UPCOMING SHOWS:

Condoms? What are those anyway?

The Bush sisters are, unfortunately, public figures by association now--they need to realize everybody is waiting for them to slip up. I kind of feel sorry for them; they're going to get nailed for things most minors can easily sidestep. Of course not every kid gets to use the Secret Service to pick up their friends from the city's drunk tank either. And if heredity is any indicator, they have at least 20 years' worth of youthful indiscretions yet to make.

It's worth noting that Islam preaches tolerance of other religions and their iconography--so does Christianity, but does anybody ever practice it? I wonder if the average American WASP ever stops to think about how his worship of a secular graven image (the US flag) borders on brazen idolatry.

An addendum to the Taliban story--the government may have banned the future production of heroin, but it has not ordered the destruction of present supplies. In other words, they're playing the market like a cartel (or a Texas energy company), hoarding the finished product until the demand goes up again, whereupon they can ask any price. (Most of the heroin in Europe comes from Turkey or Afghanistan, BTW.) There may be an injunction against heroin use in the Koran, but Allah didn't say nothin' about selling it to the infidels...

by Illyich at 11:22 AM

Those Bush girls sure are a hoot, always getting their purty lil' noses into some form of trouble or another. In fact, just this week 19 yr old Jenna got nabbed for possession of a fake ID while trying to purchase booze at a Mexican restaurant in Austin, TX; Barbara, also 19, just happened to be there. As you may recall, Jenna was ticketed for possesion of alcohol by a minor in April, while sweet and innocent Yale undergrad Barbara managed to ditch her Secret Service bodyguards en route to a World Wrestling Federation event in Connecticut in February.

If for nothing else, I'm going to keep watching those Bush girls since they've proven to be significantly more interesting (and human) than their ever-mindful-of-approval-ratings father.

In other news... I was going to comment on the troublesome state of affairs in Afghanistan when Mr. Lennon wrote that wonderful piece about it. Thanks, Illyich! Good show! One thing, though, is that the Taliban, in their quest to create a strictly orthodox Islamic country, have yet to require Hindus to wear ID badges and non-Muslim women to adopt traditional Islamic women's wear. In fact, a Taliban government representative, in light of the fervor raised worldwide, stated that it was simply a policy that was destined to die before becoming law. Whether or not he was telling the truth or not is something that only time and history will ultimately tell. As for the two immense Buddhas that were destroyed, the Buddhist community, with the exception of those nutty Tibetans, merely smiled... you see, a basic tenet of ours says that "if you see the buddha, then you must kill him", meaning that one should hold no view as finite and absolute; to adore and revere no icon, including that of the Buddha. Whether or not those statues were art or not is up to someone (everyone) else. Did anyone else happen to see the news footage of the Taliban soldiers using US-made rocket launchers on them? Indeed, the Cold War still giveth and taketh away...

Hey, Sav... "domes" means condoms, you ol' pull-out king.

by Lawless at 7:20 PM

OK, we're back. Interesting post there, Jones. I'll have to remember that the next time I order bongs or bomb parts on line. Call me a lame-o if you will, but what the hell are "domes?"

by Jeff Gannon at 3:51 PM

What the fuck happened to the site?

by Jeff Gannon at 11:15 AM

For an example of faith-based policies in action, consider the Taliban, the theocracy that rules most of Afghanistan. The Bush junta has just given the leaders of the Taliban a ìgiftî of $43 million dollars for their own holy war against drugs (and many other things they donít like, such as: the USA, Hindus, Buddhists, human rights, to name a few). Itís a disheartening irony that weíre giving money to a repressive, un-democratic regime that destroys centuries-old works of art, requires Hindus to wear badges on their person whenever appearing in publicóreminiscent of Nazi Germanyóand is probably still sequestering international terrorist Osama bin Laden. Then again, it's not like we haven't done it before.

What worries me is that American democracy no longer sets an example for the rest of the worldómaybe the Taliban is setting an example for us. (from the L.A. Times)

by Illyich at 3:12 PM

Hey Trent, how does it feel to be a minority for a change (minority leader, anyway)? Not that the Democrats will do a better job of governing or managing Senate affairs, but it's nice to see the schoolyard bully Dubya get licked for a change. At least now he'll have to get up a little earlier each morning and work a little harder if he wants his pet proposals to pass Congress.

It's like deja vu all over again. If you'll remember, Clinton tried the same strong-arm tactics with Senator Richard Shelby (D) of Alabama when he refused to support President Clingon's economic policy. Again, the White House went too far in punishing Shelby--threatening to pull the NASA space center out of Huntsville, which is in Shelby's district--and he bolted to the Republicans, where he has stayed ever since. Needless to say, the accusation of "eating your own" didn't help the new president's public image, and one less piece on the chessboard didn't make passing policy any easier in the Senate.

Maybe Dubya should pay a little more attention to his predecessor--he could learn a thing or two. He's already forgotten that Big Washington Fundraisers + Sleepovers on Government Property + Access for Contributions = Scandal.

by Illyich at 8:55 AM

senator james m. jeffords of vermont will be making an official announcement tomorrow that he is leaving the republican party. jeffords told reporters he was going to make a statement on the floor of the senate wednesday, but decided to make the announcement in vermont. when asked if it was concerning his leaving the party, he responded it would and the answer wouldn't be "no." (thanks ny times)

it seems the paradigms have shifted in washington. i know it isn't going to change squat, but i would just love to watch ol' w. squirm in the white house. that's what you get when using strong-arm tactics to your fellow party-members!

my point is, if the president can piss off a member of his own party, in his own country so much that he'd leave the party to hand over the entire senate to his political enemies, how badly can he piss off a xiang xemin, say? or a vladimir putin? or a silvio berlusconi? or a gerhard schroder?

senator trent lott responded wednesday by saying "it's not final until it's final." does he think he's yogi berra? what the hell kind of response is that? he must be feeling fairly queasy himself.

by Rusty at 9:38 PM

This e-mail was forwarded to me by an associate. Needless to say, the author of said message was promptly fired. Consider this a lesson in what not to write when using your corporate template and e-mail address. FYI, this is legit, company name and address removed by yours truly for legal reasons.

From: Peter Chung
Subject: LIVING LIKE A KING
Date: Tue, 15 May 2001 20:26:21 -0400
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19)
Content-Type: text/plain

So I've been in Korea for about a week and a half now and what can I say,
LIFE IS GOOD....

I've got a spanking brand new 2000 sq. foot 3 bedroom apt. with a 200 sq.
foot terrace running the entire length of my apartment with a view
overlooking Korea's main river and nightline......Why do I need 3 bedrooms?
Good question,.... the main bedroom is for my queen size bed,...where CHUNG
is going to fuck every hot chick in Korea over the next 2 years (5 down,
1,000,000,000 left to go).... the second bedroom is for my harem of
chickies, and the third bedroom is for all of you fuckers when you come out
to visit my ass in Korea. I go out to Korea's finest clubs, bars and
lounges pretty much every other night on the weekdays and everyday on the
weekends to (I think in about 2 months, after I learn a little bit of the
buyside business I'll probably go out every night on the weekdays). I know
I was a stud in NYC but I pretty much get about, on average, 5-8 phone
numbers a night and at least 3 hot chicks that say that they want to go
home with me every night I go out. I love the buyside,.... I have bankers
calling me everyday with opportunties and they pretty much cater to my
every whim - you know (golfing events, lavish dinners, a night out
clubbing). The guys I work with are also all chilll - I live in the same
apt building as my VP and he drives me around in his Porsche (1 of 3 in all
of Korea) to work and when we go out. What can I say,.... live is good,...
CHUNG is KING of his domain here in Seoul.....

So,.... all of you fuckers better keep in touch and start making plans to
come out and visit my ass ASAP, I'll show you guys an unbelievable
time....My contact info is below....
Oh, by the way,... someone's gotta start fedexing me boxes of domes,...I
brought out about 40 but I think I'll run out of them by Saturday.....

Laters,
CHUNG

by Lawless at 7:10 PM

i saw the rosenbergs last saturday.

now i understand those dudes have a certain amount of credibility. i heard them on the radio the day before and they were talking about how they found a great label who will go the distance with them and really try to help them out, and they'd rather be there than with a major label that would try to screw them out of house and home. that sounded reasonable to me.

i also give them a lot of credit for their failed attempt to stick it to that farm club television show. for those of you who don't know, the show sent them a ridiculous contract, which included nasty clauses like they could replace members if they wanted to, and other boloney. they sent the contract to magazines like spin and rolling stone, who decided they didn't want to touch the story. kudos kids!

but when they got on stage, they continued to berate the music industry and whined about how they couldn't get a good deal and make a lot of mony doing what they want to do.

well that did it for me. in my opinion, it's one thing to bitch about that sort of thing in interviews and other promotional materials, but to do it on stage takes away a lot of that credibility they built up.

for starters, they come across as whiny pricks when they do it on stage. i mean, they're playing a rock show, and i could care less about thier squabbles with the music industry. please rock when you're on stage. it's why you're there, isn't it?

besides, i know a lot of people who would trade places with them in heartbeat (four come to the top of my head right away). i think these dudes should be a lot more thankful for what they do have than what they don't have. if i could hit the road with my rock'n'roll band, and simply make enough dough to pay my bills, put food on my table, and maintain my equipment, i'd be happier than a pig in shit.

listen rosenbergs, i understand you're frustrated, but lighten up a little. at least you're not stuck in the ghetto with absolutely nowhere to go. at least you're not living in the middle of civil war. at least you have the freedom to even play in rock'n'roll band. you have it better than a lot of people do, and i just think you should be bit more appreciative with what you have been blessed with.

i'm sure chuck berry got screwed out of a lot of good money, too, but i think he knew better than to whine about it on stage.

by Rusty at 4:04 PM

Hey Lawless, no worries. (I thought you were talking about me at first!) You may have been unruly, but you were far from out of line or out of control. I understand your frustration with shows like that and the people that can ruin them for everybody: I was down in front. That Iggy crowd at the Vic only reinforced the most horrible stereotypes I had about the Lincoln Park crowd. (Why is it the only frat guys that want to do the crowd surfing happen to also weigh 280 pounds and have steel-toed boots?) There were a few times where I was astoundingly close to just punching one of those guys right in the face: This one dude was just SMASHING his way through these girls, so much so that a few of them had to be pulled out of the crowd, and that's just not cool any way you look at it. Luckily I thought better of the fisticuffs, because why would I want to cause someone else the pain they're unwittingly dishing out on me? Plus I'd probably break my hand and not be able to rock. You walked out without incident, and you were the better man.

It does take a big person to be introspective, and I appreciate it.

So, on to other things. Last night I was working on my car on the street in Logan Square (what else is new?) I witnessed first hand some of the tensions that come from gentrification. Let me tell you, it's not all frappacinos, dalmations, and strollers up here. These two girls pulled up next to a house and did a fairly common thing. (For those sensitive to racial slurs, I'm going to make one now in the interest of getting to the bottom of the story, so shield your eyes if your sense of political correctness is acute.) I've heard it called the "Puerto Rico Door Bell." All that means is the practice of double-parking in front of a house and honking the horn until the person you're picking up comes out. So, as a car pulled up (the driver on her cell phone) and beeped a couple of times, a white dude, probably in his late thirties, was getting groceries out of his car. He knocked on the window and politely told the girls (who just happened to be Puerto Rican,) "You know, you really should get out of the car and knock on the door, or just call in there on your phone. There's no need to honk your horn, it just makes it noisy around here and it bothers people. Thanks." He must have offended them, because as he's walking away, the girl on the passenger side steps out and, on the way to the door to comply, says something to the guy. The guy gets a little angrier and says, "I just asked you nicely. Now please just go in there and stop honking the horn every time! There's no call for that." The girl then says, "See, you're new here. I don't see how you have any right. You're new here, you just got here." The guy, very angry, says, "I've lived here for seven years!" to which the girl responds "Well I've been here twenty years." The guy turns around and screams, "YOU'RE A FAT CUNT! YOU'RE A FAT FUCKING CUNT!" The girl says, "You're not looking so good yourself, fucking asshole" and so on and so on. No fists were thrown, but it sure was loud.

So much for living hand in hand with diversity. I can't figure out who was more out of line, the girls for beeping when they had a cell phone right in the car, or the guy for exploding and using language like that, making more of a disturbance than the girls were originally. (I mean, you don't use the C word all the time I'd hope, that to me is pretty vulgar and far more offensive than a simple horn toot.) There's a lot more going on there than one simple shouting match.

This entry illustrates not only MY stereotypes, but those of the people who have been in the neighborhood for years and are slowly being priced out by white suburbanites, and those of the guy who expects to live in a nice, quiet little neighborhood in the midst of the inner city, a neighborhood that his parents' generation turned their backs on thirty years ago.

Personally, I was embarrased for both of them, to have even witnessed this. We've got a long way to go, don't we?

by Jeff Gannon at 12:03 PM

This a story about a fella I've known for a long time now. Perhaps you've met him. He's not the brightest or most talented person out there today, but he makes a concerted effort to continue to grow as both an individual and a human being, particularly in the last few years. But like most people he follows a well-worn pattern when he's been drinking. It really doesn't matter what he says when he's sober, and it really doesn't matter what he believes in or what he happens to be wearing, for when he's drunk he's an embarrassment to say the least. He likes to drink, but only to a degree where he still has total control over his faculties and can still remain loyal to reason and judgment. However, he hates crowds, mostly due to an overwhelming longheld deepseated fear, one compounded by the fact that he is not the most social of individuals, occasionally lapsing into an obvious misanthopy, so when he goes out and tries to be social he typically drinks himself into a stupor and ends up doing things to humiliate himself and those he surrounds himself with. He becomes aggressive, possessive, boisterous, obnoxious, arrogant, stubborn, opinionated, et al... sound familiar yet? Anyone care to take a guess?

Yep, it's me. To those who I saw Iggy Pop with the other night, please forgive my behavior & actions as the night progressed. I lost control and probably overstepped my boundaries. I'm getting better but I've got a long way to go. Next time I have one too many and get out of line, pull me to the side and let me know, alright? In the meantime, sorry to get personal on y'all, but I needed to get it off my chest.

Oh yeah... LONG LIVE ROCK! (sing it, now)

by Lawless at 7:33 PM

LOOK WHO'S STILL GETTING NEWS! Blake should listen to OJ, maybe he'll get away with murder, too.

by Jeff Gannon at 4:52 PM

Hey Sav, in no way shape or form was I knocking every American's God-given right to be drunk and naked, particularly when camcorders are aimed, focused and running. As a matter of fact, I was drunk and naked at the aforementioned performances. You shoulda seen the look on Studs' face! If I didn't know any better I'd say he was having prurient thoughts about my Adonis-like figure... Adrian Adonis, that is.

By the way, you malodorous fart-monger, great job on the Weezer piece. Hilarious and stunningly accurate!

And here's one fer yew other thinkin' folks: the major U.S. petroleum companies own the leading photovoltaic manufacturers and their interests, more or less explaining why you don't hear much about solar power these days and hear too much of Dick Cheney nonchalantly stating that the answer to our energy "crisis" lies in the construction of a new power station every week for the next twenty years. No shit, he really said this.

by Lawless at 4:24 PM

In music news, I see a lot of kiddies buzzing about the new record from Weezer. Most seem to say it sux. In particular, check out this review from the overlords of "All That is New and More Hip Than You," Pitchfork. I do feel bad for the kid, he seems to REALLY like Weezer. I was thinking of sending this in to the "reader mail" section, but that would just make me more geeky than, say, a weblog writer. So, for those who give a fuck, here are my thoughts:

To Pitchfork (+ Spencer Owen,)

I realize that being a younger guy, you probably haven't been exposed to as much rock as us older farts. I feel bad, you seem so forlorn over this new Weezer record! As Jesus said, "Put not your faith in Weezer. Go get the Pixies' "Dolittle" and you've got most of the blue album right there." (Of course, I'm paraphrasing.) Sure, Rivers Cuomo and company provide a quality brand of ear pleasing, sing along rock, but other than that, what else makes them the second coming? Weezer is eerily similar to another "big guitar rock" band you may have heard of: Boston.

To illustrate my point, I have made some comparisons:

Weezer's first three releases: 1994, 1996, 2001, ?
Boston's first three releases: 1976, 1978, 1986 (not a perfect match but notice the large gap and stay with me.)

Boston's songwriter/guitar player Tom Scholz attended MIT, in Cambridge, MA
Weezer's Songwriter/guitar player Rivers Cuomo attended Harvard in, gasp, CAMBRIDGE, MA!

Look at the songs "Hash Pipe" and "Smokin'." VERY similar theme, methinks.

Both bands are notorious for backing out of tours.

To quote my illustrious co-worker Mr. Lennon:
"Both bands can release awful albums and they'll still sell a million of 'em. Compare Boston's Turd Stage and Weezer's Stinkerton." Or more fittingly, this new one. I kinda liked Stinkerton myself.

"While Boston & Tom Scholz spent a million to make a basement demo sound like a professional recording project, Weezer and Rivers Cuomo spent a million to make a professional recording project sound like a basement demo (the blue album)."

Well, maybe we're going a little too far, but my point is this: I thought Boston's first record was cool at age 10. But I got over it. Weezer's brand of slick, tuneful rock is great ear candy that I rock out to on occasion, but when your kids are teens and they start to get into music, don't you think that Weezer is going to be looked at in the same way? How could they do anything BUT disappoint? Their very schtick is disappointing. Jesus would want you to get some Chuck Berry records. Listen to those and I guarantee you won't be so stressed out about this.

Green Album, indeed.

by Jeff Gannon at 4:02 PM

Hey Jones, good to see that even in a post about the finer arts, you can still find a way to mention "The Nuge." He pops up a lot here, doesn't he? I do take issue with you though, as I am a dedicated supporter of every American's God- given right to be drunk and naked.

I just thought I'd take a moment to give thanks to Blogger. Many people complain about Blogger's frequent crashes and general unreliability, but those people should just take a minute and think about this: Blogger is free. The Blogspot site is free. I don't know a lick of html, servers or anything else like that, and I have a lot to learn. But I just went over to the Blogger site and was operational the same day. Isn't that wonderful? It's free speech for the people. So I have to put up with a few crashes, a few frustrations. So what? It's time for me to quit bitching. No one said that free speech would be easy. It's time to be thankful for what we have. I hope Blogger will continue. Thank you for reading. KATHMANDU!!!! GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY!!!

by Jeff Gannon at 10:04 AM

Seen any good plays lately? Seen any at all? Strange as it may sound, I saw "The Drawer Boy" at the Steppenwolf on Sunday, and "Talking with Studs" (Terkel) on Monday. Now, before ya accuse me of having lofty recreations and consequently find me guilty of being white, let me state my case. There is no shame is exploring new things, none whatsoever. The lesser mind is the one that refuses to see and experience outside of the proscribed box. While it would be much cooler to say that I got drunk and naked and saw, er, uh, some middling alterna-indie band I've seen fourteen times already and they STILL can't nail that "irony"-drenched cover of Cat Scratch Fever, I'm certain glad I went, if nothing else save for the peculiar impulse to jump on stage during the performance and do something silly to John Mahoney (of "Frasier" fame) or Johnny Gilecki ("Roseanne").

P.S. So the Supreme Court, in a decision written by Diet Coke spokesman Clarence Thomas (remember the pubic hair controversy?), finds against the medicinal use of marijuana. Hmmmm. Next time you're wretching 'cause of the chemo you can thank the major pharmaceutical companies for their successful lobbying efforts. Oh, and their particular brand of prescription pills. And as for you few remaining independent farmers, I guess you'll have to stick with soybeans and corn.

by Lawless at 6:14 PM

So let me get this straight--the Oaf of Office tells us the panacea for rising gasoline and energy prices is ... *ta da* ... a tax cut! So not only will petrol companies reap dividends from a market they're already manipulating, but American consumers are going to be pouring most of their magical mystery tax cut RIGHT BACK INTO these companies. So much for being able to spend your money as you see fit.

by Illyich at 8:54 AM

I should just refrain from watching television completely. Every time I turn it on, I just get incredibly pissed off. I flip on the tube and see good 'ole boy Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris patting themselves on the back for Florida's elections reform progress. Nevermind the steps that were taken to disallow and delay the recounts or correct the election as it happened, or that thousands of elegible voters were scrubbed of the list in (deliberate) error, and that both of their hands are bloody in the subversion of the whole election process.

Anyway, here's some weekend highlights. I saw the band Metropolis at a house party the other night. I have to admit, I have seen them before and had never really given them my full attention because, well, every other time I've seen them they've been louder than fuck. And I like loud, but this was inhuman. I mean, the kind of loud that you can't really make out anything but noise. I've seen them clear rooms twice for that reason. But at this party they turned down just a touch, and really had it nailed. They're a sort of combination of the sounds of GvsB, Braniac, and Ministry. Two bass players, no guitar, and its really kind of funky. They were just jumping all over and going nuts, and it was very entertaining. I wonder if they have a website..... Anyhow keep an eye on them, they're going to go places.

Hung out with the man, the myth, the legend known as Danny Doom. Check out his site and his songs, not only because they're good, but because he's one of the only people I know who reads this on a regular basis! And speaking of reading things online, we had an enlightening discussion about the weblog thing. It turns out Mr. Doom checks out some of the same weblogs that I do regularly, like the Hey Mercedes weblog and of course everyone's favorite Blog superstar, Nanette. Neither of us even know why we check them, we just do. I mean, I never really went gaga over Braid, and although Hey Mercedes is pretty ok, they're not exactly my favorite band. But despite this, I read Bob Nanna's weblog every freakin' day! I find out what furnature he's just bought, what DVD he's checking out, and how bored he is at work waiting to go tour again with his popular band. (Oh, the suffering!) Why do I do this? It's almost like self- torture sometimes (speaking as someone in a, uh, not popular band,) like reading about Bil Gates fretting about how he's going to spend all of that money of his. But as I put this post on, you know where I'm going. You guessed it.

Weblogs are addictive.

by Jeff Gannon at 10:13 AM

At one point or another I was quite excited about the debut of Comedy Central's "That's My Bush". I admit it, and so should you. Just think of the comedic potential, a satire of the life and foibles of a sitting United States President whose personna and rise to power came under such massive scrutiny. Drop the kid gloves and really let the shit fly, right? This could be better than "Tanner '88", right?

oops. Tie yer hopes to the torpedos, boys.

Yuck. Imagine tossing the more banal moments of "Happy Days" and "Diff'rent Strokes" into a blender with a splash of cold newswire feeds and you'd have "That's My Bush". So instead of feeling low and actually sitting through the rest of the pilot episode, I got to thinking about a better project. Now dig this...

Rehire the staff and personnel of Fox's wunderkind, "Martin". Producers, editors, actors, et al... except for Martin Lawrence. No, not him, his day in the sun has come and gone, particularly in light of the fact that he has an impending summer movie starring opposite Danny DeVito, the angel of career death in Hollywood. But who will we get to play Martin? Bill Clinton, that's who. Think of it. Everyone loves Bubba, even staunch white bigots, er, Republicans like Phil Gramm, Henry Hyde and Asa Hutchinson. Hell, Asa owes his whole career to Bill! Labor unions love 'em, too, NAFTA be damned! C'mon, think of it, folks, Bill doing all those wacky characters and bits that Martin used to do only with his inimitable style. Just give it a chance.

After all, we gave the XFL a shot, didn't we?

by Lawless at 5:08 PM

Boeing Moves Its Corporate HQ To Chicago And All I Got Was This Lousy $61 Million Tax Break - By now I'm sure you've heard that Boeing is headed to Chicago in September, their major incentive being that they will receive a 61 million dollar tax break over the next twenty years. Holy Corporate Welfare, Batman! The poor collossal millitary and commercial jet builder is down on its luck! So what do the company's head executives do to honor the announcement? Why, they mosey on over to a swank five-star restaurant in downtown Chicago to dine on marbled steak, Atlantic salmon and French champagne with Da Mare and Governor Ryan. That makes sense, don't it? Of course it does. I can recall the last time I picked up welfare I went right out and bought the largest bag of Cheetos I could afford, then drove up and down Harlem in my new Cadillac (that's a shot at you Democrats cum Republicans circa mid 1990s)...

Word of advice to those guiding the political/business interests of both Chicago and the state of Illinois: how about some jobs that us working stiffs might have a legitimate chance at holding? And goddmamn it, stop staring at Colombia's tits whenever an expansion of Nafta pops into conversation!

by Lawless at 1:12 PM

So, I saw a show last night. Have you ever seen a show that should have been good, should have been captivating, should have been spectacular, but just wasn't? Last night's Dismemberment Plan/ Cursive/ Enon show was like that. I mean, the bands played really well, the crowd was pretty rockin' (by Chicago standards, of course) and everything was in place, but it just wasn't the life-changing event that I had anticipated. Could it have been the sound? Maybe the acoustics of the building? It is strange to think that these factors have such an impact on rock shows, but they really do. All in all, though, a lot of fun.

Here's what I think it was: All of the bands needed those huge amp stacks that they're using on the Ted Nugent/Deep Purple tour. That would be a much better use of volume. Or maybe I just want to see Cursive cover "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang."

I can't believe I posted that. Am I still drunk?

by Jeff Gannon at 9:40 AM

OK, before we begin, this is funny as hell!

by Jeff Gannon at 9:23 AM

P.S. -- Reaganites are against "Wasteful Government Spending" and "Washington bureaucracy"-- except when it comes to the military, the single largest recipient of federal money for exorbitant yet marginal weapons systems (like the V-22 Osprey and the B-2 bomber) AND the home of a burgeoning Kafkaesque bureaucracy. Don't forget the CIA, either, an agency that has received plenty of "employment" under the last Republican regimes ...

by Illyich at 12:25 PM

Well, pResident Shrub has always had a way of manipulating government to serve his business interests through eminent domain--read up on the land grab he engineered for the Texas Rangers while he was still part owner (courtesy the Texas Observer).

This stadium deal was his ersatz gusher. While taking credit for the deal that made him a millionaire, Il Bushe cheated the landowners and Texans alike--socializing the risk yet privatizing all profits--and still wound up looking like the affable good guy (& was elected governor).

Hear that sound? It's history repeating itself. Press eject and get me another tape.

by Illyich at 12:05 PM

We the people are suffering from a severe case of deja vu. With each passing day we bear greater witness to a "lite" version of the Reagan administration. Surprise, surprise, right? After all, Dubya-- heretofore addressed as President Boob-- admittedly has modeled himself after The Great Communicator. Oh, yeah, and that hippie Jesus character of biblical yore.

Nevertheless, it is quite troublesome that a New Conservative such as the Boob, rigidly believing in reducing the overall size of the federal government, would have the temerity to ask Congress to be granted greater powers of eminent domain... you know, that fickle yet entirely legal clause that permits "big bad" government of federal, state or local affiliation to waddle along and seize your house or business with the auspice of converting it into a public park or highway or, as of late, a "public" gas refinery or an electric pole. Granted, this is done under the provision that the owner of said private property will be adequately compensated (a lie onto itself, incidentally), but this could set a horrific legal precedent. What with several high-profile and key-ranking members of the Boob's cabinet having experience as executives of major energy corporations, the will of the people will almost certainly be sacrificed in the name of the largest Congressional lobby group and their very specific interests. Our concerns mean nothing to them, nor will they ever, not so long as there are coffers to fill and skeletal promises to maintain.

In the meantime, America: you hear hear the music, monkey, now dance.

by Lawless at 5:06 PM

I seriously wonder if any WWII vets even care what a thumb in the eye Cheney's comments about conservation are to the sacrifices an entire generation made just to survive the Great Depression. Would we have been able to win that war if Americans refused to ration the resources needed by the armed forces to sustain a two-front offensive? Scant days later, Ari Fleischer's statement to the press basically affirmed the new American values under Bush: that waste, overconsumption, and our stubborn refusal to curb it are part of the American way of life.

Have you heard Christine Whitman's rationale for not using wind turbines to generate electricity? "... windmills kill birds because they're in the flyway." I guess she is an environmentalist, after all, especially when protecting a business environment whose continued success is contingent on finding more oil. There's already a boycott of Exxon/Mobil (big Bush/Cheney contributors) products underway in the UK. I guess it's the only way to affect the companies that are basically writing our energy policy.

I predict we invade Iraq on the 4th of July. Bush will declare it "A Day of Independence from high gas prices and foreign oil." USA ALL THE WAY, BABY!

by Illyich at 11:55 AM

thank you to everyone who came out to the show last friday night. i hope you had fun and thanks for spending the energy to get all the way into wriglyville. i know what a pain it is, so thanks a bunch!

speaking of energy, how thinly veiled is our president's energy policy?

"let's get more oil!" he says.

i wonder why? maybe because he has strong ties (ei:mucho funds) with the texas oil industry. or maybe because dick cheney owes a favor to an old pal at haliburton from just before he left. maybe condoleeza rice has a favor to give to chevron. did you know they named an oil tanker after her? that's right, the u.s.s. condoleeza rice! i shit you not!

sure we need more oil, at this point. there is no fighting that. but don't you think the nation's government would at least try to set an example for the rest of the nation and start thinking about the future? can't they help set the example to conserve energy? or do it by putting research into alternative fuel soursces? doesn't our government; of the people, by the people and for the people; have an obligation to work for us and not mucho funds?

if you want my opinion, i think best option to take a three-legged approach: fund research for renewable energy resources, conserve, and lastly find more sources of oil. call me crazy, but it makes sense to me.

i predict we go to war with iraq within a year.

by Rusty at 11:44 PM

And you thought Phillip Morris was dehumanizing in its marketing practices? Recently unearthed internal memos and documents from RJ Reynolds indicate a marketing push for their Camel cigarettes toward gays and the homeless in San Francisco--the plan was actually called "Project SCUM." I'm not making this shit up!

http://www.sfweekly.com/issues/2001-05-02/bayview.html

by Illyich at 9:26 AM

Hola, amigos. Just givin the devil his due and formally signing on. Fer those not in the know, Lawless Jones, here, greetin y'all with polite pluck. And since this is just a test, I hereby promise to post something of merit quicker than NYC influenza circa 1919. In the meantime, I'd like to thank those who came to experience the power and freedom of Knife of Simpson last Friday. Hope you had fun. Lawd knows I did. I'd also like to thank Rusty, Savage and Illyich for giving a fella a break and letting him enjoy music again. Thanks, boys, yer alright.

by Jeff Gannon at 9:09 AM

Hola, amigos. Just givin the devil his due and formally signing on. Fer those not in the know, Lawless Jones, here, greetin y'all with polite pluck. And since this is just a test, I hereby promise to post something of merit quicker than NYC influenza circa 1919. In the meantime, I'd like to thank those who came to experience the power and freedom of Knife of Simpson last Friday. Hope you had fun. Lawd knows I did. I'd also like to thank Rusty, Savage and Illyich for giving a fella a break and letting him enjoy music again. Thanks, boys, yer alright.

by Lawless at 6:08 PM

News Flash: O.J. Simpson Responsible for California's Electrical Utility Deregulation Disaster! (Well, sort of.) Visit the link below:

http://www.capitolalert.com/news/capalert01_20010506.html

by Illyich at 3:15 PM

One more bad cover songs for you:

Eric Clapton's "I Shot the Sheriff." More like "I Bored the Sheriff to Death." The only thing Eric Clapton ever shot was smack.

"Clapton is God!" used to be the catch phrase. I could understand that, if I had been exposed only to Cream, the Yardbirds, and a lot of the earlier recordings, first. But I wasn't. My first exposure to Eric Clapton was his "Slowhand" phase, songs like "Wonderful Tonight," "Bell Bottom Blues," and the previously mentioned song. They're OK, better than the Cristopher Cross and Kenny Loggins which was all the rage around that time, but GOD? Hard to swallow based on those 3 songs, you have to admit. He went downhill from there too. Blech!

by Jeff Gannon at 4:49 PM

DON'T FORGET, KNIFE OF SIMPSON LIVE TOMORROW NIGHT AT THE UNDERGROUND LOUNGE, 945 WEST NEWPORT, IN CHICAGO, AT 10PM!!!!

Just making sure you were paying attention.

by Jeff Gannon at 4:37 PM

Hope everybody had a happy May Day, the REAL Labor Day. Though more popular outside the U.S, itís an international observance of worker solidarity with its roots in the City by the Lakeóthatís right, good olí union-busting Chicago.

The first May Day celebration was a nationwide strike organized by the AFL (not the American Football League, asshole) on May 1, 1886 to demand an 8-hour day; over a quarter of a million Americans responded. The city of Chicago was especially hit hard by the strikeópublic transportation, railways, and business were shut down. Two days after the strike, police fired into a crowd of workers, killing four. May 4 was the Haymarket Square riot, where peaceful protesters were fired upon again by police as a reprisal for a bomb thrown into their midst. The riot resulted in a kangaroo-court conviction of the Chicago Eight, labor activists whose only crimes were their political beliefs. All were executed. This single event was enough to energize workersí groups around the world; the Socialist International declared May 1, 1889 a day of worker demonstrations, and it has been an annual observance for the labor movement ever since.

In this country, though, our ìLabor Dayî has been sandwiched between two patriotic holidaysóThanksgiving and the Fourth of Julyóto remove any unwholesome leftist element of the observance. Plus, when your company stiffs you out of your paycheck bonus for the second week in a row (as it did yesterday), you aren't as likely to set your cubicle on fire and sing Pete Seeger songs with your coworkers.

by Illyich at 10:36 AM

MTViacom is about to face some competition--Clear Channel Communications is moving to consolidate its hold on the radio market. Not only will it control stations themselves, but promotions (through a deal with Tri-State, one of the largest independent operations) and syndications, too, which means CCC is poised to vertically integrate 60 percent of the radio market across the country (and this is just rock radio, mind you). These changes will take effect immediately. Just this week, several independent stations that depend on syndicated wingnuts like Limbaugh, Bell, and Schlessinger for their ratings have already been cast off by Premiere, a syndication network owned by Clear Channel, in favor of stations under the CCC umbrella.

There's one man you can thank for this predicament, too: the spineless wonder, Bill Clinton, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

by Illyich at 5:05 PM