the sticking point

두개의 건의사항

My wife is a champ at finding great gift books for me at Christmas. Not for her is the act of simply clicking through my Amazon Wishlist. She prefers to do the browsing herself and find something special, something that -- often -- I didn't know was out there.

Last month, she did it again, and I just finished reading Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. It was great. I usually don't recommend books here because why should I recommend something that will take over so much of your free time? But here it is -- an engrossing and surprising, page turner, full of brand new ways to look at the same old conventional wisdom. I am a p  h  e  n  o  m  e  n  a  l  l  y   s  l  o  w   r  e  a  d  e  r (like much slower than you) and I put the book away in six nights. You could do it in an afternoon.

It's not numbers economics, it's more “interesting guy sitting in the kitchen at the party telling you shit you just can't believe you've never realized” economics. (Thanks again, S!)

Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Ever hear a song called “I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)” by Rachel Stevens? I don't know where I picked it up from but it is somehow on my iTunes “Recent Adds” playlist. The song is pure pop confection with a circa-1979 sound. It's everything I should hate in a song, but I'm eating it up with a spoon. It sounds at once like eight different songs I know, but I can't put a finger on a single one of them.

[posted with ecto]

On iTunes right now: “Biology” by Girls Aloud

Shed Songs

Back in August, Mike Watt sent the great Corndogs website a pile of mp3s of songs recorded in George Hurley's shed back when The Minutemen-to-be were “The Reactionaries.” The files are still there.

[posted with ecto]

On iTunes right now: “Siboney” from the album Connie Francis Sings Spanish and Latin American Favorites by Francis, Connie

Jackson (Pt. IV): And Then My Heart Sank

Jackson and I came home from his afternoon walk today and S had some grave news for us. “The lawyer from [our apartment building's] management company called. They are sending out a letter that says they'll begin the legal process of eviction if Jackson isn't removed.”

So there it is. For the last five weeks or so, we've been status quo. We had been told (sincerely, but off-the-record) that we should wait it out, keep living as we were (with Jackson) and if there was any news, we'd hear from them (at the office) again. We were hoping to make it to the 90-day milestone, when the dog would be grandfathered and become a legal canine tenant. Today is Day 58, and now we're hearing again. The woman S spoke to today (the lawyer) said she's awfully surprised that the managing agent is pursuing this, but that the agent has decided to crack down on new dogs in the building.

I don't know what we're going to do. (Well, I know I will, at least, start by slipping into a deep funk.) I want to know more about my legal recourse. This building has about 20-30 dogs in it. Why does my family have to get torn apart, forced to follow a rule that others don't?

Since this all started up again, I keep thinking about how great my son and the dog are together, and my memory keeps striking back to December 15, 2001, when my wife grabbed the leash of her first-ever pet. Her smile was so pure and so dazzling. That moment was captured on video, and I made a photograph print of the very frame when she flashed that smile. I look at it every day.

Does anyone have any thoughts, any help or advice to offer?

[posted with ecto]

On iTunes right now: “Vengeance” from the album Burning Ambitions [A History Of Punk] Vol. 2 by New Model Army

Monkey Love

Brian Last Stop posted a thing about Love Monkey, I wrote a comment. Find it all here. (After clicking the link, scroll up a bit to read Brian's original post. And please forgive my typos -- I flail away at the keyboard like a blind, idiot drunk when I post comments.)

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[posted with ecto]

On iTunes right now: “Dead Cities” from the album Burning Ambitions (A History of Punk) by Exploited, The

Hustle and Flow

Last night, we watched Hustle and Flow, which I'd thought I'd hate. My preconceived notion was: preachy, clichéd “message” movie. Untrue. This is a great movie, with not one wasted line of dialogue and a amazing performances from every member of the cast. Even Taryn Manning. (Her delivery of her lines outside the musical instrument store was captivating.) I think Oscars and other awards for actors, movies, music, musicians, etc. are bogus and misdirected, but... since it's a nice way to say Terrence Howard is AT LEAST in the top five, I'll say that he should get an Oscar nomination for his role in this movie. It must have been a son of a bitch to prepare for and keep inside of. He was dazzling in this.

But that's not what I wanted to write about. I wanted to mention that I was blown away by the original score, composed by Scott Bomar. It was like an aural history of the common motifs of rock and roll, shot through the prism of the Stax studio sound. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like any of these performances are available anywhere but in the film / on the DVD itself. I hope they release these tracks on CD. They are SO worth hearing over and over again. To have the incidental music stand out -- even shine -- like it does in a film devoted to musical (hip hop) performances says a lot about Bomar's talent as a composer and the chops of the old Stax guys.

P.S. Since I'm now a big fan of Scott Bomar's, and I've always been crazy about William Bell, here's a picture of the two men together in September 2005. I found it on Bomar's site.

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[posted with ecto]

On iTunes right now: “Gun In Mouth Blues” from the album Life Time by Rollins Band

Playing Hooky

“Artist” crochets herself into a cocoon. For real, yo.

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[posted with ecto]

On iTunes right now: “I Can't Control Myself (single B side remix)” from the album Wall Of Noise by Doctor Mix And The Remix

Thanks For Nothing

I was at the gym today, and even with my earphones in I was aware that there was a clown among us. There was a lot of socializing among four or five people, and every now and then, this big guy would go over to them and say something, and I could tell that his comments were unwelcome. I could see it on the faces of the social group. Whenever the big guy approached them to say something, as soon as he stepped away, they each had that “O-Kaaayyyyyy...” look on their faces.

I knew the guy was at least annoying, maybe rude. It was just something I noticed. Something I tucked away in a chamber of my brain for just in case.

After awhile I noticed that the social group was kind of laughingly accepting the big guy and his comments. I figured maybe I had him wrong. Maybe they're even friends. So, when I needed a spotter for bench press, and this 6'4“, 250-pounder was nearest to me, I thought -- what the hell. I asked the big guy.

What a fucking idiot... I am.

”Can I bother you for a spot?“

”Sure, no problem. Because you got the right idea. You don't want to do it alone. That's why I stick to the machines. You don't want to do it alone, because if you get stuck with the weight up there, it don't look good for the home team, does it?“

I agreed that no, getting stuck with the weight up there does not bode well for the home team, and inwardly I was wondering what I'd gotten myself into, why I don't trust my initial instincts, and kicking myself in my mind's ass for all of this.

He added that he'd give me a spot, even though I probably didn't need it, ”because you look like you're in good shape.“

OK. We walked over to the bench, and I got on as he stepped behind it. Thankfully, he stepped behind it, because at first it appeared as if he was going to stand over my chest. As I set myself, I told him what I tell everyone when I ask for help at the bench: I can get the lift off... let me get the weight... but stay under -- stay with me.

Big guy says, ”Wait. How do you know I can lift this weight?“

I thought, because you're six-and-a-half feet tall and about 250, 260 pounds!  But I said, ”You can. If I need your help, we can both get the weight back up. Just stay with me. “

Then Big Guy blew my mind. ”I'd rather you did it alone and I just stood here.“

I gently reminded him that that is not exactly what the weightlifting world defines as ”a spot.“

I was continuing to set my grip and get my back and heels in place when he told me, ”No. Forget it. You've got a problem, and I'm not doing this. You're gonna hurt yourself.“ And he walked away.

Fuck him. I did it. Two-hundred-five times five. After the set, I spent 10 minutes scanning the room, looking for him. I needed to hear him tell me what he meant when he said I had a problem. Never found him, never found out.

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Today's Friday 10: a solid set, ten reps.

01 That's Good - Devo: (Oh No! It's Devo) You know, for a band whose name was the primary putdown hurled at people like me back in middle school, those Devo guys sure proved to be for real. Imagine: you're an idiot who hears ”Whip It“ and then derisively calls everyone who listens to punk rock ”Devo“? What?!
02 Somewhere - Husker Du: (Zen Arcade) I don't have to tell you, you already know it: There are A LOT of great songs on Zen Arcade. ”Somewhere“ is one of my favorites.
03 O2 - Sleater-Kinney: (One Beat) I've loved them for years, seen them several times. So, why, now that they've released The Woods and are getting all kinds of critical acclaim, have I not got that CD? No reason. Shame on me. I heard that S-K will be performing a couple songs live on Henry Rollins's IFC show when it comes back next month.
04 High Price On Our Heads - Circle Jerks: (Golden Shower of Hits) I was lucky enough to see the Circle Jerks about a hundred years ago at the Ritz in New York City. Great lineup that night -- the last three bands onstage were D.O.A., Redd Kross, and the Circle Jerks. Keith Morris took the stage with a full leg cast on and still gave more show than about a million other lead singers. Great front man, great band. This song is cool, and it always somehow reminded me of British punk. I guess it's the chanted chorus.
05 Big Pimpin' - Jay-Z: (Vol. 3...Life and Times of S. Carter) Maybe you've heard this song 1200 times. I haven't. Somehow, I've managed to hear it only about 60 times, so here we are almost seven years later and this is still a great pop song for me, and that hook still tastes like candy.
06 Sunken Treasure - Wilco: (Being There) Talk about musicians who put their hearts and souls into their music! I'm crazy about Wilco, but it's hard (for me) to listen to their songs out of context. I really like to play their albums straight through. On this Friday 10, ”Sunken Treasure“ is not helped by following ”Big Pimpin'.“
07 It Won't Be Tonight - Saw Doctors: (Sing A Powerful Song).
08 Alexander's Ragtime Band - Louis Armstrong: (Cocktail Hour) This is an Irving Berlin tune, and everyone's recorded it, but I like Armstrong's and  Benny Goodman's the best. Cocktail Hour is a pretty weak album as far as L.A. records go, so you're probably better off getting this amazing track on any number of solid comps that are out there, like Priceless Jazz: More Louis Armstrong.
09 Dad, I'm In Jail - Was Not Was: I think this has come up in a Friday 10 before, so I won't go deep into repeating the story about how my friends and I always thought this was Jello Biafra doing a guest vocal on a Was Not Was song. This track is the B-side to the ”Spy in the House of Love“ single.
10 Don't Tread On Me - Metallica: (Metallica [Black Album]) Diehard fans don't like this record. I do. But I'm not a diehard fan. I couldn't give a shit about the guys, their neuroses, or whether they sold out making this album. I just like the songs. I like a lot of their songs. I just looked: I have seven of their CDs and don't know a goddamn thing about the recording or the chronology or the band's history. I'm like the wife of that guy in Diner: I just want to hear the music.

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What'd you get? Put your mp3 player or digital jukebox on ”shuffle all songs,“ let us know the first 10 songs out.

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[posted with ecto]

On iTunes right now: ”The Ice Storm, Big Gust, and You“ from the album Wild Like Children by Tilly and The Wall

(Farther) Backstory

There's an actor who was arraigned in New York today for the killing of a cop. This actor is a member of my hyper-extended family. He's not a blood relative, he's a second cousin of my sister's husband. This actor's been a shady character for years now, more of a junkie thug than thespian these days, and last month he and his ex-girlfriend's father went out for a night of burglarizin'.

As they broke into a house, they were confronted by an off-duty cop neighbor. The actor's friend fired on and killed the cop.

In late 1992, and early 1993 when he was a teenager, he had his first-ever role in a movie. Major motion picture. A-list cast. And, they were shooting most of the scenes in the Bronx, so close to this kid's house that he could go home at night after his scenes.

There is a key scene in the film were this white actor's character falls in love with, and kisses, a black girl. The character defends his “forbidden” love in the film.

But.

The actor's mother told the behind-the-scenes story you wold hear on the DVD commentary track. She proudly told anyone who will listen that when her son cam home from shooting the scene, he brushed his teeth twice, and rinsed his mouth with Listerine. Then, she boasted, he asked her to go to the store and buy hydrogen peroxide, because the Listerine wasn't strong enough to get the kiss out of his mouth.

He'd better act like he enjoys what they'll be putting in his mouth at Riker's.

[posted with ecto]

On iTunes right now: “Action Time Vision” from the album The Image Has Cracked by Alternative TV

Perchance To Meme...

In 2005, I…

Bought a car
Left Brooklyn after 10 years
Got an address in Queens
Got laid off
Celebrated my first-ever Father’s Day
Enjoyed watching my wife feted on her first-ever Mother’s Day
Began to tolerate, almost like, some of the White Stripes’ songs
Saw my son take his first steps
Heard my son say “Daddy” for the first time
Went to the movies just a couple times
Took my son to his first Yankees game
Was “taken” by my wife and son to the Yankees game on Father’s Day
Did not attend a funeral
Went to just one wedding
Tested my leadership and creative capabilities on a work project
Went to the gym 29 times (2004 – 168 times; 2003 – 221 times)
Saw my grandmother moved into a nursing home
Bought tickets for, but never went to, a Washington Nationals home game
Took my son to his first swim lesson
Almost had to get rid of my dog
Wrote for Jon Stewart (for the first time since 1991)
Saw the New York Dolls for the first time
Saw X for the first time
Hit the saturation point in my bitter hatred of George W Bush and his administration
Worried when H’s doctor detected a slight heart murmur (He's OK.)
Saw three great documentaries [ 1 / 2 / 3 ]
Got to work on a project with some of the finest people I know

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[posted with ecto]

On iTunes right now: “Downbound Train” from the album His Best (Vol. 1) by Berry, Chuck