Dolph Lundgren Must Die

Back in the saddle...

2010-01-31T23:26:00.002-05:00

...again?Various twists and turns in meatspace last year=lack of time and desire to blog.I did want to get a post in before the end of the first month of the New Year and sort of signal my intention to get back in the game.Let's see...some added value for this post...Hmmm, the Grammys are pointless? Is that news? A surprise? Any kind of revelation? The Grammys are a barometer of mediocrity not so

Let's Get Critical: X-men Origins: Wolverine

2009-05-03T13:47:00.005-04:00

Deeply flawed and disappointing. A blown opportunity. Stupid. Pays way too much attention to the rest of the X-men movie franchise and doesn't deal enough with Wolverine.I know, I know this is one of those movies you're not supposed to think too much about. You're supposed to just sit back and enjoy the ride…but there are moments in this movie so stupid that I couldn't stop myself from thinking

I Was There: Ani Difranco @ House of Blues 4/26/09

2009-04-27T13:39:00.005-04:00

I'm not sure what I was expecting from Ani DiFranco last night. I've always enjoyed her music, but I haven't given anything a solid listen in years and it's been years and years since she was in the regular rotation. But Ani is one of Partner-in-Crime's favorite acts so we went. And while the show was an extremely solid performance the glaring flaw was the crowd.Personally, I'm most familiar with

Let's Get Critical: The Spirit

2009-04-21T09:39:00.005-04:00

Rarely do I ever walk away from an experience and wish for my time and/or money back. Renting and watching The Spirit this weekend was one of those times. The words "Epic Fail" seem to be the only words that apply to the movie and even they seem inadequate. It's not even a gleefully bad campy train-wreck of a film. It's just bad.It fails on the level of a comic movie. It fails in being faithful

This post is my homework...

2009-02-22T18:20:00.003-05:00

So I'm in grad school and it has distracted from my getting on a more regular posting schedule, which is something I've mentioned in passing here and there. But today this blog and my advanced education have collided. Allow me to give a shout out to my prof, Dr. Z, who've I've had for a couple classes now and whose clear and straightforward approach I've appreciated.But aside from doing my

Let's Get Critical: Circus

2009-01-18T13:08:00.002-05:00

I disagreed with the generally positive reviews view Britney's last album garnered. So as a point of pride and as a service to you the public at large, I thought I'd check out her new album Circus. Honestly, I don't know why I'm bothering. I should just copy and paste my review of Blackout here and call it day. Because just about everything I said about Blackout goes double for Britney's latest

Happy 2009...

2009-01-14T14:16:00.003-05:00

Yeah, it's been a while...and the real reason I'm posting is cuz I was called out...Greg is back and he asked where I went...Long story short...well actually a bit of advice...going to grad school full time (3 classes), working full time, and working overtime...well, when people tell you you're crazy to do it...LISTEN TO THEM! Shortly after my last post of last year I was just about burned out. I

Utter Randomness...

2008-09-25T23:30:00.007-04:00

So...yeah...I'm going to share a secret. I'm lazy...I mean really lazy...I've been at work and started writing blog posts in my head a dozen times. But when it comes to typing them out and pushing the button to post...L-A-Z-Y...So here's some stuff...Peeved: Ear buds while driving. Oh how this has been bugging me for a while. Actually since I went to GenCon to hang my buddy Mouse. People on the

The Problem and The Cure

2008-07-16T08:21:00.002-04:00

So...you may or may not be wondering where my review of The Cure live went...well, it's still in my head and probably won't make it to a screen near you anytime soon. Mostly because it is no longer timely. I will say that I'm glad I went, it was a long almost grueling concert, left before the last 2 encores, and the band seemed at their best and most lively when playing new material.But let's

A Belated "I Was There": Death Cab for Cutie @ The Plain Dealer Pavilaion at Nautica 6/13/2008

2008-06-18T11:31:00.011-04:00

So...I'm headed to see The Cure play tonight with (the capitalized) Partner in Crime (not to be confused with my lower case partner in crime, this guy...it's confusing, yeah...)But...I've been remiss in my duties as a blogger and someone who has a deep and committed relationship with music. I've delayed in getting out my thoughts on the Death Cab for Cutie show. This show was actually picked by

I Was There: Rilo Kiley @ House of Blues 5/26/2008

2008-05-27T13:48:00.008-04:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's been a while since I posted...no excuse...time just got away from me...Anyway...It was an impulse buy really. Saw the show listed on an email newsletter couple weeks back: Rilo Kiley. I've been missing way too many bands in the last couple of months and I didn't want to miss RK...esp. since only Kali knows when they'll make it back here again. Grabbed my Partner in Crime

"Hello good looking"

2008-04-30T09:13:00.003-04:00

Is it wrong I want to open my spam e-mail sometimes instead of deleting it unseen? Esp. the ones with such a nice ego boosting subject like "hello good looking?" Sure, I don't recognize the sender's email address...but...maybe it's an old long lost friend. Or maybe it's a current friend with an new e-mail address. Maybe it's not some annoying spam about enhancing my love life through chemistry or

IWT: mr. Gnome CD release party w/If These Trees Could Talk and The Record Low @ Beachland Tavern 4/25/08

2008-04-27T14:18:00.011-04:00

Me and ockham made our way to the Beachland, tavern side, this last past Friday. Both of us were pretty psyched to get mr. Gnome's full length album and besides it'd been too long since he and I had hung out, shot the breeze, and drank some beers together. Worst places to spend a Friday night then at the Beachland Tavern listening to live music.First up...The Record Low... Okay, I paid 7 bucks to

CD snap judgements

2008-04-10T12:28:00.002-04:00

Joanna This Crazy Life I listen to a lot of CDs. And as I've mentioned previously I dig female vocals, but I like interesting female vocals. If a singer has a merely average or decent voice then I expect that they'll try to wow me lyrically or try something novel to keep me interested and entertained. None of that happened here. Joanna's singing voice isn't unique enough or interesting enough to

Vonage Must Die

2008-04-08T11:27:00.004-04:00

My hatred of Vonage...Well mostly it's my hatred of Vonage commercials. They seem to be ubiquitous these days. A commercial break doesn't seem to go by without that pink and khaki clad bland inoffensive woman with the plastic looking page boy haircut come on and start being all smarmy about how Vonage is so much more awesome than the phone company. Vonage has also made me hate "Woo Hoo" by The

Late to the party--last.fm

2008-04-01T11:04:00.006-04:00

If you're one of my (very few) regular readers you may know I really love Pandora. It's turned me on to so much great music I'd otherwise wouldn't be aware of. So about a year ago my friend Mouse shot me an invite to last.fm At the time I didn't like it because it wanted to download software to my machine. And well, I had Pandora. But recently while I was researching music based widgets for this

Death of the Rock Star

2008-03-28T09:09:00.002-04:00

With the advent of the Internet and the amazing availability of music these days a lot of people are talking about the death of "music," or the death of "good music" or artists with longevity...or...the...death of something. Keene thinks it's devolving into a mess of amateur musicians. Mouse suggests near the end of a recent post that somehow the plethora of good musicians and their ability to

Only you can prevent Beer Crime!

2008-03-12T10:53:00.004-04:00

Folks, with St. Patrick's Day fast approaching and people likely to start partying this weekend, I think it's time we discussed something very serious. Beer Crime. Now, I'm not a hardliner when it comes to crimes against beer. I don't bristle at the thought or suggestion of drinking the pale water down mass produced domestic American beers whose very existence some consider a crime and affront.

IWT: The Trashmen w/The Sadies and Whiskey Daredevils @ The Beachland Ballroom 3/1/2008

2008-03-02T13:39:00.005-05:00

Really, it was supposed to be my night off. I was going to stay in do laundry and work on the stack of unwatched DVDs building up. Instead, Ockham and his lovely Mrs. invited me out to catch surf rock legends The Trashmen at the Beachland. I like surf rock, but it was the openers (and the company of good friends) that sold me on the show. Whiskey Daredevils have been a "meaning to see" band for

I Was There: The Horrorpops w/Lords of the Highway, The Cute Lepers, and Pink Spiders @ the Agora Ballroom on 2/29/08

2008-03-01T13:39:00.006-05:00

Took a trip to The World Famous Cleveland Agora last night. Ockham chauffeured and chaparoned me. Ah…The Agora…words fail me. It’s not world’s prettiest venue, but it is one of my favorites. And it’s probably the quintessential Cleveland venue. Beat up slightly sprawling with an air of rock n’ roll defiance.Okay the show. The Horrorpops

I Was There: The Dollyrots w/Suffrajet @ Pirate's Cove 2/23/2008

2008-02-24T13:26:00.008-05:00

A word on the venue: Been a long time since I was in the building now housing Peabody's/Pirate's Cove. Back in my undergrad days (a long long time ago...), it was all still the Rascal House. These days the building is home to three separate but not exactly distinct venues: Peabody's, Pirate's Cove, and Rockstar. All three seem to share the same entrance and pay for one show you may be able to

Honest Expression

2008-02-06T09:57:00.000-05:00

"But to experience oneself honestly, not lying to oneself, and to express myself honestly, now that is very hard to do." --Bruce LeeRead this, ignoring all the specific technical bike data and then take a long look at what's being said there.It's odd. Ockham is asking such a seemingly simple question which has such deep and intensely personal ramifications. It goes so far beyond being just about

Overdue

2008-02-03T13:18:00.000-05:00

So I've been told a time or two that I owe you all a blog post, usually it's been by this guy. I'll blame my silence not only on my not having anything of burning import to say but also on the fact that I've been sick. A lovely potpourri of congestion, hacking cough, and pain behind the eyes which made looking at a computer screen one of the last things I wanted to do. But while I'm not 100% I am

Primary Objections

2008-01-09T08:07:00.000-05:00

Here's what I really don't like about Hilary. Her political career and presidential aspirations seem way too much like dynasty building. While others may argue this country all ready has a hereditary ruling class, I'd like to at least maintain the illusion the United States is a representative democracy. Dubya's election, while giving hope nepotistic opportunists everywhere, set a bad example in

Something for nothing...

2008-01-07T11:51:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time I subscribed to a couple of Cleveland.com's email updates. The updates were less useful than I'd thought they'd be...and I've had a hard time unsubscribing from them, but what really gets my goat is Cleveland.com wants me to do their work for them. Once a week I get an entertainment bulletin asking for my movie or music reviews. And my nightlife photos. They want me to build up

What immortal hand or eye dare frame my fearful symmetry?

2008-01-07T11:11:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's me butchering Blake...Because the topic seems to keep popping up here and there in parts of the blogosphere I frequent, I figure I might as well mention that I've got a couple major gripes with the theory of intelligent design. Firstly the default assumption of most proponents of the theory is that the creator or designer discussed is the Christian God. It doesn't logically follow and

Gore Gore Girls @ Beachland Tavern 12/21/2007

2007-12-23T13:13:00.000-05:00

Don't call it a come back, but yours truly made his triumphant return to seeing music live this last past Friday night. Last concert I'd seen this year was this show. What got me out? Maybe it was the love letter I wrote Mouse. Maybe it was the unseasonably balmy Cleveland weather. Maybe it was the fact that I've been itching to see The Gore Gore Girls for years. Or maybe I was bored...Anyway,

Giving up on Gibson...

2007-12-19T11:21:00.000-05:00

Spook Country. I'm not sure I can make it through it. I hate to give up on books I've started, but I've been driving around with this book on my back seat for the last 2 weeks, having maybe gotten half way into it. And nothing in the novel has engaged me in the slightest. I've searched on-line trying to find a negative review to help justify my retiring from the book. And while I've found a few,

Mouse in L.A. la-land

2007-12-19T09:30:00.000-05:00

You should be reading Classical Geek Theatre. My friend Mouse writes about a lot of things. Usually very geeky things. Sometimes he'll turn you on to something new or provide an insight or view of something you hadn't thought of. And while he does provide criticism and analysis, I think his blog's primary value is in it's ability to inform. And nowhere is that more apparent to me than in his

Rant: Defanging a Legend

2007-12-12T12:09:00.000-05:00

Why make a movie about something and then pull it's fangs? Cut out its heart and basically undercut everything that make the original story memorable and counted among the very best of horror literature? IS it the big named star? IS it the bleakness (yet completely monumental awesomeness) of the original ending? I Am Legend…I haven't seen it but I spoiled myself on it. I couldn't help it--I had

Music Reviews: Four hits and a miss..

2007-12-12T08:37:00.000-05:00

theStart Shakedown! Words are imperfect for trying to convey what I think the front woman, Aimee Echo, of theStart sounds like. The best I can say it is: she's got a baby-girl growl I find really appealing. Her voice is also never above or drowned out by the accompanying music making this band sound fully integrated and professional. theStart has some very definite New Wave influences, but at the

Church of Girl

2007-12-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

A word about my musical tastes. I like female vocals. I prefer them to the point of where most male leads bore the hell out of me. Esp. with all the whiny emo boy bands out there. Don't get me wrong--there's plenty of my favorites who share my gender. Johnny Cash, Mike Ness, Brian Setzer, Tim Armstrong, Richard Thompson, Geddy Lee, etc. But I'm always more excited when I find a new female singer

Deicide

2007-12-02T14:45:00.000-05:00

I didn't butcher the spelling of "decide." Not talking about the death metal band. I'm talking about the practice of killing gods.The Golden Compass is out. And the Catholic League is up in arms calling the movie (and the books it's based off of) little more than propaganda for "the new face of atheism." The argument advanced by Bill Donahue of the Catholic League is that this movie is designed

With a High School Education...

2007-11-26T13:38:00.000-05:00

...you might be able to read (and understand) this blog. Now The Blog Readability Test might have been out there forever, (Mouse likes to accuse me of just having found the Internet) but I've never seen it before. Overall I'm pretty pleased with this rating--DLMD is a blog for the people and of the people. Or at least people who can read on a high school level. And that strikes the perfect

Let's Get Critical: Blackout

2007-11-26T10:53:00.000-05:00

I'm doing you a favor. I listen, watch, and consume some of the worst in media so you don't have to. Paris Hilton's vanity album, Fergie's solo attempt, and Gwen Stefani's latest sell-out--I have a high pain threshold... Sure it's easy to dismiss a record from the Britney Spears, the white trash pop diva on principle, but you can't do it with authority unless you've actually listened to it. Twice

Music Reviews: The Last Three I Bought

2007-11-06T12:38:00.000-05:00

Devil Doll The Return of EveMy girlfriend (Best Girlfriend in the World) turned me on to Devil Doll with the album Queen of Pain. And I returned the favor by buying this album for her. Of course, I had to listen to it first to make sure it was up to snuff. And it is! The Return of Eve is more…"country fried" or straight ahead rockabilly then the Latin flavored Queen of Pain. Enjoyed the album

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

2007-10-28T14:27:00.000-04:00

Finally got my hands on Rhino's Life Less Lived: The Gothic Box and I thought I'd review it but immediately I ran into problems. LLL:TGB has been out a little over a year and the primary complaint I've heard about it is that many of these bands on it aren't Gothic. And I roll my eyes. I'll be the first to admit I don't quite get music labels. I don't understand "indie" or "alternative" as

Bring on the Amateurs...

2007-10-25T12:13:00.000-04:00

Unsigned.com is basically exactly what it sounds like--musical acts who haven't signed with a record label yet. I checked it out a while back and the place wasn't hopping, but now apparently it's up and running with all kinds of bells and whistles. Haven't spent much time there yet--just set up a basic profile and listened to a couple bands. And I've found something to like in Chamber of Echoes.

More grist for the mill...

2007-10-09T12:22:00.000-04:00

...more ways to waste/spend your time.Couple changes to the "Blog" list. Added Wanderlust and Infocult.Wanderlust's a blog that's long languished but seen lots of activity lately. Stop by so Annette keeps it up. She babbles about photography and prog rock. And she seems to know Joe from One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer rather well...Infocult... I'm a smart guy. My mommy tells me so. But there

The Cult of the Amateur

2007-09-23T14:03:00.000-04:00

Andrew Keen thinks we're all monkeys. All of us bloggers, aspiring writers, and up and coming musicians on the Internet--we're those monkeys banging away randomly at typewriters who might maybe, on accident type out some Shakespeare one day. Worse than monkeys we're amateurs.I've been intrigued by Keen's book The Cult of the Amateur since I heard it's title. His basic premise is that the things

Brief reviews...

2007-09-11T11:07:00.000-04:00

...of a band/CD and couple DVDs I just watched. I'm playing catch up in all cases, but that's just the way I roll. Plus I'm feeling bad for not having posted in a while. Grad school and life has been keeping me busy...AFI--touted in some circles as a Goth band I figured I owed them a listen. At random picked the album Decemberunderground. The lead in to the album gave me hope. It was suitably

Deal of the Weekend

2007-09-04T10:20:00.000-04:00

Over the long weekend had the opportunity to stop at Half Price Books with The Best Girlfriend in the World right before we saw the Bourne Ultimatum (great movie BTW) and I made a find in the clearance section. Now, I don't normally look at the $1 and $2 clearance sections, but recently in Indy I made a couple of finds (The Moaners and Joydrop) that changed my mind. So now I check out the

The road not taken...

2007-08-23T11:56:00.000-04:00

…for me is metal. Never been a big fan. We have an odd relationship, metal music and I. Aside from a brief flirtation with the genre back in high school which began with Savatage's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" and ended with me being ragged on for mentioning I kind of dug Dio, I've steered clear of metal. Punk spoke to me more clearly and it was generally louder and more intense, esp. more

The True Face of...

2007-08-14T13:53:00.000-04:00

...Hamad.None of that crappy Simpsonized stuff...Okay he doesn't have tats quite like these, but...Yeah, the nose is off...but...well if you were to take off the glasses of his Simpsons Avatar you would have...my Simpson Avatar......and......as you can see.... ...Hamad and I look nothing a like...except for us both having a shaved head and being devilishly handsome.At least that's what his wife

Gothic Kabbalah

2007-08-13T11:50:00.000-04:00

I think I might love Therion. But I know I love their album Gothic Kabbalah…it's become my "goto" music. No matter what mood I'm in the album just works for me. I've had it in constant play for the month I've had it. The longest it's been out of my CD player is 2 days and only then because I loaned it out. I'd be hard pressed to explain exactly what appeals to me most about the two CD set,

2 things I (mistakenly) believe...

2007-08-06T09:53:00.001-04:00

...about iPods/iTunes.1. I believe when I've added enough music to my iTunes library, my computer will achieve sentience and start planning global domination. This does not apply to anyone else's iTunes library because your musical taste is...lacking.2. My shuffle playlist is your hell. That's right. Hell. Literally. While you might enjoy individual songs, the juxtapostion of songs on shuffle

Mmmm, Falafel...

2007-08-06T08:56:00.000-04:00

There are days when I just don't like the thought of being carnivorous but I want something filling and tasty. The answer: falafel, hummus, baba ghanouj, and stuffed grape leaves. A good falafel wrap is as hearty a meal as any burger. And just as burger quality and variety varies from place to place so does falafel. Falafel is from ground chickpeas, parsley, and spices, then formed into a ball or

Ebert and Art...

2007-07-24T08:37:00.000-04:00

So Roger Ebert is debating whether videogames are "art" with Clive Barker… It's an interesting exercise. People all over the internets are doing it right now and have been doing so since since Ebert wrote the article. And it's pointless. "What is art" is fluid. People have been pushing the concept, well, forever. Performance art, found art, pop art, installations, film as art, etc. They may have

Two stories, a statement, and some pimpin'...

2007-07-23T08:52:00.000-04:00

The other day I'm exiting the freeway. One exit ramp till it widens to a right and two left turning lanes. It's a nice sunny and mild day and I'm enjoying the drive. Until this car pulls right up to my tail and tries to pass me. On a single lane exit ramp. My flipping him off was fully justified. He backs off till the lane widens then he pulls around me like a bat out of hell into the far left

Pop-Tarts and False Idols...

2007-07-12T09:21:00.000-04:00

I've never understood American Idol. We don't need American Idol. We never have. And honestly, has it made a success out of anyone other than Kelly Clarkson? This might not seem like a timely topic--maybe I should have blogged about it years ago, but I keep seeing ads for the American Idols 2007 Tour (sponsored by Pop-Tarts, Mmmmm…) in the entertainment weekly here. And it sort of gets my goat.I

Matters of choice?

2007-03-29T11:23:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been discussing community building and freedom of choice with some of my friends. It began on-line here. Talked it over some in person and then it was a series of e-mail. To summarize…Joe asked why aren't we a close knit community like the Irish village community in the movie "The Matchmaker." My response was something along the lines of "we're too big and have too many choices"

Spring is here...

2007-03-25T13:59:00.000-04:00

...and it's time to come out of hibernation. The Greater Cleveland Meteroplitan area is just about thawed out (for the moment.) So maybe I'll get back to posting, when I can think of something I feel like ranting about.

By the numbers: Mission Impossible 3

2007-01-04T13:48:00.000-05:00

Put in MI3 last night and about 10-15 minutes into it started looking for something else to do while I let the movie run. Why? Because I've seen it all before. Okay, make some allowances for me being a cynical and jaded movie-goer and consider that I rip through genre fiction and movies, but MI3 brings nothing new to the table. It's decent action and performances, but, JJ Abrams, I've seen Alias

Random movie reviews...

2006-12-21T11:29:00.000-05:00

So it's the slow time of the year at work and I turn to blog posting. It's this or be bored out of my mind. Or read Wikipedia all day. So instead of setting up another straw man like Christian Rock to take down, thought I'd post some random capsule reviews of movies I've seen lately...Stay Alive Stay Away! Me and the "Coolest Girlfriend in the World" made it 15-20 minutes in to this stinker

Gospel's cool, but...

2006-12-18T10:15:00.000-05:00

"Christian rock" is an oxymoron. There can be no such thing as Christian rock. The two musical genres are fundamentally at odds. You can have Christian music in the style of rock music or you can have Christian music which essentially parodies rock music. But you just can't have Christian rock music. What torques me off about most contemporary Christian music is that it's propaganda. It's

"The most...

2006-10-31T09:39:00.000-05:00

....merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents."

IF...

2006-10-19T10:21:00.000-04:00

...you're the kind of person who kicks kittens when no one's around...you're the kind of person who kicks kittens.

The kids...

2006-09-29T09:16:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I worry. About everyone I know. About the world. About the future. About everything. See, I'm a smart person and I do and have done some very very very dumb things. And, well, at the risk of sounding arrogant, most of the world isn't as smart as me. It seems like all the youngin's these days are, well, stupider than me and my contemporaries. And don't get me started on the old saw "age

Premium Roast Coffee...

2006-08-21T09:35:00.000-04:00

...That tastes like they used a dirty dish rag for a filter. McDonald's your coffee blows now. And your stupid new lid drips and dribbles coffee on my clothing. Woke up a half hour late for work today and was in desperate need of an eye opener. If it were the weekend and I weren't heading for work I might have reached for the Bushmill's but you can only use the whiskey scented mouthwash excuse so

Nothing new...

2006-07-24T22:43:00.000-04:00

So there's problems in the Middle East. Somewhere someone's lying about something to someone else. Probably to get laid. Somewhere else some geek who isn't getting some is sitting around in his Darth Maul boxers writing about something no one else cares about on the Internet...wait, that's me. I apologize to all my millions of fans out there for not posting more. But there really is nothing new

Udupi Update

2006-07-15T13:03:00.000-04:00

I should probably change this blog to "Dolph Lundgren Must Diet" since I seem to focus largely on food, but anyway... Vinnie G pointed out in a comment on the post before this one that every time he orders something at Udupi "it comes out as potato pancakes." And after my trip to Udupi Cafe yesterday, I get why he'd say that. Hit the lunch buffet yesterday. And. It. Was. Awesome. Seriously, very

The lamb (I think it was lamb) was good...

2006-07-10T12:26:00.000-04:00

So I hit the lunch buffet at Mughal in Parma with the little sister. The food was good. The service...so-so. And I didn't know what I was eating. Sure it was all familiar, but there were only three things labeled one of which was the naan. I think to get the true measure of the place I'll need a second trip to the buffet or order off the menu. Currently, my ranking for Indian in the immediate

Just like a prayer...

2006-07-03T09:43:00.000-04:00

Blogging is a little like praying. Basically, you send a message out into the vast unfeeling universe or its cyber equivalent. Do you expect an answer back? Does anyone expect an answer in prayer? Is there a difference between the beam of sunshine a religious supplicant perceives as the Divine answering them or kewldude69 responding to your blog with a virtual high-five? You could argue that the

2006-06-28T12:18:00.000-04:00

Buliwyf: 'Lo, there do I see my father. 'Lo, there do I see...Herger the Joyous: My mother, and my sisters, and my brothers.Buliwyf: 'Lo, there do I see...Herger the Joyous: The line of my people...Edgtho the Silent: Back to the beginning.Weath the Musician: 'Lo, they do call to me.Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: They bid me take my place among them.Buliwyf: In the halls of Valhalla...Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Where

The more things change...

2006-06-26T08:54:00.000-04:00

...the more they stay the same. I buzzed by my 10 year college reunion this weekend. LAME! There was one person I wanted to see, but she was there for maybe 10 seconds. With her husband and her hyphenated last name. And the rest of the people? Still the same knuckleheads I never wanted much to do with. Should have figured the people I actually wanted to see would be the same people who'd never

A glimpse in my fridge...

2006-06-20T19:16:00.000-04:00

A mass of Taco Bell sauce packets, mostly Hot and Fire.2 almost empty jars of spaghetti sauce which must have gone bad a month ago.1 jar of minced garlic a couple months past it's expiration date.1 bottle Louisiana Hot Sauce.Mostly empty bottle of Drew's Organic Garlic Italian Salad dressing.A coffee can 1/3 full of coffee with chicory.Half full bottle of Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard.A bottle of

Food Fears

2006-06-15T15:39:00.000-04:00

Why are people afraid to try new foods? Particularly those from other cultures? I had really good Indian food last night, but I don't eat it as often as I'd like because getting people to go is a hassle. "I don't know what it tastes like." "What do they have that I'd like?" "Eww." These are the sorts of things I hear. But its ridiculously easy to get people to get Chinese. There's nothing odd

Kathy Kane Outted

2006-06-12T10:12:00.000-04:00

Old news--meant to comment when it was more current, but I'm lazy. So lesbian Batwoman. Kathy Kane. I thought she was dead. But with ret-cons and comic book conventions no one stays dead permanently. So they're bringing back a character from the 50's. And now she's gay. Comic books are an exploitative medium. They always have been. They need to stay hip and current. That's part of the reason the

random wisdom...

2006-06-09T09:18:00.000-04:00

If those who are like wanton childrenAre by nature prone to injure otherswhat point is there in being angry--Like resenting fire for its heat?-Bodhicaryavatar

It's Customer Service!

2006-06-06T08:18:00.000-04:00

I'm a little late to the English as the official language debate. Whether or not it's declared as the official language of the U.S. isn't really important to me. But the bitching about how things are in available in Spanish is kind of important. I got a picture over e-mail the other day of the American flag waving a against a back drop of blue sky and at the bottom someone had written "Why should

There's an Art and Science...

2006-06-03T16:31:00.000-04:00

...to drinking. Going out to get hammered is for the young, the lost, and all those trying to fill some inner void. It's an art because nothing about drinking is exact and there's something magical about a good cocktail, a fine wine, or a well crafted brew. It's a science because it's chemistry and a field worthy of study. It's alchemy. Every night out, every occasion you hoist a glass, is an

Celebrity Colonialism

2006-06-02T10:02:00.000-04:00

I meant to bring this up earlier in the week. Apparently the cult of celebrity is a true force to be reckoned with. Brad and Angelina everyone's favorite uber-couple have a nice private army and the ability to negotiate directly with foreign governments. Star power alone is enough to wring concessions from the Nambian government. Of course, B & A are probably paying quite well for all the

America, Gay Marriage, Morality and You

2006-05-31T17:17:00.000-04:00

So I've been trying to add a comment to hamad's blog about this proposed marriage amendment, The Marriage Protection Act, which would basically ban gay marriage. But...it got long so, I'll post it here. It's sort of a response, but I also think I say some of the same things he does only with more words...so it makes more sense if you read hamad's blog first.It is a government's function to

Pet Peeves

2006-05-30T10:19:00.000-04:00

I barely slept last night. And coffee ain't helping. Here's a random ranty list of stuff that bugs me...1. Catcher in the Rye love--It's not about rebellion and it's not primarily a commentary of society. Holden Caulfield is an immature adolescent lashing out at everything around him because he can't cope with his brother's death. Why kids read it and see it as a call to rebellion I'll never get…

Oh, no, there goes Tokyo...

2006-05-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

Ugly and nasty out. It's a Godzilla movie marathon and coffee for me today. I rag on people for having really bad taste in movies sometimes, but usually only when they tell me Bad Boys II is one of their favorite movies. Generally though I have great appreciation for bad movies: B-grade, Z-grade, and things that tanked. Hudson Hawk is a good example of the last. Lurve that one and watch it

Boat Drinks

2006-05-23T13:25:00.000-04:00

I don't know if it's the quality of the sunshine out the window of my workplace or just spring in the air but there's nothing I'd like better right now than to blow off work and get me some boat drinks. Something with rum and lime and boozy goodness. Maybe with a funny little umbrella in the glass. Could be I'm bored. Or I'm a lush. Or maybe I'm looking forward to summer following spring and

Sweet Zombie Jesus!

2006-05-23T08:45:00.000-04:00

Futurama line. Which I think they won't play when they rerun episodes, even on Adult Swim. And it's what my cousin's son said when Easter was explained to him. When told that JC came back from the dead after 3 days, his response was "Jesus is a zombie!" My cousin blames Scooby Doo.So...The Da Vinci Code... By all accounts it sucks. I could have told the world that before the movie even came out.

Resistance is...

2006-05-13T10:04:00.000-04:00

So this is my bazillionth attempt at keeping a blog. Mostly because I've been way too tempted to respond to the blogs of others lately. Esp. the two listed in the links. And I find myself not writing a short comment or quick quip, but essays. I'd love to call them rants but there wasn't enough fire in them. Maybe I'll post some of what I was going to put on their sites here...or not. Ugh, and