Get your Pimp Name! How to be a true PIMP!

Apparently, my "pimp name" is Reverend Doctor Christopher Rockefeller. Looks like it's time to engrave some new business cards!

Although violence against women is, y'know, wrong.

Meteor showers to devastate planet Earth - PRAVDA.Ru

Great. As if there's not enough to worry about.

RUSSIA MAKES IT FUNNY

Bad, maladjusted kitty!

If Wal Mart were a nation it would be ranked 19th biggest economically.

iPod vs. The Cassette
Just in time for Christmas....a comparative study.

Play Infocom Adventures Online

Bored? Visit this page to play any number of old Infocom games. Takes me back to the days I was a subscriber to Enter magazine.
(I had that issue, BTW. How do I remember that?)

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Locusts rebranded as 'sky prawns'

Locusts. Delicious, delicious locusts.

THE DIANA-MORRISSEY PHENOMENON

Did Morrissey fortell the death of Princess Diana in his music? Perhaps. My dog Maggie seems to think so. But then again, she'll drink from the toilet if you let her.

Straight male seeks Bush supporter for fair, physical fight - m4m

I guess that it's helpful to find an outlet for your feelings...

The Day Jobs

This is somewhat old news, but deserves a mention. Guthrie's was THE place for my crowd in the late high school-early college days. Some of my friends actually went there for their prom dinner, bringing along a tablecloth and candle for the perfect ambiance. The restaurant's formula (chicken fingers and strangely addictive sauce) was adopted and improved by Zaxby's. The food quality had indeed gone noticeably south the last time I dropped by. Along with the late-90s closing of The Spaghetti Store (where Jen and I went on our first date eleven years ago Friday), Athens has lost two more mediocre but memorable eateries.

Letter at Murder Threatens Dutch Official

Theo van Gogh was murdered in Amsterdam on Tuesday. His attacker was a Dutch Moroccan who wore traditional Islamic clothing. After shooting van Gogh, he stabbed him repeatedly, slit his throat with a butcher knife, and left a note containing verses from the Qur'an on the body. Said Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende: "Nothing is known about the motive" of the killer.

So, the Pixies played at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta on Wednesday, and we were there.

We enjoyed the show, although it wasn't a life-altering event. They are older, and so am I. It's hard to compare this show to the first one I saw at the Georgia Theatre in Athens in November 1991. At that show, I had failed to buy a ticket before it sold out, and had to secure entry by wrangling a job (through a friend) unloading the equipment truck and working security at the Theatre for the Pixies. Of course, I wasn't getting paid, so as soon as they hit the stage I melted into the crowd. I recall staring up at a screeching Black Francis and getting caught in a seething wave of moshing humanity, propelling me directly to the front of the stage. Trompe le Monde had been released just the month before, but everyone there knew all the words and sang along heartily. I was eighteen and the Pixies were Gods.

And so Wednesday's show- certainly enjoyable, in a generic sense. I sat in my comfortable chair in a balcony seat and looked down at the former Gods, now mortal. They played the songs we all know and love. We cheered and applauded at the appropriate times. But overall, I was left with the feeling of watching a jukebox.


Approximate setlist(the order might be off, but I believe these are the songs that were played):

1. Here Comes Your Man
2. Winterlong
3. Bone Machine
4. Subbacultcha
5. Dead
6. Cactus
7. I Bleed
8. Number Thirteen Baby
9. Head On
10. Crackity Jones
11. Debaser
12. Umass
13. Levitate Me
14. Gouge Away
15. Broken Face
16. Something Against You
18. Tame
19. Caribou
20. Hey
21. Monkey Gone To Heaven
22. Velouria
23. Mr Grieves
24. Nimrods Son
25. Holiday Song
26. Vamos
27. Where Is My Mind
28. Wave Of Mutilation
29. Gigantic

The 8500 calorie manwich!

I've seen some sandwiches in my day... but none to match this "affront to God".

ESPN.com - MLB - Pitcher shot, OK; cheerleader boots to thank?

Lesson: if you're going to get shot, you might as well wear a cheerleader's outfit. It can't hurt, right?

Even with the advent of the electronic information age, it has become more and more apparent to me that possessing the ability to communicate clearly is one of the most vital....things.

Being able to speak well is one of the most important....

uhhhh....hmmmm.

I think you know what I'm trying to say.

I mean let's face it, some people have a way with words, other people....

uhhhh....

Oh, "not have way", I guess.

(Thanks, Steve.)

RUSSIA MAKES IT FUNNY

Yeaaahhh...that's..."really hilarious".

Zzzzzz...

Hmmm? Oh, I'm still here. I'm just..."thinking".

MSNBC - 'Hardball with Chris Matthews' for Sept. 1

That was some great live television: Miller v. Matthews. If you didn't catch it, read the above transcript(a bit down from the top). Zell was in rare form. Anytime a national political figure all but challenges a television personality to a duel, you have got to call it "must see tv".

Pitchfork: Top 100 Albums of the 1980s

By popular demand, I'd like to put forth my own personal list of the top twenty albums of the eighties.

THE LIST

20. The Sugarcubes - Life's Too Good (1988)

19. U2 - Boy (1980)

18. The Cure - Staring at The Sea - The Singles (1986)

17. Galaxie 500 - On Fire (1989)

16. Echo and the Bunnymen - Porcupine (1983)

15. Joy Divison - Closer (1980)

14. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes (1983)

13. Love Tractor - Themes From Venus (1989)

12. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (1986)

11. U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)

10. Talking Heads - The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads (1982)

9. R.E.M. - Murmur (1983)

8. The Smiths - The Smiths (1984)

7. Pixies - Surfer Rosa (1988)

6. The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs (1987)

5. Pixies - Doolittle (1989)

4. Stewart Copeland - The Rhythmatist (1985)

3. The Gun Club - Fire of Love (1981)

2. The Police - Ghost in The Machine (1983)

1. Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues (1983)

Hey, it's officially our Anniversary!

That's right, eight years ago today my lovely wife and I were joined in matrimony in the "verdant bower" of our outdoor ceremony. Two daughters, a house, and several pets later I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks for saying "yes", sweetie, I can not imagine life without you.

Athens101.com - All your Athens are belong to us

If you live in or around Athens, Georgia, this site is of interest....a useful forum for news,views, and the occasional rant.

Senators propose taking apart CIA

Isn't this what JFK wanted to do? We all know how that turned out.

Population Boom Predicted In Poor Nations

Well, this bodes well for the future harmony of humanity here on Earth... c'mon, guys, get that Moonbase going already!

We'll need the room.

The Shining in 30 seconds with bunnies.

Yes, that's right. The Shining. In thirty seconds. With bunnies.

No Way Out - Is there any hope of avoiding catastrophe in Iraq? By Fred�Kaplan

This is an interesting article focusing on the "Vietnam quagmire" aspect of the Iraqi situation. Another suitable comparison could be the breakup of post-Cold War Yugoslavia; various ethic tribes coming into conflict after an autocratic regime has been swept away. America, caught in the middle, an irritant to all sides.

Perhaps (sooner than later) order can be reestablished and we can eventually make a graceful exit. I just wouldn't bet on it.

. . .






(Silent post in honour of my Grandfather, who died earlier today.)

Requiescat in pace.

"Bra-vo, Mr. Nothing!"
---My 5 year-old, Holly, commenting upon my failed attempt at hitting a tennis ball, 9 August 2004

There's nothing greater than being ridiculed by your own offspring. At least she still managed to make it sound cute.

National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States

The 9/11 Report is out, quite interesting reading. Will it happen again? Probably. It's all too easy to strike where no one's looking, and there is no shortage of zealots from one cause or another. Well, I know what I'll be doing when the next big one hits.

Back from vacation....

Rested, relaxed, slightly sunburned.

Pain.

So I developed a stiff neck, god knows why; the pain has now migrated across my back into my shoulderblade.  Well, at least I will have a renewed sense of gratitude when I (presumably) return to a pain-free state and can turn my head more than 40 degrees to each side. 

My daughter swallowed a nickel tonight, we had to have her x-rayed to make sure it went all the way down (it had).  I only hope it will all work out in the end.  (Sorry, Holly.)

Fela Kuti rocks. "Zombie!"

Low Carb Dog Food?

Wow, even Maggie can get in on the fad diet craze. Don't worry, Pepper, we're not leaving you out!

I wish I had patented the term "low-carb" a few years ago when I first devised it. Oh well, watch for my new "saltwater" diet, now in development: you will lose weight, or your money back.

Pitchfork: Top 100 Albums of the 1970s

This is a mostly-interesting list of the best albums of the 70s, notable for some significant omissions. What, no Police? GMAFB!

Here's my personal top ten albums of the 1970s.

10. The Who - Who's Next (1971)

9. The Clash - London Calling (1979)

8. The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (1972)

7. Television - Marquee Moon (1977)

6. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979)

5. The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out (1971)

4. Talking Heads - Talking Heads:77 (1977)

3. The Police - Outlandos d'Amour (1978)

2. Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings And Food (1978) 
 
1. The Police - Reggatta de Blanc (1979)

EWG Report || Skin Deep

Here's a handy tool to find out how your personal care products are GOING TO KILL YOU.

And the good news just keeps on coming...

Memory aids in car can save kids

So, apparently, we are all too busy to remember where we've put the kids.

C'mon, if you are "too distracted" by your "fast-paced lifestyle" that you leave your kid in the car all day, perhaps it's time to re-evaluate your priorities. And no, I've never needed a toy in the front seat to remind me, "Oh! Better make sure that Holly is at school and not sitting in my back seat!"

It's called responsibility, people. You need a license to operate a car, own a gun, or open a business...maybe we should add "raising a child" to the list.

.: Welcome to LOLLAPALOOZA 2004 :.

Well, crikey. It looks as though Lollapalooza has been cancelled. I was planning on going this year, as Moz is (was) headlining. Not crazy about the whole "festival" thing, not sure if Moz's music is really geared toward that type of environment, but was willing to give it a try. Ah, well, that's ninety bucks we can save...

Otter Pops.

Otter Pops weren't bad, they had the cool otter characters...although we always seemed to have a big box of Fla-Vor-Ice pops in our freezer. Nothing better on a hot summer day, the best part being the juice left over after you had consumed the artifically-colored frozen sugar water. It always made me cough, for some reason.

DavidByrne.com - 2004 Tour Journal

David Byrne put on a great show Friday June 11th, I thought it was even better than the first time I saw him live in 2001. Arrived at the Georgia Theatre around 9:00, situated ourselves in the back of the floor area directly in front of the stage. The opening act (Juana Molina) was unique and charming, although she seemed to have a few technical problems.

David and his musicians hit the stage around 10:30, and the crowd began packing the floor. The temperature soon became uncomfortably warm. I'm usually averse to large crowds of people, but didn't really mind this night because of the music. I had a great view, and my wife was able to see the stage virtually the entire time as well. I felt badly for her, as she's a good bit shorter than I am, and I imagined that her air supply must be quite restricted. Anyway, she was fine, although a girl passed out directly next to us during the first few songs.

As for the concert itself, David seemed to enjoy himself and really put a lot of energy into his performance. They played the expected fare (older Talking Heads songs) as well as several of his newer solo pieces. After a full set and two encores we walked out into the (comparatively)cool night. We were drenched, my wife looked as though she had been thrown in a pool. A police car drove by the front of the Theatre and someone from the crowd threw a cup full of ice at it. We didn't really see the drunken revelry David describes in his journal above, however.

A great night...sort of like a musical Black Hole of Calcutta, but more fun.

Here is the setlist, as far as I can remember:

Athens, GA / 11 June 2004

Glass Concrete & Stone
I Zimbra
Ausencia
Finite=Alright
She Only Sleeps
The Other Side of this Life
The Great Intoxication
Naive Melody-This Must Be The Place
Road to Nowhere
Nothing But Flowers
Once in a Lifetime
Un Di Felice
Tiny Apocalypse
Psycho Killer
U.B. Jesus
Dialog Box
What a Day that was
Blind
1st Encore:
Desconocido Soy
Life During Wartime
2nd Encore:
And She Was
Lazy

Internet Archive: Prelinger Archives
This is one of my favourite sites, chock full of great stuff. Classic industrial, educational, and commercial films from the twenties through the eighties. "Are You Popular?", one of the most viewed films, contains the immortal line, "Jenny thinks that she has the key to popularity - parking in cars with the boys at night." Haw haw haw! Poor misguided Jenny. So true.

In the same vein, Skip Elsheimer's site (A/V Geeks) showcases some of the "Educational Archives" released from his collection. I have the lunchbox/DVD set, maybe Holly can use it when she starts school. The lunchbox, I mean.

Reagan's last journey to Capitol=The Hill.com=
I found President Reagan's state funeral to be quite moving. For me, he was the towering political figure of my formative years. In second grade, our class took a Weekly Reader mock Presidential vote. I was the only member of my class to vote for Reagan, much to the puzzlement of my classmates. This was "Carter Country", after all. I remember feeling quite vindicated by the November election results.
Anyway, I did not become a lifetime Republican, I suppose now I would identify myself as a moderate Libertarian, whatever that means. But President Reagan struck a chord with both myself and the American public, and I feel that he deserves our respect for at least preserving the appearance of civil discourse, rare indeed these days.

Reagan's Place in History
As a non-professional historian, I have given some thought to how Reagan will be treated by history. I think that we are already seeing a dramatic re-evaluation of his legacy, only fifteen years after leaving office. President Truman has enjoyed a similar renewal, but it took quite a bit longer (he did leave office with much lower approval ratings than Reagan). As always, time and perspective will be the ultimate judge.

My own personal ranking of the greatest Presidents of the 20th century?

1. FDR
2. Reagan
3. Truman
4. Wilson
5. T.Roosevelt
6. LBJ
7. Bush I
8. Nixon

FDR: Obvious. The right man at the right time.
Reagan: A surprising(to myself) second. Stepped up the pressure on USSR and hastened its demise. Dubious fiscal policy pulled us out of the economic doldrums of 77-82. Strong leadership with conviction, but the willingness to compromise.
Truman: My personal hero, could surpass Reagan again. The quintessential "common man" who had the unenviable task of guiding the country through the minefield of the postwar period. Stood on his convictions, not afraid to take unpopular positions, set the groundwork for the opposition to global Communism. Met with unprecedented problems, made the tough decisions. A-Bomb necessary? Probably.
Wilson: Made the US a global player. Solemnly responsible. Possessed intellect and vision.
T. Roosevelt: Vibrant leader, inspired the US after the death of McKinley. Redefined the role of the Presidency.
LBJ: Primarily for his social policies, most notably the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Obvious minus for escalating Vietnam.
Bush I: Slightly out of his league, but did negotiate the Cold War's end. A truly decent guy, undone by "the economy, stupid".
Nixon: Perhaps a surprise, but his foreign policy legacy is notable. Established detente, extracted US from Vietnam quagmire. Opened doors to China. Should have burned the tapes.

And the rest?
Taft: A better Chief Justice.
Harding: Out of his league.
Coolidge: A caretaker President.
Hoover: Tried, but failed. A better ex-President.
Eisenhower: A caretaker President.
Kennedy: Inspiring figure, narrowly avoided nuclear holocaust. Needed at least a full term to fully make a lasting impact. Style over substance.
Ford: A caretaker President. Couldn't escape the image of a "bumbler".
Carter: Micro-manager. Indecisive.
Clinton: More fun than Coolidge, but another caretaker President. Lucky to preside over a booming economy and a peaceful country where few people knew the name "Bin Laden".
Legacy will be his character flaws.

Of course, these are my opinions, I could very well be wrong. But I'm not.

Now returning to the usual goofy, pop-culture based scheduled programming.

'Bush should have died, not Reagan': Morrissey
Oh, Morrissey, you're such a naughty boy(yawn).

"Hey, man, you don't talk to Reagan. You listen to him. The man's enlarged my mind. He's a poet-warrior in the classic sense. I mean sometimes he'll, uh, well, you'll say hello to him, right? And he'll just walk right by you, and he won't even notice you. And suddenly he'll grab you, and he'll throw you in a corner, and he'll say do you know that if is the middle word in life? If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you - I mean I'm no, I can't - I'm a little man, I'm a little man, he's, he's a great man. I should have been a pair of ragged claws scuttling across floors of silent seas..."
---George W. Bush, 5 June 2004

No, not really.

"Think of your many years of procrastination; how the gods have repeatedly granted you further periods of grace, of which you have taken no advantage. It is time now to realise the nature of the universe to which you belong, and of that controlling power whose offspring you are; and to understand that your time has a set limit to it. Use it, then, to advance your enlightenment; or it will be gone, and never in your power again."
---Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

That pretty much sums up where I am right now.

Rock And Roll Summer
Herein lies the web site of the band of my "Carolina Friend", Wes Whitener. We met six (Really?Yep) years ago whilst working at the UGA library. Several years ago he and his wife Erin moved to Raleigh, then Durham, NC. We still keep in touch from time to time.
He is almost as big a Doctor Who geek as I am, and that's saying something.

CD Baby: CHRIS GLENN: Everyone Is Naked - hear and buy it at CD BABY.
Well, this is not me...although I probably wish it was.

"you've never seen or heard anything quite like Chris Glenn before... but you know you want to see him again" --David Finkle--Village Voice.
That quote alone gives me the strength to go on...

moz letters
Morrissey's early 80s pen pal letters, there is much humour to be found there. Unlike this "blog".

The key to a great marriage....
I knew it.

"... Do you see the story? Do you see anything?... No, it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one's existence - its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live, as we dream - alone."
-Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

...and that is why I will never write my autobiography. Well, that, and the fact that no one would read it.

Am I still here? Uh, I guess so...or something.

(inarticulate whimpering)

"Where Generation X earlier struggled with meaninglessness in the '90s, grudgingly settling into adulthood conventionality after experimenting with the slacker lifestyle, Generation Y seems to have fully accepted meaninglessness as the basis of life in the 21st century."
---Garrett Chaffin-Quiray, Generation S.L.U.T. review, popmatters.com.

So, have I truly settled into adulthood conventionality? I suppose, but I'm not happy about it.

"Some people don't got no damn sense."
---T.C. Brooks, 14 April 2004

What have I been reading lately? Here are the last five books I've read:

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange ed. by Stuart McDougal
The 39 Steps: A British Film Guide ed. by Mark Glancy
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Doctor Who: The Infinity Doctors by Lance Parkin

Isn't that edifying?

Why Eat Peeps at Easter? - How the marshmallow chicks found Jesus.

In honor of Easter, let's remember what it's really all about...Marshmallow Peeps.

"I think if you're remotely intelligent you can't help being depressed. It's a positive thing to be. It means that you're not a crashing bore. I mean, you don't get support groups for rugby players, do you?"
---Morrissey, Guardian interview, 9 April 2004

The Pixies are coming to Atlanta, tickets are on sale April 9th...this is cool, I saw them live in Athens in November of 1991. It should be interesting to see how they sound after all these years (indeed, if they're still touring after a long summer together...the show is in October).

Holly's World
ladybugpicnic

Today is my sweet girl's 5th birthday. She is growing up fast! Her latest site has a special guest star, "junior associate" Meredith.

For Kurt Cobain, A Sleepless Nirvana (washingtonpost.com)

So, it's been ten years since Mr. Cobain ended his life...I can still remember driving home from school that day and noticing that everyone had their car lights on...the announcement on the radio...the coverage on MTV. A weird time to be sure. He died on my oldest daughter's birthday, and was born the day before my birthday. Coincidence?

Well, yeah, but...

Ghost Town

This is the photo story of a woman's motorcycle trip though the ruined landscape in and around Chernobyl, site of the world's worst nuclear disaster so far. Eerie images.

"You'll never hear me talk about
one day gettin' out.
Why put a new address
on the same ol' loneliness?"

-"Just Be Simple", by Songs:Ohia

PLAYLOUDER | NEWS | 47 DAYS TO GO!
A rather positive review of the new Morrissey album. Sounds like it should have a different sound but still have his trademark dry wit and melancholic overtones. Which is not a bad thing. Favourite titles so far: "I Have Forgiven Jesus", "The World is Full of Crashing Bores", and the epic "How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?"...

Slate also has this article about the pending Pixies reunion; quite hard on Frank Black's solo efforts, perhaps justifiably so. Black Letter Days and Devil's Workshop are still solid, however!

"Horror, horror has a face. And you must make a friend of horror. Horror, and moral terror are your friends. If they are not, then they are enemies to be feared. They are truly enemies." - Colonel Kurtz, Apocalypse Now

Unfortunately, there's plenty of horror to be found in the world right now. I only hope that the "better angels of our nature" may someday prevail.

They certainly didn't in Rwanda.

--Community Chaos--

My youngest brother Jeff has a band...and a new CD. Feel free to purchase it and enjoy "Four-piece melodic hardcore. Crunchy guitars and screaming."

I really should be studying Latin.

UPDATE! Lesson one completed! Huzzah.

What am I listening to lately?

"Farewell Transmission" by Songs:Ohia (Epic. "Listen!")
"Darkness" by The Police (An old favourite, used to lull me to sleep in the fifth grade)
"Irish Blood, English Heart" by Morrissey (The first single from his new album)
"F@*k The Pain Away" by Peaches (A guilty pleasure. This was in Lost in Translation.
"White Trash Heroes" by Archers of Loaf
"Horses" by Palace Music
"Livin' Was Easy" by The Glands
The entire "Morrissey:Under the Influence" album
"Gloria" by Patti Smith

And now you know.

Lady Elaine

This is my darling wife's blog. Read, if you dare.

"It's funny, isn't it, how one can go through life, as I have, disliking bananas and being indifferent to cheese, but still be able to eat, and enjoy, a banana and cheese sandwich like this." - Mr. Pither, Monty Python's Flying Circus Episode 34

Much like Mr. Pither, I am constantly finding myself enjoying anew relics from the past. Recently, I have regained an appreciation for two songs which I have listened to often but never really heard: "The Bed's Too Big Without You" by The Police and "Silver" by the Pixies. I have been listening to these groups for twenty and fifteen years, respectively, and these two particular tracks were never my favourites. They were a bit down-tempo for my taste. Perhaps the progressing years have mellowed my ear....

Well, apparently the BBC has cast the role of the Doctor in the new series of Doctor Who.....and the winner is....

Christopher Eccleston.

Cool! I always believed that I would be the first "Chris" cast as the Doctor, but this is a pleasant alternative. I've seen him in Shallow Grave, 24 Hour Party People, and The Others,and know that he is a passionate Morrissey fan, so it looks like a great choice from here. Can't wait for '05!

"If your work isn't what you love, then something isn't right."
That was from "Found a Job" by Talking Heads.
I would say that I partially agree with that. Satisfaction with one's employment can go a long way toward a general feeling of happiness. Personally, I'm still seeking that happy spot(professionally speaking). Right now, I must content myself with being a small cog in a giant machine.

And?

Hi there. My name is Chris and I'll be your blogger today.
Why should you care about anything that I would ever have to say?
Ummmm...you've got me there. At any rate, this is the first post out of the way, hopefully more to follow.

Cheers!