Mention Me! II
So. Michael, the dude who does, um, Marmalade Thighs with Scrambled Yellow Hair (Has that always been the name of your blog?), says I got some, well, facts wrong in my previous mention of his blog.
Well. As a journalist, I'm concerned by this aspersion cast on my character. OK, I admit. I read the phrase, "after six days in Evansville" and "returned to Bloomington" as meaning that he had, yep, left the state.
But it turns out, I guess, that Michael does a lot of intrastate travel and doesn't pursue the interstate experiences that my experiences have lead me to believe are common.
I hope he leaves Indiana soon.
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
Rock Shows of Note III
The Upstairs Lounge, a cozy little indie-rock hideaway near North Station in Boston, is now booking shows. Check out one of their first rock sextravaganzas this Thursday -- Valentine's Day -- when a super-secret show featuring the "Organ Grinders" is scheduled. I'll be there, soaking in it.
The "Organ Grinders" are scheduled to play again Feb. 26 during a special, not-as-secret followup -- and my de facto, default birthday swellebration -- to the Bazaar Bizarre, which people seemed to like just fine.
Drinks, dancing, dalliances: What more could you look for?
Um, discuss.
The Upstairs Lounge, a cozy little indie-rock hideaway near North Station in Boston, is now booking shows. Check out one of their first rock sextravaganzas this Thursday -- Valentine's Day -- when a super-secret show featuring the "Organ Grinders" is scheduled. I'll be there, soaking in it.
The "Organ Grinders" are scheduled to play again Feb. 26 during a special, not-as-secret followup -- and my de facto, default birthday swellebration -- to the Bazaar Bizarre, which people seemed to like just fine.
Drinks, dancing, dalliances: What more could you look for?
Um, discuss.
Radical Radio
Chris Dodge, librarian for the Utne Reader, says, "I'm compiling an annotated list of best community radio programs in North America. Do you have a show you're especially passionate about? Let me know about it, please, including a short description of its unique wonderfulness. It would be ideal if you could also tell me where and when the show is broadcast, etc."
If you'd like to recommend a community radio program, email Chris.
Chris Dodge, librarian for the Utne Reader, says, "I'm compiling an annotated list of best community radio programs in North America. Do you have a show you're especially passionate about? Let me know about it, please, including a short description of its unique wonderfulness. It would be ideal if you could also tell me where and when the show is broadcast, etc."
If you'd like to recommend a community radio program, email Chris.
Everything's Coming Out, Rosie
In her forthcoming autobiography, Rosie O'Donnell will come out of the closet, stepping out even further than she did by playing a lesbian mother in the Jan. 30 episode of "Will & Grace." The CEO of Gruner+Jahr, which publishes the magazine Rosie (nee McCall's), says that the revelation shouldn't affect the magazine, which is already loaded with Rosie's frankness and humor. In fact, Gruner+Jahr will publish an excerpt of the book before the autobio even hits bookstore shelves.
Full disclosure: I work for Fast Company, which is also published by G+J. Now if only Martha Stewart would take the lesbian leap. Just kidding. Well, kinda.
In her forthcoming autobiography, Rosie O'Donnell will come out of the closet, stepping out even further than she did by playing a lesbian mother in the Jan. 30 episode of "Will & Grace." The CEO of Gruner+Jahr, which publishes the magazine Rosie (nee McCall's), says that the revelation shouldn't affect the magazine, which is already loaded with Rosie's frankness and humor. In fact, Gruner+Jahr will publish an excerpt of the book before the autobio even hits bookstore shelves.
Full disclosure: I work for Fast Company, which is also published by G+J. Now if only Martha Stewart would take the lesbian leap. Just kidding. Well, kinda.
Monday, February 11, 2002
From the In Box: Rock Shows of Note II
Thanks for the kind words! I'm not sure if you know this, but you reviewed a comic of mine -- Go-Go Girl -- not long ago. I wish I knew you were at the show. I'm glad you like my comics and my band! -- Craig Bostick
Weird! Craig, who publishes Go-Go Girl, also sings and plays guitar in Spoilsport. It is indeed a small world.
Thanks for the kind words! I'm not sure if you know this, but you reviewed a comic of mine -- Go-Go Girl -- not long ago. I wish I knew you were at the show. I'm glad you like my comics and my band! -- Craig Bostick
Weird! Craig, who publishes Go-Go Girl, also sings and plays guitar in Spoilsport. It is indeed a small world.
Rock Shows of Note II
The day after I took my tumble at Stony Brook, I went back to Jamaica Plain -- and back to Hi-Fi Records -- to see a couple of bands play. First up, my friends Jef and Dave performing as a yet-to-be-named duo. The Awesome Nads, Jef and Dave's new thing, DGXJC, Radio Shaq, or whatever they're going to call themselves were awesome. Using a synthesizer, guitar, boom box, radio, beats burned on a CD, and a handheld audio memo recorder, Jef and Dave rocked the house with a mix of goth, techno, video game, and drama rock music. Someone recorded the performance; it'll be neat to see how the tape turned out.
Next up, Spoilsport, a sunny pop foursome that'd be equally at home sharing the stage with Junior Varsity and other twee pop bands, or some of the older Bay Area pop-punk wunderkinds. Think Twee Kitten. Or Mutant Pop. Their laid-back and friendly set featured lots of sugary harmonic pop and some country- and surf-influenced numbers, as well. It's a shame Boston's not home to more bands like this. Their sound is refreshing, and their personalities disarming. One of my newest favorite bands.
The day after I took my tumble at Stony Brook, I went back to Jamaica Plain -- and back to Hi-Fi Records -- to see a couple of bands play. First up, my friends Jef and Dave performing as a yet-to-be-named duo. The Awesome Nads, Jef and Dave's new thing, DGXJC, Radio Shaq, or whatever they're going to call themselves were awesome. Using a synthesizer, guitar, boom box, radio, beats burned on a CD, and a handheld audio memo recorder, Jef and Dave rocked the house with a mix of goth, techno, video game, and drama rock music. Someone recorded the performance; it'll be neat to see how the tape turned out.
Next up, Spoilsport, a sunny pop foursome that'd be equally at home sharing the stage with Junior Varsity and other twee pop bands, or some of the older Bay Area pop-punk wunderkinds. Think Twee Kitten. Or Mutant Pop. Their laid-back and friendly set featured lots of sugary harmonic pop and some country- and surf-influenced numbers, as well. It's a shame Boston's not home to more bands like this. Their sound is refreshing, and their personalities disarming. One of my newest favorite bands.
Media Diet by Mail II
I've decided that Yahoo! Groups isn't the best mailing list tool for Media Diet. So I'm experimenting with a new mailing list provided by the kind folks at Cardhouse. We'll see how it handles HTML and other formatting, and if all seems like it's sorted, I'll change the other list URL's and inform the members of the Yahoo! Group.
I've decided that Yahoo! Groups isn't the best mailing list tool for Media Diet. So I'm experimenting with a new mailing list provided by the kind folks at Cardhouse. We'll see how it handles HTML and other formatting, and if all seems like it's sorted, I'll change the other list URL's and inform the members of the Yahoo! Group.
A Clean Sweep of Street Spam
Sick and tired of signs and fliers advertising weight-loss programs and work-from-home scams littering your neighborhood? Get involved in the Citizens Against Ugly Street Spam, an organization that alters and removes offending advertisements in public places, residential neighborhoods, and other locations.
Thanks to Utne Web Watch.
Sick and tired of signs and fliers advertising weight-loss programs and work-from-home scams littering your neighborhood? Get involved in the Citizens Against Ugly Street Spam, an organization that alters and removes offending advertisements in public places, residential neighborhoods, and other locations.
Thanks to Utne Web Watch.
Near-Death Experience II
Two in one week. Not so good. Friday night after work, as I was crossing the street after getting off the T at Stony Brook station in Jamaica Plain, I tripped on a ridge in the middle of the road. One lane had settled and sunk a little, so there was a two-inch or so ledge between the two lanes. My foot caught on that, I stumbled for several steps trying to regain my balance, and then I went down, catching myself on my palms and knees.
My palms got pretty scraped up. Blood running down my hands. So I hurry to the Hi-Fi hoping that my friend Dave hadn't closed up and gone home yet. He was still there cleaning up for the evening, and he let me in to wash my hands, bandage my palms, and sit out the little wave of shock I experienced.
It looks like my hands are starting to heal nicely, but they haven't scabbed over as fast as I had hoped. So I continue to wear bandages on my hand -- the one on the right covering almost half my palm -- and I continue to have trouble gripping anything heavy, doing the dishes stinking up my sink at home (I can't see myself submersing my hands in hot dish water quite yet.), etc. Blech. I hate stuff like this.
Lessons learned:
When crossing the street at an unfamiliar or poorly illuminated intersection, always look down; the road surface might be uneven even in a crosswalk.
Never jaywalk; I shudder to think what this experience would've been like if I'd been hurrying against traffic.
Always keep bandages, anti-bacterial creme, and other first-aid stuff in stock at home so you don't have to go to the drug store to get it when you really need it.
Hope my hands heal quickly!
Two in one week. Not so good. Friday night after work, as I was crossing the street after getting off the T at Stony Brook station in Jamaica Plain, I tripped on a ridge in the middle of the road. One lane had settled and sunk a little, so there was a two-inch or so ledge between the two lanes. My foot caught on that, I stumbled for several steps trying to regain my balance, and then I went down, catching myself on my palms and knees.
My palms got pretty scraped up. Blood running down my hands. So I hurry to the Hi-Fi hoping that my friend Dave hadn't closed up and gone home yet. He was still there cleaning up for the evening, and he let me in to wash my hands, bandage my palms, and sit out the little wave of shock I experienced.
It looks like my hands are starting to heal nicely, but they haven't scabbed over as fast as I had hoped. So I continue to wear bandages on my hand -- the one on the right covering almost half my palm -- and I continue to have trouble gripping anything heavy, doing the dishes stinking up my sink at home (I can't see myself submersing my hands in hot dish water quite yet.), etc. Blech. I hate stuff like this.
Lessons learned:
Hope my hands heal quickly!
The Movie I Watched Last Night V
Memento
I'm not sure if I totally understand what really happened -- or whether the protagonist is really who he discovered himself to be -- but, wow, what a mind-blowing movie! The reverse order and overlapping narrative techniques really make for an edge-of-the-seat scenario, and the movie made me question my reality, my memory, and my identity. Awesome.
Memento
I'm not sure if I totally understand what really happened -- or whether the protagonist is really who he discovered himself to be -- but, wow, what a mind-blowing movie! The reverse order and overlapping narrative techniques really make for an edge-of-the-seat scenario, and the movie made me question my reality, my memory, and my identity. Awesome.
Friday, February 08, 2002
Rock Shows of Note
As mentioned previously in the Media Diet forum, there was a big, five-band bill at the Middle East Upstairs last night. After hanging out at the bar for a spell, talking to Jef, Steph, and Cheryl -- and making hesitant eyes at a cute girl at the bar -- I made my way with the gang into the Suntan, Circle & Square, Place, Helms, and Victory at Sea show. Man, was it crowded! Filled to the gills. We just caught the end of Circle & Square's set, high-energy math rock performed by a quartet of what appeared to be high schoolers from New York -- one wearing a Les Savy Fav T-shirt, and all of them overjoyed to be there. I wish I'd caught more of their set, but I'll check 'em out later -- didn't pick up their CD because it was four songs for $5. Steep!
Then, Placer. Another four piece with an interesting makeup. There was an assumedly drunk steel guitar player who made all sorts of goofy grins and grimaces. Creepy! A female bassist who jumped all over the place and sang in a slightly PJ Harvey caterwaul. And a too-tall-for-the-microphone stand guitarist who sang hoarsely and about as atonally as I do. Interesting, but too crowded, too hot, and too loud! I tried to maintain my stamina, but when Placer finished their set I realized that there was no way I could make it through the forthcoming Helms set. Helms is also extremely loud and dense. Punishing. So, sad that I would yet again miss Victory at Sea, I left.
The walk home was cold.
As mentioned previously in the Media Diet forum, there was a big, five-band bill at the Middle East Upstairs last night. After hanging out at the bar for a spell, talking to Jef, Steph, and Cheryl -- and making hesitant eyes at a cute girl at the bar -- I made my way with the gang into the Suntan, Circle & Square, Place, Helms, and Victory at Sea show. Man, was it crowded! Filled to the gills. We just caught the end of Circle & Square's set, high-energy math rock performed by a quartet of what appeared to be high schoolers from New York -- one wearing a Les Savy Fav T-shirt, and all of them overjoyed to be there. I wish I'd caught more of their set, but I'll check 'em out later -- didn't pick up their CD because it was four songs for $5. Steep!
Then, Placer. Another four piece with an interesting makeup. There was an assumedly drunk steel guitar player who made all sorts of goofy grins and grimaces. Creepy! A female bassist who jumped all over the place and sang in a slightly PJ Harvey caterwaul. And a too-tall-for-the-microphone stand guitarist who sang hoarsely and about as atonally as I do. Interesting, but too crowded, too hot, and too loud! I tried to maintain my stamina, but when Placer finished their set I realized that there was no way I could make it through the forthcoming Helms set. Helms is also extremely loud and dense. Punishing. So, sad that I would yet again miss Victory at Sea, I left.
The walk home was cold.
Daily Dosage
My friend and former colleague Dan Pink, author of "Free Agent Nation," just started a blog called Just One Thing. "Each day, just one thing," the blog proposes. So far, it's a good gathering of stuff. Pink provides pointers to a collection of Jay Leno and David Letterman monologues, the Seattle-based Conversation Cafes, and his favorite email newsletter. Welcome to the world of blogging, Dan. Happy to have you here!
My friend and former colleague Dan Pink, author of "Free Agent Nation," just started a blog called Just One Thing. "Each day, just one thing," the blog proposes. So far, it's a good gathering of stuff. Pink provides pointers to a collection of Jay Leno and David Letterman monologues, the Seattle-based Conversation Cafes, and his favorite email newsletter. Welcome to the world of blogging, Dan. Happy to have you here!
Kill Your Television
It's old news, almost, but independent television stations in Russia are having a tough go. Just more than a week ago, the Kremlin shut down the last remaining indie TV channel. "TV-6 was brought down by a lawsuit filed by one of its minority shareholders, the state-connected Lukoil petroleum giant, which acted under an obscure bankruptcy rule, since repealed by the Duma (parliament)," says the Independent's Fred Weir. "Last week a Moscow court ordered TV-6 liquidated, even though the network had shown a solid profit and had more than doubled its ratings in the past year." General sentiment is that it was really TV-6's coverage of the military actions in Chechnya and Russian corruption that led to the shutdown.
Thanks to Utne Web Watch.
It's old news, almost, but independent television stations in Russia are having a tough go. Just more than a week ago, the Kremlin shut down the last remaining indie TV channel. "TV-6 was brought down by a lawsuit filed by one of its minority shareholders, the state-connected Lukoil petroleum giant, which acted under an obscure bankruptcy rule, since repealed by the Duma (parliament)," says the Independent's Fred Weir. "Last week a Moscow court ordered TV-6 liquidated, even though the network had shown a solid profit and had more than doubled its ratings in the past year." General sentiment is that it was really TV-6's coverage of the military actions in Chechnya and Russian corruption that led to the shutdown.
Thanks to Utne Web Watch.
Thursday, February 07, 2002
North End Moment
While waiting in line for my lunch order at Mangia! Mangia!:
Customer: I'd like a chicken sandwich with the works. And a soda.
Cook: What would you like on it?
Customer: The works.
Cook: The works.
Customer: Oh! And could you throw in some fries?
Cook: We cook food here; we don't throw it.
While waiting in line for my lunch order at Mangia! Mangia!:
Customer: I'd like a chicken sandwich with the works. And a soda.
Cook: What would you like on it?
Customer: The works.
Cook: The works.
Customer: Oh! And could you throw in some fries?
Cook: We cook food here; we don't throw it.
They Want to Pave Paradise
Word is that the powers that be at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, want to fill in a lagoon on campus and pave a portion of what students, faculty, staff, and alumni call the Lakefill. If you have any kind of NU connection -- or know a current student or an alumnus -- spread the word. A petition is underway to protest the paving of the lakefill.
Word is that the powers that be at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, want to fill in a lagoon on campus and pave a portion of what students, faculty, staff, and alumni call the Lakefill. If you have any kind of NU connection -- or know a current student or an alumnus -- spread the word. A petition is underway to protest the paving of the lakefill.
Walking for a Good Cause
My friend Kelly Yan is doing a 10k walk to raise money for multiple sclerosis in April. If you are willing and able, anything you can contribute to this cause would be much appreciated. You can even fill out a pledge form on the Web.
My friend Kelly Yan is doing a 10k walk to raise money for multiple sclerosis in April. If you are willing and able, anything you can contribute to this cause would be much appreciated. You can even fill out a pledge form on the Web.
See You in the Funny Pages V
Charles Brownstein contributes an impressive roundup of some of the best online comics to the current issue of The Comics Journal. Spend some time perusing the piece -- and be sure to visit the comics!
Charles Brownstein contributes an impressive roundup of some of the best online comics to the current issue of The Comics Journal. Spend some time perusing the piece -- and be sure to visit the comics!
Donnas, Na Na Donnas, Hey Hey Yeah, Goodbye
From Lookout! Records' Watchdog email newsletter:
"With both sadness and excitement, we are ready to announce that The Donnas have indeed signed with Atlantic Records for their next records. Sadness because we will miss dealing with the day to day work of releasing Donnas records, but excited and totally supportive of the new opportunities Atlantic will help The Donnas achieve. Lookout! has worked with The Donnas for the past five years, and we've enjoyed great success together. We will do everything we can to keep the integrity of the Lookout!/Donnas catalog intact. Before the release of the new Atlantic album, we will continue to work 'Turn 21,' and in fact, there are a few exciting Lookout! Donas-related items in the works right now that you should know about.
Next Tuesday, Feb. 12, you can hear 'Are You Gonna Move It For Me' from The Donnas 'Turn 21' on the TV show 'Roswell,' which airs Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. on UPN.
They will be headlining Saturday night of the Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco on March 2, 2002. Also on the bill are Lookout! darlings The Pattern.
"We know it is controversial for a band to leave an indie for a major, but for what it's worth, we at Lookout! Couldn't be more happy or excited for our girls. And they will always be 'our' girls."
From Lookout! Records' Watchdog email newsletter:
"With both sadness and excitement, we are ready to announce that The Donnas have indeed signed with Atlantic Records for their next records. Sadness because we will miss dealing with the day to day work of releasing Donnas records, but excited and totally supportive of the new opportunities Atlantic will help The Donnas achieve. Lookout! has worked with The Donnas for the past five years, and we've enjoyed great success together. We will do everything we can to keep the integrity of the Lookout!/Donnas catalog intact. Before the release of the new Atlantic album, we will continue to work 'Turn 21,' and in fact, there are a few exciting Lookout! Donas-related items in the works right now that you should know about.
"We know it is controversial for a band to leave an indie for a major, but for what it's worth, we at Lookout! Couldn't be more happy or excited for our girls. And they will always be 'our' girls."
Wednesday, February 06, 2002
Blogger? I Hardly Know Her!
Paralleling the Great Zine Discovery by the mainstream media in the mid-'90s, the mainstream is finally embracing blogs. Time sports a feature enticingly titled "Pssst. Wanna See My Blog?" mimicking the dismissive cattiness with which the major news magazines welcomed zines -- leading with a RuPaul reference, which only highlights the fringe elements of blogging, not its promise.
Similarly, John Dvorak contributes a piece to PC Magazine that -- while half-heartedly attempting to distance himself from the "mainstream media" -- also exudes the giddy cluelessness that mainstream journalists originally brought the Web as he proclaims, "The vanity page is dead; long live the Blog." Whatever. Blogs can still be vanity projects.
That said, Dvorak does try to offer some insight on why people -- like me -- blog. Why do you blog? Take the Media Diet poll!
Paralleling the Great Zine Discovery by the mainstream media in the mid-'90s, the mainstream is finally embracing blogs. Time sports a feature enticingly titled "Pssst. Wanna See My Blog?" mimicking the dismissive cattiness with which the major news magazines welcomed zines -- leading with a RuPaul reference, which only highlights the fringe elements of blogging, not its promise.
Similarly, John Dvorak contributes a piece to PC Magazine that -- while half-heartedly attempting to distance himself from the "mainstream media" -- also exudes the giddy cluelessness that mainstream journalists originally brought the Web as he proclaims, "The vanity page is dead; long live the Blog." Whatever. Blogs can still be vanity projects.
That said, Dvorak does try to offer some insight on why people -- like me -- blog. Why do you blog? Take the Media Diet poll!
Game Show Me the Money!: Kevin
Last August, Kevin F. Sherry was a contestant on Jeopardy!. (It would be unfair of me not to mention that Kevin is a young, scrappy, highly employable, and brilliant newspaper journalist. Someone should hire him.) This is his story.
How did you become a contestant?
To become a Jeopardy contestant, you have to take a 50-question quiz. The Jeopardy folks travel around the country from time to time giving the test, but because I live close to their studios in Culver City, California, I went in and took the test there.
I first took the test two years ago and passed. I was placed into the contestant pool, but they never called. My eligibility expired after a year, and I had to re-take the test. I went back to try again in April 2001.
Test-takers sit in the audience seats for the show. We got a sheet with 50 blanks, and then the contestant coordinators popped in a videotape. The announcer would read the category and the question, followed by the answer. We would then have seven seconds to write our response on the line given. Fortunately, we just had to give an answer, and not phrase it in the form of a question. With just seven seconds to answer, you can see how the test would fly by. In six minutes or so, it was all over. We handed in our tests and waited for the results.
A lot of people say the qualifiying test is more difficult than the actual show because you have to quickly deal with 50 different categories with one question each instead 12 categories of five questions each. A score of 35 out of 50 qualified you to be a contestant. Again I passed. The first time I took the test, about 12 people out of 150 passed. The second time, about six out of 75.
After the others left, those of us who were left tried a few mock rounds of Jeopardy. We got buzzers and were judged on how well we handled ourselves and how well we spoke. I was surprised at how some players mumbled and took a long time to answer or select a category. It seemed like they would never get to the show acting like that. We also had to do a quick, impromptu blurb about who we were and where we were from. And that was pretty much it. I was back in the pool.
How dd you prepare to compete on the show?
I got the call about six weeks before I was going to compete on Aug. 22. I was pretty excited and began a lot of preparation. I checked out some Web sites run by former champions. I read the entire "Dictionary of Cultural Literacy," which helped with literary references, religion, myths, geography, history, and a dozen other topics. I also found a book about the show written by a former producer, as well as a 1990 book "written by Alex" that contained a bunch of questions and answers from past shows. On top of that, I purchased four Jeopardy "What is..." quiz books, each of which had more than 300 pages of categories, questions and answers from past shows. I bought the home board game, which had an additional 48 complete games. And of course I watched the show every day and marked my progress, which helped me remember always to respond in the form of a question.
In all, I probably reviewed about 8,000 individual Jeopardy answers. From that, not only did I learn about topics that I was weak on, but I was also able to see phrasing quirks of the Jeopardy writers. For instance, any time the answer mentioned a "cubist painter," the answer would always be "Who is Pablo Picasso?" Anytime an answer mentioned a "U.S. commonwealth," the answer was always "What is Puerto Rico?" It was good to know that I had at least a few tricks that could possibly help.
I had to be at Sony Pictures Studios at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Because Culver City is about an hour and a half away from me, I decided to get a hotel close to the studio the night before, rather than trying to brave the rush-hour traffic heading to Los Angeles in the morning. I wanted to reduce the variables that might increase my aggravation.
Tuesday night I hardly slept at all. All these questions and answers kept flying through my head. I would try to think of the name of a particular actor, and it would get lost. I had to check my almanac to remember the heads of state of France and Canada. I think I slept from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., then maybe from 5-7 a.m. Not the best preparation before a mental contest, but I figured the other contestants were probably going through the same thing.
What was it like at the studio before the show?
At 9 a.m., I joined the other contestants on the studio lot. There were 13 of us, including the champion from the last taping series and two alternates, who would step in in case someone finished as a five-time champ or if one of us passed out, I guess. The mood among us all was very supportive. There was no trash-talking or challenges of arcane trivia to undermine our confidence. Everyone wanted everyone to do well, and that was nice. The people came from all over too. Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, Nebraska, Iowa, and Canada were all represented.
We all had to dress nicely and bring two changes of clothing. This was in case whatever we chose to wear didn't look good on camera, or if we became a champion. The show tapes five games a day, two days a week. If you win, you have to run back and change into a new outfit for the next game so it looks like 24 hours have passed. Alex Trebek does this too.
Eventually a contestant coordinator put us on a shuttle bus to take us to the Jeopardy set in Studio 10. We went into the "green room," which is where they had us fill out forms promising that we had no prior knowledge of the questions, that we didn't know anyone affiliated with the show and so forth. They had comfy couches, snacks and drinks for us to enjoy while we waited.
Other than the returning champion, no one knew who would be picked for any of the five shows until 10 minutes before they went on. That made things a little nerve-wracking for everyone, but the coordinators tried to keep us calm. One by one, we all went to get made up for television. Because of the bright lights in the studio, any white person without makeup would come accross as ghostlike. So we all got some makeup to give us some color, smooth out blemishes and remove shininess. The makeup lady told me I had nice skin.
Next we moved onto the actual set, where we learned how to operate the little screens that sit on each podium. You have to sign your name with a little wand at the start. At the end of the show, the screen goes blank, and that's where you put your Final Jeopardy wagers and questions.
We also got a quick lesson in how to work the buzzers. They resemble clicker pens, but with the thickness of a fat magic marker. Once a contestant chooses a category and dollar amount, the answer appears and Alex reads it. Once he finishes speaking, two rows of lights, one on either side of the game board, go on, indicating that the contestants can now buzz in (you never see these lights on TV). If you buzz in before the lights go on, you're locked out for half a second. So you have to have good timing to make sure you ring in after Alex finishes talking, but before your opponents. Often you'll see people clicking their buzzers furiously to ring in. We were told to click the stick repeatedly, in case someone else gets locked out. If the person who rings in gives the correct question, you move on to another answer. If the person gets it wrong, those lights come on again and the other contestants can ring in. We took turns at the podium, going through easy categories to get the feel of the buzzer and the timing of the lights. Each person answered three questions, then stepped aside for the next person.
One thing all the contestants had to do was come up with a series of interesting anecdotes, so that Alex would have something to ask us about during the little chat sessions he has after the first commercial break.
No matter where the contestants went during the day, we were always under tight security, a lasting result of the quiz-show scandals of the 1950s. We always went from place to place in a group. When some contestants went to smoke, a coordinator went with them. When we broke for lunch, we had a special table set aside in the Sony comissary just for us. The point was to make sure that we did not have any contact with anyone who might know what the questions and the answers for the day might be. That included Alex and the writers.
That's a lot to take in. What was it like during the taping -- and during the game itself?
A little before noon, we went back into the set area. The audience had already been brought in. I had my own special cheering section, with Mayrav Saar, Glenn Gaslin, Steve Lynch, Rick Porter and Eric Carlson, who braved Spirit Airlines to fly in for the day from Chicago. It was comforting to see them out there for me. The morning audience got to see three shows taped. Then the set broke for lunch and a new audience came in to watch the last two shows of the day. Any contestant not competing sat in the audience.
Jeopardy has a few changes for the 2001 season, its 18th since it began in its most recent incarnation. The most obvious is that Alex Trebek has shaved his moustache, on a whim, he says. The show also has hired four young folks to travel around the country to provide video clues for the show. They're called the "Clue Crew," and did things like "Hi, I'm here at the San Diego Zoo. This animal here..." and so forth. The clips seemed to slow the show down a bit, and they seemed designed to get younger people interested in Jeopardy. Although no one mentioned the words "Regis" or "Millionaire," one of the contestant coordinators said they like the attention that the new quiz shows get, because it also draws attention to Jeopardy, which many people had begun to take for granted. She also said they all love the Jeopardy skits on Saturday Night Live.
The show also has improved its prizes. A long time ago, the show gave "prizes" like Rice-A-Roni to the second- and third-place folks. More recently, the second-place person won a trip, while the third-place person got a TV, stereo, or some kind of electronics thingy. But they've upgraded again. Now the first-place person still keeps the cash, while second place gets an international trip and third place gets a domestic trip. So that was pretty cool.
It was difficult to tell the selection process exactly, but it seemed that each show had a male and female contestant selected to go up against the champ from the last show. Once those two were picked, they would select slips of paper that had either "2" or "3" on them, indicating which podium they would stand at. Then the makeup lady polished them up, and the microphone guy clipped a pager-sized box to their belt with a tiny wire microphone that clipped to a blouse or lapel. To make sure everyone looked about the same height, shorter players stood on wood blocks at the podiums.
The show is taped in real-time, meaning that they start off just like on TV, take a few minutes for a commercial break, come back and continue until 30 minutes have expired. All the contestants agreed that the show just flew by, and most couldn't even remember their categories or answers. Sometimes there would be a glitch (Alex accidentally read the response in the question) or a disputed response (Is "William the Orange" the same as "William of Orange?") and the show would stop. The contestants would turn their backs to the game board, in case another answer was revealed. The producers would get everything fixed and they'd start again where they left off.
During commercial breaks, Alex was a bit corny. He would wander around stage, making comments and answering questions for people in the audience. He seemed a little goofy, but I guess you have to find ways to amuse yourself after doing that kind of job for 18 years. Announcer Johnny Gilbert has a great voice, and always keeps his enthusiasm high for his opening "This! Is! Jeopardy!" Other times, though, he just played emcee, answering crowd questions and talking through every second of down time. His ability to chatter was impressive, if repetitive.
But how did you feel?
Being on the show was great. I learned a lot in preparing, and am pleased overall. Did I have fun? You bet. But my palms were incredibly sweaty, and the makeup lady had to keep dabbing my forehead to wipe the sweat.
This all happened in August. How long did you have to wait to see the show on TV?
My show was on Friday, Oct. 19 last year. Everyone's local time and station was different. Because of Monday Night Football, ABC stations in the Los Angeles and San Francisco markets bumped their five days of Jeopardy to a Tuesday-through-Saturday run. In those markets, I was on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Last August, Kevin F. Sherry was a contestant on Jeopardy!. (It would be unfair of me not to mention that Kevin is a young, scrappy, highly employable, and brilliant newspaper journalist. Someone should hire him.) This is his story.
How did you become a contestant?
To become a Jeopardy contestant, you have to take a 50-question quiz. The Jeopardy folks travel around the country from time to time giving the test, but because I live close to their studios in Culver City, California, I went in and took the test there.
I first took the test two years ago and passed. I was placed into the contestant pool, but they never called. My eligibility expired after a year, and I had to re-take the test. I went back to try again in April 2001.
Test-takers sit in the audience seats for the show. We got a sheet with 50 blanks, and then the contestant coordinators popped in a videotape. The announcer would read the category and the question, followed by the answer. We would then have seven seconds to write our response on the line given. Fortunately, we just had to give an answer, and not phrase it in the form of a question. With just seven seconds to answer, you can see how the test would fly by. In six minutes or so, it was all over. We handed in our tests and waited for the results.
A lot of people say the qualifiying test is more difficult than the actual show because you have to quickly deal with 50 different categories with one question each instead 12 categories of five questions each. A score of 35 out of 50 qualified you to be a contestant. Again I passed. The first time I took the test, about 12 people out of 150 passed. The second time, about six out of 75.
After the others left, those of us who were left tried a few mock rounds of Jeopardy. We got buzzers and were judged on how well we handled ourselves and how well we spoke. I was surprised at how some players mumbled and took a long time to answer or select a category. It seemed like they would never get to the show acting like that. We also had to do a quick, impromptu blurb about who we were and where we were from. And that was pretty much it. I was back in the pool.
How dd you prepare to compete on the show?
I got the call about six weeks before I was going to compete on Aug. 22. I was pretty excited and began a lot of preparation. I checked out some Web sites run by former champions. I read the entire "Dictionary of Cultural Literacy," which helped with literary references, religion, myths, geography, history, and a dozen other topics. I also found a book about the show written by a former producer, as well as a 1990 book "written by Alex" that contained a bunch of questions and answers from past shows. On top of that, I purchased four Jeopardy "What is..." quiz books, each of which had more than 300 pages of categories, questions and answers from past shows. I bought the home board game, which had an additional 48 complete games. And of course I watched the show every day and marked my progress, which helped me remember always to respond in the form of a question.
In all, I probably reviewed about 8,000 individual Jeopardy answers. From that, not only did I learn about topics that I was weak on, but I was also able to see phrasing quirks of the Jeopardy writers. For instance, any time the answer mentioned a "cubist painter," the answer would always be "Who is Pablo Picasso?" Anytime an answer mentioned a "U.S. commonwealth," the answer was always "What is Puerto Rico?" It was good to know that I had at least a few tricks that could possibly help.
I had to be at Sony Pictures Studios at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Because Culver City is about an hour and a half away from me, I decided to get a hotel close to the studio the night before, rather than trying to brave the rush-hour traffic heading to Los Angeles in the morning. I wanted to reduce the variables that might increase my aggravation.
Tuesday night I hardly slept at all. All these questions and answers kept flying through my head. I would try to think of the name of a particular actor, and it would get lost. I had to check my almanac to remember the heads of state of France and Canada. I think I slept from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., then maybe from 5-7 a.m. Not the best preparation before a mental contest, but I figured the other contestants were probably going through the same thing.
What was it like at the studio before the show?
At 9 a.m., I joined the other contestants on the studio lot. There were 13 of us, including the champion from the last taping series and two alternates, who would step in in case someone finished as a five-time champ or if one of us passed out, I guess. The mood among us all was very supportive. There was no trash-talking or challenges of arcane trivia to undermine our confidence. Everyone wanted everyone to do well, and that was nice. The people came from all over too. Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, Nebraska, Iowa, and Canada were all represented.
We all had to dress nicely and bring two changes of clothing. This was in case whatever we chose to wear didn't look good on camera, or if we became a champion. The show tapes five games a day, two days a week. If you win, you have to run back and change into a new outfit for the next game so it looks like 24 hours have passed. Alex Trebek does this too.
Eventually a contestant coordinator put us on a shuttle bus to take us to the Jeopardy set in Studio 10. We went into the "green room," which is where they had us fill out forms promising that we had no prior knowledge of the questions, that we didn't know anyone affiliated with the show and so forth. They had comfy couches, snacks and drinks for us to enjoy while we waited.
Other than the returning champion, no one knew who would be picked for any of the five shows until 10 minutes before they went on. That made things a little nerve-wracking for everyone, but the coordinators tried to keep us calm. One by one, we all went to get made up for television. Because of the bright lights in the studio, any white person without makeup would come accross as ghostlike. So we all got some makeup to give us some color, smooth out blemishes and remove shininess. The makeup lady told me I had nice skin.
Next we moved onto the actual set, where we learned how to operate the little screens that sit on each podium. You have to sign your name with a little wand at the start. At the end of the show, the screen goes blank, and that's where you put your Final Jeopardy wagers and questions.
We also got a quick lesson in how to work the buzzers. They resemble clicker pens, but with the thickness of a fat magic marker. Once a contestant chooses a category and dollar amount, the answer appears and Alex reads it. Once he finishes speaking, two rows of lights, one on either side of the game board, go on, indicating that the contestants can now buzz in (you never see these lights on TV). If you buzz in before the lights go on, you're locked out for half a second. So you have to have good timing to make sure you ring in after Alex finishes talking, but before your opponents. Often you'll see people clicking their buzzers furiously to ring in. We were told to click the stick repeatedly, in case someone else gets locked out. If the person who rings in gives the correct question, you move on to another answer. If the person gets it wrong, those lights come on again and the other contestants can ring in. We took turns at the podium, going through easy categories to get the feel of the buzzer and the timing of the lights. Each person answered three questions, then stepped aside for the next person.
One thing all the contestants had to do was come up with a series of interesting anecdotes, so that Alex would have something to ask us about during the little chat sessions he has after the first commercial break.
No matter where the contestants went during the day, we were always under tight security, a lasting result of the quiz-show scandals of the 1950s. We always went from place to place in a group. When some contestants went to smoke, a coordinator went with them. When we broke for lunch, we had a special table set aside in the Sony comissary just for us. The point was to make sure that we did not have any contact with anyone who might know what the questions and the answers for the day might be. That included Alex and the writers.
That's a lot to take in. What was it like during the taping -- and during the game itself?
A little before noon, we went back into the set area. The audience had already been brought in. I had my own special cheering section, with Mayrav Saar, Glenn Gaslin, Steve Lynch, Rick Porter and Eric Carlson, who braved Spirit Airlines to fly in for the day from Chicago. It was comforting to see them out there for me. The morning audience got to see three shows taped. Then the set broke for lunch and a new audience came in to watch the last two shows of the day. Any contestant not competing sat in the audience.
Jeopardy has a few changes for the 2001 season, its 18th since it began in its most recent incarnation. The most obvious is that Alex Trebek has shaved his moustache, on a whim, he says. The show also has hired four young folks to travel around the country to provide video clues for the show. They're called the "Clue Crew," and did things like "Hi, I'm here at the San Diego Zoo. This animal here..." and so forth. The clips seemed to slow the show down a bit, and they seemed designed to get younger people interested in Jeopardy. Although no one mentioned the words "Regis" or "Millionaire," one of the contestant coordinators said they like the attention that the new quiz shows get, because it also draws attention to Jeopardy, which many people had begun to take for granted. She also said they all love the Jeopardy skits on Saturday Night Live.
The show also has improved its prizes. A long time ago, the show gave "prizes" like Rice-A-Roni to the second- and third-place folks. More recently, the second-place person won a trip, while the third-place person got a TV, stereo, or some kind of electronics thingy. But they've upgraded again. Now the first-place person still keeps the cash, while second place gets an international trip and third place gets a domestic trip. So that was pretty cool.
It was difficult to tell the selection process exactly, but it seemed that each show had a male and female contestant selected to go up against the champ from the last show. Once those two were picked, they would select slips of paper that had either "2" or "3" on them, indicating which podium they would stand at. Then the makeup lady polished them up, and the microphone guy clipped a pager-sized box to their belt with a tiny wire microphone that clipped to a blouse or lapel. To make sure everyone looked about the same height, shorter players stood on wood blocks at the podiums.
The show is taped in real-time, meaning that they start off just like on TV, take a few minutes for a commercial break, come back and continue until 30 minutes have expired. All the contestants agreed that the show just flew by, and most couldn't even remember their categories or answers. Sometimes there would be a glitch (Alex accidentally read the response in the question) or a disputed response (Is "William the Orange" the same as "William of Orange?") and the show would stop. The contestants would turn their backs to the game board, in case another answer was revealed. The producers would get everything fixed and they'd start again where they left off.
During commercial breaks, Alex was a bit corny. He would wander around stage, making comments and answering questions for people in the audience. He seemed a little goofy, but I guess you have to find ways to amuse yourself after doing that kind of job for 18 years. Announcer Johnny Gilbert has a great voice, and always keeps his enthusiasm high for his opening "This! Is! Jeopardy!" Other times, though, he just played emcee, answering crowd questions and talking through every second of down time. His ability to chatter was impressive, if repetitive.
But how did you feel?
Being on the show was great. I learned a lot in preparing, and am pleased overall. Did I have fun? You bet. But my palms were incredibly sweaty, and the makeup lady had to keep dabbing my forehead to wipe the sweat.
This all happened in August. How long did you have to wait to see the show on TV?
My show was on Friday, Oct. 19 last year. Everyone's local time and station was different. Because of Monday Night Football, ABC stations in the Los Angeles and San Francisco markets bumped their five days of Jeopardy to a Tuesday-through-Saturday run. In those markets, I was on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Media News by Email
Just like you can now receive Media Diet via email, you can also now receive Jim Romenesko's Media News via email. In the interest of full disclosure, Jim used to publish the wonderful zine Obscure, which has morphed into the Obscure Store and Reading Room. I also used to edit him when he contributed to and I worked for Online Access magazine (RIP).
Just like you can now receive Media Diet via email, you can also now receive Jim Romenesko's Media News via email. In the interest of full disclosure, Jim used to publish the wonderful zine Obscure, which has morphed into the Obscure Store and Reading Room. I also used to edit him when he contributed to and I worked for Online Access magazine (RIP).
Third Time's the Charm?
So I'm finally interested in spending time -- or going out -- with women who aren't my ex, and my record's not too good thus far. After two attempts at making plans with two different women, I received the following responses:
"I feel goofy saying this, but I have a boyfriend."
"You will have to let me know when your band plays somewhere so my husband and I can come and hear you."
D'oh! Third time's the charm, right? I mean, I'm happy to hang out with these women platonically and all, but sheesh, crushes crumbled!
So I'm finally interested in spending time -- or going out -- with women who aren't my ex, and my record's not too good thus far. After two attempts at making plans with two different women, I received the following responses:
D'oh! Third time's the charm, right? I mean, I'm happy to hang out with these women platonically and all, but sheesh, crushes crumbled!
Magazine Me III
There's been quite a bit of coverage and discussion lately about the new magazine aimed at "cool Jews." Heeb: The New Jew Review was written up in today's Globe (story not available online, for shame), and writer Jim Sullivan considers whether the name is offensive. Even though Heeb has come under fire by the Anti-Defamation League and Howard Stern (yawn), Sullivan seems to settle on the positive side of the defamation fence: "Heeb has a leg up." The magazine hit the stands yesterday, so take a look for yourself.
Is Heeb an offensive name for a magazine? Take the Media Diet poll!
There's been quite a bit of coverage and discussion lately about the new magazine aimed at "cool Jews." Heeb: The New Jew Review was written up in today's Globe (story not available online, for shame), and writer Jim Sullivan considers whether the name is offensive. Even though Heeb has come under fire by the Anti-Defamation League and Howard Stern (yawn), Sullivan seems to settle on the positive side of the defamation fence: "Heeb has a leg up." The magazine hit the stands yesterday, so take a look for yourself.
Is Heeb an offensive name for a magazine? Take the Media Diet poll!
See You in the Funny Pages IV
Jason Little just put up three new episodes of his Bee: Shutterbug Follies strip.
Jason Little just put up three new episodes of his Bee: Shutterbug Follies strip.
Game Show Me the Money!: William
In mid-January, William Jarry was a contestant on the 30th anniversary episode of the Price is Right. This is his story.
How did you first connect with the Price Is Right?
I was going to Las Vegas anyway with my buddy Jeff, who called me about three weeks earlier to say his work friends cancelled on him, but he still wanted to go. I jumped on the opportunity. We had no idea about the Price is Right until three days before we left, when Jeff was home sick from work with a sprained ankle and happened to notice the ad while watching the game show in its regular time slot. Because we were going to be there on Jan. 17, the day they were taping, we decided that, if nothing else, it would be a great distraction from losing our shirts in the casino!
Why did you want to be on the Price Is Right?
What person doesn't want to be on national TV, especially on the 30th anniversary primetime special of the world's number one game show? Jeff and I were both fans from our childhood (What kid doesn't grow up watching the Price Is Right?), so it seemed like it would be a blast, even if we only got to be in the audience and didn't get called down.
Did you have to go through any kind of application, interview, or screening process?
Not really. But getting tickets for the show was another story, though. We got there at 1 a.m. Thursday (having not slept since Tuesday night) to find thousands of people already in line. They were supposed to start lining up at 6 a.m., and then pass out 900 tickets at 10 a.m. (There were also 600 tickets that were comped out to VIP's, for a total of 1,500 people in the Samba Theater of the Rio Hotel and Casino). Unfortunately, there were more than 10,000 people there -- some who had even slept there from the night before -- so our chances looked slim. There were also about three or four different lines, with everyone in them claiming to be in the "correct" line.
Jeff and I had come with a friend of a friend who lived in Vegas, Amanda, so the three of us split up and each took a line, communicating through cell phones if one started moving. We also did a little sneaking and cutting in line -- guerrilla tactics were necessary for this situation. At 6:45 a.m., one of the lines started moving into the theater. I was in the right line, and my friends were gone! I called Jeff, he held my spot, and I ran to get Amanda, who at this point had made friends with five cute girls from Utah and a random guy named Steve from Kansas City. We joined forces, ran back to get Jeff, and unfortunately never caught up to him.
The crowd was so huge, and people were pushing so much that they dropped the gates to the Theater, brought in security and the State Police, and then told everyone the show was sold out -- and that they had to go home. Meanwhile, Jeff was the last one they let in! I went back to the casino with Amanda, almost in tears for not making it through, and called my mom at 7:15 a.m. to give her the bad news. They were all pulling for me back home. Then I got the call. Jeff had borrowed a cell phone from inside the Theater and told me that he got ticket 555, and he was the last one in, so there were at least 345 tickets still available. The cops lied to get us out of there because of the fire hazard! I knew we still had a chance, so I went back to the box office gate to find 300-plus people still there with the same idea. People were threatening to sue the hotel with a class action lawsuit. Old ladies had literally beaten guards with their canes. It was a mess.
We hooked up with the Utah girls again, and then I got the brilliant idea to pimp them out to security guards. You always get further by being nice to people. Some were married, so I had them take off their rings, then go butter up the guards to figure out the deal. Sure enough, a guard named Vito let Brittany know that they were waiting for people to leave. At about 10-11-ish they would unleash the remaining tickets to those who waited patiently. So the Utah girls had Uno with them, and my whole crew sat on the floor nicely, while staying in touch with Jeff on the inside.
Sure enough, at 11 a.m., Vito comes by and gives us a nod. We get right up to the front of the line, and then about 15 guards form a human chain blocking about 300 people in to get onto the show, and everyone else out! We went in, screaming like crazy with excitement, and received out golden tickets (I was 781 -- barely in!) and name tags -- we were in the audience! We got outta there and had a couple hours to kill before we had to meet back at the theater. We got Jeff and grabbed a bite to eat.
I guess that the producers would be hiding in line to try and see who was crazy/fun to have on the show, and I figured these "interviews" we had to do would be a screening process so they didn't pick a "dud" for the show. I told everyone -- the Utah girls, Jeff, Steve, and Amanda, that no matter what, we were going to go nuts in line, and we did. We stopped at the hotel, and I grabbed my bright orange soccer shirt with my name on the back for recognition, and we headed to the interviews. We waited in line from 2-9 p.m. to get into the theater, and all the while I was starting "Team Utah," "Bob Barker," "Line 7" (the line we were in), etc. chants, and getting hundreds of people all riled up.
We were so crazy we actually got interviewed for Channel 4 news and The Las Vegas Sun while we were in line. If they noticed us, I hoped the producers did, too! Finally, we went through the metal detectors, ran into the Theater, and met with two producers who literally only asked "What's your name, where are you from, and what do you do?" I knew this was my chance, so I screamed and jumped in front of them, shouting "I'm Bill, and I came all the way from Boston to see Bob Barker! I'm a musician!" I figured if I told them I was an investment banker, they might think I could do numbers too quickly or well, so I went with the pity for the musician -- stereotypically poor and dumb -- perfect for the show! (I actually do play drums, so I wasn't lying either).
They asked me what instrument I played, and then I ran off screaming, jumping, and going nuts. I made it up to my seat -- on the second balcony, and then just waited for the show to begin while they showed us clips from past anniversary episodes. While I was waiting for the show to start, I saw the producers combing the aisles, looking for the people they picked -- where they were sitting so the cameras would know where to go when the chosen were called. I didn't hear it, but Denise, one of the Utah girls, heard the producers two rows in front of us say, "There he is, the guy with the orange shirt. It's him." I didn't believe her, but just sat there with my stomach going crazy like I would throw up. At that point, I also had had to go to the bathroom for five hours. I couldn't move. I was so nervous!
What was the actual experience in the game show's studio like?
Sure enough: "William Jarry, come on down!" was called after the first pricing game, and I exploded! I hugged everyone I was with -- then ran up the stairs to the elevator, escorted by producers and assistants to an elevator, taken downstairs, then set up to run down the aisle. The place was unbelievable! It was so big. The people were going crazy. The stage was just like on TV -- it hasn't changed in 30 years at all! Everyone in the audience was so happy for me. They were all trying to slap me five as I ran down the aisle to contestant row. I was so nervous, excited, everything -- it was just too much to handle. The excitement in that room was indescribable.
It was really hard to think straight when pricing items to get out of contestant row and on stage. There was a lot of pressure, so it took me a couple of bids, but I made it. From the stage, the audience looked massive. I could barely see my crew letting me know what game was next, and what to bid on -- they were signaling Plinko though -- I got to play the most popular game on the Price Is Right! There were tons of people with Plinko shirts in the audience. One guy even had a Plinko rain hat complete with chips hanging from it. People went wild!
Bob was great. He was all business though. It was tough to say, "Hi," to your friends because he wanted to keep the show rolling. Apparently taping usually takes only 45 minutes, but becuase this was a special show and he was taking time in between each game to answer questions from the audience, it took more than two hours to tape. Bob led me through the game, I won my chips, and I swear I almost dropped them when Claudia handed them to me. She was so hot! All of the Beauties were outstanding, especially up close -- that made me really nervous! I did my thing, I won a few prizes (a camera, a boom box, and a water pik), plus $2,500 playing Plinko. I also won an arcade game (Mr. Driller 2) to get up on stage, so all total I won $6,181.
After my game, I stopped to start to fill out my tax forms, and then had to get up and run out to the bathroom finally, almost in the middle of taping! People were high-fiving me all the way into the bathroom -- it was great to see everyone happy for me, rather than jealous that they weren't the ones picked. I was pleasantly surprised! I came back, did the forms, got the assistant's number so she would send me autographed pictures from all of the Beauties later, then finished the show. I went over $1 on my spin, so I didn't make it to the showcase showdown, but because I was on stage, I did get Bob to sign my name tag!
On the way out of the Theater, my crew met up with me again, we went crazy, and took a few pictures for the CBS Web site. Then, I swear, people wanted me to sign autographs! I had made so many friends in line while going crazy, that everyone was happy for me. After that, I took my whole crew out for a steak dinner at the hotel (The restaurant manager actually served us!), then I ran into Claudia in the hall! She gave me a couple of autographs, plus her exclusive modeling photos, and then invited us to come to the casino and the club with her later! We actually spent the night in Club Rio with the beauties, Rod Roddy (who was kind of an ass -- he wouldn't sign autographs at all), and a couple of producers, who I was sure to thank for the opportunity.
Bob wasn't there -- he's getting a little senile so I'm sure he needed his rest. It was funny during the show -- you could tell he'd forget a couple things here and there and they'd have to do a little retaping. Anyway, sure enough, our friend Vito was the guard at the VIP section, so we had no trouble hanging out with the stars for the rest of the night, before finally going to bed at about 6 a.m. -- from being up for about 48 hours!
In mid-January, William Jarry was a contestant on the 30th anniversary episode of the Price is Right. This is his story.
How did you first connect with the Price Is Right?
I was going to Las Vegas anyway with my buddy Jeff, who called me about three weeks earlier to say his work friends cancelled on him, but he still wanted to go. I jumped on the opportunity. We had no idea about the Price is Right until three days before we left, when Jeff was home sick from work with a sprained ankle and happened to notice the ad while watching the game show in its regular time slot. Because we were going to be there on Jan. 17, the day they were taping, we decided that, if nothing else, it would be a great distraction from losing our shirts in the casino!
Why did you want to be on the Price Is Right?
What person doesn't want to be on national TV, especially on the 30th anniversary primetime special of the world's number one game show? Jeff and I were both fans from our childhood (What kid doesn't grow up watching the Price Is Right?), so it seemed like it would be a blast, even if we only got to be in the audience and didn't get called down.
Did you have to go through any kind of application, interview, or screening process?
Not really. But getting tickets for the show was another story, though. We got there at 1 a.m. Thursday (having not slept since Tuesday night) to find thousands of people already in line. They were supposed to start lining up at 6 a.m., and then pass out 900 tickets at 10 a.m. (There were also 600 tickets that were comped out to VIP's, for a total of 1,500 people in the Samba Theater of the Rio Hotel and Casino). Unfortunately, there were more than 10,000 people there -- some who had even slept there from the night before -- so our chances looked slim. There were also about three or four different lines, with everyone in them claiming to be in the "correct" line.
Jeff and I had come with a friend of a friend who lived in Vegas, Amanda, so the three of us split up and each took a line, communicating through cell phones if one started moving. We also did a little sneaking and cutting in line -- guerrilla tactics were necessary for this situation. At 6:45 a.m., one of the lines started moving into the theater. I was in the right line, and my friends were gone! I called Jeff, he held my spot, and I ran to get Amanda, who at this point had made friends with five cute girls from Utah and a random guy named Steve from Kansas City. We joined forces, ran back to get Jeff, and unfortunately never caught up to him.
The crowd was so huge, and people were pushing so much that they dropped the gates to the Theater, brought in security and the State Police, and then told everyone the show was sold out -- and that they had to go home. Meanwhile, Jeff was the last one they let in! I went back to the casino with Amanda, almost in tears for not making it through, and called my mom at 7:15 a.m. to give her the bad news. They were all pulling for me back home. Then I got the call. Jeff had borrowed a cell phone from inside the Theater and told me that he got ticket 555, and he was the last one in, so there were at least 345 tickets still available. The cops lied to get us out of there because of the fire hazard! I knew we still had a chance, so I went back to the box office gate to find 300-plus people still there with the same idea. People were threatening to sue the hotel with a class action lawsuit. Old ladies had literally beaten guards with their canes. It was a mess.
We hooked up with the Utah girls again, and then I got the brilliant idea to pimp them out to security guards. You always get further by being nice to people. Some were married, so I had them take off their rings, then go butter up the guards to figure out the deal. Sure enough, a guard named Vito let Brittany know that they were waiting for people to leave. At about 10-11-ish they would unleash the remaining tickets to those who waited patiently. So the Utah girls had Uno with them, and my whole crew sat on the floor nicely, while staying in touch with Jeff on the inside.
Sure enough, at 11 a.m., Vito comes by and gives us a nod. We get right up to the front of the line, and then about 15 guards form a human chain blocking about 300 people in to get onto the show, and everyone else out! We went in, screaming like crazy with excitement, and received out golden tickets (I was 781 -- barely in!) and name tags -- we were in the audience! We got outta there and had a couple hours to kill before we had to meet back at the theater. We got Jeff and grabbed a bite to eat.
I guess that the producers would be hiding in line to try and see who was crazy/fun to have on the show, and I figured these "interviews" we had to do would be a screening process so they didn't pick a "dud" for the show. I told everyone -- the Utah girls, Jeff, Steve, and Amanda, that no matter what, we were going to go nuts in line, and we did. We stopped at the hotel, and I grabbed my bright orange soccer shirt with my name on the back for recognition, and we headed to the interviews. We waited in line from 2-9 p.m. to get into the theater, and all the while I was starting "Team Utah," "Bob Barker," "Line 7" (the line we were in), etc. chants, and getting hundreds of people all riled up.
We were so crazy we actually got interviewed for Channel 4 news and The Las Vegas Sun while we were in line. If they noticed us, I hoped the producers did, too! Finally, we went through the metal detectors, ran into the Theater, and met with two producers who literally only asked "What's your name, where are you from, and what do you do?" I knew this was my chance, so I screamed and jumped in front of them, shouting "I'm Bill, and I came all the way from Boston to see Bob Barker! I'm a musician!" I figured if I told them I was an investment banker, they might think I could do numbers too quickly or well, so I went with the pity for the musician -- stereotypically poor and dumb -- perfect for the show! (I actually do play drums, so I wasn't lying either).
They asked me what instrument I played, and then I ran off screaming, jumping, and going nuts. I made it up to my seat -- on the second balcony, and then just waited for the show to begin while they showed us clips from past anniversary episodes. While I was waiting for the show to start, I saw the producers combing the aisles, looking for the people they picked -- where they were sitting so the cameras would know where to go when the chosen were called. I didn't hear it, but Denise, one of the Utah girls, heard the producers two rows in front of us say, "There he is, the guy with the orange shirt. It's him." I didn't believe her, but just sat there with my stomach going crazy like I would throw up. At that point, I also had had to go to the bathroom for five hours. I couldn't move. I was so nervous!
What was the actual experience in the game show's studio like?
Sure enough: "William Jarry, come on down!" was called after the first pricing game, and I exploded! I hugged everyone I was with -- then ran up the stairs to the elevator, escorted by producers and assistants to an elevator, taken downstairs, then set up to run down the aisle. The place was unbelievable! It was so big. The people were going crazy. The stage was just like on TV -- it hasn't changed in 30 years at all! Everyone in the audience was so happy for me. They were all trying to slap me five as I ran down the aisle to contestant row. I was so nervous, excited, everything -- it was just too much to handle. The excitement in that room was indescribable.
It was really hard to think straight when pricing items to get out of contestant row and on stage. There was a lot of pressure, so it took me a couple of bids, but I made it. From the stage, the audience looked massive. I could barely see my crew letting me know what game was next, and what to bid on -- they were signaling Plinko though -- I got to play the most popular game on the Price Is Right! There were tons of people with Plinko shirts in the audience. One guy even had a Plinko rain hat complete with chips hanging from it. People went wild!
Bob was great. He was all business though. It was tough to say, "Hi," to your friends because he wanted to keep the show rolling. Apparently taping usually takes only 45 minutes, but becuase this was a special show and he was taking time in between each game to answer questions from the audience, it took more than two hours to tape. Bob led me through the game, I won my chips, and I swear I almost dropped them when Claudia handed them to me. She was so hot! All of the Beauties were outstanding, especially up close -- that made me really nervous! I did my thing, I won a few prizes (a camera, a boom box, and a water pik), plus $2,500 playing Plinko. I also won an arcade game (Mr. Driller 2) to get up on stage, so all total I won $6,181.
After my game, I stopped to start to fill out my tax forms, and then had to get up and run out to the bathroom finally, almost in the middle of taping! People were high-fiving me all the way into the bathroom -- it was great to see everyone happy for me, rather than jealous that they weren't the ones picked. I was pleasantly surprised! I came back, did the forms, got the assistant's number so she would send me autographed pictures from all of the Beauties later, then finished the show. I went over $1 on my spin, so I didn't make it to the showcase showdown, but because I was on stage, I did get Bob to sign my name tag!
On the way out of the Theater, my crew met up with me again, we went crazy, and took a few pictures for the CBS Web site. Then, I swear, people wanted me to sign autographs! I had made so many friends in line while going crazy, that everyone was happy for me. After that, I took my whole crew out for a steak dinner at the hotel (The restaurant manager actually served us!), then I ran into Claudia in the hall! She gave me a couple of autographs, plus her exclusive modeling photos, and then invited us to come to the casino and the club with her later! We actually spent the night in Club Rio with the beauties, Rod Roddy (who was kind of an ass -- he wouldn't sign autographs at all), and a couple of producers, who I was sure to thank for the opportunity.
Bob wasn't there -- he's getting a little senile so I'm sure he needed his rest. It was funny during the show -- you could tell he'd forget a couple things here and there and they'd have to do a little retaping. Anyway, sure enough, our friend Vito was the guard at the VIP section, so we had no trouble hanging out with the stars for the rest of the night, before finally going to bed at about 6 a.m. -- from being up for about 48 hours!
Tuesday, February 05, 2002
Blogging About Blogging IX
Why do so many blogs suck? Take the Media Diet poll.
Why do so many blogs suck? Take the Media Diet poll.
Blogging About Blogging VIII
I met a fellow named Jish while in the Bay Area last fall, and he runs a nifty little Web ring for bloggers appropriately called, ahem, Webloggers. I just added Media Diet to the mix, and if you do a blog, I suggest that you look into it! Imagine: a blog ring.
Of course, now that I've spent some time popping around blogspace using Webloggers' Random Site link, I've come to the conclusion that, just as is true with zines and personal Web sites, most blogs suck.
Jish, of course, is not at all responsible for this.
I met a fellow named Jish while in the Bay Area last fall, and he runs a nifty little Web ring for bloggers appropriately called, ahem, Webloggers. I just added Media Diet to the mix, and if you do a blog, I suggest that you look into it! Imagine: a blog ring.
Of course, now that I've spent some time popping around blogspace using Webloggers' Random Site link, I've come to the conclusion that, just as is true with zines and personal Web sites, most blogs suck.
Jish, of course, is not at all responsible for this.
Blogging About Blogging VII
You've probably heard about the Webbies, but do you know about the Bloggies? In January, folks nominated and voted on blogs and blog-related sites in categories such as best merchandise, best meme, best Webcam, best design, and best blogs in Australia, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the US, and Canada. This guy named Wil Wheaton won in many different categories. Many, many different categories. So why haven't I heard about him -- or the Bloggies -- before?
As a response to the Bloggies, there's also the Anti-Bloggies. Will the self-referential circle jerking and metablogging never stop?
You've probably heard about the Webbies, but do you know about the Bloggies? In January, folks nominated and voted on blogs and blog-related sites in categories such as best merchandise, best meme, best Webcam, best design, and best blogs in Australia, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the US, and Canada. This guy named Wil Wheaton won in many different categories. Many, many different categories. So why haven't I heard about him -- or the Bloggies -- before?
As a response to the Bloggies, there's also the Anti-Bloggies. Will the self-referential circle jerking and metablogging never stop?
Leaving a Bad Taste on Your Bookshelf
Kevin Bowen has appropriated -- and collected other appropriated -- children's book covers over at Something Awful. Some are silly. Some are sick. All are something awful.
Kevin Bowen has appropriated -- and collected other appropriated -- children's book covers over at Something Awful. Some are silly. Some are sick. All are something awful.
The Movie I Watched Last Night IV
Outland
Sean Connery's accent is more noticeable than it is today. There's a tough-talking female doctor character who reminds me of my friend Brett's mom. And the Serpico-meets-Aliens plot outline makes for a good heroic and slightly family-oriented story. The special features on the DVD are crummy though. "The Making of Outland" is all text, not a documentary. Ditto for the special feature about how the crew modeled the miniature mine. Lame extras. Good movie.
What movies have you seen lately?
Outland
Sean Connery's accent is more noticeable than it is today. There's a tough-talking female doctor character who reminds me of my friend Brett's mom. And the Serpico-meets-Aliens plot outline makes for a good heroic and slightly family-oriented story. The special features on the DVD are crummy though. "The Making of Outland" is all text, not a documentary. Ditto for the special feature about how the crew modeled the miniature mine. Lame extras. Good movie.
What movies have you seen lately?
Near-Death Experience
I'm being overdramatic, but I almost got hit by a car last night. I was walking home from work, just after getting off the T at Central Square. Towing a suitcase from last week -- lazy me left it at work for a week after a quick trip to New Jersey -- and carrying two courier bags, I neared the intersection of Green and Magazine streets right by the bus station. There's a crosswalk there, and a stop sign as Green Street intersects with Magazine Street.
There was a car coming to the intersection, but it was quite a ways back, with plenty of time to stop at the intersection. I step into the intersection, start walking across the street, and the car doesn't stop! I jump-step ahead to avoid getting hit as the car crosses the crosswalk at probably 20-25 miles per hour. "Dude, stop sign!" I yell, pointing. Another pedestrian also yells, "Stop sign!" at the car, driven by an older man who is yelling at me from inside the car. He continues yelling at me as he pulls through the intersection, almost getting hit by a bus pulling into the station before he eventually crosses River and Western streets at the light to go wherever he was headed.
Lessons learned:
Just because there's a stop sign doesn't mean that drivers will respect it.
Never underestimate how fast a car is going even if they're supposed to slow and stop.
Get the license plate number if you can.
I should've reported the dude. Nevertheless, I was extra, extra careful at the next two intersections, looking both ways even when it was a one-way street. Cars are coffins.
I'm being overdramatic, but I almost got hit by a car last night. I was walking home from work, just after getting off the T at Central Square. Towing a suitcase from last week -- lazy me left it at work for a week after a quick trip to New Jersey -- and carrying two courier bags, I neared the intersection of Green and Magazine streets right by the bus station. There's a crosswalk there, and a stop sign as Green Street intersects with Magazine Street.
There was a car coming to the intersection, but it was quite a ways back, with plenty of time to stop at the intersection. I step into the intersection, start walking across the street, and the car doesn't stop! I jump-step ahead to avoid getting hit as the car crosses the crosswalk at probably 20-25 miles per hour. "Dude, stop sign!" I yell, pointing. Another pedestrian also yells, "Stop sign!" at the car, driven by an older man who is yelling at me from inside the car. He continues yelling at me as he pulls through the intersection, almost getting hit by a bus pulling into the station before he eventually crosses River and Western streets at the light to go wherever he was headed.
Lessons learned:
I should've reported the dude. Nevertheless, I was extra, extra careful at the next two intersections, looking both ways even when it was a one-way street. Cars are coffins.
Monday, February 04, 2002
Near-DIY Distribution
The Slush Factory, a wonderful independents-meet-mainstream comics journalism site I just started reading, currently features an interesting interview with Tim Stroup, one of the founders of Cold Cut Distribution. Stroup weighs in on ignoring the comics of Marvel, DC, and Image; what it's like working with 500 small-press publishers; and how they continue to compete when Diamond holds 95% of the comics distribution market. A good look inside a small-scale but big-hearted comics-related company.
The Slush Factory, a wonderful independents-meet-mainstream comics journalism site I just started reading, currently features an interesting interview with Tim Stroup, one of the founders of Cold Cut Distribution. Stroup weighs in on ignoring the comics of Marvel, DC, and Image; what it's like working with 500 small-press publishers; and how they continue to compete when Diamond holds 95% of the comics distribution market. A good look inside a small-scale but big-hearted comics-related company.
From the In Box: Your Local Use-Paper
Thanks, dude! We did get a lot of good feedback, and it seemed a shame to let it go to waste. Back in the pre-Internet days we used to have this section called Reader Feedback, AKA Reader Feed Bag, where we would have the interns record comments from callers. This is much more efficient. -- Peter Howe
Thanks, dude! We did get a lot of good feedback, and it seemed a shame to let it go to waste. Back in the pre-Internet days we used to have this section called Reader Feedback, AKA Reader Feed Bag, where we would have the interns record comments from callers. This is much more efficient. -- Peter Howe
Your Local Use-Paper
In a rare -- but exciting and intriguing -- inclusion of readers' voices and ideas in a newspaper article, the Boston Globe today ran a story headlined Readers React to Cellphone Study. Reporter Peter Howe contributed a piece rounding up commentary gleaned from the 130 calls and emails the Globe received in response to last week's look at the Boston area's wireless network coverage quality. Kudos to Howe and the Globe for drawing on the experiences and knowledge of its readers.
In a rare -- but exciting and intriguing -- inclusion of readers' voices and ideas in a newspaper article, the Boston Globe today ran a story headlined Readers React to Cellphone Study. Reporter Peter Howe contributed a piece rounding up commentary gleaned from the 130 calls and emails the Globe received in response to last week's look at the Boston area's wireless network coverage quality. Kudos to Howe and the Globe for drawing on the experiences and knowledge of its readers.
Books Worth a Look
For Christmas, my folks game me a Reader's Journal published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang. I've been keeping track of the books I read, writing mini-reviews. Here's what I've read in late-2001 and in January this year:
The African American Press: With Special Reference to Four Newspapers, 1827-1965 by Charles Simmons (1998)
This near-academic "history of news coverage during national crises" looks at how the Chicago Defended, Pittsburgh Courier, Black Dispatch, and Jackson Advocate reported on abolition, the black vote, and black sentiment during world wars I and II, as well as the civil rights movement. Balances accomodation with militance in the light of government suppression -- and serves as an indictment against Percy Greene, publisher of the Mississippi-based Advocate, which fought civil rights efforts in lieu of kissing up to the white power structure.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Good.
American Hardcore: A Tribal History by Steven Blush (2001)
Steve was active in the DC hardcore scene, booking shows and touring with No Trend. His extensive oral history of hardcore as an outgrowth of and response to the negative aspects of punk includes many reproductions of fliers and record covers of the time. He focuses on some of the most important bands -- Black Flag, the Bad Brains, the Dead Kennedys -- and analyzes the difference between the different scenes -- LA, Orange County, San Francisco, DC, Boston, New York City, etc. A must read.
Days to read: 10. Rating: Excellent.
The Anatomy of Buzz: How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing by Emanuel Rosen (2000)
An extremely lucid and useful handbook on how to further buzz within social and commercial networks. Rosen takes an action-oriented approach to developing contagious products and accelerating natural contagian by working with network hubs, seeding conversations, telling better business stories, and pursuing viral marketing efforts. A crucially useful, well-organized how to!
Days to read: 1. Rating: Excellent.
Bread -- and Roses: The Struggle of American Labor 1865-1915 by Milton Meltzer (1967)
Picked up off a shelf in the lobby of an apartment building in Mexico City, this heavily underlined book details the earliest days of the labor movement in America. Drawing on newspaper accounts primarily, Meltzer celebrates some of the unsung heroes of labor, focusing his attention mostly on notable strikes, riots, and court cases. Also heavily dependent on the activities of formal unions.
Days to read: 60. Rating: Excellent.
Cold Print by Ramsey Campbell (1987)
A collection of short stories drawing on H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. Dedicated to Fritz Leiber and Robert Bloch, Campbell's style is more similar to August Derleth and Stephen King than Lin Carter and Brian Lumley. Some stories are barely inspired by Lovecraft, which makes for a nice blend of contemporary horror and mythos pastiche. Might be a good introduction for people not into Lovecraft already.
Days to read: 5. Rating: Good.
The Executioner #277: Dirty Mission by Mike Newton as Don Pendleton (2001)
Mack Bolan throws in with a couple of lefty humanitarians to quell the stateside assassinations of Colombian exiles speaking out against an oppressive regime. There's the requisite overly verbose hardware descriptions, the romantic interest (who isn't obtained in this book), and a sneaky attack on some thoroughbred horses. Easy reading.
Days to read: 3. Rating: Good.
Fandom Directory #19 edited by Mariane Hopkins (2000)
This 525-page directory of science fiction and comic book fanzines, fan clubs, retail shops, and Web sites is a geek's paradise. Into Star Trek and wanting to learn Klingon? Read this. Obsessing over some random actor on Babylon 5? Come here. Mostly media tie-in fandom, but some pleasant subculture, comic, and zine surprises. The geeks of the geeks.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Excellent.
Forming: The Early Days of LA Punk edited by Exene Cervenka (2000)
The catalog to an exhibit of photographs, fliers, and album covers at Track 16 Gallery in Santa Monica, California, in 1999, this slim book compiles many iconic art examples from the era. The associated essays draw parallels to situationism, fluxus, and dada, including several reprints of writing by Slash's Claude Bessy and a timeline that puts the 1976-82 scene in a social, political, economic, and cultural context. Better to have seen the exhibit, I think.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Fine.
Fury: Fictions and Films by Clive Holden (1998)
Collecting a novella that interweaves three divergent narratives about three connected characters during a blackout, five short stories, and two mostly poetic representations of two of the author's experimental films, this book is short -- 170-plus pages -- but strong. Heavily Canadian in character, the writing reminds me of Jack Kerouac or J.D. Salinger, as seen with the Weakerthans' strong sense of the importance of place.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Excellent.
The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino (1968)
Cloaked as a religion and inspiration book, this slim volume is really a romanticization of sales and marketing and an apology for mercenary commercial behavior. That said, it does encourage people to donate a portion of their profits to the poor -- and it offers some solid self-help suggestions regardless of whether you're in sales. Renewal, love, persistence, mindfulness, and humor are all good traits.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (1999)
Odd. While reading this, I was enraptured. But two days later, I could hardly remember a thing about the book! D these have lasting value? The character of Gilderoy Lockheart makes for some great comic commentary n publicity, fame, and celebrity. And Dobby the house-elf portends that Harry's fame is far flung. Good ending with giant spiders, Moaning Myrtle, a basilisk, and the ghost of a young Voldemort. It all comes back to me now. A great read.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Excellent.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (1999)
Not as satisfying as the last novel, this volume has a convoluted Who Done It? ending that ropes in a new lackey who will probably have a role in the future. Not as mythic as previous books, this introduces lycanthropy as an element and ups the ante on the quidditch match descriptions. Not as funny as the last book, either, as tensions test even the best of friends and enemies.
Days to read: 3. Rating: Excellent.
How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card (1990)
This slightly dated book published by Writer's Digest Books breezes through a sci-fi how to in 137 pages. Amidst digs on Analog, Star Trek, and hard SF, Card expands on various kinds of stories, the rules of world creation -- space travel, etc. -- the difference between science fiction and fantasy, and how exposition works differently in SF than in other genres. Card's commentary on abeyance is especially useful.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
Make the Music Go Bang!: The Early LA Punk Scene edited by Don Snowden (1997)
Basically an excuse to publish some of the scene-specific photos of Gary Leonard, this book comprises almost a dozen reminiscent "essays" by long-time scene stalwarts, including X's Exene Cervenka, Los Lobos' Louis Perez, and the editor of Slash. While a solid romp through the people and places of the era, the book's a little shallow and mostly succeeds because it shows how various subgenres came together in ways other communities and scenes couldn't sustain.
Days to read: 6. Rating: Good.
Mutts: Sunday Mornings by Patrick McDonnell (2001)
Beautiful color edition of McDonnell's amazing comic strip, all from the Sunday funnies. The color is vibrant, and the full-page detail art adds a nice design element. While his commentary on animal shelters can be cloying, McDonnell's portrayal of how pets interact with their owners, as well as with each other, is poignant, powerful, and damn funny.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Excellent.
Overcoming Addictions: The Spiritual Solution by Deepak Chopra (1997)
By highlighting how addictive substances and activities such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs, sex, and work affect our mind body balance -- drawing on Ayurveda -- Chopra hones in on the root causes of addictive behavior and offers some solutions. These solutions are rooted in concentrating on positive alternative experiences, mindfulness, and conscious choice. This book has already helped me.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A Unified Theory of the Web by David Weinberger (2002)
The co-author of "The Cluetrain Manifesto" goes off on his own and crafts a well-reasoned and forward-thinking look at why the Web really matters. Considering how the Web changes our philosophical consideration of space, time, perfection, togetherness, knowledge, and matter, Weinberger contends that the Web can amplify humanity's social nature, offering a good measure of hope for the future of technology and business development.
Days to read: 7. Rating: Good.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein (1961)
"The most famous science fiction novel ever written" starts out as a martian comes to Earth tale and quickly evolves into an Ayn Rand-like commentary on politics, organized religion, property, and polyamory -- complete with Jubal Harshaw, a Howard Roark-like character who turnd out to be the real hero. A bit preachy at times, but impressive in its ideas and narrative.
Days to read: 4. Rating: Excellent.
Strange Sisters: The Art of Lesbian Pulp Fiction 1949-1969 by Jaye Zimet (1999)
Awesome book highlighting the cover art and text from lesbian-themed pulp novels. The author's collection is impressive, and her comments are insightful and humorous. Sections analyze the use of the female gaze, how the books were marketed to men, the sleaze element, and other themes -- use of butches, body image, and so on. Good resource listing.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Excellent.
The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer (1951)
Hoffer's near-academic sociological and psychological study looks at the appeal of mass movements, qualities and characteristics of potential converts, the relationship between united action and self-sacrifice, and the important actors in various stages of a movement. Hoffer concentrates on fanaticism and draws parallels between Nazism and Christianity. A useful handbook for organizers, but not overly hopeful for positive success.
Days to read: NA. Rating: Excellent.
Victory Chimp by Neil Hagerty (1997)
Imagine Lancelot Link as written by William S. Burroughs, and you've got a good idea about this book. Interstellar espionage story about an intelligent chimpanzee, written in a beat-meets-dada wordplay style. Some of it works well, and some does not. A vanity book. There's a change to first-person narrative at one point, but the ending -- the wrestling lectures -- were excellent.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Fair.
We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of LA Punk by Marc Spitz and Brendan Mullen (2001)
More than 160 people contribute their stories to this oral history of the LA punk scene. More balanced and in depth than "Make the Music Go Bang!" (reviewed above), this book considers the scene's precursors, genre-specific splits, and eventual evolution -- largely influenced by the hardcord insurgence from Orange County. The book also takes on the scene's entertainment industry ties and negative aspects, something "Make the Music Go Bang!" glosses over in the name of positive recollection and nostalgia.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Excellent.
Work 2.0: Rewriting the Contract by Bill Jensen (2001)
The author of "Simplicity" weighs in with his analysis of the new work relationships possible in the post-New Economy, -recession, and -911 world. Written mainly for managers, "Work 2.0" concentrates on new work assets; personalized work tools, resources, and processes; peer-to-peer value and social networks; and extreme leadership. Equal parts call for grassroots leadership development and a customer service approach to management.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
What are you reading?
For Christmas, my folks game me a Reader's Journal published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang. I've been keeping track of the books I read, writing mini-reviews. Here's what I've read in late-2001 and in January this year:
The African American Press: With Special Reference to Four Newspapers, 1827-1965 by Charles Simmons (1998)
This near-academic "history of news coverage during national crises" looks at how the Chicago Defended, Pittsburgh Courier, Black Dispatch, and Jackson Advocate reported on abolition, the black vote, and black sentiment during world wars I and II, as well as the civil rights movement. Balances accomodation with militance in the light of government suppression -- and serves as an indictment against Percy Greene, publisher of the Mississippi-based Advocate, which fought civil rights efforts in lieu of kissing up to the white power structure.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Good.
American Hardcore: A Tribal History by Steven Blush (2001)
Steve was active in the DC hardcore scene, booking shows and touring with No Trend. His extensive oral history of hardcore as an outgrowth of and response to the negative aspects of punk includes many reproductions of fliers and record covers of the time. He focuses on some of the most important bands -- Black Flag, the Bad Brains, the Dead Kennedys -- and analyzes the difference between the different scenes -- LA, Orange County, San Francisco, DC, Boston, New York City, etc. A must read.
Days to read: 10. Rating: Excellent.
The Anatomy of Buzz: How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing by Emanuel Rosen (2000)
An extremely lucid and useful handbook on how to further buzz within social and commercial networks. Rosen takes an action-oriented approach to developing contagious products and accelerating natural contagian by working with network hubs, seeding conversations, telling better business stories, and pursuing viral marketing efforts. A crucially useful, well-organized how to!
Days to read: 1. Rating: Excellent.
Bread -- and Roses: The Struggle of American Labor 1865-1915 by Milton Meltzer (1967)
Picked up off a shelf in the lobby of an apartment building in Mexico City, this heavily underlined book details the earliest days of the labor movement in America. Drawing on newspaper accounts primarily, Meltzer celebrates some of the unsung heroes of labor, focusing his attention mostly on notable strikes, riots, and court cases. Also heavily dependent on the activities of formal unions.
Days to read: 60. Rating: Excellent.
Cold Print by Ramsey Campbell (1987)
A collection of short stories drawing on H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. Dedicated to Fritz Leiber and Robert Bloch, Campbell's style is more similar to August Derleth and Stephen King than Lin Carter and Brian Lumley. Some stories are barely inspired by Lovecraft, which makes for a nice blend of contemporary horror and mythos pastiche. Might be a good introduction for people not into Lovecraft already.
Days to read: 5. Rating: Good.
The Executioner #277: Dirty Mission by Mike Newton as Don Pendleton (2001)
Mack Bolan throws in with a couple of lefty humanitarians to quell the stateside assassinations of Colombian exiles speaking out against an oppressive regime. There's the requisite overly verbose hardware descriptions, the romantic interest (who isn't obtained in this book), and a sneaky attack on some thoroughbred horses. Easy reading.
Days to read: 3. Rating: Good.
Fandom Directory #19 edited by Mariane Hopkins (2000)
This 525-page directory of science fiction and comic book fanzines, fan clubs, retail shops, and Web sites is a geek's paradise. Into Star Trek and wanting to learn Klingon? Read this. Obsessing over some random actor on Babylon 5? Come here. Mostly media tie-in fandom, but some pleasant subculture, comic, and zine surprises. The geeks of the geeks.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Excellent.
Forming: The Early Days of LA Punk edited by Exene Cervenka (2000)
The catalog to an exhibit of photographs, fliers, and album covers at Track 16 Gallery in Santa Monica, California, in 1999, this slim book compiles many iconic art examples from the era. The associated essays draw parallels to situationism, fluxus, and dada, including several reprints of writing by Slash's Claude Bessy and a timeline that puts the 1976-82 scene in a social, political, economic, and cultural context. Better to have seen the exhibit, I think.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Fine.
Fury: Fictions and Films by Clive Holden (1998)
Collecting a novella that interweaves three divergent narratives about three connected characters during a blackout, five short stories, and two mostly poetic representations of two of the author's experimental films, this book is short -- 170-plus pages -- but strong. Heavily Canadian in character, the writing reminds me of Jack Kerouac or J.D. Salinger, as seen with the Weakerthans' strong sense of the importance of place.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Excellent.
The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino (1968)
Cloaked as a religion and inspiration book, this slim volume is really a romanticization of sales and marketing and an apology for mercenary commercial behavior. That said, it does encourage people to donate a portion of their profits to the poor -- and it offers some solid self-help suggestions regardless of whether you're in sales. Renewal, love, persistence, mindfulness, and humor are all good traits.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (1999)
Odd. While reading this, I was enraptured. But two days later, I could hardly remember a thing about the book! D these have lasting value? The character of Gilderoy Lockheart makes for some great comic commentary n publicity, fame, and celebrity. And Dobby the house-elf portends that Harry's fame is far flung. Good ending with giant spiders, Moaning Myrtle, a basilisk, and the ghost of a young Voldemort. It all comes back to me now. A great read.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Excellent.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (1999)
Not as satisfying as the last novel, this volume has a convoluted Who Done It? ending that ropes in a new lackey who will probably have a role in the future. Not as mythic as previous books, this introduces lycanthropy as an element and ups the ante on the quidditch match descriptions. Not as funny as the last book, either, as tensions test even the best of friends and enemies.
Days to read: 3. Rating: Excellent.
How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card (1990)
This slightly dated book published by Writer's Digest Books breezes through a sci-fi how to in 137 pages. Amidst digs on Analog, Star Trek, and hard SF, Card expands on various kinds of stories, the rules of world creation -- space travel, etc. -- the difference between science fiction and fantasy, and how exposition works differently in SF than in other genres. Card's commentary on abeyance is especially useful.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
Make the Music Go Bang!: The Early LA Punk Scene edited by Don Snowden (1997)
Basically an excuse to publish some of the scene-specific photos of Gary Leonard, this book comprises almost a dozen reminiscent "essays" by long-time scene stalwarts, including X's Exene Cervenka, Los Lobos' Louis Perez, and the editor of Slash. While a solid romp through the people and places of the era, the book's a little shallow and mostly succeeds because it shows how various subgenres came together in ways other communities and scenes couldn't sustain.
Days to read: 6. Rating: Good.
Mutts: Sunday Mornings by Patrick McDonnell (2001)
Beautiful color edition of McDonnell's amazing comic strip, all from the Sunday funnies. The color is vibrant, and the full-page detail art adds a nice design element. While his commentary on animal shelters can be cloying, McDonnell's portrayal of how pets interact with their owners, as well as with each other, is poignant, powerful, and damn funny.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Excellent.
Overcoming Addictions: The Spiritual Solution by Deepak Chopra (1997)
By highlighting how addictive substances and activities such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs, sex, and work affect our mind body balance -- drawing on Ayurveda -- Chopra hones in on the root causes of addictive behavior and offers some solutions. These solutions are rooted in concentrating on positive alternative experiences, mindfulness, and conscious choice. This book has already helped me.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A Unified Theory of the Web by David Weinberger (2002)
The co-author of "The Cluetrain Manifesto" goes off on his own and crafts a well-reasoned and forward-thinking look at why the Web really matters. Considering how the Web changes our philosophical consideration of space, time, perfection, togetherness, knowledge, and matter, Weinberger contends that the Web can amplify humanity's social nature, offering a good measure of hope for the future of technology and business development.
Days to read: 7. Rating: Good.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein (1961)
"The most famous science fiction novel ever written" starts out as a martian comes to Earth tale and quickly evolves into an Ayn Rand-like commentary on politics, organized religion, property, and polyamory -- complete with Jubal Harshaw, a Howard Roark-like character who turnd out to be the real hero. A bit preachy at times, but impressive in its ideas and narrative.
Days to read: 4. Rating: Excellent.
Strange Sisters: The Art of Lesbian Pulp Fiction 1949-1969 by Jaye Zimet (1999)
Awesome book highlighting the cover art and text from lesbian-themed pulp novels. The author's collection is impressive, and her comments are insightful and humorous. Sections analyze the use of the female gaze, how the books were marketed to men, the sleaze element, and other themes -- use of butches, body image, and so on. Good resource listing.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Excellent.
The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer (1951)
Hoffer's near-academic sociological and psychological study looks at the appeal of mass movements, qualities and characteristics of potential converts, the relationship between united action and self-sacrifice, and the important actors in various stages of a movement. Hoffer concentrates on fanaticism and draws parallels between Nazism and Christianity. A useful handbook for organizers, but not overly hopeful for positive success.
Days to read: NA. Rating: Excellent.
Victory Chimp by Neil Hagerty (1997)
Imagine Lancelot Link as written by William S. Burroughs, and you've got a good idea about this book. Interstellar espionage story about an intelligent chimpanzee, written in a beat-meets-dada wordplay style. Some of it works well, and some does not. A vanity book. There's a change to first-person narrative at one point, but the ending -- the wrestling lectures -- were excellent.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Fair.
We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of LA Punk by Marc Spitz and Brendan Mullen (2001)
More than 160 people contribute their stories to this oral history of the LA punk scene. More balanced and in depth than "Make the Music Go Bang!" (reviewed above), this book considers the scene's precursors, genre-specific splits, and eventual evolution -- largely influenced by the hardcord insurgence from Orange County. The book also takes on the scene's entertainment industry ties and negative aspects, something "Make the Music Go Bang!" glosses over in the name of positive recollection and nostalgia.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Excellent.
Work 2.0: Rewriting the Contract by Bill Jensen (2001)
The author of "Simplicity" weighs in with his analysis of the new work relationships possible in the post-New Economy, -recession, and -911 world. Written mainly for managers, "Work 2.0" concentrates on new work assets; personalized work tools, resources, and processes; peer-to-peer value and social networks; and extreme leadership. Equal parts call for grassroots leadership development and a customer service approach to management.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
What are you reading?
Friday, February 01, 2002
From the Reading Pile VI
The American Girl #3
It's been a year since #2, and this 108-page issue is a choose your own adventure based on Sara's 1999 vacation in Asia. Accompanies by illustrations courtesy of Jaki Wood, Sara's writing is detailed and matter of fact. But my first storyline ended too soon! So I had to pick a new path. My second adventure covered some of the same ground as the first, which surprised me, but it quickly becomes clear that this is a witty mix of fact and fiction -- a la the death by motorcycle! Sara and the Pope's time in Ho Chi Minh City is particularly poignant, and I especially appreciate the inclusion of maps as well as Jaki's humorous illos. I have no idea how long I read and reread this. The idea is so cool, the story so engaging, and the number of options so enjoyable that I'm surprise more travel-oriented perzines -- ahem, Urban Hermit -- haven't tried this. I eventually stopped and read it front to back so I didn't miss anything. Awesome. You'll learn about the local culture and people. You'll learn about cool places to go and things to do. And you'll have hella fun reading this. A keeper if you ever plan to go to Asia. $2 to Sara, P.O. Box 190054, San Francisco, CA 94119.
Modern Fascist Quarterly #1 (Fall 2001)
Don't be fooled by the editor's letter from Trevor Alixopolus, creator of such comics as Quagga, Stalin Funnies, and Nil. While it's clear that this isn't a "dour political tract," this 36-page zine is also much, much more than the satirical periodical Trevor makes it out to be. While there are Low-Brow Reader-style swipes at Bryan Adams and a cache-full of Web sites, this zine is too politically aware to be solely parody. Trevor's "Globalization for Dummies" comic is a better primer to the IMF, WTO, WEF, and FTAA than those offered by Tom Tomorrow or Ted Rall to date. Starhawk's "Fascism in Genoa" is a scathing essay abut the police and politicians' mishandling of the free trade protests in July 2001. Trevor's article on the redevelopment of Carillo Adobe in Santa Rosa is a personal, well-researched look at a lost piece of history and nature. And "Taqueria!", a "burrito-eating man's guide to Santa Rosa," is a useful roundup of taquerias near where Trevor lives. More mindful political perzine than funny book, Modern Fascist could very well be the wolf in sheep's clothing activists need to reach a new audience for the anti-globalization message. $3 to Trevor Alixopolus, P.O. Box 524, Fulton, CA 95439.
Muppet Babies
Ben Jones' take on the Muppet Babies is right up there with his Alfe and Gator character-oriented comics. A sexed-up Miss Piggy wakes everyone up with a false fire alarm, and hilarity ensues as everyone discovers that it's Gonzo's peanut butter mayo salsa applesauce casserole burning in the Easy Bake oven. Scooter and Fozzie take the gang to Rap Land, where Kermit, Gonzo, and Beaker freestyle until Miss Piggy emerges as P-Lo. Then they go to a rave. A friendly and funny appropriation of pop culture icons that -- at the very end -- takes a stab at Canada: "Make sure Canada feels it." What's up with that? Paper Radio is on the Web.
Poems for Cartoonists
Hot on the heels of the recent series of comics-meet-poetry chapbook collaborations, David Lasky's 32-page mini could very well be a response to that effort, if not a serious dare to "write poems without words" and "draw comics without pictures." I'm usually quite skeptical about self-referential insider ephemera like this, and this was no exception. Even though the messages in this chapbook are laudable -- the role of words, panels as pages, the creative process, and cartoonists' influences -- the poems don't all stand up as good poetry, and I fear that this will find an extremely small appreciative audience -- a subset of an already small subset. Still, three poems struck me and are strong enough to check this out solely on their merit: "Braille Comic Strip," "Skeezik," and "Peanuts Finale." "Endless Comic Strip" is also worthwhile. David, kudos for this; may others take up your challenge! $3 to Boom Boom Comics, 4505 University Way NE, PMB 181, Seattle, WA 98105.
Shut Up! #1
You might have seen this comic artist's fliers and stickers around Somerville and Cambridge. While the obliquely frog-faced "Hi" guy isn't as omnipresent as Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant urban installations, I was thrilled silly to find this 12-page comic on the mini racks at the Picnic. This first issue is quite skinny and features roughly 10 comic strips. The art is raw, the panels and pages of various sizes, and the point questionable, but Shut Up! is still a fun read. The creator pokes fun at TV, farts, softshoe, Life Is Hell (perhaps, the comic on p. 5 made me think of Matt Groening), the Hopi Chicken, poop, and superheroes. Definitely low in calorie count, Shut Up! is a throwaway read that's still sure to bring a smile. $1 to P.O. Box 442154, Somerville, MA 02144.
Shut Up Comics & Stories #2
This is more like it! Compared to the thin #1, this 46-page issue is a bargain -- and perhaps a better introduction to the "Hi" guy's creator's (I don't know his name!) work. As much zine as comic, this edition's contents are more varied. There's found art combines with comics, birds with hats, detourned sports clip art, yoga fart jokes, some short fiction, sketchbook reprints, historic fumetti featuring a French man, and Voivoid-esque lettering. The pages are much more dense this time around, and the artwork is much more mature -- in form, if not in content. Rather overwhelming to soak this all up, but hella impressive just for its sheer size and spunkiness. 10 cents to P.O. Box 442154, Somerville, MA 02144.
Simply Questions
This 32-page environmental zine by Solar Ray -- a collaboration between George Mokray and Mel Burns -- draws heavily on the environmental design principles of William McDonough. Questions address the role of the wind, birds, water, garbage collection, electricity, land use, and our environmental footprint. No answers are offered because "they are local and individual," but this mini will get your wheels turning. And they tell you where you can go to learn more. Thought-provoking. Look for it at the Picnic. I'll try to dig up George's email address.
Smudges
Part of Brett Warnock and Chris Staros' small batch series for Top Shelf, this 48-page watercolor comic pamphlet by Pshaw! shows work more mature than his past comics. Maybe it's called Smudges because of the watercolors and grey tones. Mostly sketches and character studies of the denizens of Pshaw!'s world -- Oddclops, Boxbug, Moodruin, Zoomcloud, and others -- this is a good introduction to Pshaw!'s sensibility. Smudges also tips hat to E.C. Segar, disses Marvel, and offers odes to mud, dust, and ice. But is it worth $10? I'd start with Pshaw!'s other work and get this if you're a completist. $10 to Top Shelf, P.O. Box 1282, Marietta, GA 30061-1282.
The Tenth Frame #3
An intriguing comic focusing on people -- mostly jazz musicians and improvisers -- who Austin considers his heroes, heroes of the be-bop era. The opening four pager of this 28-page edition details the stages of the "descent of Charlie Parker": calm beginnings, rise to fame, disillusionment, and the last days. Also included is the third chapter of Austin's comics chronicle of the life of Thelonius Monk. The installment centers on the seminars Monk held at his house with musicians such as Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis, as well as his short-lived stint with Dizzy Gillespie's big band. To close out the issue, there's a six-page synopsis of the lasting effects Lenny Bruce -- a different breed of improviser -- has had on comedy. As fascinated as I am by this comic, a true labor of love, I'm also frustrated. Austin's heavily researched, footnoted, and photo-referenced effort is an unprecedented experiment in celebrating jazz in comics form, as far as I can tell. But his still-developing art style -- the drawing is quite sloppy, less than stylistic -- and low production value -- cut-and-paste photocopying and typewritten text -- serve as impediments... as well as indicators of the work's foundation in jazz and improvisation. Well worth checking out, and I know that Austin will continue to improve. The Tenth Frame will only get better. $1 to Austin English, P.O. Box 460584, San Francisco, CA 94146-0584.
The Urban Hermit #9
Hidden in the cover artwork is a handwritten line that reads, "I am not Cometbus." Um, OK. But the parallels are there -- and perhaps the inspiration. Because the Urban Hermit is a Doris-via-Iron Feather Journal perzine that draws on beat poetry, hip hop, and hemp-hippy rave kid culture -- and one that details the travels of Sarah from Seattle to Hawaii after quitting her job as a crystal methamphetamine addiction recovery counselor. While Sarah's adventures among the American hippy kids who squat on fruit orchards in Hawaii are interesting, there's an undercurrent of self-centeredness and pretentiousness in her writing. Maybe it's Sarah's confidence -- for all of her posturing as a "22-year-old confused wandering person" throughout the zine's 60 pages, Sarah is surprisingly cocksure and dismissive of the people who help her -- especially given all her talk about impermanence, tofu, poetry, and such. Still, the writing is lively, flowing with a freestyle cadence, and Sarah's life is interesting enough to hold readers' attention. A fun read, full of snappy ghetto kid slang and lesbian obsession. I'd read another issue of this despite Karl Wenclas' endorsement in Zine Beat. $2 to Sarah O'Donnell, 1122 E. Pike #910, Seattle, WA 98122.
What are you reading?
The American Girl #3
It's been a year since #2, and this 108-page issue is a choose your own adventure based on Sara's 1999 vacation in Asia. Accompanies by illustrations courtesy of Jaki Wood, Sara's writing is detailed and matter of fact. But my first storyline ended too soon! So I had to pick a new path. My second adventure covered some of the same ground as the first, which surprised me, but it quickly becomes clear that this is a witty mix of fact and fiction -- a la the death by motorcycle! Sara and the Pope's time in Ho Chi Minh City is particularly poignant, and I especially appreciate the inclusion of maps as well as Jaki's humorous illos. I have no idea how long I read and reread this. The idea is so cool, the story so engaging, and the number of options so enjoyable that I'm surprise more travel-oriented perzines -- ahem, Urban Hermit -- haven't tried this. I eventually stopped and read it front to back so I didn't miss anything. Awesome. You'll learn about the local culture and people. You'll learn about cool places to go and things to do. And you'll have hella fun reading this. A keeper if you ever plan to go to Asia. $2 to Sara, P.O. Box 190054, San Francisco, CA 94119.
Modern Fascist Quarterly #1 (Fall 2001)
Don't be fooled by the editor's letter from Trevor Alixopolus, creator of such comics as Quagga, Stalin Funnies, and Nil. While it's clear that this isn't a "dour political tract," this 36-page zine is also much, much more than the satirical periodical Trevor makes it out to be. While there are Low-Brow Reader-style swipes at Bryan Adams and a cache-full of Web sites, this zine is too politically aware to be solely parody. Trevor's "Globalization for Dummies" comic is a better primer to the IMF, WTO, WEF, and FTAA than those offered by Tom Tomorrow or Ted Rall to date. Starhawk's "Fascism in Genoa" is a scathing essay abut the police and politicians' mishandling of the free trade protests in July 2001. Trevor's article on the redevelopment of Carillo Adobe in Santa Rosa is a personal, well-researched look at a lost piece of history and nature. And "Taqueria!", a "burrito-eating man's guide to Santa Rosa," is a useful roundup of taquerias near where Trevor lives. More mindful political perzine than funny book, Modern Fascist could very well be the wolf in sheep's clothing activists need to reach a new audience for the anti-globalization message. $3 to Trevor Alixopolus, P.O. Box 524, Fulton, CA 95439.
Muppet Babies
Ben Jones' take on the Muppet Babies is right up there with his Alfe and Gator character-oriented comics. A sexed-up Miss Piggy wakes everyone up with a false fire alarm, and hilarity ensues as everyone discovers that it's Gonzo's peanut butter mayo salsa applesauce casserole burning in the Easy Bake oven. Scooter and Fozzie take the gang to Rap Land, where Kermit, Gonzo, and Beaker freestyle until Miss Piggy emerges as P-Lo. Then they go to a rave. A friendly and funny appropriation of pop culture icons that -- at the very end -- takes a stab at Canada: "Make sure Canada feels it." What's up with that? Paper Radio is on the Web.
Poems for Cartoonists
Hot on the heels of the recent series of comics-meet-poetry chapbook collaborations, David Lasky's 32-page mini could very well be a response to that effort, if not a serious dare to "write poems without words" and "draw comics without pictures." I'm usually quite skeptical about self-referential insider ephemera like this, and this was no exception. Even though the messages in this chapbook are laudable -- the role of words, panels as pages, the creative process, and cartoonists' influences -- the poems don't all stand up as good poetry, and I fear that this will find an extremely small appreciative audience -- a subset of an already small subset. Still, three poems struck me and are strong enough to check this out solely on their merit: "Braille Comic Strip," "Skeezik," and "Peanuts Finale." "Endless Comic Strip" is also worthwhile. David, kudos for this; may others take up your challenge! $3 to Boom Boom Comics, 4505 University Way NE, PMB 181, Seattle, WA 98105.
Shut Up! #1
You might have seen this comic artist's fliers and stickers around Somerville and Cambridge. While the obliquely frog-faced "Hi" guy isn't as omnipresent as Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant urban installations, I was thrilled silly to find this 12-page comic on the mini racks at the Picnic. This first issue is quite skinny and features roughly 10 comic strips. The art is raw, the panels and pages of various sizes, and the point questionable, but Shut Up! is still a fun read. The creator pokes fun at TV, farts, softshoe, Life Is Hell (perhaps, the comic on p. 5 made me think of Matt Groening), the Hopi Chicken, poop, and superheroes. Definitely low in calorie count, Shut Up! is a throwaway read that's still sure to bring a smile. $1 to P.O. Box 442154, Somerville, MA 02144.
Shut Up Comics & Stories #2
This is more like it! Compared to the thin #1, this 46-page issue is a bargain -- and perhaps a better introduction to the "Hi" guy's creator's (I don't know his name!) work. As much zine as comic, this edition's contents are more varied. There's found art combines with comics, birds with hats, detourned sports clip art, yoga fart jokes, some short fiction, sketchbook reprints, historic fumetti featuring a French man, and Voivoid-esque lettering. The pages are much more dense this time around, and the artwork is much more mature -- in form, if not in content. Rather overwhelming to soak this all up, but hella impressive just for its sheer size and spunkiness. 10 cents to P.O. Box 442154, Somerville, MA 02144.
Simply Questions
This 32-page environmental zine by Solar Ray -- a collaboration between George Mokray and Mel Burns -- draws heavily on the environmental design principles of William McDonough. Questions address the role of the wind, birds, water, garbage collection, electricity, land use, and our environmental footprint. No answers are offered because "they are local and individual," but this mini will get your wheels turning. And they tell you where you can go to learn more. Thought-provoking. Look for it at the Picnic. I'll try to dig up George's email address.
Smudges
Part of Brett Warnock and Chris Staros' small batch series for Top Shelf, this 48-page watercolor comic pamphlet by Pshaw! shows work more mature than his past comics. Maybe it's called Smudges because of the watercolors and grey tones. Mostly sketches and character studies of the denizens of Pshaw!'s world -- Oddclops, Boxbug, Moodruin, Zoomcloud, and others -- this is a good introduction to Pshaw!'s sensibility. Smudges also tips hat to E.C. Segar, disses Marvel, and offers odes to mud, dust, and ice. But is it worth $10? I'd start with Pshaw!'s other work and get this if you're a completist. $10 to Top Shelf, P.O. Box 1282, Marietta, GA 30061-1282.
The Tenth Frame #3
An intriguing comic focusing on people -- mostly jazz musicians and improvisers -- who Austin considers his heroes, heroes of the be-bop era. The opening four pager of this 28-page edition details the stages of the "descent of Charlie Parker": calm beginnings, rise to fame, disillusionment, and the last days. Also included is the third chapter of Austin's comics chronicle of the life of Thelonius Monk. The installment centers on the seminars Monk held at his house with musicians such as Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis, as well as his short-lived stint with Dizzy Gillespie's big band. To close out the issue, there's a six-page synopsis of the lasting effects Lenny Bruce -- a different breed of improviser -- has had on comedy. As fascinated as I am by this comic, a true labor of love, I'm also frustrated. Austin's heavily researched, footnoted, and photo-referenced effort is an unprecedented experiment in celebrating jazz in comics form, as far as I can tell. But his still-developing art style -- the drawing is quite sloppy, less than stylistic -- and low production value -- cut-and-paste photocopying and typewritten text -- serve as impediments... as well as indicators of the work's foundation in jazz and improvisation. Well worth checking out, and I know that Austin will continue to improve. The Tenth Frame will only get better. $1 to Austin English, P.O. Box 460584, San Francisco, CA 94146-0584.
The Urban Hermit #9
Hidden in the cover artwork is a handwritten line that reads, "I am not Cometbus." Um, OK. But the parallels are there -- and perhaps the inspiration. Because the Urban Hermit is a Doris-via-Iron Feather Journal perzine that draws on beat poetry, hip hop, and hemp-hippy rave kid culture -- and one that details the travels of Sarah from Seattle to Hawaii after quitting her job as a crystal methamphetamine addiction recovery counselor. While Sarah's adventures among the American hippy kids who squat on fruit orchards in Hawaii are interesting, there's an undercurrent of self-centeredness and pretentiousness in her writing. Maybe it's Sarah's confidence -- for all of her posturing as a "22-year-old confused wandering person" throughout the zine's 60 pages, Sarah is surprisingly cocksure and dismissive of the people who help her -- especially given all her talk about impermanence, tofu, poetry, and such. Still, the writing is lively, flowing with a freestyle cadence, and Sarah's life is interesting enough to hold readers' attention. A fun read, full of snappy ghetto kid slang and lesbian obsession. I'd read another issue of this despite Karl Wenclas' endorsement in Zine Beat. $2 to Sarah O'Donnell, 1122 E. Pike #910, Seattle, WA 98122.
What are you reading?
Web Remnants II
Glenn Gaslin, co-author of The Complete Cross-Referenced Guide to the Baby Buster Generation's Collective Unconscious, runs a nice little Web site called Scrawlings. The site features scads of his newspaper and pop-culture reporting, fiction, and other stuff. Well worth checking out. I went to college with the boy. He married a girl I also went to college with. They're both awesome, awesome people.
Oh. Someone hire Glenn. He's, oh, so highly employable.
Glenn Gaslin, co-author of The Complete Cross-Referenced Guide to the Baby Buster Generation's Collective Unconscious, runs a nice little Web site called Scrawlings. The site features scads of his newspaper and pop-culture reporting, fiction, and other stuff. Well worth checking out. I went to college with the boy. He married a girl I also went to college with. They're both awesome, awesome people.
Oh. Someone hire Glenn. He's, oh, so highly employable.
Make Your Own Movies
They Fight Crime! is a wonderfully funny Web site that randomly generates buddy movie synopses. Here's a sample: "He's an all-American flyboy stage actor with nothing left to lose. She's a strong-willed French-Canadian socialite who inherited a spooky stately manor from her late maiden aunt. They fight crime!"
And here's what might very well be my favorite: "He's a genetically engineered Catholic Green Beret who knows the secret of the alien invasion. She's a cynical punk stripper married to the Mob. They fight crime!"
They Fight Crime! is a wonderfully funny Web site that randomly generates buddy movie synopses. Here's a sample: "He's an all-American flyboy stage actor with nothing left to lose. She's a strong-willed French-Canadian socialite who inherited a spooky stately manor from her late maiden aunt. They fight crime!"
And here's what might very well be my favorite: "He's a genetically engineered Catholic Green Beret who knows the secret of the alien invasion. She's a cynical punk stripper married to the Mob. They fight crime!"
Seedy CD's
Last night at the listening party organized to comb through the basic tracks just recorded by the Anchormen, Dave coined a new phrase to describe the watered-down white-boy funk coming out of the Berklee School of Music: B-Funk. B-Funk is short for Berklee-Funk but also indicates that it's of a lesser grade. Berklee has long been the home of an entire crew of people studying, practicing, performing, and promoting stilted, watered-down music. We can thank Berklee in part for fusion and smooth jazz. As well as, perhaps, Scientology's hold on many musicians active in those subgenres.
Now it seems that the school's reach into the music industry is getting even longer. A senior practicum called Heavy Rotation is one of only three college-level courses in the US that exposes students to every aspect of record company operations and breeds a bunch of A&R types and publicists. Just what the music industry needs more of.
Now the class's homegrown label has partnered with Epic Records to release a joint CD next week -- the first CD released by a major label and a college label, supposedly. "The album is a genuinely eclectic collection," says Joan Anderman in the Globe, including folk-rock, dance-pop, heavy metal, and trip-hop.
And, I'm sure, B-Funk.
Last night at the listening party organized to comb through the basic tracks just recorded by the Anchormen, Dave coined a new phrase to describe the watered-down white-boy funk coming out of the Berklee School of Music: B-Funk. B-Funk is short for Berklee-Funk but also indicates that it's of a lesser grade. Berklee has long been the home of an entire crew of people studying, practicing, performing, and promoting stilted, watered-down music. We can thank Berklee in part for fusion and smooth jazz. As well as, perhaps, Scientology's hold on many musicians active in those subgenres.
Now it seems that the school's reach into the music industry is getting even longer. A senior practicum called Heavy Rotation is one of only three college-level courses in the US that exposes students to every aspect of record company operations and breeds a bunch of A&R types and publicists. Just what the music industry needs more of.
Now the class's homegrown label has partnered with Epic Records to release a joint CD next week -- the first CD released by a major label and a college label, supposedly. "The album is a genuinely eclectic collection," says Joan Anderman in the Globe, including folk-rock, dance-pop, heavy metal, and trip-hop.
And, I'm sure, B-Funk.
Happy National Comics Day!
I'm two days late, but Jan. 30 was National Comics Day in Brazil. Why doesn't the US have such a holiday? I first learned about the holiday in the Warren Ellis forum:
"It's recognized because in the 30th of January of 1869 (before The Yellow Kid) the first chapter of As Aventuras de Nho Quim (The Adventures of No Quim), by Ângelo Agostini, was published in the brazilian newspaper 'Vida Fluminense'. The stories had no balloons or captions, much like the Prince Valiant strips."
You can learn more online, although it's in Portuguese.
I'm two days late, but Jan. 30 was National Comics Day in Brazil. Why doesn't the US have such a holiday? I first learned about the holiday in the Warren Ellis forum:
"It's recognized because in the 30th of January of 1869 (before The Yellow Kid) the first chapter of As Aventuras de Nho Quim (The Adventures of No Quim), by Ângelo Agostini, was published in the brazilian newspaper 'Vida Fluminense'. The stories had no balloons or captions, much like the Prince Valiant strips."
You can learn more online, although it's in Portuguese.
Thursday, January 31, 2002
Rules for Fools
I've decided that I have a drinking problem. Not a big one, but enough that it's time to do something about it. At first I thought it was because of depression over separating up with my now ex-girlfriend. Then I thought it was because of the holidays. Then it was because the Anchormen were recording. It's time to stop coming up with reasons for drinking too much.
Just recently, Alan playfully punched me in the stomach and was surprised by its lack of tone. "There's such a thing as pecs, you know," he said. I replied with a joke about how there really was a six pack down there. Ha ha.
Anyway, my new rules are as follows:
Don't buy beer for consumption at home.
Never drink alone.
If drinking during a meal, especially if eating alone, observe a two-drink maximum.
I'll let you know how it goes! Thus starts my new diet, albeit not of media.
I've decided that I have a drinking problem. Not a big one, but enough that it's time to do something about it. At first I thought it was because of depression over separating up with my now ex-girlfriend. Then I thought it was because of the holidays. Then it was because the Anchormen were recording. It's time to stop coming up with reasons for drinking too much.
Just recently, Alan playfully punched me in the stomach and was surprised by its lack of tone. "There's such a thing as pecs, you know," he said. I replied with a joke about how there really was a six pack down there. Ha ha.
Anyway, my new rules are as follows:
I'll let you know how it goes! Thus starts my new diet, albeit not of media.
Products I Love
I received a shipment of Safety-Sleeves from Univenture Inc. yesterday. I spent several hours sitting on the hardwood floor of my apartment transferring CD's from their jewel cases to my new Viewpaks, which take up about 1/4 of the space of a normal CD case. And I realized that I was in love.
Univenture's Viewpaks rock. They take up less space than normal CD cases. It's easier to store discs in filing cases (I use CD boxes from Hold Everything. And I'm thrilled silly any time I winnow out the stacks of un-filed CD's, get rid of the jewel cases, and alphabetize the discs I've just filed. I discover forgotten music every time I go through this exercise.
All hail the Safety-Sleeve!
I received a shipment of Safety-Sleeves from Univenture Inc. yesterday. I spent several hours sitting on the hardwood floor of my apartment transferring CD's from their jewel cases to my new Viewpaks, which take up about 1/4 of the space of a normal CD case. And I realized that I was in love.
Univenture's Viewpaks rock. They take up less space than normal CD cases. It's easier to store discs in filing cases (I use CD boxes from Hold Everything. And I'm thrilled silly any time I winnow out the stacks of un-filed CD's, get rid of the jewel cases, and alphabetize the discs I've just filed. I discover forgotten music every time I go through this exercise.
All hail the Safety-Sleeve!
Wednesday, January 30, 2002
How Great Thou Art?
My friend Jef has been approached by the Jukebox Junkies, who would like him to draw the cover for an upcoming recording.
Should he? Take the Media Diet poll!
My friend Jef has been approached by the Jukebox Junkies, who would like him to draw the cover for an upcoming recording.
Should he? Take the Media Diet poll!
The Operators... on the Air!
From Emily Operator: My bandmate Steph and I will be hosting On the Town with Mikey Dee, the local music show on WMFO-FM, 9 p.m. to midnight tonight. Reverend Glasseye and His Wooden Legs will be performing live (They are crazy.), and Dave Sakowski of Swizzle/Q Division (even crazier) is the interview guest. Yay! You can tune in at 91.5 FM in the Somerville area or listen online.
From Emily Operator: My bandmate Steph and I will be hosting On the Town with Mikey Dee, the local music show on WMFO-FM, 9 p.m. to midnight tonight. Reverend Glasseye and His Wooden Legs will be performing live (They are crazy.), and Dave Sakowski of Swizzle/Q Division (even crazier) is the interview guest. Yay! You can tune in at 91.5 FM in the Somerville area or listen online.
Buy Yourself a Band! IV
Email to the Explosion: Did I see Damian at that goofy Miki Singh & Jetset show at the Karma Club last night? Jef and I -- both in the Anchormen -- were distraught by the lack of local punk and indie-rock kids to balance out the older dot-commies and techvolk, and when we saw who we thought was Damian, we said to each other, "Now it's less depressing. The Explosion is here!"
True; I was there. I was DJ'ing next door for my friend's art opening at Bill's. After hearing all about the huge production this guy blew all his cash on I had to check it out. I didn't even see the band, but the whole thing seemed pretty lame. I ended up going over to the Middle East to catch a little bit of Murphy's Law -- the exact opposite of what was going on at Axis. Jimmy Gestapo has been in that band something like 19 years and he's still singing his old songs about beer, weed, bongs, girls, beer, and um... beer. I heard Jetset has a ton of talented musicians though.
By the way, have you checked out START! yet? It's a night I'm doing at Bill's Bar on Saturdays with Gibby. I spin punk, postpunk, garage and psych, and lots of other stuff too. It's a good time. Check it out some time.
Oh yeah. What was with the camo? -- Damian
Email to the Explosion: Did I see Damian at that goofy Miki Singh & Jetset show at the Karma Club last night? Jef and I -- both in the Anchormen -- were distraught by the lack of local punk and indie-rock kids to balance out the older dot-commies and techvolk, and when we saw who we thought was Damian, we said to each other, "Now it's less depressing. The Explosion is here!"
True; I was there. I was DJ'ing next door for my friend's art opening at Bill's. After hearing all about the huge production this guy blew all his cash on I had to check it out. I didn't even see the band, but the whole thing seemed pretty lame. I ended up going over to the Middle East to catch a little bit of Murphy's Law -- the exact opposite of what was going on at Axis. Jimmy Gestapo has been in that band something like 19 years and he's still singing his old songs about beer, weed, bongs, girls, beer, and um... beer. I heard Jetset has a ton of talented musicians though.
By the way, have you checked out START! yet? It's a night I'm doing at Bill's Bar on Saturdays with Gibby. I spin punk, postpunk, garage and psych, and lots of other stuff too. It's a good time. Check it out some time.
Oh yeah. What was with the camo? -- Damian
Buy Yourself a Band! III
I'm going to post a full report of the Miki Singh & Jetset show later, but for now, here's a snippy snapshot of Jef Anchorman and me gold digging and trying to meet rich people.
I'm going to post a full report of the Miki Singh & Jetset show later, but for now, here's a snippy snapshot of Jef Anchorman and me gold digging and trying to meet rich people.
Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Media Diet by Mail
Now you can receive new posts to Media Diet via email. Using the wonderful new tools of Blogger Pro, I've set this puppy up so you can subscribe to Media Diet... in your in box. We'll see how this works compared to the discussion forum I have set up.
Now you can receive new posts to Media Diet via email. Using the wonderful new tools of Blogger Pro, I've set this puppy up so you can subscribe to Media Diet... in your in box. We'll see how this works compared to the discussion forum I have set up.
Comments, Say You? II
Just checked out how -- and whether -- BlogBack's comment tool was working on Media Diet. It wasn't. I got a snarky pop-up box about how I'd received some notice about updating the code -- which I haven't (received, which means I haven't updated the code either) -- and how I hadn't jumped in time. Anyway, I've gone into the templates to remove the vestiges of the BlogBack scripts, and for some reason, they're still showing up. Sigh. I'll get 'em gone eventually. Done.
Just checked out how -- and whether -- BlogBack's comment tool was working on Media Diet. It wasn't. I got a snarky pop-up box about how I'd received some notice about updating the code -- which I haven't (received, which means I haven't updated the code either) -- and how I hadn't jumped in time. Anyway, I've gone into the templates to remove the vestiges of the BlogBack scripts, and for some reason, they're still showing up. Sigh. I'll get 'em gone eventually. Done.
Party Hearty
I'm starting to spread word about this a full month -- practically -- ahead of time because the event is going to be too darn cool. Feb. 26, two of my favorite Boston bands will play at TT the Bear's: the Operators and Jumbo. Joined by Swizzle and the Fightin' Dogs, they'll be participating in a "crazy circus-themed" extravaganza featuring rock 'n' roll, circus peanuts, cotton candy, unicycles, and juggling. The Ops go on first! Extra special bonus: Feb. 26 is my birthday, and I'll be ringing in Year No. 29 with the Handstand Command music collective. Woohoo!
You are all, of course, invited.
I'm starting to spread word about this a full month -- practically -- ahead of time because the event is going to be too darn cool. Feb. 26, two of my favorite Boston bands will play at TT the Bear's: the Operators and Jumbo. Joined by Swizzle and the Fightin' Dogs, they'll be participating in a "crazy circus-themed" extravaganza featuring rock 'n' roll, circus peanuts, cotton candy, unicycles, and juggling. The Ops go on first! Extra special bonus: Feb. 26 is my birthday, and I'll be ringing in Year No. 29 with the Handstand Command music collective. Woohoo!
You are all, of course, invited.
Record Score
I was in Montclair and Newark, New Jersey, yesterday for a work-related meeting. While there I had some time to walk Montclair's main shopping drag, Bloomfield Avenue, and I came across a wonderful, tiny punk record store that I must recommend if you're ever in the area. Let It Rock (424 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair, NJ 07042; 973-783-1213) doesn't have much stock, but what it does have in terms of punk, oi, hardcore, emo, ska, and garage is impressive. I picked up two new records: a promo CD of the new Lawrence Arms release and a Reagan Youth anthology. Good stuff! Some of the prices felt high, but the stuff I picked up was quite reasonable. Store opens at noon.
I was in Montclair and Newark, New Jersey, yesterday for a work-related meeting. While there I had some time to walk Montclair's main shopping drag, Bloomfield Avenue, and I came across a wonderful, tiny punk record store that I must recommend if you're ever in the area. Let It Rock (424 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair, NJ 07042; 973-783-1213) doesn't have much stock, but what it does have in terms of punk, oi, hardcore, emo, ska, and garage is impressive. I picked up two new records: a promo CD of the new Lawrence Arms release and a Reagan Youth anthology. Good stuff! Some of the prices felt high, but the stuff I picked up was quite reasonable. Store opens at noon.
Monday, January 28, 2002
Anchormen, Aweigh! III
What an exhausting weekend! We spent about 22.5 hours at the Sound Museum to record about 80 minutes worth of basic tracks that we'll mix down to eight songs maxing out at about 20 minutes.
We spent Friday setting up the practice space to record, taking much longer than we'd planned. Saturday was a low-energy and long day -- about 12 hours. I started the day awakened by my landlord knocking on my door to tell me that they were turning off the water to do some plumbing work. I couldn't shower or shave, and I had to use the bathroom at a Burger King before heading to the South End. Showering and shaving Sunday morning felt amazing. On Sunday -- a beautifully sunny and warm day (a shame to be inside!) -- we listened to the basic tracks we recorded Saturday and did four new takes -- a much more fun and high-energy performance.
We've decided to release these eight songs as an eight-song EP, saving up newer songs for our next, hopefully longer CD.
What an exhausting weekend! We spent about 22.5 hours at the Sound Museum to record about 80 minutes worth of basic tracks that we'll mix down to eight songs maxing out at about 20 minutes.
We spent Friday setting up the practice space to record, taking much longer than we'd planned. Saturday was a low-energy and long day -- about 12 hours. I started the day awakened by my landlord knocking on my door to tell me that they were turning off the water to do some plumbing work. I couldn't shower or shave, and I had to use the bathroom at a Burger King before heading to the South End. Showering and shaving Sunday morning felt amazing. On Sunday -- a beautifully sunny and warm day (a shame to be inside!) -- we listened to the basic tracks we recorded Saturday and did four new takes -- a much more fun and high-energy performance.
We've decided to release these eight songs as an eight-song EP, saving up newer songs for our next, hopefully longer CD.
Friday, January 25, 2002
Anchormen, Aweigh! II
I just typed up the lyrics for the eight songs the Anchormen are going to record for "My Pronouns Are Precise" tonight, and here they are:
The Anchormen
"My Pronouns Are Precise" (working title)
UNS-XXX (catalog number yet to be determined)
Recorded on Jan. 25-27, 2002, at the Sound Museum, Boston, by Paul Coleman and Ken Kokubo
Another Gentrification Song
Another storefront boarded up. Another homeless paper cup. Another U-Haul moving truck. Another family gone. Another big box starts to trade. Another student class turned slave. Another million dollars made, not saved. Another gentrification song. Why were we not invited? Why were the developers beknighted? Why was the neighborhood so slighted? When will these wrongs be righted? Another street loses its life. Another sheltered suburbanite. Another man picks up a knife. Another gentrification song.
Audobon Park
Walking down Magazine past the Abstract and Ms. Rae-Ann’s grocery to le block du veterinary. The OK Shoe Shop’s closed up like an oyster. Sitting on the roots of a tree reading a book by a punk-rock nothing, writing a postcard to my family, and listening to the song sung by the pool, swimming. We are going down to Audobon Park. We are house rotten at the Status Palace hanging out after dark because Alisa’s on her mobile phone, and we are going on home. Sitting down at the Kerry. Feet are hurting, toe bone cracked like Vincent Van Gogh. Three pints of Guinness times five minutes. Now we’re late, and who knows where we will go? Going back to 316. Can’t watch a movie because we didn’t pay per view. Call room service, serving dervish. Fill our stomach, still we feel empty.
Celebrate Democracy
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue and proceeded to kill 3 million Arawaks. Their gold had made him woozy, but because of Amerigo Vespucci, we are not Columbian, we’re American. Celebrate democracy with me. In 1776 we freed ourselves from wily Brits to play out our Declaration of Independence. But despite our Constitution there is still stark class division, and wars are fought by the impoverished not the rich. In 1983 the cover of Time magazine turned its annual man award upon its ear. Instead of a world leader, it gave laud to a binary reader and gave the computer machine of the year.
Finger Lakes
Should I take the train or should I rent a car? I would take an airplane but I don’t need to go that far to see you because we will meet halfway: I want to see you tomorrow; you wanted to see me yesterday. If you could see through my eyes, get a new perspective, and maybe even be surprised. If I were you and you were me. Just think of all the things that we could see. If I were you and your were me, I think that I could be happy. Take me to the edge. Take me to the pier. Tell me all the reasons why you wanted me to come here: to see you, to see the Finger Lakes. I am taking what you’re giving. Now there’s not much more for me to take. I haven’t seen or heard from you in a while. Wish that I could hear your voice, wish that I could see your smile. Smile at me. Smile at the things we say. Then I’d know what you are thinking. Then I’d know what kind of games we’re playing.
Idlewild
You’re spending the weekend in Michigan debiting the balance sheet that our relationship is built on. I urinate in used car lots and then get in a van with poets from New York and without destination. I do not know where we are going. I hope we reap the seeds we’re sowing. Idlewild, you make me feel like I’ve never felt before. Idlewild, is this love real? Are you an open door? You say that I don’t tell you how I feel yet layer after layer of my heart’s defenses you keep peeling. Your self-esteem and self-doubt make me sway. I love you; I’m not in love with you. At least that’s how I feel right now, today.
Indecision/Precision
If you want to make a decision you’ve got to make it with precision. You’ve got to make sure that you’re in the right head. If you want to give an answer you cannot be a second guesser. You’ve got to be correct again. No, I will never let you down.
Peel Away
Down in the basement behind the stairs is where you keep it. Up in the attic in the rafters, where you hide my heart. Around the corner is where you’re lurking. Too far away, too far away, too far. Peel away the layers.
Unsung Heroes
Lucy Parsons. Eugene Debs. Peace Pilgrim. The Mayors of Bronzeville. Ira Steward. William Sylvis. Kate Mullaney. August Spies. If history was written by the winners, then social studies textbooks were compiled by the sinners. Our social ills were not caused by the poor, and labor organizers don’t lead choirs any more. The world was not created by the people who make the news. Society was built by working people: me and you. We’ve got to share our stories, our successes, and our loss if we want to break the iron chains forged by every boss. Unsung heroes are less than zeroes. We cannot afford to forget our past. There’s a new day, a new way about to dawn. Yet we can’t take steps forward without knowing where we’ve gone. We’ve lost ourselves in the language of the Left. We’ve got to learn a new tongue if we want to be heard by the deaf. Unsung heroes are less than zeroes. Without collective memory we won’t last.
More explanatory links to be added later.
I just typed up the lyrics for the eight songs the Anchormen are going to record for "My Pronouns Are Precise" tonight, and here they are:
The Anchormen
"My Pronouns Are Precise" (working title)
UNS-XXX (catalog number yet to be determined)
Recorded on Jan. 25-27, 2002, at the Sound Museum, Boston, by Paul Coleman and Ken Kokubo
Another Gentrification Song
Another storefront boarded up. Another homeless paper cup. Another U-Haul moving truck. Another family gone. Another big box starts to trade. Another student class turned slave. Another million dollars made, not saved. Another gentrification song. Why were we not invited? Why were the developers beknighted? Why was the neighborhood so slighted? When will these wrongs be righted? Another street loses its life. Another sheltered suburbanite. Another man picks up a knife. Another gentrification song.
Audobon Park
Walking down Magazine past the Abstract and Ms. Rae-Ann’s grocery to le block du veterinary. The OK Shoe Shop’s closed up like an oyster. Sitting on the roots of a tree reading a book by a punk-rock nothing, writing a postcard to my family, and listening to the song sung by the pool, swimming. We are going down to Audobon Park. We are house rotten at the Status Palace hanging out after dark because Alisa’s on her mobile phone, and we are going on home. Sitting down at the Kerry. Feet are hurting, toe bone cracked like Vincent Van Gogh. Three pints of Guinness times five minutes. Now we’re late, and who knows where we will go? Going back to 316. Can’t watch a movie because we didn’t pay per view. Call room service, serving dervish. Fill our stomach, still we feel empty.
Celebrate Democracy
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue and proceeded to kill 3 million Arawaks. Their gold had made him woozy, but because of Amerigo Vespucci, we are not Columbian, we’re American. Celebrate democracy with me. In 1776 we freed ourselves from wily Brits to play out our Declaration of Independence. But despite our Constitution there is still stark class division, and wars are fought by the impoverished not the rich. In 1983 the cover of Time magazine turned its annual man award upon its ear. Instead of a world leader, it gave laud to a binary reader and gave the computer machine of the year.
Finger Lakes
Should I take the train or should I rent a car? I would take an airplane but I don’t need to go that far to see you because we will meet halfway: I want to see you tomorrow; you wanted to see me yesterday. If you could see through my eyes, get a new perspective, and maybe even be surprised. If I were you and you were me. Just think of all the things that we could see. If I were you and your were me, I think that I could be happy. Take me to the edge. Take me to the pier. Tell me all the reasons why you wanted me to come here: to see you, to see the Finger Lakes. I am taking what you’re giving. Now there’s not much more for me to take. I haven’t seen or heard from you in a while. Wish that I could hear your voice, wish that I could see your smile. Smile at me. Smile at the things we say. Then I’d know what you are thinking. Then I’d know what kind of games we’re playing.
Idlewild
You’re spending the weekend in Michigan debiting the balance sheet that our relationship is built on. I urinate in used car lots and then get in a van with poets from New York and without destination. I do not know where we are going. I hope we reap the seeds we’re sowing. Idlewild, you make me feel like I’ve never felt before. Idlewild, is this love real? Are you an open door? You say that I don’t tell you how I feel yet layer after layer of my heart’s defenses you keep peeling. Your self-esteem and self-doubt make me sway. I love you; I’m not in love with you. At least that’s how I feel right now, today.
Indecision/Precision
If you want to make a decision you’ve got to make it with precision. You’ve got to make sure that you’re in the right head. If you want to give an answer you cannot be a second guesser. You’ve got to be correct again. No, I will never let you down.
Peel Away
Down in the basement behind the stairs is where you keep it. Up in the attic in the rafters, where you hide my heart. Around the corner is where you’re lurking. Too far away, too far away, too far. Peel away the layers.
Unsung Heroes
Lucy Parsons. Eugene Debs. Peace Pilgrim. The Mayors of Bronzeville. Ira Steward. William Sylvis. Kate Mullaney. August Spies. If history was written by the winners, then social studies textbooks were compiled by the sinners. Our social ills were not caused by the poor, and labor organizers don’t lead choirs any more. The world was not created by the people who make the news. Society was built by working people: me and you. We’ve got to share our stories, our successes, and our loss if we want to break the iron chains forged by every boss. Unsung heroes are less than zeroes. We cannot afford to forget our past. There’s a new day, a new way about to dawn. Yet we can’t take steps forward without knowing where we’ve gone. We’ve lost ourselves in the language of the Left. We’ve got to learn a new tongue if we want to be heard by the deaf. Unsung heroes are less than zeroes. Without collective memory we won’t last.
More explanatory links to be added later.
Buy Yourself a Band! II
Just got an email from Jeet Singh, ex-ATG CEO who's now frontman of Jetset, Boston's latest millionaire-driven rock outfit. And... I'm going to get tickets to the show at the Avalon! How cool is that? The new economy meet nu-metal, perhaps. Or, maybe not. I will report.
Just got an email from Jeet Singh, ex-ATG CEO who's now frontman of Jetset, Boston's latest millionaire-driven rock outfit. And... I'm going to get tickets to the show at the Avalon! How cool is that? The new economy meet nu-metal, perhaps. Or, maybe not. I will report.
Freelance... Magazine Assassin
Allison Adato, a writer who left Life magazine in 1998 to pursue a freelance career, landed assignments at no fewer than four magazines just before they folded: George, Working Woman, Mademoiselle, and the recently RIP'ed Talk. The articles never saw the light of day. Moral: Hire Alli at your own risk. Assignment editors, beware!
Allison Adato, a writer who left Life magazine in 1998 to pursue a freelance career, landed assignments at no fewer than four magazines just before they folded: George, Working Woman, Mademoiselle, and the recently RIP'ed Talk. The articles never saw the light of day. Moral: Hire Alli at your own risk. Assignment editors, beware!
Buy Yourself a Band!
Millionaire Jeet Singh, former CEO of Art Technology Group in Boston, just spent baskets of cash to record and release a slick four-CD, 28-song "demo," complete with a 48-page booklet chock full of photographs. The "demo" for Singh's band Jetset was produced in a limited edition of 700 and has been hailed by one area scenester, "the most ambitious product any Boston band has ever produced, even the Cars."
Millionaire Jeet Singh, former CEO of Art Technology Group in Boston, just spent baskets of cash to record and release a slick four-CD, 28-song "demo," complete with a 48-page booklet chock full of photographs. The "demo" for Singh's band Jetset was produced in a limited edition of 700 and has been hailed by one area scenester, "the most ambitious product any Boston band has ever produced, even the Cars."
Anchormen, Aweigh!
The Anchormen, the band for which I sing, starts to record our third record tonight. Right now we have eight songs prepared, and we'll probably either release them as they are or hold onto them until we have more songs recorded -- like three more so we continue our 13 songs, 12 songs, 11 songs album-length sequence.
The songs we have lined up include:
Another Gentrification Song -- about the neighborhood development changes in Central Square, Cambridge
Audobon Park -- about a long walk I took (and a long night I spent) in New Orleans
Celebrate Democracy -- about how awesome democracy is
Finger Lakes -- about a girl in Rochester, New York
Idlewild -- about my ex-girlfriend and some of the reasons our relationship didn't work out, I guess
Indecision, Precision -- about doing your best and striving for your ideals... and perfection
Too Far Away -- about unrequited love
Unsung Heroes -- about some of the folks who helped make our country what it could be... but whom nobody knows
If you run a label and are interested in hearing some of the rough mixes, let me know. We plan to release this on our co-op label Unstoppable Records, but we're open to other ideas. And, I have a question for everyone: Should the Anchormen release the eight songs right away or wait until we have a few more to make up a proper CD release? Take the Media Diet poll.
The Anchormen, the band for which I sing, starts to record our third record tonight. Right now we have eight songs prepared, and we'll probably either release them as they are or hold onto them until we have more songs recorded -- like three more so we continue our 13 songs, 12 songs, 11 songs album-length sequence.
The songs we have lined up include:
If you run a label and are interested in hearing some of the rough mixes, let me know. We plan to release this on our co-op label Unstoppable Records, but we're open to other ideas. And, I have a question for everyone: Should the Anchormen release the eight songs right away or wait until we have a few more to make up a proper CD release? Take the Media Diet poll.
Thursday, January 24, 2002
Fatal Funnies
Scott Shaw highlights what he calls Oddball Comics, the "craziest comic books ever published," for Comic Book Resources. They're a hoot. Reminds me of some of Scott Saavedra's kitschy comics coverage in Comic Book Heaven.
Scott Shaw highlights what he calls Oddball Comics, the "craziest comic books ever published," for Comic Book Resources. They're a hoot. Reminds me of some of Scott Saavedra's kitschy comics coverage in Comic Book Heaven.
I've Got Your Number
You know those fake phone numbers that they use in TV shows and movies? That all start with 555? Well, now they have their own phone book. "A compilation of 555 numbers from movies, television and radio" is now available, and the collector's looking for more submissions. Crazy. (Via Boing Boing.)
You know those fake phone numbers that they use in TV shows and movies? That all start with 555? Well, now they have their own phone book. "A compilation of 555 numbers from movies, television and radio" is now available, and the collector's looking for more submissions. Crazy. (Via Boing Boing.)
Wednesday, January 23, 2002
Email I Would've Sent My Ex-Girlfriend
The first in a series of occasional Media Diet entries that are basically emails I'd send my ex-girlfriend if she weren't in fact my ex-girlfriend. You know how you strike up a little email correspondence with someone who's special to you and then, when things change, you miss those email exchanges just like you miss their presence in your life? (Not as much, but you know what I mean, I hope.) Well, this is like that.
Went for a walk in the sun and wind this afternoon, stomach growling and my leftovers sitting in the fridge at home. First stop, the fruit store, where I picked up a banana, an orange (been jonesing for oranges something fierce!), some hummus, and wheat crackers. Next stop, the candy store, where I picked up some hard candy for my office. Mmm, candy; I'll bring you some. Haven't had candy to share with folks in the office since last fall before I left for my road trip! Last stop, the hardware store, where I got some glue. I need to fix the little clay skeleton men I bought in Mexico City. Have you seen those yet? With the policeman at the bus stop and the skeletons playing cards?
What are you doing tonight? I might be hanging out with Kurt, a childhood friend -- and son of my mom's best friend from college -- tonight, but he hasn't gotten back to me yet. He's working at MIT, so it's close to home anyway. Maybe we could watch "Andromeda Strain" later?
I'd like to be able to send her emails like that again.
The first in a series of occasional Media Diet entries that are basically emails I'd send my ex-girlfriend if she weren't in fact my ex-girlfriend. You know how you strike up a little email correspondence with someone who's special to you and then, when things change, you miss those email exchanges just like you miss their presence in your life? (Not as much, but you know what I mean, I hope.) Well, this is like that.
Went for a walk in the sun and wind this afternoon, stomach growling and my leftovers sitting in the fridge at home. First stop, the fruit store, where I picked up a banana, an orange (been jonesing for oranges something fierce!), some hummus, and wheat crackers. Next stop, the candy store, where I picked up some hard candy for my office. Mmm, candy; I'll bring you some. Haven't had candy to share with folks in the office since last fall before I left for my road trip! Last stop, the hardware store, where I got some glue. I need to fix the little clay skeleton men I bought in Mexico City. Have you seen those yet? With the policeman at the bus stop and the skeletons playing cards?
What are you doing tonight? I might be hanging out with Kurt, a childhood friend -- and son of my mom's best friend from college -- tonight, but he hasn't gotten back to me yet. He's working at MIT, so it's close to home anyway. Maybe we could watch "Andromeda Strain" later?
I'd like to be able to send her emails like that again.
Off the Boards, on the History Books
A recent piece in Salon takes a look at a couple of repositories of old BBS and Usenet postings. Textfiles collects ASCII posts from the mid-'80s. And Google's 20-year Usenet archive does something similar. Using Google, I found almost 150 posts I made to the alt.zines newsgroup in the early- to mid-'90s. I also needed some technical help using Microsoft Access during my first job out of uni. I turned to comp.databases.ms-access for help.
A recent piece in Salon takes a look at a couple of repositories of old BBS and Usenet postings. Textfiles collects ASCII posts from the mid-'80s. And Google's 20-year Usenet archive does something similar. Using Google, I found almost 150 posts I made to the alt.zines newsgroup in the early- to mid-'90s. I also needed some technical help using Microsoft Access during my first job out of uni. I turned to comp.databases.ms-access for help.
Radio, Radio
Ever been traveling -- like on a road trip -- and not know what to tune in to on the radio? Ever wonder what hidden radio gems might lurk in your own backyard? Instead of picking up one of those quickly outdated print directories to radio stations, check out Radio-Locator. This new MIT project, formerly the horribly but descriptively named MIT List of Radio Stations on the Internet, lets you search by ZIP code and state in the United States. Radio-Locator also helps you find streaming radio online, as well as radio stations around the world. Tune in, turn up, rock out!
Ever been traveling -- like on a road trip -- and not know what to tune in to on the radio? Ever wonder what hidden radio gems might lurk in your own backyard? Instead of picking up one of those quickly outdated print directories to radio stations, check out Radio-Locator. This new MIT project, formerly the horribly but descriptively named MIT List of Radio Stations on the Internet, lets you search by ZIP code and state in the United States. Radio-Locator also helps you find streaming radio online, as well as radio stations around the world. Tune in, turn up, rock out!
Web Remnants
James Squeaky has stopped working on Mister Ridiculous to begin work on a new Web project, Sincere Brutality. Mostly music-related, Sincere Brutality features news, record reviews, show reviews, and MP3 files. James also maintains a blog that folks can follow for a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the site.
What are your favorite blogs and Web sites?
James Squeaky has stopped working on Mister Ridiculous to begin work on a new Web project, Sincere Brutality. Mostly music-related, Sincere Brutality features news, record reviews, show reviews, and MP3 files. James also maintains a blog that folks can follow for a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the site.
What are your favorite blogs and Web sites?
From the In Box: Music to My Ears II
I hand picked the original line-up of the Traitors and was sad to see it disintegrate. Things happen. At least the stuff got released finally. Glad you like it. -- Marc Ruvolo
I hand picked the original line-up of the Traitors and was sad to see it disintegrate. Things happen. At least the stuff got released finally. Glad you like it. -- Marc Ruvolo
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
Music to My Ears II
A six-pack of new record reviews!
The Colour Blue: six-song casette
This band contacted the Anchormen last summer to see whether we could help them get a show in Massachusetts while they were on tour. We couldn't; we can hardly get ourselves shows. But maybe it'll help a little to review their demo tape. Opening with an energetic burst of indie-rock chunka-chunk, the tape quickly switches into some sensitive, start-and-stop shout-along emo. While the slower, sensitive parts don't do much for me, the earnest, strained sections are quite impressive and interesting, especially the bit at the end with layered vocals. (No song titles with the tape, so apologies extended.) The third song seems to be relatively straight-ahead SoCal pop punk, sporting the standard song structure popularized by bands such as the Ataris, although less bright. Here, as in the fourth song, as well, the rough vocals are a liability, as their thin tonality doesn't really carry the songs too strongly. That said, the Colour Blue are competent songwriters and performers, and the low production value of this tape probably doesn't do their Midwestern emo justice. There are enough promising bright spots in these six songs to intrigue me: What are they like live? What are their newer songs like? This tape, albeit not very satisfying, is just a taste. Pirate Party Record Co., P.O. Box 814, Dundee, IL 60118-0814.
James Kochalka Superstar: "Don't Trust Whitey" CD
If you think that Atom & His Package is the "Weird Al" Yankovic of the punk-rock world, then prolific indie comics maker James Kochalka might very well be our Dr. Demento. From his previous hardcore punk attacks recorded with the Zambonis to his Coctails-style children's songs, James represents a wide range of musical genres and lyrical themes -- occasionally channeling from beyond as he improvises a new song at a party or at the bus stop. On this 23-song CD recorded in Copenhagen, Connecticut, California, and Vermont, James touches on a number of subjects: racism, karaoke, cunnilingus, frogs, horses, ice skating, marijuana, corn on the cob, toast, Ozzy Osbourne, computers, and beer. While it's tempting to file this under joke rock, the music is too good to dismiss. Accompanied by a number of talented friends on synthesizers, strings, horns, and other instruments, James indicates that even the smallest of ideas might be worth expanding on -- and that it's always good to do even the small (and occasionally disposable) things well. The DIY production on this recording, made in many basements and bedrooms, is hella impressive, and James even works in that glitchy little vocal effect used by Cher and Madonna on "Sleighride to Heck." Made me laugh out loud, that one. James takes his charming, precious brand of joke rock very, very seriously. James Kochalka, P.O. Box 8321, Burlington, VT 05402.
Onion Flavored Rings: "One Big Onion" cassette
Featuring Bay Area productive punks Steve Funyons, Paul Curran, and Iggy Scam, these 10 songs written in 1984 but recorded in the fall of 2001 capture the area's bouncy pop-punk sound a la Sweet Baby or the Potatomen while carrying a darker lyrical theme. Song topics include a self-destructive lack of self-esteem, the antisocial treatment of friends (something I have a little experience with these days), not telling the people you love how you feel, addiction, breaking up, and resignation. I was surprised and delighted that Paul and Iggy were involved in this project, but Steve is new to me. His vocals are reminiscent of Dallas Denery and Franklin Bruno, perhaps with a little but of the Pansy Division dude thrown in. If you don't listen closely or read the lyrics, you might miss the down feeling of the songs -- with a name like Onion Flavored Rings and somewhat funny songs about quantum physics and mummies, it'd be easy to mistake this tape for classic, sunny, Bay Area pop punk... which is is but isn't all at the same time. Steve tells me that this is also available as a CD for $5 postpaid (the tape costs $3), including three extra songs from their last show at Gilman. 1450 7th Ave. #6, San Francisco, CA 94122.
The Queers: "Today" CD EP
Remember when the Queers were agressive and snotty? This Ben Weasel-produced CD EP featuring Joe Queer on guitar and vocals, this time backed by a proper band, walks the line between the band's hyperactive heyday ("Yeah, Well, Whatever," a nice burst of bile) and Joe's current songwriting default setting: Beach Boys-styled bubblegum pop. The Queers even cover a Beach Boys song on this five-song release: the just-in-time-for-the-Olympics "Salt Lake City." That track makes for a nice contrast with the still-snotty and Weasel co-written "I've Had It with You," which targets California indie punk aristocrats. "We do all the work and you get rich," Joe sneers. Curious. The Queers have never been as popular in the Northeast, where Joe lives and works on a lobster boat, as they have been in the Midwest or Bay Area. Is "I've Had It with You" a bit of New England second city finger pointing? Maybe, as suggested by "Salt Lake City," there's room for more than one hardcore hometown. Sad to say, it's not Boston these days. Nevertheless, I think this release calls for a relevance check. Between Ben Weasel's obsession with the Ramones and Joe Queer's taste for the Beach Boys, what do the Queers offer punk rock today? I'd like to see Joe pick a direction and sail more swiftly. Lookout! Records, 3264 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703 or Joe Queer, P.O. Box 1201, North Hampton, NH 03862.
Traitors: "Everything Went Shit" CD
Take a largely unknown band. Take 33 songs on a CD. Take 18 unreleased tracks. Take two songs that came out on record with the founding singer, Todd Pot (ex-Apocalypse Hoboken). Add one reviewer who lived in Chicago for five years, and you get a CD full of unsung punk-rock hits. This postmortem best-of release captures more good songs than I heard at any one whole-hog local show at the Fireside Bowl the entire time I lived in Chicago. They don't say when these songs were recorded, but if it was post-1997, why wasn't anyone in the recording industry watching that city? This is the shit. Better than the Bollweevils and all the post-Screeching Weasel/Vindictives/etc. bands, the Traitors are innovative, interesting, and intriguing. Todd Pot is freaking schizo, spazzing between Mike Patton-like noise-rock yelling and Billie Joe-esque pop punk crooning, mixing in Midwestern hiphop and Victims Family-like funk. Sure, the Traitors draw on traditional punk-rock formulae, but they also rope in Dead Kennedys-reminiscent diminuendoes in "Homeless for the Night" and many other divergent and diverse elements before Billy Smith's vocal takeover in... when? With the arrival of Mr. Smith, who is much more consistent, perhaps, but much less interesting, the Traitors quickly devolved into a band good for, at most, a series of several 7-inches that, though more energetic and aggressive, were less exciting and important. Of the Steve Albini-produced and other post-Pot songs, "Superhero Zero" and "Last Will & Testament" stand out, and that's about it. I can't understand why 13/20 of the lesser singer's songs were released prior to this -- while 11/13 of Todd Pot's songs weren't. Go figure. Johann's Face, P.O. Box 479164, Chicago, IL 60647.
White Collar Crime: "Their Laws Are Dimwit Greed" CD
One of my favorite unsung and largely unknown bands for awhile, this guitarless drama-punk band blends the political polemics of Billy Bragg with the black-box theatrics of Maestro Subgum and the Whole or the World Inferno Friendship Society to take "the Idea into the street." Henry Rollins-reminiscent Sander Hicks (who often wears kneepads so he doesn't hurt himself at shows) wears his politics as well as his heart on his sleeve, even covering "The Eight Hour Day," a song originally sung by striking miners in 1897, and other labor songs, including Woodie Guthrie's "Union Maid." By bridging union anthems and keyboard-fueled punk-rock aggression, White Collar Crime refreshes leftist sing-alongs and punk rock, calling for listeners to "unite and fight with our teeth and our speech." The record's not all political manifesto, however. Sander and the gang also offer several heartfelt personal songs -- "My Comrades I Failed You" and "You Are Not Mine" -- that touch on the frustrations of trying to live up to your ideals and the sadness that stems from unrequited love. In lieu of perfection or romantic bliss, White Collar Crime throws its shoulder to the wheel and keeps striving to realize its ideas and ideals, falling prey to neither the intellectual limitations of the Left nor the distractions of day-to-day life. Practical political punk for the artistic activist. Soft Skull Press, 98 Suffolk N. 3A, New York City, NY 10002.
What are you listening to?
A six-pack of new record reviews!
The Colour Blue: six-song casette
This band contacted the Anchormen last summer to see whether we could help them get a show in Massachusetts while they were on tour. We couldn't; we can hardly get ourselves shows. But maybe it'll help a little to review their demo tape. Opening with an energetic burst of indie-rock chunka-chunk, the tape quickly switches into some sensitive, start-and-stop shout-along emo. While the slower, sensitive parts don't do much for me, the earnest, strained sections are quite impressive and interesting, especially the bit at the end with layered vocals. (No song titles with the tape, so apologies extended.) The third song seems to be relatively straight-ahead SoCal pop punk, sporting the standard song structure popularized by bands such as the Ataris, although less bright. Here, as in the fourth song, as well, the rough vocals are a liability, as their thin tonality doesn't really carry the songs too strongly. That said, the Colour Blue are competent songwriters and performers, and the low production value of this tape probably doesn't do their Midwestern emo justice. There are enough promising bright spots in these six songs to intrigue me: What are they like live? What are their newer songs like? This tape, albeit not very satisfying, is just a taste. Pirate Party Record Co., P.O. Box 814, Dundee, IL 60118-0814.
James Kochalka Superstar: "Don't Trust Whitey" CD
If you think that Atom & His Package is the "Weird Al" Yankovic of the punk-rock world, then prolific indie comics maker James Kochalka might very well be our Dr. Demento. From his previous hardcore punk attacks recorded with the Zambonis to his Coctails-style children's songs, James represents a wide range of musical genres and lyrical themes -- occasionally channeling from beyond as he improvises a new song at a party or at the bus stop. On this 23-song CD recorded in Copenhagen, Connecticut, California, and Vermont, James touches on a number of subjects: racism, karaoke, cunnilingus, frogs, horses, ice skating, marijuana, corn on the cob, toast, Ozzy Osbourne, computers, and beer. While it's tempting to file this under joke rock, the music is too good to dismiss. Accompanied by a number of talented friends on synthesizers, strings, horns, and other instruments, James indicates that even the smallest of ideas might be worth expanding on -- and that it's always good to do even the small (and occasionally disposable) things well. The DIY production on this recording, made in many basements and bedrooms, is hella impressive, and James even works in that glitchy little vocal effect used by Cher and Madonna on "Sleighride to Heck." Made me laugh out loud, that one. James takes his charming, precious brand of joke rock very, very seriously. James Kochalka, P.O. Box 8321, Burlington, VT 05402.
Onion Flavored Rings: "One Big Onion" cassette
Featuring Bay Area productive punks Steve Funyons, Paul Curran, and Iggy Scam, these 10 songs written in 1984 but recorded in the fall of 2001 capture the area's bouncy pop-punk sound a la Sweet Baby or the Potatomen while carrying a darker lyrical theme. Song topics include a self-destructive lack of self-esteem, the antisocial treatment of friends (something I have a little experience with these days), not telling the people you love how you feel, addiction, breaking up, and resignation. I was surprised and delighted that Paul and Iggy were involved in this project, but Steve is new to me. His vocals are reminiscent of Dallas Denery and Franklin Bruno, perhaps with a little but of the Pansy Division dude thrown in. If you don't listen closely or read the lyrics, you might miss the down feeling of the songs -- with a name like Onion Flavored Rings and somewhat funny songs about quantum physics and mummies, it'd be easy to mistake this tape for classic, sunny, Bay Area pop punk... which is is but isn't all at the same time. Steve tells me that this is also available as a CD for $5 postpaid (the tape costs $3), including three extra songs from their last show at Gilman. 1450 7th Ave. #6, San Francisco, CA 94122.
The Queers: "Today" CD EP
Remember when the Queers were agressive and snotty? This Ben Weasel-produced CD EP featuring Joe Queer on guitar and vocals, this time backed by a proper band, walks the line between the band's hyperactive heyday ("Yeah, Well, Whatever," a nice burst of bile) and Joe's current songwriting default setting: Beach Boys-styled bubblegum pop. The Queers even cover a Beach Boys song on this five-song release: the just-in-time-for-the-Olympics "Salt Lake City." That track makes for a nice contrast with the still-snotty and Weasel co-written "I've Had It with You," which targets California indie punk aristocrats. "We do all the work and you get rich," Joe sneers. Curious. The Queers have never been as popular in the Northeast, where Joe lives and works on a lobster boat, as they have been in the Midwest or Bay Area. Is "I've Had It with You" a bit of New England second city finger pointing? Maybe, as suggested by "Salt Lake City," there's room for more than one hardcore hometown. Sad to say, it's not Boston these days. Nevertheless, I think this release calls for a relevance check. Between Ben Weasel's obsession with the Ramones and Joe Queer's taste for the Beach Boys, what do the Queers offer punk rock today? I'd like to see Joe pick a direction and sail more swiftly. Lookout! Records, 3264 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703 or Joe Queer, P.O. Box 1201, North Hampton, NH 03862.
Traitors: "Everything Went Shit" CD
Take a largely unknown band. Take 33 songs on a CD. Take 18 unreleased tracks. Take two songs that came out on record with the founding singer, Todd Pot (ex-Apocalypse Hoboken). Add one reviewer who lived in Chicago for five years, and you get a CD full of unsung punk-rock hits. This postmortem best-of release captures more good songs than I heard at any one whole-hog local show at the Fireside Bowl the entire time I lived in Chicago. They don't say when these songs were recorded, but if it was post-1997, why wasn't anyone in the recording industry watching that city? This is the shit. Better than the Bollweevils and all the post-Screeching Weasel/Vindictives/etc. bands, the Traitors are innovative, interesting, and intriguing. Todd Pot is freaking schizo, spazzing between Mike Patton-like noise-rock yelling and Billie Joe-esque pop punk crooning, mixing in Midwestern hiphop and Victims Family-like funk. Sure, the Traitors draw on traditional punk-rock formulae, but they also rope in Dead Kennedys-reminiscent diminuendoes in "Homeless for the Night" and many other divergent and diverse elements before Billy Smith's vocal takeover in... when? With the arrival of Mr. Smith, who is much more consistent, perhaps, but much less interesting, the Traitors quickly devolved into a band good for, at most, a series of several 7-inches that, though more energetic and aggressive, were less exciting and important. Of the Steve Albini-produced and other post-Pot songs, "Superhero Zero" and "Last Will & Testament" stand out, and that's about it. I can't understand why 13/20 of the lesser singer's songs were released prior to this -- while 11/13 of Todd Pot's songs weren't. Go figure. Johann's Face, P.O. Box 479164, Chicago, IL 60647.
White Collar Crime: "Their Laws Are Dimwit Greed" CD
One of my favorite unsung and largely unknown bands for awhile, this guitarless drama-punk band blends the political polemics of Billy Bragg with the black-box theatrics of Maestro Subgum and the Whole or the World Inferno Friendship Society to take "the Idea into the street." Henry Rollins-reminiscent Sander Hicks (who often wears kneepads so he doesn't hurt himself at shows) wears his politics as well as his heart on his sleeve, even covering "The Eight Hour Day," a song originally sung by striking miners in 1897, and other labor songs, including Woodie Guthrie's "Union Maid." By bridging union anthems and keyboard-fueled punk-rock aggression, White Collar Crime refreshes leftist sing-alongs and punk rock, calling for listeners to "unite and fight with our teeth and our speech." The record's not all political manifesto, however. Sander and the gang also offer several heartfelt personal songs -- "My Comrades I Failed You" and "You Are Not Mine" -- that touch on the frustrations of trying to live up to your ideals and the sadness that stems from unrequited love. In lieu of perfection or romantic bliss, White Collar Crime throws its shoulder to the wheel and keeps striving to realize its ideas and ideals, falling prey to neither the intellectual limitations of the Left nor the distractions of day-to-day life. Practical political punk for the artistic activist. Soft Skull Press, 98 Suffolk N. 3A, New York City, NY 10002.
What are you listening to?
The Movie I Watched Last Night II
Rock 'n' Roll High School. (Well, not last night, really, but this past weekend.)
Rock 'n' Roll High School. (Well, not last night, really, but this past weekend.)
Must-Read TV
According to Robert Putnam, author of "Bowling Alone," more people watch "Friends" than have friends.
According to Robert Putnam, author of "Bowling Alone," more people watch "Friends" than have friends.
Friday, January 18, 2002
Blogging About Blogging VI
Oh, foo. One more blogging-related post before I head out for the show. Sean Nolan has written a handy little script that lets you track folks who refer to your blog. The script is easy to use, but really long referring URL's seem to mess up the format of my blog. I'll add the thing back in when I figure out how to make the really long URL's break over multiple lines so they don't make the left-hand grey bar hella wide.
For now, here's a simplified sample:
I'll build this into Media Diet permanently as soon as I can avoid the really long URL dictating my page format.
Oh, foo. One more blogging-related post before I head out for the show. Sean Nolan has written a handy little script that lets you track folks who refer to your blog. The script is easy to use, but really long referring URL's seem to mess up the format of my blog. I'll add the thing back in when I figure out how to make the really long URL's break over multiple lines so they don't make the left-hand grey bar hella wide.
For now, here's a simplified sample:
I'll build this into Media Diet permanently as soon as I can avoid the really long URL dictating my page format.
Blogging About Blogging V
While I'm on this little run of self-referential and blog-related posting, let me steer you to two interesting essays that start to outline what blogging is, where it came from, and where it might go. Anatomy of a Weblog looks at the consistent elements that make up most blogs. And Rebecca Blood's Weblogs: A History and Perspective consider the impact of watershed moments in the history of blogging -- and why blogs are important. Be cool; go to school.
Similarly, while Google and AltaVista spider blogs to help fuel their search engine results, there are also a couple of blog-specific search engine-cum-indexes that can help you find blogs... and identify which ones have been updated recently. Eatonweb Portal features newly added blogs, random blogs, and a Top 10. And Userland's directory of Recently Changed Weblogs frequently highlights blogs that have been updated. It's a more extensive list than the one Evan houses at Blogger.
Enough blogging about blogging for today. I'm going to go see Mission of Burma.
While I'm on this little run of self-referential and blog-related posting, let me steer you to two interesting essays that start to outline what blogging is, where it came from, and where it might go. Anatomy of a Weblog looks at the consistent elements that make up most blogs. And Rebecca Blood's Weblogs: A History and Perspective consider the impact of watershed moments in the history of blogging -- and why blogs are important. Be cool; go to school.
Similarly, while Google and AltaVista spider blogs to help fuel their search engine results, there are also a couple of blog-specific search engine-cum-indexes that can help you find blogs... and identify which ones have been updated recently. Eatonweb Portal features newly added blogs, random blogs, and a Top 10. And Userland's directory of Recently Changed Weblogs frequently highlights blogs that have been updated. It's a more extensive list than the one Evan houses at Blogger.
Enough blogging about blogging for today. I'm going to go see Mission of Burma.
Blogging About Blogging IV
Blogdex is a "system built to harness the power of personal news, amalgamating and organizing personal news content into one navigable source, moving democratic media to the masses." That means that you can track the top 25 links recently mentioned in blogs around the world. It's a good way to keep on top of the various memes transmitted between bloggers -- and to catch up on blogging-related news and commentary. It's also a useful tool for self-referential and -obsessing bloggers who care about whether they're linking to the hippest and most happening blogs and Web resources. I was slightly pleased that I had only come across four of the top 25 links recently... and was thankful that the list included a clever essay on the implausibility of the Death Star's trash compactor.
Blogdex is a "system built to harness the power of personal news, amalgamating and organizing personal news content into one navigable source, moving democratic media to the masses." That means that you can track the top 25 links recently mentioned in blogs around the world. It's a good way to keep on top of the various memes transmitted between bloggers -- and to catch up on blogging-related news and commentary. It's also a useful tool for self-referential and -obsessing bloggers who care about whether they're linking to the hippest and most happening blogs and Web resources. I was slightly pleased that I had only come across four of the top 25 links recently... and was thankful that the list included a clever essay on the implausibility of the Death Star's trash compactor.
Read but Dead III
And an inside source at the now-defunct University Business tells me that University Business -- as well as Lingua Franca, its parent magazine -- has shut up shop, too. Sad, sad news.
And an inside source at the now-defunct University Business tells me that University Business -- as well as Lingua Franca, its parent magazine -- has shut up shop, too. Sad, sad news.
Thursday, January 17, 2002
Technofetishism II
My new DVD player and VCR arrived yesterday, thanks to 800.com and UPS. Awesome! I hooked 'em up to my TV and stayed up late watching the Beastie Boys DVD, "Rock 'n' Roll High School," and "Best in Show." So late that I slept through my alarm this morning. I fell asleep during "Best in Show," so I'll have to watch it again before I return it to NetFlix. Usually can't do that with a rental movie.
I'm not much of an audiophile or videophile when it comes to the actual equipment, so I don't really know how good these are, but so far, I'm pretty pleased with them. I got a Toshiba SD1700 DVD player and a Toshiba W705 six-head VCR, which isn't listed on Toshiba's Web site. Woohoo!
My new DVD player and VCR arrived yesterday, thanks to 800.com and UPS. Awesome! I hooked 'em up to my TV and stayed up late watching the Beastie Boys DVD, "Rock 'n' Roll High School," and "Best in Show." So late that I slept through my alarm this morning. I fell asleep during "Best in Show," so I'll have to watch it again before I return it to NetFlix. Usually can't do that with a rental movie.
I'm not much of an audiophile or videophile when it comes to the actual equipment, so I don't really know how good these are, but so far, I'm pretty pleased with them. I got a Toshiba SD1700 DVD player and a Toshiba W705 six-head VCR, which isn't listed on Toshiba's Web site. Woohoo!
Writing About the Hands That Feed
Dan Fost contributed an interesting piece to the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday addressing the effects of the current economic slowdown on business magazines. The article's lead -- "When big tech companies feel the bite of recession, so do the big business magazines that depend on their ads. And when big magazines publish tough stories about the tech companies' business, the companies often bite back." -- spells out the gist of the piece, which looks at how companies such as PeopleSoft and Sun target magazines like Fortune and Forbes when they receive less than rosy coverage. It's a good look at the objectivity of the business press -- and how corporations throw their weight around when journalists take notice of their foibles.
Dan Fost contributed an interesting piece to the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday addressing the effects of the current economic slowdown on business magazines. The article's lead -- "When big tech companies feel the bite of recession, so do the big business magazines that depend on their ads. And when big magazines publish tough stories about the tech companies' business, the companies often bite back." -- spells out the gist of the piece, which looks at how companies such as PeopleSoft and Sun target magazines like Fortune and Forbes when they receive less than rosy coverage. It's a good look at the objectivity of the business press -- and how corporations throw their weight around when journalists take notice of their foibles.
Weeding the Web
In a recent column, Dan Gillmor contends that highly accurate search responses via services like Google have made highly specific domain names a thing of the past. "If you and I can quickly locate the Web address we're seeking, who cares what it's called?" he says.
Hiawatha Bray has a slightly different perspective in his Boston Globe column today. Suggesting that the new .name domain could be a step toward the "ultimate personal ID," he waxes enthusiastic that folks can secure their own names as Web addresses. And he states that .name will make it easier to keep in touch with business colleagues, friends, and family. But will it? I'm not sure. I know the email addresses for folks I need to be in regular contact with... and if I don't, I can track them down pretty easily by searching the Web, contacting a mutual friend, or... calling them on the phone.
Still, the idea of having the email address heath@row.name is intriguing -- because if I wanted to contact, say, Michael Dittman, who I was trying to get in touch with again recently, I could just email michael@dittman.name and not worry about finding his email address or whether it was still valid. But ultimate personal ID? Hmm...
In a recent column, Dan Gillmor contends that highly accurate search responses via services like Google have made highly specific domain names a thing of the past. "If you and I can quickly locate the Web address we're seeking, who cares what it's called?" he says.
Hiawatha Bray has a slightly different perspective in his Boston Globe column today. Suggesting that the new .name domain could be a step toward the "ultimate personal ID," he waxes enthusiastic that folks can secure their own names as Web addresses. And he states that .name will make it easier to keep in touch with business colleagues, friends, and family. But will it? I'm not sure. I know the email addresses for folks I need to be in regular contact with... and if I don't, I can track them down pretty easily by searching the Web, contacting a mutual friend, or... calling them on the phone.
Still, the idea of having the email address heath@row.name is intriguing -- because if I wanted to contact, say, Michael Dittman, who I was trying to get in touch with again recently, I could just email michael@dittman.name and not worry about finding his email address or whether it was still valid. But ultimate personal ID? Hmm...
Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Video-A-Go-Go-Away-Please
I hope that Green Day's recent "International Superhits!" video and CD fulfills the band's contract with Reprise Records because, seriously, this dual release writes the Bay Area pop-punk wunderkinds' epitaph and might very well free them up for a signing with the label of the same name. Luckily, the video hadn't sold out at Newbury Comics in Cambridge, else this denouncement would be easier to write. Oh, I'm no long-time Gilman Street scenester, and I probably have no right to criticize Billie Joe, Mike, and Tre, but I can't help but feel betrayed. Growing up in Wisconsin, I've listened to Green Day since 1989, met Al Sobrante shortly after he left the band -- and just before the big break that broke Green Day -- and have seen Billie Joe walking down the Haight with his kid in what might have been a Reprise-purchased stroller.
Oh, I have fond memories of dancing around Liz's apartment to Insomniac in the mid-'90s, but this video sours my stomach. One, the dual release. It's probably the label's doing, but coming out with a 15-video tape at the same time you put out a best-of CD with several unreleased tracks plays into the hands of the yuppie-cum-collector scum while avoiding a full new release. Two, the videos are exactly the sort of videos Green Day should never have made. Full of eMpTyV-style videography that -- outside of "Longview" and "Geek Stink Breath"'s mostly band practice ambience -- focuses more on image and "narrative" than performance or prank (Green Day could've taken cues from Lookout! and Hopeless records' compilation videos) -- the video is rife with largesse and waste.
Billie Joe knifes a couch. Most of the videos involve a cast and crew that -- while probably less egregious and expensive than most video trappings -- are a far cry from the band's Gilman, Absolutely Zippo, and Telegraph Street origins. There are porn star-styled soundstages. Victorian dresses. Apocalyptic junkyard settings. Hawaiian dancing girls. The "Stray Cat Strut"-inspired flapper cabaret stage for "Hitchin' a Ride." Bettie Page lookalikes. Staged parades with computer-animated balloons.
That said, there are rare Winston Smith animations in "Stuck with Me," Billie Joe's crooked teeth, the brilliant near-tracking shot of "Walking Contradiction" -- the "Destroying America"-presaging pick of the litter -- "Good Riddance"'s allusions to portraits of Bay Area punk longtimers (a touching reference -- what I wouldn't give for a real place/real people index of the video cameos!), a Green Bay Packers parody that must do Rev. Norb proud, and tour footage (even though "Last Ride In" bites).
Maybe Green Day are the showmen punk rock needs to become commercially viable. Then again, maybe punk rock doesn't need to be commercially viable. It's not a question I should need to ask in 2002. Watch the video to Green Day's "Waiting." Then watch Mr. T Experience's "I Fell for You" or "And I Will Be with You." Who would you rather have at your party?
Thank the gods that Adeline Records puts out more records than Green Day does. Just look at Mike Dirnt's side project The Frustrators. At least Billie Joe's putting his money to good use -- just like David Eggers. If I ever come into money, I hope I use it as wisely -- and as wise-acrely -- as Billie Joe does with Adeline and David does with McSweeney's. Because then I'd have the time of my life.
Discuss.
I hope that Green Day's recent "International Superhits!" video and CD fulfills the band's contract with Reprise Records because, seriously, this dual release writes the Bay Area pop-punk wunderkinds' epitaph and might very well free them up for a signing with the label of the same name. Luckily, the video hadn't sold out at Newbury Comics in Cambridge, else this denouncement would be easier to write. Oh, I'm no long-time Gilman Street scenester, and I probably have no right to criticize Billie Joe, Mike, and Tre, but I can't help but feel betrayed. Growing up in Wisconsin, I've listened to Green Day since 1989, met Al Sobrante shortly after he left the band -- and just before the big break that broke Green Day -- and have seen Billie Joe walking down the Haight with his kid in what might have been a Reprise-purchased stroller.
Oh, I have fond memories of dancing around Liz's apartment to Insomniac in the mid-'90s, but this video sours my stomach. One, the dual release. It's probably the label's doing, but coming out with a 15-video tape at the same time you put out a best-of CD with several unreleased tracks plays into the hands of the yuppie-cum-collector scum while avoiding a full new release. Two, the videos are exactly the sort of videos Green Day should never have made. Full of eMpTyV-style videography that -- outside of "Longview" and "Geek Stink Breath"'s mostly band practice ambience -- focuses more on image and "narrative" than performance or prank (Green Day could've taken cues from Lookout! and Hopeless records' compilation videos) -- the video is rife with largesse and waste.
Billie Joe knifes a couch. Most of the videos involve a cast and crew that -- while probably less egregious and expensive than most video trappings -- are a far cry from the band's Gilman, Absolutely Zippo, and Telegraph Street origins. There are porn star-styled soundstages. Victorian dresses. Apocalyptic junkyard settings. Hawaiian dancing girls. The "Stray Cat Strut"-inspired flapper cabaret stage for "Hitchin' a Ride." Bettie Page lookalikes. Staged parades with computer-animated balloons.
That said, there are rare Winston Smith animations in "Stuck with Me," Billie Joe's crooked teeth, the brilliant near-tracking shot of "Walking Contradiction" -- the "Destroying America"-presaging pick of the litter -- "Good Riddance"'s allusions to portraits of Bay Area punk longtimers (a touching reference -- what I wouldn't give for a real place/real people index of the video cameos!), a Green Bay Packers parody that must do Rev. Norb proud, and tour footage (even though "Last Ride In" bites).
Maybe Green Day are the showmen punk rock needs to become commercially viable. Then again, maybe punk rock doesn't need to be commercially viable. It's not a question I should need to ask in 2002. Watch the video to Green Day's "Waiting." Then watch Mr. T Experience's "I Fell for You" or "And I Will Be with You." Who would you rather have at your party?
Thank the gods that Adeline Records puts out more records than Green Day does. Just look at Mike Dirnt's side project The Frustrators. At least Billie Joe's putting his money to good use -- just like David Eggers. If I ever come into money, I hope I use it as wisely -- and as wise-acrely -- as Billie Joe does with Adeline and David does with McSweeney's. Because then I'd have the time of my life.
Discuss.
From the In Box: Turning the Page II
I will forward you note to our Consumer Relations Manager to see if she can shed some light on this. Hope all is well with you. Thanks. -- Suellen Johnson, Mead School and Office Products
I will forward you note to our Consumer Relations Manager to see if she can shed some light on this. Hope all is well with you. Thanks. -- Suellen Johnson, Mead School and Office Products
Wired, Tired?
When Wired magazine first launched, I was a devotee for about the first year. In that period of time, the magazine broke ground, rich soil that was fertile with ideas, ideals, and innovation. Now, years after the departure of its founders and its acquisition by Conde Nast, Wired is a pale shadow of the magazine I read in its first wild and wily six issues. Imagine my surprise, then, when the February issue hit my in box and grabbed my attention not once, not twice, but a handful of times.
This -- surprisingly -- happened starting with p. 68, just past the midpoint of the issue. I am a fan -- an aficionado, even -- of the front sections of magazines. The front of the book usually includes some of the more short, sharp, and shocking pieces in a magazine. Not Wired of late. Rants & Raves? Yawn: Not the who's who of lettercols even if the mag has retained its fun Return to Sender (now a formal contest with rules printed in every issue). Electric Word? Yawn: They've morphed the previously beautiful image-laden frontispiece with the former front of the book to create a collection of frivolous one pagers. Fetish? Yawn: Can you afford this stuff? I can't (read: so I don't care). Must Read? Yawn: Don't assume it's so.
Now we hit the feature well. Fast Company, my current employer, wrote about William McDonough (p. 60) in June 1998. We covered the Slow Food movement (p. 86) in May 2000. So what hit me, if not how slooow Wired seems to have become? The following:
Jonathan Weber's relatively in-depth feature on the global complicity of Disney
Matthew Yeomans' roundup of anti-globalization activists and organizations
Richard Martin's obituary of the steel industry, which focuses on one plant in Pennsylvania and features some amazing photography by Joseph Elliott
David Streitfield's roundup of influential mailing lists and their proprietors
Equal parts trendsetter and contrarian, booster and conscience, the February Wired almost makes up for the magazine's more notable lapses in judgment: the Zippies, Push, the Long Boom. And even though the meat of this issue only accounts for one-fourth of its page count, my one-time favorite section, Street Cred, still sucks. Sometimes the delight lies in the details. As much as the record review page is increasingly mersh and mundane, Wired has one saving grace that will keep me happy issue after issue regardless of the rest of the content.
That would be the Cool Things That Helped Get This Issue Out minutiae on p. 127. A throwback to the days when Wired shared a building with Might and Boing Boing, this clever, personal piece of indicia shows that the spirit of the founders isn't dead yet; the founders have just left the building. All things said, this issue continues the Net economy reminiscence begun in last month's Rewind issue. Wired still looks to the future but holds firmly onto the past -- leaving readers to hang in the balance.
Is Wired still relevant and useful, or is it a dot-bomb dinosaur? Take the Media Diet poll!
When Wired magazine first launched, I was a devotee for about the first year. In that period of time, the magazine broke ground, rich soil that was fertile with ideas, ideals, and innovation. Now, years after the departure of its founders and its acquisition by Conde Nast, Wired is a pale shadow of the magazine I read in its first wild and wily six issues. Imagine my surprise, then, when the February issue hit my in box and grabbed my attention not once, not twice, but a handful of times.
This -- surprisingly -- happened starting with p. 68, just past the midpoint of the issue. I am a fan -- an aficionado, even -- of the front sections of magazines. The front of the book usually includes some of the more short, sharp, and shocking pieces in a magazine. Not Wired of late. Rants & Raves? Yawn: Not the who's who of lettercols even if the mag has retained its fun Return to Sender (now a formal contest with rules printed in every issue). Electric Word? Yawn: They've morphed the previously beautiful image-laden frontispiece with the former front of the book to create a collection of frivolous one pagers. Fetish? Yawn: Can you afford this stuff? I can't (read: so I don't care). Must Read? Yawn: Don't assume it's so.
Now we hit the feature well. Fast Company, my current employer, wrote about William McDonough (p. 60) in June 1998. We covered the Slow Food movement (p. 86) in May 2000. So what hit me, if not how slooow Wired seems to have become? The following:
Equal parts trendsetter and contrarian, booster and conscience, the February Wired almost makes up for the magazine's more notable lapses in judgment: the Zippies, Push, the Long Boom. And even though the meat of this issue only accounts for one-fourth of its page count, my one-time favorite section, Street Cred, still sucks. Sometimes the delight lies in the details. As much as the record review page is increasingly mersh and mundane, Wired has one saving grace that will keep me happy issue after issue regardless of the rest of the content.
That would be the Cool Things That Helped Get This Issue Out minutiae on p. 127. A throwback to the days when Wired shared a building with Might and Boing Boing, this clever, personal piece of indicia shows that the spirit of the founders isn't dead yet; the founders have just left the building. All things said, this issue continues the Net economy reminiscence begun in last month's Rewind issue. Wired still looks to the future but holds firmly onto the past -- leaving readers to hang in the balance.
Is Wired still relevant and useful, or is it a dot-bomb dinosaur? Take the Media Diet poll!
Monday, January 14, 2002
Bee-Bye?
As mentioned previously in Media Diet, Jason Little's comic strip Bee is one of the best comics currently on the Web. And it just came to my attention that his sole print venue -- the New York Press -- just dropped the strip, less than halfway through the current story, leaving thousands hanging. If you feel inspired to register your displeasure, letters may be sent to:
The Mail
New York Press
333 7th Ave., 14th floor
New York, NY
10001
You can also email the paper.
Per Jason: "Bear in mind that concealing your status as a non-resident of New York City, or your status as a cartoonist will lend your comments more credence, as will genuine postal mail. I thank you for your support."
Shutterbug Follies will continue unbowed online. The collected hardcover is still firmly on schedule for a Sept. 15, 2002 release. Email Jason if you have other ideas of ways readers can help -- or if you'd like more information on the situation.
As mentioned previously in Media Diet, Jason Little's comic strip Bee is one of the best comics currently on the Web. And it just came to my attention that his sole print venue -- the New York Press -- just dropped the strip, less than halfway through the current story, leaving thousands hanging. If you feel inspired to register your displeasure, letters may be sent to:
The Mail
New York Press
333 7th Ave., 14th floor
New York, NY
10001
You can also email the paper.
Per Jason: "Bear in mind that concealing your status as a non-resident of New York City, or your status as a cartoonist will lend your comments more credence, as will genuine postal mail. I thank you for your support."
Shutterbug Follies will continue unbowed online. The collected hardcover is still firmly on schedule for a Sept. 15, 2002 release. Email Jason if you have other ideas of ways readers can help -- or if you'd like more information on the situation.
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