100 songs

The 100 song project involves listing your 100 favorite songs, and it's loosely defined by design. It's not 100 most important or 100 favorite of all time (though you could do it that way if you chose to)

I went with favorite right now, and I cheated a bit by skipping Wilco, Beatles, Smiths..basically any artists who might account for 10 or more songs. Most of you have the cd, here is the accompanying explanation;

I wasn’t raised cool. My father was in radio, but he was more Hello Larry than Johnny Fever. As Program director for Adult Contemporary stations from Lincoln to L.A.I was exposed to more Seals and Crofts than Beatles and Stones. My dad brought home promo records, but only if you were lucky would you land a real rocker like Neil Diamond. My mother listened to the Fifth Dimension, Tom Jones, and Stevie Wonder. Since we are talking about the early seventies, the Stevie part was cool. My parents had hundreds of records but no Beatles, Elvis, Stones, James Brown etc. I could go on, perhaps I should focus on the cool things they did have…..um Ray Conniff? Bert Kaempfert….on Second thought let’s stick with Neil Diamond.

When your father is in radio you move around a lot, it’s like the military without the uniform. From KC to LA summer breeze, to Lincoln Mandy to Dallas this is it we bounced around.

So I can hopefully be forgiven for buying Lou Rawls with my first CD money. Coolness isn’t in my blood, and like most losers I’ve spent an inordinate amount of my life over compensating.

I’ve worked at record stores, dug in labels dumpsters, had a failed radio show. Managed a band, copped a ton of attitude, acted a fool. But in the end all that matters is the music, and how you connect to it. It used to be vinyl, and now it’s about the Ipod.

The above does not explain the total cop out option I’ve exercised on this list. I didn’t exclude Beatles and Stones cause I don’t love them, but it was too difficult to make song choices and the idea of writing about ‘Gimme Shelter’ Gamme worry. So I decided to skip all the artists who could easily pen 20 or more of my 100. I’ve spent enough time and money on music in my life to produce a few favorites outside of the lines. These are truly favorites right now, or at least a few weeks ago when I sent them out. These are not the songs I would save for mankind, or leave to my child necessarily, but they’ll do.

So for better or for worse here are a hundred favorites, over thirty of which you’ve had the chance to hear by now. I believe I’ve shown significant amount of ass by now.

Lot’s of these are covers, and I didn’t feel like doing a lot of work so try and play along.



Total eclipse of the heart-the Dan Band (from the film Old School)
Over my Shoulder-I am Kloot
Spacewalk –Lemon Jelly
Soft-Lemon Jelly
Can it all be so simple-Wu Tang Clan
Little red light-Fountains of Wayne
My window faces the south-Bob Wills and the Texas playboys
Smokestack lightning-Howlin’ wolf
You’ll never walk alone- Gerry and the pacemakers (plus 40,000 Anfield singers)
I saw the light- Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass boys
(I’m) Stranded-Saints
1000 Times-Tahiti 80
Loose-The Stooges
52 girls-B-52s
A long walk-Jill Scott
Ain’t no sunshine-Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Wild Wood-Paul Weller
And throught the wire-Peter Gabriel
Any Day now-Chuck Jackson
Anything can happen-Finn Brothers
Yes, it’s true-Flammin’ Groovies
Cedar room-Doves
Stone cold crazy –Queen
But not for me-Chet Baker
California Snow_dave Alvin
Can’t find my way home-Blind Faith
Can I change my mind-Tyrone Davis
Carry me ohio-Sun Kil Moon
Check the meaning-Richard Ashcroft
Chokin’ Kind-Joss stone
Crackerbox Palace-George Harrison
Creep-TLC
Dancin’ the night away-The motors
Dawn-Four Seasons
Did I tell you-Yo LA Tengo
Dive for your memory-Go Betweens
Don’t take me alive-Steely Dan
Dust my broom –Elmore James
Eminence Front-The Who
Evil-Interpol
Get myself arrested-Gomez
God protect your soul-Ed Harcourt
Golden touch-Razorlight
Green onions-Booker T and the MGs
Happiness is easy-Talk Talk
Hey Western union man- Jerry Butler
Hot burrito # 1-Flying Burrito brothers
Hounds of love-Kate Bush
I’m a cuckoo-Belle and Sebastian
I’m alright-go-Betweens
I’m Eighteen-Alice Cooper
12xu-Wire
I and I survive-Burning Spear
I wanna get married-Nellie Mckay
Ice hockey hair-Super Furry animals
If I ever feel better-Phoenix
If I had a rocket launcher-Bruce Cockburn
If I should fall from grace with god-Pogues
Jealous love-Bobby Womack
Kansas City-Wilbert Harrison naturally
King Midas in Reverse-Poises
Know your onion-Shins
Late in the day_Supergrass
Leave me be-Zombies
Neighborhood # 2 Arcade fire
no easy way down0-Tahiti 80
on your own again-Scott Walker
Right to be wrong-Joss Stone
Robot-Futureheads
Scorpio Rising-10,000 maniacs

On the CD;

Jolly Green Giant-Negativeland this is what it sounds like inside my head most days
Sure thing –St. Germain old and new, John Lee hooker samples are a good thing
Solid Air-John Martyn some of my thunder was stolen when Point mentioned this album and included a track from it. But I heard it for the first time in 2001, and it sounded so fresh, I thought it was a new release.
Jezebel-Iron and Wine
Where’d you hide the body-James McMurtry
I found a love-Falcons featuring wicked Wilson Pickett, I almost left it off because the sound quality is so poor. In the end I decided to include because the sound quality is poor and all the needles are pinned.
Once around the block-Badly Drawn Boy
Stronger than me-Amy Winehouse Let the ladies have their say, the emo boy backlash is in full effect
Victim of a foolish heart-Joss Stone the hard part is picking a song, I love everything she does. Her version of Chokin’ kind is wonderful
King of the Rodeo-Kings of Leon
Texas Holdup-Prince Buster Dallas Texas!
Bug- Vic Chesnutt
New Slang-Shins ‘you haven’t heard the shins, listen it will change your life’ Natalie Portman’s character in Garden State
Razor Boy-Steely Dan I had to include a Steely Dan song since it was this panel’s discussion of them that sent me back to re-asses their work. I found that quite unexpectedly I really like Steely Dan.
Faded Beauty queens-Thrills
Horse shoe wreath-AMC
Holidays are nice-Sophia
On the Table-AC Newman
Baby in Two-Pernice Brothers
Gulf shores-Bonnie Prince Billy Don’t know what this song is on about, but it makes me think of sad little coastal towns in the off-season. Like that Ashley Judd movie, you know the good one.
Chicken Payback-Bees Too much time spent listening to the Wiggles I fear
Lover you should’ve come over-Jeff Buckley
Bloody mother fucking asshole-Martha Wainwright Echoes of ‘Like a rolling Stone’ but sounding fresh to me
There there-Radiohead who says they don’t write tunes anymore?
Anything you want-Spoon How could I not include a song that says ‘since you were 19 and still in school waiting on a light on the corner by Sound Exchange’ and he sings it in a Phil Lynot style to boot
Golden Lady-Stevie Wonder
The man don’t give a F***-SFA written about notorious footballer Robin Friday who’s off the field troubles would make the modern gangsta blush. This is a good one live, and I love the showbiz kids sample
Blue Spark-X nice little LA crime story
How am I different-Aimee Mann
Your revolution-DJ Vadim featuring Sarah Jones Preach!
10 AM automatic-Black Keys sounds like Paul Rogers guesting with the dodgy garage band next door..I mean this as praise
Free to go-Folk Implosion
O Children-Nick Cave I like Nick in the creepy Gospel vibe
Fugitive Motel-Elbow Ghostly and wide open like a Wichita lineman

Finding the range

The first few days in the new office I could not hit the trash can at all. My shooting percentage was below 50% and the sad part is it's not very far away.

But in the last few days I've been starting to feel it. After some self coaching 'Don't be afraid to use the backboard! I'm now hitting over 80% from desk point range.

Overheard in the hall

'If we keep reporting bogus numbers to Sweden, sooner or later it's gonna catch up with us'-Flanders

I could hear him way down the hallway. This is troubling on several levels. My advice to Flanders;

That's not really the kind of conversation that should happen in the hallway at volume. I'm thinking that is a closed door meeting.

oh and secondly what are we Enron?!?!?!?!

World leader pretend

Do you agree with Bush's practice of dissing world leaders? When he speaks of the leader of another country as a 'bad guy' or 'evil' He did it last night when speaking about Iran, and North Korea.

I feel like it's a poor strategy. I would prefer he speak to the objectionable actions as opposed to his judgment of good and evil. I think it carries more credibility to speak of specific actions, not character assessments.

It also bothers me when the leader of the free world says he's not concerned with public opinion. You are still an elected official, and you are supposed to represent the American people. I would think public opinion should count at least a little.


Glad to see Alex fired on the Apprentice, he's lost like 7 in row enough already.

I still like Kendra the best.


Those fools on Survivor will rue not voting Tom off while they had the chance, I'm just bitter cause I liked Steph.

You may feel this blog is shallow, and has very little substance. You would be correct in that assessment, however I'll remind you that you are under no obligation.

Music-Go-Betweens oceans apart

Must see TV

Bush?

Somebody tell this guy that Thursday nights are not a good time to talk social security. Thursday nights mean Survivor and the Apprentice.

I already tried to vote this guy off the island once.

We interrupt the bread and circuses to bring you this fake crisis.

Men are weird

So I just had to glad hand a couple of the sales reps, and one of them gave me the iron handshake. What's the deal with that? 'I am Thor! I've never understood the freaking iron claw act. Is it meant to be a challenge? A firm handshake is one thing but this 'I am Iron man' shit is uncool. It's kind of sad in a way.

Never one to follow trends, I will invent my own style. Maybe when I meet someone new I'll just haul off an kick em in the balls.

Funk

'Christina Aguilera's videos remind me of porn, except the music isn't as good' -Triumph the insult comic dog


Flanders has been in his spider hole lately. It seems we have run an ad for a senior controller. Flanders is our one and only controller, and he's been here over 5 years. Flanders is no doubt feeling slighted since he wasn't offered or even told about the new position.

Flanders is not our best employee, so the company is doing the right thing.

If I were Flanders I'd be brushing up that old resume, and consider taking 'Hogwarts' off his list of qualifications.


Netflix -Life and Debt about Jamaica's sorry financial state (not a feel good hit)
Music-L'Aperitivo Italiano (a lot of it sounds like 70's porn)

Sex, Drugs, and on the dole

I was out in lovely Fort Worth yesterday. I needed to do a bit of digging for a TCU game story from 1921. It seems my boy Michael is at it again. The college football encyclopedia is nearing completion, and needed a missing piece of data.

Scrolling through the papers from 1921 is jarring to say the least. One headline that caught my attention;

'Negros seek anti Lynching legislation'

It went on to list the lynchings from the previous year. Yikes! I know 1921 was a long time ago, but shit not long enough. It's hard to imagine such a thing, seeing it in black and white is tough.

Oh by the way TCU got spanked pretty hard on that day.

I am for the moment (comically) an employee in the service of ESPN. This amuses me quite a bit. Thanks to Michael for getting me off the dole. ESPN may have paid money to a bigger spare in it's history but you'd be hard pressed to name him. Apologies to Mel Kiper.


I loved the Susan Casey excerpt in the new Sports Illustrated. A shark story is just the sort of thing I would likely feel shouldn't be in SI, until I read it. It was fascinating, the great white is a mysterious and terrifying creature.

Did you know, or could you have imagined that a 20 ft great white could be 8 ft wide??? Holy S! and nearly six feet deep.

Today and tomorrow all the bloody good sales reps from our company pay us a visit, this event happens only once or twice a year. Luckily for me I can lay low, I am not in charge of entertaining or baby sitting any senior sales reps. I just have to act charming if any of them wander into my office, and laugh at their lame jokes.

Happy Birthday John

Belated shout out to my boy John. I was totally out of pocket yesterday, so I'm a few hours late.


Even though I'm a miserable bastard, I've been much happier knowing you all these years.

Dual disc

Not sure how I feel about these. Yes I have been stumping for more value from the labels for years, and I suppose this constitutes value. But how often do you purchase or watch music videos? Almost never in my case. So by adding videos to a CD, you ostensibly add value, but in reality it adds little for me. My fear is this added 'value' will justify keeping price points higher.

If the RIAA and labels have learned anything from the 'home taping is killing the industry' routine, it's more about the music than the package.

nothing man

I have nothing to say and no way of saying it.


Thanks to all of you who willingly loaned me your library card numbers, this saved me a lot of time and homeless interaction. You are now on several watch lists no doubt, so let's be careful out there.

I did visit Flanders in his office today. He is the keeper of a form I needed. I'm pretty sure I woke him up, no bs.


Music-Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass boys
Netflix- eff it, I gayly watched the Bachelor

Sales

The salesmen I tortured last week, or rather the one who tortured himself has made an appointment. Yay! now see that wasn't so hard, was it?

Now as a joke when he gets here, I'll tell the receptionist to insist that he first make an appointment.

Mr. Irrelevant

Mr. Irrelevant is a misnomer. So what if you are the last person drafted? In an age when rookie free agents can make an impact, I don't think your draft position matters.

Randall Gay was undrafted last year, I guess that makes him Mr. less than irrelevant. But he went on the start 10 games for the Patriots, and oh yeah they were pretty good.


Slow news day.

Office music

People in offices suck, this is a universal truth.

It doesn't matter what music I listen to in my office, someone will act like it's from Mars.

'What on earth is that?
Who died?
Man, that's some weird sounding stuff, what do you call that?

or the most common;

What IS that your listening to?

Here is why it bugs me, they do it no matter what. I understand if I'm listening to Neu, or NWA, but they do it for George Benson, and John Legend just the same. What on earth must they listen to, in order to think John Legend or Stereophonics sound outrageous?

I work with tools who prolly dig Pat Green.

Right now I'm gonna tune into some Close Lobsters b sides John sent me, so coworkers can say 'what the hell is that?

Monday

The trouble with Flanders is he has no sense of space. He comes in at like 6:30 everyday, and when you arrive he is chompin' at the bit to talk to you. So as you sit down at your desk, turn on your pc, and try and settle in, he's already in your doorway with his coffee ready to chat. I was dreading this because Flanders was out on Thursday and Friday, so I knew he would be all about the new office interview.

Flanders 'So this is it, huh? (Flanders is often very generic)
Me 'yep' (I'm often very short)
Flanders ' well it's lot bigger than you r old office' (an indisputable fact)
Me ' true'
Flanders ' it's kinda open though (another invaluable insight)
Me 'yeah'
Flanders 'if these walls were a little taller...but they won't spring for anything'
Me 'you go that right'

Somehow, he left at this point, I feel so lucky. We could've talked all day. That Flanders is a real showman.

Let's see show up in your office way too early, state the obvious and wander off.


Netflix-Starwoids
Music- Lee Scratch Perry

Smile like you mean it

Saturday was spent at the FC Dallas game. Another good result from those boys. In the concourse following the game the drummers form a circle and play with a massive echo. A large circle of people form around the edge and kids dance in the middle. A paper mache bull head was worn by several kids during the dance. If a three foot kid in a bull head dancing doesn't make you smile I dunno what will.

You will not likely be able to see Eddie Johnson play in Dallas for long, he's destined for bigger and better things. This team is red hot on the attack. Saturday they scored three goals, hit the bar twice, and had another cleared off the line. Offense is not a problem with this bunch, how good they can be will depend on the D.


I'll be glad when they no longer play in the Cotton Bowl. The Cotton Bowl is built for small people, and the parking is shared by Smirnoff concert hall. Saturday this created an unexpected problem as we had to sit in Pat Green traffic. Pat Green is a total spare, let's be honest. He uses Texasness as shtick. He is like a travel brochure for Texas, and he suckers in the weak minded. As we sat there we watched all these half naked girls in cowboy hats walking up to the show. After this display we worried that we had been too hard on old Pat, and maybe he was alright after all.

Speaking of the MLS, the scene in LA over the weekend was encouraging. Over 27K in attendance for the first ever LA derby match. The TV coverage even had the sky cam. It looked legit, and had a good atmosphere. I hope one day we see crowds like that here, this year's team is very entertaining hint hint.

You know you have a cool kid when;

I was shaving Saturday morning getting ready to go see Millions, when the kiddo appears in the doorway sporting his 'vote for Pedro' shirt and asking if he can bring a cd in the car. The cd? This year's model. Yes you may bring a cd.

Earth day

Earth day is a nice idea, but let's be honest it's kinda sucky as holidays go. Earth day needs the one thing all good holidays have driving them...commerce. We need to dream up a troll or fairy that will deliver toys or candy to earth saving conservationist children. Let's face it without Hallmark and Corporate America making a push saving the earth just isn't sexy enough.

Administrative Assistant day has more juice, let's work on it.

Larger than Jim Backus, it's the cactus

I'm wearing light green pants today, a bold move for me. The catalog calls them cactus colour. I worried I might feel uncomfortable in a new hue of pant, but I feel good.


So far no one has called me Mr. Greenjeans.

Good day sunshine

After a week of overcast clouds, the man called sun made the scene today. The sun does wonders for my attitude.


Are people more likely to honk the horn if they have a passenger? I say yes, they like having a witness to the crime, and the justified reaction. Or is it more I can't be disrespected in front of my friend?

Kendra is looking like the only apprentice worth hiring. Trump's 'Alex is not a star' quote reminded me of the Bill Murray line from the Rushmore rehearsals. On one of the first days of a read through Bill Murray said to Jason Schwartzman 'they told me you were going to be good, you're not good' Ouch!

If there is any justice Stephanie or Tom will win Survivor, but that show isn't about justice.

I watch too much TV, but shit what else am I gonna do whilst getting my 90 min cardio on?

Leo Kottke

I enjoy reading John's tales of homeless interaction. I don't have to deal with the angry homeless guys much these days, but in my Austin days it was almost a daily occurrence.

Once in a while some homeless dude would bring his unique brand of weirdness to the Sound Exchange where I worked. It's sad that people who are obviously mentally ill are on the street, but it's hard to feel real sympathetic when they are berating you.

Leo Kottke!
what's that?
Leo Kottke!!!
any particular album by Leo Kottke? I asked knowing we didn't have any, but maybe it could be ordered.
I told him before! pointing to no one in particular 'Leo Kottke! said the homeless, growing more and more noticeably angry.

I know this guy is in need, but he's starring at me and shouting Leo Kottke! It's starting to piss me off.

Continuing coverage of the MInter office move

Today I wore jeans and a t-shirt and worked up a good sweat before 9 am. But eff it, I now blog from my new office. This is the most unique office in the building which isn't to say the best. It's my creation, you take a large open space that housed four cubes, and wall off part of it, remove all the cubes and bring me in. Now I have a large and fairly private office with an open flow to it..kinda cool I guess...beats a cube or my old small office.

Now I need to think about decorating, perhaps a wet bar and a couple of palm trees would be in order. Oh wait I know I'll get a putter and one of those automatic ball return things from the 70's. There's even room for a cot.

Hey salesmen

Leaving me a voicemail stating a day and time you plan on showing up at my door, does not constitute an appointment.

I will not call you back and cancel, because it's not a valid appointment. I will allow you to show up and sit up there for an hour. Only to later send a minion to tell you I've been unavoidably detained and you will need to schedule an APPOINTMENT for another time....Dig?

An appointment is a time that is AGREED upon by TWO or more parties.

I know sales can be a tough gig, and you must be a bit pushy at times, but I don't play the blitzkrieg game.

In fact I got a guy sitting up there right now as I type this. Hope you like last summer's Entertainment Weekly playa.

Tahitian Prostitution rates

I had a business lunch with several dudes from this office and one of our suppliers. The party was all men, and we went to this old school steakhouse which is also very mannish. You never see any women in this place, and it has this old school Dallas vibe. You come out of this place smelling like smoke, cigars and knuckle hair. In other words not my scene, in fact it's very close to the opposite of my scene.

Anyway, Flanders was in the group. I'm sure you've guessed that Flanders and I don't often see each other socially. As we ate our lunch, Flanders told us how his 'friend' was in Tahiti and 'approaced' with an offer of three good girls for a whole night for $10 US.

Why is it the tales of foreign prostitution offers always have the same elements?

It's always;

Offered not sought.
Often it's a 'friend'
The offer is never accepted for whatever reason
And it's always told from a cold analytical perspective, lest anyone think they were anything more than observors in this crazy game.

No one ever says "hey I just got back from Thailand and I banged a bunch of low rent whores! " I may have AIDS!

Beisbol

The more I think about this the less sense it makes. You are asked to pay cash for everything at the ballpark, but there's like one ATM machine. Who the hell walks around with $200 cash? not me, I'm lucky if I'm packing a tenner.

Drug dealers, pimps, and hos...must love it, no one will raise an eyebrow if you peel off a couple hundreds to pay for a weenie.

Wednesday

Maybe Flanders won't know where my new office is.

Flanders used to work at another company that I'll call NCH. Anyway, no mater what the subject Flanders has an antic dote from his NCH days. Usually NCH, as portrayed by Flanders is this utopian society where all the fixtures are gold, and the faucets poured the finest wine. His description of NCH is like an effing Victoria's Secret commercial.

We built a patio out back for smokers...'at NCH we had this long hallway with it's separate ventilation system'

We had rats 'at NCH they used these high tech sonar devices that kept all rodents away'

We have foundation problems 'at NCH we rested on air & cotton candy in the cradle of God's love'

NCH NCH NCH!!!

Dude, why did you leave? Were you cast out of Heaven? Eff NCH and Eff you!


Music-The Dan band (okay it's one joke, but I like it for now)
Book- We thought you would be prettier

The Game

Things I noticed at the game on Sunday;

Fellas...just you fellas...think twice before getting a tattoo on your calf or anywhere below the waist for that matter. The ladies can pull this off a lot better than we can. Just a thought.

Why are there always drunk idiots on my row? It was one thing when we were the drunks.

I'm never less proud of my sex than in the men's room at a major sporting event. It looked an smelled like the outhouse had been turned upside down, and this was before the first effing pitch.


I will not wear a rubber wrist band for any cause...sorry. I'll give you two bucks, but I'm not going to wear a played out rubber band.

How can you sell an $8 hot dog and STILL not take cards as payment.

Paying to park is always a pet peeve of mine, you are ostensibly the customer going there to spend tons of cash, and they slap you in the face by charging for the privilege.

Music-Dan Band

Increasingly uncomfortable with modern business

What do you think they would tell you if you walked into DSW shoe warehouse and asked them to just look up your credit info? "here's my driver's license just go ahead and call up my card info'

'Sir we don't have access to that information'
'Sir we can't do that'
'Sir we don't do that type of thing'

All good answers right? so why the fuck can someone steal all that info from them? WTF?

Pick a pope that's new

Pick one already..WTF?

Target=genius marketing

Okay for a moment let's overlook the fact that Target was much cooler before they became grocery stores, and we will also look past that frumpy $1 section they've added at the front of the store. (ew...so effing Wal-Mart)

All that aside Target is genius. They are beating Circuit city and Best buy at their own game. The big boxes sell cd and dvd new releases at low prices to get you into the labyrinth in hopes of making you buy from them next time you need a tv or whatever. They make no margin on the dvd and cds to speak of, but see it as an investment in customer loyalty and brand recognition etc.

Target is doing the same thing, but getting their margin often in the same visit. You drop in to pick up Ocean's 12, and grab shampoo, toothpaste, and soda. Target is building loyalty and raising their profile AND making back the margin in the same visit.

All of this is pretty bad news for the few remaining independent music stores out there, who cannot sell at such low prices and stay alive. Consider supporting local or regional indie stores (if they're not dicks) I recommend Waterloo records (www.waterloorecords.com) in Austin. My order for the heroes of the blues cards took 1 day to be delivered, not bad at all.

Tuesday

I'm sitting in my old office, with all my stuff in boxes, and listening to Martha Wainwright. I'm pretty much feeling sorry for myself, cause I can't move yet, and I cannot stay here either.

This Bachelor is a real tool, however the girls are worse because he's sent all of them who had half a brain home already. Bad show, shallow people...and I watch it..what does that say about me? Says plenty I know. When hot girls are having catty arguments, it's easy for a despondent male such as myself to watch with a smug superiority masking quiet desperation.

I'm having some major mood swings lately, and I'm pretty sure I'm no fun to be around. Hasn't deterred Flanders however, he just popped his head in my door and said 'so when are they moving you? ...you don't look happy'


Flanders is so not the worst person I work with..sad to say.

Good new bad news

The good news is the office I'm moving to is large enough to hold four large cubes.

Bad news? No one can figure out how to get the cubes apart, so I'm officeless for now.

Moving sucks even if you are only moving one office

I lack the requisite organizational skills.


Music- I am kloot
Netflix-I'll sing for you

I was gonna

Write about Flanders, and my failures using SPF 4 etc. But I'm moving offices and swamped.

Apparently the flower print shirt, and paisley tie are making a comeback in men's fashion...sadly.

Flanders

Someone insulted Flanders in our morning meeting, and even though he richly deserves to be dissed I felt sorry for him. Flanders is sad more than mean spirited, so I cannot work up any real hatred for him.

Denoucement

The Learning Channel's 'Sheer Dallas' takes place at places I've never been, and features socialites I've never heard of...so I publicly denounce it as a representation of this community.

It portrays Dallas as shallow, materialistic, and willing to make any sacrifice in the name of vanity.


All true perhaps, but unfortunate to be outed in this way.

Friday

I'm jones'n like Vanessa in 'the devil in..-The Roots

Friday!!!

Too much work to do, I have to move offices on Tuesday, and I have too much to do before then, let alone packing.


Netflix-Night of the hunter, and Nine Queens
Music-the Sophie shuffle, and she loves 'her majesty by the Beatles...but so do I.

Sophie the Ipod appears courtesy of Apple.

Happy Birthday Lindsay

I prefer to focus on the positive for Friday. Let's not discuss a certain bill that is due to the man today. Let's focus on cool people.

Lindsay is one of my coolest friends and has great taste in music. So shout out to her on her...well it's not polite to say, but she's effing young.

Deadline met

Well sort of...the CD sampler went out yesterday. The demand was overwhelming (by my standards) and I'm flattered so many of you are actually interested. We will see if that interest remains after you listen to that load of rubbish.

I'm sure the panel will rip it to shreds. But since most of the panel had already sent me theirs, I couldn't very well not do it could I?

Most genius

Waterloo records has the R. Crumb heroes of the blues trading cards back in stock. They are too cool. I'd post a link, but as you know I'm linkally challenged on this server.

I've had it

Yesterday I caught the door for a young woman and she said 'Thank you sir'


SIR?!?!?!!?


I've had it, can black socks with shorts be far away? It's time I start accepting it, I will never be truly great at anything, and it's all down hill from here.

Sophie played you'll never walk alone on shuffle this am.


Why do so many people feel they must align themselves with a character on Sex and the city? It makes me sad that this is the main point of reference. It's a good show, but that's all it is.

Walk on

I wish I'd clipped the Fiver's comments about Liverpool's chances of besting Juventus in the Champions league.

Liverpool are through after a strong showing in Turin today. Bring on effing Chelsea in the semis. This will likely be the end of the road, but how sweet would it be to knock off the southern fairies Chelski.

YNWA!!!!!

work

I work with a guy who saw the Beatles in concert, and he calls me Dr. Robert naturally.


And then there's Flanders....this mofo took the day off to buy a new car...WTF? no one complained cause we are happy when Flanders occupies other parts of town.

Would it be wrong to keep my door shut for 8 hours a day? People could slide things under my door if they needed my attention. I'm officailly antisocial in the workplace.

Have any of your workplaces ever had a fridge that wasn't a horror? People put stuff in there they know good an well they will never eat. Condiments, leftovers, open sodas, expired yogurt...WTF? I feel like I'm gonna catch Ebola from my muscle milk.

I'm smiling

'If I knew what I was doing, I'd be doing it right now'-Radney Foster


Nothing has gone right today, my pc has a virus, my job is hectic, I found out our sales department sold some stuff for less than we can buy it for....etc.

But I'm smiling anyway, cause Whitney started a blog. Before Long I just may be able to stay in touch with all my old* friends. I would really like that.

*by old I mean I've known them for a long time, they are as a matter of fact ageles as ever

Music-David Bowie live

We'll put a boot in your ass

Too bad we didn't have a Presidential Ipod pool. I would invested heavily in Lee Greenwood, and Toby Keith.

The idea of Dubya riding his bike around the ranch singing 'We'll put a boot in your ass' would be funny if he weren't the leader of the free world.

Dubya's Ipod

This is just too easy... I mean NO BLACK ARTISTS? WTF? What about Barney and the Wiggles?

From CNN.com;

The playlist does reveal a rather narrow range of babyboomer tunes. Writing in the London Times, Caitlin Moran noted: "No black artists, no gay artists, no world music, only one woman, no genre less than 25 years old, and no Beatles."

I'm sure this is the Liberal media spin on things, they should focus on the diverse nature of the Toby Keith catalog to be fair.

dvds out this week

Oceans 12
Hotel Rwanda
Dig (great rockumentary)

Overheard at the gym

'Hey triple x, your mother doesn't work here. Wipe your machine'

Wait staff

Taking my kid to the movies is a lot like being a waiter.

your nachos sir
and your napkin
something to drink?
everything okay?
you want me to get that nacho tray out of your way? or are you still working on them?
I usually have to pour some of my water in his cup after he polishes off whatever Icee type thing he was drinking.
at the end of the movie I have a pile of trash on my lap or under my seat

Footie

Liverpool hacked up a big fur ball in Manchester, losing to city 1-0. And to make matters worse Everton went on to win 4-0 on Sunday. Making Everton 4 points clear of Liverpool, and shaving down the goal difference as well.


FC Dallas went up to Denver and got a descent result. FC hit the wood work two times (Johnson, & Ruiz) but came up empty and got out with a goalless draw. I listened on the radio, and I'm quite sure there were not many of us by the channel.

Country gangs..yee haw mutha

From the Dallas Morning News;

Police said the Country Cowboy club has a history of gang activity.

Support our royal troops

This country was not founded by the magnetic ribbon crowd. Support the royal army! Be thankful for what we've got, love it or leave it!

The framers of our constitution risked their lives to make this place better, not sit back and wave flags in 'support'

Oh and the Pope wasn't to thrilled with our invasion of Iraq either, but I'm pretty sure he was a good person.

You had me at holla

After numerous setbacks my two disc sampler is complete! I came out of the lab late last night with two steaming master discs, now I just need to copy them and mail them off.

They contain over thirty of my favorite songs from recent years, and I'm sure the panel will hate at least half of them.

Eff it

Pharmaceutical companies should have to spend an equal amount on advertising the removal of a drug from market as they spent promoting it in the first place. The recall is always in the paper, but I can easily imagine people still asking there doctor about meds that are off the market.

There is something truly...erm sick about the way prescription drugs are marketed. Tired? fat? can't cry? cant stay awake? or get to sleep? Weenie too soft? hair falling out? nails got fungi? just not feeling yourself? hate your job?

Pills!!!!!!!

We wonder why kids can't 'just say no' drugs are the answer to everything in our society, is it such stretch for kids to look for easy answers in the same style?

I'm tired of blogging and being pissed off, I wonder if there's a pill for that.

Lyric

Save your pistol
Save your pity
Save your cynics tongue
Save you cool white stare
Take me to an honest face sometime
Amaze me now

I'm not going to identify this, I want to see if anyone recognizes it.

Hint this song sounds like Blondie, but this group usually doesn't.

I trippin'

Got my Griffin I trip working so now I can listen to my entire record collection anywhere there is an FM radio. I still have my eye on that little round JBL dock station as well, as I'm sure it would sound better.


Some of the guys I work with are gambling every other weekend. They drive over to Shreveport and do the Chicken Payback. No one ever loses, yet casinos make tons of money...huh...odd. It's really not my scene to give away my money, call me old fashioned.

Cold cocked

8:55 Am "Robert can you sit in on this conference call at 9?

Erm okay..dunno how prepared I can be in four and half minutes.

Then the Swedes proceeded to ask me detailed questions about volume, percentages and targets etc for the next hour+. This is classic corporate skull fuck, the Swedes don't know I had four minutes notice and only the slightest hint of what the topic would be. So you awkwardly have to stall, buy time, and explain that you were not invited to the meeting until moments earlier.

After several weeks of carrying around a good attitude, I'm finding my way back to the more comfortable role of conscientious objector.

if it doesn't fit...

I so wish the coroner would say something like 'even though all indications are Mr. Cochran died of an inoperable brain tumor, I don't find cancer to be the cause of his death. But don't worry I will not rest until the real killer is found and brought to justice'

nothing like easy to define criteria

I love laws that are so easily defined, and have little gray area. I mean God knows 'Sexually suggestive' isn't in the eye of the beholder...right? Didn't these assholes see the movie Footloose?

Anti-booty-shaking bill wins OK

09:43 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 5, 2005


From Staff Reports



A bill that directs the state education commissioner to intervene when high school cheerleaders get too down and dirty won unanimous approval from the House Education Committee on Tuesday.

The legislation by Rep. Al Edwards, D-Houston, began as a controversial measure that would have cut funding to schools that did not discipline dancers or drama students for performances that were too sexually suggestive. But after opponents insisted that was too harsh and noted that the bill didn't define what was out of bounds, Mr. Edwards trimmed back the sanctions. Now, he said, the bill directs district officials to "deal with it, make a phone call to the school."

The bill must clear one more House panel before it goes to the floor for a vote.

Karen Brooks

Continuing Jacko coverage

yawn

$49.72

This is what it took to fill my gas tank. It might be cheaper to fly a helicopter.

How do you find friends from high school without paying money? Any thoughts?

Things I'm tired of

Continuing Pope coverage
Continuing coverage of the royals
NCAA tournaments coaches wives. After every made basket we get a wife reaction shot WTF?
Cell phones and the service providers who sell them
Fashion Mags predicting the next big thing in music
My own self absorbed blog

What's bugging you?

Nothing worked

I've documented on here how I've tried to make my office as uninviting as possible.

A quick review;

No chairs
No magazines
No bar (I cannot offer you a scotch like an old soap opera)
My music can be off putting
My attitude can be charitably described as aloof
No welcome mat

But short of barbed wire I'm out of options. If I close my door scandal is presumed, and Flanders is a knocker. I'm leaning towards a live bear trap.

Help please

First thing this AM, in walks Flanders.

"I don't mean to be a perpetual complainer...


Okay at this point does it matter what he said? Could he follow that with anything that wouldn't suck? I suppose he could follow it with 'my Farrah Fawcett Majors collection is full, do you want this vintage mint poster?

But Flanders being Flanders followed it with....wait for it..... "the cleaning crew is leaving too many lights on at night'

The obvious question is WHO GIVES A SHIT? A second question might be why tell me about it?
I know Flanders has no life between Harry Potter books, and I also know that Flanders doesn't do much that could be described as work, but you'd think he'd at least masturbate to pass the time.

I'm not sure what I do in my life that keeps me from worrying about the light being left on, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with internet porn sites.


I've listened to be banana phone ten times in an effort to recover.

Banana Phone

Can't get the above outta my head...help me

They're not booing, they're saying COULIER!

One of the Chicago Fire players looked a bit like Full House's Dave Coulier, this made the game much funnier.

Monday

It always feels like I'm getting up in the middle of the night on the first work day after we spring forward.

I had a busy weekend. Went to the FC Dallas home opener, and me and my bro are hooked. There was an announced crowd of just over ten thousand (a suspect number) but even though we were small in number we made up for it with enthusiasm. There are lots of percussion instruments in the house, and the atmosphere is really festive. We should enjoy the great Eddie Johnson before he goes on to bigger and better things. The word is Man U is interested in his services. All I'm saying is there ain't no question who the man is.
FC Dallas 2 Chicago Fire 1 much rejoicing, and much drumming.

The new Woody Allen film is good but not great, no rush here. Make sure you've seen Manhattan, Annie Hall, and Hannah and her sisters first.

I added 897 songs to my ipod this weekend, and it's still less than half full.


I skipped the baseball season opener...sorry. Baseball isn't fun for me anymore. SO the two biggest clubs play and feature some pretty unlikable characters. Randy Johnson, and Manny Ramirez? Who can cheer for these guys? And I'm tired of the warm fuzzy story of the effing Red Sox, so they were finally able to parlay the second highest payroll into a title? Big effing deal. I'll get chocked up when the Pirates or Brewers win with one of the lowest payrolls...oh wait that will never happen. MLB is inequitable, and roided out.

Metal detector

As a kid I got a metal detector one year, and it was a colossal failure. This thing couldn't pick up the signal of metal lying on the ground you could see. It was a total time waste.

So when someone suggested getting my son one for his bday, I was quick to veto. You may as well give him an old golf club and broken radio w/ earpiece.


Speaking of shitty products my HD cable box which is a mere 7 mos old, has shorted out and requires total replacement. So on Saturday I get to swing by the cable office, and exchange it. This means I have to unplug the spider web of chords from the back, and more importantly remember how to put them back.

the salad days of a tosser

Look I hate Pat Buchanan as much as the next guy, but is throwing salad dressing on someone a mature way of expressing an opposing point of view?


Honestly....kids today..tisk tisk.

80's

I have a bit of beef with the current perception of 80's music. Nowadays 80's means mostly new wave. Sure there are plenty of hits from the likes of Tears for Fears etc, but by in large it seems the nostalgia is leaning towards the new wave end of the scale. I believe, at least in the case of my high school, this is revisionist history. I loved new wave, and was a social outcast thanks in no small part to my eclectic tastes. The songs that could truly be called popular in my high school were from;

Taylor Dayne
Rick Astley
Lionel Richie
Phil Collins
Mike and the goddam mechanics
Huey Lewis and the effing news

I could go on and on. The exception seems to be silly hair metal, which was popular and still gets of lot of play, albeit tongue in cheek.


So what's the problem? Those new wave songs are, if not better certainly more fun to revisit anyway right?

This post makes no sense to anyone not named me....I'm losing the plot. Can you tell my reunion is coming up, and I don't want to go. I feel like I should want to go, so I have this dialogue in my head about how fun it will be, but I know better.


I guess my point is the yuppie larva I went to school with loved them some Huey Lewis, and now they wanna wax nostalgic about Turning Japanese...so eff em.

TD

Somehow I missed the passing of the great Tyrone Davis in Feb. I regret the oversight, cause TD is worthy of note. If you've never heard 'can I change my mind' or 'turn back the hands of time' you are missing out on a couple of fine soul nuggets from yesteryear. I used to play a best of TD tape in my car all the time.

R.I.P TD 1937-2005

A long walk

Today is walk to work day, so I told them I'd be in at noon and need to leave at 1:30.

How the hell is Chris still on the Apprentice? The guy is terrible. I don't like it when the rules of a challenge aren't fully explained, are we to assume there was a marketing budget? or were the models paid out of pocket? I like to know the scope.

Is the expression 'quiet as it's kept' or 'quiet is kept' Any thoughts?

For some reason I was giggling about Bill 'hey man' wearing a homemade shirt that said 'Bon Jovi Suck' (sic)

Glad it's effing Friday.




Music- Funkadelic, Flying Burrito Brothers (Sophie is getting loaded with things from the F section)