Darth Drabek

No kidding. That was one of my biggest motivating factors to lose some weight... I only had two pairs of pants I could wear to work without being uncomfortable. Kudos to you, Wals!

I've got a friend who has it. He wrote a story about the "satellite radio wars" for the paper when we worked there. I guess Sirius is killing XM, at least in our area, because people go into Best Buy and say "Which is the one with Howard Stern? I'll take it." Lucero - She's Just That Kind of Girl

Whew! Big J's got some serious angst going on there, doesn't he? I suppose I would too, if I were hanging on a cross for a while...

Lemme know how that live CD turns out. It's got my favorite songs from The Devil You Know on it. I've got that live CD he put out a few years ago. That's a great one for me, because he plays a lot of his best songs from his early albums -- the ones I don't have. Todd Snider - D.B. Cooper

Voxtrot - Kid Gloves

Read the rest HERE Now let's forget the fact that this would never, ever be enforced. Ohio's public school funding system was ruled unconstitutional 10 years ago and still hasn't been fixed, manufacturing jobs are disappearing as factories close up shop, and this is how our representatives are spending time? Debating how much safer strip clubs would be if the strippers were six feet away? Hell, some of the old folks I've seen in places like that won't even be able to see the girls if they're six feet away! It just doesn't make sense to me. What are they trying to accomplish? I don't think the change would improve the secondary effects" the article talks about -- high crime rates, declining property values and urban blight -- because the clubs will still be there. They aren't even trying to remove the strip clubs -- they're just making them less fun. Thoughts?

Put me in coach! [guitar fill] I'm ready to play! The Broken Family Band - Walking Back to Jesus, part II

dude, where did you get this from? I had heard about it, and I even have an autograph promoting it, but havent seen it at all... The False Husband- Isobel Cambell and Mark Lanegan Haha, actually my dad burned it for me. I don't know where he got it, but it's for sale at Amazon.com. I listened to it a few days this week driving to and from work... it's got some really cool stuff for a B-sides and rarities disc. It's got a cool version of "Nashville," a great gospel tune called "I Will Not Go Hungry" and a instant live favorite called "Combover Blues." It's also got the title track from East Nashville Skyline... the one that didn't make the album. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska

^ "I've been good, as good as I can be..." ^^^^^^^ "Should we talk about the weather?" Ryan Adams - Harder Now That It's Over

Oh Jesus, I saw the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie last night. I think my brain is still recovering. Now I love the show and its surreal brand of comedy, but I think a full-length movie was a bit much. The first five minutes were fantastic, though. Pure genius, as well as a great way to make sure everyone in the theater knows what to expect for the next 90 minutes.

Pardon me if my favorite band reinvigorates my interest in them by recording their first new songs in eight years. Let's see what other music have I bought/downloaded/borrowed in the last few months. If I haven't heard it, it's new to me, right? Lucero - Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers (pissed I missed their show last week) Todd Snider - Peace, Love and Anarchy The Rentals - Seven More Minutes Black Diamond Heavies - Every Damn Time Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band - Put Your Ghost to Rest Charles Mingus - Blues and Roots The new Modest Mouse CD Say Anything... Is a Real Boy Wilco - A.M. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky Son Volt - Trace Ray LaMontagne - 'Til the Sun Turns Black Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Living With the Living The first Ben Folds Five CD The new Voxtrot CD How the Supersuckers Became the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World The Letter E - No. 5 Long Player Paul Gilbert - Acoustic Samurai Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Johnny Cash - American V Somehow, even with all this new stuff to try, I still end up listening to old Afghan Whigs tunes. Hey, I can't help it if the cream rises to the top, ya know?

One of my colleagues was telling me that in Breakfast of Champions, Vonnegut introduces each character by describing his member... length, girth, the whole shebang. I think I was too stunned at such an ... interesting take on exposition to ask the question I now pose to you, Obsidian literatti: Were there no females in this book? And if there were, how did he introduce them?

With each 3D GTA game, it's the same story. I can play them for hours and hours, but eventually I get frustrated and cheat my way through a mission. San Andreas was different though. I got fairly far in the game without cheating (My brother was out of prison) before just giving up. Just driving through the countryside in those games was more fun than any "driving/racing" game I've ever played.

My day's been good. I'm "working from home" today, because of construction at work. They're expanding our office , and today they were knocking down a fairly large wall. Supposedly, they're going to put up a plastic wall, but there will probably to be dust everywhere on Monday anyway.

Cat Power - This song belongs in a movie, when a down-on-his-luck fella is drinking whiskey by himself at a bar.

Sam Elliott is the duck's nuts, the bee's knees and the cat's ass all put together. Don't try to visualize, just roll with it. I saw Beautiful Girls this afternoon, and I loved it. Great dialogue, great cast, great movie. I highly recommend it.

Here's a good article from SI that shows why the NFL needs to drop the hammer. Image is Everything

Wilco - Passenger Side Hey, wake up, your eyes weren't open wide For the last couple of miles you've been swerving from side to side You're gonna make me spill my beer, If you don't learn how to steer Passenger side, passenger side, I don't like riding on the passenger side Roll another number for the road You're the only sober person I know Won't you let me make you a deal, Just get behind the wheel Passenger side, passenger side, I don't like riding on the passenger side Should've been the driver, could've been the one I should've been your lover, but I hadn't seen... Can you take me to the store, and then the bank? I've got five dollars we can put in the tank I've got a court date coming this June I'll be driving soon Passenger side, passenger side, I don't like riding on the passenger side I don't like riding on the passenger side

other than being a mayor of a small town, making records and running a succesful record label? Yeah, yeah, I'm sure he's "busy." But where's my Prairie Home Invasion follow up? Get to work! Seriously, though... he got elected somewhere? I remember him running for mayor of San Francisco years and years ago, but it was mostly a joke. And it's good to see that AT is still signing interesting bands...

Very interesting. I had wondered what Jello Biafra had been up to these days. And if there ever was a link not to click, that was it, Kor. Wussy - Retarded Rippin' cover of an old Afghan Whigs tune. It had better be on the upcoming tribute album, which I am eagerly awaiting (along with like, ten other people). you're never alone with your jones...

sigh... "we'll put a boot in yer ass, it's the american way!" Here's a much less jingoistic one from his earlier years. I didn't mind him back then, with his Def Leppard-esque backing vocals and fantastic mullet. Oh, and I loved the shootout in that video. Gives Eastwood a run for his money, that's for sure. By the by, is that version of Kalifornia Uber Alles much different than the DK one? Right now: Uncle Tupelo - No Depression

I'm rounding up a posse to see Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters this weekend.

I've got it. It's good, but not quite up to par with his other work. It's also only nine songs, about 35 minutes. That said, it's some of the sleaziest music he's ever recorded, second to 1965, which is filthy. So filthy that I once had the pleasure of watching a young lady (presumably earning money for student loans or textbooks) do some rather acrobatic dancing (of the exotic variety) to "Somethin' Hot." The story with Amber Headlights is that Greg was writing these songs and then he shelved them when his friend died. However, he uses a lot of the better hooks and themes on his next record, Blackberry Belle. As it stands, you're better off getting 1965 or Blackberry Belle. I believe I uploaded a track from Amber Headlights onto the OE gallery many moons ago. Yep. Edit: hey, I forgot to post what's spinning in my CD player...

Yeah, the third-wave is the "uncool" one. That ska revival in the mid-90s that made the Bosstones, No Doubt and Reel Big Fish into superstars. Well, No Doubt would have been superstars anyway because of Gwen Stefani's bare midriff. Real outlaw country music like Waylon, Willie and Cash will never go out of style while poseurs like Toby Keith are still making hit records ... but I'll stop before I go on a rant. I'm listening to "Pick Up the Change" by Wilco. And because he's announced the new solo album is dropping June 5, and I hear he's covering "Zero Chance" on the new tour... Chris Cornell - (Led Zep cover)

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Hell of a Hat Oh yeah, I just went all ska-core on you. Yes, I own this CD. Yes, I know ska isn't cool anymore, and there's a vocal faction who believes it was never cool in the first place. I still think the Bosstones are great, and I absolutely love this video. The world needs more sushi/karaoke bars.