Xmas Sucks

I don't have much to say about this time of year that ain't offensive. If you haven't finished the ridiculous chore of shopping for gifts, then I suggest purchasing a small firearm & plenty of ammo for the event. If you're single & lonely this time of year, I strongly suggest stocking up at the local liqour store. It will be over soon. Until then....keep on drinking.

Check out the link below for some humor during such a dismal time of year.

Gripes About Xmas Presents



and until next time....

Days Go By

The PSB show here in St. Louis was downright phenomenal. I had the best time with my posse, and the crowd kicked ass. My Boys broke out some of the serious old-school classics including a handful of tracks from Actually circa 1987. I don't know about the lower level, but they certainly had us bumpin' upstairs. I felt like a cigarette afterwards for crying out loud. I've had the wonderful opportunity of seeing them three times prior, and I must say this was the best performance of them all. I didn't have to travel 5+ hours either, which was really nice. They said they would be back...we'll see. The Boys also have a new pictorial book (Catalogue) and DVD (Life In Pop) available so check those out. Remember the holidays are approaching...hint hint.

Bob Barker has announced that he will retire from television in June 2007. He has been the host of "The Price Is Right" for the last 35 years, which is hard to believe. Bob had the old black hair when I first starting tuning in. He is now 82 years of age. One of the best things about having days off during the week was being able to turn on the old tube around 10-10:30am and watch some "The Price Is Right". Beats the hell out of talk shows and soft-porn soap operas with lackluster plots. At any rate, I will miss the crap out of Bob, and the show will definitely never be the same after he leaves. CBS has no intention of pulling the show, but I think that if Bob goes...the show should go since he IS the show. At any rate, here's a cute Top 1o Bob list I came across compliments of VH1's Best Week Ever.

Top 10 Things We'll Miss About Bob

The great college showdown came & went.....the game of the year as they called it. Both #1 & #2 teams resided within my beloved Big 10 conference, the truly superior conference when it comes to college athletics. I was in attendance for the Illinois/OSU game a few weeks back. It's really quite demoralizing not to mention a little terrifying when there are more pathetic Buckeye fans at a home game than Illinois fans. Buckeye fans are nothing more than obnoxious hoosiers. However, my team put up a great fight and in fact damn near defeated the overrated Buckeyes. Illinois defense played an exceptional game. Don't believe me? The truth lies in the statistics. Illinois only gave up 108 passing yards and a mere 116 rushing yards. OSU's precious Heisman candidate QB only averaged 4.7 yards in the air including one pick and a mere 3.4 on the ground. Mr. Pittman, the RB phenom, only averaged 1.8 yards on the ground. OSU's offense was averaging roughly 36 pts/game UNTIL they rolled into Champaign. Points allowed, you ask? 7 points per game UNTIL they played Illinois. So the expected blowout didn't exactly happen now did it? Illinois missed yet another opportunity to knock OSU out of title game contingency once again. Let me refresh that memory. In 2002, OSU was up for a bid in the Fiesta Bowl title game. Once again, they came into Champaign expecting a blowout and were stunned when a 45+ yard field goal in the final seconds sent the game into sudden death overtime. Brandon Lloyd made the potential winning catch in the end zone but was ruled incomplete/bobbling the ball. OSU scores after two OT series and wins the game.

The official BCS match-ups are out, it will be OSU and Florida in the BCS title game. Michigan got downright screwed. However, the BCS system as a whole sucks in my honest opinion. They need to flush it down the crapper and set up an actual NCAA playoff bracket. It causes controversy every single year at some point or another, and someone always gets screwed in the end. Anyways, go Florida. Stick it up Brutus' arse.

Illinois basketball is in full swing. Unfortunately, they dropped their last two but were unbeaten prior to those two meetings. Mind you, they are also missing two key starters due to injury, and both losses were against top-25 ranked teams. Keep an eye on Warren Carter this year. That kid has shown some serious improvement over the last 1-2 years. He's having a fairly decent season so far and had a personal scoring best last Sat. with 24 points. They will really start to gel after Randle and Smith are fully functional. Go Illini!

Still waiting on the Halloween 2006 pics so stay tuned. You might see them by Xmas or perhaps next Halloween. Slacker ass friends...

The 'hot' Xmas item this year..... the highly coveted PlayStation 3. These little devils are going for thousands on auction sites such as eBay and are not expected to be available for the masses again until at least after the Xmas rush. The 60 gig system with WiFi capability retails at roughly $600 bucks. This also includes one wireless controller for ultimate gaming comfort. If you can't wait, there's always the Nintendo Wii or Microsoft's Xbox 360......boo! I'll wait for my PS3, thank you.

That is all...

Fall On Me

It's that time again except it's already damn cold outside. The costumes for yet another year of Halloween madness are in production. Due to an absolute lack of planning, time, and thought, the decision was made to do something relatively simple & original. The two-man (man/woman in our case) costume will pay homage to the Boys featured below circa 1993-1994. I will certainly post pics if any are taken.


The Boys will be here in t-minus 47 hours. It is baffling that the day is nearly upon us. These last few months have absolutely flown by. I have been very tempted to pull up the expected playlist for the show but have refrained. I anticipate a really great show as well as a huge chapter in my life coming to a close. Long story.....short night. At any rate, I will be out in full force with my posse.....Guinness in hand.

The World Series also comes to town on Tuesday. At this point, the Cards lead the Tigers 1-0 in the series. However, it is now the bottom of the 7th with the Tigers leading 3-0. It would appear that the Cardinals will come back to St. Louis with the series tied unless something spectacular happens in a hurry. The Cards will have homefield advantage for the next three games. Tickets are going anywhere from $500 to $5000 via Stubhub.com. Everyone and everything is covered in red. Absolute madness.......Go Cards!

Take a good look at this face. This is the future for Illinois football. His name is Isiah...aka Juice. I affectionately call him Juice Vick. This true Freshman is phenomenal and will only get better year after year. The great news....Juice is only one of several future Illini hopefuls. Despite the record this year, the team has shown great improvement across both offense and especially defense. Mark my words. Illinois football will be competitive once again. The top-ranked Ohio State _uckeyes will be in town in two weeks. This will be my last game for the 2006 season. Basketball season also kicks off in just under two weeks. Stay tuned for another round of domination with Bruce and the boys. Bruce Weber is my homeboy.

The NFL is in full swing. The Chicago Bears have a good shot at going unbeaten this year if they keep their shite straight. The 2006/2007 NHL season kicked off the 1st week of October. The Blues look much better this year. Go out and support the Blue Note this year. The Illini hockey team are on a unbeaten roll. College football just passed the midway point in the season. However, the game to watch....Michigan @ Ohio State. HUGE match not only for Big 10 domination but also for a lock in the BCS Championship game next year. F_ck Ohio State. Go Blue!

It is officially Guinness season now that the temps. are dropping. Drink and be merry or at least 'til they're pretty.

Go PSB.....Go Cards.....Go Blues.....and Go Illini!

Until next time.....

Updates & Up Yours

It's that time again. Illinois football kicks off this Saturday as they host the Panthers of Eastern Illinois University. The official NCAA season actually kicks off in one hour and fourteen minutes. Unfortunately, the 'experts' are hyping up Ohio State as the team to beat this year. I don't understand why Illinois never breaks the top oh say 100 every year. It will be a tough season this year for Illinois with some heavy Big 10 matchups down the road. Both Iowa and Ohio State are expected to pummel those in their way. Michigan/Illinois will not meet this season, but Illinois will have to face Penn State at home in late Oct. If I had to guess the outcome, I'd go with 3-9 or just maybe 4-8 if they actually start to gel. Either way, it's another exciting season of college football just around the corner.

Right behind the NCAA football season kickoff, we have the NFL season opener on Thursday, Sept. 7th when Pittsburgh hosts Miami. Kickoff is set for 730PM CST. My no chance in hell for a Super Bowl run awards go out to...
1. Green Bay Packers - Favre...retire for f_ck's sake. Your team hates you.
2. St. Louis Rams - A given.
3. SF 49ers - Not enough offensive/defensive strength to make a mark.
4. Detriot Lions - All sorts of holes in the offense & defense.

Those came to mind. I believe Seattle, Cincy, and perhaps the Colts will be tough contenders again this season as long as everyone heals up soon and stays healthy throughout the season. Will this year be the year that the Houston Texans turn the tides? Will Reggie Bush be a breakthrough RB for the Saints? The folks in Fantasyland seem to think so. My fantasy teams are near completion with one draft left next week. This will mark my 2nd Fantasy season, and I hope that one of three teams will do some damage across the league. Here are a few amusing Fantasy rules compliments of NFL.com. Best of luck unless you're in one of my leagues.

What else? Last weekend marked the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. There were several great documentaries on over the weekend. However, I highly recommend checking out Spike Lee's ongoing documentary entitled When the Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Acts. Click here for the synopsis, schedule, and more details. The series consists of four acts and gets down to the nitty gritty when reviewing the levee situation, evacuation procedures, and lack of govt. response in a timely manner. Educate yourself on the reality of what happened and watch it. These folks still need ALOT of help and are getting very little as far as financial aid. You can also purchase gear at Save Nola and help donate to organizations working to rebuild and revive the great city of New Orleans.

A week from Monday marks the 5th anniversary of the Sept. 11 events. I'm sure there will be a plethora of pro-patriotism, American loving propaganda all over the place. However, please remember first and foremost all the people that just went to work that day like any other day and didn't come home. Forget about 'terrorism' and the fact that Bush has FAILED miserably to cough up the infamous Osama Bin Laden. Remember how shitty that day was really was no matter who you were or where you were. There's also been several good documentaries on the subject of terrorism and 9/11 that I recommend watching. One in particular is entitled 'Inside 9/11', which aired last week on the National Geographic channel. Go here for more info. and future airings.

Finally, the 2nd season of Weeds premiered on 8/14. Yes, Nancy and co. are back in business only to find bigger obstacles to climb the more involved she gets. Season one ended with her banging the cute guy she met via her youngest son's toe biting martial arts mishap. Turns out cute guy is none other than DEA material. Now she's trying to break it off with him, but he drops the 'I know you're a dealer' bomb on her. Oh where will the tales of Agrestic, CA lead us this season? Stay tuned and check out Weeds on Showtime for a complete schedule.

That's about all I have for now. Ahh yes....storm photos as promised.

This was the front of the storm as it moved in from the north.

Shot taken during the storm - tractor trailer giving way to the wind.

Street shot during the storm.
Taken by a Cardinal fan in attendance that night.
Mammatus ('boobie') clouds West. Co.
Switzer bldg. just off the MLK bridge downtown.
Tree down in Dogtown
Same shot - next day.
Aerial photo (KMOV) of power line/damage.

Have a safe Labor Day weekend and watch out for the piggies on patrol.

My Head Is Spinning

Hi.

Excited that I've returned?

I highly doubt it.

Nevertheless, I'm here to inform and disturb.

Let's start with football shall we?

EA Sports NCAA 2007 is out. I suspect that this will be consuming most of my personal time until I command and conquer all of college football. The 2007 game engine is very similar to last year but with a few added perks depending on the game mode of your choice. I dabble mostly with the legend mode myself. I can later import my roster or superstar player to the Madden rosters assuming the 2007 version still has the capability. It rocks and will consume many, many hours and months of your life....or at least thru say Feb. 2007.

College football or I should say Illinois football kicks off in t-minus 38 days. The home opener is against the mighty Panthers of Eastern on Sept. 2. Not the highest caliber opponent, but this is Illinois football we're talking about. Haven't seen the official preseason rankings, but the game has Illinois slotted as #80. However, watch out for the rest of the Big Ten (minus Indiana & Northwestern). Expect the usual powerhouse Big 10 teams to reign and move to bowl status early in the season. Illinois will host Iowa, Indiana, Ohio State, and Purdue this year. Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, Illinois will not face Michigan in the 2006 season due to the schedule rotation. 'Twill be yet another exciting season of college football.

Time to sign up for another round of NFL Fantasy Football compliments of NFL.com. Leagues are filling up so grab a seat, and set your picks up. The majority of drafts kick off mid-August, which gives you plenty of time to do your homework. My teams are set up and ready to command & conquer. Fear the Roald Dahl inspired teams, my friends......fear them. If you've been interested but never tried it, give it a woo. It's free and will help expand your knowledge about football and the NFL. It also makes the NFL season more interesting.....and tolerable.

Here's the latest (as in today) news that's tripped my wire. My beloved (pet shop)boys (see previous post here) are coming here for a show whilst on tour in North America. St. flippin' Louis?!?! Do they realize where St. Louis is? I've been around for 30 years now and have spent 22 of those years following these guys. First off, they don't tour that often. Secondly, they've never played a venue within a 4-5 hour radius of the St. Louis area. So it's oh so exciting with a touch of what the f_ck? So here's the hizzy on the fizzy.... the show goes down 8pm Oct. 24 at the Pageant. Presale kicks off tomorrow at 11am, and general public sales starts at 5pm on Friday. The bad thing about the venue is that capacity is limited and over 50% of that capacity is general admission seating. If you want a seat, I suggest getting tickets early. I will certainly feel better once I have secured mine.

I have a handful of storm photos to share....eventually. Most are compliments of all of us who...well, basically stood outside on our porches gawking and snapping photos whilst withstanding the wrath of nature in full force. You know I'm relatively certain that we were instructed to take cover during severe weather and specifically tornadoes. However, everyone does a mad 10 yard dash to the front porch as soon as that siren sounds. It's a relatively amusing site during a nerve racking event. One week and one day later, and folks are still struggling thru the heat with no power. What happens when the next 'big' storm comes along? It was a state of panic for 2-3 days (or better depending on where you live). This is not good when living in a fairly large metropolitan area. There were times when I wondered if I would be the first to witness people gnawing on each other fighting for gas and ice. Mass carnage due to a widespread but 'mild' power outage. I say mild because the outage lasted anywhere between one to eight days. There are still areas of New Orleans with no power, and that 'little' debacle occurred just under a year ago. What the crap happens when we mix a little heavy destruction, flooding, and a handful of dead and wounded? Martial law in full effect.

Here's an amusing article posted in the local paper (Post Dispatch). This was written by Todd C. Frankel.

Things you learn when the power goes out
Candlelight is surprisingly strong. Reading by candlelight, although it seems like a good idea, is exhausting. Scented candles are not the ideal emergency light source, something you discover when you get nauseous from several hours of burning vanilla and chocolate coffeecake candles.

On the first day, this seems kind of fun - like a tropical camping trip.

"Have power?" replaces "How are you doing?" as a greeting.

Lean Cuisines and microwaveable dishes such as popcorn and frozen dim sum are not always quick, convenient options.

When the air conditioning dies, you think about turning on a fan.

You still flick on the bathroom light switch.

Taking five showers a day seems reasonable.

You rediscover your porch - or your plans to build one.

You realize you watch too much TV.

The Internet is a bigger part of your life than you knew.

By the second day, you resent anyone who has power. You split off into camps of "haves" and "have-nots."On the third day, you imagine elaborate scenarios for when the power should return. When that fails, you consider moving to Canada, where even if the power did go out, you could just slip into a parka and build a fire.

Facing a weekend without electricity, you start pricing solar panels and wind turbines. Your hardscrabble ancestors probably would be horrified, but you love air conditioning. You miss it and want it back. Now.

That's all folks....

MicroSuck

Yes, the software Nazis of the world are at it again. However, I am no longer a Bill hater. Bill has turned over a new leaf. Actually, he and his wife (Melinda or Mrs. Gates if you prefer) continue to donate hundreds & thousands of dollars to charities & organizations in effort to help those who are less fortunate. Not a bad turn around for the guy who virtually monopolized the computer OS software industry many moons ago. Anyways, here's an interesting article about the current/future state of Microsoft compliments of The Guardian.

Here's some interesting, geeked out tid bits in home PC history....specifically mine.

Commodore 64 (aka C64)
Released: 1982 for $595
CPU: 6510
Coprocessor: VIC II
RAM: 64KB
ROM: 20KB
Built in BASIC - in other words...no actual OS software installed
Drive/Media: Cassette and/or 5.25" floppy (double-stacked drives if you were really cool)
This machine was generally used for gaming but also had a broad line of educational software. Electronic Arts & Broderbund were two key software suppliers for the C64. Broderbund kicked out the infamous Print Shop for all your graphic needs. Electronic Arts aimed at both educational and recreational software. They (E.A.) went on to become one of the most popular suppliers of gaming software (specifically sports) across both PC and video game consoles. Personal note - this was the beginning of a infinite, dysfunctional relationship with this damnable machine commonly referred to as a PC. Countless hours devoted to the C64.
Most commonly used line....
LOAD "_______" ,8 ,1 (insert the game of your choice in the blank)
RUN

Apple IIgs
Released: 1986 for $999
CPU: Western Design Center 16-bit
RAM: 128KB
ROM: 128KB
OS: GS/OS, ProDOS, DOS, Pascal UCSD
Drive/Media: Built-in 3.5 floppy, and I believe you could hook up external 5.25" floppy drives as well. I was 10...cut me some slack.
This was primarily used for business or professional purposes. However, I still managed to spend countless hours on this funky machine. Most of my gaming was very generic and raw. Commands were all typed out. Graphics were minimal to non-existent. I don't recall a whole lot about this PC at the moment except from the fact that it had one of the first word processors I ever used and the screen was blue. Exciting isn't it? I do recall playing a strange game called Keef the Thief a lot.

The Windows revolution came shortly thereafter introducing the mouse, desktop icons, and the art of double-clicking. Typing actual commands to run programs became obsolete with exception to DOS. Tech-frickin'-nology.

Enough about damnable computers. I'm going to do a little John Cusack High Fidelity bit here. If you've seen the movie, perhaps you'll understand. Otherwise, go watch it for crying out loud. He will be my husband someday. At any rate, top 10 songs that apply to my current situation...

Ever Fallen In Love - The Buzzcocks
Only - Nine Inch Nails
Special - Garbage
Kissing A Fool - George Michael
Face Up - New Order
This Is A Low - Blur
What Is It Now? - Badly Drawn Boy
Who Needs You? - Queen
Another Way to Kill Me - The Vestals
What Do You Want From Me? - Monaco

Don't forget to come out and enjoy the parade and Pridefest activities this weekend.

Generically Speaking

Today has probably been one of the worst days of my life. Well, it certainly ranks up there anyways. I would dig up some really appropriate dark quotes right now, but I simply don't feel like it.

I would love to go into with all my imaginary internet friends, but this would take hours or perhaps days. It will be your worst f___ng nightmare. It's been mine for years so I wouldn't wish it upon the darkest soul....ok maybe, but surely I can come up with more creative ways to f_ck with the people I truly disapprove of.

Rather than being psychotic, I will move on to bigger and better things. It's hot as a camel's scrod out. Bonnaroo came to a close (yesterday) I believe. Didn't go, but the lineup was suped up this year. If you're ever interested in hunting down festival-like events or jam band events, go to Jambase. Mega cool site that specifies in live music events including festivals. Tons of available music event info. so give her a gander.

The next 'local' event at Camp Zoe is called Unity. The event will be an art/music collaboration and will be from June 29th thru July 5th. It's more of an electronic music event with a splash of art. Sounds super cool, eh? Well, this ain't no Schwag kinda thing where you can just show up and pay admission the day of. Tickets are limited so I highly recommend getting tickets in advance. I had the damn website for the whole event but seemed to have lost it. However, I did run across one of the brilliant artists (online) responsible for throwing this gig. Super, cool guy so drop him a line on MySpace at NASA Nate for more info.

This weekend is the big Pridefest weekend here in unf_cking fabulous St. Louis. If you're headed out to see the big parade on Sunday, keep an eye out for a severely depressed drunk girl throwing toothpaste and old Mardi Gras beads. Yes, I will be in the parade once again. Hopefully, some of this aggression wears off so I won't be charged with assault should I toss the goodies too hard at spectators. At any rate, come down to Tower Grove park (off Grand & Arsenal), and check out all the cool sh*t. Morgan Fairchild is actually the Grand Marshall. The band ABC is also scheduled to appear, which is interesting to say the least. There will be action in the park on both Saturday & Sunday. The local bars & clubs will be packed full of hot, dancing bodies Friday & Saturday. So go out, come down to the park, dig the parade, and have a wonderful flippin' time. I will be wearing the sign that says 'Take Me Home With You, Sexy'. For a complete schedule of events, click below.




The new NCAA football game comes out next month. That will be a cool breeze of therapy during this bitter, disheartening summer. Madden is due out in August so that will be my next PS2 endeavor.

That's all I care to share right now. Oh...go download these albums/singles next time the opportunity arises.

Crop Circle Brain Factory Volume 4 - Zilla
Alive on Departure - Instant Camera
Peace Love Death Metal - Eagles of Death Metal......superfantastic album
Second Sign - Carl Cox
Universal Sound remixes - Josh The Funky 1

Check yo'self, fool.

Until next time...

Season of the Schwag

Yes, kids, it's that time again. It's Schwagstock season. The season kicks off this weekend at beautiful Camp Zoe (see below - Echo Bluff). Click on the frog above for the complete schedule compliments of The Schwag. The site contains all the info. a virgin Schwagster needs as far as basic survival. NO DOGS ALLOWED this year, which is a good thing. If every owner was a responsible adult and respected everyone at the event, then there wouldn't be an issue. However, there were at least two biting incidents last summer not to mention the lumps of poo left all over the campground. The infamous Pink Floyd tribute band, Think Floyd, will be performing Saturday night at 9pm on the main stage, which is kinda cool. Now I'm not a big tribute band person because it's rather unoriginal for one. However, it's nice musak whilst camping in the sticks of Missourah. FYI - The Schwag are a Grateful Dead tribute band, and they've been doing this for quite a while now. They generally play two lengthy sets both nights but will perform a 3rd this weekend since it's a holiday weekend.

My posse and I have been attending various Schwagstock events since roughly the summer of 2002. However, Schwagstock has been in existence since the late 90s so we are by no means veterans. We have witnessed the event grow from say 2,000-3,000 people per weekend to 4,000 and beyond over the past few years. It is a complete distortion of reality and everyday society. But I recommend it for the learning experience.

Here's what you need to know if you're curious about Schwag(stock) and perhaps debating whether to go for it...

• Leave all your ego and prejudices at the gate. You will see sh*t you have probably never seen and may never see again. Just go with the flow...unless someone's dying or something drastic is going down. That I have yet to see. Don't gawk at the abnormal behaviors and lifestyles. Excess gawking at the wrong time may get your ass kicked.
• Come prepared....i.e. tent/blankets/water/food/sunblock/etc. This particular weekend is going to be hot. Don't be a hero and think you can drink beer in the hot sun all day and still have a great time. This is a grand illusion. Use common sense for f*ck's sake.
• You will be tent to tent with the other campers....unless you get there early and defend your territory all weekend. People will wander around and through your campsite off & on throughout the event. Get used to it. This is part of what makes Schwagstock...well, Schwagstock.
• Get there early. The earlier the arrival....the more campsite options to choose from.
• Be respectful to EVERYONE in attendance. It's supposed to be a mirror image of the 60s love-in/jamfests fueled by peace, love, and whatever toots your taters. No one appreciates a public jackass.
• Meet people. Check out the drum circle. This one of the more social activities of the event. The older hippies have some phenomenal stories. You never know who or what you're going to see until you see it for yourself.
• Have fun. Be safe....all that crap they print on festival and rave flyers. Just use your head.
  
  We will be in full force Friday morning. I believe the gates open Thursday, but the crowd surge will hit Friday night thru Sat. morning. Everyone have a safe trip (2-3hrs. from the city) and drive safely. We will see you there.

Echo Bluff - Camp Zoe

I Get Excited (You Get Excited Too!)

I am excited. Perhaps a little behind on my news, but it's still exciting news to me. My beloved Pet Shop Boys have a new album coming out next week. Do you want to know what's even more exciting? What could possibly be more exciting than a new PSB album? How about a new PSB album produced by Trevor Horn? That really spiked the excitement didn't it?


So the brand new 12-track album entitled Fundamental is due out next Monday or Tuesday (via Parlophone) depending on where you shop. Their US label, Rhino, has set a release date of May 27th, but who the hell wants to wait another week? Obsessed fans & collectors...never fear for a 2-disc limited-edition (Fundamental/Fundamentalism) will also be released featuring various remixes. Rumor has it that this is one of their best studio albums ever. Some critics are even comparing it to Actually and/or Behaviour. However, knocking Behaviour off my top spot will be a damn near impossible feat.

The first single, 'I'm With Stupid', was released back on 5/8. The song as well as a handful of other tracks on the album have some political undertones involving a few unpopular folks currently in high government/political positions. The single disc set, which includes b-sides & a throng of remixes, is available online now for purchase or illegal/legal download. Amazon currently has the ltd. edition available for reserve and priced just under $27 with free shipping. If you're really anxious and want a taste of the new album, there are a few tracks that snuck their way online prior to next week's release.

The 2nd single, 'Minimal', is currently slated for a late July release and will features remixes from Tiga. Go Tiga.
Here's the tracklisting for the limited edition:
1. Psychological
2. The Sodom and Gomorrah show
3. I made my excuses and left
4. Minimal
5. Numb
6. God willing
7. Luna Park
8. I'm with Stupid
9. Casanova in hell
10. Twentieth century
11. Indefinite leave to remain
12. Integral

13. Fugitive (Richard X Extended Mix)
14. Sodom (Trentmoller Mix)
15. Psychological (Alter Ego Remix)
16. Flamboyant (Michael Mayer Kompakt Mix)
17. I'm With Stupid (Melnyk Heavy Petting Mix)
18. In Private (Stuart Crichton Club Mix)
19. Minimal (Lobe Mix)
20. Gomorrah (Dettinger Remix)

They will be doing some touring throughout the summer. However, most of the dates consist of festivals based in either Europe or the UK. See below for the specific dates.

June 17 - Zulu Rocks, Denmark
June 24 - Santander Festival, Spain
June 28 - Tower Of London, UK
July 2 - Liverpool Pops, UK
July 8 - Volt Festival, Hungary
July 9 - Exit Festival, Serbia
July 11 - Sokpje City Square, Macedonia
July 14 - Melt Festival, Germany
July 17 - Museumsmeile, Bonn, Germany
July 21 - Thetford Forest, UK
August 12 - Creamfields, Andalucia, Spain
August 14 - Marktrock Festival, Belgium
Sep 2 - Ludwigslust Festival, Germany
Sep 3 - Electric Picnic, Eire
Sep 9 - Bestival, Isle Of Wight, UK

Then & Now


"Pet Shop Boys! I f#&*ing love them."
- Madonna



Yeah....me too.

The Coachella 2006 Reflection: Part I (The Words)

Alright brothers & sisters....here it is. The unofficial Coach '06 review from a different point of view. The journey takes us some 1700+ miles from one moderately average St. Louis, MO to beautiful Indio, CA. Total driving time: 24hrs. & 11 minutes....according to MSN.

Let's break it down into simple sections so this bad boy doesn't drag out all day. We do eventually want to get to the pictorial review now don't we?

After my virginal experience at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival, I was slightly disappointed that I was unable to catch more performances than I did. This year, I faired rather well and was fortunate enough to watch the majority of each performance.

I Was There For:
Infusion
Joey Beltram
Carl Cox
Daft Punk
Kristina Sky
Gabriel & Dresden
Hybrid featuring Perry f----n' Farrell (25 bonus pts.)
Louie Vega
Ladytron
Minus the Bear
The Go! Team
Digable Planets
Bloc Party
Depeche Mode
Scissor Sisters (dirty rumor spreaders)
Matisyahu
Franz Ferdinand
Madonna (-15 pts.)
Derrick Carter

Unfortunately, there were a few performances sacrificed in order to catch what I considered a more poignant performance. Priorities have to be made when there are 90+ acts on the bill.

Missed:
Massive Attack
Yeah Yeah Yeahs (I did catch a song or two)
The Walkmen
Sigor Ros
Imogen Heap
Eagles of Death Metal (big bummer)
Mylo (DJ set)
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
Jazzanova
Tosca
Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley
Wolfmother (alot of buzz about regarding this band)
Sleater-Kinney (another big bummer)

The Pros:

• Beautiful setting. Polo fields are surrounded by palm trees illuminated with multi-colored spotlights after sunset. Mountains surround the Coachella Valley along the west making the festival grounds even more scenic.
• The weather was stunning with exception to the temps (see below). Clear, blue skies throughout the majority of the expedition & festival.
• Superphat performances across both days.
• Three words.... DAFT F______ PUNK! Best peformance of the festival.
• Great to see Dave, Martin, & Fletcher again under the starry CA sky
• Joey Beltram & Carl Cox with 2+ hour sets on the same day?!? Are you flippin' kidding?
• The most excellent & cordial camping neighbor ever. Wine, cheese, dates, & stellar conversation on top of a 'home/campsite' cooked breakfast. Outstanding.
• The Sahara Tent...plenty of room, shade, and live DJs/electronic acts all day long.
• Madonna helped deter some of the crowd which made other simultaneous acts slightly less tedious to watch.
• $6 chicken quesadillas that nearly lapped over the edge of the plate.
• Being there...it's as simple as that. It's Coachella and a part of music history.

The Cons....unfortunately, there were a few.

• What the hell is with all the trash? There are receptacles located ALL over the festival grounds yet the trash on the ground is outrageous. This is a negative on the people who attend vs. those who provide. Show some respect for f*ck's sake.
• Stupid people that feel inclined to get piss drunk first thing in the morning & stand out in the sun all day only to end up puking their guts up in a porta-potty. I don't need to hear that sh!t. Alcohol in the CA heat = BAD.
• The Madonna hype....and the horde of people pushing their way around to get closer. Go sit on a popsicle & sing.
• Paul Oakenfold. Need I say more?
• Tool. I get bashed for despising Tool, but I shall stand by my words. I LOATHE TOOL.
• Paris Hilton & Nicole Ritchie cruising around the festival. Boo.
• Several great acts scheduled for the same time or damn close, but hey...that's just part of it. Prioritize & sacrifice (see above).
• Kayne West covering a-ha's 'Take On Me'. What the frock, dude?

Oddities & Endsies

• Danny Devito was chilling in the Sahara Tent digging Daft Punk. How did he see over all those people? Wonder if Rita was in tow.
• Andy Dick digs Madonna.
• DJ Irene was standing behind us in the Sahara tent waiting out the crowd for Madonna. I was informed of this after I ditched the Madonna crowd to catch Bloc Party.
• Madonna fans were actually scaling the porta-potties to watch her performance. I read later that some of the roofs started to bend and give but no poo drownings were reported.
• Watching the surge of fans push their way to the Sahara tent just before she was SCHEDULED to come on. It was a little frightening.
• The freaky robots & their strange yet lovable creators.
• The infamous Tesla Coil - it fascinates me...what can I say?
• 120,000+ in attendance across both days.....a Coachella record.
• Depeche Mode has announced that they will soon release a live album featuring their Coachella performance.
• Only 15 arrests made in total....not bad considering the amount of people & kind things I smelled throughout the day.
• The 1st actual music I heard at the festival was none other than former Catherine Wheel frontman, Rob Dickinson, performing an acoustic version of Catherine Wheel's 'Crank'.

Could This Be An Annual Thing?

• It really comes down to the lineup, but I will warn you. It is a highly addictive event.

Who Would I Like to See at Future Coachella Events?

Blur - The Cure - Jamiroquai - Dieselboy - Pet Shop Boys (yeah, right) - Manic Street Preachers - Pretty Girls Make Graves - David Bowie - ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead (I actually gave up my TOTD tix last year in order to attend Coachella) - Crowded House - Elefant - Eurovox - Garbage - Interpol - The Killers - Morcheeba - Radiohead - Smashing Pumpkins (hey, reunions do happen. Look at the Pixies.) - The Smiths (OK...discard my previous reunion theory) - Morrissey - The Stills - Felix da Housecat - The Kaiser Chiefs - and a handful of others...

Stay tuned for the review in pictures...

Coach Intermission

Hello, cruel world.

Well, I'm sure glad technology panned out as far as the whole Coachella live update attempt via WiFi. There was little or no internet action once we reached camp. So unfortunately you are forced to read past events. Big, fat bummer eh?

I have a throng of photos to sort thru and reviews to conjure up, but I assure you I will have a full Coachella '06 post very soon. It was quite the experience, and I was fortunate enough to catch quite a few performances. There were several great performances throughout the 2-day affair.

At any rate, I have less than 12hrs. of twentysomething left before I plunge headlong into thirtysomething. Perhaps this time around I'll turn over the leaf without tearing through, burning or even smoking it. Peace.
Special thanks to K8 the Sexbot for the bitchin' b-day pic.

Coach Day I - Yukon, OK

What up, g's? It's just after midnight in none other than Yukon, OK....home of Garth Brooks. Out of all the places to crashland for a night. And the thunder rolls.... So sorry...that slipped. That's on the far west side of OKC for those of you who need to brush up on the US geography.

I don't have much to share. It was rainy and dreary most of the drive, and constant construction & one nasty wreck made the day a little more frustrating. However, we did run across an amusing gas mart somewhere in SW Missouri. Here are a few photos that capture the affair.


This is apparently a chain of gas marts. I passed on going in.


First actual souvenir of the trip. They go all out or so they say. Those are my beloved Guinness pjs. You could once get them at Target, and they are oh so comfy.

We also cruised by a manufacturing company of some kind or another with the title FAG. I sh!t you not, but unfortunately I couldn't grab the camera quick enough. I believe it was near Neosho or Joplin. FAG. Who comes up with this shizznat?

(I scored this on the way back)

At any rate, the WiFi service here at La Quinta - Sedona, AZ was a little less than stable last night so Day 2 will be posted soon. We are on the final leg of the tour and will be at the campsite in 5 hrs. or less. Stay tuned for more exciting tales from the road.

Peace.

3 Days 23 Hours 53 Minutes 55 Seconds

Well, the day is upon us. I am currently wrapping up my final 1.5 hours at work for the day. Everything is packed and ready to go. Unfortunately, I've been a bit busy so I have nothing to report. Actually, I have one album review. I picked this bad boy up via Emusic last week. I kept this band on the radar for about a year now, and I believe they were also at last year's Coach. festival. At any rate, here you go...

This is a 2-disc album consisting of 20 tracks. So far there are a handful of tracks I've become partial to since downloading last week, but the album as a whole is worth picking up. This is one of their older albums...circa 2002. They also have another album entitled 'Love Kraft' that was released last year and comes recommended. I may have to pick it up on the next go around.

AT&T blue room will feature a live stream or this year's Coach. festival in its entirety. Visit AT&T blue room Coachella Webcast for more details an info. My assumption is that you have to sign up...hell, I'll do it now to see how painful the process is. They want some brief info., and you're in....nothing too serious & it's free. Anyway, check back at the website above for more details as we get closer to Saturday and Sunday's big affair.

I will be electronically equipped this go around so hopefully I will keep a relatively live/current day update on the whole event. This includes photos as long as the old laptop stays juiced. So check back throughout the week. I will attempt to take some scenic shots of the drive to post along the way.

Until oh say later tonight or tomorrow.... peace.

T-Minus 7 Days Until Departure

Tiger Woods 2006 (PS2)
A little late, but it's better than never I suppose. This came out a while back, but I've hesitated playing it because the game itself is a master of time suckage. At any rate, the game engine is virtually the same. They added a few more bells & whistles, and I believe a few more heinous courses. There are also a few new/different game styles available. At any rate, this has been and perhaps always will be a great golf game. This is coming from someone who loathes actual golf but loves it via PC or video game console.


The Godfather (PS2)
This game is a bit newer than Tiger Woods. I hesitated slapping this one in the console because I just knew it would turn out to be a crackhead game. See the definition below if that's a new term for you. Anyway, it's relatively cool. Very similar to the GTA game engine as far as movement and general layout. The game is aligned with the actual movie so the main characters are similar to those who acted in the movie. You create your very own 'mafia' character and carry out missions/etc. for the Corleone family in NYC circa 1950s...I think. The more business you extort and money you raise via racketeering/bank heists the more your family status improves. I haven't gotten too far but am impressed with what I've seen so far. If you're on sick leave or short/long-term disability, this game will help pass the time.

"Crackhead game" - a video game of any variety that causes one to sit for hours and play until their very eyes are completely bloodshot & sealed shut; a game that causes twitching and discomfort if not played daily for at least 4-5 hours - sometimes up to 10-12

I mentioned something in the regards to the neverending stories of the Village Idiot in my last post. This is a person who seems to have the best luck & the worst luck all at once. Unfortunately, the last incident has caused great scrutiny and humiliation for the poor fellow. The sad story is that the tales of this person go on & on. So rather than glorifying his drunken presence in society, I have refrained from posting the urban legends & notorious stories that dubbed him the Village Idiot. They are amusing tales that I would love to share, but the guy truly has a problem. So all I will share is his latest episode posted below. This was taken by a spectator after the Cardinals home opener last week. The setting is one of the various parking garages in downtown St. Louis. The message I have to send.... cameras/cameraphones/visual recording devices are everywhere. Don't f*ck up in public or chances are you will be Google-able.

Al MacInnis

Well, hockey fans... you won't see this superstar defensemen on the ice again unless you head out to the Chesterfield ice complex for a little youth hockey. The Blues retired my beloved #2 jersey last Sunday during a monumental ceremony at Savvis. Al is the first player to have his jersey hoisted into the rafters at the 'new' home of the Blues. He is the fifth in Blues history to have his jersey retired following the likes of Barclay Plager, Brian Sutter, Bernie Federko, and the late Bob Gassoff. There were several Blues alumni on hand including Brett Hull, Rick Zombo, Jeff Brown, Marc Bergevin, Kelly Chase, Tony Twist, and a handful of others well before my time in hockey fanaticism. This game was the only sellout of the year after a season to forget. However, it was rather amusing when the previous owner and current GM were introduced and booed by a full house. Bill Laurie (shite owner highly guilty of franchise abandonment) and Larry Pleau (GM - as in Pleau must go) are certainly atop the shit list after failing to make key moves and prospective acquisitions during last year's lockout. At any rate, the ceremony was memorable as well as the career and accomplishments of Al MacInnis. It's disheartening that he will never play again, but it was an excellent send off for such a superb person. I generally make it a point not to get too attached to players, but I really enjoyed watching Al play for all these years.....esp. the St. Louis ones. I will miss not having him standing guard by the blue line. But the thing I will miss most is that wicked, 100mph slapshot. Spectacular. So yeah...I will miss the crap out of you , Big Al.

Here are a few more pictures from the ceremony along with some career highlights. Stay tuned next time for the humorous tale of the Village Idiot.

Al & family watching #2 rise to the rafters.

Same as above only from my point of view.


This was the door freebie....a mini-banner - front view.
The 2nd is the back of the mini-banner...chocked full of stats. Pretty neat.


This is the buffet available to you when you purchase Club Level seats. It's a mere $35/plate, which is a waste of good beer money if you ask me. However, I thought the picture I took was rather dynamic considering some of the other attempts I made throughout the night.

Career Highlights

• Ranks 3rd all-time among NHL d-men in goals, assists, and points. Goals = 340; Assists = 934; Points = 1,274
• Appeared in two Stanley Cup Finals and captured the cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy for postseason MVP.
• He attended the NHL All-Star game a total of 13 times. He also won the hardest shot competition several times as well.
• He was awarded the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best d-men in 1999.
• He earned a gold medal with Team Canada during the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Being Boring

I have nothing, and I mean nothing to report. There are a handful of topics I could babble about, but I can't muster enough drive to dig up the facts. I am flippin' bored at this very moment. At any rate, here are a few new downloads/discs I recently acquired followed by a short review. Enjoy and come again.


The Cure - Join The Dots: B-Sides & Rarities 1978-2001 (The Fiction Years) CD
Brace yourself as this is a 4-disc set. However, this set contains some of the best Cure a Cure fan can acquire. It's chocked full of b-sides, rare covers, and a variety of mixes unavailable to fans via the regular catalog. I can live without a few of the covers, but some of the b-sides are outstanding. I strongly recommend picking this up if you appreciate the life & times of the Cure. Viva la Bob.

Astrocat - Open Systems
This is a brief, 4-track release. I believe it's relatively new, but there's not a whole lot of info. out there. From what I have read, Astrocat consists of one man, Jordan Trais, based in Chicago. He apparently creates a variety of electronic music including everything from techno to acid jazz and does so in his very own home studio. Overall, this 'mini' album isn't all the bad. Good for work outs and/or cleaning.

Belle & Sebastian - The Boy With the Arab Strap
This is my personal B&S favorite. There are certainly some classics on this album. If you're considering dipping your toes into the pool of B&S, this album is a good place to start. It's hard to go wrong with any B&S release, but then again I'm biased.

Bikini Kill - The Singles
I still need to give these guys another whirl or two to get an honest opinion. The album is tolerable, but the group itself actually has a few other decent songs not featured on this particular release. They have a crunchy, punk sound...or at least that's what I'm calling it.

Eagles of Death Metal - Peace Love Death Metal
These guys are gearing up for their 2nd release on April 11th. The new album is entitled Death By Sexy. They will also be appearing at this year's Coachella festival in late April. As far as this album, I say get it. If you like the sound of the White Stripes and say the Black Keys, then chances are you will like this album.

Electric Skychurch - KNOWONENESS
This is a relatively enjoyable electronic album especially if played whilst relaxing, sleeping, meditation, etc. It's generally low-key with a moderate tempo. No obnoxious thumpa thumpa. This is a good one to pick up if you're one of those who enjoys the 'background' ambient electronic music.

Eurovox - ...this is Eurovox
This was an excellent score. Good sound, and some great tracks. Download or die.

Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons
Another electronic selection for my collection. Chocked full of abstract beats and a variety of other oddities. Good musak for relaxing, sleeping, cleaning, meditating....you get my point.

my robot friend. - Hot Action!
Strange group. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend, but they do have the infamous PSB b-side entitled ' We're the Pet Shop Boys'.

Sound Tribe Sector 9 - Offered Schematics Suggesting
What can I say? I was on a electronica/ambient/chill kick. Another great album for relaxing...etc. I especially enjoy listening to this whilst drifting off to sleep. I recommend this for those of you who enjoy the various styles of electronic music... namely ambient/low-key breakbeats.

That's all for now. There are officially 19 days left until Coach 2006. Stay tuned as we close in on the kill.

Until next time, punks.