless column of horror marching ceaselessly through our brains. The "set" will be infinite, for the "set" is life, and the universe, and all of creation, stretching far past infinity.
12) Any other news?
A: Crog bought a boat. And DJ sure would love a pizza party.
13) Anything else you want to talk about?
We want to talk about politics, baseball, rap, history, ancient cultures, astronomy, conspiracy theories, gender studies, pro wrestling, Bob Marley, and how totally awesome all those drugs are. Instead, we must return to our eternal hunt for the infinite hamm-jam. Thank you, Melissa; thank you.
yesterday's shit
Mesmerization Eclipse, WZBC, 9/15/05.
Oneida: "Prehistoric Maze"
The Fall: "Guest Informant"
Polvo: "Mexican Radio"
Excepter: "I Don't Get Wet in the Rain"
400 Blows: "Make a Wish"
Mary Hopkin: "Y Blodyn Gwyn"
August Born: "Last Breath of the Bird"
Deerhoof: "United He-Ho Brothers"
Nurse and Soldier: "Bought Up Too Soon"
Melted Men: "Crutches, Croutons, Larry Cole: A 3-Dimensional Sneeze Sculpture in S"
Yo la Tengo: "Today is the Day"
Lil Flip Scoldjah: "Step Into Fantasy / Blinding You With Sci-Fi"
Portastatic: "Little Fern"
Islaja: "Vumeisella Rannalla"
Heathen Shame: "The So-Called 'Arts'"
Life Without Buildings: "Let's Get Out"
Life Without Buildings: "New Town"
Scratch Acid: "She Said"
Life Partners: "You're My Dad"
Plastic Crimewave Sound: "End of Cloud"
Tower Recordings: "Towergate"
Orange Juice: "Texas Fever"
Xiu Xiu: "Ale"
Stephen Malkmus: "Baby C'mon"
Susuma Yokota: "Flaming Love and Destiny"
Red Krayola: "One-Second Pieces"
Mesmerization Eclipse, WZBC, 9/15/05.
Oneida: "Prehistoric Maze"
The Fall: "Guest Informant"
Polvo: "Mexican Radio"
Excepter: "I Don't Get Wet in the Rain"
400 Blows: "Make a Wish"
Mary Hopkin: "Y Blodyn Gwyn"
August Born: "Last Breath of the Bird"
Deerhoof: "United He-Ho Brothers"
Nurse and Soldier: "Bought Up Too Soon"
Melted Men: "Crutches, Croutons, Larry Cole: A 3-Dimensional Sneeze Sculpture in S"
Yo la Tengo: "Today is the Day"
Lil Flip Scoldjah: "Step Into Fantasy / Blinding You With Sci-Fi"
Portastatic: "Little Fern"
Islaja: "Vumeisella Rannalla"
Heathen Shame: "The So-Called 'Arts'"
Life Without Buildings: "Let's Get Out"
Life Without Buildings: "New Town"
Scratch Acid: "She Said"
Life Partners: "You're My Dad"
Plastic Crimewave Sound: "End of Cloud"
Tower Recordings: "Towergate"
Orange Juice: "Texas Fever"
Xiu Xiu: "Ale"
Stephen Malkmus: "Baby C'mon"
Susuma Yokota: "Flaming Love and Destiny"
Red Krayola: "One-Second Pieces"
Thursday, September 15, 2005
that hiss song about the radio is on a tony hawk soundtrack
Today is Crews' last regular shift on WXDU. He might still fill in from time to time, I guess, but the regular weekly blast of Brian is over at noon, so listen up.
Crews, WXDU, 10:30 am to noon.
Okay, scratch that. Last week was his last show. I'm leaving this up, though, 'cuz I like that photo.
You could still listen to me, if you care, on WZBC, from 3 to 5 pm.
So what should I do for lunch, a Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich, or some place where I can get a brew?
Crews, WXDU, 10:30 am to noon.
Okay, scratch that. Last week was his last show. I'm leaving this up, though, 'cuz I like that photo.
You could still listen to me, if you care, on WZBC, from 3 to 5 pm.
So what should I do for lunch, a Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich, or some place where I can get a brew?
the hardest test I ever took
Damn. Between the Kool-Aid Guy, the Maytag Man, Charlie the Tuna, the Vlasic Stork, Cap'n Crunch, Juan Valdez, the Michelin Man, Smokey the freakin' Bear... who the hell would you pick?
Damn. Between the Kool-Aid Guy, the Maytag Man, Charlie the Tuna, the Vlasic Stork, Cap'n Crunch, Juan Valdez, the Michelin Man, Smokey the freakin' Bear... who the hell would you pick?
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
awesomeness
1. the Black Dice show at the MFA was awesome.
2. we've gotten digital cable and a cable modem installed, which is pretty damn awesome.
3. I started jamming with the awesome Nurse and Soldier this weekend.
4. about four days after trying to explain black holes to my wife, we come across this show on the Cosmos channel (or some such shit) about the very same thing. It instilled much awe within us.
5. hanging out with Rusty James last week was like eight gigatons of pure concentrated awesomeness.
6. our new place is a few weeks old now, but it remains, as always, awesome enough for now.
7. I found a twenty dollar Flagpole check with my name on it, that I had totally forgotten about, in my old man-bag this morning. I'm thinking about grabbing that apparently awesome Don Cherry reissue from a few months back, or maybe just whatever record has the coolest cover over at Twisted Village.
8. PA's Lounge's Mesmerization Eclipse night, featuring Lil Flip Scoldjah,Keys to the Streets of Fear, and more, is barely a month away. That's on Friday, October 21st, the second most awesome day of the most awesome month this side of May. (UPDATE: Keys to the Streets of Fear just cancelled like three minutes ago)
9. David Ortiz is still pretty cool, too, I guess.
1. the Black Dice show at the MFA was awesome.
2. we've gotten digital cable and a cable modem installed, which is pretty damn awesome.
3. I started jamming with the awesome Nurse and Soldier this weekend.
4. about four days after trying to explain black holes to my wife, we come across this show on the Cosmos channel (or some such shit) about the very same thing. It instilled much awe within us.
5. hanging out with Rusty James last week was like eight gigatons of pure concentrated awesomeness.
6. our new place is a few weeks old now, but it remains, as always, awesome enough for now.
7. I found a twenty dollar Flagpole check with my name on it, that I had totally forgotten about, in my old man-bag this morning. I'm thinking about grabbing that apparently awesome Don Cherry reissue from a few months back, or maybe just whatever record has the coolest cover over at Twisted Village.
8. PA's Lounge's Mesmerization Eclipse night, featuring Lil Flip Scoldjah,
9. David Ortiz is still pretty cool, too, I guess.
Eric Bloom plays Everquest
And has Tom Brady on his fantasy football team.
Not too surprising that the guy who sang "Black Blade" and "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" would be into Dungeons and Dragons-type shit. I wonder if he and Schilling ever hack up some mindflayers together in the digital nether-world? I might go sign up for Warcraft in hopes of butting heads with the man.It's probably easy as hell to shit-talk the guy, though; all you've got to do is throw in some random references to such anti-classics as Cultosaurus Erectus or Club Ninja.. Wait - those records are fuckin' amazing. What the hell am I talking about? Damn AMG, confusing me again...
Anyway, I guess I'll be going to the Taste of Boston, now. Maybe The Sausage Guy will be there.
And has Tom Brady on his fantasy football team.
Not too surprising that the guy who sang "Black Blade" and "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" would be into Dungeons and Dragons-type shit. I wonder if he and Schilling ever hack up some mindflayers together in the digital nether-world? I might go sign up for Warcraft in hopes of butting heads with the man.
Anyway, I guess I'll be going to the Taste of Boston, now. Maybe The Sausage Guy will be there.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
previous post addendum
Rob Neyer took the time to do what I am incapable of: lay out exactly why Pujols is more deserving of the MVP than Andruw Jones. Again, I'm no preacher man for the stat set, but Neyer's argument is very persuasive. And, at the end, he does a good job of covering his ass in regard to Braves fans.
Rob Neyer took the time to do what I am incapable of: lay out exactly why Pujols is more deserving of the MVP than Andruw Jones. Again, I'm no preacher man for the stat set, but Neyer's argument is very persuasive. And, at the end, he does a good job of covering his ass in regard to Braves fans.
Friday, September 09, 2005
these awards for the baseball : opinions I pass off as future fact
Okay. The MVP should go to the player most valuable to his team, whereas the Cy is merely an award for individual performance. Therefore, your awardees are as follows: Vlad, Santana, Pujols, Carpenter. Sorry, Andruw; you almost single-handedly lifted this team into first place, but Pujols’s non-HR and RBI numbers are so far beyond yours’ that I just can’t make a case for you. Plus, the Cardinals have had as many key injuries as the Braves, and if it weren’t for Chipper’s extended absence and the rotation problems Andruw wouldn’t be taken seriously as a candidate. Pujols, on the other hand, would still be Pujols, but the lack of Rolen, Edmonds, Walker, etc., has merely high-lighted his excellence. In the AL, Vlad gets the edge over Alex Rodriguez because, like Andruw, he’s basically carried his team to the top of the division. Even with a ridiculously stacked line-up, A-Rod and the Yankees are struggling to take the wild card. Forty-odd homers are nice, and all, but if they don’t take you to the play-offs, what good are they? David Ortiz gets serious consideration here, but you could make a legitimate MVP case for three of his teammates, so it’s hard to give him the nod. Santana can’t match Colon, Buehrle, or Garland for wins, and his ERA is comparable, but he blows the competition away in most every other category. He remains the most dominant starter in the American League, and deserves to be recognized as such yet again. In the National League, you could easily make a case for Clemens, but good luck getting me to listen. Okay, yes, perhaps this season will become legendary, as John-Stossel-with-a-better-stache lookalike Jayson Stark says. He has been absolutely amazing. But Chris Carpenter has been almost as amazing, and, with twenty-four or so more innings pitched than Clemens, and a better strike-out ratio, his overall numbers are more impressive. Plus, unlike Clemens, he’s not a dick-head with an ego the size of the mountain of drugs he’s (potentially) injected into his butt.
Oh, and when it comes to rookies, Huston Street and a Duke/Francoeur split. Had they called up Felix Hernandez in July, it’d be all his. Instead, he'll have to console himself with the half-dozen Cy's he'll win over the next decade, along with the relief of not actually having to share a clubhouse with Bret Boone.
Okay. The MVP should go to the player most valuable to his team, whereas the Cy is merely an award for individual performance. Therefore, your awardees are as follows: Vlad, Santana, Pujols, Carpenter. Sorry, Andruw; you almost single-handedly lifted this team into first place, but Pujols’s non-HR and RBI numbers are so far beyond yours’ that I just can’t make a case for you. Plus, the Cardinals have had as many key injuries as the Braves, and if it weren’t for Chipper’s extended absence and the rotation problems Andruw wouldn’t be taken seriously as a candidate. Pujols, on the other hand, would still be Pujols, but the lack of Rolen, Edmonds, Walker, etc., has merely high-lighted his excellence. In the AL, Vlad gets the edge over Alex Rodriguez because, like Andruw, he’s basically carried his team to the top of the division. Even with a ridiculously stacked line-up, A-Rod and the Yankees are struggling to take the wild card. Forty-odd homers are nice, and all, but if they don’t take you to the play-offs, what good are they? David Ortiz gets serious consideration here, but you could make a legitimate MVP case for three of his teammates, so it’s hard to give him the nod. Santana can’t match Colon, Buehrle, or Garland for wins, and his ERA is comparable, but he blows the competition away in most every other category. He remains the most dominant starter in the American League, and deserves to be recognized as such yet again. In the National League, you could easily make a case for Clemens, but good luck getting me to listen. Okay, yes, perhaps this season will become legendary, as John-Stossel-with-a-better-stache lookalike Jayson Stark says. He has been absolutely amazing. But Chris Carpenter has been almost as amazing, and, with twenty-four or so more innings pitched than Clemens, and a better strike-out ratio, his overall numbers are more impressive. Plus, unlike Clemens, he’s not a dick-head with an ego the size of the mountain of drugs he’s (potentially) injected into his butt.
Oh, and when it comes to rookies, Huston Street and a Duke/Francoeur split. Had they called up Felix Hernandez in July, it’d be all his. Instead, he'll have to console himself with the half-dozen Cy's he'll win over the next decade, along with the relief of not actually having to share a clubhouse with Bret Boone.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
more radio today
Crews, WXDU, 10:30 am to noon. Playlist.
Me (and special guest Jason "Rusty James" Rogers), WZBC, 3 to 5 pm. Playlist.
Listen up.
Crews, WXDU, 10:30 am to noon. Playlist.
Me (and special guest Jason "Rusty James" Rogers), WZBC, 3 to 5 pm. Playlist.
Listen up.
more sickening than a Big Papi sandwich
Sunday afternoon, maybe Monday, we were driving somewhere (we being me plus wife), and we were listening to one of the local classic rock radio stations (take that, Atlanta, we have two, where now you have but none). They came back from a break, with the obligatory afternoon drive female dj talking, in her most compassionate and sincere radio voice, about how important it is to donate to the Red Cross, or whatever charity you prefer. She then played one of those reflective tribute song things that were so popular after 9/11, but littered instead with quotes from Bush about New Orleans. I don't remember what the song was, and I have no idea what other audio they dragged in there, because both me and the wife were immediately repulsed. We were back home at Jammin' Hitz 96, or whatever, within about a second and a half. The Bush samples made sense back in 2001, when he appeared relatively strong and leaderly by the end of that Tuesday. When the government drags its feet, though, and acts as weakly and negligently as they did the first few days of this disaster, it's non-sensical to use Bush's words in any sort of tribute. Putting any focus or emphasis upon the government's delayed response grants it a dignity it does not deserve. Bush's words inherently undercut whatever sort of respects or emotions the song exists to evoke. Really, it's pretty damn ridiculous, both the very concept of these tributes, but also the horrible execution of this one in particular.
Anyway, are they doing this sort of thing down there?
Sunday afternoon, maybe Monday, we were driving somewhere (we being me plus wife), and we were listening to one of the local classic rock radio stations (take that, Atlanta, we have two, where now you have but none). They came back from a break, with the obligatory afternoon drive female dj talking, in her most compassionate and sincere radio voice, about how important it is to donate to the Red Cross, or whatever charity you prefer. She then played one of those reflective tribute song things that were so popular after 9/11, but littered instead with quotes from Bush about New Orleans. I don't remember what the song was, and I have no idea what other audio they dragged in there, because both me and the wife were immediately repulsed. We were back home at Jammin' Hitz 96, or whatever, within about a second and a half. The Bush samples made sense back in 2001, when he appeared relatively strong and leaderly by the end of that Tuesday. When the government drags its feet, though, and acts as weakly and negligently as they did the first few days of this disaster, it's non-sensical to use Bush's words in any sort of tribute. Putting any focus or emphasis upon the government's delayed response grants it a dignity it does not deserve. Bush's words inherently undercut whatever sort of respects or emotions the song exists to evoke. Really, it's pretty damn ridiculous, both the very concept of these tributes, but also the horrible execution of this one in particular.
Anyway, are they doing this sort of thing down there?
reason number infinity that Drudge is an idiot
So our President, Vice-President, and Secretary of State were all on vacation during what may be the worst natural disaster in our country's history. That's apparently no big deal to Drudge. But the president of CNN being on vacation at the same time, and in that godless, unpatriotic state of Massachusetts, no less, just shows how hopelessly out-of-touch the leaders of that liberal, elitist CNN really are. Good thing we have FOX around to tell us the truth, while also bludgeoning Atlanta nightly (well, except for that one time, when Aaron Brown did that thing that the people like so well).
So our President, Vice-President, and Secretary of State were all on vacation during what may be the worst natural disaster in our country's history. That's apparently no big deal to Drudge. But the president of CNN being on vacation at the same time, and in that godless, unpatriotic state of Massachusetts, no less, just shows how hopelessly out-of-touch the leaders of that liberal, elitist CNN really are. Good thing we have FOX around to tell us the truth, while also bludgeoning Atlanta nightly (well, except for that one time, when Aaron Brown did that thing that the people like so well).
paralyzing inner turmoil
Last month I made a pact with myself that I would never eat any food item named after David Ortiz (go here, look at number five). I've had the Big Papi at D'Angelo's twice, and both times it was pretty disgusting. I'm pretty sure the second one was responsible for the chills and fever I had for a few days. I thought it was maybe encephalitis, or meningitis, or something. Bad bacon will make you ache.
But damn, I might have to break my oath to myself. El Pelon Taqueria has a Big Papi burrito that sounds amazing. I actually don't even know what the hell is in it, but burritos are amazing, and Big Papi's amazing too, so it's almost impossible to imagine how amazing this Big Papi burrito most assuredly must be. I'm sure I'll develop beri beri or impetigo or some shit afterward, but it just might be worth the risk.
Oh, and speaking of Mexican food, I finally found a true Mexican joint worthy of my hard-earned ducats. Tacos Lupita is a Mexican / Salvadoran place half a block down the street from our new pad in Somerville. It's a bare-bones, unassuming little restaurant, but the burritos and tacos are fantastic. Lupita is cheaper, better, and more authentic than Anna's, and is the closest thing I've found to an Agua Linda style place up here in Boston.
Last month I made a pact with myself that I would never eat any food item named after David Ortiz (go here, look at number five). I've had the Big Papi at D'Angelo's twice, and both times it was pretty disgusting. I'm pretty sure the second one was responsible for the chills and fever I had for a few days. I thought it was maybe encephalitis, or meningitis, or something. Bad bacon will make you ache.
But damn, I might have to break my oath to myself. El Pelon Taqueria has a Big Papi burrito that sounds amazing. I actually don't even know what the hell is in it, but burritos are amazing, and Big Papi's amazing too, so it's almost impossible to imagine how amazing this Big Papi burrito most assuredly must be. I'm sure I'll develop beri beri or impetigo or some shit afterward, but it just might be worth the risk.
Oh, and speaking of Mexican food, I finally found a true Mexican joint worthy of my hard-earned ducats. Tacos Lupita is a Mexican / Salvadoran place half a block down the street from our new pad in Somerville. It's a bare-bones, unassuming little restaurant, but the burritos and tacos are fantastic. Lupita is cheaper, better, and more authentic than Anna's, and is the closest thing I've found to an Agua Linda style place up here in Boston.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Siega Genesis
I believe I have a new favorite film-maker. You probably don't know the name Marcos Siega, but you will soon. Today Siega, the prolific music video director turned filmmaker, sees his first two movies released simultaneously. Now, I'm no cinema historian, but this could be a first (sorry, Jonathan Lynn, but I don't think Clue A, B, and C counts). The hilarious Nick Cannon comedy Underclassmen and the scathing satire Pretty Persuasion are both unleashed upon the American public today, an American public no doubt ready to block out the sorrows of the real world with horrible and ineffective cinema. Yes, a shared release date is not the only trait common to these two movies; both are, apparently, awful. Underclassmen and Pretty Persuasion combined for two-and-a-half stars in today's Boston Globe; their total Metacritic score is 64. Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum gave Persuasion a D- in one of her periodic smackdown reviews, whereas Underclassmen received a comparatively sanguine D. Yes, Siega is truly a special and gifted artist; not only are his first two movies being released on the same day, they also both might wind up on many a critic's worst of the year list.
I believe I have a new favorite film-maker. You probably don't know the name Marcos Siega, but you will soon. Today Siega, the prolific music video director turned filmmaker, sees his first two movies released simultaneously. Now, I'm no cinema historian, but this could be a first (sorry, Jonathan Lynn, but I don't think Clue A, B, and C counts). The hilarious Nick Cannon comedy Underclassmen and the scathing satire Pretty Persuasion are both unleashed upon the American public today, an American public no doubt ready to block out the sorrows of the real world with horrible and ineffective cinema. Yes, a shared release date is not the only trait common to these two movies; both are, apparently, awful. Underclassmen and Pretty Persuasion combined for two-and-a-half stars in today's Boston Globe; their total Metacritic score is 64. Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum gave Persuasion a D- in one of her periodic smackdown reviews, whereas Underclassmen received a comparatively sanguine D. Yes, Siega is truly a special and gifted artist; not only are his first two movies being released on the same day, they also both might wind up on many a critic's worst of the year list.
our friend Brian Crews' playlists
Crews put this up in a comment below, but I figured I'd put it up on the main page, if anybody's interested.
Have you made it through the entire Masters canon this summer?
Crews put this up in a comment below, but I figured I'd put it up on the main page, if anybody's interested.
Have you made it through the entire Masters canon this summer?
yesterday's lateness
A quarter of this city's metro residents are students, and so September 1st is the big number one moving day in Boston. Before my show I grabbed the last few boxes out of our old place and helped the wife clean it up a bit. We ran that shit over to our new pad, and traffic was so fucked I had to call the station to tell Leana (the general manager, and the lady who dj's before me) that I'd be a little bit late. That little bit turned into a helluva lot, as it took almost an hour to get from Allston to Somerville (normally a fifteen-minute drive). We left our new place at 3:45, and any other day of the year I would have made it up to Chestnut Hill within twenty minutes. Instead I rolled up at 4:30, hosted a forty-five minute show, and basically just totally wasted my time. The only reason I insisted on showing up still was because the program proposals for next semester are up, and are due in next week. Anyhow, yes, moving day is miserable in Boston. Imagine the scene on Baxter Hill, but multiplied by 20, and spread throughout an entire city.
Anyway, since I didn't get my own Spinitron playlist set up, here's what I played.
Black Dice: "Big Drop", Beaches and Canyons
Guided by Voices: "Dayton Ohio - 19 Something and 5", Tonics and Twisted Chasers
Blue Oyster Cult: "Transmaniacon MC", Blue Oyster Cult
John Wilkes Booze: "Cultural Hurricane", Telescopic Eyes Glance the Future Sick
Animal Collective: "Daffy Duck", Feels
The Cherry Valence: "Low Class Warrior", TCV3
Heathen Shame: "Iron Turtleneck", Speed the Parting Guest
A quarter of this city's metro residents are students, and so September 1st is the big number one moving day in Boston. Before my show I grabbed the last few boxes out of our old place and helped the wife clean it up a bit. We ran that shit over to our new pad, and traffic was so fucked I had to call the station to tell Leana (the general manager, and the lady who dj's before me) that I'd be a little bit late. That little bit turned into a helluva lot, as it took almost an hour to get from Allston to Somerville (normally a fifteen-minute drive). We left our new place at 3:45, and any other day of the year I would have made it up to Chestnut Hill within twenty minutes. Instead I rolled up at 4:30, hosted a forty-five minute show, and basically just totally wasted my time. The only reason I insisted on showing up still was because the program proposals for next semester are up, and are due in next week. Anyhow, yes, moving day is miserable in Boston. Imagine the scene on Baxter Hill, but multiplied by 20, and spread throughout an entire city.
Anyway, since I didn't get my own Spinitron playlist set up, here's what I played.
Black Dice: "Big Drop", Beaches and Canyons
Guided by Voices: "Dayton Ohio - 19 Something and 5", Tonics and Twisted Chasers
Blue Oyster Cult: "Transmaniacon MC", Blue Oyster Cult
John Wilkes Booze: "Cultural Hurricane", Telescopic Eyes Glance the Future Sick
Animal Collective: "Daffy Duck", Feels
The Cherry Valence: "Low Class Warrior", TCV3
Heathen Shame: "Iron Turtleneck", Speed the Parting Guest
Thursday, September 01, 2005
