Mentor Tormentor

I'm digging this new CD from a band called Earlimart, and most especially a track called Happy Alone. I'll have it up shortly so you can Flip The Pancake.

Why is it that 1 in 5 Americans are not getting drunk this weekend?

I personally believe that US Americans out there in our nation do not have beer bongs. Like such as in South Africa and the Iraq.

Hope your Labor Day weekends contain something like beer and nothing like labor.

Q&A: Cruising Public Restrooms with Lewd Intentions

Read all about it here, because I KNOW you were wondering. (Hey, isn't that one of the Village People he's with?)

The Fixer-Upper

They asked 175, we offered 145, they countered 163. Decisions decisions.

Easy Tiger

New Ryan Adams album is out there. It's pretty good. I haven't heard any of his stuff with the Cardinals outside of a couple of singles or bootlegs, so I can only compare it to earlier stuff. It holds up pretty well. Has kind of a commercial feel to it, like he didn't want to get bad reviews.

Make like a senator and spread your Feet To Pee.

We've All Been Here ...

Just not on national television. Ouch. She's obviously having a little freak out moment. What was the question again?

Get Happy, You Bastards

Thanks to our friend Monroe for the tip.

Hello, Larry

Here's the juicy bit from the CNN.com article:

According to Roll Call, the arresting officer alleged that Craig lingered outside a restroom stall where the officer was sitting, then entered the stall next door and blocked the door with his luggage.

According to the arrest report cited by Roll Call, Craig tapped his right foot, which the officer said he recognized "as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct."

The report alleges Craig then touched the officer's foot with his foot and the senator "proceeded to swipe his hand under the stall divider several times," according to Roll Call.

At that point, the officer said he put his police identification down by the floor so Craig could see it and informed the senator that he was under arrest, before any sexual contact took place.

I almost feel sorry for the GOP. Almost. Read the complete article here.

Thank Christ My Real Estate Mogul Days Are Over

I was a nervous wreck this time last year, but I'd be right there with Owen Wilson if I were selling a house right now. More bad news from CNNMoney.com ...

Homeowners trying to sell last month faced the biggest glut of homes on the market in about 16 years, as declining sales and growing problems in the mortgage market helped push home prices down for the 12th straight month.

Read the full article here ...

Adios, Pendejo

Another case of what is probably a decent person brought down through his loyalty to assholes.

Dave's Dream Tour Becomes Reality; Reality Kicks Dave in Groin

Dylan and Costello are teaming up for a pretty substantial fall tour. Dylan, on the Never Ending Tour will be promoting the new compilation disc(s) Dylan and Costello will be playing his first solo shows in over a decade. Usually when he does something like this, he previews loads of new songs from some upcoming album. The groin-kicking part is that I won't be able to see any of these shows. The closest, in Charlottesville, falls on a night that I'll be traveling to Philly for a wedding. Tour dates here.

The Only Band That Matters With Tom Snyder

I never saw this before, but it reinforces my belief that Joe was the cool one and Mick tried too hard. And they have good chemistry with Tom.

Now It's My Daughter's Turn

M. fell on some Legos while she and her brother were goofing off in a firetruck-shaped tent. A quick trip to the emergency clinic revealed a cracked elbow, and a week in a cast isn't stabilizing the fracture. Apparently, the piece of bone that's broken has muscles and whatnot attached to it, so any movement of those muscles displaces it from the humerus, preventing effective healing.

So, she and the wife are at the doctor now, awaiting surgery to put pins in the bone. Fun times.

Any positive vibes you can spare, guys ...

They Called Francoise the Rasberry. That must mean something in French

Boby Lapointe - Framboise
Uploaded by Gibet

I saw this Truffaut film years ago called Shoot the Piano Player. It was pretty good, but I loved this scene, which has nothing to do with anything else in the movie, just a guy singing a song. Thought of it for some reason and found it on the internets.

A Million Deaths

I've created a new blog devoted to my recent Half-Life 2: Deathmatch (HL2DM) obsession. I figgered Dave was getting tired of the HL2DM posts, as he has no interest in gaming.

So, um, I guess this will be the last.

Maybe.

Golden Compass-Extended Preview

This was a great book and has excellent big screen-potential. Of course there are a million ways to fuck up a screen adaptation and most of them have been tried. But the preview made me feel like a little girl again.

One to look forward to......

The movie 'Walk Hard' will be released soon, and it has several things going for it.

1) Judd Apatow wrote the script
2) John C. Reilly and Jenna Fischer (The Office) star.
3) It is a goof on the music bio pic, this one seemingly spoofing Johnny Cash and maybe Brian Wilson and Jerry Lee Lewis.
4) Paul Rudd plays John Lennon; Jack White is Elvis.
5) Did I mention John C. Reilly?

How to Insure a Steady Beverage Flow in a Crowded Bar

We've probably all picked up these techniques in our own field work on the topic, but it's always good to get a refresher course.

Swear Jar

This is rather excellent.

Did I mention that the Minneapolis music scene kicked ass in the 80s?

Trailer for a new film about the Minneapolis music scene. You might recognize some of the groups. And love them.

Trebek Rises Even Higher in my Estimation

Check out this awesome video of vintage Trebek acting exactly like any of us would if we hosted a syndicated game show. Actually, Trebek is much, much classier than I would be if I hosted a syndicated game show. NSFW.

Quagmire Sounds About Right

Day Elvis Died

The day Elvis died, which affected Dave so profoundly, is commemorated on Memphis-WMC channel 5's website, featuring Mason Granger (second clip). Glad to find out his death wasn't related to drugs! Interesting, too, how the place of his death moved discretely to the bedroom.

OK, can we talk about something else now?

Okay, Dang It

Let's cut to the chase: where were you, what were you doing, and how did you find out?

Elvis - the Legacy

I stopped and got gas in N.C. today and noticed these on the counter. The girl behind the counter said "they're pretty good, but they don't sell too well." I didn't buy one.

I think tomorrow is the actual Dead Elvis anniversary, isn't it?

King Of Kong Documentary

This looks good.

Flash! Ah-Ahhh!

Flash Gordon represents a defining moment for me. The weekend after I and some friends saw it, Mrs. Smith, my sixth grade English teacher, brought in a review from the paper that described, in graphic detail, how repellent this film was.

We were outraged.

Who was this moron? Had we not seen the same movie? To make things worse, Mrs. Smith seemed to be siding with the critic. Anyway, here's the defining moment part: it was the first time that I can remember openly disagreeing with an adult and defending my position.

As it turns out, we were both right. The film was meant to be a campy homage to the original serial – bad on purpose. Of course, I didn't get that when I was 11, but neither did the adult critic ...

The soundtrack, sampled at a staggering 320kbps, is my gift to you on this Wednesday morning. Settle back with a cup of Freedom Roast, pretend you're working, and enjoy.

(Joe, I look forward to your inevitable Dead Elvis post today.)

Death By Caffeine

Find out here how much of your favorite caffeinated beverage it would take to kill you.

Smokin' Frank Black concert

From our friends at Fabchannel.com, this amazing Frank Black performance from a recent European tour. FB performs the first several songs solo acoustic and then brings out his punkiest band in ages to play the rest of this generous set. The eye-opener is that FB doesn't play guitar during the 'electric' portion! FB IS the new Elvis Presley. Check out the streaming show here. Hurry, I think they delete content relatively often.

Because I can't stand looking at Shane MacGowan's horrible mouth anymore........

Just a Photogenic Guy

The camera loves him! Interesting "bit" from his wiki entry: MacGowan got his first taste of fame when, in 1976 at a Clash concert, his earlobe was bitten by a girl he had previously been kissing. A photographer snapped a picture of him covered in blood and it made the papers[2], with the headline "Cannibalism At Clash Gig", turning him into a local punk legend. Shortly after this, he formed his own punk rock band, The Nipple Erectors, later renamed to the "The Nips".

Now let's see who can find THAT picture.

Hey There, Sexy

Shane MacGowan's teeth make my mouth hurt.

Ankiel Smash

The Rick Ankiel story is an amazing one. He shot to the big leagues as a 20-year-old phenom pitcher, but developed a bizarre psychological problem and lost the ability to throw the ball over the plate. After a long struggle, he gave up pitching, reinvented himself as an outfielder, starting his career over from scratch. Two and a half years later, he returned to the big leagues last night to a standing ovation and hit a home run in his first game back.

He spent most of the season here in Memphis with the Redbirds, the Cardinals' AAA affiliate, and led the league in HRs. Incidentally, the promotion for tonight's Redbirds game is a Marvel comic book featuring the Hulk, Iron Man, Spiderman and Rick Ankiel.

Small Town Holds Annual Gay Shame Parade

God bless The Onion on slow afternoons!

NERDLINGER, That's Who

Dig that theme song.

First Day of School!

Believe it or not, classes start for us today! I'm on my prep period now- first period went fine. I love the first few days when they are quiet, shy, and nervous. Two weeks from now they'll be talking incessantly, late for class and I'll become the character from the book on the left. One great thing about teaching is the renewal aspect- every year you get to reevaluate, reasses, and start over. Kids that were a pain in the ass last year are now someone else's pain in the ass, which allows me to be friendlier with them in the hall. If you guys were my class, Jay would be the nerdlinger, Joe would wear the duncecap, and Lurker would be scraping gum off the bottoms of the desk.

And Then There Were Three

I invited my friend Ian to play HL2DM with us last night. He graciously accepted, and then proceeded to kick both our asses. (Lurker is much improved, might I add.) The good news is, there were no lags on the listen server that I could detect. Lurker, did you notice any weirdness? More boring highlights follow ...


My graceful descent.


Check my health.


Almost looks like I'm doing this on purpose. I'm not.


Long distance death.


I probably need to get that leg looked at.


Man, that's a lot of blood for such a little lady.

Anybody Remember Shakey's?

Aerogel!

Developed by NASA to catch comet dust, Aerogel can provide 39 times more insulation than fiberglass! This is gonna be huge when it becomes affordable ...

Oh, Baby

I drooled on my keyboard a little bit ...

Check it out.

Worth A Look

Any of you guys know the story behind this? Richard Donner was filming Superman and Superman II simultaneously, but as the release date for Superman came and went, he stopped working on II to get the first movie out the door. Because of ongoing battles with the producers (Alexander and Ilya Salkind), he was not asked back to finish the job. Instead, Richard Lester (yes, THAT Richard Lester) was brought in. But in order to squeeze out Donner, 51% of the picture had to be Lester's, so perfectly good scenes were re-shot. Also, Marlon Brando was removed from the second film, as his contract would earn him something like 11% of the film's US gross!

25 years later, a fan put together a very rough version of Donner's Superman II and posted it on the internets. Warner Brothers issued a cease and desist, but that set the ball in motion, and the studio eventually gave the go-ahead to restore the film. Michael Thau, who worked as Donner's assistant on the Superman films (and others) sorted through six tons of film to complete the project.

Although there are several large chunks that the restoration shares with the original (Luthor's prison break, the fight with Zod & company, the truckstop scenes), major plot points have changed. But the main thing is that it feels more like the first Superman; the tone has completely changed. Unfortunately, to use the original scene where Lois learns the truth (it's better than the hand in the fire), they had to use test scene footage. Reeves' hair changes from shot to shot and his glasses are very different from those he wore in the rest of the movie ... It's jarring, but I guess they didn't have a choice. Otherwise, the film seems very well put together.

Marshall Crenshaw

I and about 45 other people caught the actor who played Buddy Holly and John Lennon last night in Asheville. The Reigning Sound played on Saturday, but I didn't find this out until yesterday. Marshall was good, even if it was just him and a guitar. And he had his left foot mic'd. That's the first time I've ever seen that. Obviously I didn't know a lot of the later stuff, and he did a couple of covers, including one by Holly and '19th Nervous Breakdown,' but stuff like 'Whenever You're on My Mind' and 'Someday, Somewhere' were delights even in the stripped down version. An added bonus was the local Asheville beers the club had on tap. Yummy yummy yummy.

This could very well be the last good show I see for awhile, or at least until Dave invites me up to see someone. Of course, there will probably be a Toby Keith show or two.

Suddenly ... Minivan!

Soozan picked up a 2007 Toyota Sienna this past Saturday. We're finally rid of our complete piece of shit Grand Cherokee, trading up for one of the most reliable vehicles on the road. It's the Cadillac of minivans!

(Now, if I can just find a Cramps sticker ...)

HL2DM: Last Night's Highlights

Lurker catches air.


A good opportunity to check the detail on my uniform.


Last kill of the night, resulting from mano y mano stunstick fight.

While We're on the Subject

Faces doing a cover by some obscure British songwriter.

Ooh La La

By all accounts, Ronnie Lane was a sweetheart of a guy. And dang it if he couldn't write songs that made the hair on your arms stand up.

Poor old granddad
I laughed at all his words
I thought he was a bitter man
He spoke of women's ways

They'll trap you, then they use you
Before you even know
For love is blind and you're far too kind
Don't ever let it show

I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was younger
I wish that I knew what I know now

The can can's such a pretty show
They'll steal your heart away
But backstage, back on earth again
The dressing rooms are grey

They come on strong and it ain't too long
Before they make you feel a man
But love is blind and you soon will find
You're just a boy again

When you want her lips, you get a cheek
Makes you wonder where you are
If you want it more then she's fast asleep
Means you're twinkling with the stars

Poor young grandson, there's nothing I can say
You'll have to learn, just like me
And that's the hardest way
Ooh la la

I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was younger
I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was stronger

Slow Day At Work = Busy Day At LBU

"Look! Up ahead! HOLY CRAP!"

"What's wrong?!?"

"Nothing! That's just the name of the club where they're going to be performing!"

Mmmmm.....Monica

Okay, I think I'll go see it. Sorry to get you in trouble at work, Lurker and Jay.

This is Painful...

I referred to this in a comment on Jay's post. The image / sound quality is pretty bad, but you get the picture. Get it? Get the picture!!

Almost Forgot ...

I pulled "The Incredible Bulk" from a set of CDs containing every issue of MAD magazine through 1998 or so. (Christmas present, circa 1999.)

Anybody have any requests that you can dredge up from your quickly evaporating childhood memories?

Shoot 'Em Up Unlikely To Suck

Monica Belluci? Paul Giamatti? Clive Owen? Guns? Motley Crue?

"Guns don't kill people ... but they sure help."

Blew Myself Up

I got bored exploring other HL2DM maps, so I started killing myself with explosives and capturing the moment with the F5 key. This was the best one.

Well, Jacksonville's a city with a hopeless streetlight

Sorry I've been an absentee bastardo lately, but here's the latest...

I applied for a job with a company called LSI (lisjax.com) for an Instructional Design position in Jacksonville, Florida. They got back to me rather promptly, set up a conference call which happened today, and got back, rather promptly again, and orfered me a job. It's a cool ass job doing CBT for the Marine's V22 Osprey - not sure what it all entails, but it would be a lot more interesting than working for an insurance company (the only other nibble I've gotten). Granted, it's not higher ed, but the well seems to have run dry on those types of jobs (JU has evidently lost my number). Anyway, everything about the job is great, except they filled the Florida position and offered me this one in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Which you of course know as the home of Camp LeJune and the birthplace of Ryan Adams.

Everything about the job is good - salary, bennies, relocation, all that. Only problem is it's up the coast a bit farther than I wanted. They're expecting an up or down vote by Monday. I foresee a bit of 'meditating' (read drinking) over the weekend. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

PS - By the time you read this, I'll be sucking on 39.

I Can't Stand the Quiet!

One of my favorite songs and my favorite scene from Simple Men, a fine Hal Hartley film. C'mon you bastards, dance!

Forward Thinking People....

.... will check out the Frosty Turnpike Patrol to hear the song I recorded for the Daniel Bull tribute album back in June. Danny was a New Orleans guy, a singer and songwriter who passed away from leukemia at a too-young age. His former partner Lauren is putting together a tribute to Danny and his songs, so we (myself, Dave Baker, Elzy Lindsey) chose 'Show No Concern' and gave it a good whacking in the studio. It was fun to play loud again.

The Incredible Bulk

Click to embiggen. These are HUGE.