Mark Trail(er)
Today's Richmond Times-Dispatch includes two articles about trailer parks and camping trailers -- neither of which is available on their Web site. One, a Los Angeles Times piece about the Monterey Trailer Park, which dates from the '20s and might soon rank among LA's historic-cultural monuments. Two, a Jay Dedrick feature about vintage trailers. Given my current interest in old cars -- and my road trip, I'm wondering whether I'd be better off in a trailer or camper than a car. At least I could sleep now.

No Media Res(t) for the Weary Traveler II
When I get to a new town, I do several things. I map out the main post office, city hall, train or bus station, high school, police station, and main branch of the public library -- thinking that, if you hit at least several of these landmarks, you see most of the livable city. I also check the Yellow Pages for comic book stores, record shops, and book stores. I did all of this in Richmond. I also picked up as many free papers and alt.weeklies as possible.

In Richmond, there are three primary entertainment sections and alt. weeklies. While I didn't pay as much attention to other entertainment and shopping guides as I did when I visited Chicago, I did pick up several papers worth mentioning: the Richmond Times-Dispatch's Weekend section, Style Weekly, and Punchline.

First up, Weekend. This is your basic daily newspaper entertainment section. This edition is particularly worth your attention because it features an article by Kelly Gerow entitled "Just Push Play: For Many Richmond Bands, Home Really Is the Road." The article communicates the mixed message that

There is a Richmond music scene

Local bands are really only appreciated outside of the city

Gerow highlights Engine Down (whose CD I picked up at Soundhole), Bats and Mice, Denali (whose CD I bought at Plan 9), Broken Hips, and Soft Complex. As I shopped for records, I got mixed reviews. One record store clerk (at Plan 9) said, "So, you raided the local section." And the owner of Soundhole, Greg, steered me away from the local section, saying that most of the bands were "dead issues" and that, if a record worthy of attention wasn't on sale on consignment -- which they wouldn't be in most cases, I was led to believe -- it'd be in the main racks. He also suggested that I listen to a handful of records -- of which I purchased several -- and then threw in several free local records and samplers. Hoorah, Soundhole. If you're local and you haven't gone, go go go!

Then there's Style Weekly, which isn't associated with a local daily -- and which resonates more with the Chicago Reader than New City. Opening with an oddly placed front-of-book advertorial about an art nouveau exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, the Weekly seems oddly upper crust -- more Mass. Ave than Davis Square. To its credit, the weekly does include a piece by Edwin Slipek that analyzes the architectural Renaissance slated for downtown. Considering the $105 million performing arts complex, Slipek looks at Richmond's urban development plans, placing them in a cultural and political context that draws on the use -- and misuse -- of several city blocks and properties in question. Given Slipek's active and forceful voice and perspective, he might well be a local writer to watch.

Lastly, Punchline. With an Adam Kidder cover this week, this New City- and Weekly Dig-like weekly is what I'd read regularly if I lived here. Given, it's not that well written or designed, but Punchline seems to be the voice of young Richmond. It's got edgy commentary on sobriety, the lottery, and the fall TV season. The paper name drops Haruki Murakami and seems to have a stronger sense of local music, and includes the listings to back it up.

Punchline also has a stronger sense of comics sensibility. Featuring work by George Tautkus, Tony Millionaire, Jen Sorenson, N.V. Dogma, and J.M. Coates, the paper indicates that it's plugged into the right artistic sockets, even if they don't power all of the weekly's editorial slots.

Rock Shows of Note XLII
After dinner, Elizabeth, Wheeler and I crossed the street to Poe's Pub, which isn't really a pub -- or connected to Edgar Allan Poe -- to see Page Wilson with Reckless Abandon. I wish I'd had a chance to talk to Wilson, because, as a local radio DJ who specializes in folk, country, bluegrass, the blues, and other roots music -- and who's been involved in the local music scene for almost 20 years -- Wilson knows a lot about the local music and media scenes. Back in the mid-'80s, he published a fanzine-turned-newspaper called Out o' the Blue Review that has since evolved into a radio show -- first on a local commercial station and now on public radio.

Last night, he played with a five-piece band featuring an upright bass player with a wonderful baritone voice, a second guitarist, a younger (by comparison) fiddle player, and a mandolin player who could've been amplified more. There wasn't a dedicated percussionist, and the band didn't need one. Their stage presence was energetic and friendly, and they opened their first set with "Moonlight Midnight," a standard that -- eerily enough -- I last heard while in Nashville, Tennessee, visiting another Company of Friends coordinator who wanted to treat me to local music. And treat Jody did.

We arrived just before Wilson's show, and while I recommend you get to Poe's before shows start, I also suggest that you sit further forward toward the stage. As it was, as the place filled up around 11 p.m., folks began to stand in front of us, and the club -- which has featured Angry Johnny and the Killbillies, a band that has Boston ties -- quickly filled to standing room only. We left just before the band's second set, and I was struck by the wait staff's friendliness, the door man's sense of humor, and the audience's mixed makeup. Fun, fun, fun.

The Restaurant I Ate at Last Night XIV
After a day of touring Richmond, checking out area record shops and bookstores -- including the well-stocked Black Swan Books; Richmond's answer to Berkeley's Rasputin, Plan 9 Music; and the strip-mall square peg Soundhole (which is going to move closer downtown near Sweetwater later this year) -- and meeting the car decal guy so he could detail the car I'm using for the CoF Roadshow, my hosts and I relaxed at home for awhile before going out for dinner.

To eat, we headed across town to Millie's Diner, a wonderful diner-styled fine-dining restaurant that is in fact the namesake for one of my hosts' cats. I was initially surprised by the restaurant's layout -- and then by its menu. The restaurant is hardly a diner at all. With an extremely small cooking station perched between the restaurant's entrance and short counter, Millie's menu is relatively highly priced. Entrees range upwards of $20. But if you focus on the soups and salads and the appetizers, you can eat pretty well for around $15. You might need dessert, but at Millie's, the dessert is the best part.

I started with Millie's tomato and fennel bisque, which was very creamy and good. The bowl was a little shallow, so it cooled quite quickly, but the soup was awesome. Next up, the pan-seared scallops, which counted three and were accompanied by a panzanella comprising grilled bread, capers, and other goodies. The panzanella was a highlight of the appetizer and came topped with fresh bean sprouts. Very good. But the dessert? Oh, the dessert! If you ever visit Richmond, go to Millie's and insist on ordering the frozen mango mousse with honey dew and vanilla soup even if it's no longer on the menu. Consisting of two wedges of frozen mousse, the dessert was drizzled with blackberry sauce, and several blackberries joined in as garnish. Beautiful presentation -- as with all of Millie's food -- and utterly wonderful taste sensations. I need to figure out how to replicate this dessert at home. I was in heaven.

Reports from the Road III
I still owe you a report from my trip to Indiana, but I thought it'd be good to get a start on documenting my personal time while on the CoF Roadshow. I won't have a lot of down time while working on this project, but when I do, I'll weigh in with some snapshots and commentary on the people, places, and things I encounter in the cities I visit.


Edgar Allan Poe, Irene Gibson, and Nancy Astor lived here.


None of the fireplaces at the Linden works any more.


Bed head.


The view from just outside my room.


Looking down into the "enchanted" garden.


Check out this building!


Signs of the times.


Then: A house. Now: Parking lots.


VCU graffiti.


In case you eat too much at Bandito's.

The Restaurant I Ate at Last Night XIII
After arriving in Richmond around 8 p.m., and dropping off my luggage at the Linden Row Inn across the street from the Richmond Public Library, I needed a bite to eat. Upon the recommendation of the local Company of Friends coordinator -- bolstered by the enthusiastic endorsement of the hotel manager -- I set off on foot walking down Main Street through the Virginia Commonwealth University campus to find Bandito's Burrito Lounge.

It was a great place to eat. With a metallic ceiling and interesting jukebox, the restaurant had attracted a fair Thursday-night crowd, including a large, rambunctious group of about 20 college students who were spilling over from their long banquet-style table. I couldn't tell what they were celebrating, but the pitchers of beer kept coming. When my order came, it was exactly what I had ordered: chips and salsa, a spinach and mushroom quesadilla, and a Red Hook ESB. Good, simple food. Just what I needed.

Next to Bandito's is a function room called the El Diablo. Supposedly, people and groups can rent it out, but it seems like it'd be perfect for shows. I wonder if there's a stage back there, and I wonder if what I thought were occasional strains of live music was actually just the jukebox. Hmm...

Pulling the Plug VI
As the saying goes "nothing lasts forever." That is unfortunately true for the Upstairs Lounge.

TUL began when the manager and a few employees from a wildly successful yet ill-fated fetish club, Hexx, found their venue being sold out from underneath them to a long-standing gay club in the Boston scene that was forced from their previous venue. In one week we packed up and moved across town to what was formerly the Causeway and Chet's Last Call. With some adjustment, we made a long run at offering people a fun venue with an eclectic flavor. The Upstairs Lounge was home to Boston's first weekly swing night, which ran long after the trendier venues discarded swing as a fad. We offered a world-renowned Brit pop/mod night that has been called "the Best in the U.S." We have done a killer '80s night, lounge, rockabilly, goth, industrial, techno, house, and live acts local, national and international. Now, just as we began we have ended. We were told this week by the owners of the venue that TUL is gone and will be replaced by a different longstanding Boston gay club that has been forced from its venue.

Ken, DJ from the Pill, wants to say:

Just wanted to say, regretfully, the Pill at the Upstairs Lounge is over. Last Friday was our last night, unbeknownst to myself until this past Monday evening. Here's the breakdown. There is new management taking over the lounge. They did not have the Pill on Friday nights as part of their agenda. It's with great sadness that the night should end when there were still many good Friday nights to come. However, we are already shopping around for a new venue. There is a good chance we will be back in the not-too-distant future.

Thanks to everyone who came and supported us through the past five years. I have to say it's been one of the best things in my life and I will miss going out every Friday and spinning.

Keep the faith. We will return and be even better than before. -- Ken

For Ken, Charlie, Pete, Liz, Brian, and any of TUL employees who have had the pleasure of serving you over the last years, I want to say thank you for being there. We have made some memories that will last a lifetime, and I'm sure you have, too. We always had fun and hope you have also. We are looking forward to bigger and better things. -- Forrest

***

I've slightly thrown by the overly reminiscent tone of this closing notice, because the closing of the Upstairs Lounge has been in the works for quite some time. The last time the Anchormen played above the Penalty Box on Causeway Street, Forrest, the primary booking agent for the series, had already stepped away from the Lounge. Word was he had quit. The fellow who was doing sound was negotiating with the management of the place to continue shows there, branching out to other multi-performer, DJ-oriented dance nights, and events that he thought would bring out more people. The outcome of that was uncertain at the time.

Now it's not. While I'm sad the Upstairs Lounge is no more, other people will book other shows there. Forrest and Ken will find other venues for their projects. And the fellow who was doing sound will find places to book his kind of shows, too. We are not heroes, we play in bands. We organize shows. We dance. The closing of the Upstairs Lounge hardly feels historic, and I'm confused by Forrest's apparent concern about the gay community stepping into his space. While I understand how long-time attendees of the Pill nights might feel like they've lost something, my take is that the place was kind of a dump; Forrest hadn't hit any kind of stride in terms of frequent, consistent bookings that actually attracted a regular audience; and the mix of bands was always slightly off and not quite my bag (other than the Anks' nights, which we had a hand in).

Nevertheless, RIP, Upstairs Lounge. RIP.

Rules for Fools XIII
Rule No. 16: Even though you never see Santa Claus and Superman in the same place at the same time, that doesn't mean that Santa Claus is Superman's alter ego or secret identity.

Corollary to Rule No. 16: Or vice versa.

Off to the airport in 30 minutes. Thanks to the Media Dieticians who've already suggested places for me to check out while on the road trip!

On the Road Again III
In about four and a half hours, I head to the airport to fly to Richmond, Virginia, the first city in the CoF Roadshow. For the next six weeks, I'll be driving a VW Passat W8 wagon from Virginia to Vermont, visiting Fast Company readers, interviewing local business leaders, and meeting with local groups of the Company of Friends, Fast Company's readers' network. Along the way, I'll be writing almost-daily diary entries about where I am, who I meet, and what I learn.

While I hope to update Media Diet while traveling, the Roadshow diaries and reportage will take precedence. That doesn't mean that Media Diet is dead (long live Media Diet!). It just means that it's resting. I'll try to pop in every so often, but chances are good that Media Diet won't be on a regular schedule again until November.

If you'd like to recommend bookstores, comic shops, record stores, restaurants, or people I should meet along the way, I'd welcome your suggestions. Check my itinerary and let me know what you know about the cities along the way.

Corollary: Everything's Coming Out, Rosie
Reports say that Rosie O'Donnell will pull out of Rosie this week because of the ongoing struggles over editorial control. The magazine, formerly McCall's, one of the seven sisters, will cease publication after the December issue. A lawsuit will probably be filed.

Full disclosure: I work for Fast Company, which is also published by Gruner & Jahr, Rosie's parent.

Corollary: The Restaurant I Ate at Last Night XII
Went to the Good Life again last night to take advantage of the $1 burger special. My friend Hiromi was working, and I got a seat in her section. The taps were working, so I was able to get a Harpoon IPA instead of a bottled beer in addition to the burger, which I ordered medium well instead of medium. It was much, much better. The kitchen staff skipped the cheese this time, even though I ordered it with swiss, but that's understandable; the restaurant was much busier -- much busier -- than it was Monday night. Word is they went through 16 cases of burgers. At 20 a case, that's 320 burgers. What are they, McDonald's? In fact, they had to close the kitchen an hour early because they ran out of patties.

Today, Hiromi told me that friends Chris and Em also stopped by, even sitting at the same table. So word is spreading! If you're local, tell your friends. The deal runs all week. It'd be interesting to track the word-of-mouth dissemination of a special like this. I haven't seen any ads for the promotion, and if Hiromi hadn't told me about it, I probably never would have known. The Good Life doesn't even have a sandwich board on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

$1 burgers. Just don't order one with water and tip 30 cents.

Corollary: Music to My Eyes III
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? While I'm quite delighted by the recent Punk Kittens Web meme, this apparent knockoff, which comes complete with a Clash parody about cleaning the cat box, strikes me as pale by comparison.

From the In Box: Blogging About Blogging XXXII
Nice blog, very local, and not so medial (?) as I remember it being. I like reading about places I don't know and never will. But Kal-El wants his name back; he's real pissed.

As a not-published-enough writer, I blog compulsively. But it's OK; it's not a problem really. Great outlet, isn't it? -- Lorraine Murphy

Good to hear from you! What do you mean by "medial"? "Media-related"? The opposite of "remedial"?

As far as my email address at the Well goes, "kalel" was partially inspired by my penchant for comic books -- although I wouldn't be seen in public reading Superman -- it's also an abbreviation of sorts for a zine I published from 1991-2001: Karma Lapel. Media Diet was a one-shot zine side project I did while still publishing Karma Lapel -- there's even a "lost issue" I completed but never published. This blog is in many ways the evolution of my thinking behind the original Media Diet -- a combination of personal writing, meta-media DIY platform establishment, media criticism and analysis, and straight-up commentary and review.

The Movie I Watched Last Night XXXIX
Osmosis Jones
I had no idea that this was an animated and a live-action movie. I'd imagined it as some sort of an Earthworm Jim-meets-Iron Giant children's film, but au contraire, mes freres, this is not the case. Instead, it's several things rolled up into one. First of all, it's a Farrelly brothers movie, so you can expect some degree of gross-out humor. Secondly, it's half live-action and half cartoon, taking on the format previously set by movies such as Cool World and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, albeit not mixing the media. Thirdly, it's your stereotypical buddy/cop movie in which Chris Rock and David Hyde Pierce offer voice services for the misunderstood, badazz rebel local officer -- and the stick-in-the-mud, unaware outsider who's brought in to save the day. All of that adds up to a rather generic movie devoid of any particularly interesting animation, but Osmosis Jones does serve up some intriguing concepts worthy of any science-fiction author.The concept that excited me the most was that our bodies' immune systems are in fact squadrons of police. Our bodies are cities overseen -- and sometimes -- overrun by a mayor and political administration. And diseases, the illnesses we get -- or the hardcore Thrax voiced by Laurence Fishburne -- are criminals staging a heist, in this film, of the body part that regulates our temperature. Fun ideas. What bothered me was that an illness would probably be better represented by a mindless horde or army of germs rather than an individual mephistophelean bad guy. And the live-action sequences, dominated by a sloppy Bill Murray, a dismissable Chris Elliott, and a tangential Molly Shannon, do little to augment or improve the cartoon -- although they do set the stage for the battle waged in Murray's body. Other interesting tidbits include voiceover work by William Shatner, a musical sequence featuring Kid Rock, Joe C, and Uncle Kracker (ho hum), and a wonderful election advertisement positioning Ron Howard as the out with the old/in with the new Tom Colonic. Not quite what it could have been, but given its wide range of inspirations, not bad for what it is.

Rock Shows of Note XLI
Playing catch up today! Coco and I took in several fun shows this past weekend, and I'd remiss not to comment on them before I leave for the CoF Roadshow.

Friday night, we returned to the Middle East Upstairs for a Kimchee Records CD release party celebrating new recordings by Seana Carmody and Victory at Sea. The two local bands were joined by two other quality acts, Suntan and El Guapo.

Suntan had an interesting lineup: drums, two guitars, and a keyboard that took on the bass parts. While I wasn't thrilled silly by their songs, I enjoyed their updated version of country/space-rock (their description, not mine), particularly the gut-wrenching undercurrent of keyboard-driven bass. It took me awhile to peg where the low end was coming from. Next up, El Guapo was much more my bag. A trio, El Guapo takes on two of the major sounds emanating from the DC scene these days -- post-hardcore art rock and relatively loose free jazz. I've yet to listen to their new Dischord record, but in the liner notes, they thank Trans Am -- so it's evident where they're coming from. Accordion, a spazzy drummer, electronics... plenty to wig out to. Hooray for El Guapo. Kimchee did well.

Seana Carmody's set was also impressive. With a new lineup -- I only recognized the drummer from the last time I saw her play, and I thought he was moving to LA -- Seana was joined by one of the tallest men in the Boston scene on bass (I've seen him at so many shows; it's good to know we're friends of friends) and Winston Yu, who has played fiddle with the Boston Philharmonic, Dormouse, and Solar Saturday. Their set was mostly composed of songs from the new record, "Struts & Shocks," and Seana played some of my favorites. Her voice is extremely dreamy, and the band's laid-back approach added to the wash and wave of sound. And sometimes, Seana surprises with a burst of noise guitar and space rock. A nice blend that reminds me slightly of folks like Mary Timony. Seana even sang a song about unicorns at her show at TT's not long ago.

Lastly, at the end of the night, Victory at Sea. I'm not the biggest fan of Victory at Sea, but I've been enjoying their new CD -- and their show Friday was one of the first I really paid attention to and appreciated. Comprising former members of Spore and the Swirlies (of which Seana is also an alumnae), Victory veers toward the melancholy. The songs, while couched in trudging rock, are sad, dark, and heavy. No surprise that they've co-released a CD with Helms. Listening to the CD now, I think Victory is better suited to listening at home than seeing live -- Mona Elliott's vocals are quite effective -- but I'll give them another chance to see just how wrong I am.

Media Dieticians can look forward to reviews of these two new CD's in the future, but if you're champing at the bit, you can order them online from the friendly folks at the Garment District in Cambridge.

You can also read Coco's review of the show.

On to Show No. 2: Diver Down at the Good Times Emporium. You might guess from their name that Diver Down is, yep, a Van Halen cover band. First-wave David Lee Roth Van Halen, to be exact. Check that, I mean tribute band. Cover bands merely play other people's songs. Tribute bands dress up like the band members, try to act like the band members, and otherwise pretend that they are, in fact, in the actual band to which they're paying tribute. Good Times is a skeezy Assembly Square entertainment complex in Somerville that combines video games, in-door basketball, sports bars, billiards, and other diversions all under one roof. The show -- which was sparsely attended -- took place in the "night club," and we (Jef, Jen, Chris, Em, TD, Coco, and I) were doubtful that the $10 cover was worth it.

Oh, it was. Three-fourths of Diver Down made a sad showing in the dressing-like-your-inspiration department, with the bassist being too tall, missing the mad hair, and merely wearing a jumpsuit in his attempt to reflect Mike Anthony. The other three tried harder. The drummer had a tangle of black hair, wore oversized sunglasses, and wore Alex Van Halen's trademark prison-stripe body suit. The guitarist, while on the pudgy side, made a respectable Eddie Van Halen, also sporting a mess of hair and wearing a red and white slash-mark overall getup. And the singer? He did his best. Floor-length zebra-stripe longcoat, a teased frizz of hair, more bandannas and scarves than I could count, and an acrobatic stage show that did its best to replicate the scissor kicks and sex-kitten posturing that David Lee Roth specialized in.

The music was straight-forward enough. They stuck to the earlier catalog, mixing up their set list with some tried-and-true favorites as well as some lesser-known songs from the first few records. And even though the schtick ran long and eventually loathsome, there were some bright spots. They closed with an encore of "Happy Trails," which was fun and funny -- and my shouted request when their request for such met little response from the accumulated townies. And... get this... Gary Cherone former front man for Boston hair-metal one hit wonder Extreme -- and then, for a stint, Van Halen proper -- was not just in the audience, he took the stage to perform a song with Diver Down.

This was perhaps the highest and lowest point of the evening. Why high? This was a historic, ironic juxtaposition. An actual former member of Van Halen -- albeit third-wave Van Halen, and even then for a short amount of time, all things considered -- joined a sad and slightly seedy Van Halen tribute band on stage. How historic is that? But it was also a low note because it emphasized just how sad it can be to be in a tribute band. If you're in a tribute band, it's doubtful that anyone actually likes you. They like the band you're trying to embody. And even though Jef speculated that people might actually have preferences for specific tribute bands -- a la Diver Down is so much better than the Top Jimmies or whatever -- it's got to be a hard row to hoe to play in a tribute band. Besides, as neat as it was to see Cherone take the stage with Diver Down, he was such a sport to do so. I'm not sure why he was even there, but after his time with Extreme and Van Halen, I hope he has more to do than make token appearances with cover and tribute bands on the bad-bar and state-fair circuits. He seemed slightly sheepish but made a good showing. Kudos to him for his rolling with the punches.

You can also read Coco's review of the show.

Sunday's "show" was hardly such. Coco and I went to Toad to see if the Gordon Beadle performing was the Gordon Beadle she went to high school with, but after a drink and a fair amount of time, Beadle hadn't shown up yet, and the backing band -- including Andy from Schwang and the Pee Wee Fist -- began playing without him. So we left. But there you go: Gordon Beadle, no show.

The Movie I Watched Last Night XXXVIII
The Lord of the Rings
After my recent viewing of the disappointing Heavy Metal animated movie, I didn't have high hopes for Ralph Bakshi's 1978 adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's historic fantasy novel. And even though the movie has its flaws, it was actually quite impressive, and I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to watch the whole thing. Depending heavily on rotoscope animation, the cartoon, while largely lifelike and fluid, is rather jerky at times, and that can be distracting. Bakshi also experimented with some almost-animation, similar in some ways to the techniques Richard Linklater used in Waking Life. In these sequences, Bakshi filmed live actors and then heavily colored the film so they felt animated but really were not. While interesting, Bakshi overused this technique, and there are several sequences -- particularly those featuring the black riders and the orcs -- that run long and frustrating given their lack of art. Must've been some fun weekends running around on the Bakshi estate! The cartoon is also notable because of some solid parallels not just to the books, but to the more recent live-action movie. Several scenes, including the tree-trunk vista of the elven village and the guardian statues on either side of the river pass, were seemingly recreated visually -- from the cartoon -- in the newer movie. Curious how much they used Bakshi as source and inspiration. Worth watching if you're a fan of the Tokien mythos -- or if you need a fix before the second live-action installment is released.

The Restaurant I Ate at Last Night XII
Last night before going home after work, I stopped by the Good Life on Central Square to avail myself of their $1 burger special. This week -- all week -- the Good Life is offering its "classic" cheeseburgers for $1. You get your choice of cheddar, swiss, or American cheese (perhaps even blue cheese), and the burger comes with a side of fries. I ordered mine medium with swiss, and while a little pink -- every restaurant does burger differently, and I've gotten tired of overcooked medium wells -- it was a tasty, tasty meal. Even the fries are good. Not bad for a dollar. Even with a bottle of Sierra Nevada, my dinner came to about $5.50, and I tipped high because of the deal and because my waiter was new. "Break him in," the hostess said.

The restaurant was near empty, so I had a booth to myself on the main floor. There were perhaps two other tables taken, one with a fellow also taking advantage of the $1 burger, and one with a couple. The bar side had more patrons. Don't take the Good Life's emptiness as a sign of bad food or atmosphere. The food is good. The decor dark and cozy -- perfect for reading John Brunner -- and the wait staff is friendly.

$1 burgers. All this week at the Good Life on Central Square. Hop to it.

Comics and Controversy II
I was at the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland. My Sketchbook Diaries book had been nominated for two Ignatz awards, which gets voted on by all the folks who attend the Expo. Before the awards ceremony, I went out to dinner with a big crowd of cartoonists. It was a special night, so I got a stir-fry of green beans and frog legs. Fellow caroonist Tom Hart was sitting across from me (he was also nominated for an Ignatz award for his online Hutch Owen comic strip.). I asked him if I could have a bite of his Pad Thai. He said sure, if I promised to give him my Ignatz award when I won. I wasn't really thinking, so I said OK!

Later of course, wouldn't you know it, they announced my name as a winner for "Outstanding Series" for Sketchbook Diaries. I really wanted to give a good speech, something meaningful, but this is what I came out with: "I want to thank my cat Spandy, and my wife Amy, and all my friends for allowing me to draw them in the diary. But I'm feeling pretty stupid right now, because earlier at dinner, I traded my Ignatz to Tom Hart for a bite of his Pad Thai."

Then Tom came running up all the way from the back of the room, grabbed my Ignatz (which happens to be a brick... yeah, it's the coolest award), and, holding it over his head, ran back to his seat while the crowd laughed. It was funny; he was hamming it up, but the instant the brick left my hands I was struck by a terrible pain from my chest down to my stomach, like a muscle spasm. And as time clicked by, the pain wasn't subsiding. It was getting worse! Finally I went to Tom and offered to arm wrestle him to get the Ignatz back. You know, like, "double or nothing." Tom graciously just put it back in my arms and said I could owe him the bite of Pad Thai.

Within a few minutes, my terrible pain went away. And I lived happily ever after. -- James Kochalka

Corollary: Blogging About Blogging XXXII
Has anyone done a good study of the different approaches to producing LiveJournals and blogs -- as well as similar sites and Web journals (Moveable Type, Diaryland, etc.)? I'm thinking content, context, frequency, process, and so forth.

Let me know.