miatomic

Old School

2009-04-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Green Day
DNA Lounge
April 9, 2009

Hmmmm...It's been too long since I've updated this space and far longer since I've been to a show. Okay that's not entirely true, as I was at the Social Distortion show at the Fox Theater back in Feb but I didn't write about that. Maybe that's because I've seen Social Distortion a lot over the past 20 years, and I've written about them here.

Ok. I'm prepared to admit that I was not a fan of Green Day until the release of American Idiot. I was already 22 when Kerplunk hit the shelves, I had just returned from living in London, and was busy listening to Blur, Ride, Lush, etc. I still enjoyed my punk roots but felt like Green Day was too punk/pop.

American Idiot completely changed my perception of this band and made me develop an appreciation for their earlier material. A concept album!? Brilliant!

So now I can admit that it took me 12 years to dig this band.

The band hit the stage on Thursday night around 10:30 and launched right into the new album (due out May 15th). The new material is brilliant -- I particularly like "21 Guns", "Gloria", and "Horseshoes and Hand Grenades" (not sure if that's the right title). The new stuff harks back to a time when bands made albums that told a story. I can't wait to discover that full story when 21st Century Breakdown is released.

The second half of the show was audience requests. I was up in the "balcony" so I had a clear view of the main floor. I was super impressed by the women (not girls) who were in the pit -- they looked liked they were having a blast! There was an 8-year-old-kid at the front of the stage who spent most of the show on his dad's shoulders. Billie Joe pulled him on stage, sang to him, and then said: "Dive little man!" and the kid threw himself into the crowd and was carried along. A young girl toward the right side of the stage knew the words to all the songs: when Billie Joe forgot the lyrics to "The Grouch" she hopped on stage and sang it for him.

The band wrapped things up with "Minority" and we shuffled out of the club just after 1:00am.

Oh no...

2008-11-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

I'm glad it's your birthday

2008-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

My Uncle Bud is 65 (!) today! If it weren't for this man, I'd have really shite taste in music :)

You see, in the early 70s, my family and I lived above my Grandfather and Uncle Bud in a duplex on 83rd street. Uncle Bud had long hair, a corvette, and a kick-ass stereo (he still has his Marantz receiver).

My older brother George and I used to lie down on the living room floor, each with an ear to the carpet so that we could listed to whatever Uncle Bud happened to be playing on his stereo in the room below. I got my early musical schooling that way. I learned the lyrics to Rubber Soul while lying on that floor, and I'm pretty sure that's why George got the Hey Jude album for Christmas in 1974. We listened to that LP upstairs on our Zenith console stereo. The sound wasn't nearly as good, but that didn't stop us from learning those lyrics, too.

After Rubber Soul came Sgt. Pepper's and Let it Be. I also got the early Beatles stuff, along with the opportunity to listen to Uncle Bud's older 45s from artists like The Coasters and Buddy Holly. That led to my first musical obsession: the 50s. I became a big fan of Bobby Darin and Elvis, Danny & the Juniors and Bill Haley. My dad would let me get my own 45s from Sears. My first was: Splish Splash (the b-side is Queen of the Hop). Then I got Don't Be Cruel, Jailhouse Rock, At the Hop, and Rock Around the Clock. Most of the time, I didn't even pay attention to the artists, I just liked the songs: Roll Over Beethoven, Little Darlin', I Only Have Eyes For You...

I was still in my 50s phase and I hadn't even turned seven. But Uncle Bud wasted no time graduating George and I to the 60s. I'm pretty sure we were allowed to hang out downstairs by that point, as I distinctly remember looking at the cover of The Worst of Jefferson Airplane and wondering why a band would want to release a collection of their worst songs (heh). I also remember thinking that both Janis Joplin and Grace Slick were in the band (I think I was in 3rd grade before I figured that one out). We listened to Jimmy, Arlo, and CSNY. And we also got schooled in folk music that we could sing with mom: the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul & Mary, Simon & Garfunkel.

George and I liked the fact that some of the songs we liked had "bad" words that made mom gasp. We'd sing the lyrics, and when the forbidden word came up we'd shout it really loud: "When I think back on all the CRAP I learned in high school" or "CHRIST, you know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be..." (Of course, I realize now that this was obviously done to prepare her for my teenage years when I sang songs like: This is my Life and I Don't Need Society)

Clearly it was Uncle Bud's intention for us to sing those lyrics by Paul Simon and John Lennon! Cheeky!

During the height of the disco era, I really wanted a Bee Gees album. I think Uncle Bud was appalled, but for Christmas that year he relented. Only...I didn't get an LP of disco songs: I received a compilation of their 60's hits. Thanks to Uncle Bud, my disco phase didn't last long and I made my first real rock purchase in the 4th grade: Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy. (I remember holding a copy of Live at Leeds, but my brother recommended against it - I guess he didn't think I was ready.)

When I was in college, Uncle Bud took us to see Roger McGuinn and we sat on a picnic table, drank beer, and sang along to Easy Chair. We took mom to see Crosby, Stills and Nash (but she didn't inhale). And we still knew all the words to all the songs.

Sometimes, I'd hang out at his house and he'd break out his LPs and continue to school me with The Great Society or introduce me to artists like Kate Wolfe. We'd sit around and smoke cigarettes, listening to tunes for hours on end.

Uncle Bud, I hope your birthday mix is worthy of the musical education you gave me. I'm only sorry that it's not an LP.

Screen Door- Uncle Tupelo
Steal A Ride - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Please Read the Letter - Robert Plant & Alison Kraus
Me & Julio Down By the Schoolyard - Paul Simon
My Winding Wheel - Ryan Adams
She's Gonna Two Time - The Kaisers
Mendocino - Bottle Rockets
Poison Ivy - The Coasters
I Want You Bad - The Long Ryders
Mother-in-Law - Ernie K-Doe
Second Hand News - Fleetwood Mac
I Wish I Was the Moon - Neko Case
Niteclub - Old 97s
At the Zoo - Simon & Garfunkel
Windfall - Son Volt
Roadworn and Weary - Supersuckers
I'm the Face - The High Numbers
What May Seem Like Love - Whiskeytown
Stranded in the Jungle - The Cadets
Walking My Dog - The Woggles
New Madrid - Uncle Tupelo
Badge - Cream

Cleverness and imagination, along with a bit of luck, will always prevail - won't they?

2008-03-06T12:49:00.000-08:00

Even death looses much of its sting, for often the character can be resurrected, or reincarnated. And should that fail there is always the option to begin again with a new character.

AD&D Player's Handbook by Gary Gygax

Gary Gygax passed away on March 4th.

I never met him - his time at TSR was long over when I started working there as an assistant editor in the magazine department in 1995.

I only started playing D&D because I wanted to hang out with my older brother and his friends. It was a while before I was actually allowed to play - most of the time I just sat around and watched, read through the Monster Manual, and fetched soda and snacks for the players. (I felt a lot like Elliot in ET...allowed to join the campaign only after paying the pizza delivery guy.)

I don't remember much of those early games. I do remember a place called City State and my character, Jasmine (a name I pulled from Dragon Magazine). Jasmine had a wand of paralyzation which she, um, failed to use on some creature that was attacking her and opted to throw a spike instead... (please bear in mind that I was only 9 years old and not very knowledgeable about monsters and such). Alas, that was the end of Jasmine, and I rolled a new character.

I landed a job at TSR in 1995. I made some amazing friends, and I had the opportunity to work with some of the most intelligent and creative people I've ever known. And without that knowledge and experience (and those friends!), well...my life and career would certainly be a lot less interesting.

Thank you, Gary Gygax.

What is your d&d alignment?

You are a Rebel, Chaotic Good.

Chaotic good characters works towards good in their own ways, without regard for the expectations of others or the rigid guidelines of society (imposed by church or government). They are particularly disturbed by those who try to push people around and intimidate them. They are less honor-bound than the other good alignments, particularly in dealing with those who are not good. They may on occasion lie, threaten or kill for a good cause (with an evil person, perhaps). As a general rule, chaotic good characters do not attack unarmed opponents, harm the innocent, refuse an honest appeal for aid, take bribes or betray their friends. They usually prefer to cut through red tape. Robin Hood is an example of a chaotic good character, particularly prior to the return of King Richard.

Take this quiz.

Don't read this before bed

2008-02-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

I should know better than to read something like this late at night. And please, if one of your Russian friends asks you to go on a ski/hiking trip on the Mountain of the Dead to reach a place called Do Not Go There, remember to say NYET! Or at least check the translations of the Russian names...

Sweet dreams.

Another Happy Ending

2007-11-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

You may remember that I wrote about Adam (the poor little kitten who was set on fire by a couple of kids) back in July.

Well...Adam's doing great and was adopted!

Read about it here and see some new pictures in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Vincent's Big Adventure

2007-10-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

It's annoying to get one parking ticket. But how about 29 tickets? All on a stolen car that just happens to belong to you.

(I really couldn't make this up if I tried.)

At about 7:45am on Wednesday September 26th I walked into the parking garage of my apartment complex and was greeted by an empty parking spot. I panicked. Maybe my car was towed, or I forgot where I'd parked. But no...Vincent was stolen (yes, my car is named Vincent).

I immediately called the police - an officer arrived about 30 minutes later to take my statement and file a report. The time on my copy of the report is 8:40am. About two hours later Vincent was parked in a disabled zone on 511 Union and marked by DPT (department of parking and traffic). It was ticketed at 2:37.

I could let that one slide...because maybe it takes a while for the info that my vehicle was stolen to upload to their computers. But the very next day Vincent received another ticket on 21st avenue at 1:05pm. And another on Friday at 1522 Grant at 12:37pm. And again on Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday all on the 1500 block of Grant Ave. (Sunday is a day of rest for the DPT).

Don't you think DPT would have put two & two together? I have 29 tickets from only four streets: Grant Ave, 21st Ave, Union St, and Harriet St.

The parking tickets after I pulled them from the glove box.
A hip hop mix CD was in the car's player (photo by Missy)

Now you're probably wondering how I obtained all this information.

On Tuesday October 23rd I received three parking tickets in the mail. I called the police - the officer with whom I spoke was shocked. She couldn't understand why DPT didn't check the license plate. If they had, Vincent would've been recovered hours after the theft. The woman from SFPD said that's just laziness on the part of DPT, because the meter readers are supposed to call in a license plate before they issue a ticket.

So I called DPT to find out why no one had checked the license plate before ticketing the car. The person on the phone had no good answer, but apparently the DPT database and the police database aren't linked! She also told me that the meter readers hand write the tickets (which isn't true), so they can't check the plate! And I could contest my parking tickets! Sorry? If DPT had actually been doing its job, I would've had Vincent back the same day it was stolen!

On Friday October 26, my friend Missy and I turned detective - we were determined to find Vincent.

Our first stop was 10 Harriet (the location of the last ticket - at least DPT was helpful enough to give me the address). We drove down Harriet and also checked some of the side streets in the area. No luck.

North Beach was our next stop - most of the tickets were given on the 1500 block of Grant, but Vincent wasn't there. We checked the 500 block of Union, and continued to drive around North Beach for another hour. Saw many black Hondas, but no Vincent.

We stopped to get Italian food and then did one more loop of the area on foot (we had to work off the ravioli). Still nothing.

We made a trip to Trader Joe's and decided to check Harriet again before calling it quits. We drove down the first block of Harriet and crossed Folsom to check the second block. As we crossed Folsom I saw a black Honda Civic on the corner of Folsom at 6th. It was too dark to read the plate.

We drove around the corner to check the car - I remember saying something along the lines of "it's probably not mine, but we should check it anyway." We'd been driving around three hours by this point and we were tired.

We pulled up to the car saw the license plate...it was VINCENT!

Missy parked directly in front of Vincent and I called the SF Police - then we drove across 6th and pulled over to wait for the squad car (we figured it wasn't safe to park so close in case the thieves were nearby). Now we were officially on stakeout (sans donuts and coffee).

It was an hour before the police arrived.

We would have been here sooner, but we were abducted by aliens.

The police didn't even search the car before releasing to me...and in the process of filling out the paperwork, they lost my driver's license. There's barely any damage to Vincent, but the thieves stole most of the stuff in my trunk, reprogrammed my radio stations, and left some crappy hip hop CD in the car.

But the reunion was a happy one, and the next day Vincent got a well-deserved bath.

de-hip-hopping Vincent (photo by umlaut)

To aid in Vincent's cleansing of the heavy bass, Umlaut compiled a mix of much better music:

Vincent - NOFX
Robber - The Sonics
Out There - Dinosaur Jr.
Looking For Lewis & Clark - The Long Ryders
In Between Days - The Cure
Keep The Car Running - The Arcade Fire
It's All I Can Do - The Cars
Lovely Rita - The Beatles
San Francisco's Doomed - Crime
Drive - Fu Manchu
Police Story - Black Flag
Fucker - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Over The Hills And Far Away - Led Zeppelin
A Quick One While He's Away - The Who
Hold On! I'm Comin' - Sam & Dave
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
Long May You Run - Neil Young
Head On - Jesus & Mary Chain

Mama Weer All Crazee Now

2007-08-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Today's email thread between miatomic and umlaut.

miatomic: Funny…even with the error: http://mcsweeneys.net/links/lists/22JohnMoe.html

umlaut: HA.. Nice catch. It's *almost* up to Umlaut standards... Almost. I love Slade... mainly because they weren't afraid to use alternative spelling in their song titles... Coz I Love You... Mama Weer All Crazee Now.. Gudbuy T'Jane.. Cum On Feel The Noize.. Skweeze Me Pleeze Me... etc. etc.

miatomic: I knew a guy named Slade when I worked at TSR -- he made a HUGE editorial error when he did a global search and replace on a manuscript for the Complete Wizards Almanac to change the word mage to wizard. Unfortunately, he neglected to add a space before the word during his search, thus changing every instance of the letters m-a-g-e to w-i-z-a-r-d. The result: All instances of the word DAMAGE were changed to DAWIZARD.

And of course, he didn’t check the manuscript after performing the global search and replace, so it went off to the printer…and the rest is a little bit of funny TSR history.

umlaut: CRAZEE!

The Joys of Moving

2007-08-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

You read that right. I’m giving up my amazingly fabulous flat and looking for a place without roommates. The majority of my search involves checking craigslist every hour for decent studios or one bedroom flats/apartments.

It’s appalling. So much so, that I’ve been compiling a list of the horrors and laughable ads (some with pictures).

Last weekend, I looked at a few places.

One lovely in-law in Mill Valley for $1350 (definitely worth it, although commuting to the city from Mill Valley will cost me an extra $150/month).
A tiny, and I mean TINY in-law in Glen Park (a relatively nice neighborhood in San Francisco) for $1250. The ad headline read: "Charming studio garden cottage". For the record, there was no garden and the main living space of the studio was probably about 150 square feet (which is smaller than my bedroom at my current place).
A “Split-level garden apartment” which looked like it hadn’t even been properly cleaned. I refrained from switching on the light in the bathroom because I didn’t want to touch the light switch and contract whatever disease lingered in the fungus that was clearly growing on it.

Of course the ads themselves are much more entertaining. Especially the ones riddled with spelling errors. Now I’m a terrible speller, but seriously folks, USE YOUR SPELL CHECKER and PROOF READ YOUR AD. My theory is that if a potential landlord can’t spell, they’re probably really bad at more important things…like maintenance.

Here’s a sampling:

$860 / 1br - SEEKING 1 - 2 STUDENT / QUITE AREA TO STUDY
Hmmm…what’s a “quite area to study”? Maybe it's the type of place that causes you to exclaim “My! That’s quite an area to study!”

And here’s one that’ll bring you closer to the Brandenburg concertos:
$1500 / 2br - 2 Bedroom new apartment in Sunset near Bach & GG Park
As much as I love Bach, I’m not sure that I want to be near him…he’s been dead for “quite” a while…

$1300 Charming Condominium Studio, COMPLETELY RENOVATED!!
Unit includes new carpet, new paint, new marble flooring in kitchen & bathroom, new lights, new designer carpeting, new bathtub, new bathroom vanity, new toilet and 9 foot ceilings. Building offers laundry and a storage unit. Very convenient area. Close to employment, shopping, transportation and entertainment. Only 1 block from O’Farrell.

Here’s a shot of the kitchen…does that look completely renovated? Perhaps in a retro-early-80s style? I particularly like the “designer carpeting” which must clearly be different from the “new carpet”. But wait! The ad says “new marble flooring in kitchen” – hmmm….looks suspiciously like carpet to me in the picture. Is it marble that’s faux carpeting? Maybe the marble is under the carpeting? But really, it’s the fact that this place is “close to employment” that catches my attention. The place is “only 1 block from O’Farrell” so clearly “close to employment” means this is the perfect place for call girls and drug dealers!

Or how about another place that advertises “undercover parking”? Probably works well for tenants in the NSA.

There's a studio in Nob Hill with a "seperate kitchen with big refrigerator and granit countertop". I think that Yosemite Sam is the landlord.

Or how about living in a concrete shell? At least you can share the backyard with flowers! But whatever you do, don't ask about the dogs...

This studio apartment is located near hospital,shopping and transportation.
Unit faces west but has no view, the top of the building next door,some sunshine
Elevator building built in 1926, concrete shell.
The layout is entry hall,full bathroom,living area,kitchen and large walk in
closet. Shared backyard with flowers.Owner pays heat hot water,garbage & water.
Deposit is five hundred and fifty dollars.Showings begin on Wednesday 8/8
Good credit a must,no shares,no roomates or sublets. Cats are welcome, no dogs
so please do not ask. Thank you very much.

I'm hoping for better luck this weekend.

MotoGP World Championship at Laguna Seca

2007-07-27T11:57:00.001-07:00

Please click twice on the video to watch it on YouTube.

Thursday 19 July 2007
We left San Francisco at around 7:30 pm and headed down the 280 in search of an In-N-Out burger…the most interesting part of the drive consisted of a discussion about Wake Up Little Susie by the Everly Brothers.

M: So why are they still in the movie theater at 4:00? Wouldn’t someone have kicked them out?
G: Maybe they’re at the drive-in.
M: Then why would the people running the drive-in just leave one car in the lot without checking it? That doesn’t make sense. Plus, the guy told Susie’s mom that he’d have her home by 10:00, so they couldn’t possibly be at the drive-in because the movie would’ve still been playing – so they must be at the theater.
G: It’s just a song.
M: I know, but it doesn’t make any sense.
G: If you don’t shut up I’ll skip ahead to the next track on the disk.

Friday 20 July 2007
The GP riders had practice at 10:00 and 1:50, so of course we needed to be there to watch and spend the day buying lots of cool gear that will most likely be sold out by the time Sunday's race begins. We arrived at the track around 9:30am and found a spot near the fence by the Dunlop tire bridge to check out practice...and of course I forgot how LOUD these bikes are.

Think of it like this: the average decibels at a concert range from 85 - 100. The MotoGP bikes generate 130 (which is just a wee bit quieter than an air force jet), so when you're standing next to the track and the bikes fly past you, your bones rattle and your ears hurt. It's a good thing that Honda handed out free earplugs (given to me by a kind gentleman standing to my left). It's so loud that you can't have a conversation in pit row or even when you're standing a good 100 feet from the track. But then again, who comes to a GP to talk?

After the first practice we headed over to Ducati Island to check out the bikes and buy stuff -- I picked up a rad Ducati jacket with the 80s logo. We scored lots of freebies and ate poorly all day -- favorite food was Le Dog. It's a hot dog inside a baguette (they skewer the baguette and insert the dog and your choice of condiments). Yummy.

I really wanted to check out the corkscrew (turn 8) which drops riders 12 stories in 3 turns (I've tried to watch an on board camera on the corkscrew and it makes me dizzy). It was a great spot for watching and not too crowded on Friday. During practice, Alex Hoffman was hit by Sylvain Guintoli and broke his hand so severely that he now has a metal plate and 15 screws holding it together. That put him out of Sunday's race.

And we had weekend paddock passes...

Saturday 21 July 2007
GP qualifying was scheduled for 1:50, so we arrived at the track by 8:30 in order to stake out a good spot. We ended up near the beginning of turn 2 which gave us a good view of the straightaway from the start/finish line and all of turn 2. Sat there most of the day, then headed out for proper food (Italian -- to support Rossi) before going to the store to pick up the new Harry Potter book (I figured I would need something to do while waiting for Sunday's race).

Sunday 22 July 2007
The last time we were here, we arrived at the track a bit later than planned and it was already crowded. So this time we went through the gate at 8:30 and immediately headed to the same area we staked out for Saturday's qualifying. We set up our chairs next to some Brits and took turns finding food, etc. I read my book and enjoyed sitting in the sun.

The race started at 2:00 and was immediately exciting. If you watch the video (above - or you can just look at the pic, below) you can see the 1st lap where John Hopkins slides into Nicky Hayden (it happens around 58 seconds into the video). Hopkins was able to finish, but Nicky's bike was damaged and he pitted out on lap 22.

Casey Stoner was on pole and took off so fast that no one was able to catch him. He's now 44 points ahead of Valentino Rossi in the standings...but there are 7 races left this season, and I'm sure The Doctor has a few tricks up his sleeve to take the championship.

Help Save Adam the Kitten (WARNING: this is sad)

2007-07-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

This kitten (now named Adam) was only 8 weeks old June 19 when two 15-year-old girls poured flammable liquid on him while he was trapped in a cage and lit a match.

Adam still has a lot of fight left and the vets said they won't bail out on him, but he still needs many more surgeries before he's in the clear.

Click here to donate or write a letter to the 11 year old boy who witnessed the crime and saved the kitten's life.

Do you trust me?

2007-07-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

One of the best things I've heard in a long time...

Paul Weller and Graham Coxon join forces

Both This Old Town and Each New Morning/Black River are BRILLIANT. Download them now and you'll see what I mean.

3 days, 16 hours

2007-07-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

The countdown begins!

I'm doomed

2007-07-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

50%

50%

Mixins for Monday

2007-06-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

Top ten for the week of 25-June:

1. Oasis - Slide Away
2. Clinic - Tusk
3. Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye
4. Velvet Underground - Waiting for the Man
5. Nashville Ramblers - Trains
6. The Bravery - Time Won't Let Me Go
7. Great Northern - Home
8. Stereophonics - Hurry Up and Wait
9. Blonde Redhead - 23
10. The Shins - Australia

Mercury Retrograde = FUBAR

2007-06-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

Remember...in order to move forward, sometimes you must take a few steps back...

Just before midnight on June 15, 2007, Mercury, the cosmic trickster, turned retrograde in Cancer -- causing communications, travel, and appointments to become FUBAR. Unfortunately, we have to suffer through this until around July 10th, when Mercury begins moving forward again.

So for those of you who believe this stuff...Mercury rules thinking and perception and all means of communication. A Mercury retrograde causes personal misunderstandings and flawed, disrupted or delayed communications.

They say it's not wise to make important decisions during a retrograde period...since these decisions are clouded by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking.

Mercury's retro phase tends to bring unforeseen changes and blockages, but the aggravation and frustration that many of us experience during these periods is often due to our own inability to roll with the changes (cue that REO Speedwagon song).

Mixins for Monday

2007-06-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Libertines - Music When The Lights Go Out
REM - I Believe
Old 97s - Salome
Led Zeppelin - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
Kiss - Calling Dr. Love
Paul Simon - Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard
Lamb (Filia Brazillia Mix) - Cottonwool
Ride - Vapour Trail
The High Numbers - I'm the Face
Fastway - Say What You Will
Altered Images - I Could Be Happy
Graham Coxon - Don't Believe Anything I Say
The Fratellis - Whistle For The Choir
The Kaisers - She's Gonna Two Time
Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby
Oasis - It's Good To Be Free
Social Distortion - Winners and Losers
Bowie - Rock 'n Roll Suicide
The Kooks - Eddie's Gun

Stop thief!

2007-06-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Location: Directly in front of my house

The Background: I'd been awake since 2:45 am PST, caught the first flight from Austin to San Francisco, went straight to work from the airport, and rushed home at 3:00 pm PST to drop off my suitcase before heading to acupuncture. I parked in front of the house, grabbed my stuff out of the car and went upstairs. I thought I'd locked my car (apparently I need a new battery in my remote).

The Crime: I was in the house for like, five minutes when I heard my car door close. I looked out the dining room window and SOME GUY was sitting in the passenger seat of my car STEALING MY CDs. I could clearly see my Stray Cats (Australian import!) CD in his hand.

It took me two jumps to get down the stairs and a only a few leaps to get out the door and the front gate (luckily I realized that I didn't have my keys and I held the gate open -- otherwise I would've been trapped outside on the sidewalk with the junky thief).

I yelled "What the f#@k are you doing?! Put my f#@king CDs back and get away from my f#@king car". I was so mad and I must've scared him because he tossed my CDs onto the passenger seat put his hands in the air and started walking off down the street.

He did get away with a tin of Altoids, which by the look of him, I'm sure he needed...

Night of Nights

2007-06-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

A companion piece to umlaut's Overlord...

On this night, 63 years ago, the 101st parachuted behind enemy lines in Normandy...the subsequent invasion is still the largest seaborne invasion in history.

My Great Aunty Nan taught me to dance in my parent's kitchen -- I learned all those great dances of the 30s and 40s. She'd always hum tunes by Benny Goodman and Glen Miller. So here's my ultimate WWII mix (in memory of Aunty Nan):

Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree - Glen Miller and his Orchestra
G.I. Jive - Johnny Mercer
And The Angels Sing - Benny Goodman and his Orchestra
It's Been A Long, Long Time - Harry James and his Orchestra featuring Kitty Kallen
Waitin' For The Train To Come In - Peggy Lee
Moonglow - Benny Goodman and his Orchestra
Swinging On A Star - Bing Crosby
Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Duke Ellington and his Orchestra
I Got A Gal in Kalamazoo - Glen Miller and his Orchestra
Sentimental Journey - Les Brown and his Orchestra featuring Doris Day
Till Then - The Mills Brothers
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - The Andrews Sisters
Rat Patrol - Naked Raygun

And while we're on the subject...my favorite WWII movies:

Saving Private Ryan
Force 10 from Navarone
A Bridge Too Far
The Great Escape
Victory
Casablanca
Bridge on the River Kwai
Schlinder's List
The English Patient
Life is Beautiful
1941
Band of Brothers

The Best of Kids in the Hall

2007-06-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Just a few of my favorites...absolutely brilliant!

The Dr. Suess Bible

Business Suit Trappers

My Pen!

Buddy discusses race and sex

She's fast enough for you old man...

2007-05-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

On May 25 1977, Star Wars hit the big screen.

I read this issue in July 1977 while sitting in my Uncle's office. For months, I begged my parents to take me to see Star Wars. They relented in September, and we went to Brookfield Square Cinema to see in in 70mm.

Whatever Happened To Our Rock 'n Roll?

2007-05-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
The Fillmore
May 9th 2007

Four years and seven shows later, I still and will always love this band. When I wrote about their last Fillmore gig, I likened it to falling in love again with your ex. But now, unfortunately, I'm remembering why we broke up in the first place.

Baby 81 is a great album! I particularly like the song Berlin, so why did the live show at The Fillmore lack the usual BRMC energy? I was super excited to hear Red Eyes and Tears, but the absence of We're All in Love, Six Barrel Shotgun, Love Burns, Heart + Soul, and In Like the Rose made me feel like my ex is a human resources manager at some faceless American corporation who listens to Dave Mathews and Phish...

At one point Umlaut pleaded, "please rock", but his Rock Godz did not answer.

Fillmore Setlist
Took Out A Loan
Berlin
Spread Your Love
Lien On Your Dreams
Stop
Weapon Of Choice
WHTMR&R (Punk Song)
Red Eyes And Tears
Window
Promise
Not What You Wanted
666 Conducer
Need Some Air
American X
---
Fault Line
Devil's Waitin'
Mercy
Howl
Ain't No Easy Way
All You Do Is Talk

When the doors opened for the show, the few people who arrived early were treated to an acoustic show with Robert and Peter on the floor of The Fillmore:
Complicated Situation
Love Burns
Rifles
Shuffle Your Feet

Maybe I should've been there early...

Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy...blah blah blah

2007-05-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

Dumbledore's Army is like, sooo much cooler.

Meet me in the room of requirement for a duel.

Expecto Patronum!

You're It

2007-05-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged!

Mostly, I hate these types of things….it always seems like an excuse for people to brag about themselves and spout off about how cool they think they are. But, like a chain letter, I feel that I must answer the 10 things meme or something bad will happen to me.

Which makes for a nice segue…

1. I’m completely superstitious. So I do things like: use the same door to enter and leave the house (if I’ve left through the garage, but then park my car on the street I’ll reenter the house through the garage). I don’t place hats on beds, open umbrellas indoors, I try not to step on cracks in the sidewalk, I think that seeing an owl during daylight is an omen of death, I never place a loaf of bread upside down, and I only pick up pennies if they’re heads up. However, I think 13 is a lucky number. Oh, and if I have to walk under a ladder, I cross my fingers.

2. I'm a terrible speller. Which, given the fact that I worked as an editor for like, 10 years, is pretty sad. I use the dictionary a lot.

3. I'm afraid of zombies. I have dreams that they’re trying to eat me or turn me into one of them. However, I once dreamed that I was able to lure them into my parent’s basement and feed them a nice vegetarian dinner.

4. I spent the night in a jail cell on Alcatraz.

5. I once shot a picture of the Virgin Mary with a crossbow on St. Patrick’s Day. (You’re either laughing or gasping right now.) I was 22, and my roommates (who I won’t name in this story...Tim and Matt) and I had been drinking. We had an antique crossbow hanging on the wall of our living room. Tim had recently purchased these oval pictures of the VM from some dollar store near our house. He hung them on the wall above this old chair that we’d been using for target practice. Someone had the brilliant idea to aim at the Virgin Mary…everyone missed (which put a lot of holes in our wall) until my turn. My first shot hit the VM dead center. So I feel like I have a bit of a curse, which leads to number 6.

6. One week after the incident with the VM, my dad died. Granted, he had been really sick, but I can’t help but wonder if it was also some type of punishment. So whenever something really bad happens to me, I think about the curse of the VM.

7. If I could have a super power it would be the ability to time travel.

8. I believe that things happen in threes (good or bad), and that events are not random.

9. I’m a Pisces, but really seem to lack many typical Pisces characteristics. (I recently had a conversation with someone about this, so I’ve been thinking about it a lot.) My birthday falls close to the cusp of Aquarius, and I have some of those characteristics also. So it’s annoying when people expect me to be dreamy, emotional, scattered, unfocused, or unable to tackle finances. I’m actually the opposite. That being said, I am compassionate and adaptable and have the nicer Pisces traits!

10. I'm a "leave no trace" type of person. So I could spend the night at your house, use a bunch of your stuff, and you'd never even know I was there. I sometimes like to test my friends just to see if they notice...but they never do. It's all part of my childhood KGB training :)

Yuri's night

2007-04-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

I still think we should be celebrating Alan Shepard...but Brian made this nice graphic. Yuri's Night '07

Moon Shot

2007-03-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

There it was. Finite. If Deke, and the others before him and those who would follow were successful, then man had taken his first faltering steps not merely to other worlds close by, but to far distant stars and worlds revolving about those alien suns. Deke looked down on his world in a mixture of sadness and hope, for he knew this planet earth one day would pass into history. No one knew when, but all knew it was inevitable.

He knew that if one day men were successful in journeying to distant stars and populating the planets of those far away stellar engines, then the race of man was safe. A star might go nova, obliterate an entire solar system, but if man populated many solar systems...he smiled to himself. Then life would go on.

That was the gift to the future of all those among us who made it possible. Shepard, Armstrong, Conrad, Grissom, Gagarin, Leonov, Stafford, Scott, Irwin, Young, Cernan, Glenn, Cooper, Schirra, Carpenter -- and so many more.

And on that roll call there was now this name to remember.
Always.
Deke Slayton.
Astronaut.

(Excerpted from Moon Shot by Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton)

Today would have been Deke's 83rd birthday.

He was chosen as one of the original Mercury 7 Astronauts but was grounded because of an erratic heartbeat. Since he couldn't have a Mercury flight, Deke became the Director of Flight Crew Operations -- one of his main jobs was to choose the crews for the Gemini and Apollo programs. He did, however, finally make it into space as the docking module pilot for Apollo Soyuz in 1975.

A few weeks ago, I stood in front of the Astronaut Offices at the Johnson Space Center (home of NASA) in Houston. I thought, this is the place where it happened. And that's the building where Deke Slayton sat at a desk and decided who would go to the moon. I realized that for the first time in my life, I was walking in and among the buildings where some of my heroes once trained and sacrificed to explore the unknown...and I felt myself getting a little teary. I sat in historic Mission Control at the console once occupied by Flight Director “failure is not an option” Gene Kranz. I looked around the room, closed my eyes, and wondered what it would’ve been like to be in here during the heyday of Apollo.

I stood at the podium used by JFK when he delivered the famous "We will go to the moon..." speech. I peeked inside Gordon Cooper's Faith 7 – it’s unbelievable how small that thing really is. But he must’ve been awfully comfortable in there given the fact that he fell asleep during countdown and again while completing his 22 orbits around Earth. I also saw Cooper’s Gemini V capsule – he shared that one with Pete Conrad. The capsule is about the size of a VW Beetle and Conrad said it was like “spending eight days in a garbage can”.

I walked into the auditorium expecting it to be empty. But in the lobby was the crew of STS 117 – their mission is to deliver solar panels to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for March 15th.

And I met Gene Cernan -- the Commander of Apollo 17 and the last man to walk on the moon. As he climbed up the ladder of the LM to make the trip back to Earth he said: "As we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came, and God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. As I take these last steps from the surface for some time to come, I'd just like to record that America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. Godspeed the crew of Apollo Seventeen."

And as I drove off the Johnson Space Center and turned right onto NASA drive, I hoped that someday soon new visitors from Earth would set foot on the surface of the moon and remember the names of those who paved our way...

In Memoriam: Joe Rosenthal

2006-08-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

Joe Rosenthal, who won the Pulitzer Prize for this picture of the flag raising atop Mt. Suribachi, passed away on August 20th in California. He was 94.

In the front are Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, John Bradley and Harlon Block. In the back are Michael Strank and Rene Gagnon

Believe it or not, some people actually think the fighting ended when the flag was raised, but it continued for another 22 days and claimed over 10,000 American casualties. Not long after Rosenthal snapped this photo, three of the flag raisers — Strank, Block, and Sousley — were killed by the Japanese.

Believe it or not, some people actually think this photograph was staged. Film shot by a combat cameraman on Iwo Jima proves otherwise, yet this image still generates controversy. Rosenthal had this to say about it:

This picture…it has a meaning to me. I see all that blood running down the sand. I see those awful, impossible positions to take in a frontal attack on such an island, where the batteries opposing you are not only staggered up in front of you, but also standing around at the sides as you're coming on shore. The awesome situation, before they ever reach that peak. Now, that photograph can serve to remind us of the contribution of those boys—that was what made it important, not who took it.

AZZURRI!

2006-07-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

Over the last four years I have denied my love of the Italians...but for the last four weeks, it's been difficult for me to contain my passion. So I must admit now that I have always been and will always be a fan of the Azzurri. Their game is like opera...there's drama, violence, passion, heartbreak, revenge, victory and defeat, joy and sadness, and love.

Love? Yes. Have you seen the way they put their arms around each other and sing their national anthem? Or kissing and hugging one another after a victory? They even cut Camoranesi's hair to celebrate winning the 2006 cup. It makes me teary.

This obsession with the Azzurri began during the 1990 World Cup in Italy. The player was Salvatore Schillaci - who made his debut in the first game against Austria as a substitute. He scored the winning goal, and Italy beat Austria 1-0. He eventually won the golden boot, scoring six total goals. The '90 cup was the Notti Magiche di Totò Schillaci (magical nights of Totò Schillaci). Schillaci's club team: Juventus

Then came Roberto Baggio and Guiseppe Signori in the 1994 World Cup in the States. Baggio scored five total goals in the tournament, but is probably most remembered for missing his pentalty kick in the final against Brasil (my brother was at the game, sat with the US National team, and has a picture of Baggio's missed shot). I still have newspaper clippings from Italy's matches...and I had a Baggio jersey (I stupidly gave it away...such is the demon of denial) and a Baggio poster. Baggio's club team: Juventus

I started off the 2006 Cup by telling everyone how much I disliked the Italians. That way, I could watch their matches late at night (thanks to Tivo) while everyone was sleeping and no one would know. I continued to discuss my dislike until the semi-final match against Germany (it's difficult to contain your excitement when you're in a bar with a hundred other people). My heart beat faster when I saw Alessandro Del Piero warming up on the sideline, and I jumped out of my seat when he scored in the 121st minute...it was bellissimo. Some trivia: The area 10 yards outside the penalty box is known as La Zona Del Piero. Did you know that the French coach, Domenech, distrusts Scorpios and that astrological sign is absent from the French squad? Well...Del Piero is a Scorpio. And his club team: Juventus

"Siam pronti alla morte:
Italia chiamò!"

I may have to change my nationality.

Tu y yo! Ale, ale, ale!

2006-06-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

Go, go, go! Ale, ale, ale! (apologies, but I've got that Ricky Martin song in my head)

Back in '02 I wrote a World Cup article for some magazine. Click on those fancy images to read said article. And at the bottom, you'll find the heartfelt "letter to the editor" written by umlaut which the lovely editor of said magazine printed in issue #62.

In case you missed my previous football posts:

European Championships 2004 (and if you meet my brother, be sure to ask him about my re-enactment of the Bataan Death March during this trip)

Soccer Generations

Day of Days

2006-06-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

You will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely....The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good luck, and let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower giving the D-Day order on June 6, 1944.

Q Ball's Chicken Dumpling Soup

2006-04-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

It was by far the best pot of soup that I've ever made.

The recipe was my grandfather’s: George "Q-Ball" Sagorac. He liked to tell me he got that nickname because of his haircut, but not too long ago I heard a different story: Apparently, my Grandfather and his cousin, “Uncle” Eli Malkovich were pool sharks. Unfortunately, no one seems to know for sure, so I guess it'll just exist as a legend.

I really can't picture my Grandfather as a pool shark. Maybe that’s because I spent most of my early childhood with him in the duplex we shared on 83rd street. Tata, Mom, George and me lived upstairs, while Gramps, Uncle Jim ("Chach") and Uncle Milan ("Bud") lived downstairs. (Yeah, everyone in my family has a nickname, but I’ll save that for another story.)

By the time I was 11 months old, I had learned to crawl down the steep hall stairs of the duplex. Every morning, my mom would open the child-proof gate and I’d scuttle down those stairs to sit outside the door leading to my grandfather's kitchen. I’d wait until I could hear him moving around, then I’d knock or quietly say, "Grandpa?" and he'd open the door and let me in. My mom told me recently that he knew I was sitting on the stairs in the hall, but he always waited a bit before letting me in.

He would pick me up and sit me in a chair at the kitchen table. We always had breakfast together. Gramps would brew Maxwell House in the percolator and toast four pieces of Roman Meal. I’d wait patiently for my coffee (don’t be alarmed, it was really more like a cup of milk with a tiny bit of coffee). I even had my own special red cup and saucer. When the toast was ready, we’d sit together with our breakfast, drink our coffee, and I’d watch Gramps do the crossword puzzle.

Now, Gramps wasn’t just adept at making great toast and coffee. He was known throughout the Serbian community as the man who made the best roasted lamb, pig, and chicken. (The photo was taken in our backyard in New Berlin – he even made the machines that turned the spit). He’d sit out there all day drinking Pabst, stoking the fire and seasoning the meat with his special blend of spices. Sometimes, he'd broil steaks or fry fish and pork chops coated with Shake-n-Bake. He also made fried pork fat and this Serbian “delicacy” called Djeladija (pigs feet in gelatin). Now these were all extremely tasty dishes, but my all-time favorite was his chicken dumpling soup (with extra dumplings). No one, and I mean no one, made dumplings like my Grandfather.

When I was in my mid-twenties I moved back home, and Gramps came to live with mom and me. This time around, he was the one who waited until he heard me moving around in the kitchen. He was in his 80s now, and preferred instant coffee and oatmeal, while I’d moved on to decaf and multi-grain toast. The two of us still sat at the kitchen table every morning. He’d read through the paper, but he’d let me work on the crossword puzzle.

And I cooked for him. I was a vegetarian at the time, so Gramps became my guinea pig for all sorts of new recipes. I once made a roasted garlic and potato soup that used tofu as the cream base. I didn’t tell him there was tofu in the soup, and I waited until he finished an entire bowl before I unveiled the surprise ingredient. “That tofu’s not bad,” he told me. I even got him hooked on Garden Burgers with grilled onions, but his favorite dish was my garlicky cream of celery soup. Years later, when he had to move into a nursing home, I'd smuggle Tupperware containers filled with that soup for him to eat. The food in the nursing home was terrible, and sometimes I’d get him a burger with grilled onions from his favorite burger joint and we'd sit in his room, share onion rings, eat our burgers, and watch tv.

I recently had a craving for my Grandfather’s chicken dumpling soup, and since there was a roasted chicken in my freezer I decided to try my hand at Q-Ball's recipe. The soup part was easy, but I had no idea how to make dumplings. I consulted The Joy of Cooking, Vegetarian Cooking, Epicurious, etc. but they were no help. I finally called my mom at work. The recipe was never written down (none of his recipes were on paper; Gramps made everything from memory). I wrote down, verbatim, exactly what mom told me:

- beat 4 eggs
- add a bit of garlic powder
- add enough flour to make the mixture semi-thick, not too runny
- and don't let it form a ball! (she was very insistent about that)

I'd seen Gramps make dumplings enough times that I thought I could get the batter right. I remembered standing on a stool in his kitchen, my head close to the soup pot watching him dip a teaspoon into the batter then drop it into the boiling soup.

So I mimicked his technique as best I could and when all was said and done, this was easily the best pot of soup that I’d ever made. I knew that Gramps would have been proud. I only wish that he was here to share it with me.

Honey, quick, the Polaroid

2006-04-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

Fab Mab Reunion featuring the Dead Kennedys, Flipper, The Avengers, and The Mutants
The Fillmore
April 8 2006

Brief history lesson: The Mabuhay Gardens (aka the "Fab Mab") was a San Francisco club where you could see anything from drag performances to punk rock shows. It closed in 1984.

I knew it was going to be a good night when...a very nice gentleman standing on the corner of Fillmore and Geary treated us to a wonderful rendition of Holiday in Cambodia on the accordion. It made the song sound, somehow...French.

We ran into some friends outside, and then ventured upstairs for The Mutants and The Avengers. We sat and traded stories of past shows and bands we're listening to now. East Bay Ray walked right past us. There were so many gray-haired, tattooed, leather jacket wearing, legs in fishnet stockings, old-school punks that it made me smile. I saw a lot of punk-rock parents with their 7 to 11 year old kids. But the weirdest thing was: everyone was so nice. I accidentally bumped into someone on my way out of the bathroom, so I apologized. She started laughing and said, "we're all so polite!" There was no pretension, no posing, and most of the people there were 30 or 40-somethings. It was refreshing.

Despite being one of those 30-somethings, for a few hours I felt like I was 15 again.

The time warp started while we were standing on the main floor waiting for the Dead Kennedys to take the stage...and one of the DJs played TSOL (ohmigod - I loved that band). Highlights from the DK set: Winnebago Warrior, Buzzbomb, Let's Lynch the Landlord, Moral Majority, Rawhide, Halloween, MTV Get Off the Air, To Drunk to F*#k, and Police Truck. The crowd sang to California Uber Alles and Kill the Poor, and I even shouted the chorus during Nazi Punks F*#k Off (sorry mom!).

They didn't play I Am The Owl and Bleed for Me (the latter has one of my favorite East Bay Ray signature guitar riffs). One of my friends commented that it was sorta like DK karaoke, but even without Jello these guys look and sound really good.

They ended with Viva Las Vegas and...brace yourself, my dear...Holiday in Cambodia (sans accordion).

People outside for cigarette breaks: about 50 (I've never seen that many people smoking outside The Fillmore)
Mohawks and liberty spikes seen: about 8 total (and all on people under the age of 15)
Fishnet stockings: at least a dozen
Misfits shirts: 2 (I've been to dozens of shows with Umlaut, and this is the first time that I've actually seen people wearing Misfit's shirts)
Fight: 1

In the parking garage, we found a stuffed purple elephant with pink polk-a-dots lying next to my car. He'd been abandoned. I took him home and named him Oliver.

Look at us, we formed a band!

2006-03-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

Art Brut
The Independent
March 21 2006

What can I say about Art Brut? I dig their fun lyrics and the fact that they don't take themselves so seriously. Here's a sampling from the song, Modern Art:

So I'm in the Tate
And I'm looking at Hockney
And oh sweet Jesus
There's something about that blue
It touches me deep inside
Amazes me when I step outside
I'm sweating
I'm sweating
I'm beginning to palpitate
I can't help myself
I just can't help myself

Modern art
Makes me
Want to rock out

Yeah! How can you not enjoy that?

The Independent was crowded, although I'm not sure if it sold out. The opening act was..um...interesting. Picture two guys from Ohio with guitars and techno tracks playing in the background. One's using vocal effects ala Peter Frampton and moving about like a whirling dervish. By then end of their set, they had both stripped down to their speedos...I think you get the picture.

Art Brut opened with We Formed A Band and Eddie jokingly commented that whoever set up the mics and gave him a 3-foot cord had obviously never seen them play before. But that didn't stop him from using his mic cord to jump rope and venture into the crowd.

After they played 18,000 Lira, someone in the crowd asked how much that would be in American dollars. Eddie thought about this for a minute, and then responded with $4.73 (it's actually $11.22 and please don't ask me why I looked that up). The band had fun, the crowd was into it, and I saw plenty of people singing along (it reminded me of seeing The Darkness at Slims: Everyone sang at that show -- including me! -- it was awesome).

Before they launched into Good Weekend, Eddie told the crowd that the song was #1 in places like Germany, Narnia, and the former Yugoslavia. The set ended with him shouting "Art Brut! Top of the Pops!" proceeded by the acknowledgment of one of San Francisco's finest bands: "Journey! Top of the Pops!".

One True Thing That Don't Fade

2006-03-20T18:37:00.000-08:00

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
The Fillmore
March 15 2006

Okay, it took me nine months to like Howl. In fact, the first time I listened to it, I came very close to throwing the disk out the car window so that it would shatter on the 280. I wanted to hear the loud fuzzy guitars that I had come to know and love. Part of me secretly vowed not to give up, but even after their September show at The Great American, I still wasn’t convinced that Howl was a good 3rd effort.

However, the current Mercury Retrograde in Pisces has made me reconsider many things…among them, my lost love: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. *sigh* It’s like falling in love again with your ex!

I miss Robert’s black leather jacket and wild mass of hair, but it’s okay, since he’s playing the piano on this tour and sings my two new favorite songs: Mercy and Sympathetic Noose. At one point someone in the sold-out crowd at The Fillmore yelled, “Satisfaction!” and Robert played the song’s opening riff on his bass. BRMC with a sense of humor? I don’t think that would’ve happened back in 2003. Which reminds me…Black Rebel has now surpassed Blur as the band I’ve seen the most.

Show Tally
BRMC: 2003 (Fillmore & Bill Graham Auditorium), 2004 (Grand Ballroom, Catalyst), 2005 (Great American Music Hall), 2006 (Fillmore).
Blur: 1990 (Brixton Academy), 1991 (Metro), 1992 (The Vic -- they played with Senseless Things. When that show ended, we jetted up to the Metro to see The Wedding Present and The Catherine Wheel – Blur jetted up there as well and Damon sang a few songs with The Catherine Wheel), 1993 (metro), 1994 (?) we had tickets to a 1995 show, but sold them to some kids and went out to dinner instead
Vue: 2004 (Catalyst, Bottom of the Hill, Great American, Blank Club)
Oasis: 1994 (Metro), 1995 (Rave), 2005 (Shoreline)
Ride: 1990 (London Town & Country Club), 1991 (London Town & Country Club), 1992 (Metro)
Social Distortion: 1988 (Odd Rock Café), 1992 (Riverside Theatre), 2003 (Warfield)

Okay, back to the subject at hand.

Missing from Wednesday’s set at the Fillmore was Rifles – probably the best song off their self-titled debut. However, they did play White Palms. Once again they opened with six tracks off the new album – but this time, it only increased my appreciation for Howl; especially the songs, Sympathetic Noose (they must’ve been listening to John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band!) and Mercy (they must’ve been listening to Simon & Garfunkel!)

I’m even enjoying Howl’s title track, although it’s a bit Indie sounding…which means I need to rant for a brief minute: I’ve been on iTunes listening to new bands that are supposed to be all the rage: Stars? Clap Your Hands Say Yeah?

Indie is what happens when kids take Prozac and Lithium. (Somewhere, a girly-thin white boy with a Macy's star tattoo on his wrist is crying). I don’t want to see another waif-like, pale boy crying about his dead puppy and extolling the beauty of yellow flowers. Please stop whimpering, get some sun and eat something. You’ll feel better – trust me.

Now back to scheduled BRMC programming. They dedicated Heart + Soul to their moms, who were all in attendance. What nice boys.

Fillmore setlist:
Feel it Now
Fault Line
Restless Sinner
Shuffle Your Feet
Aint No Easy Way
Howl
White Palms
Stop
Six Barrel Shotgun
In Like the Rose
Weight of the World
Promise
Sympathetic Noose
Gospel Song
Shade of Blue
Red Eyes and Tears
Spread Your Love
Punk Song

Devils Waitin
Mercy
The Line
Heart + Soul
Open Invitation

Just another Tuesday night at Thee Parkside

2006-03-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

Rumor had it that Robyn Hitchcock was playing with the Minus 5...alas he did not show, but Peter Buck was there! Okay, maybe that's not so exciting, as he does play bass with the Minus 5.

At any rate, we got there early. Really early, actually. So early, in fact, that we didn't pay cover. I'm not sure if that makes us smart and frugal, or just a bunch of losers. I'm leaning toward smart and frugal.

Being that early did have its pluses...while standing outside having a square a cab pulled up. Out got some older guy. He looked a little weird. And I was totally fixated on his shoes, which were kinda like desert boots/mocassins/birkenstocks. And he was wearing leather pants.

It was Peter Buck! The last time I saw him was in 1991 -- and I watched him get out of a cab that night, too! Trippy! We had at least a dozen opportunities to talk to him:

- He'd leave his spot at the bar and walk past us.
- We'd discuss what we would say, like, "What time are you guys going on?"
- Then he'd walk back, and we'd get really quiet and pretend we weren't looking at him.

Hmmm...okay, now I'm leaning toward bunch of losers.

Check out umlaut's review. There were quite a lot of people there by the time the band went on, including The Phenomenauts.

But it's a shame that no one shouted out, "Driver 8!" or "Hyena!"

One of the funniest things I've seen in a while

2006-02-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

By now I'm sure that you all know about the Narnia rap battle, but in case you haven't seen it...

The original SNL (East Coast) sketch. I'm not sure how long this link will be working.

The West Coast response. 'Cos anyone who's ever lived in LA knows that you need a Thomas Guide!

And the Midwest response. Indiana?

Enjoy while you can, as I'm sure these sites will soon be shut down.

On my birthday...

2006-02-21T20:10:00.000-08:00

I love homemade cards.

What to do on President's Day...

2006-02-20T19:30:00.000-08:00

Fish tacos, Crate & Barrel, and then...
hit the record store!

Lack of real content

2006-02-16T14:07:00.000-08:00

Frack me! How'd they know about my cult? (And once again, I bite haetmunky's style.)

miatomic --

[noun]:

A person of questionable sanity who starts their own cult

'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

If I'm to be your camera...

2006-02-15T16:41:00.000-08:00

...then who will be your face?

Finally -- now y'all can stop bugging me for pictures ;)

miatomic's flickr images

Soccer Generations

2006-02-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

My father, Ilija Vuckovich, right side, hand on his hip.
The guy in the suit is the Prince of Yugoslavia.
1966

Me, age 15
1985

Eli John Vuckovich, age 3
2005

Me and Mia Claire Vuckovich, age 6
2005

Now I Wanna Be Your Dog

2006-01-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

It's the year of the Dog. So, for those of us born in 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, and 2006, it's our year. (Betcha didn't know that I was born in 1922.)

People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty and are honest. Cautious and serious regarding love, the Dog needs a trustworthy partner who has strong family sympathies, and appreciates their tenderhearted virtues. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues. Dog people make good leaders. They are compatible with those born in the Years of the Horse, Tiger, and Rabbit.

Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy!

2006-01-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Page is 62 today.

Almost every rock guitarist from the late '60s to the present day has been influenced by Page. He was a session musician on numerous great 60's songs like Donovan's Hurdy Gurdy Man and The Who's I Can't Explain.

In 1966 he joined the Yardbirds and he and Jeff Beck created a dueling guitar sound.

When the Yardbirds split in 1968 they still had shows to play in Europe, so Jimmy put together a band called The New Yardbirds. In that lineup was fellow session musician John Paul Jones and newcomers Robert Plant and John Bonham. After the tour the band's name was changed to Led Zeppelin...and the rest is history.

Bingo Hand Job (a.k.a. REM), London 1991

2006-01-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

First of all...and this is kinda weird...I was doing some research on the web about this show when I found this: http://ticketstubs.metafilter.com/story.stub/72 I haven't been in touch with Sid since 1991! Sometimes, I love the internet - especially when you run into old friends.

I gave Michael Stipe a fork...but I'll get to that later.

I studied in London '90-'91. I heard about the show while I was in the photo lab at school. A couple of people had been at the Borderline the previous night and heard that REM was playing a secret gig. The plan was that I would go and try to get tickets and my friends would meet me there later.

I cut class, hopped the Tube, and headed to the Borderline. I got there at about 1:00 and met Sid and Scott, a couple of American guys who were also studying abroad. We sat outside all day...and at about 3:30 this limo pulled up. Out steps REM! I was speechless -- they were like, 5 feet away from me.

We didn't have tickets, and we didn't want to lose our spots in the queue, but we were getting hungry. There was a BBQ place a few doors down. Someone went and ordered food, and I remember that a waiter brought our order out to us. The coleslaw was good. They gave us actual utensils, and I kept two forks. Sid and Scott and I rubbed them for good luck, hoping that we'd get into the show. I took the hand-written sign that was posted as a souvenir in case we didn't get in (see image).

And as luck would have it, we were able to scalp tickets for 40 pounds each (that was about $80 American dollars), but we got in, and we were right up front. Sid's posting has some good memories, and I recall that they messed up on Radio Song. Definitely one of the best shows I've ever seen.

Afterward we met Michael Stipe and I gave him one of the forks (I kept its partner for a long time, but I've since lost it). I think I said something like, "this fork brought us good luck, so I hope it brings you good luck, too." He probably thought that we were a bit crazy.

I still have my Bingo Hand Job concert shirt -- it's yellowed with age, but I'll never part with it.

After the show, some pimply-faced teenagers asked me if I knew Brian Lew.
"Yeah" I answered.
They squealed, "Tell him we think he's a fag!" before running off.

Letter to Cthulhu

2005-12-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

I stole this from haetmunky...

Oh Great Cthulhu!

I have been an extremely busy devotee this year.

In July, I wore an Elder Sign (-10 points). In April, I legally changed my name to Randolph Carter (-40 points). Last week, I rescued frabjousdave from being sacrificed (-200 points). Yesterday, I exposed umlaut to soul-rending horrors (250 points). In March, I fed Mrs. Beasley and Spooky to a Shoggoth (250 points). In June, I sacrificed my brother, George to Cthulhu (500 points).

In short, I have been very good (750 points) and deserve to be eaten first.

Your humble and obedient servant,
miatomic

Submit your own plea to Cthulhu!

More songs, take 2

2005-12-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

1. Are You Restless? – Vue
I’ve rarely seen a band with so much contagious energy on stage. This song is off one of the best albums that you will probably never hear – it’s a bit garage, punk, glam, blues. Great lyrics, great guitars, and Rex sneering You can’t blame me, you can’t be yourself…

2. Here With Me – Dido
Apparently this song was used as the theme music to a British sci-fi show! The heavier percussion mixed with Dido’s unique voice make this a pretty and melancholy (maybe?) love song.

3. Make Up Your Mind (slight return) – Richie Hawtin
This is from Richie Hawtin & Sven Vath: The Sound of the Third Season. It’s a mix of a Swayzack song. Richie’s ability to transform sounds with analog and digital effects is unprecedented. There’s so much going on that you have to listen closely to catch it. Perfect for listening to while driving in light rain or sitting on the beach watching the sun rise over the water.

4. Cottonwool - Lamb (Fila Brazillia mix)
Steve Cobby and Dave McSherry (a.k.a. Fila Brazillia) took an already sublime song and made it timeless. It’s an atmospheric expanse of sounds and Lou Rhodes’ hauntingly beautiful voice makes this amazing to hear. Meredith bought this for me for my 30th birthday.

5. That's The Way - Led Zeppelin
This is one of the most underappreciated Zeppelin songs. It truly shows the band at their finest. The longing cry of Pagey’s guitar still awes me.

6. Tuesday's Gone - Lynyrd Skynyrd
I'm not a fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but I do love this song. Matt and I used to hang out in my room and listen to this on the stereo. It reminds me of the good times at the Love Barn.

7. Deep Red Bells - Neko Case
A standout track off the Blacklisted album, and who can resist Neko’s siren call? The lyrical imagery stays with you forever. It looks a lot like engine oil, and tastes like being poor and small, and popsicles in summer.

8. Little Fluffy Clouds - The Orb
What were the skies like when you were young?
It was Joel's going away party at the Tornado Room in Madison...Nick Nice was on the decks. Me, Neeraj, and Merit stayed up till after dawn. The song is soothing, lo-fi. One of the finest Orb mixes ever and a celebrated flashback to Acid House. If memory serves correctly, it was the last track of the evening.

9. Vapour Trail – Ride
I love this band, and this is a brilliant track off Nowhere. In college, I had this huge Ride poster hanging above the stereo in my bedroom. If you stared at it long enough, the wave in the center of the poster would move!

Umlaut's mix

2005-12-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

"Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aide! Goethe said that. It's not too late for you to become a person of substance..."

This personalized Umlaut compilation was on my desk this morning when I came to work:

13-4-2-Day
1. Poprocks and Coke - Green Day
2. Waiting Room - Fugazi
3. Sign of the Gypsy Queen - April Wine
4. Another Shot of Whiskey - The Gits
5. Litany (Life Goes On) - Guadalcanal Diary
6. Don't Take Me For Granted - Social Distortion
7. Surrender - Cheap Trick
8. Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds
9. Do It Clean - Echo & The Bunnymen
10. The World's A Mess, It's In My Kiss - X
11. It Won't Last - Vue
12. A Bell Will Ring - Oasis
13. We're Not Gonna Take It>See Me Feel Me - The Who

"...what kind of beer?"

If you get into a jam, call me. I stay up late.

2005-12-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

It was dark and stormy night (seriously). I put on Led Zeppelin IV because Pagey, Percy, Jonesy, and Bonzo always make me feel better. Then I had to watch Untitled (a.k.a. Almost Famous), because as Lester Bangs says, "true music, not just rock 'n roll, it chooses you."

Almost Famous means a lot to me -- and those who know me well understand why.

Because you'll meet them all again on their long journey to the middle.

I mean, is a song better if it really happened to you? Penny Lane loves Russell for the music, right? And maybe he loves her too, but he still trades her to Humble Pie for $50 and a case of beer. And when he realizes (too late!) that he does really love her he tries to find her. And all the while, William keeps the torch lit for Penny, but never tells her what he's feeling. You feel for Penny, you really do. And you desperately want Russell to step it up, break up with his girlfriend, and stay with Penny...because despite all the crap, they're so amazing together. And you feel for William, too. You know that he doesn't have a chance with Penny, yet he remains totally devoted to her. In the end, she learns to take care of herself, and leaves them both to follow her dream of traveling to Morocco.

The scene on the bus where everyone sings along to Tiny Dancer still gives me goosebumps and makes me teary. And I smile during the entire deleted scene with Stairway to Heaven. The soundtrack is brilliant. The casting incredible. That's the way it oughta be...

George Best

2005-11-26T16:06:00.000-08:00

George Best
1946-2005

From the BBC:

Best was a footballing genius. He had speed, superb dribbling skills, the ability to accelerate past players and was adept with both feet. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to have graced the British game.

Together with Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, Best formed a triumvirate that inspired Manchester United to League Championships in 1965 and 1967 and the European Cup in 1968. In that year, he picked up the English and European footballer of the year awards.

His heyday occurred during the "swinging sixties", and, with his good looks, he brought a pop star image to the game for the first time. But the accompanying champagne and playboy lifestyle degenerated into alcoholism, bankruptcy, a prison sentence and, eventually, a liver transplant.

George Best will be most fondly remembered for his sublime footballing skills, his balletic grace and his sinewy athleticism. But he wrote his own epitaph when he once said: "I was the one who took football off the back pages and put it on to page one."

Fans email the BBC with their stories about meeting Best.

Happy Birthday Harpo

2005-11-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

He played the harp, he never talked, and he used props in sight gags. While shooting one of the Marx Brothers films, he was told that he could not burn a candle at both ends.

But he immediately produced, from within his coat, a candle burning at both ends.

Honk, honk!

Thanks to Pierce for the reminder.

Link Wray

2005-11-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

Link Wray
1929 - 2005

My friend Garret told me this great story that he once heard...Apparently, Link used to play at this bar in Texas quite a lot. One of the bar's regulars was a complete drunk, and he absolutely hated Run Chicken Run. So whever Link would play that song, this guy would get so irate that he'd throw his barstool through the bar's front window.

But Link kept playing the song anyway...

Top 21 albums

2005-09-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Lists...what one does when one thinks too much.

Top 21 albums that changed my life (in order of earliest impact)

1. Led Zeppelin – Zeppelin IV
2. The Who – The Kids Are Alright
3. The Clash – London Calling
4. Social Distortion – Mommies Little Monster
5. Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
6. Depeche Mode – A Broken Frame
7. Echo and the Bunnymen – Ocean Rain
8. REM – Reckoning
9. Stone Roses – Stone Roses
10. Ride – Nowhere
11. Blur – Modern Life is Rubbish
12. Beastie Boys – Check Your Head
13. Supergrass – I Should Coco
14. The Kaisers – Beat it Up
15. Oasis – Definitely Maybe
16. Richie Hawtin – Decks, EFX, and 909
17. Groove Armada – Vertigo
18. Belle & Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister
19. Whiskeytown – Faithless Street
20. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
21. The Vue – Down For Whatever

Addendum from Justin:
I...was happy to see REM's Reckoning on your album list. I think it's safe to say that album changed my life. Without it I would probably be a boring engineer somewhere and that would suck.

The Eagle Has Landed and The Final Frontier

2005-07-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

36 years ago today, Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins went to the moon.

Click here and zoom in all the way: Moon

"We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone..."
JFK, 1962

Today, Montgomery Scott made his final voyage.

"Admiral! There be whales here!"

Godspeed, Scotty.

Faster! Faster!

2005-07-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

Fast and loud...the MotoGP at Laguna Seca.

This is turn 2, also known as the Andretti Hairpin. The circuit is 2.2 miles long -- and the MotoGP riders complete 32 laps reaching speeds of up to 180 miles per hour. How fast is that? I was standing near the fence during the GP warmup on Sunday morning. The bikes went by in a total blur and it was so loud that it gave me goosebumps and made me giggle.

This is the first time in 11 years that the MotoGP World Championship has been held in the US. Europe and Asia are fanatical about this Formula-One-for-motorcycles event. The circuit looks like a rollercoaster, with sweeping hillsides, elevation drops, uber fast straightaways, and the famous corkscrew at turn 8. At the corkscrew, riders climb up one of the fastest sections of the circuit only to be met by a blind left turn that drops them 12-14 stories into a roller-coaster, 3-turn corkscrew. This section is so steep that riders use the rear brake to prevent the front wheel getting too skyward. And rumor has it that if you walk the corkscrew, you'll experience vertigo.

The MotoGP started at 2:00. I don't know who they hired to sing the national anthem, but the guy forgot the words about halfway through. And with all the internationals in attendance, and millions watching on teles worldwide, it was really embarrassing. "Silly Americans don't even know the words to their national anthem..."

The 32 laps were nail biting. Nicky Hayden led for the entire race and won. I was stoked to see an American win, especially since the last 6 GPs were won by Europe's Most Eligible Bachelor, Valentino Rossi.

After the race, Nicky put his dad on the back of his bike and took a victory lap -- it was a beautiful finish to an amazing weekend.

Random Rock Star Moment # 13: Social Distortion

2005-07-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Social Distortion at The Cubby Bear in Chicago, 1988. Pic by miatomic

My brother and The Ramones' Rocket To Russia got me started on punk, but Social Distortion hooked me. See, I had a crush on this boy named Dean. He was a junior at my high school and I was just a freshman. He gave me a copy of a Social D poster that he'd made in graphics class. And I got one of my friends to drive me to Atomic Records so I could buy the LP. So it all started because I liked a boy...

I got over that crush pretty fast, but I never really got over Social Distortion. I tried to see them at Cafe Voltaire (or maybe by that point it had changed names and become the Odd Rock Cafe) in Milwaukee. It was 1988 -- Prison Bound was released.

When I got to the show, Mike Ness was outside lighting firecrackers. My friend's band opened, and then the place was busted by some bored cops who saw a bunch of kids hanging out. They told everyone to leave, that we were over capacity. They kicked us out, chased kids through the parking lot and made plenty of arrests. Lucky for me, I had been returning some borrowed equipment to Social Distortion's van and was hanging out with Dennis Danell when the arrests began. They didn't get to play.

About 2 weeks later, we drove to the Cubby Bear in Chicago. Sham 69 opened. It was incredible. I palled around with Dennis after the show and we had a blast.

In 1992 I saw them open for the Ramones -- and I paid back the punk rock karma by taking my brother backstage.

Prison Bound

2005-05-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

I spent last night on Alcatraz.

I was hoping for some major paranormal activity. But nothing could have prepared me for this:

Those ghosts must just love Wild Boys...

A bunch of us decided to sleep in D Block. I was in cell 17. D Block is said to be the most haunted place in the prison — probably because cells 9-14 were for solitary confinement, and they're nicknamed The Hole. Robert "Birdman" Stroud used to sleep in cell 42. Hey...isn't 42 the answer to the ultimate question?

When we went into Birdman's cell one of the lights started to make this weird buzzing sound...like a bug was trapped in it.

I fell asleep around 11:30 — and slept soundly until about 2:00 am when I woke from a nightmare that Al Capone (maybe he was mad that I went into his cell and sat on his toilet) was standing over me. Fell back asleep until 3:45 when three of us needed to make a bathroom run.

The bathrooms are outside of the main prison, next to the crumbling warden's house. While waiting near the bathroom, I heard a dog barking. But there were no dogs on the island. And it was not a seagull that sounded like a dog. But that barking would explain the animal tracks I discovered at 6:30 this morning in the isolation ward of the hospital.

Why was I awake so early, you ask? At 5:45 my nose detected coffee! Brilliant, I thought. Someone actually got up before me and made a pot of coffee. I sat up, swung my feet off my cot, slipped into my adidas, stepped out of my cell and quietly (so I wouldn't disturb the other prisoners) headed down the stairs, turned left, walked passed the Hole and into the library. It was then I realized that I could no longer smell coffee. I also realized that even if someone had made coffee in the staff break room, that smell would not have traveled all the way to D Block.

Ah, those wily Alcatraz spirits. It made me smile, and to no one in particular (as every other sane person in the prison was still sleeping) I said, “Nice trick, guys.”

Then I got my camera, went outside to watch the sun rise over San Francisco, and spent the next hour wandering the prison in my pajamas.

Time travel

2005-04-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

I had this dream that I traveled back to 1967 to see The Yardbirds.

I was sitting on the floor in the venue with a group of people -- we were all wearing velvet pants and ruffled shirts. I coudn't let anyone know that I was from the future, but I kept telling myself over and over that I had to be careful that no one found out.

Someone handed me a 45 of Shapes of Things and started telling me something about Jimmy Page.

I held the 45 in my hand, looked at the person who gave it to me, and said something like, "Jimmy's next band is going to be huge."

Top songs with reasons

2005-04-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, I changed this slightly from the Live Journal post...only because I realized that I'd left off some important songs. And I wanted to add some reasons why some of these songs are important to me. They're in no particular order.

1. The Verve -- History
I used to DJ for WTPS in Milwaukee -- that was the first time I ever heard The Verve. This is one of the most beautiful songs ever.

2. Faithless - Sunday 8pm
Winter, 1999. I played this song endlessly. It's another beautiful choice.

3. The Who -- The Kids Are Alright
When I was 10, I developed a school-girl crush on Keith Moon (nevermind that he had already died by then). This is one of the best Who songs...I don't mind, other guys dancing with my girl..

4. Belle & Sebastian -- Judy and the Dream of Horses
I need to thank Brian Barber for this -- we were setting up a new Barnes & Noble store. Brian played If You're Feeling Sinister over the store's stereo system. This is the first Belle & Sebastian song I ever heard. Brilliant lyrics, brilliant music.

5. Blur -- Blue Jeans
I can't stress enough how much this band meant/means to me. I saw them in London in 1991, and almost every year since. I bought this CD before college graduation. Matt and I used to sit in my room and listen to it over and over again.

6. Depeche Mode -- The Sun and the Rainfall
This song always reminds me of high school. In the fall. When it's gray and chilly in Wisconsin. And it also reminds me of Missy.

7. Oasis -- Slide Away
Wow! The first time I heard Oasis, I was in Tower Records in Osaka, Japan. Shakermaker was coming through the store's speakers. I was standing there, looking at a Cardigan's CD. I asked the cashier who was playing. He held out the Oasis CD. There are only a few CDs that have affected my life in such a profound way; Definitley Maybe is one of those CDs.

8. Bing Crosby -- White Christmas
Okay -- how can you not like this song? It reminds me of the holidays, which reminds me of home and family. I wish I wasn't so far away.

9. R.E.M. -- So. Central Rain
I saw the video for this song on a show called I.R.S.'s The Cutting Edge when I was like, 15 or 16. It's the song that made me fall in love with R.E.M.

10. The Ray Bryant Combo -- The Madison Time
Have you seen the movie Hairspray? The scene where they dance to this song is great! I tried forever to find the soundtrack -- and I finally found it, used, in 1993. I think Rino's re-released it since then. Someday, I want to learn how to do that dance.

11. Simon and Garfunkel -- For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her
This song always makes me teary. It reminds me of Dylan...

12. The Flamingos -- I Only Have Eyes For You
I'd love to tell you why I love this song, but I can't. It's embarrassing.

13. Ride -- In a Different Place
Remember earlier when I said that only a few CDs have affected my life? Nowhere is another one of those CDs. I first heard this while sitting in Art History class at Ealing College in London. The CD was released that day. Dave went to HMV to buy it before class. He handed me his headphones and told me I'd get goosebumps. He was right.

14. The Chemical Brothers -- Setting Sun
Noel Gallager and The Chemical Brothers. It's very Beatles-esque.

15. Whiskeytown -- Here's to the Rest of the World
When Ryan Adams is good, he's really good. This song's heartbreaking.

16. Elton John -- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
This song reminds me of my childhood. Specifically 1978. Summer. It brings back good feelings.

17. Led Zeppelin -- Misty Mountain Hop
I think this is the first Zeppelin song I ever heard. When I was, like 9, I was afraid of Zeppelin because my brother told me that Jimmy Page practiced black magic. Now I know better. There are 2 kinds of girls in this world: those who like Robert Plant, and those who like Jimmy Page. I'm a Page girl.

18. Social Distortion -- The Creeps
I briefly wrote about Social D in a post on Umlaut. Missy and I used to listen to Mommies Little Monster constantly. We thought we were really punk rock.

19. Doris Day -- Que Sera, Sera
When I was a kid, my dad had a Doris Day 8track. I used to play it in the car all the time so that I could sing along. I think that's why my mom dislikes Doris Day :)

20. Bobby Darin -- Splish Splash
I had this obsession with the 50s when I was about 5. My dad took me to Sears, and he bought me this 45. I wore out the vinyl from playing it so much. I believe that my mom dislikes this song, too.

Me and Joe Strummer

2005-04-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

I often have dreams about Joe Strummer...this is one I had a year ago today.

So, Joe and his 13 year old daughter, Barbara — who looked just like the Eliza Dushku character in James Cameron’s True Lies — were renting a cottage on my cousin’s property in Santa Rosa. He had a white pick-up truck...I think it was a Dodge.

We were all planning on driving to Lake Winnebago for the weekend (this is place my family vacationed in every summer). Joe’s truck was parked next to my Civic out in front of the cottage — and it looked like someone dinged one of his headlights, so he was asking me if I knew who hit his car. I didn’t know. We were trying to decide who was going to drive to the lake.

I was living in the attic of my cousin’s house and apparently I was spending a lot of time with Joe and his kid.

So, it’s the night before we’re supposed to leave for Lake Winnebago. My cousin Patsy has made this amazing dinner — and the huge dining room table is set for like 20 people. I’m trying to get people seated — and I put Meredith next to someone (can’t remember who) and I save three seats next to her — for me, Joe and Barbara — so that we can all sit by Meredith.

So Patsy comes in with this platter full of what looks like beef medallions in a rich sauce — it looks delicious. And she’s like, “the platter’s really heavy!” So I help her set it down on the table, some of the juice spills onto the white tablecloth. And she tells me to get everyone to the dinner table so that we can eat.

I go upstairs to what turns into my Godparent’s house in Elm Grove, Wisconsin. I yell, “dinner’s ready!” and I start walking back down the stairs. I hear another cousin, who’s in one of the bedrooms, start to say something, but I just keep on walking. I then go outside, into the woods, and walk toward the cottage. For some reason, I put on my purple bicycle helmet.

When I get to the cottage, Joe’s having a punk-rock party. There’s a couple of guys out front. One of them is pretty drunk and he has spikey platinum hair. He’s like, “do you like my ring?” And he shows me this gold ring that he wearing on his right hand. It’s not round like a regular ring, it’s octagonal, gold, and has these green stones on each flat edge. The guy standing next to him says something about it, and the platinum guy says something about it being a ring that ancient people wore or something like that. And I’m thinking about how stupid I must look with this purple helmet on my head.

The guys tell me that Joe made dinner for the people at the party — scrambled eggs and rice!

So I figured that Joe won’t be joining us for dinner and I walk back through the woods wondering if scrambled eggs and rice is a typical English dinner :)

And I wake up with the song Tommy Gun in my head...

Euro 2004

2004-08-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

22 June 2004
My brother and I arrived after what seemed like a shockingly long flight from Chicago to Madrid and then finally to Lisbon. First class was pretty rad though...thanks to George and all his frequent flier miles! On our way out of immigration we were both handed some pamphlets and small foil-wrapped packages. George was like, “What’s in the wrapper?” And I’m like, “I think it's gum.” When I took a closer look...those foil wrappers contained condoms! And the pamphlet gave advice on how not to contract AIDS while visiting Portugal for the tournament. I advised my brother against having sex with strange men in the bathrooms at the football stadiums and not to worry about getting AIDS from a toilet seat. I couldn’t tell if he looked relieved or annoyed.

Since we didn’t have tickets to tonight’s game, we took a cab to the fan park — set up at the Palace de Nationales, site of the 1998 World Expo. The fan park is a huge area with pitches for 5-a-side games, lots of football activities and an Adidas area with the scooters from the Road To Lisbon adverts. I think the only reason George had his pic taken on Beckham's scooter is because I took Zidane's.

We sat with a couple hundred other people and watched the match on one of the big screen teles. Most hated team of the tournament = Italy (followed closely by Germany). Having once been an Italian fan, this bothered me for only a brief second, as I secretly wanted them to lose. Spectators held signs reading "spaghettis go home" and "Nordic victory 2-2" (as a draw would advance both Denmark and Sweden to the quarter finals). And in the 89 minute that's exactly what happened! Sweden's Mattais Jonson scored a truly beautiful goal and the fans went mad! Hey Italy, see ya!

We tooled around the next day looking for cool football gear that’s unavailable in the US (which was pretty much everything). Ate some free food at the free hotel (thanks again to my brother and all his Mariott points!). Caught a cab with some nice German fans and headed out to Jose Avalade stadium (home of Sporting Clube) for the Germany v. Czech Republic game. Germany lost.

24 June, the big day…We've got tickets to the England v. Portugal game at Luz Stadium (home of Benfica). All day I was like, "I’m going to see Michael Owen, I’m going to see Michael Owen, I’m going to see Michael Owen." I jumped up and down with glee. I grabbed my brother’s arm and slowly said "Michael Owen". He responded with, "My sister is a dork." Indeed.

We're sitting about 30 yards behind the goal – with some extras from a Guy Ritchie film behind us. Game starts, 2 minutes in…Owen's running toward the goal…he gets the ball, spins 180 degrees in the air and finds the back of the net! Thousands in the stadium leap to their feet screaming! That collective energy…whoa. It seemed like a win, until the 89 minute when Helder Postiga scored the equalizer and the game went to nail-biting extra time, and then penalties. David Beckham? Whatever. I imagined my father throwing his hands in the air, muttering under his breath in Serbian…just like he did every time I put the ball over the goal.

Since Portugal won, we hi-tailed it out of the stadium in hopes of returning to the hotel before the whole city went completely mad. I should mention that sidewalks end abruptly and for no logical reason in Lisbon. We found a main road and a sidewalk. We thought it would lead us to the hotel.
After a few minutes of walking our conversation went something like this:

G: "I don’t think this is a sidewalk."
M: "Sure it is. Keep walking."
G: "We’re really close to the freeway."
M: "So?"
G: "I think this is a drainage ditch."
M: "It’s a sidewalk."
G: "It’s a drainage ditch."
M: "No. It’s a sidewalk."
G: "No. It’s a drainage ditch."

By this point we’d stopped walking. I looked around. Yipe! Being about a yard away from speeding cars carrying drunken Portuguese fans celebrating their victory seemed like certain death. We retreated to higher ground (i.e. up the embankment and over a fence.) And then we had to ask two police types for directions to the Mariott. In the hotel elevator I was nearly accosted by a drunk German…I went back to the room and requested my brother's protection at the hotel bar. I ordered a Corona. The bartender smiled at me and said I made a good choice.

25 June, France v. Greece.
We set out to find food and cruise around the city before the game. It was hot. We ate next to a group of French fans who sang, in broken English, accompanied by street musicians playing accordions. We were treated to such timeless hits as, When The Saints Go Marching In, The Boxer, and Blowin' In the Wind. Then the Frenchmen danced in the street with a group of Greek fans.
Game time. Holy merde! Our seats were so close to the field…we could clearly see Zidane and Henry. Everytime Zidane moved I became more convinced that he's not human. He glides across the pitch and effortlessly dribbles the ball around opponents. After one amazing fake, George and I looked at each other and were like, "How did he do THAT?!" I guess that's why he's the best footballer in the world.

And my brother made a new friend: Kinas. The Euro mascott is rumored to have been born with the knowledge and craft of all great footballers, past and present. And yeah, we did do a bit of sightseeing…like we went to the Castle of St. George. But this trip was all about football…and it really is a beautiful game.