Friday, May 30, 2008

"Voyage of the Damned"

"Partners in Crime"
"The Fire of Pompeii"
"Planet of the ood"
"The Sontaran Stratagem" Pt. 1
"The Poison Sky" Pt. 2
(cont'd)

Hello, my name is Mike Wilson, nicknamed The Last Angry Man. The Secret Base of the Rebel Black Dot Society is my blog, not yours, and I will post whatever I please, constrained solely by my conscience, and in my own sweet time. If this proves unsatisfactory, please feel free not to read. Or, better yet, start your own blog to voice your discontent. Thanks for reading and have a nice day.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Guster, "Fall In Two" from Parachute (T.L.A.M.)

Thursday, May 29, 2008

In the course of the day, Skeeter repeated her plea for me to rededicate The Secret Base to chronicling the trials and travails of my daily life and The L.A.W. & Brother-in-L.A.W. rang - on speaker phone - with a life-changing proposal to alleviate their concern over my lack of direction/residence in Grand Blanc. Always odd to be reminded that people are, to varying degrees, interested in my life and welfare. Neat!

The Professor has initiated a series of emails, an intelligent discourse on the nature and meaning of several of the adages by which he lives his life. An absolutely fascinating dialogue is taking shape. I am blessed to have such friends.

Project TROIKA
Steeze and I had our first face-to-face discussion of Project TROIKA during Matrimania - Saint Louis and for the first time I feel as if the end is in sight, not like Project TROIKA is a long, hard slog, but as if I can really see both where we want to go and how to get there, creatively speaking. Am I spouting gibberish? Almost certainly, but ask me if I care. Holy balls, we're actually going to get this done. We're actually going to write a novel for publication. You'll be able to see our names, K. Steeze's, The Professor's, and mine, on a cover in your local bookstore. Great googly moogly.

Grow or die.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Fatboy Slim, "Praise You" via iTunes (The Sardine)

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

I am a creature of habit, dear readers, a man who treasures routine and repetition. Traveling across five states (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri) across the span of five days (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday) has proven a substantial disruption, and it is taking me longer than I predicted (under the influence of wild and baseless optimism) to fall into my rhythm. But slowly The Secret Base is regaining its footing. And now to thoroughly mix our metaphors, there's smooth sailing ahead.

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
New Found Glory, "This Disaster" from Catalyst (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Speaking of disasters, I can't believe I wasted two nights watching A&E's mutilation of The Andromeda Strain. Alas, such unrealized potential.

Dienstag, 27 Mai
Billy Joel, "Allentown" from The Nylon Curtain (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: And this one goes out to Ki-El, my good and talented friend. You'll land on your feet, buddy. Like a cat. "Allentown" is an appropriate R.B.D.S.O.T.D. on at least two separate levels.

Montag, 26 Mai
Mu330, "Fat and Married" from Chumps on Parade (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Once again, three cheers for Matrimania - Saint Louis: Hip hip! Hooray! Hip hip! Hooray! Hip hip! Hooray!

I am experiencing a mild degree of guilt for not choosing a song more befitting the day we honor our war dead, the glorious dead, but on the other hand is not the joy of this past weekend precisely what those valiant souls died to defend? That this way of life might persist? The mild guilt persists, but The Guy and The Gal are worth it.


Sonntag, 25 Mai
John Williams & the London Symphony Orchestra, "Marion's Theme" from Raiders of the Lost Ark: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: An apropos choice on the day that The Guy, The Professor, K. Steeze, and I together saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, no? It could never have been anyone else but Marion Ravenwood, Abner's little girl. Perfect.

Samstag, 24 Mai
Ben Folds, "Zak and Sara" from Rocking the Suburbs (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: My sincerest congratulations to Zach and Sarah, a.k.a. The Guy and The Gal, on the day they formalized the lifelong love they have already shared for nearly a decade. I wish you both all the happiness in the world, my friends.

Freitag, 23 Mai
Narwhal Tag! Sehen Sie unten.

Donnerstag, 22 Mai
The Ataris, "My Hotel Year" from Blue Skies, Broken Hearts... Next 12 Exists (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: "I'm more alone with you than when I'm by myself."

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

The Explorers Club
No. LXXVII - Percy Fawcett (1867-1925) and his Lost City of Z, somewhere in the Mato Grosso state of Brazil.








We're taking the title "The Explorers Club" rather literally this week.

Friday, May 23, 2008

NARWHAL DAY!
The 23rd of May is Narwhal Day, a day of celebration of and sympathy for the narwhal, one of the good Earth's most splendidly bizarre creatures. There are three elements to the celebration of Narwhal Day: a) the wearing of the gray, b) the hearing of "Sympathy for the Narwhal," and c) recitation of the Oath of Narwhal Day. You must wear at least one article of gray clothing, be it a shirt, pants, socks, or even underwear, though the spirit of Narwhal Day, the spirit of true sympathy for these grandly misbegotten beasts, means the gray should be displayed proudly, not hidden between your clothes and your naughty bits.

The Oath of Narwhal Day
The narwhal is a noble, pitiable creature,
A magnificent, monstrous visage.
An asymmetrical tooth for a horn,
Or sometimes two, or sometimes none,
Half again as long as the beast.

I swear my sympathy for the narwhal.
I will not lie and convince it all is well,
But I will be a friend to the narwhal.
The mocking dolphins and snobby manatees
Will get their well-earned comeuppance,
And the narwhal will frolic all day.

I dream this dream of the narwhal
And celebrate it in all its improbable, oddball glory,
On this the eighth Narwhal Day.


Narwhal (Monodon monoceros)



And now a tour of Narwhal Days past with a series of Wayback Machinelinks!

Narwhal Day '07

Narwhal Day '06

Narwhal Day '05

Narwhal Day '04

Narwhal Day '03

The Rebel Black Dot Song of Narwhal Day
D.J. Seaghost, "Sympathy for the Narwhal" from Rice Capades (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: "Play something sad, convince it all is not well."

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Narwhal Day is nearly here! Make ready! Make ready!

Believe
I am sorry, there's just too little time left before my departure for the madcap fun of Matrimania - Saint Louis to state properly all that I wish to say about the Red Wings, the fans of Hockeytown, and the quest for the grandest trophy in all of sport, the Stanley Cup. And as mentioned before, the celebration of my great friend's nuptials will prevent my viewing of the first match between the venerable Detroit Red Wings and the upstart Pittsburgh Penguins; The Gal is The Guy's true ladylove, and this is a sacrifice I make most willingly and happily.



And I dare not shirk a manly declaration of certainty: the Red Wings in six. Believe.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Mu330, "Tune Me Out" from Crab Rangoon (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Of late, I have found that some of the people for whom I most deeply care, or cared, seem to have tuned me out. They listen not to what I say, but merely await their own turn to speak. These insults have not passed unnoticed and shall not go unrevenged.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

The Explorers Club
No. LXXVI - The short-lived Republic of Hatay (1938-39).






Hatay is the sliver of Turkey between Syria and the Mediterranean Sea.

My first hint of the existence of Hatay came in 1989, during Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; to my ten-year-old mind, it seemed a fictional country, a Middle Eastern Ruritania. Recently, to my surprise and delight, I learned that the Republic of Hatay was real, however briefly. I hereby invite you all to explore this fascinating tale and hope that it adds to the nigh-frenzied level of excitement surrounding the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull!

Despite my love of nearly all things Lucasfilm, I will not be seeing Crystal Skull until Sunday, when all of the core Blue Tree Whackers will see it together the day after The Guy's wedding in Saint Louis.

Irrevocable Shackles: Matrimania - Saint Louis
Speaking of which, the plan was for me to carpool to Saint Louis from *shiver* Columbus, Ohio with two Married cohorts, but the wife is no longer attending the wedding. I am not allowed to ask any questions about her; so, I do not know why she is boycotting the nuptial festivities, but now it will be just her husband and I on the drive to and from the Gateway to the West. Huzzah? And whilst there I shall represent Team Bachelor to the best of my ability. Stay unshackled or die trying!

Also, The Gal informs me that I shall be required to consume at her and The Guy's reception "as much [alcohol] as twelve people": not as much hooch as might slake the thirst of twelve people at said reception, but a quantity of alcohol equivalent to the internal volume of twelve average-sized people. Ho boy, that's a lot of booze. I cannot help but think of Buster's old line from Tiny Toons, when meeting Babs's father, "Gee, sir, you must displace a great deal of water when submerged." Bottoms up!

During Matrimania - D.C., Brother-in-L.A.W. opened my palate to an appreciation for gin; so, perhaps I'll break up my usual beer-only reception diet with a gin and tonic, or perhaps a gin martini. I despise the taste of vodka and did not at all enjoy the one or two vodka martinis I've ever imbibed.

Believe: Red Wings 4-1 Stars
Twelve down, four to go! Best of seven: Detroit 4-2 Dallas.

And that, gentlemen, is how we do that. Recall the sage words of Saturday Night Latham, "It's nice to see that when breaks go against the Red Wings... they just shrug it off and go about their business." Hear hear! More to come before Matrimania - Saint Louis.

Wilson
I dropped by good ol' McFarlen Library this afternoon in response to a notification of the arrival of a book on ***CENSORED*** that I'd requested, more research for Project TROIKA, and after browsing the shelves I also borrowed How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion by Daniel H. Wilson. (I already have a huge backlog in my reading, but I am like a magpie, I cannot resist that which is new and/or shiny. And this book is both! At least new to me.) Ye olde internet informs me that Mr. Wilson's "H." stands for Howard, and How to Survive a Robot Uprising is dedicated, "For Howard Wilson." While probably a relative of the author's, I could not help but think, "He's dedicating a book to my late grandfather? Or my uncle, his eldest son and namesake?" Ah, the joys of a ridiculously common surname.

(Go ahead, type "Michael Wilson" and "Mike Wilson" into Wikipedia.)

Who Used To Own It?
I have sorely neglected both "The Explorers Club" and Who Used To Own It? since Matrimania - D.C., but we begin to reverse that trend today. To those of you who have already submitted your answers to the latest round, you have my sincerest thanks for playing. For those who have not, there is yet time to get in on the fun! Through the hyperlink below, you'll have one last chance to play Who Used To Own It? East Indies Edition. Answers and scoring for Round One will be posted on Memorial Day, along with the queries for Round Two. Good luck and have fun!

Grandson of Direct Hyperlink.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Mu330, "Favorite Show" from Mu330 (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Not to be confused with Mu330 front man Dan Potthast's solo project song "My Favorite Song."

Sunday, May 18, 2008



I've got that "Cannes do" attitude!

Believe: Stars 2-1 Red Wings
Stuck at eleven down, five to go. Best of seven: Detroit 3-2 Dallas.

Everything you need to know about the game you could have gleaned in the final minute of the third period: in the last fifty-seven seconds (:57), though we had pulled our goaltender for a man-advantage on the attack, we appeared to be outnumbered by the Stars. There were six Red Wings to only five Stars (Dallas goaltender and Michigan man Marty Turco remaining barricaded in his crease), yet every Red Wing to touch the puck seemed beset upon by a veritable swarm of Stars, and not one of our boys could get open, not in the slightest. Yesterday, the Stars were the better team, and the better team won.

I remain confident in the eventual triumph of Mike Babcock's Red Wings. Game 6 shall be ours! Believe!

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Dan Potthast, "Tornado Joe" from Sweets and Meats (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: California as a panacea?

"The ocean's great and the weather's nice,
But isolation is everywhere
And you sure can't escape it by coming here."


Samstag, 17 Mai
The Toasters, "Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down" (live) from Live in London (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: "D.L.T.B.G.Y.D." as the R.B.D.S.O.T.D.!

Friday, May 16, 2008

"Voyage of the Damned"

"Partners in Crime"
"The Fires of Pompeii"
"Planet of the Ood"
"The Sontaran Stratagem" Pt. 1
(cont'd)

Believe: Stars 3-1 Red Wings
Eleven down, five to go. Best of seven: Detroit 3-1 Dallas.

Well, that sucked. Once again, the rampant corruption within the N.H.L. is exposed. And yes, I mean corruption. There are only two ways the call against Holmstrom could have disallowed a clean goal while a genuine violation of the crease by the Stars was ignored and the resultant goal allowed to stand: the referee is corrupt, taking a bride from the Stars or throwing the game in their favor not for money but because of either a personal bias or pressure from the league to prevent a series sweep; or he is incompetent, in which case he has been allowed to officiate playoff games only because of rot within the N.H.L. (And the N.H.L is clearly rotten from top to bottom, the persistence of Gary Bettman's inept leadership alone is proof of that.) This corruption didn't cost us the game, but the League's silence is this matter is inexcusable.

All that said, the Stars earned the win, dash it all. For the first time this series, I can understand how they overcame the Ducks and Sharks. That said, even a repetition of Wednesday's effort will be insufficient to deny the Red Wings their berth in the Stanley Cup Finals. We lost Game 4, but the Red Wings will prevail in Game 5. Victory!

Flyers 4-2 Penguins. Best of seven: Pittsburgh 3-1 Philadelphia.

Well done, you Philly bastards. Make Sidney Crosby and his ludicrous "playoff beard" work for it! (I know the Sid the Kid is, well, a kid, but if you can't grow a proper playoff beard, kid, just shave. Chelios has been clean-shaven throughout the playoffs, and he's Greek; so, you know he has to be shaving twice or thrice a day.)

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
The House Band, "Pharaoh" from Green Linnet Records: The Twentieth Anniversary Collection (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: I cannot help but be reminded of Tobias Wolff's memoir of his service in the Vietnam War, In Pharaoh's Army.

"A thousand eyes, a thousand years,
He feeds us all, he feeds our fears.
Don't stir in your sleep tonight, my dears,
We're all working for the Pharaoh."

And, no, I'm not name-dropping Wolff to foster a veneer of erudition, because I'm certain there are layers of meaning in each of his short stories that I have entirely missed. "Pharaoh" really does remind me of
In Pharaoh's Army, which you all should read.

Donnerstag, 15 Mai
The Impossibles, "Plan B" from Mailorder is Fun! (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: I sang this song under my breath all day yesterday, but for the life of me I could remember neither the title nor the band. I searched fruitlessly, but then today I stumbled upon it by blind luck just a few songs after "Pharaoh." Woot!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
The Blues Brothers, "Jailhouse Rock" from The Blues Brothers Original Soundtrack Recording (T.L.A.M.)

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Narwhal Day Looms
Ten days, less than fortnight, until Narwhal Day. Heed the admonishment on the back cover of The Fury of The Aquabats!, "Just prepare yourselves for the fury!"

Believe: Pennsylvanian Civil War
Penguins 4-1 Flyers. Best of seven: Pittsburgh 3-0 Philadelphia.

I am interested in this series for three reasons. Ein) Though the N.H.L. playoffs seems interminable and I have myself made any number of jokes about their two-month duration, soon, very soon, the hockey season will be over, leaving the summer a barren wasteland devoid of sport. I am thus feasting before the inevitable famine. (And thus the deluge of hockey posts.)

Zwei) The Red Wings shall prevail over the hapless (should be North) Stars, meaning the Pittsburgh-Philly winner will be all that stands between us and the Stanley Cup. Utterly regardless of my complete lack of any role in preparing the Wings for the challenge ahead, I feel that sympathetic impulse common to most sports fans: I wish to scout the opposition. I've watched very little Prince of Wales Conference hockey this year and I am using this series to play catch up. Sid the Kid has no idea what awaits him.

Drei) During the festivities of Matrimania - D.C., my darling sister's wedding, I met a chap named Ravi we shall call Jersey, the fiancé of The L.A.W.'s maid of honor, Melissa. for whom I have not yet devised a codename. As his handle indicates, Jersey Ravi is a son of New Jersey, from the suburbs of Philadelphia, and a huge fan of the Flyers. I enjoyed his company all three times I met him - at the rehearsal dinner, the wedding reception, and the day-after cookout - so, though I am no fan of the Flyers, I am interested in their fate for his sake. This series must be killing him, the poor devil. (Ed. note: There are too many people I met during Matrimania - D.C. to whom I may never again refer once I have regaled you with the tale of the weekend to make codenames practicable. So, with care not to reveal surnames, I shall simply use given names for those without ongoing roles in the adventure that is my life and times.)

Vote For Kodos: Donkey Punch
Staying in the race is just about the first thing Senator Clinton has ever done that I wholeheartedly support. Never say die!

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Letters to Cleo, "Demon Rock" from Wholesale Meats and Fish (T.L.A.M.)

Monday, May 12, 2008

The Irrevocable Shackles of Matrimony: Matrimania - Saint Louis
I spoke to The Guy this evening, very briefly, nothing at all to do with the wedding. My appraisal? He sounded good, he sounded relaxed. He sounded like a man ready to become his ladylove's husband. My man sounded happy.

In the words of Tony Kornheiser, "Get happy, people."

Believe: Red Wings 5-2 Stars
Eleven down, five to go. Best of seven: Detroit 3-0 Dallas.

I admit, I flipped away from the game to watch Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, flipping back to Versus (Where was the C.B.C.? The Canucks fouled this one up nicely.) during commercial interruptions to check on the score. I am, apparently, entirely justified in my inability to take the Stars seriously as an obstacle. I watched much of yesterday's all-Pennsylvania contest between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. At the risk of angering the heathen gods of hockey, I wasn't terribly impressed with either team and should the Red Wings prove triumphant over the paltry Stars, I think they'll have a better than even chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup for the fourth time in a dozen years.

Speaking, generally, of the Cup, I am absolutely disgusted by the ignorance and bad attitudes of nearly everyone in Michigan. Too many people regard the Red Wings as perennial playoffs chokers, as being extremely talented but unable to perform under pressure. How in blazes can anyone hold that opinion? The Red Wings have not won the Stanley Cup since 2002, true. Six years, five seasons. No such criticism is piled upon the Tigers, who haven't won the *scoff* World Series since - start studying Newspeak - 1984. The Red Wings advanced to the "Western" Campbell Conference Finals last year only to fall to the eventual champion Ducks in six close games; a few moments of different fortune here and there would have put the Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals. I seem to recall the beloved Tigers getting fucking destroyed and made to look like amateurs the last time they were in the *scoff* World Series. The Pistons have won a championship more recently than the Red Wings, and they were tantalizingly close to repeating the following season, but they haven't brought home "the hardware" but once in the last dozen years, the same span in which the Red Wings have won three championships, yet no one around here calls the Pistons perennial playoff pretenders. Wherefore the double standard? Why the scorn reserved so exclusively for the Red Wings?

I have a theory, but it isn't a legitimate, just a crude insult: The people around here are fucking arseholes. (Dearest Watergirl, please refrain from making any comment. I love your frequent commenting, but your incessant Mitten-bashing long ago exhausted my last nerve. Thank you.) I have a possibly legitimate theory, too, but it'll keep for a while yet.

Project TROIKA
K. Steeze gets a lot of his ideas from video games. Character ideas, the broad strokes of scenarios. I simply do not understand video game culture. I acknowledge that it is an ever larger part of our popular culture, but it is one of which I remain steadfastly ignorant and disdainful. (A charming combination, I know, but on this one I'm going to stand my ground and hope fear and hate carry the day.) So, denounce me if you wish, but whenever he mentions that the genesis of an idea lies within a video game, my first reaction, even though the vast majority of our TROIKA correspondence is over email, is to make a face, to look at his words as if they've aliens with bumps on their foreheads. Reason, goodwill, and the profound respect I have for Steeze's creative prowess eventually overcome that initial skepticism, yet that first impulse persists. I am a snob. Without knowing much about them, I regard the storytelling possibilities of video games an inherently inferior to those of books, motion pictures, plays, television episodes, and comic books, et al.

We are almost always on the same page, but in this one area there is between us a vast gulf.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
The Ataris, "Angry Nerd Rock" from Blue Skies, Broken Hearts... Next 12 Exits (T.L.A.M.)

Sunday, May 11, 2008

What an appallingly terrible day. All evidence points in the direction that my mother is more fond of my sister-in-law than she is of either of her own sons. Were I to live for a thousand years I would never understand what I could possibly have done to be deserving of this level of disrespect. This shan't be forgotten, nor ever forgiven. She is my mother and ever shall be, nothing could ever change that, but today my tremendous affection for her dimmed just that little bit. High times indeed for the dark bastard.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Green Day, "Worry Rock" from Nimrod (T.L.A.M.)

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Believe: Red Wings 2-1 Stars
Ten down, six to go. Best of seven: Detroit 2-0 Dallas.

I missed Thursday's Game 1, Red Wings 4-1 Stars, catching up on my video tape recordings and picking my father up from Bishop International Airport. What should have been a quick and routine excursion was elongated by the flat tire suffered by his Impala, which I drove because I'd rather not have that man in my precious Lumi. However, I find all of my father's failing amusing, even those he experiences by proxy, like the nail-punctured tire; so, the extra time was not entirely wasted. (Petulant? Yes, but I spent seventeen years absolutely idolizing my father; I am entitled to demonize him for at least an equal period. I'll attempt to adopt a truly adult attitude towards that monster when I'm thirty-four, giving me just over five years of remaining petulance. Woot!)

During my Texile, my roommate and I attended a Wings-Stars game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, the tickets courtesy of one of his colleagues, a native son of "the Metroplex." To the displeasure of the surprisingly dedicated crowd, the Red Wings prevailed (I do not recall the exact score and at this moment in time I do not wish to search my archives for my ticket stub, upon which I wrote the final score). Then and now, I am constitutionally incapable of taking the Dallas (should be Minnesota North) Stars seriously. Though the Cowboy-imitating Stars bested both the not-so-mighty Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks on their way to the (Western) Campbell Conference Finals, I would be far more uneasy facing either the Ducks or the Sharks.

My reason insists the Stars have too much talent to be swept, but my gut isn't so sure. That said, I'll take my cue from the Coach Mike Babcock, Captain Nick Lidstrom, and Rudyard Kipling, "And check the show of pride." Respect for your enemy is the first step toward his defeat.

Go Red Wings!

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
They Might Be Giants, "Cyclops Rock" from Mink Car (T.L.A.M.)

Friday, May 9, 2008

"Voyage of the Damned"

"Partners in Crime"
"The Fires of Pompeii"
"Planet of the Ood"
(cont'd)

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
The Ramones, "Chinese Rock" from Ramones Mania (T.L.A.M.)

And for your amusement it is my pleasure and privilege to present a preposterous post from The Secret Base of yore: Wayback Machinelink.

"Days of old and men of yore..."

Thursday, May 8, 2008

It took some neglect of other things, like bloggy blogging, but I've finally caught up on all the stuff I taped during the Matrimania - D.C. absence: Gilmore Girls, Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, and the tail end of P.B.S.'s Carrier. Also, my reading project is back on track; I've already completed today's quota and in a few moments I'll try to get a little extra in before nodding off. I love traveling and seeing my far-flung family and friends, but bugger the disruption!

"Voyage of the Damned" ('07 Christmas Special)

"Partners in Crime"
"The Fires of Pompeii"

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
The Ataris, "Teenage Riot" from End is Forever (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: The R.B.D.S.O.T.D. may seem like a frivolous pastime, and oftentimes it is, but on some occasions I emotionally invest quite heavily. Yesterday was such a day, as I chronicled the splendor, whimsy, and melancholy of Matrimania - D.C. Today is not such a day, as I have opted for one of The Ataris' least consequential songs. Wheeee!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

The Irrevocable Shackles of Matrimony: Matrimania - D.C.
We returned from the magnificence of the nuptial festivities late Sunday evening, and upon waking Monday morning I was in the midst of a head cold. I awoke amid the dizziness I've come to recognize as the hallmark of sinus cavities choked with compacted snot (lovely, I know) and only slowly have I been regaining my feet. I was during this interval fully ambulatory and functional, 'twas only a cold, but I've been surly and insociable.

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Barenaked Ladies, "For You" (live) from Talk to the Hand: Live in Michigan (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: And whilst in the District of Columbia I actually did use my right hand and left index finger to indicate from where in Michigan my family and I hail. Whatever must people from other states do, the poor devils?

Dienstag, 6 Mai
Fountains of Wayne, "Trains & Boats & Planes" from Out-of-State Plates, Disc 1 (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: My mind's eye cannot help but dwell upon the ruby red lips of the girl with whom I danced for very nearly all of the evening of my sister's wedding reception. She, Sarah, insisted she was a clumsy dancer, but for all the world I swear she glided as if held aloft upon wings of gossamer.

Montag, 5 Mai
Dan Potthast, "Heavy" from Eyeballs (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Expect lots of Dan Potthast, a.k.a. Steve Roelle, the missing Roelle brother, and Mu330 as we near Matrimania - St. Louis, now less than three weeks distant. Of course, the whole purpose Matrimania - St. Louis lies in direct opposition to "Heavy," but it's still a delightful song with good advice for all new couples in the fresh bloom of love and/or lust.

Sonntag, 4 Mai
Fountains of Wayne, "Michael and Heather at the Baggage Claim" from Traffic and Weather (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Of course, all the signs at Detroit Metropolitan Airport - note the splendid absence of the word "international" - say "luggage claim" rather than "baggage claim." I share F.O.W.'s preference for the double meaning of the word baggage.

Samstag, 3 Mai
James Darren, "Here's to the Losers" from This One's From the Heart (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: The last unwed Wilson sibling would like to raise a toast to the forlorn chaps who lost out on the Jadzia Dax sweepstakes, Quark, a true pillar of the community, and the talented Dr. Julian Bashir. Here's to you, lads, God love ya.

Freitag, 2 Mai
Dance Hall Crashers, "Remember to Breathe" (live) from The Live Record - Witless Banter and 25 Mildly Antagonistic Songs of Love (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Exactly the way love should be, mildly antagonistic.

Donnerstag, 1 Mai
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, "Leaving On a Jet Plane" from Have a Ball (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: This was, I believe, my fourth trip to Washington, D.C., and yet the very first time I approached the city by aeroplane. Death from above!
A preview of the world that's coming.*



*Thanks, Mr. Kirby!

Thursday, May 1, 2008



And lest you think I forgot, happy May Day, you pinkos. Bugger international socialism, we'll reclaim May Day for the Maypole one day, by Jove!