[information leafblower] Me And You! So Many Ways To Communicate
9/12/2003
Where Do You Get Your Inspiration?
One of these people wrote Fight Club, one of them writes a crappy little blog.
Could I be any less photogenic? I mean, I'm only getting my picture taken with my favorite fucking author (Bukowski is dead...).
Honestly, Chuck was just what I needed today. I was seriously depressed by Johnny Cash's passing. He was my dawg. Quite a few people contacted me today to make sure I heard the news. I did. I did.
But it was just awesome to see Chuck. He has this energy that is just contagious.
I arrived a B & N Union Square around 5:30, about 15 minutes before Chuck. Chuck ALWAYS shows up early to get the book signing underway. He's good like that. I took a seat in the 4th row and we were the last ones called up for the pre-gig signing. I now have 3 more signed 1st edition's. HOT.
Last time I went to see Chuck, I turned into that guy at the gas station in Beyonce's Pepsi commercial when he started signing my book. Completing a sentence was way beyond my capabilities. I was much better this year. I chose to tell him about my conversation with Amy Hempel in which she gushed mucho props his way and he returned the favor to me (he later named Amy his favorite author during the Q & A part of the night) and I could tell he was excited he turned me on to her work. HOT.
Chuck has been reading this short story entitled Guts during the Diary tour and it's been making quite an impression. Prior to tonights' reading of the story, 21 people during the tour had passed out while he read it. 2 more people bit the dust tonight bringing his total to 23 for the tour. And I'll be the first to say Guts is the most disgusting thing I've ever heard. It's a three part short story that gets progressively worse. Part 1 deals with a peeled carrott, some Vaseline and an anus, Part 2 with some wax, a penis and masturbation and Part 3 with a pool, the water pump and a large intestine. Truly sickening. Some guy in the row in front of me taped the whole thing so maybe it will be available on video soon. Playboy bought the print version so we'll all have an excuse to pick up an issue in the near future. "I bought it for the ARTICLES dammit!"
Anyway, it was a great night. I learned some weird things about Chuck:
1) Both his grandparents died last year and he paid for their tombstones(the first his family has ever had) with the money from Fight Club.
2) Apparently, his agent is Edward Hibbert who appears occasionally on Frasier. I'm still trying to get confirmation about this, but Hibbert was in the house tonight.
For more Chuck P pics, go here.
Fuck. This ruins everything.
I am so depressed right now.
Story from CNN.
Johnny, I will drink heavily in your honor tonight big guy.
You will be missed. Say hello to June for all of us.
Hurt Video BBC - Country legend Cash dies
AJC - Johnny Cash dead at 71
MSNBC - Country legend Johnny Cash dies
Ananova UK - Music legend Cash is dead
NY Times - Johnny Cash, Country Music's Bare-Bones Realist, Dies at 71
Billboard - Country Music Legend Johnny Cash Dies
We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when,
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day.
Keep smilin' thro just like you always do
Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away.
So will you please say hello to the folks that I know;
Tell them I won't be long.
They'll be happy to know that as you saw me go
I was singing this song.
We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when,
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day.
Wow...If you search Google or Yahoo! for "9-11-01 Pics" my crappy, completed in like 2 hours website is #3 in the rankings!! Hotness. Currently my webpage is over it's bandwidth limit, but should be back up soon so you can see it. Now if I can just get all those people to come over here when they are done....
Nick Catchdubs has a great entry today, be sure and read it.
Looking back on everything let me say that first and foremost, I am so happy that Molly, Kitty and I moved out to Brooklyn. It's 100% better than downtown Manhattan was in the days after 9/11. Mentally, emotionally, physically. Everything. And we have a backyard now so kitty can watch birds and squirells all day.
Thinking back about my day on 9/11 I am still amazed at how calm I was throughout the whole thing.
I'm very glad to still be here today and I think I made it through everything relatively unscathed. I saw some things that will go to the grave with me, but there was much worse that I missed and I am thankful for that. I really wish I was blogging back then. I wrote journal entries in my notebook, maybe I will transcribe them here someday.
I ended up losing my old job the following February because of lingering 9/11 issues (my boss was livid at me for not going to work on the 12th even though we had no telephone service and I had no idea if my apartment had been ransacked or destroyed). Shit happens. Life goes on.
PS - I'm unemployed again and looking for work, help a brother out, won't ya?
But I digress...
NOTES OF INTEREST FROM THE INTERWEB: > A fitting story for this day. Vin Baker has admitted he is an alcoholic. While not going as far as recanting all the venom I spewed his way last year, I have to see this as an encouraging step. Professional athletes as a whole are not wont to step up and admit to their shortcomings or face their demons in public. For this, Vin is to be commended. 10 and 6 is all we need this year buddy. Cheers.
> In other "Hellz Yeah" news for the Celtics, Tony Battie's knee seems to be recovering just fine.
> Can Duke freshman Luol Deng pull a Carmelo Anthony and lead his team to a title in his first collegiate campaign? [click on Andy Katz's column on the right]
> Is this a legitimate story or is Kim Clijsters a sore loser?
> Sometimes, it's the little things in life. Today I found out that Apple has pre-programmed schedules for the Celtics and the Blue Devils available to download for use with their iCal datebook software (free if you own a Mac running 10.2). Not only that, but they have tour dates for REM and Radiohead available too. Have I ever told you that Apple Rulez?
> On the fence about renewing .Mac? Go here for your answer.
> In the interest of fair time, more critical vulnerabilities revealed in Windows.
> Have I ever told you Rolling Stone fucking blows? Neither Johnny marr, nor John Squire made it onto their list of 100 Greatest Guitarists Ever. If I have to tell you what bands those guys were in, you're reading the wrong blog.
> The Super Furry Animals will be doing a live DJ set and meet and greet in Houston on Wednesday, September 24th at 6:30PM. Go to Cactus Music and Video on 2930 South Shepherd Drive and tell the band DJ Koldflow sent you.
> Johnny Fucking Cash released from the hospital. Only good news here today dammit!
> REM pay tribute to fallen comrade Warren Zevon in LA. Hindu Love Gods anyone?
> Billy Corgan = Jewel.
All right...I am in such a good mood today, I am going to give away some prizes to my faithful readers!
I have two copies of Love Songs for New York, a compilation CD with tracks from Moby, Andrew WK, Cornershop and more, which was released by the Village Voice to benefit the September 11th Fund. Both copies are brand new and still sealed.
To get them, just tell me what song the following lyrics came from as well as the artist that performs the song and the CD on which this track first appeared:
You want me? Fucking well come and find me.
I'll be waiting with a gun and a pack of sandwiches.
Email me your answers. The first two correct responses with all the info requested will get a copy mailed to their house. Good luck.
Has anyone else seen the rescue footage of the bear in the tree? In Missoula MT, some crazy bear got stuck in a tree so they shot it with a tranquilizer dart and it fell out of the tree onto a strategically placed trampoline, bounced once there and then did a total faceplant into the ground. Then some guy carries it like a sack of bricks and throws it into the back of a truck. Supposedly it is OK, but of course they are going to say that. PETA is gonna go nuts.
CBS 2 (NYC) has the footage in crappy REALPlayer in their VIDEO section. I'm scouring the interweb for glorious QuickTime footage. Check back soon.
Whoa...Blogger has a new interface in it's post menu. Spellcheck? Hello! Where have you been for the last 4 months...
I really have a love / hate relationship with my mail carrier / postman. He brings me my unemployment checks every week so that I can eat and pay for broadband internet access, but he also rips and destroy's every magazine he delivers to me. Yesterday my new Macworld arrived with the back cover and last three pages ripped off of the magazine and stuffed into my mailbox. Today my ESPN Magazine's front cover is hopelessly shredded. Hey dawg, this is the pro football preview issue! Damn.
So the Evil Empire beat the Tizzle's 4 to 2 last night. The game was fun but not particularly exciting. The Yankees seemed determined to lose not matter how hard the Tizzle's tried, only to pull it out late. We left in the middle of the 8th inning, just gefore The Yankees scored 2 to put the game away. I mean, it's not like anyone there thought Detrizzle would actually win. The subway commute from the Bronx to Park Slope is hell so we wanted to get a jump on it. Besides, I couldn't afford any more $6.25 Bud Lights and $4.75 Hot Dawgs. Hideki Matsui made a great play in the 2nd inning that made Soprtcenter's Top 10 plays of the night. Check foto's from my fotolog for some visual stimulation.
Still, I was happy to find out that the Boston Red Sizzle's also got a W last night, and are winning 3-0 right now. Rock!
NOTES OF INTEREST FROM THE INTERWEB > This just in, Jessica Simpson is hot as hell and "dumb as a stick". The Post weighs in on MTV's newest hit show.
> Stereogum and Whatevs dot org have Britney's new photos from Rolling Stone. Funny how no one is reporting how Madonna Kobe'd Britney for that smooch. And by that I mean pay her off with diamonds for helping out the cause.
> Yo, Jack Bauer knows what's up. He's sporting an Apple G5 in the preview for season 3 of 24.
> Snapple is now "The Official Drink of NYC" or something like that.
> The 12 year old settled with the RIAA for $2,000.
> Hey, did ya hear the one about how former UNC golden boy Joe Forte is a punk ass bitch and is getting cut by the Seattle Supersonics, perhaps ending his brief NBA career? It's very sad. Almost as sad as the Celtics drafting him instead of Tony Parker.
> Are the Pixies going to reunite? I am surprisingly on the fence about this idea. What if they suck? I like them and all but what the world needs now is a Smiths reunion. I know it's gonna happen someday.
> Someone named Dizzee Rascal won the Mercury Music Prize. I personally lost respect for that award when Parachutes beat out XTRMNTR for a nomination a few years back. It was then that I realized that there is no such thing as justice.
> Pitchfork has a lovely review of Waves, the forthcoming Ride compilation.
That's all for now folks.
Remember, sister luck is calling out someone else's name. What a shame.
I'm out to see the Evil Empire v. The Detrizzle Tizzle's. Look for me on Channel 2.
Here is this week's TMQB Column. Hey, before I forget, thanks for reminding me the Dolphins have lost their last three games by a field goal in the game's waning seconds. Cheers.
Wanna comment on my RIAA story? I uploaded it at Blogcritics.com. Lay it on me. I entitled the piece
The RIAA = Zack from Paradise Hotel
Today’s topic du jour seems to be the RIAA’s new tactic of suing people that download music from the internet. Of the 261 that are in the current crop of suits, everyone involved had apparently uploaded more than 1000 songs to the internet. Thus, it seems, people that strictly download songs are safe from the RIAA’s (misguided) wrath as their plan is to attack those who are responsible for making those songs available online. Among those under duress from the RIAA are a 12 year old NYC student whose mother said paid $29.99 for Kazzaa and a 71 year old grandfather whose computer was taken over by his grandkids and used for this “illegal” activity. Is the internet free or not?
So….a few questions:
1) Who exactly is getting sued here? The person that holds/pays for the ISP account being used or the person doing the act of downloading? Are both at fault?
2) What if a guest uses your computer to upload / download music without your knowledge? Who is at fault?
3) How do the record companies initiating the lawsuit know that the user that downloaded these songs didn’t erase them after listening to them a few times?
4) Do the 1,000 songs in question include live tracks or remixes that are not available to consumers commercially?
5) Is there really that much difference between downloading songs from the internet, burning a CD for a friend, or recording songs off the radio or webcast?
6) Aren’t the bootleggers hawking $5 burned copies of the latest titles down on Canal Street more of a threat to the RIAA and the artists they protect? Why are they allowed to sell these CD’s on the street with the police department’s full knowledge? Wouldn’t it be better PR for the RIAA to go after these real criminals?
The RIAA’s problem (along with the labels) has continually been that they think they can snuff out filesharing with bullying and scare tactics rather than embracing it and working together to come up with a model that can be universally compatible and yet profitable for labels (and hopefully artists as well). More than one record label has spent millions on Napster but yet they don’t have a new, legal, fee driven version available to the public yet. More importantly, why has it taken this long for the labels to put an alternative on the market? Apple’s iTunes Music Store sold its 10 millionth download this week. It’s a proven winner considering the minute market it is serving. Out of all Apple users (which currently make up 2.7% of the computer market), only those with OSX are able to use the iTunes Music Store, which I’m guessing cuts that number in half.
If I am the record labels, I get to working on a PC version and get it on the market as soon as possible.
But again, this battle isn’t going away any time soon. Why has it taken this long for labels to lower their prices? That’s should have been their first reaction, not raising prices even more. $18 (or $19.79 + shipping for that matter) is too much for a CD when DVD’s and video games are just a few dollars more.
Why are they supporting Clear Channel, whose illegal monopoly and unfair business practices directly lead to domination of the countries radio and concert venues? When the last time you saw a video on MTV? They are too busy showing the Osbournes and the Real World reruns. Does it ever occur to anyone that maybe people want to hear new and different things on the radio and people are using filesharing for this purpose? Kazzaa, Grokster and their ilk ARE THE NEW RADIO. Except you don’t have the labels, their promotional money or radio’s lame PD’s and MD’s making the music choices. What you want to hear is entirely up to you.
NOTES OF INTEREST FROM THE INTERWEB: > The album cover for the forthcoming Ride album/compilation.
> Hot Damn! New Super Furry single news. One of the b-sides will be Sanitizzzed, a track I heard them record when I hung out with them at Bearsville Studio while they recorded Rings Around The World. This song is Hot To Def. Tons of la la la's, an amazing chorus and a great opening stanza:
Superglue all the cash machines
Sew them up
Think it over Consider it already added to my collection.
> Cameron Crowe to release the next Low offering on his own label, Vinyl Records.
> Ugh. So typical.
> In news that will suprise no one, Grant Hill is having ANOTHER ankle surgery. Damn G. I still feel ya. They had some old Dream Team 2 games on last week (Mark freakin' Price was on that team!) and it's easy to forget how nice G Hill was on the court.
> Larry Legend doesn't waste time in Indiana. Send Ron Artest as far away from Paul Pierce as possible please. Cheers.
> Will the US Open try and move the mens final to Monday night? Not if Everyone Loves Raymond and MNF has anything to say about it.
> Has anyone seen this yet? Does it suprise anyone that alot of money didn't go where it was allocated to, bypassing mostly small business owners?
More to come later today before I head to the Bronx to see my hated Yankees take on the Detrizzle Tizzle's. In honor of Whatevs dot org, i will root for the Yankees to win(even if it hurts the Red Sox) so that the Tizzle's can take another step toward the worst record in baseball history.
Remember, Gertrude Stein said that's enough.
Go and read thisright now. The Sports Guy has regained his form. I laughed out loud at least five times while reading it. Highlights:
9:30: What country is this? How are you supposed to locate your Game Face at 9:30 in the morning?
11:10: Hench and I just spent the last five minutes wondering who has more of a noodle arm in center field: Bernie Williams or Johnny Damon (a k a, the Unfrozen Caveman Center Fielder).
11:14: With the score headed towards 21-0 on channel 709, Hench officially dubs the Pats game "The Abortion on 709." Sounds like a Lifetime movie.
12:38: Heading to the bathroom, Hench hisses, "In honor of the Red Sox bullpen, I'm going to take a leak."
After you read that, head over to Peter King's MMQB for more on Lawyer Milloy.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your 2003 Men's US Open Champion. Crying like a baby. Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets yesterday for the title after overcoming a 2 sets to love deficit the day before, including a saved match point, to David Nalbandian. Roddick will be ranked #2 in the world today, behind Ferrero who took over the top spot when he beat Andre Agassi on Saturday. Not to worry though, Agassi says he will be back next year.
While it is very easy to hate Roddick (you know, dating Mandy Moore, the trucker hat, and the shout outs he's been giving to the freakin' Dave Matthews Band all tournament long), and, like fellow American Andre Agassi, he most certainly did receive the most favorable rain delay match scheduling possible, there is no doubt that he played the best tennis in this tournament and deserved the title. Yesterday Ferrero looked as flat as Agassi did on Saturday.
Agassi has to wonder what might have been for another year. Maybe it's not a bad thing that Agassi lost in the semi's. Had he won the tournament, he might have decided to retire, much like his contemporary Pete Sampras. Still, the future of men's tennis is here and a changing of the guard is not a bad thing. With Roddick, Roger Federer and Fererro, the men's game is in fine shape.
NOTES OF INTEREST FROM THE INTERWEB: > Apple announces new iMacs with speeds of up to 1.25 Mhz and USB 2.0. Also, there are new 20 GB and 40 GB ipods.. They are all available for purchase at the Apple Store.
> More on Robert Parish and his entrance into the Hall of Fame. I know football season is already here, but I can't wait for NBA training camps to open later this month.
> The Red Sox nation has to be excited right now. They rocked Roger Clemons on Saturday, and even though they lost yesterday, the Yankees are feeling the heat. With 3 weeks in the season to go, this should be fun to watch.
> Will they or won't they? ATL's finest, Outkast (aka "The Two Dope Boys In A Cadillac") have a new double album, Speakerboxxx: The Love Below, coming out on Sept. 23rd. Many of the things being said now are similar to the whisperings about the group before they dropped their classic album Aquemini. You know, "What's up with Andre? Is he in a cult? Is he gay? Is he on drugs?". I hope this isn't their final record together but we'll have to see how it plays out. Andre 3000's track "Hey Ya" was in heavy rotation on my iPod this weekend. It has a great line in it: "If what we say is "Nothing is forever" then what makes love the exception?" Go on and marinate on that for a minute.
> the NY Times magazine had a great article on the creators of the brilliant brit-com Coupling, which airs on BBC America on these shores. It's like Friends, except they've all slept with each other and talk about sex constantly. NBC is devloping the show for it's "Must See TV" line up on Thursday and the network has pinned it's post-Friends future on the show. Let's hope it's not another Men Behaving Badly. Here is a random quote generator from the British show.
That's all for now folks.
Remember, what is forgiveness? Just a dream? What is forgiveness? Everything.
& 
> This just in, Jessica Simpson is hot as hell and "dumb as a stick". The Post weighs in on MTV's 
> The album cover for the forthcoming Ride album/compilation.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your 2003 Men's US Open Champion. 
While it is very easy to hate Roddick (you know, dating Mandy Moore, the trucker hat, and the shout outs he's been giving to the freakin' Dave Matthews Band all tournament long), and, like fellow American Andre Agassi, he most certainly did receive the most favorable rain delay match scheduling possible, there is no doubt that he played the best tennis in this tournament and deserved the title. Yesterday Ferrero looked as flat as Agassi did on Saturday.
> 