In defense of Gwen? Not so much.

Matthew over at Fluxblog has given a very well reasoned defense of the new Gwen Stefani solo disc. I have already gone on the record as saying that I think the disc is a stinker aside from a few bright spots, one of which sounds like a New Order track.

Then I found out the track I liked that sounded like a New Order track should since Peter Hook plays the bass line on it!

Anyway, Matthew has made a really well reasoned defense. I still don’t agree with him or like the album all that much – and don’t really consider myself a rockist so much as a rock and/or roller (and yes there is a difference) – but his writing is, as always, rather impressive.

I wish more rock crits were like him. And Paul. Oh yeah, and me!

First, the business.

Got the car back from the mechanic yesterday and, one hundred seventy dollars later, it started right up. In the rain. And the cold. It's never done that before so I'd say the repairs were a success and should assure my delivery to work for the rest of the winter.

Knock on wood.

Y'know, I've never been that great at handling money but I really have improved in recent years. Unfortunately every time I get a little extra cash saved up something like two car repairs in one week pops up and there goes all my dough. I don't really have any shows planned since I've been slacking this winter in the interest of spending more time around the homestead and now I'm feeling the pinch from the lack of extra income.

That reminds me, I've still gotta set up a Tankboy Holiday Spectacular this year. I wonder if I'll get around to it before the holidays are over!

So what's the general lesson we everyone should learn from my example and lack of funding at this time?

Buy plastics. Also, get into computer programming now, while it's still hot.

Yeah, that’s the ticket…
__________
And now, the puh-leasure.

TONIGHT

DJs Tankboy
and
Rudy Tuesday
want to fill you with holiday spirit,
and we promise we'll call when we say we will
because we ARE just that into you.

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

TONIGHT, Tuesday November 30, 2004
Free PBR from 8-9pm
Stunning musical selections from 9pm until 2am

Features of the week:
We guarantee we'll play something off these new or unreleased albums!

Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Bright Eyes - Digital Ash In A Digital Urn
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning
Dear Leader - All I Ever Wanted Was Tonight
The Detroit Cobras - Baby
M83 - Before The Dawn Heals Us
Manda And The Marbles - Angels With Dirty Faces
Mercury Rev - The Secret Migration
Nirvana - With The Lights Out
Scarling - Sweet Heart Dealer
Stars - Set Yourself On Fire
Trail Of Dead - Worlds Apart

Other people may just not be into you,
but we sure are!

Every Tuesday.
Only at Ten56.

If I'm scared, you should be too!

Car problems scare me. Especially when I spend $250 putting a new starter into a car I don’t own only to have the car go kerplunk on me again this morning. They scare me even more when my job is a twenty-eight mile drive from my house and public transportation doesn’t service the area I work in…so that sucks. So my brother’s car is back in the shop and I hope I have enough dough to keep it running, so I would say it’s fair to say I’m a tad scared by the situation.

So, to return the favor and make sure you, dear reader, are scared as well, I present you with this picture of three of my friends dressed up as the Golden Girls this past Halloween:




YEEEE-IIIIIIKES!

Bonus Points: Can you guess which Chicago rock and/or roller is hidden in this photo. Double scary!

Ho hum.

Over halfway through my mini-vacation afforded to me by the Thanksgiving holiday and I'm feeling pretty mellow. It started off badly, what with Chicago getting blasted by a snowstorm on the busiest travel day of the year. Thank god they closed the office early because it took me almost four hours to get home. Obviously this also affected the evening's festivities and the busiest bar night of the year was decidedly less busy. Those hardy souls that showed still had fun, but it wasn't quite the swirling sweaty masses I had been hoping for. Oh well, there's always the Sweet Alice anniversary party next month to make up for that.

Turkey Day itself was great and I realized it was probably my favorite holiday since, at least with my family, all the day means is a chance to spend quality time with your family. There's no Thanksgiving cards or presents, no Turkey Post to erect, no real consumer connection with the day. It's just a day to be thankful we still have each other and on a deeper level this simple thanks really resonated with me.

Since then it's been lazing around the house, going out to dinner with friends, finishing up season seven of Buffy and, last night, having Betty mistake my hand for a steak sandwich when I tried to pull her out from under the bed in the middle of the night. So, except for that last point, it's been a rather relaxing past few days.

Aaaaaaahhhhh....

Don't you...forget about me...
TONIGHT!

That's right.
Me. Rudy. You. InnJoy. Rock and/or Rolling. Dancing. Sweating.
TONIGHT!

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot!

Two of the four ladies I live with...
keeping the homestead all warmed up for me!

Photocopia!

As promised, a virtual cornucopia of virtual photography!


Here is Photogal with her friends Mary and Bill.Okay, Mary and Bill are my friends too, I can admit it.Believe it or not, that's Bill's happy face!


Why, hello lovely ladies!


My friends in action. Go Josh, go!


My firends post-action.


The thing about this photo is that I think those people are actually trying to lookdistinguished instead of what they actually are...a bunch of closteted New Kids on the Block fans!


Ah, Friday's birthday boy and his lovely wife. All together now...."Awwwwww!" This was before Lydia found out Dave wasdragging she and the rest of the party to Underbar...

Here's Photogal wrangling a horse.

Whoa boy, whoa!

That's more like it.

My Marlboro Man impression.Not very manly at all!
Ah, so that's where a certain Chicago rock band nicked their name!

Whew, that's a lot of Photos!

I like Bowie better, but this makes more sense...


You're Lou Reed.
God, you are cool, can I touch you so the magic will rub off?

You are perceptive, witty, and badass. You wear cool shades, even at night, and probably wear black more than most people. You don't give a fuck what other people think, but you are also very sensitive in the way that you pick up on things that others don't. Sometimes you come off as an asshole, but that's what makes you
cool. You are a poet, and you embody New York City. You will still be hip when you are old, and artists love you.

Which rad old school 70's glam icon are you?
__________
Oh, how am I enjoying that new Nirvana set, you ask?

It's fan-fucking-tabulous. Seriously. Awesome. God do I wish Cobain had just pulled through...

Procrastination is so rock, don’t you agree?

Okay, maybe it’s not, but if it were I’d be the King of Rock™ for sure. I’m still working on getting those pictures I mentioned yesterdayup, so maybe tonight...or maybe I’ll do it when I get in from DJing.

Oh, you ask, Tankboy is DJing? On a Tuesday? Wherever could this be occurring at?

Har de har mo’ fro’...Rudy and I will be spinning at Ten56 as per usual. As an added bonus though if you miss us tonight, we’ll be at InnJoy tomorrow. Yay! A double dose of killer tunes for you this week!

As usual, we will be spinning fun music as well as newer tunes referenced here.

So that’s what anticipation feels like! I’d forgotten!



Tomorrow the Nirvana box-set comes out and boy-oh-boy am I psyched. When it comes to new music I usually get to hear pretty much whatever I want long before it’s released to the public since I’ve been reviewing music and such for, jeez, going on two decades now. Because of this, the magical allure Tuesdays – the day all new music is released – waned for me quite a while ago.

I purposely have avoided any and all contact with the Nirvana box-set though. Since they were a really important band to me and I wanted to enjoy the set in the best of old school mindsets. I’m glad I made that decision as I think it’ll make tomorrow’s listening experience all the sweeter.

As for other new music, here’s what been rocking my car stereo, my iPod and the sound system at Ten56:

Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
Bright Eyes – Digital Ash In A Digital Urn
Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning
Dear Leader – All I Ever Wanted Was Tonight
Gewn Stefani – Love, Angel, Music, Baby

I highly recommend all of the above, except for the Gwen Stefani disc. It has a few good songs, but most of it is complete crap…a real huuuuge fucking misstep if you ask me. As if that’s not enough to warn you away from it, I see Rob Sheffield gave it four stars over at Rolling Stone, so that should pretty much be rock-solid proof the album sucks.

I was the horse whisperer.

Okay, maybe I wasn't, but I did spend some time with two horsies yesterday. Not that I really have time to go into it this morning, but the weekend as a whole was pretty action-packed compared to weekends over the last few months. I have lots of pictures, so maybe I'll post a time-line when I get home tonight.

As it stands, I now need to leave home so I can get a good work-out in before strapping myself in at the office.

Hey, it's only a three day work week! And I'm DJing with Rudy both Tuesday and Wednesday!

Oh man, fun fun fun!

Yow, look at the time...I gotta go now...

All up in your face and such.

Have a happy weekend!



Isn't my nephew awesome?

Things to do this weekend:

• Celebrate Dave Suh's birthday.
  
• Kick ass at bowling...or drinking...or both!
  
• See Rudy play an acoustic set on Saturday at The Pontiac.
  
• Then try to figure out how to catch Chin Up Chin Up and still get back to The Pontiac in time to see Vince and Milk At Midnight.
  
• Also on Saturday, don't forget to wish Lauren and Dawn a happy birthday and try not to piss either one of with my big mouth for at least one night.
  
• Take out the garbage before Photogal tells me to, thus impressing her with my becoming a "self-starter."
  
• See The Incredibles before they release it on DVD.
  
• Watch Dawn Of The Dead again.
  
• Trick Photogal into watching Dawn Of The Dead by telling her it's a bootleg copy of Shaun Of The Dead. I'm evil! Yeah yeah!
  
• Finsh reading the new Economist on Sunday rather than dragging it out until next Thursday. Also, knock out another chunk of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel so I can stop carrying that damn book around. Also, I want to start that D.F.W. science book already!
  
• Stop provrastinating in general. (Okay, that's bullshit and will never happen...but I can try to improve can't I?)
  
• Get a hair cut? Naw...
  
• Prepare DJ sets for Tuesday at Ten56 and Wednesday at InnJoy and prepare hangover remedy for Thursday before I head out to my mom's.
  
• Related to the above: Prepare hangover rememdy for Photogal as well since Wednesday will probably be a late one and I'm handcuffing her to me to force her out amongst the wolves, I mean, my friends.)
  
• Solve world hunger, promote world peace, return phone calls to Bono, the Pope and the Son of Svengoolie. VIPs all!
  

Finally, a remake worth seeing.

I finished watching Dawn Of The Dead last night. While I'm still on the fence as to whether zombies should be able to move quickly et al the new breed launched in 28 Days Later or if they should just shuffle about as they originally did in Night Of the Living Dead, I can put that argument aside for this flick becaue it was just one hell of a well done spooky movie. Lots of blood and gore, just the rigtht amount of humor, characters you could really dig and the ultimate in bleak endings all worked together to do George Romero proud. Hell, I'll even go so far as to say I think I like the new version better than the original!

Night Of the Living Dead is still tops all around due to it's groundbreaking and realistically toned treatment of zombie horror, as well as it's nifty underlying social commentary, but I'm slowly seeing the light in regards to the latest string of "zombie innovation." Nazz.

A series of completely unrelated topics.

I’m feeling particularly fertile this morning, so let’s hop around a bit.

__________
The top five stupidest things I’ve ever uttered during a date:

1. I’d better kiss you now so you don’t think I’m gay.
2. You’re a virgin? You’re kidding, right?
3. No, I can’t come over later, I have to get up early tomorrow.
4. Just because I was kissing her doesn’t mean we’re here together. Let’s go.
5. Do you want to grab some dinner with my ex on the way home?

For the record, I’ve only been on one actual official date in my entire life, and that’s where line number one came from. The other ones were spoken during a period of “hanging out” amongst a crowd of mutual friends.
__________
I want to marry Kim Deal.

Seriously. Photogal was all like, “You think she’s hot? She’s kinda homely.”

I said, “Listen to her voice and look at her smile. Kim Deal is the perfect rock and roll girl.”

Period.
__________
Yesterday (well, the day at least) sucked.

What happens when I get motivated enough to get up really early and get to the gym really early because I have to get to work really early so I can go see The Pixies who are playing really early that night?

The car I’m driving is guaranteed to break down. And then I’m guaranteed to get dicked around by not one, not two, but three auto repair shops.

Oh yeah, and then I’ll have problems working from home because my ancient computer can’t always process the Lotus e-mail site for work. On top of that, in the midst of all the running from one car place to another, I spilled water all down the crotch of my pants. I am so fucking suave.
__________
Blogga please.

First of all, since there were 4,500 people at the Pixies show last night I really didn’t expect to run into anyone I know. As it turned out I couldn’t take more than a few steps without running into someone I knew. I even saw this guy, who I’ve never met before and only really discovered through reading someone else’s blog.

Wild. It's weird when cyber-stuff bumps into the ReaLife™.

What was even weirder is that through his blog you’d think he’s some crazy party dude, but in the midst of a billion people he looked just like another young kid, slightly confused and searching for his friends. It was kind of touching. It reminded me of when I was younger too.
__________
A’shearin’ we will go?

Okay, the hair is getting a bit too long and proved rather unwieldy as it puffed up and gathered sweat during last night’s show. Maybe it’s time to get it cut for the holidays. All hands up everyone who agrees.

Mom, you can’t vote since I already know how you feel about it, so put your hand down.
__________
He's just not into you.

Okay, this book has infiltrated its way into the (I thought) intelligent cirlce of rock and/or roll females I know. The lunacy must stop! So, since girls can't seem to figure it out for themselves, let me save you a whole bunch of time and money by breaking down the cetral truth that probably isn't even in the stupid book.


If you have to ask, then he's just not into you. Move on.

See? that was easy!
__________
Ethan Hawke looks like a monkey.

That was the first thing Photogal said when watching Before Sunset the other night. Aside from that, the movie is that rare sequel that is actually better than the original. Or maybe I think that because I’ve aged at the same rate as the characters in the movie so I’m better able to relate to them now.

Also, the ending absolutely rocked. Perfect.

Hmm…that’s seems a good not to end today’s entry on…perfect.

Wait a minute, this is the Planet of Sound!

So let’s flashback quite a few years to Tankboy’s high school days when boys wearing earrings were called various negative epithets and bands that were only played on MTV at midnight on a Sunday night were known as “college rock.” It was this magical time, also known as the late ‘80s, that I fell in love with The Pixies. I didn’t mean to.

Actually, the first time I saw them live they were opening for the much more popular (at the time) Love and Rockets. I had heard they were quite the band so I made sure to get to the show early to catch their set, only to fall asleep about half-way through. The only thing that woke me up was on of David Lovering’s cymbals crashing to the floor and almost braining Kim Deal. I remember thinking the drum riser was ridiculously high and the stands had to be twelve to fifteen feet tall. Obviously this couldn’t have been the case, but at the time they sounded that massive to me so I reasoned they must be giants among the rest of men.

So why did hell I fall asleep if they were so awesome?

Well, massive waves of sound aside, the band was pretty boring and didn’t seem too pleased to be there. Who knows, maybe they got into some huge fight just before the show or something. Deep down, something in their music touched me though since I went right out the very next day and bought every shred of music they had put out up until that point.

So tonight I finally get to right past wrongs and I’ll finally get to see the band again. This time I promise I won’t fall asleep. I admit that I was more excited to be seeing them when I bought the tickets months ago since the build-up has kind of died down since it seems like the band has played everywhere in the world EXCEPT Chicago by this point. Nonetheless, after seeing the set-lists they’ve been playing I think it’s safe to say I’ll leave the show satisfied.

Hell, I’m so confident it’ll be awesome that I pre-bought the live CD of tonight’s show that they will be selling! Maybe I’ll spin a track or two at Ten56 when I get there after the show to take over DJing from the (newly anointed) Rudy Tuesday.

Wherein our hero recounts many glorious adventures
and shews his extreme prowess at overcoming daunting situations.

Okay, no daunting situations, really, I just wanted to include heading that seemed action-packed since my weekend was so tame. Friday I did nada and Saturday was spent watching movies and tidying up the house in expectation of a visit from some of our good friends from Minneapolis. We did couple-type things in the evening and had a lovely time Afterwards I stopped by the Pontiac for a spell to catch The Memories and hang out with Rudy for a bit. The show ran late so I got home a little later than I had planned which, of course, launched the -

[deleted by author]

Okay, at this point the post took a decidedly less humorous turn. It also took a turn into dangerous territory that would have insured a certain young lady I live with would have probably kicked my ass. And I’m not talking about Betty the Beagle.

Sometimes a relationship is hard work. Sometimes the work involved is even more difficult if that relationship includes me as one f the two parties. For instance our friends who came in from out-of-town asked that age-old “so when’re you gonna finally get married” question and I had my stock response, “You’d have to be crazy to marry me and I haven’t met anyone that crazy yet.”

Okay, you know what? That’s just too much deep thought on a Monday morning. Here’s all you need to really know about Photogal: She’s the kind of person who will rent the Olsen Twins’ New York Minute for me because she knows (even though I’ve never said so) that I secretly wanted to see it but would never be able to commit the embarrassing act of actually renting it.

Now that’s pretty perfect, if you ask me.



EDITOR'S NOTE: This marks the first appearance of the Olsen Twins EVER on this site and we blame it on Mr. Tankboy's reading too many NYC-based blogs. We apologize. We tried to get him to post a picture of O.D.B. instead to mark the man's passing but Tankboy just said, 'Fuck you, I wanna pic of the Twins so I've got somwthing to look at if I'm bored at work, okay motherfucker?"

We couldn't help but comply with the author's original intent and wishes.

My nipple is killing me.

Seriously. Last week, Lucy the Wonderdog tried to jump into my arm and one of her claws caught me directly on the middle of my nipple and then caught itself on my nipple ring and must’ve torn up the inside of my nipple a touch because it’s been really sensitive – and not in a good way all week. Can I say nipple one more time?

Nipple.

There, that should be a good way to get your weekend started off right, no? Another way would be to help me get that free iPod I was talking about yesterday. Even another would be to let me know of anything cool I can bring my out of town friend to see tomorrow since I’m drawing a blank…
__________
Also...

...shortly after I got into work Wednesday morning Richard Simmons came into my office. After first making sure I wasn't hallucinating and that he, in fact, was physically there, I reflected back upon why I sometimes really love my job. Sometimes it's the little surprises that really make it worth it.

For the record, he was really, really nice and super energetic. I had previously met him at some event in some mall that my mom took me too about twenty years ago and he actually looked almost exactly the same!

The Futureheads.

I saw The Futureheads last night, and whilst I don’t feel the need to follow them across the country and bear their collective babies like some people, I was mighty impressed. As an added bonus I got to see quite a few old friends I don’t run into that often. As another added bonus, it was an early show so I was home at a decent hour, though avoiding the usual “boozin’ it up” ‘tude that usually goes hand in hand with my show attendance certainly helped in that field as well.

Anyway, for a full accounting, please direct your browser over to the Lost In Guyville write-up located right here.

Clicky clicky now!

Help me get a free iPOD!

Okay, so I've fallen under the sway of this thing since I've heard quite a few first-hand accounts this is on the up-and-up. Also, if I had another iPod, I could just bring those to DJ with and stop killing my shoulder with a fifty pound bike messenger bag crammed full of books of CDs.

Anyway, all you have to do is go to this link, fill out their little survey (feel free to click "no" on all the questions since it doesn't affect the offer at all) and then agree to sample one of their offers. I signed up for the Blockbuster NetFlix-type deal and will just cancel my memeberdhip at the end of the two-week trial. If I can just get five folks to do this i get a free iPod...and then You are on your way to owning your own FREE iPod! Yowze.

So here's my link to get you started.

High times of hilarity.

So Saturday, Photogal and I go to this Polish dance club to meet up with some of her friends. Supposedly her friends dig this place because the ratio of men to women leans heavily in the women’s favor. Well, not the night we were there. Hell, I even got my ass grabbed!

(Don’t get too excited, I merely take that as proof that the lighting was dim and the young lady doing the grabbing must’ve been three sheets at the time.)

So yeah, it was wild. And they played that Alice Deejay song that they were playing every five minutes the last time I was in Poland...FIVE YEARS AGO! Let’s just say the music wasn’t exactly progressive. Oh, and guy with the severely gelled spikes and sunglasses dancing with yourself on top of that pillar and checking yourself out in the mirror? You look fabulous. Really.

The rest of the night was actually kind of mundane and grown up until the point I found myself stranded waiting for a cab in the middle of – to cabs anyway – nowhere trying to avoid some guy selling socks in the middle of the street at 3:30 in the morning. Two long bus rides, interrupted by one block of walking two girls to their street (who apparently didn’t really need an escort since one of ‘em had a gun in her purse so I’m not sure why they drafted me to walk them one block down North in the first place) I finally made it home. It was really late. I felt like a total ass for getting in that late.

There are nights you feel all rock and/or roll when you’re getting in just before sunrise and there are nights you just feel like an idiot…this was definitely an example of the latter.

So there’s my Saturday. Upon reflection it was a lot less exciting than I had originally thought. Let’s fix that
__________
High times of hilarity part deux, the imaginary years.

So Saturday, Photogal and I went skydiving and landed in the middle of this dance floor at this Polish club where Jay-Z and Beyonce were doing this impromptu performance thingie. Well, me and Beyonce started to really get it on and I guess Hova was getting a little nervous so he called in his swat team of security guys, comprised solely of seven-plus foot Albanians pumped full of ‘roid muscle. I quickly dispatched the threat utilizing my Bohemian Death Stare™ (actual death not included) and took off with Photogal after telling Beyonce I was Coke, not Pepsi, kind of guy.

__________
Okay, I’m lying.

Obviously the second tale is far too farfetched to be true. There is no such thing as a Bohemian Death Stare™. You got me.

Look, it's where I live!



On one hand, this is very cool...and on the other it's kinda spooky!
__________
Red State, Blue State...Whatever State,
let's just dance, okay?

Rudy and I will try to drive the bad taste that the last week has left in our collective mouth by playing all the hits at Ten56. Also look for new stuff from Bettie Serveert, U2, S, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Manic Street Preachers, Stars, Trail Of Dead, Handsome Boy Modeling School (featuring a super sexy Chan Marshall,) blah, blah, blah...it will be mondo fun. We promise.

Wild wild wild.

It was quite a weekend! Exotic Polish dance-clubs, gun-wielding damsels-in-not-quite-distress, abandoned in a desolate neighborhood with a Homerian journey homeward, and the viewing of a truly terrible movie. Oh yeah, and I learned the one thing I hate more than mowing the lawn is…raking leaves off the frickin’ lawn! Unfortunately I do not have the requisite time to devote to the re-telling of these tales right now, so you’re just gonna have to wait.

"My wife says I write two kinds of songs,
grand weepers and grim reapers..."

The above was uttered by Tom Waits at a show I was lucky enough to attend in 1999. I was attending the yearly SXSW music conference in Austin and the big news was that Waits may be doing a public appearance. This was especially electrifying as he had been under the radar for most of the '90s and only appeared a few times for benefit shows and the like.

The concert remains one of my fondest live memories since Waits is a particularly captivating performer. Facial contortions, old-fashioned revivalist foot-stomping and absurdist stand-up comedy are all vital elements to the experience and they are all tied together by Waits' gravel-pit baritone and his spastic marionette motions. I remember being able to sneak Photogal in to see his final song, "Innocent When You Dream," and even that simple number at a piano blew her away. She was lucky enough to catch a full show a couple months later when I got us tickets to his appearance in Chicago when he was in the midst of a handful of live dates to promote Get Behind The Mule, but there was something particularly magical about the Austin show.

I had always been hoping that someone snuck a tape recorder into the show all those years ago, even if to catch just a few of the stories Waits told, but I never came across any audio document. Then, a few days ago, I was just poking around on-line to kill some time on a Sunday afternoon and I came across a recording of the concert. Off the soundboard. And remastered so that the sound and levels are pristine. Wow!

I've been re-listening to this show all week long and it's succeeded in lifting my spirits, so I thought I would share its location with you. A copy is located at EZ Torrent (which does require a free registration...and you can got to their FAQ to learn about downloading BitTorrents and decoding the resulting files into WAVs) and it's right here:

TOM WAITS
LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE IN AUSTIN, TX
MARCH 20, 1999
Sit back, dim the lights, sip some whiskey, light up that smoke...and enjoy.

In a continuing effort to block out
the events of the past few days,
I shall harken back to a simpler and happier time.

Namely Halloween. Double Door has posted photos from its Halloween show, and since I mentioned Chauncey and Jessica in a previous post, I figured I'd put the pictures up here.



Chauncey's Logan/Wolverine was so good I didn't recognize him at first. This picture is a touch dark so you can't really see the fabulous job he did with his hair. Wait, did I just say "fabulous" and "hair" in the same sentence? Oh crap.



And I'm sorry but Jessica looked awesome too, even if you can't tell exactly where she is looking in this photo. She's posing with her extremely brave boyfriend. I call him brave because that genie suit looked really furry and really heavy and Double Door was really hot. Especially in the balcony, which is where he spent most of his time since Jessica was bartending up there.

I miss him more than ever.

Today would have been my dad's 60th birthday. A few months ago I was worried that this was the last birthday I would be able to spend with him. Right now I would give anything for that to have been true.

Happy birthday dad.

Well put.

In the wake of the election results it seems every person with access to a computer has become an insta-pundit in their efforts to grapple with what Bush's victory means to them. People seem shocked and stunned (I know I am) so I don't think very many folks are making much sense right now, including me. As someone who likes to think they specialize in communication and the written word, it's always humbling to come across someone else that says something so much better than I can at the time. The following showed up in my in-box yesterday and was written by local author and activist Jon Resh. The original text can be found here at the website for his very own Viper Press.

POST-ELECTION HANGOVER
Last night I went to bed with a headache at 2:30 a.m. Waking up this morning, my head was still throbbing. Aspirin doesn't seem to help.

It was my brain's attempt, I figured, in refusing to accept the outcome of this election.

Frankly, as I mentioned to some friends over the last few weeks, this result was almost exactly as I predicted. A close race that Bush would win was hardly a surprise to me.

I hoped desperately that I'd be wrong. I would've loved nothing more than my fellow Kerry-supporting pals to snicker at me on the day after election, scoffing at my cynicism.

But the current obstacles seemed too great to oust this incumbent, especially given the somewhat lackluster, less-than-spellbinding candidacy of the Democratic opponent (who, in all fairness, was a worthwhile contender and worked as hard as he could for his campaign).

So today, on Nov. 3, my problem is not with Bush alone. He still remains (in my view) a jerk, a zealot and a would-be tyrant, just as before.

My current problem is broader and more complex. It's with the 51 percent of American voters who approved of Bush, his terrible rhetoric and his unethical policies -- and who want him to carry on with more of the same.

By returning him to the presidency, they've endorsed his agenda -- regardless of its many serious flaws -- and believe his command is worthy to shape America.

I've always rested my faith in the American public. Even if bad choices were made, I felt we would always collectively steer ourselves right again. That's the blessing of democracy.

But this choice in re-electing Bush is, from my standpoint, a vote against intelligence, reason, honesty, fairness, courage.

It's a vote for authoritarianism and aggression over rationality.

It's a vote that says "might makes right" is the proper course, regardless of the consequences.

And the consequences seem very bad indeed. Four years is a very long time when a strong mandate is in place, especially when resistance to the prevailing powers is weakened (as is the case with Congress, which, as of last night, will now seat fewer Democrats).

So presently, I feel I don't understand or relate to -- much less agree with -- that group of Americans (all 59 million of them) who believe in George W. Bush as a leader, given the obvious and severe flaws in his character and record of the last four years.

I guess people are scared -- and with good reason. Security fears are certainly legitimate, especially in the midst of war. But from my standpoint, this president's conduct is only worsening the problem.

I can't help but question the Bush voters' common sense: "Don't these folks realize this president is damaging our country domestically and ruining our place in the world internationally? That he's making life more dangerous and less secure for Americans in countless ways? That his handling of affairs is consistently detrimental? That the guy is, beyond all else, a total ass?"

As a result, a part of me -- at least at this moment -- deeply distrusts those voters that returned Bush to the White House, and I can't help but question their core values. And I admit: that's really terrible. I don't want to think less of anybody simply because of the way they vote.

But this election was a choice of two opposing visions of ourselves and our identity as a people.

Despite massive activity and participation against it, Bush's vision -- in all of its moral rigidity, arrogant resolve and intellectual obtuseness -- won.

I knew that, if Bush was re-elected, there was a dangerous possibility that the will of the opposition (meaning us, the remaining 48 percent) would probably deflate. Having invested everything in toppling Bush and giving it all of our strength, our
formidable effort would seem in vain.

And I realized that, not knowing what else to do, a tide of apathy, isolation and self-enclosure could set in among us. I certainly don't want that to happen. But I'm tired too, and a bit perplexed.

I'm sure many of us are now asking ourselves the same big questions:

Should we continue to stand against the seemingly detrimental ideas and actions of the Bush administration -- though our very best efforts have changed nothing?

Or, against our principles and better judgement, should we accept and learn to live in this "new America"?

The latter option, of course, isn't really viable, at least not to me. And apathy can hold only so long under unyielding right-wing rule before popular frustrations boil over.

I find myself wondering if, having failed through the established channels, some form of social unrest might arise during this term -- especially if the possibility of, for instance, the reinstatement of a military draft becomes a reality. Given these perilous and uncertain times, along with this administration's proclivity for
suppression, such upheaval could get very ugly on both sides.

Anyway...

I take solace in the fact that I'm not alone.

Fifty-five million Americans who voted for Kerry are probably dealing with similar emotions -- including you, perhaps.

Maybe after the dust settles, it will be time to anchor ourselves and learn from our mistakes. To regroup, reassess and return invigorated, ready to extract this government from the clutches of the current administration, and make America the kind of enlightened, strong, capable place that has provided so much benefit to its citizenry -- and to the world -- for more than two centuries.

Perhaps we'll even come to find common ground with those 51 percent of Americans who voted for Bush, and eventually we'll all be friends again.

But for now...well, this headache's still killing me.

I would like to take this moment to personally thank
Avril Lavigne for dressing up like a Hooter's waitress
to help get my mind even further off the election.



(credz)
__________
In order to live in denial, for at least one day,
I took this silly quiz.

Today, I'll do whatever it takes to cheer me up, because starting tomorrow I now have a lot of work to do if I'm gonna help get this country back on track.



You must like to spank or be spanked, because your
romance is remeniscent of Secretary. A truly
modern love story, it shows that you don't need
to be conventional to be normal. You're
probably the type that owns a whole lot more
leather than what's upholstering your car or
sofa. Yeah, you know what I mean.

What Romance Movie Best Represents Your Love Life?


Hm. Fitting, I guess. In a broader sense. Hmm...but, no, Photogal does not run around the apartment in a latex bodysuit so get your mind out of the gutter.

Not that I'd protest too loudly if she did, mind you...

To quote Op Ivy...

...here we go again.

Which sounds better to you:

tankboy@woolworthy.ca

or

jim@tankboy.co.uk

More importantly, when it come to quarantines and dogs...which countries are most lenient?

Exit polls leaked!

Slate is leaking the exit poll numbers here.

That's Hott!

__________
The winner?!




I am such a dork.

(credz)

Take that Dubya!

Puffy is an idiot.

Vote or die? What? He's gonna kill you if you don't vote? I guess he's trying but, jeez, couldn't he come up with a better slogan?

Four years ago I never even imagined the situation we're in today. Hell, I never thought Bush would get into office in the first place, but here we are. I've tried to stay away from politics for the most part with this thing since so many other folks cover it so much better, but i do feel the need to urge every single person that's is eligible to vote to get out to your polling place today, punch your ticket or flip your level or maneuver around your touch screen or whatever, and make your voice heard. If anything, the vents of four years ago proved that every vote does indeed count.

Obviously I endorse Kerry and I actually think that he'll be good for the country. Even The Economist is endorsing Kerry and they were full-throated Bush supporters last time around and were one of the few papers who, to this day, supported the invasion of Iraq. (The paper has great news coverage but I've never been fully in line with all of their opinion pieces, obviously.) I guess that if Bush does win it would have a hidden upside...in that I'd maybe be motivated to actually move to Europe instead of just dreaming of doing so.

Come to think of it, I don't know how Betty would take the move...so there's another reason to vote Kerry!

Okay, our polls open in less than an hour, so I've gotta scarf down some food and get ready so I can cast my vote before heading into the gym. Make sure you do the same...and save your voter receipt and come by Ten56 tonight and me and Rudy will buy you a beer (details below.)
__________

TONIGHT

DJs Tankboy
and
Rudy Tuesday
want to buy you a drink!

This Tuesday get out and vote,
save your voting receipt and show it at Ten56
and the DJs will buy you a free PBR...
we'll actually reward you for
carrying out your civic responsibility!

ALSO
VOTERGASM HERE
.

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

TONIGHT, Tuesday November 02, 2004
Free PBR from 8-9pm courtesy Ten56
One voting receipt = one free PBR courtesy your handsome DJs
Stunning musical selections from 9pm until 2am

Fuck Puffy.
Fuck stupid slogans.
Just fucking vote.

Every Tuesday.
Only at Ten56.

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...."

Ooky spooky!

Halloween is the one holiday when I wish I was single, since every single girl seems to be out of their minds and dressed to kill that night. Oh the pain.

I still managed to have a lot of fun. At the Double Door, some girl asked me what my costume was (I wasn't dressed up) and I replied, "I'm surly.

"Who's he?" she asked.

Hmm, maybe I wouldn't want to be single on Halloween. Out of their minds, dressed to kill and extremely stupid...

Anyway...photos!

The size of Photogal's wiener made me a little uncomfortable, but I couldn't help but admire how well she complimented the Kool-Aid guy, um, gal.


Also, what's more natural than a hot dog with ketchup> (This is my subliminal "Go Kerry!" contribution, by the way.)


No! Don't eat me! this is the stuff nightmares are made of. Spare me and I'll never eat another one of your brethren again Ms. Hot Dog!


Now THIS is scary. I look like Bobby Conn's sweaty love child. Ick. By the way, I think I was supposed to be either a vampire or goth…I only succeeded ion being really lazy and vaguely creepy.


Dave as C.C. DeVille from Poison…

...and Rudy's Bret Michaels. You can't really see it here, but he had a huge cucumber shoved down his pants that kept creeping downward as the show went on.


I wish I had a picture of Jessica bartending last night since she easily won the best costume award for her cop outfit, and had many a guy weak in the knees...and Chanucey easily won for the guys' side with his extremely convincing Wolverine. It was the hair, all his, that really sold it...unfortunately Photogal's camera battery died before I could snap any more pics. Ah well, maybe next year...

Oh yeah, a quick thumb’s up to Local H (Oasis,) Woolworthy (Poison,) Giant Step (Elvis Costello) and The Last Vegas (Creedence Clearwater Revival) for nailing the bands they covered. Thumbs down to American Motherload (Alice In Chains) who ended up just being boring. And a thumbs down to me for missing the Weezer set by Empyrean (a band I’ve never heard of,) since that got rave reviews from everyone. Again, maybe next year…