1,2,3,4...

All you hard-hearted hipsters can suck it. This video is adorable:

Look out Kelly Taylor...

Brenda Walsh is coming for YOU!!! And you totally deserve it, sneaking around with Dylan while she was in Paris! That's just not right.



I am irrationally excited about the 90210 remake. Because rich people with problems make great television. Add in the tensions of kinda rich people mixing with the truly wealthy? TV heaven. One day I'll make an argument that these shows are the natural heir to Jane Austen or Edith Wharton, but that day is not today.

Anyway, here's hoping it's at least half as good as Gossip Girl. (And while I'm hoping for things, let me add how the only thing that would make that show better is the addition of Chuck's pet monkey. Or if they gave Chuck & Blair their own show featuring Julie Cooper. And possibly Alexis Colby. Scheme-tastic!)

The Cops Finally Busted Madame Marie

RIP, Marie Castello

I've always had half a notion to drive down to Asbury Park and pay her a visit, even though I think she had closed up shop there years ago. So it goes...

Shackles of Youth

Vicky didn't ask me if I wanted to go see REM. The conversation went something like this:

Vicky: Want to go see Modest Mouse & the National??

Me:  Yeah, sure.  Where are they playing?

Vicky: June 19th at Madison Square Garden. They're opening for REM.

Me: Ooh!  Yes!   

Now, I haven't bought an REM album since I don't know when. (Automatic for the People, maybe?) But if you ask, I'll tell you that Life's Rich Pageant is one of my all time favorites. And then maybe I'll laugh and talk about listening to Fables of the Reconstruction while lost somewhere in central Jersey and Debbie having a panic attack in the backseat of my car and literally rending her garments because if she was late getting home again she was going to be grounded forever. My ringtone when Debbie calls now? Driver 8.

Or maybe I'll tell you about sitting on my bed with my boombox, obsessively stopping, rewinding and replaying Document until I had deciphered and transcribed all the words to It's the End of the World As We Know It.

Or about the time Michael Stipe came into Tower and bought Bruce Springsteen's Ghost of Tom Joad album (which is, in my opinion, not one of the Boss's better efforts). He asked for directions to a camera shop and my friend Anthony and I proceeded to get into an argument in front of him over the best way to get to the shop that was just around the block. He smiled, thanked us and as he was walking out the door I overheard him say to his friends, "We're never going to find it. Let's just go back to the hotel." Sorry about that, Michael.

So yeah.  The band pretty much provided the soundtrack t o my youth.  Anyway, here are pictures & a setlist. Pretty great, huh?

And while we're on the subject, take a look at Pop Songs 08, Matthew Perpetua's quest to "write about every REM song, eventually."

Yup, that's steak on my plate.

I've been thinking about red meat for awhile now. Saturday I gave in and ate some for the first time in 15 years. I feel good about the decision. Whether or not this leads to a full on embrace of carne remains to be seen.

Kitten Rescue!

I've heard of calling the fire department to rescue kittens in trees, so I suppose it follows that you should call them when they're stuck in drains.

The World is in the Terlet

It's my new favorite song.

Tom and the Friends of Tom wrote the Lyrics. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists wrote the music & recorded it. This all happened between 8-11pm on Tuesday. It's been stuck in my head ever since. It's the repetition of phrases. And the hand claps. And the line about the corpse going to Enid's for a drink and some palaver. And the way Ted sings/snarls/howls the final line.

You can find links to both the song and the entire show here.