This is done.




Now.




http://dudepresides.blogspot.com/

Hot in Buffalo

It's Brasil hot in BFLO.

Seu Jorge - Live at Montreux - Tive Razão

Regis

Love that Regis!

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BARACK

Perfect.

Dr Who Season 4 Episode 2 Next Time trailer and credits

Because the BBC's promos for next week's episode of Doctor Who are so much cooler than Sci-Fi's.

Also, the theme music is pretty fucking cool in it's entirety.

The Black Keys - Strange Times

Enjoy the Black Keys where and when you can because after that Secret Machines show with a 100 people at the Town Ballroom last night you know they ain't coming to Buffalo any time soon.

Come on now, don't you hipsters get it? If you just wear the funny clothes and act all quasi pretentious without occasionally "making the scene"... without representing for your area... then you're just posing. Putting on phony airs. Wanking.

And "the scene" in your area? If it even exists other than in your minds... it becomes lame... sorry... and eventually extinct.

Homecoming

You just know these dudes pull mad chicks.

And the drummer looks like Eva Green.

The Teenagers - Love No

Ummm... ice cream.

The Teenagers

Thanks for coming to Buffalo Teenagers. Don't judge us too harshly based on our lame ass attendance.

Finally got around to watching the first episode of Robin Hood season 2 and it was awesome. An exquisite hour of adventure, cliffhangers, dashing heroism and glorious villainy. Yes Keith Allen is jim dandy as the vile Sheriff, but this week Richard Armitage looked positively Vaderesque stomping about as Sir Guy of Gisborne, tossing Maid Marion's dear old dad around, and buring down her house. They're really going for broke this season and I can't wait to see where and how far it goes.

Miley Cyrus is one of the biggest fools ever or we're the biggest saps ever. Wasn't it a couple of months ago that she on 60 Minutes* saying that she'd never pull the shit that she's pulling now?


Ah yes... a role model to MILLIONS OF GIRLS.

Spike TV gets props for actually showing in their entirety the credits to Star Wars. Yes they are sped up, but still that's pretty cool.



Random Star Wars Observation (I wish I could number them for you): the scene at the end of Episode II with Darth Sidious and Count Dooku walking, chilling and plotting is the total analog of that scene of the Death Star (Mark 2) from Episode VI when Darth Vader greets the Emperor (Darth Sidious)... and walks, chills and plots. Both scene's take place in a hanger, I think the Emperor even says something about "everything going according to plan" in both scenes, but craftily enough the roles are reversed (in II it's the boss greeting the underling whereas in VI it's the underling greeting the boss) and the different settings (the dreary hanger in II, the Death Star shuttle hanger in VI) underscore just how far the Sith came.... before being defeated by those damn Skywalker kids. Very nice there George-I hadn't noticed that until tonight (when I caught the end of II on Spike- as you might have guessed). Very nice indeed.

OK, that was a wacky one two punch during game two of the Western Conference Semis on VS: my mind didn't know how to respond to the stimulus generated by the commercial for Penn and Teller's new TV show Bullshit! in which they say "bullshit!" repeatedly on regular cable TV or the profound hotness radiated by the commercial for Showtime's upcoming Secret Diary of a Call Girl... starring Doctor Who's Billie Piper (sweet wholesome Billie Piper)?!? My brain seized up. Seriously.

5 Reasons

5 reasons why Vampire Weekend's debut album is too good to be true:

1. It sounds too good. It's sonic presentation is perfect. No "debut album" comes this artful and sonically ambitious. It doesn't happen.
2. It's baroque, literate and classy yet tuneful, occasionally crass, and infinitely rump shakable.
3. U2 and R.E.M.'s debut albums weren't this perfect.
4. The cd design is pefect: the photography, fonts, layout are all preternaturally cool, and yes, perfect.
5. It reaffirms the virtue and value of of the cd as a piece of art and mode of musical conveyance in an age of the cheap commodification of popular music.

Folks I watched The Moyers this week and his interview with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright was a humdinger. Anybody watching it for new tidbits or ammunition came away terribly disappointed. Will it make a difference? Of course not, it contained too much information... too much TRUTH to be contemplated by white folks patently un-eager to look the fullness of the American Experience in the face (what Bill Moyers literally calls "the Full Monte"); plus it called out the corporate media for it's complicity in a great many things and therefore will not be mentioned in said corporate media. Maybe we'll get lucky and his press conference tomorrow will make some positive waves.... but I'm not too hopeful.





* I don't even want to know what the kids in private schools are learning about our great nation. Actually I do- it probably explains a lot.

Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma

Beware a little classy potty language.

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

Oh yeah, Vampire Weekend are the best new band since Arcade Fire.

Seriously.

As you can well imagine, I've been wandering in the wilderness these last 48 hours. It's not been pretty. I've been kicking around all sorts of shit; pondering grim possible outcomes, chewing on all kinds of gristle, and pulling at my hair (my beautiful hair!). Yesterday the Old Man himself, my dear father, laid his disgust as a lifelong Democrat over this shit and growing ambivilance about even voting this November on me. A lifelong Democrat and true blue UNION MAN. And he laid all of this on me.


Fuck people. We are totally entering the danger zone. This shit ain't funny any more. The waters have been muddied enough folks, we can't take 40 more days.

But let me take a brief moment to reflect on the Flight of the Conchords album. It's hilarious and remarkably soulful. You can shake your booty and nod your head stylfully to it, and you don't need to have seen the first season of the frankly hilarious HBO series of the same name. Of course you'll want to run out to pick up the 2 disc DVD set (I believe it's cheap at Target) immediately after listening to the cd, but that's OK.

All Is Quiet On The Western Front

I had to interrupt my pure enjoyment of the Flight of the Conchords album for MSNBC's coverage of the Pennslyvania Primary and shit damn it I am starting to feel a little loose. Not good. Loose.

It's 8:15 PM. Dateline USA. We are chilling out.

Yowza

The second season finale of Torchwood was mind blowing and much deserving of the pre show hype considering they killed off two series regulars. My only regret about the end of this excellent show's excellent second season- that I have to wait nine months until the start of the third season.

And it's not like I am going without*- now that the fourth season proper of Doctor Who debuts this week on the Sci Fi Channel. Last Friday's airing of the 2007 Christmas special with Kylie Minogue didn't blow my mind. Kylie was nice, and she certainly presented herself well as a potential new traveling companion for David Tennant's Doctor, but it was a bit broad in it's humor and approach, a reflex perhaps when writer/producer Russell T Davies goes overboard with the darker elements that drag Who away from it's family show heritage (the episode is a decent send up of both Poseiden Adventures and Titanic- complete with a surprisingly high body count). Still kudos to Kylie for delivering the emotional punch the episode needed, and I hope they find a way to bring her back.


* The Sarah Jane Adventures are fun, and worthy of mention now that they're showing the first season proper of the show after last week's pilot episode. The writing is broad, fun, sly, and emotionally satisfying considering it's a somewhat derivative kids show. And it makes me laugh.

Is there nothing those crazy Welsh Doctor Who/Torchwood/Sarah Jane people can't do? Kudos also to Sci Fi for finding a way to preserve the show's fun cliffhanger's even though they are showing 2 half hour episodes a week.

I can't get enough of G4's Olivia Munn. She's more than just some bird who looks great in a bikini or Princess Leia steel bikini. She's got that something, that sense of ultra self awareness that hints of great depths roiling underneath the surface of this comely minx.

I'm excited about the first new Portishead album in 10 years, but I'm buzzing with glee and anticipation about the new (Reverend) Al Green produced by Questlove from The Roots. I was just watching some of Chappelle's Block Party the other day and was thinking to myself "dag, I wonder what that dude is up to right now?" and lo now I know. He is laying it down with the Reverend and bringing the Reverend and us back to basics, and it sounds awesome.

Lesbionic Woman

Nice. G4 is essentially a useless network, but it does have some virtues. Not many. But some.

Behold G4's Olivia Munn:

• as Princess Leia in the steel bikini.
• as Wonder Woman.
• as Baroness.
• as Princess Leia in the steel bikini, next to another Princess Leia in the steel bikini.
• being awesome.

The End

This one goes out to Hillary Clinton, with all the implied Apocalypse Now allusions totally intended.

Adios Muchacha?

Now this is what I call "strategy."By slagging off the liberal wing OF HER OWN PARTY, HRC has essentially declared herself unelectable.

The Clinton Death Star has run amok.

I knew it all along.

Sorry

Sorry for the light posting the last few days but I've been fulminating in POLITICS WORLD for the last few days and any time in front of the mother box not reading and responding to e-mail has been spent reading and watching video about serious events (like that ridiculous debate last night that qualified as an unmitigated travesty).



And the sun's been out. But tonight's got a new Office and Smallville Tivo-bound for watching after I take in some Countdown (gotta get The American Idol updates).

Happy Birthday Luke Skywalker

According to the e-mail I just got from Uncle George (actually the Star Wars Homing Beacon newsletter) it was 35 years ago today that Lucas began work on the first draft of Star Wars (or The Star Wars, as it was originally entitled). Wow.



Now if only Uncle George could get those digital theatrical 3D versions out he was talking about a few years back...

SPEED RACER - Official International Trailer - NEW F5

Yikes! This is the stuff... right here.

Paul Weller Come On/Let's Go

Straight up rock and roll.

No Shame In His Game

This is some damn fine oratory, with some good stand up thrown in for good measure. And you've just gotta love how he turns those lameass attacks around into razor sharp rebukes that: 1) light up the crowd, 2) sticks it his opponents for trying to stick it to him, 3) provides clever meta criticism of the process that a) contextualizes his opponents as part of the "establishment" manipulating the process, b) lifts Obama and his supporters up, and c) speaks to the "common sense" of his audience; and 4) drives his message home. "Somebody is playing politics...." what a great line.

Good Times

Changing gears...

It's all coming together nicely folks. Next Friday we get new Doctor Who on the SciFi Channel (the most recent Christmas special with Kylie Minogue) preceded by the first season of The Sarah Jane Adventures. The next day we get the "series changing" season finale of Torchwood on BBC America (featuring Spike/Brainiac James Marsters, from Buffy/Angel and Smallville respectively)... and then on next Friday the highly anticipated fourth season proper premiere episode of Doctor Who with British comedienne Catherine Tate as the Doctor's new travelling companion.

And sandwiched in between all of that we have the Pennsylvania Primary. Good times. Good times.



Also, I am unabashed fan of The Sarah Jane Adventures. Sure it's ostensibly a kids show, but Elisabeth Sladen is fun to watch as a grown up Sarah Jane, the teenage co-stars are tolerable if not downright appealing- and not obnoxious in the least (a big plus considering my views on some of our teenagers); positive role models abound, there's plenty of sly social commentary, and the show reminds me a lot of the classic Doctor Who series that ran from 1963 to 1989- in particular the late fun (and occasionally cheesy*) 60's and early 70's Who episodes that featured Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee as the Doctor. But with more hugs and happier endings.

Not that kind of happy ending you sickos.


* Not necessarily cheesy in a bad way mind you. It was the 60's and 70's (and 80's) and they didn't have big budgets... so sometimes you got cheesiness. Serious cheesiness. But the writing was (generally) good, the actors played it just right, you used your imagination, and you got past it. As an American kid raised on Star Wars unfortunately that didn't happen (maybe if I'd been exposed to Doctor Who as a young child it might have...), but now that I'm able to contextualize and appreciate it I enjoy that cheese. Sometimes (those Colin Baker Doctor Who's are painful).

Welcome to the Nonsense Season

Oh boy, it's only April and the 2008 Elections are still way off and already we've rocketed well past being in the "silly season" full bore into the abject "nonsense season." Obama is "elitist" for saying folks in small town America are "bitter?!?" Meanwhile... back in America... 81% think the country is going in the wrong direction and amazingly enough folks are a bit pissed off... all over the country in town and cities large and small. It's amazing I tell you, and apparently a real shock to the folks in Washington. Some folks are mighty pissed, and some folks want change mighty bad. Wow, what a news story. What a feast for the bloggers . Alas I'm almost starting to wonder if I should start lumping bloggers along with the folks in Washington DC and the right wing media in the "out of touch" bin. The good news is that in addition to being inexcusable, this phony ass outrage is hilarious- watching these poor nimrods are tee it up for Obama to label them as "out of touch Washingtonians." This week could be fun.

And CNN let's a nincompoop like David Frum comment on it? That's not fair to anybody, including David Frum, who shouldn't be given more opportunities to embarrass himself on television anymore (obviously the guy's got no friends because a friend would've talked to him about his problems sounding intelligent on television).

Rod Stewart Sucks

I know I should blame the Molson Amphitheatre but that's no fun. Yesterday Radiohead tickets sold out in minutes and there is no chance of another show being added because Rod's got the place booked the following night.

Thus, Rod Stewart Sucks.

A Hip Slapping Good Time

Things observed from a repeat viewing of the other night's new Office:

• The title of that cd by Jan's former assistant was called "The Hunted."
• I think the majority of the pictures at Michael and Jan's are of Jan's enhanced boobs.
• The pitch perfect facial expressions:

- The look on Pam's face when Jim tries to escape the dinner party without her.

- Jim's bewildered look when Michael made his crack about the wine's "oakey afterbirth."

- When Michael manages to still look at the camera when he yelled "that's what she said!"

- When the cop says "not now Dwight" to Dwight.

• The painting in Michael and Jan's dinning room is of Hell.
• My family used to have a cooler just like Dwight's former babysitter/friend with "purely carnal" benefits.
• Dwight makes her take the bus home (wherever that is)... and lug that cooler.

God 2, Phil Mickelson 1

Why does hate Phil Mickelson? What exactly was that about today at Augusta National? That perfect wedge shot that was perfect until it hit the pin and spun back off the front of the green? The car horn honking.... AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL... during his backswing on the 17th tee? That whole thing was insane.

But Phil still rallied to birdie the 18th to snatch some of his dignity back and thumb his nose at the Almighty. Good luck tommorow Phil.

"Um, it has a sort of oak-ey afterbirth"

Ah yes, the discerning palate of Michael Scott (and the table manners of a man who dips his steak in this wine glass- tremendous). I (and a great many people) was looking forward to it all day and goddamn! The first new Office in what seems like years totally blew my mind. It will go down in history as an orgy of funny pain that became a comedy tour de force in the first ten minutes. Ah the bitterness of Dwight and the madness of Jan (she was something else... back when she was sane). Ah the strange sympathy I felt for poor, poor Michael (as embodied by the brilliant Steve Carrell); yes, that man is in hell. There was an almost Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf quality to this episode as souls were bared and secrets were revealed (thankfully Pam and Jim survived unlike those poor souls in Albee), and by golly did I laugh until I felt genuine pain. The Office is back with a force, and I am happy that it is back. Overjoyed.

U2 is toiling away in Dublin and "still hoping the new album will be out this year?!?" WTF?



Also, I really wish I lived on the West Coast. Roger Waters, Portishead, and now Prince at Coachella?!? Damn.

Taking It To The Streets Part 2

The Dude gives BIG UPS to all the people out in San Francisco who kicked it out today and agitated against that damned Olympic Torch and all the human rights abuses it embodies. I was a little worried that we wouldn't represent if we were compared against the British and French who did their thing earlier, but you folks did it up and I salute you. You people deserve awards.


And to those Pro Chinese protesters? To them I say "bah."

The Doomed Files

Because it's become such a prominent theme it's practically made itself a new category...

Anyway.

Just finished Buffalo native Jake Halpern's Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truths Behind America's Favorite Addiction, and boy was that scary. And I'm not even referring to the thoroughly deluded stage parents, child star wannabees, celebrity personal assistants, and celebrity worshippers (and I'm talking serious worship here, the kind that triggers faith and false idol worship issues) discussed and interviewed by the shrewd yet not unkind Halpern. Those people are out to lunch, and there's nothing that can be done for them. What freaked me out was the bits about the history and outrageous recent growth of our nation's obsessions with fame and becoming famous and the various explanations for this national nightmare. I daresay Halpern is right about all of it; there's a shitload of reasons why we're all totally obsessed with this shit (and obsessed about hating this shit, which of course sometimes leads to thinking about said shit), but that's not what really got me. It's a statistical fact that our teenagers and youngsters spectacularly narcissistic and prone to prima donna-ism... hell people, you see it. You see it in adults. You see it when they drive.

But that's not the point, the point is these poor deluded children are heading for a HUGE LET DOWN. And what happens then? Generation B? As in BITTER AS HELL? That's not good. And what's worse- they're inheriting a country on the down slide. Yikes. Our society is not in the best spot as it is... and now we've got a generation destined for a big old kick in the teeth when reality sets in. Or doesn't. Which is worse. Far worse.


Needless to say it, we are doomed. Man is Canada is looking better and better.


And a minor quibble for local boy author (and City Honors alumni) Jake Halpern. Must you harp on our down on our luck Rest Belt downtrodden? Was that absolutely necessary?

Ah well.

Still dude, I credit you for your honesty and for not even trying to pretend that you're above your subject matter. That's your good old fashioned Buffalo non pretentiousness at work there, my friend. It is indeed in our bones (except for the pretentious WNYers that do exist in our community- you know... the poofy shirt crowd). Kudos.

Ah well.

Taking It To The Streets

Attention Sabres Fans:

Larry, Darcy and Lindy are taking it to the public (and the public will take it to them) tomorrow at 5 on WGR.

I just hope they screen the calls a little bit... so we can all have our dignity when it's all over. It could be interesting, and maybe even a sign-post to what's to come.



Go Sabres.

R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious

I like it when bands let you blog their videos. R.E.M. is cool.

What a great R.E.M. single.

BSG Notes

• Wow, the first ten minutes of the first new Battlestar Galactica in ages was absolutely Episodes III and VI good. Everybody involved totally went for broke and it showed. I mean I was excited about new BSG's but now I'm "oooooooh... BSG" and jonesing for new BSG.
• I'm also jonesing for the new Friday night Sci-FI channel lineup, with the good natured children's show Doctor Who spinoff The Sarah Jane Adventures and the fourth season of Doctor Who leading into BSG. The Tivo will definitely hum Friday nights.
• Baltar is Jesus? Jesus was not a sex fiend like Baltar, but he did heal the sick. I've always enjoyed the religious themes and explorations, but now that it's coalescing into a polytheism vs monotheism I'm giddy at the possible implications of this final season of BSG. It's also cool that Baltar's Cylon inspired monotheistic cult is populated by comely lasses.
• I'm also intrigued by the fact that the human "good guys" are the monotheists and the robot "bad guys" are the monotheists.
• Battlestar Galactic is the sci-fi Sopranos. Pure and simple. I think it always was and we just didn't see it.
• Thus I'm saving this first 10 episode batch of the final season on the Tivo to watch when I watch all of the previous BSG's in preparation for the final 10 episodes of this final season (air date totally TBD).

XBOX Update

Microsoft UPS'd me a power supply for my console Friday and all is well. Microsoft is off the schneid. For now.

Ah Well

Yes, the Sabres season is over, and yes it has to go down as a total failure and a bitter disappointment for the fans. Ah, but that just that means the the countdown has begun till next season, and in the end I'm not completely bummed out yet. That will come if the ownership doesn't step up to the plate and say "THIS IS A BLIP ON THE RADAR" and "STEPS WILL BE TAKEN," words I deem to be essential to reassuring the "new" Hockeytown that the jig isn't up.*



We shall see. Go Sabres.




* Of course by jig I mean dance, or Irish dance in particular. Some people actually think I'm referring to something else, believe it or not.

Penguins

Courtesy of Keith Olbermann, who also noted that today is Sir Alec Guiness's birthday. He would have been 94.

Keith Olbermann is one cool dude. I can tell you that.

Living Well Is Indeed The Best Revenge

A few games back I picked up a little wooden Sabres hockey stick thing at the Sabres Store, you know to have around the house. For clutching during Sabres games (especially penalty kills), clubbing yourself unconscious during Sabres games (or if I come across Fox News), and lately for air guitar duty as I shred through R.E.M.'s latest. Yes, "Accelerate" is the best album in ten years from the best American band of the last thirty years. The hype is correct. Peter Buck rocks, it hits you upside the head, it's a manual for our troubled times, yadda yadda. Everything you've heard and read about it is true. But what's truly great about "Accelerate" is that it almost simultaneously exists in R.E.M.'s past and future; I used to have a bootleg tape of an early R.E.M. show from Tyrone's in Athens and this is what R.E.M. used to sound like before the jangly neo-Southern indie rock, before "Chronic Town" and "Murmurs," and it's this raw and pure sound that is driving R.E.M. to it's future and away from the dreck they've been socking us with on their last two albums.* Air guitar and R.E.M. together again at last.... in an election year no less! It's all good people. It's all good.



* Okay, "Reveal" wasn't total bunk, but it wasn't great either. There are indeed a couple of cuts that do save it from being as lame as "Around the Sun."

A Brush With Fate

That was like watching England futily taking their penalty kicks in a World Cup match up until Max snagged us a win in the shootout. A tremendous game. And Miller redeemed himself somewhat in the shootout tonight. A Herculean effort of redemption and triumph.


And we get another meaningful game Thursday night. Let's go Sabres.

Oasis and Paul Weller (with Stereophonics, some other bands) in Toronto 9/7/08. Very nice.

I Can't Stop Watching This

They totally @#$%ed up my whole plan of watching the entire series including the third season on DVD right up until the fourth season by releasing the third season DVD last week, ONE FRAKKIN WEEK before the beginning of the fourth and final season. Thus this has become something of a mantra, a shared memory of what's come before on the show.

Trust me folks. Watch this catchy ditty a couple of times (it gets better with age), and then watch the fourth season opener this Friday (or Tivo it like I will).

It's the best.

Ah but something ain't right in America. We all know it, deep down. It's soul is twisted. There is violence there. In America's DNA. And it's getting worse, and can't be stopped. That's the beautiful point of the Brother Coen's No Country For Old Men, and the Cormac McCarthy novel it is based upon. It's dark yet utterly mesmerizing, occasionally violent (but not as violent as many have said) yet delicate, spare yet dazzling in it's minimalism, and everything about it is perfect. Tommy Lee Jones is perfect as God, or the voice of God at least; the old man with a Bible and a gun out of a U2 or Johnny Cash song (or, a U2 song featuring Johnny Cash- specifically "The Wanderer" off of Zooropa) trying to make sense out of our crazy times and the movie we're watching. Javier Bardem is brilliant. I'm not exactly sure what he brought to the sort of character that we've seen before to make his performance so jarringly effective, but he brought it, and I couldn't take my eyes off of him as he pursued Josh Brolin's cowboy, who deserves kudos for keeping up with Bardem and Jones (who looms over the film completely inspite of his comparatively short time onscreen). Every bit actor, every perfectly framed shot, every perfectly placed ray of light, it's all there... thanks to the unflinching vision and patience of the Brothers Coen.

It's a masterpiece for our troubled times. Go choke on it.

We are Doomed

These little fuckers are totally evil. Third graders plotting to put the hurt on their teacher?!? Fuck that shit. What I want to know is: what the hell kind of TV shows are these toerags watching? Or is family DVD night that fucked up? Egads. Yeaaahhrrrh.


Something just ain't right in Weycross Georgia.

One Upmanship

Is that how it

This is what I call a sex scandal. It totally puts the Spitzer in perspective.

Now that's hot. I wanted to link that YouTube bit to the blog but thought better of it. I have standards. And speaking of thinking better how about that Jonah Goldberg stuff? That guy's a total mess... all torn up inside being Jewish.... yet ceaselessly trying to link liberalism with fascism... I'm really amazed his head just doesn't explode right off his shoulders. I'd say that's the root of his profound cognitive dissonance but he's a neocon hack, and that means cognitive dissonance is par for the course...

My XBOX 360 Is A Piece of Crap

Two repairs for the ballyhooed red ring of death... and now Microsoft sends my XBOX 360 back to me with a power supply that doesn't match my console and thus doesn't fit? Thanks for checking that out before you shipped it back to me. Jebus H. Christmas. What a fucking fiasco.


6+ years of perfect service from my old yet trusty PS2.

15 months, 2 repairs and a total cock up, for my pisspoor XBOX 360.

That's 2 months in the shop out of the 15 months I've owned it, plus another 2-3 (which equals 4) weeks to get a new power supply out to me. Thanks for nuthin' Bill Gates.

I wouldn't recommend an XBOX 360 to my worst enemy.

New Doctor Who Season Four Trailer 29/3/08

Nice.

Star Wars: Ultimate Trailer

Kudos to Spike TV for the mondo boffo STAR WARS uber-trailer. Of course there's no chance that I'll be tuning in... I own those jammies on DVD with the 5.1/6.1 surround sound and I hate commercials during my STAR WARS... but now I have to resist the urge to watch my STAR WARS again (all 6, no half stepping here). Damn you Spike!

Or do I?

Sunday Morning Tidbits

Briefly:

• Kudos to Reliable Sources' Harvey Kurtz for his salvo at MSNBC and Keith Olbermann in the ongoing CNN/MSNBC donneybrook over Maria Milito's crack about "pimps not sharing hoes" the other night on Countdown. Very classy and sharpHowie. And for my part though I hope that Keith doesn't pull a Samantha Power on Maria because I think her weekly American Idol updates are great for water cooler talking points.
• I am probably a bad person for not talking about the war more on this blog. God knows I've blogged about the war, but the war makes me angry, and depressed, and I guess I didn't want to share that here. The reality? I've given up. I follow the war in the alternative media, but the reality is it ain't ending until this guy is out of office, and that's that. We had our shot in 2004, and we blew it.
• This week's Frank Rich is right on the number.
• But it's not all serious. I shoehorned in last night's Torchwood and yikes. Freaky. Circuses and freaks always freak me out, and last night's evil soul stealing circus.... yeeaaarrggghh. 3 new episodes left... until new Doctor Who and Sarah Jane Adventures at the end of April.
• Is hope alive for the Sabres? I don't even know anymore at this point. But I will be watching the last HD broadcast of the year, and who knows, maybe my mother will win a player jersey at Fan Appreciate Night. The Sabres should at least do her that courtesy.

Go Sabres.

Ales Kotalik is a Bum

I posted this on BFLO Blog in a right state this morning. It pretty much sums up my feelings about the game last night.

I was at the game Tuesday and even I can’t hang last night on Ryan Miller.
My blame goes to Kotalik for taking that lazy and stupid penalty with 3.5
minutes left against the #1 power play in the league. That 3-1 lead was
precarious as hell, and taking a needless and pisspoor like that teed up
Montreal for that pivotal second goal that swung the game back the other way
right in time for the Habs to pull their goalie for the last few minutes. A
month or so ago it would have been Lydman taking the killer third period
penalty, but last night it was Kotalik the lazy, Kotalik the heartless and
gutless. It’s all Kotalik folks. Fucking Kotalik.

That said however, Miller does hit his knees faster than Monica
Lewinsky, almost as a reflex, and that’s ain’t helping either.

In my opinion a true hockey fan can't hate on the Sabres for last night's game. They played a solid game, they kept the pressure up the entire third period and didn't let up, and they got the game down to the 2.5 minute mark before it all went sour because of a lameass Ales Kotalik penalty. That second goal was the swinger, and with a pulled goalie they had us right where they wanted us for those last few minutes. The Sabres were doomed.

But hope is apparently still alive.

PULP - This is Hardcore (UNCUT)

I know I've posted this before, but ya know... I've been fulminating about this Spitzer thing for the last few weeks and listening to this album with this whole fiasco in mind so it just seemed appropriate. I watch. I post.


This one goes out to Eliot Spitzer.

World's Worst - Wal-Mart Sues Disabled Lady

Hear hear! Or is it here here!

I can't stand Wal-mart.


Special note: Olbermann's on NBC Sunday night at 7. Yes you read that right. And it's a Iraq War 5 year anniversary episode. On Sunday. On NBC. Yep.

Oasis - Acquiesce (Live in Manchester)

From the superlative Lord Don't Slow Me Down DVD set. I just felt like posting this after that Sabres game....

Gotta love that Eastlands (Manchester City Stadium).

It was 100% Roy in the shootout and lo, hope is once again alive. We get the highs and the lows with these Sabres, and tonight we had plenty of both. In the end however, we got the two points and yes, we've got a reason to really play tomorrow night against Montreal.

WTF?

OK, I'm not surprised that Spitzer is caught up in another prostitution racket; at this point it's par for the course for a man with so much love to share. What I don't get is this hooey I heard about The Spitz paying a hooker to watch another couple do the nasty. Hey buddy, we call that porn... and now that I think about we generally don't pay people to watch it with us live.* I could at least on some level appreciate the cracking up (the only rational explanation for such madness) and throwing in with prostitutes, but this... this just says that he had way too much money and time on his hands. It almost qualifies as grotesque conspicuous consumption in my book, and I ain't down with that.



* I believe they call this dinner theater in Europe.

Another die hard Sabres fan asked me sincerely "do you still love them" and the answer was an unflinching "absolutely." No doubt about it. I've been a fan for as long as I can remember, and that's the way it's gonna stay. I'm watching the game tonight, I've got my jersey on (the 90's black evil goat instead of the vintage with the C Lafontaine 16), I've got my Jim's Steak out/Sabres hockey agita, and of course, there's still that mathematical hope.


Let's go Sabres.

And

Why is Buffalo soooo segregated? My theory: we're segregated fourteen ways till Christmas. We're segregated within the city (North, West, South..... and the East Side), and we're segregated regionally- suburb versus city. I mean we've got suburbanites who have never, ever been in the city. Ever. And if you want to broaden our perspective... if you look at the accumulation of wealth in the burbs vis a vis urban plight, one could easily say that we're also economically segregated.


Folks, we are segregated up the wazoo.

And I don't want it to seem that I'm hating on 97 Rock. I like 97 Rock. They've mixed it up, and they're going deeper occasionally into the classic rock vaults much to my delight. Hell, I did an hour of guest DJing for 97 Rock and it was one of the greatest afternoons of my life. What I'm on about was the fact that today's chat about race featured so many half started statements that had to be ammended on the fly once the interlocutor reflex kicked in BEFORE IT WAS TOO TOO LATE, so much of the white folks calling in to agree with each other about black people and say "yeah".... folks, in the end I just can't see that colliding prettily with Reverend Al. And that kind of shit could end up on the Internet... to our total (regional) detriment.

So I guess you could say that I'm looking out for 97 Rock. Yeah, let's go with that.

That game tonight was pathetic. I haven't left a game early in ages, but I left early tonight. Pathetic. A disgrace.



The playoff dream is dead.

The Dude Helps His Fellow Honkies in General and 97 Rock in Particular

The Dude's tips for white people about to talk out their _____ on the subject of race:

• Ask yourself: would you be COOL or SORE with the fact that your ancestors were enslaved and shipped to America to be slave labor? Yeah.... hmmmm.... never thought about that before... did you?
• 140 years (the amount of time that's elapsed since the abolition of slavery) does not qualify as ancient history by ANY measure.
• You are aware that segregation was 100% legal in the US until about 50 years ago, right?!? And you're also aware that the Civil Rights Act wasn't signed into law until about 40 years ago, right?!?

Yes my silly crackers, that's not even a generation ago.

• Slavery and Jim Crow seem like they happened "ages ago" because they didn't happen to you or your people. You probably read about slavery and Jim Crow in a history book back in school, and odds are good that you probably got defensive about it back then too.
• Try to think about race with a perspective larger than just your lily white cracker worldview. Try... just try... to think about race if you were African American. Yeah it might be hard... it might even blow your mind... but it's worth trying. Trust me.

We gotta try.

Memo to 97 Rock

Word on the street has it that Reverend Al Sharpton is going to be on the 97 Rock morning show and in the name of all that is holy somebody has to cancel that pronto. Call in sick... pretend that 97 Rock has gone under... something... anything... to prevent that interview from happening. Why? Because I listened in to the Snorton Norton and crew discuss race in Buffalo this morning and nothing good could possibly come from those people having that discussion with Al Sharpton. And I ain't joking. Imagine the outbreak of foot in mouth disease that broke out this morning in the 97 Rock studios without the Revernd present- times a thousand.

It's bad enough I live in one of the most segregated communities in the US. I don't want to live in one of the most racist. Stop the madness. Stop the presses. Abort this mission... please. Our region doesn't need that rap in the least.

Springsteen is God, Danny Federici is back, and the Count Basie Theater is up for one hell of a facelift. Huzzah!

Jeremy Clarkson on the Caparo T1 :

"When this thing goes on sale there isn't going to be a ditch in the land or a hedgerow that isn't full of Premiership footballers, who are broken and and on fire."


And Simon Cowell is the top Star in the Top Gear Reasonably Priced Car so far? Damn. Is nothing safe? We gotta get some Americans over there to take some shit from Jeremy Clarkson and represent for the nation that brought the world Steve McQueen!* USA! USA!




* That link was for the kids, who might not have a clue who the ____ Steve McQueen is... kids who sadly have no modern analog upon which to even understand who and what Steve McQueen was, is, and forever will be....

Nice

The new Gnarls Barkley disc The Odd Couple is nice. There's no standout cuts like "Crazy" this time around, but let's be real here: that was a once in a lifetime cut and one of the best pop songs ever and that probably wasn't going to happen again like that anyway. But The Odd Couple delights for all the same reasons as the improbably brilliant St Elsewhere- it's sonically sweet and dense no matter what style or groove is on display; the lyrics are sharp, relevant, funny, and occasionally universal; and Ceelo Brown no question has one of the greatest soul voices ever. He's Curtis Mayfield. He's Al Green (not the Reverend Al Green... not yet). And sonic architect Danger Mouse is as sonically daring and brilliant as Os Mutantes- all within the context of the 3 minute pop song. It's magical shit that gets you coming and going, and it's going to be in my cd player a lot.

I finally got around to watching last Friday's Newsnight and man alive, I wasn't amused at all watching Richard Perle, one of the brightest of the bright lights of the neoconservative movement, get skewered by the BBC's Jeremy Paxson. No, instead I was just embarrassed to be an American... watching Perle absolutely babble proven nonsense and then make statements that required immediate backtracking, the very epitome of cognitive dissonance.... no folks, this was actually something of a dispiriting exercise. I mean, neoconservativsm is the reigning political and economic ideology of the United States of America, and that was sad... and that sort of makes me sad. Thankfully I inflicted Newsnight on myself before the glorious macho frivolity Top Gear, so I won't be too sad for too long. Actually my sadness is fading away now that Jeremy Paxson is verbally clubbing a grubby swine over the Diana inquest. Now that's what I call journalism.

Gnarls Barkley - Run

Get down. Yeah.

NEW Portishead Video 'Machine Gun' (Third, 2008)

Decker ignored the rain drops that pelted the back of his neck as he sat hunched over his bowl of noodles because that's the price you pay for oing anything in the Undercity. Neverending rain and flickering neon. But Decker couldn't ignore the tune that was leaking out of a nearby pod because it reminded Decker of her.

Sunday Odds and Sods

• Happy Easter.
• This week's Torchwood was brilliant: sex, violence, conflict, maneating aliens, humor, a wedding- it had it all. God Torchwood is such a good show.
• The new Gnarls Barkley disc is awesome. More to come later.
• The Dude dissects the obvious appeal of Lonelygirl15's exploits on YouTube: her cans.
• I gotta admit it folks, I did think that it was cool that Cafe Aroma came in dead last in yesterday's Buffalo News coffee judging. Yes, the most ludicrously pretentious coffee joint in Buffalo also serves the lamest coffee in Buffalo. A coincidence? Probably not.*
• You know what the worst part of all this divisiveness among the Democratic party, in addition to the fact that it might well give the GOP the keys to the car for a third consecutive term? The fact that win or lose you know it's gonna fall to Barack Obama to (try) to unite and save the party. Yes, the guy on the receiving end of all this divisive BS, the chap playing far more defense than offense over this divisive BS, is gonna have to (try to) save the bloody day with his much maligned (by his opponent) pretty talk. Now does that qualify as irony, or is that the height of cynicism?
• It is waaaaay past time for activist Democrats to check themselves, and to ask themselves "WHAT EXACTLY AM I DOING?" Seriously. It's time.
• I used that Frank Rich link twice on purpose.

*I'm sorry, but I am gonna nurse that grudge against Cafe Aroma. I mean, what's the point of even showing World Cup matches if you can't get in the place because half of the seats are taken by the backpacks and tote bags of the wankers clogging up the joint?

And those wankers weren't even watching the matches!

Raw

• The bad news: Kristen Davis ex boyfriend from way back sold some smutty pictures of them en flagrante to the Internet. That's just wrong, low, and downright ungallant. The good news: they are great.
• I used to think Bill Clinton was smooth. Nice. A sharp operator with impeccable game. But that was before this year's model decided to roll the dice with that already somewhat dodgy legacy of his. And now they're saying he's like Joltin' and Revoltin' ' "Joe McCarthy?" Dude, The Dude recommends taking a time out to build some houses or officiate a third world election with Jimmy Carter, or, if that's not flash enough for you, hang out with Bono.
• Sorry Keith Olberman, but sports and politics go together like fried chicken and gravy.
• The Dude is officially not down with the summer Olympics, and will be boycotting this year's games in China, which is currently mowing down Tibetan folks in the streets.

I think Marie looks much hotter before than after the Nutrisystem. Before she looked sultry, voluptuous... but now she looks like another Desperate Housewife, and that's just not how I want to think of Marie Osmond.

Whoa hey. It appears that some of my short posts from the last few days didn't make it, including a damned clever YouTube clip of the new Portishead video. Ah well. The Sabres are staring doom clear in the face and the Internet's gone wacky. Happy Easter?

NEW Speed Racer (2008) HD Trailer

Yeah.

I got nothing for you people today. Yesterday was great, I got a Doctor Who dvd in the mail from Netflix, blah blah blah, and I'm gobsmacked by Obama's speech today. And flush with pride to be an American.

U2 - Zoo Station - Brazil 2006

No, this is my last half assed St Patty's Day U2 blog video post. What the fuck is this about? U2 only brings out the really good stuff for the Brazillians? Why does U2 hate on this brilliant 90's stuff? Why won't they delve into this material on their American tours? It's almost as if U2 is ashamed of their "cool" period... when they were actually cool. I don't get it. To heck with the greatest hits (OK, I like those too)... give us some daring. Some balls. Some art.

U2 Zoo Station Live from Detroit (Zoo TV Tour)

Remember when U2 used to stick IT TO THE MAN? Boy this is a walk down memory lane into our collective future/present/nightmare. I am ready for the laughing gas.

And yes... my last half baked U2 St Patty's Day video post.

U2 - Numb (video remix)

Aw yeah... let this sucker work on yer hang over tomorrow morning... or your rampaging buzz right NOW.

Stay-U2

Have I blogged this before? Who the fuck cares? It's St. Patrick's Day and this is fucking U2.

Yes, I've got my Irish up. It's been a long day and I just came from the Irish Center.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day kids.

Now the truth can be told: it's true- I stole all of my dance moves and karoake mic poses from Bono when he pranced around in his gold lame devil get-up circa 1993.

And I have no regrets on that score either.

U2 - Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car

For all you party people driving around town this weekend....

The Pogues Streams Of Whiskey

For my old mate Bob the Communist.

Tough Weekend

Posting this weekend is on the light side due to the four day St. Patrick's Day revelries, but I needed to:

• Give a shout out to Buffalo for seemingly making St. Patrick's Day a four day revelry, or if you want to be specific and only count Friday night, 3 and a half day revelry. And we've got snow today for the parade! I almost feel bad for the Irish girls from all of the Irish Dancing schools dancing about in the colorful dresses and curly wigs... almost. Somebody has to dance the jig for us. Thanks girls.
• Salute the Sabres for winning another must win game. They are still in it baby.
• Freak you people out with a CONSPIRACY THEORY that isn't crazy at all.
• Right an ommision- I almost forgot to say that the take out food from Lagniappes (883-FOOD) on Allen is worth the trip to Allentown just to get the food. Pure New Orleans goodness through and through: the gumbo is real, the BBQ shrimp po'boy is not for those observing Lent (the bacon wrapped shrimp almost compelled me to go to church and confess my sins), the authentic and magnificent jambalaya burns sweetly in your tummy for hours, and the blackened catfish po'boy is jim dandy. It's also a cool little spot. The Dude recommends it highly.
• Give an even bigger shout out to Nelson Starr and crew for Nelson's ode to Buffalo and Anthony Bourdain. Even though I do have to quibble with the statement that we are "humbly without pretension*" (if only that were totally true), the gist of the piece is absolutely correct and conveyed perfectly. Dave Attell missed his chance to kick it out in Buffalo... let's hope that Bourdain doesn't make the same mistake.

Happy St. Patrick's Day people! Now let's everybody git down!

* Please note, I am not calling Nelson pretentious. I have never, ever seen him in a poofy shirt.

OK, hope is alive for the Sabres. Last night's game was indeed convincing enough that I believe they can actually get into the playoffs. They might be backing their way into the playoffs, and or stepping over the carasses of other teams, but it can be done. I believe. For now.

Special kudos have to go out to the fans at the game last night. From the fans with the big PLEASE DON'T QUIT ON US sign tapped to the wall to the fans who clapped and chanted and urged the team to keep scoring goals (to gaurantee their win and help our mental health)... we did our part, and the team did their's. It was all good folks, all good. I just wish I had Eliot Spitzer's money because I'd love to head north up to the TO with the gang and score some tickets off of some scalpers because tonight's game is titanic, another must win game....


LET'S GO BUFFALO.

Mascot Fight at the 2008 Summit League Championship

Courtesy of Countdown. Apparently the Oral Roberts University Eagle started it. Obviously.

The worst part of all these cool music festivals? They are all happening when I have other prior engagements.

Pithy Hyperlink-o-rama

The only down side- two dvd's.

I don't think Dr. Laura likes herself very much.

I agree with Ed Norton- this would make for a great movie.

So would this.

This would not.

We are Job.

Bleeaaargggh.

Who is Ashleigh Banfield? Watching her talk about the legal aspects of the Spitzer Thing on CNN this morning made my morning. Kudos to you Ashleigh for those fine black leather @#$%boots. Ha cha cha.

It's official: the last Harry Potter movie will be in two parts and will be directed by David Yates, who did an excellent job with Order of the Phoenix. This is good. Very good indeed.

The Incredible Hulk Trailer 2008

Es muy bueno. The first movie was rubbish but this sequel just might get it right.

Yeah the Sabres totally sucked tonight, and yeah our playoff dreams are effectively dead in the water, but man... the NHL totally blows. Guastad's goal was totally a goal, and that whistle was hilariously quick. Sure it doesn't mean much at this point but pride is pride. I just wish the Sabres thought about that tonight.

Booyah! Sid the Kid is out! There is a chance!

We are fast approaching the point of no return. Tonight is a must win game. There can be no one point, there can be no zero points, there can only be two. Against Sid the Kid and The Great Malkin. Oy vey.

Political Odds and Sods

• Geraldine Ferraro has thrown herself upon her sword at last... if anything else to (try to) avoid the lambasting she and the Clinton campaign will be getting on tonight's Countdown. Also, let's be fair to Gerrie, of course she's not a racist... she's just somebody willing to cynically play the race card. There is a difference. But alas she is still a foul ball and that's dirty baseball.
• I am really looking forward to tonight's Countdown. A Special Comment aimed at the HRC campaign Death Star?!? That ought to be something.
• Yes the Spitzer Gotterdammerung is many things: a tragedy, a betrayal, sad, a farce, the height of either madness or arrogance, a mass betrayal of all who supported the "Mr. Clean" who was supposed to be President eventually ( as almost a foregone conclusion), pathetic, disgraceful... oh I could go on and on for days. But, all things being equal, that hooker is one fine piece of ass. She's also a U2 fan, and you gotta respect that.
• And hey, at least you can tell that Spitzer is a Democrat: he got caught with a (good lookin') woman. If he was a Republican it'd be some airport men's room hanky panky or some such thing.
• Mary Anne has been caught up in the justice. It really makes you wonder where the Professor is in all of this....

Sorry about the YouTube mess. The good news: I've been having posting issues and apparently they have been sorted out; the bad news: YouTube has now barfed onto my blog all sorts of YouTube goodies. And now that I think about it that's not bad at all.

The Automatic - Monster

Obvious I know. And done before here as well. But I like to have fun, and this to me qualifies as "fun."

Aaaarrrgggghhhhh!

New Iron Man Trailer #2 FEB 28th 2008!

I think they've got Iron Man right. I am officially looking forward to this film upon it's release.

Bruce Springsteen - Girls In Their Summer Clothes

Awww yeah... this is what I am talking about.

2 points on two games when we needed 4? Yeah... I think the Sabres are finished. And what exactly was Lindy Ruff thinking about when he put out Stafford and Kotalik for the shootout? "Hey... here's two guys who didn't do dick all game... these are exactly the guys who should shoulder our playoff hopes!" Jebus.

Can We Kick It?

According to Rolling Stone Barack Obama is going to be appearing on Q-Tip's next solo album. I was probably going to be picking that album up anyway (I grew up with the Tribe, and therefore now old, which means I need to try to act young), but now it's a given. Rolling Stone also annointed Obama with an endorsement, a messianic cover that looks positively Struzanesque, and the new tagline A NEW HOPE- an obvious Star Wars reference. I'd ponder the ramifications of that analogy later... there's a Sabres game going on and this is a much needed intermission.

Classic

Marge puts Homer on a cockamamie diet because Homer has lost his mojo in the sack, Homer cheats on his diet in spectacular fashion, Marge calls Cheaters to catch Homer cheating on his diet, Bart and Lisa conspire to cover up the (near) murder of Martin Prince- a (near) murder solved by Nelson Muntz (I'm totally at a loss for the 70's teevee show they were spoofing), and Maggie has a Internet poker problem. Yes, this week's Simpsons was a classic, and I suspect a commentary on the darker secrets that have become emblematic of modern American life in this insane 24 hour age.

And yes Nascar did not fuck up my Tivo-ing of this week's Simpsons like it did last week. I even added extra time to the program to account for Nascar overage. I hate Nascar.

Prospects

I will go see Leatherheads. It's got Jim from The Office, it's set in the 20's and there aren't enough movies being made about the 20's, I like Renee Zellwegger, the football scenes remind me of the football game at the end of M.A.S.H., and George Clooney is about due to make a decent comedy.


I watched a new Law and Order for the first time in ages and it wasn't bad. Jeremy Sisto was suitably intense and it was fun to see Brad (Grima Wormtongue, Billy, Doc, Luther Lee Boggs, the psychotic crewman on Star Trek: Voyager) Douriff act wacky. That new ADA is from Engaland? Getouttahere with that. I'm also somewhat intrigued by the prospect of Anthony Anderson joining the cast next season. I also think I'll be Tivo-ing this week's L&O for the Lara Flynn Boyle.


I am totally using that Target gift card I got for my birthday for Season 1 of The Office.


I have to get over to that new Mexican joint on Niagara Falls Boulevard and Sheridan.

Controversy

Here are my thoughts on which Bruce show was better, the 3/6 show in Rochacha and the 3/7 show in Buffalo: Rochester had the "oh shit I better finish my business in the bathroom and get back to my seats because '__________' is playing" moment with "Rosalita," but Buffalo had more flow and energy, which was evident when the show reached it's emotional climax before the break before the encore. But that's just me.

This is funny.

The Sabres playoff chances are more or less on life support. That first period last night against Carolina killed them, and now we're stuck running out of time while running smack dab into a bunch of division games that will more than likely chew the Sabres up and spit them out. I guess it's gut check time for everybody, including us fans.

This is a whole new experience for us. Members of our own party causing so much pain, agita, and teeth gnashing. Maybe this whole thing just stings more because we've become so inured and blaise about El Presidente's shit that seeing similarly painful shenanigans coming from our own camp stands out and hurts that much more. Either way, it's going to be a long haul, and I just hope we can shake hands and make up when all this is over.




Also, pay close attention to Richard Wolfe's comments on "experience." Therein lies the whole nitty gritty. Really kids. Ponder Wolfe, consider briefly McCain's status as POW and war hero, and then recall how many times on The West Wing you saw Stockard Channing present in the Oval Office during policy meetings or in the situation room. That is game, set and match in November- and another 4 years with a Republican in the White House.

From the exceptional Backstreets website, who had these setlists up before I went to bed after both shows.

Rochester 3/6/2008
Night
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
Jackson Cage
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason to Believe
Because the Night
Loose Ends
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Racing in the Street
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands

Encore:
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Rosalita
Born to Run
American Land

Buffalo 3/8/2008
The Ties That Bind
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
Be True
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason to Believe
Night
Candy's Room
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
I'll Work for Your Love
Working on the Highway
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands

Encore:
Buffalo Gals
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Thunder Road
Detroit Medley
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
American Land



Yes, the Buffalo show was staggering. Titanic.

The Promised Land

But back to business. Tonight I went to the promised land, and my shot vocal chords are the proof, as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band blew away the HSBC Arena with a wild and crazy set that laid complete and utter waste to the place. Sure some wags might suggest that The Boss sandbagged it last night so he could blow away the repeat audience tonight in Buffalo... but those wags would be full of shit. Bruce Springsteen and the band left it all on the stage last night in Rochester and went even deeper tonight to go that extra mile to create an even more fuliflling experience. It was an awesome show, and I am tired. The Bruce Springsteen double was an incredible experience, and ultimately an overwhelming experience at that. He is our Neil Young, our Woody Guthrie, his band is the best bar band ever, and I am both gratified and humbled to see the man in action twice within 27 hours. My bowling game might suffer for it tomorrow, but it was worth it.

Robert Plant Just Might Be A Total Ass

Word on the street has it that Robert Plant has pooh poohed the much desired Zeppelin reunion tour... much desired that is by all save Robert Plant, who apparently values his piddling solo career over giving the world what the world wants. Of course this hasn't been officially put on record, so there's time for certain parties to reconsider, this time factoring in the potential career negatives of spitting in the eyes of fans all over the world who just want the chance of seeing Zeppelin. I'm sincerely hoping that this tripe floating about that "Robert [Plant] wanted to leave last year's concert as their legacy. They had proved they could still do it and that was enough" is just that- tripe. The fact is they didn't even put that shit on PPV, and to call it quits in such an anticlimactic manner now after resurrecting the beast once is just wrong.

Let's try to be cool about this people.

OK, we're getting closer. Apparently it looks like Radiohead will be playing Toronto sometime probably near the middle to end of September, Chicago the end of August or early September, and Cleveland probably in early September as well. Toronto is optimal and my most likely target, and Chicago wouldn't be too bad at all as a back up or even a companion show, but Cleveland would be as always a last resort, especially if it's at Blossom. We actually almost got busted for drinking beer in the Blossom parking lot. Yeah I do like Cleveland, but to be honest Ohio in general is a dodgy state- and Blossom is just a bonafide no fun atall zone. Anyway, we'll know more when dates are officially announced...

You gotta believe me folks, I did not read this until after I came up with the whole Godzilla crack. It really is a total coincidence, just like the fact that Samantha Power was compelled (by the power of Christ?) to resign from the Obama campaign the same day I got the new issue of Playboy in the mail... an issue that happens to contain a review of Power's new book that gave it four bunny rabbits. Like I said, a coincidence.


Or... a harmonic convergence. Cue The X-Files music.


Also in the new Playboy, an interview with that lead singer from Nickelback that I think includes him being asked what it feels like to be hated by all people who fancy themselves to be "lovers of music." That ought to be great.

Uhhh... what else would you call Godzilla when it's trashing Tokyo?


That whole quote is hilarious, and if you ask enough people about it, totally accurate.

The Smell of Rock and Roll

Last night the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester was awash with the odor of mature adults totally rocking out to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and what an odor that was. But we earned it because Bruce and the Band were tight, and then loose, and perpetually magical. I'm not a big enough fan to talk about the surprises and old gems that entered the setlist (although "Rosalita" seemed to trigger total mass hysteria as thousand of mature adults had flashbacks to their torrid youths), but I can absolutely vouch for the fact that I was totally alive for those 2.5 hours and that's what Rock and Roll is all about.


Bruce and the Band take the stage in Buffalo in 6.55 hours....

A Quest

Tonight the Dude begins his quest for his first double- two shows by the same artist in two consecutive nights with a lovely roadtrip out to Rochester to see the first night of Bruce Springsteen's WNY double before seeing him at the HSBC tomorrow night, and the Dude is jonzed. I'm looking forward to hearing not only what Bruce and the Band have cooked up for us in the classics department but also the Wall of Sound psychedelia of their latest album, the beautifully relevant Magic disc from last year. Also, I'm looking forward to a Red Osier sandwich at the War Memorial... or two.

I have no idea what to make of these promotional shots from the upcoming Watchmen movie.

Magnificent

Issue twelve of Joss Whedon's Buffy Season 8 comic is a keeper: Alias, Lost and Cloverfield writer Drew Goddard returns to the Buffyverse for a romp that includes (SPOILER ALERT) sex starved Buffy's* first lesbionic experience (not at the... uh... hands of Willow), goth Japanese ninja vampires, farce worthy of Sturgess, Superman: The Movie references courtesy of nerd vilian turned Watcher Warren, and Dracula. The art is exceptional, the script perfect, the plot bombshells are clever and worthy of the advance hype, and like a great comic it makes me wish that the next issue came out tomorrow (on it's own special day no less).




* Angel and Spike are in their own comic published by a different company.

Disaster

You know what I am talking about. I can't even talk about it. It's all gonna work out in the end, but right now it's giving me too much agita.


And the Sabres totally suck. There was no desire in that third period. They could have tied the game but they didn't have the fire in the belly to get that goal and they were practically begging for the Caps to get that third goal, and they buried us for it. That second goal would have been nice (I'll have to take Lindy's word that it wasn't a goal), but they didn't dig in until after the jig was up and that's not good enough by half. The Sabres ain't done yet but the job ahead has gotten that much tougher.

Update to the Update

• The Sabres won in a genuine "show of guts" and thus kept their/our playoff hopes alive. The open thread live blog of the game over at was a lot of fun tonight. Let's go Sabres!
• In a bizarre twist Ain't It Cool News has a Super Tuesday II post and thread. I feel less bad about inflicting politics on you (actually I don't feel bad at all). Kudos to all of you fine Americans!
• And now I am done for the night. The Real World beckons, and I am tuckered out from all of these exertions. And now let us pray...

The Update

• 3 things forced me to quit playing Dungeons & Dragons after a few years: 1) Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was weird, almost totally fucked up in fact; 2) weirdos starting acting out D&D for real, ending with somebody, or a bunch of somebody's dead- a scene I had affinity for or desire to be associated with; and 3) that's a one way ticket to Dingleberry Town. I put my time in like everybody else, but that's about it. Still, the late Gary Gygax (what a cool name) deserves kudos for creating D&D, and all of the other BS that's followed in it's wake.
• Rolling Stone has a new editor's blog and it's first post is spot fucking on. VH1 is totally fucking over old school hip hop (the only hip hop worth getting worked over), and it's gotta stop.
• Raph Fienes has not yet signed on to play Voldemort in the Deathly Hallows movie (which might be a two parter...). WTF is that about?
• The announcers for NHL game on VS are total, complete, and utter scrubs. That's not so much news as a fact you can take to the bank.

Update: Smallville has been renewed for an eighth season.

This Is It

Tonight's Sabe's game against the hated Flyers is titanic. Huge. If we can't win tonight our playoff dreams are realistically over. Kaput.

It's come to this. We got the wrath of God outside. The Democratic Party hangs in the balance. And the Sabres are confronted with a must win situation. This is it.



Let's go Sabres.

I really wanted to turn off the akward and unfunny Hillary interview from last night's Daily Show but the beautiful college girl (you know, the one wearing the hat) strategically positioned just behind Hillary's left shoulder succesfully kept my finger off of the fast forward. At last the Hillary campaign does something right. And is it me or is The Daily Show strangely not funny as of late? Yeah I saw some of Stewart's unfunny Oscar bits and yeah that's probably coloring my thoughts on the matter, but come on now, I can't be that biased. The Daily Show was the first show I watched after the writer's strike for Jebus's sake. I'm a Daily Show fan.

And for it to be not funny.... man... that just ain't fair.

In Dreams

The other night I dreamt that I went to Thursday in the Square to see The Flaming Lips with everybody I knew and a whole bunch of out of town relations in town because it's the Fourth of July the following day. We all then have our minds blown and go out and party late into the night becuase it's a three day weekend and life is good. It was a really fun and weird dream, with many out of body experiences contained within it.



Boy, I really hope they get somebody cool to play the July 3rd installment Thursday in the Square (I was gonna use the acronym but decided against it)....

Gol Ronaldinho Atlético Sonido Catalunya Radio

The Dude likes other languages, and the Dude likes hearing other languages speak one language. I think this is Catalonian radio calling the game for Barca fans watching the away game on TV...

FC Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid

Here's a taste of the Ray Hudson call I mentioned earlier, and of course the brilliance that inspired it.

Nuts

Yes, I went nuts with the rss feeds to the right. What you now have is a one stop shop with Sabres and TSN hockey news (because you can't live without that), the Rolling Stone Rock Daily blog and NME news feeds keeping you in the know about essential rock news (the NME news is hot... HOT!), plus some essential BS news to feed your pop culture jones, actual news (because I'd be derelect if I didn't have something of true, true substance), and The Onion to keep us all sane. So yes, I give you one stop shopping.

Shopping... for what? I have no idea.

That's two nights in a row that the Sabres have looked like total ass, and I ain't amused in the least. In the end the Sabres took stock of the job at hand and decided that they just don't want it enough, and this is what you get. There is nothing like seeing stale, purposeless hockey at the point in the season when every game counts, and it's disgusting. The only upside is you can't really blame Lindy when it's a matter of commitment, and the sad fact is that these guys aren't showing any at all.

At least my mother will save some money on playoff tickets this spring.

We Are The Ones

And the best part is that it's not just some gaggle of celebrities talking bullshit out of their asses. It's sense, our shared values as Americans and as Obama people, our hope (yeah I fucking said it- hope motherfuckers!) that this gaggle of celebrities is pushing... and it is good.

Sunday Kudos

• Kudos to this week's Torchwood for: (spoiler alert*) killing Owen (just when we were starting to really like him too), giving Martha Jones a chance to be cool, and for perfectly using white anglo saxon villain Alan Dale (The OC, Ugly Betty) in the role of what I'd consider to be a vintage Doctor Who villain. Kudos also to Freema Agyeman for perfectly transitioning Martha Jones from the PG/PG-13 universe of Doctor Who to the decidedly R rated world of Torchwood. She was a lot of fun to watch, and it was one of the best episodes of the series to date.
• Kudos to Robin Hood's Richard Armitage and Keith Allen for being among the best TV villains of all time. Armitage conveys so much emotion in his performance that you get the sense that his utterly villainous Sir Guy of Gisborne really percieves himself to be a good guy doing his job, and Keith Allen (father of Brit pop star Lilly Allen) is absolutely brilliant as the cruel and corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham. No matter what he's doing (crushing parakeets, taunting Robin Hood, or just sittin' around ordering bad things done to good people) , Allen's almost over the top performance is so bold, so much fun to watch that you can't take your eyes off of him.
• Kudos to Gol TV's Ray Hudson for his hilarious and wonderful color commentary for Ronaldinho's picture perfect bicycle kick goal during yesterday's Barca drubbing at the hands of Atletico Madrid. And the best part was all of the hyperbole and overpraise was entirely deserved- it really was one of those moments in sport that makes everybody- for and against... everybody who's gonna see that goal all over the world, stop and say "hot damn, did I just see that?"

I really hope that makes it onto YouTube.

• Kudos to Will.iam (or whatever that is) for another killer Obama music video. I mean really, I cannot stand The Black Eyed Peas, but this this stuff has been exceptional.

Battlestar Galactica - What the Frak?

This is an absolutely brilliant recap of Battlestar Galactica so far and a fine way to pass 8.5 minutes.

HT to Pop Candy.

That game last night wasn't shit... it was shite. The less said about it the better.

(In my best Batman announcer voice) What's This?

But wait! Do not give in to fear and despair! Here is some absolutely true wisdom on the subject of "fear vs. hope!"

Hey now! There's the guy I voted for twice. Hear hear (or is it here here?) Brother Bill. Unfortunately, one does have to wonder what's happened between then and now....

Courtesy of the Real Deal Liberal Democrat Council, Politico, and that wonder of wonders, YouTube.

Hillary Clinton 3 AM Ad

Wow. WTF. I always secretly suspected that Karl Rove was working for Billary, but this is ridiculous... almost surreal.

I guess some folks will do anything to elected.

Somehow I need to find a way to get cool with George Lucas. His ranch is way cool. And I liked the softball team names. Rebel Scum and Let the Wookies Win? Now that's brilliant.

Do you know what would be a fitting tribute to "conservative herald" William F. Buckley? If we elected a black President in the year 2008. Seriously. That would be fitting and then some. What an intellectually and morally bankrupt ideology. What a blowhard.

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Horsepower

The new series/season of BBC America's Top Gear began with an absolutely brilliant episode that featured Dame Helen Mirren likening host/prat Jeremy Clarkson to Paris Hilton (point taken) and being cool in the Big Star in the Reasonably Priced Car segment and a quest for the perfect driving road in Europe that was both hilarious and exhilharating. I'm not even a car guy and my heart was totally racing a kilometer a minute as those three clowns raced their ludicrus (yet thoroughly cool) supercars across the Alps. OK, it's true host/prat Jeremy Clarkson slags off America at least once an episode... but even my Republican buddy laughs so hey- it's all good fun (that and they were almost shot during their last sojurn in our fine country).

And next week they're back on the water turning cars into boats that always (always) sink. You really can't go wrong.

Bienvenidos!

Welcome to BFLO Scott Bernier! 2 goals in your first game. Very nice... very nice indeed.

I liked this trade from the get go but I gotta tell you-I'm liking this trade more and more.

Come Back To Us

The Dude's Top 10 Shows That He Wants To See Reunions Of.

Not what they're doing on The Today Show... I'm talking I want to know what happened to those characters! Who cares about that other stuff. It's all bloody DVD bonus footage I say!

10. The West Wing. Yes it's too soon. I know this. But, that said- I'll take anything.
9. M.A.S.H. I'd have rated M.A.S.H. higher were it not for the fact that then we'd have to consider AFTER M.A.S.H., and that just ain't fun...
8. The Greatest American Hero. Imagine that fro flying around LA thanks to CGI...
7. Diff'rent Strokes. I bet those kids are all fucked up. Even Janet Jackson.
6. Benson. The original West Wing.
5. Picket Fences. No sarcasm. I think it'd be interesting.
4. Mork and Mindy. Did they evade The Man? And how did they keep Jonathan Winter's baby aging in reverse bit secret?
3. WKRP in Cincinatti. Whatever happend to Johnny Fever? And Venus Flytrap? Jennifer- her fate was assured.
2. Barney Miller. Because I want to see a Barney Miller reunion goddamnit!
1. Magnum PI. Yeah... what the hell ever happened to Thomas Magnum? Didn't he re-enlist at the end of the maudlin and lackluster finale? And would that mean that Thomas Magnum is fighting in the war on terror?

Good Grief

Does Hillary not realize that she has just caricatured herself unawares with her strident splitting of hairs over Obama's "rejection/denunciation of Reverend Lou Farrakhan's endorsement? Or that Obama's laugh line worked perfectly at her expense especially because she actually didn't seem to catch it?

Wow... that was a weird moment there kids... with reality morphing into a SNL sketch.

Alas Hillary jumped the... shark... right abooouuut.... there.

New doctor who cinema trailer

I can't believe they showed this in a theater (ok, a theater in the UK, but a theater nonetheless). I can't believe that people filmed it and put it on YouTube. I can't believe that it's been viewed millions of times (looking at the other versions available). I can't believe how good the show looks now that it's heading into it's fourth season, possibly Russell Davies last. And I can't believe what he's got cooked up for us (Catherine Tate in non-obnoxious mode! Martha Jones! Rose Tyler! I think that's Davros!) in two months.

Doctor Who-Series 4 Trailer

The upcoming fourth series/season of Doctor Who officially looks awesome.