randomness personified

randomness pleads

This will, barring a sudden change of heart, be my last post until Tuesday evening. I just think that some things right now are much more important than my trivial ramblings.

If today's results are the final results Wednesday morning, John Kerry will be elected as the 44th President of the United States, with 283 votes in the electoral college to George Bush's 246. But don't count on it. Many of Kerry's leads are razor thin. Counting only the strong + weak states, Bush leads 229 to 196, with 113 electoral votes in the tossup category Kerry's leads in the tossup states mean little to nothing. The turnout Tuesday will determine who wins.
-electoral-vote.com

It has never been more important in our lifetimes. On Tuesday morning get up early. Don't be intimidated by what will certainly be long lines and, here in the Northeast, rain.

Vote. It's never mattered more.

mosh now or die

I make no apologies for owning Eminem's albums. Sure, his message is sometimes questionable at best. However, I think that he writes some of the most creative rhymes imaginable and has a wicked sense of hook. It doesn't hurt that he's probably personally responsible for about half of the Tigers merchandise sold, either.

I'd heard some buzz about his new single "Mosh" but hadn't heard it until I watched last night's SNL this morning (an aside - you seriously can compress that show into about 20 watchable minutes thanks to the wonders of digital video recorders.). As powerful as its martial beat and wicked lyrics (featuring some admittedly easy shots) are, the video is simply amazing. Check it out here.

no more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our soil
no more psychological warfare to trick us to think that we ain't loyal
if we don't serve our own country we're patronizing a hero
look in his eyes, it's all lies

the stars and stripes they've been swiped, washed out and wiped
and replaced with his own face
mosh now or die

the story of a heel

Thanks for all the well wishes yesterday. A point of clarification seems needed, though, as in my haste to run out the door I not only made an ugly typo ("hrigh" ho?) but left much to the imagination.

My foot is still intact, thankyouverymuch. The wound, however, is still there. The prevailing belief is that the bone is still infected and removing the bone is the best way to eliminate the bugs. Let's face it, the bone in my heel doesn't do me a bit of good. Yesterday my very able surgeon removed more bone than he'd taken out in the previous surgeries combined. He's hopeful that this step will finally allow the wound to close even without the Wound Vac.

Here's the freaky thing (if you're really squeamish you might want to stop reading here), I wasn't asleep this time. I, of course, have no feeling in my feet. Usually, though, they put me all the way under just so my body doesn't react oddly to what's going on. Not this time. They left me in what they call "twilight." It was weird. I was a regular chatterbox (at one point I think I yelled at someone who said they were voting for Bush) and I could hear the power tools being used to remove bone. I even could hear them making fun of my doctor for making a "bloody mess." But I was in such a happy place that I didn't seem to care one iota. I came home, though, and slept all day. Methinks that whatever that stuff is it would be awfully nice for your average work day.

hrigh ho, heigh ho

It's off to get my foot hacked I go...

Wish me luck!

the jury's out

Is it a sign of my depression or merely just another indicator of my questionable musical preferences that I adore The Postal Service's cover of the Phil Collins schmaltz-fest that is "Against All Odds?"

(somewhat interesting video available here from iFilm)

for every season

I'm actually pretty good at being alone. I've lived alone, basically, for the last fifteen years. Most of the time I enjoy solitude. I can do my own thing, if you will, after a hectic day in office.

Occasionally, though, a boy gets lonely and a boy gets depressed. I find that it happens, oddly enough, as the seasons shift. Time passes. Life itself passes. Yet only the calendar changes. Perhaps the golden leaves outside my window remind me of that.

Tomorrow marks the third anniversary of my move to Connecticut. Many things have changed for short periods of time. In the end, though, nothing has changed. Nothing but the calendar.

if i knew heartbreak was comin'
i would've set out runnin'
'cause i just can't shake this feeling
that i'm nothing in your eyes
-neko case

randomness rocks (and twangs) the vote

I'm not exaggerating in the slightest bit when I tell you that I literally can no longer discuss politics whatsoever. My nerves are much too raw. My anxiety way too high. Any attempt at civilized discourse emerges as merely a yelp.

One thing I can do, though, is provide a service and a soundtrack to the cause. Follow the instructions below.

1. Below please download randomness rocks (and twangs) the vote: a mixtape. I'm afraid that it's a 41 meg Zip file. I apologize to those of you on dial-up. Those on broadband, trust me when I say it's worth your time.

2. Find the playlist. Use it. It's optimized for maximum enlightenment.

3. Listen for the next few days as you prepare yourself to enter the voting booth. You are voting, right?

4. Burn a copy and listen to it wherever you might be. A home, in the car, at work. Make sure others hear it, too. It's subtly subversive.

5. Lather, rinse, repeat.

(right-click, save target as)

Okay. Just to confuse matters, Movable Type won't let me post a Zip file. Bizarre. The file you download will be called rockthevote.no. Simply rename the extension so that it's rockthevote.zip and use your favorite unzip utility. Sorry for the extra step. Shout at me with problems or questions. Enjoy.

the curse of the other (or why online dating might not be for me)

At first it seemed like eHarmony might be different. It seemed like people there were a bit more serious about the whole dating "thing" and were less likely to shop for a hot photo like Nerve or, to a lesser extent, Match. I think I might be mistaken.

See, eHarmony works a bit differently. Matches are "pushed" to you and you choose to either pursue communication (closed communication at first via their own criteria) or reject the person before any contact takes place.

I wrote what I think to be a fun, enticing profile. Why? Because I'm a good guy, damn it. I refuse to believe otherwise. But then there's this question and answer combo on my profile -

7. Other than your appearance, what is the first thing that people notice about you?

Well, this is where I should mention that I'm in a wheelchair. But it's not a big deal, frankly (if that makes sense). While people certainly notice that first they quickly forget about it. In other words, it doesn't define me.

A fine, honest answer don't you think? Well, when rejecting a match you must specify a reason. They give you about 20 pat responses dealing with things like pursuing another relationship, physical distance and difference in beliefs. Mine, however, have almost all been of one variety... Other.

I can read between the lines. I know what that means.

random deafness

Long-time readers will probably understand that last night's bill of Allison Moorer and Steve Earle was pretty much a dream come true for randomness. Two favorites, one small venue in New Haven with a spot in the front row. Not too shabby.

Some things, though, didn't quite work out as I'd planned. I knew that Allison wasn't touring with her ace road band (which for a short time included Television's Richard Lloyd) but I didn't know that she had a guy playing a Les Paul through her whole set. It, um, didn't work. Allison's strength is her amazing voice (and, I'll admit it, her drop-dead gorgeous appearance). This guy's desire to be Joe Satriani really detracted from her stuff. I mean, she's up there singing a song about watching her father kill himself and her mother (a true story, by the way) and he thinks it's "Purple Haze." Not good. She was, however, in amazing voice.

Steve's set was heavy on the new album and was honestly one of the best shows I've seen in a long while. He played for two hours and rarely interrupted the flow with one of his patented long tirades. I sorta missed some of those. There's no time like the present for my favorite Marxist to spout off. What I didn't appreciate, though, was the volume. Yow! My front row perch was right in front of Steve's guitar stack. Loud became painful when he decided that feedback was fun. Nice touch, my friend. Nice touch.

save the date

2004 will mark the return of the legendary randomness holiday party. Okay, it's a legend in a very limited circle. At any rate, I'm thinking of December 18th. It's the day after me birthday and probably far enough away from the holidays that people won't be totally over-booked.

What say you?

randomness weekend

A really, really busy week at work that has, unfortunately, impeded a bit on my weekend. It's been a great time nonetheless. The highlights...

* Friday * Deano's birthday!
Dinner and beers with Jonathan at Fat Cat Pie Company. For those of you in Fairfield County, I can't recommend this place enough. A great vibe and even better pizzas. Easily one of the five best pizza places I've sampled and it's just down the street from our office.

* Saturday * An amazingly fun party at Mike & Elizabeth's in Fort Greene. A great, nay, spectacular apartment with fantastic art and groovy macabre elements. Special brownie points for mrw when entering their place and gushing "Wow! Is that a Jon Langford?" It was. Like I said, fabulous. A great time even though I felt like I was in bad form due to being overly tired and smoking a bit of something that I should always remember makes me too quiet.

* Sunday * Those of you who know me will be shocked and ashamed to discover that I'm now operating on a budget. I have to. I mean, we all know how much my rent is and I'd like to, um, save a bit. Those of you who don't know me will be shocked and ashamed to discover that said budget includes $150 per month for CDs. Even then it's often pushed to the limit.

After this morning's coffee and newspaper run, I made the mistake of "stopping in" to Tower. I left with

*Brian Wilson's "Smile." I've had the MP3s for some time and figured that the packaging alone was worth it.

*Elliott Smith's "from a basement on the hill." So sad.

*Paul Weller's "Studio 150." I still buy everything he touches.

*"Enjoy Every Sandwich - The Songs of Warren Zevon." A great collection of covers.

*MOJO Magazine with special "Cash Covered" CD. Because I collect Johnny covers. I've got some wild stuff. Someday I'll make a great mix.

*and a couple of Halloween themed Special Edition DVDs - "Ed Wood" and "Freaks"

Yes, I have issues. I believe that's been established. I do, however, still have $15 in my CD budget for October!!!

This afternoon I'll watch my Lions lose to the Giants while doing some e-form work for a client. Tonight I'll watch Game Two of the Series. I missed last night but it was certainly worth it.

How 'bout your weekend?

The Collapse

Baseball is a game full of capital letter lore. Tinker to Evers to Chance. Merkel's Blunder. The Shot Heard 'Round the World. The Homer in the Gloamin'. The Streak. The Called Shot. The Catch.

I'm not sure what the events of the last four games will live through the ages as. Much of that history is yet to be written. I do, however, know that it almost certainly is the single most monumental series of events in the history of postseason baseball. It's that, well, epic.

Forevermore, the date goes into the New England calendar as an official no-school/no-work/no-mail-delivery holiday in Red Sox Nation.

Mark it down. Oct. 20. It will always be the day that Sox citizens were liberated from 8 decades of torment and torture at the hands of the New York Yankees and their fans. Boston Baseball's Bastille Day.

- Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe

so I got that goin' for me, which is nice

So on next Friday I will undergo yet another surgery to remove bone from my foot. I've literally lost track of how many times I've had to do this. This will be the fifth, I think?

I did ask my doctor a question today, though.

"Are we just chasing our tail?" I asked. "Am I going to end up losing my foot"

See, such things are really that matter-of-fact when you're a crip. The good news, though, is that he promised I wouldn't. He thinks there's an end in sight. I'm going to count on his optimism. He's a lot smarter than me.

that joke isn't funny anymore

I really need to get some sleep. I have a cold. I'm in the midst of a busy week at work. These games are gonna be the death of me.

That said...

Don't say I didn't call this.

get yer own damn bandwidth

So, fellow bloggers, what do you do when someone links to images on your page? Check this one out. Look at about the middle of the page for the post that starts with a bunch of Beautiful South album covers. Somebody's linked ten very random choices from my album list. My Italian's not so good and I have no idea what's going on with that page. The thing is, I don't mind it for one or two. But ten? I ain't Amazon.

In the past I replaced linked photos with something fairly icky. I don't want to sabotage my album page though. Am I being petty?

greatest american hero

Jon Stewart, in case you weren't aware, is an effing genius. I'm so tired of people slagging him for throwing up softball questions to Kerry et. al. Um, people? It's a comedy show. Your "journalistic responsibility" shite is soooo misplaced.

If you missed him on Crossfire last week you really owe it to yourself to scour the web for it. It's 30 minutes of uneasy brilliance. I'll leave you with this nugget, though...

STEWART: Now, this is theater. It's obvious. How old are you?

CARLSON: Thirty-five.

STEWART: And you wear a bow tie.

CARLSON: Yes, I do. I do.

STEWART: So this is theater.

CARLSON: Now, let me just...

STEWART: Now, listen, I'm not suggesting that you're not a smart guy, because those are not easy to tie.

randomness song of the week - 101704

"I Can Tell" by Michael Penn from the album Resigned (1997)

You know, it must suck to be Michael Penn. You're neither the most popular person at your family reunion (that would be brother Sean) nor even in your own household (that would be wife Aimee Mann). Instead you release an album every so many years and help produce an awful Liz Phair album. Fact is, though, that he might be the most consistent talent in his posse. For evidence look no further than Sean's brilliant turn in "We're No Angels" or the puzzling suckage of most of 'Til Tuesday's second album. Fact is, that while Michael has had only one minor hit (1989's "No Myth"), his work is uniformly interesting and that makes him a randomness favorite.

i'm pretty sure you were here
but lately things tend to disappear
like the days i never got around to
i can tell when i'm without you

(right-click, save target as)

from humble beginnings

This autumn I've taken to wearing my Detroit hoodie (from the splendid Pure Detroit website). Inevitably I get a lot of "are you from Detroit?" type questions. I usually answer in the affirmative rather than explain that I'm from about 100 miles from Detroit. It's just as well, really.

There's a guy, though, who parks in my garage who has Michigan plates. He's a quiet guy. I've tried to say "hello" before and he basically kept his head down and ignored me. He lit up, though, Friday evening when he saw my hoodie.

Michigan Jackass - Are you from Detroit?
mrw - No. Southern Michigan. Near Battle Creek.
MJ - Uh, where exactly?
mrw - Marshall?
MJ (laughing) - I'm from Albion.
mrw - Oh, wow.
MJ - You didn't think we had white people in Albion, did you?
mrw - stammer, stammer, stammer

How exactly do you respond to such a blatently racist comment? Sadly, though, I knew exactly what he meant. Albion is a town a bit bigger than my hometown and our big high school rival. In the 3.5 years that I attended Marshall High School there was exactly one African-American student. Albion's citizens, though, are predominantly black. There's something to be said for the close-knit, Midwestern community in which I grew up. The lack of diversity, however, is very embarassing in retrospect.

In the end I just sort of shook my head and said "I haven't been back to Marshall in about 15 years." He just put his head down and walked away.

everybody's talkin' 'bout the new kid in town

Hey, everybody. Go over and say hello to my online pal Jason at his new little hideout, spinsouth. It promises to be a groovy little resource for all things in the dirty South that rawk.

You may recall my ranting about one of Jason's bands (a randomness favorite), the boondogs, ad nauseam a while back. Well, they're currently on a bit of a break but I highly recommend the debut release from another band he's helming, The Easys. It's luscious power pop with, as I've come to expect, smart lyrics. Check out "The Secrets of Loveliness." I don't think you'll be disappointed.

And, no, I'm not merely sucking up.

these are the people in my neighborhood, in my neighborhood...

I have an opinion which, I'm shocked to say, is far from politically correct. That opinion? The best thing about New York City is crazy people. I'm serious. They're seemingly everywhere and endlessly entertaining. I've been working in the city a good bit lately, but just today I spotted -

*An guy in a fishing cap walking down the middle of Park Avenue. Of course this is only funny because he didn't get hit. He walked down the middle for a couple of blocks with taxis honking and speeding by him and made a right turn eventually and went on the sidewalk.

*Some woman trying to sell dirty pants. Seriously. She was sitting on the corner with a bunch of crap for sale. One of the items was a pair of jeans that probably could have stood on its own.

*The worst cross-dresser in America. A big African-American guy with a horrible dreadlock wig that was about two notches above yarn. He was also sporting a lovely boa and clear plastic stilettos. You could tell by the way he was walking that this was a normal thing for him.

I *heart* crazy people!!

wow

Anybody who doesn't believe that this is going to be the greatest post-season series of at least the last 25 years doesn't know baseball. This, my friends, is insane.

it's decreed the people rule

With the ALCS game quickly and disturbingly out of hand (note to Terry Francona: He's got nothing tonight. Get him out of there!) I decided to watch part of last night's broadcast of the documentary and concert from the final ACT show in D.C. It's over five and a half hours long. It's going to take me a while to get through it.

I decided to watch the end knowing there would be a crazy mass finale. I wasn't disappointed. Bruce and most of the others took a mediocre stab at "Peace, Love & Understanding," a randomness favorite (recall the shirt of a couple weeks ago). Bruce then called everyone out. I mean everyone. The E Streeters, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, James Taylor, Dave Mathews Band, Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt, Babyface Reid, Maroon 5, John Mellancamp. It was a bizarre collective. Michael then took to the microphone while the bloated band began to swell.

I immediately knew what they were up to. It was "People Have the Power." There's never been a better choice for such an occasion but I reflexively grimaced. You simply can't cover a Patti song, especially the tongue twisting brilliance of PHtP.

Erm. I was wrong. By the time they started chanting the chorus over and over I found myself off of the sofa and like three inches from the television screaming. It was gloriously insane. Breathtaking, even. It's one thing to cover a song, it's something totally different to feel it. It was like those artists were pleading for their lives and, in many ways, they are. We all should be.

people have the power

the power to dream, to rule
to wrestle the earth from fools
it's decreed the people rule
it's decreed the people rule

listen

i believe everything we dream
can come to pass through our union
we can turn the world around
we can turn the earth's revolution
we have the power
people have the power ...

the final word on superman

I've had well documented problems, as have a legion of disabled people, with Christopher Reeve's public positioning and statements. However, in his passing, such complaints and criticisms seem petty. He was a brave man and fought an incredible fight that I simply can't even begin to relate to. In the end I'll choose to remember him for this simple quote, something very close to phrase that I like to use.

I refuse to allow a disability to determine how I live my life.
-Christopher Reeve, 2000

but i'm not dead yet

Whoa, Nelly. Yes, I have a wound on my foot that could be described as a pressure wound. Yes, I'm a crip. Yes, it has been infected. No, I'm not dying. You're not all that lucky.

There are a lot of differences between my situation and Superman's. As a quad, all of Reeve's systems were severely impaired. His body couldn't fight the infection, let alone the actual wound. Quads usually die from one of two things: complications due to a wound or pnuemonia. The body simply no longer has the facilities to fight the massive attack that both of those situations create. Oftentimes antibiotics don't get to the wound via the normal channels and topical application is the best you can hope for. A small infection, therefore, can spread very quickly.

My wound has been infected, yes. However, that infection has never travelled to my blood stream. In addition, if that were to ever happen, antibiotics (intravenous or oral) could attack the bugs. In my case all of my "systems" work. Is my wound situation serious? It certainly could be. That's why I'm constantly taking care of it.

Yikes. That's more than I ever cared to discuss here. However, I've gotten more than a couple of e-mails. So... How 'bout those effing Yankees?

rest in peace, fellas

I starting writing a piece this morning comparing, of all things, the lives of the recently departed. On the surface Christopher Reeve and Ken Caminiti lead very different lives. In the end, though, one was in denial about his situation and one came as clean as he could. I stopped writing the piece when I realized that my conclusion was coming off as incredibly snarky.

More on Reeve when my senses have cleared. A tragic end, though, and one that I can tell you could have certainly been prevented and I'm shocked that it wasn't. A pressure sore appears to have been the culprit. All the medical care surrounding him and a pressure sore abscessed. The mind boggles.

thought for food

I'm not a vegan. It's not because I don't think that it's the most "ethical" way to live. I happen to believe that it is. It's just, as our beloved president would say, really hard. It really requires that you prepare your own food at home (something I rarely do) or only dine at vegan restaurants (like my favorites Zen Palate and Candle Cafe in Manhattan).

Instead I choose to be an ovo-lacto vegetarian. Many people ask if I eat fish. I don't. Well, I do in a dire pinch. It's not often, though, and I always feel incredibly guilty afterwards. I've learned to appreciate veggie sushi even though real sushi is one of the few things that I crave.

Many people also ask why I decided to become vegetarian. My pat response is "one too many PETA videos." It's an answer that isn't far from the truth and also the inspiration for this post.

I watched a new PETA video today, Chew on This. Don't click that link. I'm serious. I love and respect my carnivore friends. This is a choice I made and not one I try to force on others. That video, frankly, is awful and I'm not ashamed to admit that it made me cry. These things usually do. I don't really need a reminder of why I made this decision, but sometimes it's not a bad idea.

What I would suggest you do, if you're so inclined, is consult the Caring Consumer website from time-to-time. You're going to buy products, that's the American way. But wouldn't it be nice to buy products from companies that don't harm animals? I mean, it's really not that much work to find out the facts and change your buying habits just a little, right?

randomness song of the week - 101004

"Supernatural" by Vic Chesnutt from the album Drunk(1996)

I think that most folks contribute my love of Mssr. Chesnutt to the fact that he, too, is a crip. Frankly, the first time I went to see him I had no idea and it's never really been much of an influence on my appreciation. Very few of his songs have to with being disabled but, instead, are little slices of brilliance. He's been called Faulkner with guitar and that's oftentimes true.

After such a hefty retort, I'm presenting you with one of Vic's few songs that is about his car accident. It's also one of his best. Some of you may know it from Live's cover from the Sweet Relief project.

Oh, and this will seriously be the last rsotw if people don't follow the original rules and post an opinion when they download it. Them's the rules, people. My MP3 for your thoughts.

(right-click, save target as)

i live, i list

*On a scale of 1-10, just how pathetic and embarassing is this? I was talking to the guy who programs the glorious art theatre across the street this morning. I saw that they had a poster up for the new Claire Danes/Billy Crudup film "Stage Beauty." I asked him about it and he told me that, while he can't announce it yet, Claire is going to come and introduce a showing in a couple of weeks (along with the editor of Premiere about whom I couldn't care less).

Ladies and gentlemen, I squealed. Involuntarily. As if by reflex. Like giddy schoolgirl. I, of course, *heart* Claire Danes.

I quickly saved face (oh, who am I kidding) by telling him that I'd be back at 4:30 to see the Ramones doc.

*Hey, the Target down the street opens today. Mass chaos and enthusiasm will follow. I should certainly check it out.

*Note to the dude sitting next to me at the mediocre Park Place Diner this morning. I wore Polo cologne, too. In 1982. Even then I didn't bathe in it. It was hard enough choking down runny scrambled eggs without your foul stench.

hats part deux

Consensus seems to be a good ol' porkpie hat. Thanks to Vernam for the link to the disturbingly named but well stocked Hats in the Belfry.

What's the vote? The contenders are...

The Felt Be-Bop

The Natural Straw Porkpie

or

my pick, the Diamond Crown Fedora in olive(basically a fedora with a smaller brim)

I know!! Maybe the Tarbucket?

yeah, yeah

Due to my frantic schedule of the last few days (in the city early until late for three straight days) I've been reduced to one of those horrible list bloggers. Deal.

*eHarmony is very, very interesting. I've had a lot more "success" there than the other sites. Details later, but next week could be even busier than normal. I'm afraid of the jinx, though.

*Remember the old days when we (okay, I and some dork-based friends) spent hours trying to decipher exactly what Michael Stipe was saying ("what the hell does 'Katie bar the kitchen door' mean?"). Well, I sort of miss those days. Their new single "Leaving New York" really speaks to me in ways that I'll not go into now. However, when I read the liner notes of the album and saw that the bit I heard as...

it's easier to leave than to be left behind
leaving was never my prob'
leaving new york never easy
i saw the life fading out

was really "leaving is never my proud" I sorta shook my head. Yes, it rhymes better. It's also stupid.

*I want to start wearing a hat. My grandfather always wears a hat and I think he's a better man for it. What style of hat should I adopt as my own?

*Cosi is no longer even remotely edible. But Zen Palate, on the other hand, remains super yummy.

*Extra inning games when I have to get up early suck. Nonetheless, I'm not missing a single inning of any of these series. They're all superbly interesting.

*I could have used one of these at my old place of employ.

*Remember in the veep debates when Dick said "you can go to factcheck.com" regarding the Haliburton allegations? Well, super Dem billionaire George Soros bought the domain. Apparently he was talking about Factcheck.org? Well, that's hardly a pro-Dick site, either.

(Oops. Soros doesn't own it, but the owners decided to redirect their traffic to him)

veep veep

Some random thoughts on tonight's VP debate -

*One area in which I'm willing to give Cheney a clear advantage: slouching. He was so hunched over that he was muffling his microphone.

*His comment about never having met Edwards was not only low but was most likely only true because neither has ever made the effort. Certainly they've both been in the same sessions. That's just stupid.

*Edwards did a great job keeping the focus on the no Iraq-9/11 connection and I think it's finally sinking in with the voters.

*The rule on the one question about not mentioning W. or Kerry was stupid but Edwards looked like a retard when he couldn't stick to it.

*Cheney surprised me a couple of times when he flat-out didn't want to answer questions or continue Haliburton talk and basically passed on his follow-up. I think he thought that made it look like Edwards was being petty but it really made him look like he was avoiding subjects.

*I remain convinced that Cheney's a stark-raving asshole when the camera's turned off. Seriously. He's certainly intellegent but I have to believe he's completely intolerable. What cemented it? Well, for starters, the fact that he didn't thank Edwards in his closing remarks. Don't think for a second that was unintentional.

oh, c'mon

Well, the new R.E.M. album is being universally panned. I think that's really unfair. No, it's not "Murmur." It's not "Fables." Hell, it's not even "New Adventures in Hi-Fi." What it is, though, is a much better album than they've put together in many a year. Their last "great" album was released in 1992. "Around the Sun" is merely good but that's good enough for me.

Soon I'll babble on about "Hi-Fi" being one of the most unappreciated albums of the last 20 years.

here i go again

I've written a bit here in the past about online dating. I think it's generally a crapshoot that I'm not really interested or, for that matter, good at. I've tried Match.com (too many boring and not so educated folks) and Nerve (literally everyone scared off by crips, it seems) and been disappointed.

At Sunday's Mets game Gerard and I briefly discussed that he'd had success with eHarmony. It's a bit different. You don't wade through a pile of profiles making snap judgements based on, well, appearances. Instead you fill out a lengthy questionnaire and eHarmony makes matches for you. You can only deal with the people that they've matched you with. Even then you can't e-mail them right away. Instead you choose a series of close-ended questions for them to answer and they can, if they're interested, send you close-ended questions of their own. I'm not sure what happens after that (I think it then goes to a series of exchanged open-ended questions) and only after that can you have "open" communications. Kind of interesting. We'll see how it goes.

Oh, and it's the only site I've heard of where women literally outnumber men two-to-one. That can't be a bad thing.

randomness song of the week - 100304

"Staging the Plaguing of the Raised Platform" by Cornershop from the album Handcream for a Generation (2002)

We follow last week's baseball tunes with what simply must be the greatest song ever written about cricket. If there's a better one be sure to let me know, okay?

It's also probably one of the catchiest songs ever recorded. I seriously dare you to listen and not hum it the rest of the day. You can't. I promise.

Comments?

(right-click, save target as)

most surreal

I have to admit that that's an image I've never even contemplated.

On the subject, the new R.E.M. is quickly becoming the soundtrack to my autumn. Good stuff.

missed opportunity

I was this close to Bill O' Reilly today at the Mets game and I didn't whack him in the shins. I'm an idiot.

another reason to hate the yankees

K. Dawg and I were contemplating attending a lovely Yankee playoff game. No problem, I said, I can get tickets. On no less than three occasions while living in Atlanta I went to the box office on the day of the game and bought World Series tickets. There are always crip tickets available for everything. I always tell people that and I'm always right. Concert tickets or sporting event tickets are never unavailable for me. It's a magic power that I love to flaunt.

Well. It's no more. Either gimps love the Yanks or there's a conspiracy. Seven games, no wheelchair tickets whatsoever available. Damn you, George Steinbrenner.

addendum - I looked again this morning and I could get a single crip seat for a couple of the Division Series games or Game 3 of the ALCS. Only single tickets, though. Frankly I hate going to Yankee Stadium solo under any circumstance (though I've done it several times). Going alone during the playoffs when I'm not a Yankee fan and would probably be rooting for, say, the Red Sox? Not a bright move. I had to pass.