Blowing bubbles up your...

Did you know that we have a Drug Czar in Iowa? Well, we do, and he is quite nervous about the quality of hawkeye spleef. Of course, the drug warriors out there don't know much about what they speak because they won't allow any real research on the topic. Perhaps they are afraid that actual studies may cast too much light on their propaganda.



On the same topic, we all hope we never have to live in chronic pain, but thanks to this trial, your doctor will probably be afraid to treat you, and it gets worse.

Quote of the day...

"On the Right, batshit-crazy is the new polyester."



--Roy Edroso



This was posted on Tom Tomorrow's blog. I'm amazed that the Daily Iowan no longer carries This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow. Instead, they have Dilbert. Now, as cube creature, I sometimes enjoy Dilbert, but what the hell does Dilbert have to do with college?

An elf stole my vacation time...

When I hang out at my Dad and Mom’s place, I almost always end up seeing a DVD. Last year my Dad picked up an InFocus X1 projector (a great deal and a great picture), so that adds to the fun. My brother had Kill Bill II and Elf, while I brought Bad(der) Santa. We opted to start with Elf, since we are all Will Ferrell fans and because none of us had seen it. Also, I wondered if my brother’s fiance would be comfortable with Bad Santa (which I thought was brilliant, but remember the 3 Bs?) BIG MISTAKE! I knew it was primarily for kids, but with Ferrell in it, I figured there would be plenty of funny parts (pitched more towards the adults). Unfortunately, the movie was just not funny. Whom do I blame? Jon Favreau. I’ve never figured out his appeal. In fact, I’m that rare bird that didn’t like Swingers. The premise of the movie had potential, and the scenes at the North Pole had a surreal technicolor quality that dazzled my eyes. Unfortunately, the movie included no edgy humor from Ferrell and instead ended up focussing on the tired, preachy crapola about importance of belief in Xmas and Xmas spirit. All of this left me (and my Dad, wife, and brother) in a laughless diabetic shock. Favreau was the writer and director, so he gets the blame. Plus, the main kid was annoying and the female lead had no spark. The one funny moment in the film was when Ferrell chugged a whole 2 liter bottle of coke and burped. That was pretty much it. I wish I could have found a clip of this on the web, but I couldn’t. Than you would have heard and seen all of Elf you needed. Keep in mind that I do like good movies for kids. I’ve enjoyed numerous animated features (like Toys) and films (like School of Rock) that are targeted to kids, but this movie robbed 96 minutes of my valuable vacation time. It did, though, inspire me to rewatch Bad Santa soon…



I did end up seeing Kill Bill II and enjoyed it, but I didn’t like the 2 Kill Bills (either separate or taken as a whole) as much as either Pulp Fiction or Jackie Brown. I loved those flix. Not only is the story more dependent on magic and hocus pocus, but it is too much a martial arts film for my taste and has too many 90lb women kicking the shit out of big dudes (I’ve yet to see this in the real world, except spiritually, perhaps). So, the bottom line:



Elf - sucked, don't bother

Kill Bill Volume II - Pretty good, even better if you like Kung Fu action

Bad Santa - brilliant, dark comedy, perfect for the Xmas curmudgeon

Dubbia's Rise

Back from Thanksgiving and need even more turkey? For a mildly amusing, "romanesque" take on the rise of Bush, check out Empire Rising.

Bell of the Brawl

Gee, I bet these are hot sellers now...



Okay, I know that players shouldn’t go fight with people in the stands for any reason, so don’t deluge me with posts telling me that, but the brawl was the most exciting thing to happen in the boring NBA in years. Since no kiddies or old ladies were hurt in the event, can't we all relax and enjoy the mayhem? If you haven’t seen it yet, or enough, click here for a short version of the video or here for access to a longer version.



My favorite moment was when that little dumpy dumbass in the Pistons jersey came down to the court to take control of things. He went up to Artest (a 6’7” inch 250 lb forward with a known bad attitude) and acted like he was going to kick his ass (only to take a round right to his yapping pie hole). This was the one moment of sanity in the chaos. The sad part is that the idiot will probably end up a millionaire…

Too much spare time?

Go check out this church made of Legos. The little inhabitants are a bit creepy, but impressive none the less (at least they don't live in fear of the giant cat anymore).

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

In case you don't speak French (or Freedom, if your still on that kick) the first several lines are basic care instructions. The last two lines are "We are sorry that our President is an idiot" and "We did not vote for him." This is a tag on a computer sleeve from a small American company that does business in France.



Whether you are a fan of the great NPR show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! or not, go check out host Adam Felber's blog. I particularly enjoyed the concession speech (page down to find it, and warning to Matt, it generalizes about red staters with reckless abandon).

Hey World...we are sorry

Take a few minutes....

and read this article about our political situation. It was written by author Jane Smiley who graduated from Iowa and used to teach at Iowa State.

Shall we move?

Perhaps not, as it would probably be better to hang out and watch this administration crumble when the fraud is exposed. I smell a big rat...

Coming soon...

You think a heart attack will rid us of this guy??? No, they'll just bring him back. But he will be color-coordinated with my blog, anyway...



I'm working up a summary of my feelings about this election, but these crazy people I work for have me to busy to do a detailed write up. In the mean time, check out BartCop...

The horror...the horror

I'm floored by the results of this election. I guess America is afraid of wolves. I guess America deserves what it gets...

Don't give up

Once again, don't believe the polls they keep flashing on the "news." Most of them say it is too close to call and that Bush is slightly ahead. Go read another perspective here. I've referenced this site before, but it is worth taking another look.

George Bush is a BLEEP

Yes, go watch this short commercial explaining exactly what George is... (you will need quicktime). Also:



SURPRISE, SURPRISE! Guess what the republicans will do when they are desperate? Go read about their nutty hijinks in Ohio.

Go check out the new voting machines in Florida

If you think this version of computerized voting machine is a joke, read this...

Joke of the Day

What is the difference between Viet Nam and Iraq?



Bush had a plan for getting out of Viet Nam...

Black Eye for Bill O'Reilly

Go have some fun reading about the moral authority himself directly from the lawsuit leveled against him for sexual harrassment. I'm guessing they have tapes considering the detail...the carribean shower fantasy is hilarious. The site gives links to most of the juicy parts. But don't say anything to him or he will tell you to shut up!!. Hey, don't get me wrong, if I worked with her, I might want to take a shower with her as well, but what an idiot! Some news show had a clip of a preshow meeting at the O'Reilly Factor and she was wearing a small, tight blouse with tummy showing (I looked around the web, but couldn't find the clip), so I have sympathy for the urge, but still, what an idiot! I think guys with egos like O'Reilly's assume that every chick wants to jump on them. Fox has already moved to fire her.

Stop Sinclair

Please take a moment to go sign this petition to stop Sinclair from forcing local stations to preempt programming and show an anti-Kerry "documentary." This amounts to a free 90 minute commercial for the Bush campaign. Also, join me in boycotting the local news on KGAN CBS channel 2, which is a Sinclair station that regularly features Mark Hyman who is not local and is a mouthpiece for the right wing machine.

New Bush Ad

Go check out the new TV ad done by Rob Reiner highlighting a crucial moment in the last debate. This was Bush's response to "Name 3 specific mistakes you made since becoming president and what did you do to correct them" from a town hall audience member. You can watch the low or high bandwidth version of the commercial here.

The Dunce

Go read the article (by Mary Jacoby from salon.com on 9/16/04) about a professor describing Bush when he was a student at Harvard. Just to let you know that this is not a fabricated urban legend (like the pictures of Jane Fonda and Kerry), the link to the article is here, but you have to be a subscriber or watch an ad to read the whole article at salon.com. If you want to read a good essay about the current administration by the professor interviewed for this article, go here. If you want to read or listen to a radio interview with this prof, go here. Happy duncing!

Yo La Tengo and Friends

I really enjoyed seeing Yo La Tengo at the IMU Wheelrom last Thursday. They've always been one of my favorites (unlike Matchbox Twenty -- in case anyone didn't get it, or check out the link, that post on 9/27 was a joke). They had a throw together group of musical cohorts that included David Kilgour, Damon and Naomi, and two guys from Eleventh Dream Day. They also were supposed to have a comedian with them named Eugene Mirman (although I don't remember seeing him there), his site is both annoying and amusing. It was ironic that they had a Swing State tour gig set up on the night of the first debate, but they waited until the "debate" was over to start playing. On a side note, I'm glad to see that Bush is starting to be seen by the masses as the smirky little pud that he is. The Wheelroom has some complicated viewing, with many support columns and an odd shape, but I really dug the informality it created for the show. I'm generally one that treats even small shows like a concert, wanting to catch every minute of every song from start to finish, but the loose jams and wierd venue left me free to roam in and out and move around the room for different audio/visual perspectives. The sound was decent and the supporting cast was as enjoyable as Yo La Tengo. The crew played for about 2 and a half hours, which was ample, considering that I was standing for most of that. I was pleased enough that I picked up 3 CDs: Yo La Tengo's Summer Sun, which I've been meaning to buy for awhile; Damon and Naomi's With Ghost; and David Kilgour's Frozen Orange, which got a rave review in this weekly rundown from Iowa City's own music reviewer Jim Musser. I haven't cracked the cellophane on any of them yet, but will let you bored bloggers know what I think when I crank them up. The whole excursion also created new interest for me in Galaxie 500 and The Clean, the first of which I've heard (but never really got into) and the second of which I haven't.



Be sure to watch Beauty and the Beast, I mean, the Vice Presidential debate tonight. Cheney is an evil lying bastard and I hope it shows on TV. If you need to know more, click on EVIL REPUBLICANS. Ho Hum

Le Petomane

Biographical movies are sometimes great (X, Ghandi) but often forgettable (The Babe, Hoffa, The Bear). I would definitely, though, go see a bio movie about my hero Joseph Pujols, better known as Le Petomane, which translates roughly into "The Fartiste." Through years of competition with a Dad and two brothers, I thought I was a fartiste, but Le Petomane is the man. Remember the name of the idiotic governer played by Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles? And just because I brought that movie up, here is a message for you...

Finally, the truth about Kerry in Viet Nam

Thanks to John J. via Jeff, I finally have a source that clears up this confusion about Kerry's stint in Nam. Just click here

Beige! Buy it in mall record stores now!

I hope you're as excited as I am about the new Matchbox Twenty album. This press release about the new CD Beige summarizes how I feel about it (and Dave Matthews and Creed and [reply to my post to add to this list])

John Edwards pinch hits

Thanks to a democrat insider buddy at work, we got blue tickets to see Kerry at a rally in Cedar Rapids. A blue ticket means you get to stand closer to the stage, or get better seats at an event (yeehaw). It turned out that Kerry had lost his voice and needed heal up for the debates, so John Edwards subbed. I was happy, as I had not seen him in person (but had seen Kerry). The event was at the US Cellular Center, which seems like it might be a decent place to see an arena band (although the list of those I'd see is short). As we waited in line, a guy in fatigues held up a sign saying something about Kerry being a liar about Viet Nam. I guess the soldiers did not burn down villages and collect ears... The wierd part was when the police showed up and arrested him. Apparently, that part of the sidewalk is private property and he had been warned to move across the street with the other people wanting other people to vote against their interests, but it was still creepy to see someone arrested for quietly protesting. Granted, his pockets were filled with scary trinkets from the local army surplus store, but I didn't think he was out to hurt anyone. People in line told me that 2 teachers were arrested at the same place before the last Bush rally... or did they just forget to sign their loyalty oath? The scarriest part was the dude across the street holding up anti-Kerry signs. I didn't notice him much until his wife arrived with a baby and two toddlers. He had the kids holding up signs with typical hateful republican diatribe. This kids were probably 5 to 7 years old. It was really creepy. Once in, we opted for seats rather than getting a closer view, as we've stood for hours at past rallies (only to hear a cheesy political speech in the rain...even when I agree with them, the speeches are cheesy). The rally opened with local jazz that I hope is more enjoyable in a club and a version of the national anthem that made me heave. Not to discredit the skills of the singer, but I'm sort of a traditionalist for this tune, especially when sung by a caucasian...these female country singers who think they have a lot of soul especially piss me off. They sound like the wretched Christina Aguilera mixed with that fucking Stepford Wife Laura Bush, warping 82 sylables out of every word, all with a country accent. See, while I hate this horribly corrupt administration, I am a patriot, and I'm that rare lefty who likes the Star Spangled Banner (especially since it is based on an old drinking song). If you're going to take liberties, you better be awesome, otherwise, stick to the script!!



Carole King came out next, playing a grand piano and with only one guitar player to back her up. She put on a pretty good show, but more importantly, I googled her (he he) and you'd be amazed how many famous songs she's written. If you check out what albums her songs have appeared on, there are two pages just for the one's starting with "A." When the pretty boy did finally arrive, he was certainly that. In fact, here is him describing John Ashcroft's penis! The whole room was drippy, by my assessment of the gazes of all the women in the room. Believe me, this dude has the charisma to be a president (Edwards-Obama in 2012?). He gave a great, non-wimpy speech and yet still kept positive. I can't wait to see the debate between him and the bridge troll that is our Vice President. I'm hoping Kerry will also rip Monkey Boy a new one...of course, it seems that all Bush has to do is show up and not completely sound like an idiot and he wins. Pretty scary...

Calm Down, Kerry Will Win

...unless they steal it again. Keep in mind that Gore won the popular vote by more than a half a million votes, yet check out this prominent poll taken right before the last election (read the text and you find that the gallup poll--the one that has Bush up 13 points--had Bush up by 9 points at that time). If you want to learn more about why the major polls are unreliable, scroll down on this page and then browse around back to its home page for up-to-date info.

Control the cat...

Pooter (aka Scott) revealed this site to me, but I especially enjoyed playing with Ziggy. Do take the time to play with the other pictures, they are all pretty cool.

Spoonerisms

For months I've been trying to remember the name used to describe a phrase that is turned around for humor or to hide it's inappropriateness (or by mistake). For example "Duck Fisco" was on t-shirts when I was in junior high (boy were we clever). The term is spoonerism. I'd been looking for this term for awhile, but happened upon it when looking up a word in the dictionary. Apparently, this was named after a real absent-minded professor from England named Reverend William Archibald Spooner who reprimanded one student for fighting a liar in the quadrangle and another who hissed my mystery lecture. To the latter he added in disgust, You have tasted two worms. Here is my own spoonerism for the day:



That tush is bearable



And my favorite one that I didn't make up:



Remember, only users lose drugs



Please add your own spoonerisms and/or your favorites...

Go check out the proposed commercial that yet another group from Texas is planning to run about Bush's fine military service. They are trying to raise money, so if you are interested in seeing this on the air, click here.

Back from Chi town

Advice to the traveler... always schedule one day of recovery before returning to the drudgery of work. Me and the missus met up with some of her family in Chicago for the whole weekend, landing us back in IC last night. I still have no interest in accomplishing anything at work. Still on my mind (and probably my gut) are the Beef Medallions, Portabella Mushrooms, Garlic Mashed Potatoes I noshed on with good wine at Maggiano's. This is a chain, but a small upscale chain. The steak was pretty much perfect. The real keeper, though, of this trip was Vong's Thai Kitchen. We eat Thai on every trip (and at home), so we know our Thai. Vong's is not purely traditional Thai food, but it is more of a French fusion, but that did not diminish it's flavors. We shared a Red Beef Curry that was actually a grilled steak, served with an awesome curry. The steak was prime (it was a bit under the medium rare I ordered, but I can live with that). My favorite was the Signature Shrimp and Crab Pad Thai that we shared. It was, by far, the best Pad Thai I've ever eaten. Other folks at the table had seafood and all were impressed by the freshness. The dishes were all between 10$ and 20$, which is amazing for upscale stuff in downtown Chicago. Also, if there, be sure to save room for the passion fruit souffle... really awesome. Back to work. Is it 5:30 yet?

More words of wisdom from our leader...

Take comfort in the words of our sagely leader. You will find even more comfort in his wise remarks about skin color and democracy! I feel so safe with this man in charge. Stay the course!!!

Bush speaks!

An important clarification about the situation in Afghanistan...

Good sick joke

Okay, here is one of my Dad's (and Mats') favorite jokes to tell, and hearing all of the hurricane news reminded me of it. It's sick, but then again...



A Mississippi girl was very excited because, since she was little, she had been told by her Grandpa that he would take her to Florida when she turned 14. On her 14th birthday, she packed her bag and went to find her Grandpa.

"Grampa, Grampa, I'm all packed up!"

"Now what is you all packed up fo' today?"

"You been tellin' me that when I turn 14, you's gonna take me to Flo'da!"

"Now go unpack dat suitcase, Bessy!"

"Why Grampa, why?"

"Cause, I never did say I's takin' ya to Flo'da, I said, when you turn 14, I'm gonna tampa widcha!"

Swiftboat Liars for Bush!

If anyone is gullible enough to believe this ad about Kerry's war record, at least take the time to get some information before making up your mind. This is classic Karl Rove tactics. They know Bush's war record is troublesome and that Kerry's is fantastic, so what do they do? Say that Kerry is a coward! They did the same thing to John McCain (who should have the balls to ditch Bush and support Kerry) and to triple-amputee war hero Max Cleland (former senator from Georgia). Here are several links that will clarify these ads... Bush Camp Lies and Bush Camp Lies and if you need more Bush Camp Lies



And keep in mind that the big talking republican politicians that are in power now knew what to do about Viet Nam. I know I would have tried to avoid going to Nam, but for these war hawks, I see it as pure hypocrisy (I stole this from one of the above sites):



Richard Armey - Sought college deferment, too smart to die.



Bill Bennett - Sought graduate school deferment, too smart to die.



Pat Buchanan - Sought deferment for bad knee.



George W. Bush Daddy got him in the National Guard



Dick Cheney - Sought graduate school deferment, too smart to die.



Tom DeLay - - Sought college deferment, too smart to die.



Newt Gingrich - Sought graduate school deferment, too smart to die.



Phil Gramm - Sought marriage deferment, too loved to die.



Jack Kemp - Sought medical deferment while in the NFL.



Rush Limbaugh - Sought deferment for ingrown hair follicle on his ass.



Trent Lott - Sought deferment, didn't want to muss his hair.



P.J. O'Rourke - Sought deferment, too stoned.



Dan Quayle - Family got him into the Reserves.



Pat Robertson - Father pulled him out of Korea as soon as the shooting began.



Kenneth Starr Sought deferment for psoriasis.



John Wayne - Sought deferment to further acting career.



Vin Weber - Sought deferment for asthma.



George Will - Sought deferment, too much of a wussy.

1,001 Uses for an Old Toothbrush

Howdy out there. Cooter's latest entry inspired me to ponder uses of old toothbrushes. I went looking, and here was certainly my favorite!

Will Ferrell...much better at Bush than Hammond

Okay, Daryl Hammond was a master at Clinton and many others (the Jesse Jackson was a classic), but he was unfunny as Gore and is even less funny as Bush. Christ, just because the guy can be accurate doesn't mean every imitation he does is funny (especially with that crack writing crew they have at SNL these days). Funny should always be first, accuracy should be second (think Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford...no make up , didn't make sense, but funny). Anyway, Will Ferrell does rule as the best Bush. To see his post-SNL skewering of our embarassing man in charge, go here

Psychedelic Money Sniffer

Go help the president figure out policy here

Holy Shit! Ped Mall Tales...

My wife and I decided to go out for a walk last night, despite the sultry condititions. We walked down by the Health Sciences Library and caught a Cambus over the river to down town IC. It was dusk, and as we strolled through the ped mall, we saw motion in the fountain (for non-locals, this fountain looks like several of me, after drinking several beers, lying on our backs pissing into the air..or like this). The motion turned out to be four exceptionally nubile brunettes (we estimate between 16 and 19 years in age, all smokin' hot) in tiny bikinis. Now, I'm with my wife, so I try to stay calm, despite this oddity. So we calmly walked on by with me feigning a lack of interest (other than in the strangeness of it all). Then, they go running from the fountain, in all of their drippy glory, to the playground by the library (which you can see at the bottom of the earlier link) and climbed up to the top of a slide and proceeded to each swirl down to the bottom (causing their thongish garb to contort in wonderous ways). They then ran back to the fountain. This procedure happened again. Now, I was ready to break into the camera store, but I had to maintain some calm, being with the lady, but heck, how often does this happen? So we left the library, passing back by the fountain. All four were standing there in the fountain, each with an upward stream of water aimed directly at their glory while making sounds like OOH, AHHH, and HEE HEE HEE, their naval piercings dripping, with fiendish looks on their faces. I had to just walk on by, pretending that I wasn't seeing anything too amazing.

We went around the block, and my wonderful wife was nice enough to steer us back to that area for one more look (I suppose partly to try to make sense of it, and partly to please her horn dog hubby). Sure enough, they were still cycling through the same bafflingly awesome routine. Alas, I'm not one to just sit and stare (unless I'm drunk and my wife is not around), so we walked on by to a Cambus and headed home. Like that, it was over...no pictures, no solid theory as to what was happening. So, if you see me at night setting by the fountain with a yearning look...

Check out Bush song

First off, The Paybacks rocked out Gabe's last night. If they are in your area, don't miss them. That's all that I have the strength to say (after getting home at 2:00AM), but they were really good. Now for the funny Bush song

Garage Rock history

Yo all, I've been a little annoyed by Little Steven, but has a really cool website. Go there and check it out, and in particular, go to Little Steven's Underground Garage, but be sure you have a fast connection.

Clean Joke!

Okay, it's cheesey, but clean jokes that I like are so rare:



Q - Why did the cowboy buy a Dachshund?



A - Someone told him "to get a long little doggie."

Hey, I fixed the link to

the Lean Mean Cocktail Shaking Machine that I posted back on July 15th. Go there and see cruel humor at its finest...

I'm here to give G. Bush shit...because

he is a smirky dumbass...go to this site and enjoy... my brother sent this one to me and he recommend the Endless Love video...I liked that one and many others, including the Daily Show video of Governor (running for Prez) Bush debating Prez Bush (I normally hate shortcuts like "Prez," but I look for any way to not call this chump our Prrrrreeessss.... can't do it).

Okay, Ted Leo really rocked out Gabe's last night (see an earlier post for Ted Leo links). The doors opened at 6PM because it was an all ages show (Iowa City has a stupid ordinance that forces out the kiddies at 10PM), so it was sort of surreal entering the upstairs cavern of musk that is Gabe's. Hey Gabe's guys, if you read this, clean that fuckin' place up! I know there is some appeal in having a gritty club for rock music, but that place has gotten scary. Anyway, as everyone stumbled in from the bright, beautiful day, it was hard to see and hard to get the preshow energy going. A local band Codebreaker opened. They were unabashed a throw back to early 80's synthpop (think Vince Clark or OMD). Their first tune strongly echoed Joy Division, but then they went to the dance beat for the rest of the show. The singer actually hopped down from the stage and boogied on many songs. Part of me wanted to laugh at them, but they were actually pretty entertaining and had a decent sound. The next band was Chicago's Just a Fire. I had heard their CD (yeah, Matt actually bought this hunk 'o dung...sucker!) and didn’t think too much of it (neither did this dude). They seem to be from the Minute Men/Firehose school, but not anywhere near either in talent. The live version was even worse. My god did they suck. They were extremely loud too. Nothing sucks worse than this combination. The singer basically yelled the vocals in one note (a G flat and a half, I think). I'm generally not this harsh on anybody putting out a good effort, but the show was painful. They actually played a really short show, but it was like an eternity. I would rather have spent that half hour hitting my toe with a hammer. Sorry to nitpick. When Ted Leo came out, things got much better, as he started with his sort of hit "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone," and it only got better. He played a couple of tunes solo on guitar, Billy Bragg style, and I think I liked that even more than him with the very able backing band (the Pharmacists). If you have a chance to go see Ted Leo, don’t miss it.

While your playing...

Go help this drunken German walk a few metres... I've surpassed the 40 metre mark...all that practice has paid off...

go see...

Do go to this wacky site and check out the Lean Mean Cocktail Shaking Machine. Yes it is cruel, but funny trumps cruel every time. UPDATE, I fixed the above link...so go see it...

Bill O'Reilly is a complete DICK

Yo, go read about O'Reilly, and especially the interview that this complete, idiot fuckstick had with the son of a victim of 911. That this guy supposedly speaks to the masses explains why I'm continually amazed at the stupidity of the masses... While in a heated debate, I can readily get to the point where I'm where I'm telling the other person to shut up, at least I'm usually drunk at that point, and at least I'm not portending to speak for anyone but my stupidass self... what a complete and utter dick!

performance review day

I get to sit down with my boss and chat about my performance review in a few minutes, so I don't have much time. If you want to see the movie Alien done in 30 seconds, and by an all rabbit cast, hit here. Also, if you think the democrats are the one's that will take your going to away your guns, think again. I'm psyched about going to see Ted Leo on Thursday and will let you know how that went. Download a tune of his here. I'm just getting to know his stuff, but it's growing on me quickly. Saw a real good, but bummer of a movie last night on DVD called The Magdalene Sisters. Not exactly a feel good film...but a powerful piece of work, and the DVD has the original documentary upon which it is based. Otherwise, I'm somewhat enjoying the new season of 6 Ft. Under, but have not been blown away. I'm rarely one to tire of sex scenes and nudity, but I'm getting very bored with Brenda and her bedroom maladies. And as liberal as I portend to be, watching David and Keith snuggle and smooch on the couch is starting to test the tensile strength of the hair on the back of my neck... I'm more excited about the next season of Deadwood, which many of my friends wrote off after a few episodes, but it really picked up. I highly recommend catching the next marathon they have (usually right before the next season). Bad man Swearengen, played brilliantly by Ian McShane, is now my favorite HBO series character (yes, above even Tony Soprano). Gotta go get evaluated...

promised reviews for early July:

Howdy all (or any)…



Pedro the Lion with John Vanderslice at Gabe’s Oasis in Iowa City on July 2, 2004:



Only caught the last 2 songs of Vanderslice, which sucks (Matt, Gary: we must seek help for our gambling problems), but he seemed like he would be a good guy to see headline some time. I really like his latest album, Cellar Door. I didn’t realize Pedro had such a following. There were throngs of young, delirious fans mouthing every word of every song. I thought that many might be trippin’, but then I remembered the Christian bent to Pedro’s music and guessed that they were probably infested with the spirit. I dug the show, particularly when Vanderslice came out and provided some much need harmonies, but was pissed that they had Vanderslice’s sound so muted compared to Pedro’s. Gabe’s only kicks on the subs and the serious power amps for the headliner, which sucks. I hope they bring in Vanderslice as a headliner some day. I like Cellar Door much better than Pedro's Achilles Heel.



John Kerry in Cedar Rapids on July 4, 2004:



Went to a rally in Cedar Rapids because a friend at work gave me “preferred seating” tickets. Since he will likely be the next president, I thought we should go. Plus, I thought there was an outside chance that he would announce Vilsack as his running mate (glad he didn’t, politically speaking). Unfortunately, the preferred seating was no seating (but was up close and personal), and during the hours of waiting, it rained. Still, we persevered, as my huevos were still dry, but by the time Kerry came out, big freakin’, cold-ass raindrops started pelting us in high numbers. This sucked way to much to hang around and listen to rhetoric like “this rain may not go away, but Bush will go away in November!” While I agree with the sentiment, this was drenching shit. So, we skipped the fireworks and went home.



Fahrenheit 911 at the Campus III in Iowa City, IA on July 5, 2004:



First off, I hate the Campus III theaters. They come from that era in theaters that fell after the era of grand palace theaters but before they started making smaller theaters with bigger screens, stadium seating, and great sound. So they suck. The location is great, so they should rebuild. I haven’t caught Kill Bill 2 because it would be better on DVD than at the Campus III. Anyway, I was shocked to find a line when I arrived, and it almost sold out. I’m not an unbiased reviewer, as I think that Bush and Cheney and the rest of the administration are the most evil group to run our country, certainly in my life time, and maybe ever. The movie seemed right on to me, and most of the attacks on it seem to be about minor points in the movie (go here to learn more about those) rather than about its larger messages. Go see this movie. Not only is it important, but it is was more entertaining than most of the crapola in theaters.



Ho hum...

Wow, a good 3 day weekend comes to an end, and that part sucks. I will have reviews of all of the Ho Hum things I did soon. For now, check out a little tune I recorded for Matt and Gary, who hate The Eagles. Okay, that wasn't me, but was the newest humiliation phenom named William Hung (which are words my Dad always wanted to say...but take it from me, it can't be true). In case anyone had any doubts, it is shit like this that spells the end for us ALL!! Listen to Rocket Man, and notice that they have taken this tone deaf sorry bastard's bad singing and digitally chord shifted him until it doesn't sound fucked up...which makes it more fucked up. Yeash! Anything for a fucking buck anymore...man am I getting crotchety...and that don't mean I smell!

Help me eradicate the menace of DHMO now!

I have a M.S. in chemistry and feel it is my duty to enlist everyone's help in eradicating the menace of dihydrodogen monoxide. Let me know what you think! Watch out...



Now that I've done my public service, let me tell you about my weekend. Tonight I will see Pedro the Lion and John Vanderslice at Gabe's Oasis, which should be good. I'll also catch the Salsa Band down on the ped mall (part of the Iowa City Jazz Festival). (Now that I know how to put in links, I just can't stop...) When the Salsa Band plays, lots of hot looking chicks get out dancing, and salsa dancing at that. Since it is an art and multiculturial, I can gawk at them and not look too creepy...even with my wife nearby. Speaking of hotties...have you seen the new tennis phenom Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon? Like Kournikova, she is hot, but unlike Kournikova, she can really play. On Saturday, I will watch Sharapova and Serena Williams battle it out for Wimbledon title. Yes, I'm one of 3 or 4 Americans that actually watches tennis. And, I'm voting against both of the Americans in the final (go Federer and Sharapova!). On Sunday, I'm going to a July 4th gig featuring John Kerry,(see, I can't stop making links, but do go donate at this site to help make sure the Monkey Boy does not get 4 more years) in Cedar Rapids. So goes Ho Hum...

Will this day end?

Of course it will... It will go by really fast once I'm off work. This is my first blog entry, so now I'm as big of a dork as Matt or perhaps bigger... I will doubtlessly have deep, insightful things to say in the future, but this is it for now... If I bored you, do go to this site and try everything: unlike Ho Hum, this is fun I will hopefully go see Pedro the Lion and John Vanderslice at Gabe's tomorrow and so I will let you know how that goes...