Monday, February 28, 2005

No time for love Doctor Jones.

I'm running late since I decided to stay up until 3am so I could plow through and finally finish Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It's an entertaining read to be sure but man-o-man did I have a hell of a time finishing it since I never seem to have the time to just sit down and read anymore unless I'm on an elliptical machine or treadmill! It's sad when I consider those moments quality time to spend with newsmagazines.

Overall though the weekend was enjoyable. We had a blast DJing Friday even though Rudy made a stripper cry. Okay, he totally didn't mean to and to make up for it he played her a Nickelback song. Yes, you read that right. Rudy owns a Nickelback song! So I don't wanna hear any shit whenever I decide to play that O-Zone tune "Dragostea Din Tei" that's used in the video of that chubby little kid from New Jersey dancing in his chair.

I guess you could also take that as an example of what amazingly versatile DJs we are.

Anyway, the place was packed and I couldn't have asked for a better crowd...even if all the girls were dressed in tight jeans, black tops and all had identical haircuts so that I couldn't really tell them apart. Oh yeah, they also traveled in packs. It was a little weird. Whatever, everyone had fun.

The rest of the weekend went well. The cable guy showed up and hooked us up on Saturday (though there was no pulling me aside and saying, "If you want, for a couple extra bucks I can totally get you all the pay channels too." which is what happened last time I signed up for cable. That evening's dinner at Triad was flawless (highly recommended!) and my friend Diwei who owns the place told me he called up Rachael a few weeks ago when she was in Japan and found out that James had joined her touring band. I think that's awesome news! Also it never occurred to me to just ring Rach up since I assumed she was always so busy so I;m glad Diwei jumped out there and picked up the info for me. I really gotta track her down next time she's in town and get an update. You know, stuff like, "Is Mischa Barton really hot in person or just disturbingly skinny?" Important things like that.

I would go into Saturday night's performance by Kip and Fagballs but they forced me to sign a gag order preventing me from doing so. I can say that they were entertaining without going into specifics and I can also say the "Where's Brian?" shirt that their drummer, Brian, wore was absolutely hilarious. Rudy kicked out a really stellar set especially considering he was still in the last stage of a lingering cold. Bonus points for getting Mark Doyle on-stage to bash out drums on a few numbers. It was the lightest I've even seen him hit a drum set and he was still breaking sticks left and right. The boy just doesn't know his own strength. The Memories were really, really good and were amazingly good sports since their start-time got pushed back about half an hour. All they need are a few more city gigs and I think they'll be able to start tackling the Redwalls and beating them at their own game.

Sunday was spent blissful mainlining cable television and getting hooked on the BBCs Faking It. And then the Oscars. There should have been way more Chris Rock in my opinion. And how funny was the Albert Brooks cameo promoting White Chicks? Priceless.

Hmmm...this was supposed to be a super quick recap since I don't have much time if I want to get to the gym. However it's snowing outside so that means everyone I work with will probably be in the office a little later than usual...which I guess doesn't really make any difference since we don't have set schedules. I do have a lot to do though, and I can feel my morning coffee starting the rev up and down my spine, so I suppose I should hit the road and officially get my day started.

Right!

Friday, February 25, 2005

Why you should spend your free time with me this weekend (or 1,001 ways to fall down as explained by a professional.)

This weekend should be a blast. First off you have Rudy and I DJing at InnJoy tonight and I guarantee that at least I'll be playing a set rather different than last Tuesday's in that there will be a lot more ass shaking and a lot less shot shooting. Okay. I'm lying. It'll be exactly like the music I play on Tuesdays only it will be a Friday. But that's why they hire us, no?

Tomorrow is a snazzy little show at The Pontiac headed up bu those lovely poptastic lads bred on the sounds of the Merseybeat The Memories. That would be pretty fun in and of itself, but also I've lined up Rudy (with his first public appearance since Woolworthy said goodbye to the stage) and also Kip and Fagballs of America's #1 Sweetheart (making their first public appearance playing their own material in...years!¹) Wow!

I will also be sampling Triad on Saturday since I found out that one of the servers I used to work with at Kamehachi actually owns the place. But you're not invited to that so nyah nyah.
__________

Mixesmixesmixes

You've all been lovely on the cowbell tip and now I've got so much music I don't know what to do with it. Okay, another lie (I'm full of them today) since I know exactly what to do with all that music. Over the weekend I'm going to distill it into two CDs of so much cowbell the listener will find themselves forced to rock out and dance. Awesome.

I do need some additional help though, since I'm looking for a song and just can't find it anywhere. If you have a copy of the Letters To Cleo song "Here And Now" and want to send me a copy in MP3 format 192 kbps or higher to tankboy (at) gmail (dot) com I would be your friend for life. If you really want to catch me off guard you'll send me a copy of Urban Dance Squad's "Deeper Shade Of Soul" or Sonny Rollins' "Don't Stop The Carnival" too but I don't want to seem greedy.

And with that, I bid you adieu with the restated hope that I see all of your smiling faces – well, at least the faces that live, say, fifty miles from Chicago – either tonight or tomorrow.

¹Okay, that may be a lie as well since they warned me that they may do nothing but play Weezer covers and try to incite the crowd to riot through repeated execution of The Worm™ and/or flashing their little boy parts at people.

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Hate the song but LOVE the kitties.

This is sickeningly sweet, and I loath the song in the video, but I love this video and want to watch it over and over and snag a hi-res version and burn it onto DVD and play it for hours on end when I DJ.

What could possibly have this effect on me? Click here to find out.

Hey Alanis, is this ironic?

Last week I stepped out of the office to buy some coffee to get me through the rest of the workday. Unfortunately since I work waaaay out in the 'burbs "stepping out" necessitates bundling up, going outside, getting in my car and driving five miles to the nearest Starbucks. A bit of a hassle but worth it once I'm back at my desk with a really tall latte steaming up the air around me.

So last week I stepped out, got my latte and while I was waiting for my beverage I realized my keys weren't in my pocket. So I looked on the counter and on the floor and in my pockets again until I realized that I must have left my keys in my car. Fair enough.

So I calmly walk outside hoping against hope that I forgot to lock my door and then I noticed that I left the car's lights on...and the keys were indeed locked inside.

Damnit!

So I calmly walked back into Starbucks to see if they had a coat hanger I could borrow since I figured I could get the car open myself pretty easily. The manager said they didn't have anything so I tried the Walgreen's a few doors down and bought a pack of twelve flimsy nylon coated wire hangers. I felt very "Mommy Dearest" at this point as was just waiting for child services to swoop down on me for suspicion of an imminent child beating.

So now I figure I'll be back in the car in no time and set to my task of wiggling the hanger in through the space between the door and the car and trying to catch the interior handle or lock or handle or lock or or handle or lock or or handle or lock or...you get the drift. That door wasn't opening.

So I now try AAA since I have a membership with them that includes opening car doors when the car's owner has idiotically left their keys in the ignition and the lights on and might need a jump by the time the guy shows up to unlock the door. So I place the call and they tell me someone will be out there in 45 minutes.

So I wait. And wait. And shiver a bit because it was rather nippy. And look at my car keys in my ignition. And weather the parade of folks trying to show me sympathy and the refrain of, "Oh that's happened to me and I know exactly how you feel" that kept coming my way. And (here's the ironic part) look at the piles of coat hangers lying in my back seat. You see, when I go to the gym at the morning I always hang the dress shirt I'm wearing to work that day in the back seat and I put it on when I get to the office. This way it's less wrinkled than the clothing I wear always seems to be. When I put on the shirt I toss the hanger in the back seat and plan on cleaning it up later. Well, a few months of "I'll clean it up later" has accumulated in my back seat and was mocking my need to purchase an additional twelve hangers from Walgreen's at the start of this fiasco.


After 45 minutes the tow truck calls me and says it'll be another hour. I flip. Filled with new resolve I set to work opening that lock again. The lock finally pops up, I'm in my car and there's enough juice left in the battery to get me started so I'm off! I call AAA to cancel the tow guy and speed off to work with grubby hands, shivering shoulders and a full bladder of coffee I finished over an hour before.

An hour later I get a call from the tow truck asking me where I am.

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

I got the hook up.

Yes, it's true. I'm getting cable. Digital cable. For the first time in nearly a decade.


I'm never leaving the house again.

Actually I don't know why I didn't decided to spring for it sooner since it would have taken some of the sting out of having to move to the faaaar West Side of the city. If I never blog again it will be because I have rediscovered EastEnders and can not physically shut off the BBC.

In other news I kept running into other bloggers last night. Aside from the usual crew of miscreants (three of whom brought by their new disc for me to play a track off of and yes it is a tasty cut) that's usually out I also saw Clock again while picking up CDs at InnJoy and Lielli, Betsy and these guys all made their way in to Ten56. Either a) bloggers are slowly migrating my way much like iron dust to a magnet or b) everyone's a fucking blogger. I'm voting for b.

And with that it's Seacrest Tankboy out.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Pop Quiz.

What do you call a day that starts with a big ol' argument with your significant other, is halted by a dead battery (or something) in your car as you're about to leave for the gym with no other vehicles in sight that could jump your car thus forcing you to take a bus and then a train downtown to secure a ride to work, since you don't want to miss a day because things are pretty hectic in advance of a big trade show you will be attending, and then is seasoned by you dropping your nice shirt for work in the mud and snow as you make your way out of the garage?

No really, what the hell do you call a day like that?
I can't believe she ate the whole thing!

An attack was made on our kitchen and back porch yesterday by a certain little beagle who doesn't know her limit. During this operation a certain other dog's bag of food was discovered by said beagle and mostly consumed.

I have never seen a belly that big! Let's just say Betty the Beagle is getting nothing but apples for a day or two while she, um, disposes of that mass that's distending her belly...
__________

Still bummed.

While the Betty event was humorous, I'm still bummed about the H.S.T. news, so expect me to channel that feeling into a vicious couple of DJ sets at Ten56 tonight.

Monday, February 21, 2005

Farewell to
"an avid reader,
a relentless drinker
and a fine hand with a .44 Magnum."


Hunter S Thompson is dead. The man who provided my friend Mark and I with the template for many a late-night shenanigan, the man who gifted me with the fake name I use when really drunk, the man who taught me that fast and loose could work just as well in journalism as it does in fiction, the man whom I always thought of as slightly super-human and, therefore, immortal is dead. By his own hand.

Maybe now he's finally able to get a good night's sleep. I hope so. We'll miss you Duke.
Bleh.

Look outside. See that gray murky haze? The sopping wet ground? The mist hinging all around each breath? That's how I feel this morning. In other words, it's perfect weather for a Monday.

The weekend was eventful and filled with such highlights as lots of birthday cake with my mom and a little off-track betting with Photogal. The most impressive feat, though, would have to be the $22-to-get-free-frinks-at-a-friend's-birthday-party held in this awful awful bar. Rudy went with me and mentioned he thought the bar we were going to was a gay club and we decided that would be a-ok since most of the attendees were sure to be younger Depaul students. I just didn't want to walk into some sports-themed nightmare.

Which is, of course, exactly what the bar was. Or, as Rudy put it, "This place is about as opposite of a gay bar as a bar can get!"

First, it must be said, that I handled myself really well. No fights, no snide comments to the boys that all looked alike or the girls that seemed incapable of actually finding a shirt that reached past their belly-button and no sneering at the DJ. Okay, I lied, I did sneer at the DJ but it was only because his musical selections started off horrendously and went downhill from there. Also, I am pleased to see that white, drunk, early-twentysomething boys and girls still can't dance but insist on trying. I especially like the hands-on-the-knees-slight-crouching dance that seems to be really popular even though the only place it actually ever looks good is in a hip-hop video...for a second...with good lighting.

Anyway, the bottom line is that I was able to behave myself. Why? Well, when I went to this event I knew the chances of it being in some frat-bar were pretty good and I do have a rule that when I enter someone else's territory I realize that their rules apply. In other words, I play by your rules on your turf and expect you to play on my rules on my turf. This is why I get upset at some dude with a baseball cap screaming the lyrics to a song a band is playing at Double Door but I can handle the same dude screaming lyrics to "American Pie" at a sports bar.

So there you have. A little proof that Tankboy can indeed handle a touch of yuppie diversity training without completely losing his mind.

Yay for me!


P.S. I’ve gotten lots of responses to my cowbell request so keep ‘em coming!

Friday, February 18, 2005

COWBELL!

Here's your homework kids.

Okay, I'm putting together a "More Cowbell" mix and am looking for suggestions. Both the obvious and the obscure are welcomed...I will mock no one.

Help me embrace my inner cowbell...


The folks over at DoneWaiting have already given me some great suggestions so here are a few to get your gears well oiled and running:

Fu Manchu - Urethane
Pavement - Silence Kit
Motley Crue - Livewire
Tom Waits - Cold Water
Nazareth - Hair of the Dog
Schooly-D - Saturday Night
Mountain - Mississippi Queen
Uncle Tupelo - Graveyard Shift
Oxes - I'm from Hell, Open a Windle
Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women
Queens Of The Stone Age - Little Sister
Blue Öyster Cult- Don't Fear The Reaper
Grand Funk Railroad - We're an American Band
LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk Is Playing At My House

Also, if you have songs in MP3 format 192 kbps or higher and want to send it to me for the mix just send it to:
tankboy (at) gmail (dot) com

If this extends over two or more discs I have absolutely no problem with that...now let's get to it!
__________

Oh yes...

And a quick Happy Birthday to my Mom. You go, Mom!

Thursday, February 17, 2005

Due to corporate responsibilities...

...I will be unavailable or out of the office from February 16 through February 17. okay, so i posted the 16th but that was only because I had a few spare moments before work since I got up so goldanged early because I had to be at a meeting so goldanged early. Today though there is no time.

Hmm, well I guess one could infer through the simple act of me actually writing this that, in fact, I must have a few spare moments this morning as well. This is patently not true. In fact, this is not Tankboy writing this at all! It is his evil ultra-conservative clone Bankboy! Bwa-ha-ha-haaaa!

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Hungry.

So last weekend I got home and had a hankering for a kind of breakfasty snack. Luckily there’s a Dunkin’ Donuts just down the block from my house. Unluckily it was all locked up and the only way to access the goodies inside was via the twenty-four hour drive-through window. I was about to give up since I was on foot but the gentleman manning the counter motioned me to go around the side and wait in line. Behind a car. I thought this was weird and was feeling like the stupidest guy in the world for standing in line, behind a car, outside a Dunkin’ Donuts at one in the morning.

Okay, I felt like the stupidest guy until I noticed that there was actually someone standing in line, on foot, behind a guy behind a car, outside a Dunkin’ Donuts at one in the morning.

Yeah.

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Dear Naked Guy at the Gym,

Would it kill you to put on a towel instead of just walking around transmitting your nakedness all throughout our rather cramped locker room? There’re actually a number of you of you but I feel that addressing you as a single faceless entity is a tad classier. No need to call out individuals in this situation. So while I appreciate the narcissistic glow you must bask in twenty-four hours a day I can assure you that we don’t need to see proof that you’re in good shape. At least not that closely.

I’ve let this go a long time since I was never sure what locker room etiquette really consisted of since I hadn’t stepped foot in a gym since high school when I started out. But I’ve been going pretty religiously for well over a year now and I think it’s time to take my stand.

Just because we have a social compact whereupon we avert our eyes at flashes of nakedness this does not give you a right to just walk around leaving your towel on your bench (which is incidentally where I was about to put my gym bag.)

You know what finally caused me to snap? I walked into the locker room yesterday and there stood a naked guy in the center of the room…talking on his cell phone.

I mean, c’mon.

So please Naked Guy at the Gym, for all of our peace of mind, wrap a towel around your waist like the rest of us, okay?

And you, Really Fat Naked Guy who insists on sitting on the stools with no underwear…you, I’ll talk to later.

Monday, February 14, 2005

Love is in the air...

...because it's Valentine's Day.


I may disagree with this Hallmark Holiday being thrust upon the masses but I admit to having a hard time dismissing as completely worthless a day that allows me to brging Photogal out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants and holds the promise of Tankboy actually getting lucky later in the evening. On a school night no less!

Okay, off to work so I'm not late for tonight's date. Can you go on a date with someone who lives in your house? Or do you call it something else? Whatever. I can already taste the chicken at Bella Notte...my mouth is watering and it's not even 8am.

Saturday, February 12, 2005

Okay, now that was weird.

So I’m talking to Photogal last night, sort of lamenting the light turnout at InnJoy, when I spy with my little eye something that begins with odd. And rhymes with Block. And then it disappeared.

So we moved downstairs and while kip was re-telling Tuesday’s tale from his vantage point I again thought I saw someone that looked familiar...for someone I’ve never met in the flesh before.

Yes folks, welcome to another edition of When Bloggers Collide.

As the evening wore on, and I got drunker and drunker, I became more and more certain that the person that looked like a certain blogger was, in fact, a certain blogger. So I used the infamous finger to summon said person.

Sue me,I was stuck in the DJ booth by then.

Facts about other blogger whom I met last night.
1. She is way shorter than I imagined.
2. Yes boys, she’s cute.
3. For some reason I always thought she’d have a deeper voice, but this was not the case.
4. She giggles a lot.

Okay, so point four might have just been her slowly backing away from the booth while she was fingering her can of mace…I can’t be sure.

So after InnJoy the evening took a turn from mildly embarrassing to downright idiocy. The highlight would be kip and I at Underbar starting a fight with some dude and teasing him that, with the addition of a pair of moon-boots, he’d look exactly like Napoleon Dynamite. By the end of the evening, I shit you not, he was giving us hugs and telling us how glad he was to meet us. After too much Jameson, apparently, we are just that charming. We also ran into a friend’s ex who repeated the mantra I’ve grown weary of:

You hate me, don’t you?

Okay folks, I’m gonna lay it down here in black and white (erm, orange.) Just because I don’t hug you when I meet you…aw fuck it…I think I prefer people thinking I hate them. I’m not gonna clarify that one.

Now two questions:

1. Where is Photogal? (I vaguely remember her shaking me and asking me if I wanted to go somewhere and I muttered no whilst dressed in my clothes under our comfy sheets)
AND
2. Am I still drunk?

Tonight? I’m dragging Photogal and Rudy to meet more bloggers, encounter more uncomfortable pauses and drink more bad whiskey.

P.S. Last night I think Rudy and I were both off. I take that back, I thought Rudy’s sets were great but he thought he sucked, and I thought I pandered too much. Too much Steve Perry and Styx and not enough Kaiser Chiefs and Blur. I predict Tuesday’s sets while singe to make up for out perceived lacking…

Sweet Jaysus! It's noon already?! Oh cripes...

ALSO (and I sweartagod I'm gonna wrap-up after this) last night I played that kelly Clarkson track and, much to Rudy's surprise, had much of the bar singing along. Sorry folks, the song is just that good.



Okay, super-bonus...here's the awesome Super Furry Animals show I saw in 2002. Mixed in stereo!

Friday, February 11, 2005

TONIGHT

DJs Tankboy and Rudy Tuesday
versus
Valentine's Day

Hallmark Holidays suck but that reality still won't get us out of taking our girlfriends out to dinner. To make up for the pain and suffering February 14 causes so many people we are making a preemptive strike on February 11 and are throwing a big ol' party to help everyone forget what's just around the corner.

Also, there will be free booze from 9pm until 10pm.

Awesome, no?

AND we'll be playing music from new albums by Queens Of The Stone Age, Beck, Bloc Party, The Bravery, Brendan Benson, Diamond Nights, The Doves, Electric Six, Fischerspooner, The Kaiser Chiefs, LCD Soundsystem, Louis XIV, New Order, Wonderful Smith and more more more!

Friday February 11
at
InnJoy
Chicago, IL


9pm-2am


Thursday, February 10, 2005

Picture Pages, Picture Pages, open up your Picture Pages...

Modern technology really is astounding. Apparently some hidden cameras were able to catch Kip just before and just after being pulled over by the cops last Tuesday.

Here is Kip, happily driving along...



...and here he is just after the red and blue lights have decided to start illuminating his rear windshield.


While I'm feeling a little photo-happy this morning (partially because I'm running a little late and want to make sure I get a good long work-out in at the gym on my way to work) here's one to file under the "that kind of looks like Tankboy" category. Julie sent me an e-mail yesterday saying:
From: "julie d."
Sent: Feb 9, 2005 2:09 PM
To: "tankboy"
Subject: the onion - front page of AV CLUB

i swear that's you in the lower right hand corner. i literally did a double take.
unfort, not a "tankboy productions, inc." feature, but glen hansard of
the frames (and one of my fave movies - the committments!)


And here's the photo in question.



I'll admit that is one of those that kinda looks like me in a passing glance but not so much under closer scrutiny. I'll take it over people asking me to sing Metallica songs though! (I'm looking at you Mr. $in...)

P.S. I've been listening to the new Queens Of The Stone Age album and my initial impression is that it rocks my socks off. Even more so than the introduction of Google Maps.

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Giant Monster-Baby attacks eats
Oompa Loompa housing project,
dozens homeless, Monster-Baby has full tummy.





In other news, Kip was giving me a ride home last night along with his cousin Fagballs when, all of a sudden we were pulled over by some cops. My intial thought was, "Jesus, do I have enough bail money in my account if Kip gets busted for a D.U.I.?" But before I could get too concerned I found myself getting pulled from the car!

Officer: So, what've you been up to?
Me: I was DJing tonight sir.
Officer: If I search you am I gonna be upset with you?
Me: Wha-?
Officer: Do you have anything illegal on your person?
Me: NO officer...

And then, just before he went in for the body cavity search the other cop said to let us go. Apparently Kip's driving skills werte fine. They had pulled us over because we were three white kids driving on the West Side and the cops just assumed we were out trolling for drugs.

No officer, I just live over here.

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Pazz & Jop Rust Jeleased.

The results from the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll are in and Chicagoan Kanye West takes the top spot in the album category. I've listened to that disc again and again and again and, while it's certainly good, I just don't find it as earth-shattering as everyone else.

oh well, props to a Chicago guy for taking top honors anyway!
TONIGHT

Celebrate the annual
Ten56 Phat Tuesday Party
with
Rudy Tuesday
and
DJ Tankboy!

...work out all those sinful thoughts
while you still can...

Old school rock and/or roll attitude
mixed with only the finest selections
from yesterday, today and tomorrow.

TONIGHT, Tuesday February 8, 2004
FREE BOOZE
FREE FOOD
FREE BEADS
Stunning musical selections from 9pm until 2am

Nekkid?
Maybe!

Every Tuesday.
Only at Ten56.
_______________

AND THIS FRIDAY AT INNJOY

It's the Anti-Valentine's Sweet Alice Night
with Tankboy and Rudy Tuesday
along with a hosted bar from 9-10!

The Chicago RedEye says: "The teeny tables and scant booths don't leave a whole lot of room for sitting, but the crowd (hipsters from all over the city) is mainly music fans who are more comfortable on their feet anyway. Stop in on Tuesday nights, when the DJ plays the best retro-rock this side of Detroit Rock City...."

Monday, February 07, 2005

So, the Chicago Tribune refuesed to run this comic today:



(click to enlarge)

Now I am not a particular fan of Prickly City since most of the time I find it to be grossly over-conservative and overly simplistic in its attacks. I am amused by the fact that the Tribune has chosen to situate this particular comic next to Doonesbury and The Boondocks on a daily basis so that proves someone in the comics editorial department has a wicked sense of humor.

The strip above is funny.

It is also mean, insensitive, opportunistic and incredibly unfair and politically incorrect but isn't that sometimes the point of humor? Funny does not equal warm fuzzies. Funny equals laughing at some of the more tragic elements of the human condition because we have to in order to stop ourselves from crying. I may not agree with the political intent or personal attack of the above strip but I do feel compelled to defend its right to do and be all those things.

While I’m talking about funny I should mention I saw the Second City E.T.C. show over in Old Town this weekend and it was a hoot. Highly recommended. I also developed comedy crushes on two of the actors, Rebecca Drysdale and Frank Caeti, because they were just so consistently funny. Drysdale was just wicked and cruel and sharp while Caeti's rubber features and incredible physical bits were absolute stand-outs in a cast that was itself pretty terrific.

Saturday, February 05, 2005

I'm not ashamed...

...to admit that I like Kelly Clarkson.



See, it's statements like that that make me so godamn punk rock.

(image blatently stolen from The Superficial)

Friday, February 04, 2005

Dear New York Bloggers,

I agree that this spoof on Coachella is hee-larious:



However, please make sure you credit it to the correct source.

This has been a public service announcement.
Are you sure that was my friend?

After seeing last night's episode of The OC all I could think about was that photo of Michael Stipe inside Eponymous where it says, "They airbrushed my face." It was exciting to see Rachael on television, and she looked terrific, but at the same time I barely recognized her under all the glistening teevee make-up. Whatever. She was terrific and hopefully now lots and lots of kids will run out and buy her album. That would be good.

In other music news, and I don't know how this has escaped any mention from me thus far, Light FM is opening for Earlimart at Schuba's tonight. Get there early since I think there's a mighty good chance this show will sell out. Hopefully I can make it there in time!

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Super duper scary!

So I was watching the State of the Union address last night and made it about thirty minutes into Bush's speech before i found the proceedings to be way too scary. i decided to put on some lighter fare instead and popped in a DVD of The Grudge. I had missed the movie when it was in theaters since Photogal refuses to see "scary" movies.

I fell asleep watching the movie, so in my estimation that make The Grudge as pretty un0scary movie. There were some good creepy moments but nothing to really freak you out unless you count the SuperCuts 'do Bill Pullman sports at the top of the movie before taking a header.

So what is the final verdict regarding last night's television watching? George W. Bush is much scarier than Sarah Michelle Gellar's acting. Shame on you Executive Producer Sam Raimi, I can't believe the President out-spooked you.

Maybe Spiderman's making him soft...


Wednesday, February 02, 2005

And with that, I am done for the day.

But this conversation between Ms. Lohan and ms. Hilton is too delish not to share.

Did I just type "delish?" Kill me now. I must be cracking up...

(Found via Stereogum)
Aw yeah!

NPR just did a story on...COWBELL!

Yes, you heard me right. And the whole thing opened with a snippet from the Walken More cowbell sketch. Awesome.
Seriously, what is wrong with me?

Here are the CDs sitting on my desk at work right this second. Four out of five of them is store-bought and the fifth isn't out yet so I couldn't buy it.

David Bowie - Diamond Dogs 30th Anniversary Edition
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway
Ministry - Side Trax
The Cells - Mayday


I mean, seriously, that is just nuts.
Ripped from today's headlines comments.

?!

If he sees his shadow, there's 6 more weeks of winter.
Paul 02.02.05 - 12:49 pm #

-------------


hmmm...perhaps i've been misinformed...hold on...checking groundhog.org...SONOFABITCH!

damnit, i guess i won't put away my coat yet.
tankboy 02.02.05 - 1:42 pm #



Seriously, dude, lay off the Twinkies, okay?



That is one fat groundhog. It's a wonder he could even see his own shadow! But he did see his shadow and for that, and an early Spring, I am grateful.

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Well, you certainly can't fault her for trying!

Lucy the Dog is a jumper and a cuddler. Every morning I am awakened by her kangaroo hops by the side of the bed and the comical sight of her rising into and falling out of my bleary field of vision with her tongue sticking out. She has decided that she will set the clock by which the dogs are released into the backyard for their morning constitutional and subsequently fed. In the last few weeks she has learned that she can leap into the bed and attack me from a much closer vantage point. I have countered by throwing my arms over her and forcing her to lay still in much the same way I used to make Betty the Beagle chill out when she was a younger dog and I slept in a bed that was much closer to the floor. Lucy the Dog has discovered that early morning cuddles trump the urge to romp about in the backyard so this is a development she has taken to with alarming speed.

Like I said, Betty used to climb into bed with me as well in the early mornings but those were the days when I slept on a futon and not the gianormous mattress rising seventeen feet off the floor that forms my current bed. I suspect that the view of Lucy making the leap recently, though, has awakened Betty’s own deeper memories of early morning spooning (hey, I lived alone for a long time, okay?) and warm blankets and quilts. So, the other day Betty decdied to try and make the leap again and regain her hold on puppydom and snugglier times.

Only instead of a triumphant rise above the edge of the bed my poor beagle instead went SPLAT right into the side of the mattress. I’m not sure which was worse; the thud as she hit the ground or the look on her face when she realized that she just was not going to make it. It was one of the saddest things I’ve had to witness in a really long time. It’s kind of like as if I had tried to do a high jump that would have caused me no problems in the past and was in the midst of heroically vaulting over it when a shoelace got snagged just under the lip of the barrier and I ended up with my sweating face buried in the dust.

Don’t shed too many tears for Betty though since there have been positive strides made by my little beagle. For one I’ve noticed Photogal lets Betty up on the couch far more often than she used to (Betty was banned from the furniture when we moved from my place to Photogal’s house) and I’ve also noticed that Betty seems to get some more positive attention from Lucy the Dog…provided Betty isn’t trying to actually sit on Lucy like she has in the past.

So shed a tear for betty the beagle’s fading youth but let’s also give her a hand for finding ways to leverage he shortcomings into even greater strides as far as her complete control of both me and Phtogal is concerned. Smart little beagle…


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What the –

Admit it, Tony’s sudden appearance on 24 took you by complete surprise too, didn’t it?

Feel free to discuss this stunning turn of events with me tonight at Ten56 in between killer tunes and nice, stiff drinks!