TCB.

TCB.

First of all, the important stuff (brought to my attention by the always courteous, always kind Wil Wheaton Jon Dyer):


In other news, I am another year older today. Each year it amazes me I made it into another one! To celebrate I will be at Beauty Bar tonight from 7 p.m. until 10 or 11 p.m. (where GalPal and my friend Lisa will be spinning anything I ask them to because IT'S MY BIRTHDAY GOLDANGIT!), and then we shall make our way to The Corner in Bucktown, home to buck beers, dogs on bar stools and all the INXS, David Bowie and Huey Lewis on the jukebox a boy could ask for.

Psssst ... hey you!

Psssst ... hey you!

Shhh, don't tell anyone, but my birthday is tomorrow. Well, I guess technically it starts tonight at midnight. I'm going to a friend's taqueria after work and then god knows what else tonight. Tomorrow is slightly more structured, but only slightly. RSVP to make sure you get the details as they emerge.

Muse + Edge = Not too shabby!

Muse + Edge = Not too shabby!

Well, I suppose if you're going to cover this song you couldn't ask for someone better to handle the guitar duties, right?



I still think their last album kind of sucked though.

Socially driven.

Socially driven.

I have been out doing something every night this week. And the pace show no sign of slowing. So come and see me make my miraculous transition into a real-live robot tomorrow when Keep and I DJ at The Continental!

It appears as if I'm an uncle again!

It appears as if I'm an uncle again!

Being an uncle makes me feel as if I should start acting responsible! Congratulations to my brother Jason and his wife Fiona for bringing a new addition into the family!

Betty the Beagle is a hot dog!

Betty the Beagle is a hot dog!

GalPal stayed home today -- she was a bit under the weather -- and she just sent me this from her phone.


You can almost hear her panting!

Sometimes I think ours may be a dark and vengeful God.

Sometimes I think ours may be a dark and vengeful God.


Storms, storms, storms. Chicago has been hit by a couple of whoppers in the last few days. Nothing quite as scary as that mammoth crash of hail, thunder, lightning and possible tornadoes that hit right after Lollapalooza a few years ago -- that one had me huddling in the first floor of my apartment's stairway with a beagle on a leash and a growling cat in her carrier -- but there have been a few moments that have reminded me that when Mother Nature decides to let us have it we are completely at her mercy. On Friday I watched Buckingham Fountain blow sideways as a sheet of black sky made its way across the city, pushed along by winds that buckled windows in the building across from me and made my own office tower sway like a small tug in a choppy bay. Last night someone keep hitting the skies with a strobe while throwing down great waves of thunder before driving rain swept through and quieted everything back down.

What's next?

Photo by Deltasly

They didn't play "Precision Auto" but I loved them anyway.

They didn't play "Precision Auto" but I loved them anyway.

Superchunk played the Taste of Randolph -- probably the "highest class" and most yuppified street festival in Chicago -- and I was shocked at how good they were. Superchunk is one of those bands I've loved since their early singles first came out but for some reason I had never seen them live before last night. I know, SHOCKER! In the end I don't think it made that big a difference since the band I saw last night played with the same energy and conviction as a quartet of teens. Just absolutely amazing.

The band never broke up but they only play a handful of times a year, and those tend to be one-offs in and around where they live. However they're releasing their first new album in nine years and because of that they're booking a short tour, and it seems Taste of Randolph was a test for some of the new material. As usual it's solid stuff and the new songs stood next to the classics without a problem. Take advantage of this tour if it comes near our town, even if you have no idea who Superchunk is. I guarantee you'll be knocked flat on your back.

PSA: He's really that into you.

PSA: He's really that into you.

Here is one of those simple facts of life women never seem to quite be able to grasp so maybe it must be said out loud: If a single guy approaches you at a bar and is buying you drinks and you are telling him over and over that you have a boyfriend but he says that's cool and continues to stick around is is not because he is hearing your words and respecting your relationship, it is only because your boyfriend is not there ergo he believes he stands a chance at getting some action. And sometimes that works. But if your boyfriend shows up and the guy who was buying you drinks suddenly makes himself scarce I can't believe one wouldn't put two and two together.

Then again it's probably because, and I hope to not overgeneralize, while women can be wicked men trend towards simply being scum.

Even Screaming Trees get hungry.

Even Screaming Trees get hungry.

Supreme thanks to Goldenfiddlr for digging this one up. Watch the killer rendition of "Nearly Lost You" but definitely stick around until the end.

I am very upset with T.I.!

I am very upset with T.I.!

This was TOTALLY my album cover for the next America's #! Sweetheart disc! Only with 'Balls sitting next a Photoshopped embiggen of Charles Balls (his cat)!

Disturbing dreams, they disturb my sleep.

Disturbing dreams, they disturb my sleep.

Last night's sleep was one interrupted by me constantly waking up from a narrative nightmare of GalPal suddenly leaving me cruelly and without warning for someone else, all while a psychotic bully chased me from end to end and refused to expire (I seemingly being the only one in the dream to realize that the horror movie trope of "if you can't see the body, the danger has not passed" is one you MUST live by should you expect to survive those sorts of situations).

The first half is easy enough to decipher since my Catholic guilt is obviously still gnawing at me for sins of my past and my own sudden abandonment of another, but the second half is up to interpretation. Is it my unyielding drive? Is it because I was bullied as a kid? Is it just one too many scary movies too close to bedtime? Who knows?

Only one thing is sure. I am not a fan of disturbing dreams with a long narrative that pick up right where they left off the second I close my eyes again.

Hi there, how are you?

Hi there, how are you?

This looks to be an insanely busy week, so please forgive any brevity or unhinged ramblings that may appear in this space over the next few days. Love you!

Ye Old Oak ... tonight!

Ye Old Oak ... tonight!

I was in NOLA last Friday so I'm doing my monthly DJ thing at Old Oak Tap tonight! I'll be there from 100 until 2 so come on by and say hi. The owners told me there's a couple big parties booked so it should be a really good time. Woo hoo!

A pall hangs over NOLA.

A pall hangs over NOLA.

Yesterday somebody sent me this story of the dying oyster industry in Louisianna, and I forwarded it on to GalPal knowing that while her response would be an anguished cry she would also appreciate the fact she ate at Felix's just last week even more. Pictures of the oil soaked pelicans surface while we were down there last week and it was the sort of thing that made me physically ill. Nauseous. Amazed we could do such harm to such unsuspecting and undeserved targets of our malfeasance.

New Orleans is battered. Residents still speak of Katrina as if its landfall was a few months ago, not almost five years ago. And it seems that right as the city was finally regaining its bearings, BP done fucked shit up and has single-handedly threatened the entire oceanic ecosystem that fills the city's kitchens. New Orleans is not just a 24-hour party on Bourbon Street. It's a city built around food more than booze, and much of that food is provided by areas directly threatened or already effected by the oil spill. And the people of New Orleans know this and, it's not hard to miss, there is a seething fury running through the populace made all the worse with the realization that there is absolutely nothing they can do about it. This is potentially more devastating in the long term than Katrina was, and the people know it.

AN ASIDE: As ill as the pictures of oil soaked pelicans made me last week, it was nothing compared to the queasy fury I felt once I read that BP is trying to cover up the full extent of the damage their little fuck up is inflicting upon the animals in the area. I understand that a singleminded focus on profitability and the need to urgently spin this story there was may explain the blinders BP appears to be operating under, but really? Are they that truly clueless / evil?

Kick some butt, karate kid!

Kick some butt, karate kid!

My favorite line by far in this is ""He wanted to get into the Brat Pack, but he wanted to change the name to The Smile Bunch." However the bit about eschewing cuddling while making a sex tape is pretty chuckle-worthy too.

Holy mackerel!

Holy mackerel!

Check out Jeremy's tattoo!

It's ... TankBird Tuesday again!

It's ... TankBird Tuesday again!

Talk about no rest for the wicked. THE day I get back into the real world from my vacation just happens to also be the second Tuesday of the month which means it's TankBird Night at The Burlington! Last time we DJed there were unicorns in attendance, which tells you exactly why you should NOT miss tonight.

I hear it might rain -- which is par for the course since God usually throws off-seasonal or inclement weather conditions at us to prevent the masses from attending and having their minds blown -- but who let a little water stop them from having a good time. In fact I recommend all boys and girls not even bring umbrellas so everyone starts the night of all wet and sexy looking.

Wanna know what to expect music-wise? Well, it changes from month to month depending on the crowd (we personalize!) but here's a sampling of some stuff that's made it into my half of the evening's sets.

Setlist: TankBird Tuesday in March
Setlist: TankBird Tuesday in April
Setlist: TankBird Tuesday in May

Caught up on my RSS feeds so let's dance!

Caught up on my RSS feeds so let's dance!

I neglected my RRS feeds during vacation but I'm finally up to date. What better way to celebrate than with Kylie Minogue and whole buncha barely clothed dancing?!

Taking a vacation in public.

Taking a vacation in public.

While I was on vacation last week I made a conscious effort to do so publicly, using social media, primarily Twitter and foursquare. Part of it was selfish, wanting a linear record without taking copious notes (although GalPal and I did buy a notebook for personal use and found recording more private thoughts between the two of us in that was loads of fun). Part of me wanted to see how people would react. I was afraid some might get hostile, or annoyed at reading about our fun times while they were working in their cubicle, or that some folks might complain that I posted too much. I tried to counter the latter fear by making sure I didn't flood feeds and that what I did say had something slightly entertaining within. My biggest surprise though was how little had to worry about people getting annoyed at all.

In fact a dialogue sprang up. Some folks wanted to make recommendations, some folks just wanted to talk about what I was doing at that time, some folks just wanted to share their own stories, and some folks even took conversations that started with my updates off into their own threads. In the end my experiment succeeded beyond my expectations. It seems as if the people that actively follow me enjoyed engaging in my vacation adventures, and in fact actually helped to enhance them with their conversation. It was a blast.

Now I don't recommend this for everyone. At first I was queasy about actively posting we were out of town, but since a friend of ours was kind enough to house-sit for us i knew our place was being watched so I wasn't worried about unsavory types making mischief (or off with our belongings). Second, if all you're going to do on vacation is flood feeds with foursquare check-ins sans comment I can see folks getting annoyed with that. If you do try this, and if I'm following you I would certainly welcome reading it, use it to enhance your experience by sharing information and spurring others to actively engage with you.

When GalPal and I wanted to enjoy something alone, we did, but we both really enjoyed hearing from everyone when we would make our adventures public.

I'll try and get some photos up from our adventures in a couple of days...

Drenched!

Drenched!

We were on a cemetary tour and I guess the spirits weren't too happy with us because a thunder storm swept in and soaked is to the bone. Awesome.

WOF in NOLA.

WOF in NOLA.

I'm not posting much over the next few days since I'm on vacation in New Orleans (and yes, we have a friend house-sitting for us so I don't mind letting people know I'm out of town) but this, I had to share.

I can not stop running into Vanna White in this fricking city!

Wheel of Fortune is filming here and we keep running into her doing pick up shots. Last night on Bourbon Street wasn't too bad, but they took over Cafe Du Monde this morning, ringing the place in bright lights to get there shots, and man was that annoying. I wanted to walk over and ask Vanna if I could buy some peace and quiet.

I will say this. For a woman who was on TV when I was a kid, loooooong ago, she is looking pretty damn good. She honestly looks about 35 in person, and it's not obvious if she's had any work done. Just please Vanna, let me enjoy NOLA without the film crew watching.

Guess where I am?

Guess where I am?

HINT: It ain't Trops.

New Orleans bound!

New Orleans bound!

GalPal and I are scrambling to get ready for tomorrow departure to New Orleans for a well earned and long overdue vacation. (I don't feel bad letting you know we're headed out of town since one of our friends is house-sitting for us so we're not exactly leaving our place vacant.)

Anyway, keep your eyes here for periodic updates and drunken scrawls from down south. It'll be my first time back there since pre-Katrina and it's GalPal's first time there EVER so we're hoping to have a lot of fun. Been there yourself and want to share your recommendations with us? Leave a comment or shoot me an email. All ideas welcome!

O.K., back to our preparations...