friday, march 30, 2001
i am living with a person who thinks making collages is a "kid-like" thing to do, and i mentioned a collage idea i had the other day to another person whose response was, "how old are you?" this really pisses me off, to tell you the truth. okay: yes, kids do them. they also draw and paint and sculpt and engage in all kinds of valid art forms, of which collage is one. matisse, picasso, beck and al hansen, leanne milway: all collage artists. and then there are people you haven't heard of: winston smith, peter blake, and many more. my point is: it's art. *sigh* i can't believe i even had to say that.

this view means i'm almost home.

and here are some pics from last night at 119, where drinks were raised, or probably just drunk, in honor of randi's birth:

this birthday might not top the one in cancun, but
she looks pretty happy, no?

mugsy, a.k.a. rob, now performs standup comedy.

michele has a supersecret method for making her
hair look so good.

another extreme closeup of betsy.

and another semi-obfuscating bathroom self-portrait.

thursday, march 29, 2001
salon takes bush to task for shirking american responsibility with his decision to keep the u.s. out of the kyoto protocol on global warming. he's really having a bang-up week, actually: he also dissolved the white house women's office.

like nanette says, probably funniest if you are familiar with the band, this idea of preteens focus-grouping gbv. sample comment: "They don't set a good example at all. Is that a beer bottle in that picture?"

a couple pics, for those of you who miss them:

in the bathroom at xth.

42nd street, waiting for...

the A train.

cute shoes at west 4th, spotted and admired by holly.

a big public *mwah* to randi: happy 25th!

file under "those crazy celebrities": puff daddy is changing his name to p. diddy.

wednesday, march 28, 2001
yes, we appear to be in a bit of rut here at catherine's pita. again i only have one thing for you, but it is well worth your time: it is a tale of spam sandwiches. come on, you know you're curious.

and in other gross-out news (which is of course my favorite): you remember chicken head? in the mcnuggets? say hello to rat head, "complete with eyes teeth, nose and whiskers." [i should read the obscure store more often.]

tuesday, march 27, 2001
how i learned to dance.

monday, march 26, 2001
"miss, you are ripping me off": so said the scalper when he finally decided he wanted to go home (it was pretty cold out) and would accept my offer of $20 for a ticket to the sold-out idlewild show saturday night. actually i bumped it up to $21 for him. ha! the idiot wanted $65 originally. i laughed in his face. and i bested him eventually. i was really happy to get in, though. otherwise it would have been a very lame saturday night. i was by myself, which was kind of weird, though i did talk to a couple of girls from ol' new brunswick, nj, for a little bit. the openers, brassy, featuring jon spencer's sister muffin in boxing shorts, a wife-beater, and pigtails, were exceedingly lame and should be avoided at all costs. idlewild, happily, were great: their brand of energetic pop-punk translates perfectly to the stage. i love the wall of guitars, the melodies, the wry lyrics. my only complaint was that they only played for 45 minutes. luckily they're coming back with placebo in may. i had to see this show after finally getting their new album, 100 broken windows. i kinda liked their first album but this one is such an improvement. seek and ye shall find.

the 100 most intense records ever made. i cannot believe boston is on this list.

friday, march 23, 2001
last night i really wished i could have used my camera. damn battery. how often do you see a lead singer climbing the walls of the venue and writhing on the floor by your feet? that just doesn't happen too often. not nearly enough for my tastes, actually. and there just is not enough smart, bombastic rock in existence, either. if you're curious, read this live review of a london show that compares tim harrington to iggy pop's problem uncle.

it's nice and sunny here, too, but man am i jealous of the people in paris. well, really just those people. check out ange's updates from the hostel. (amy's writing cute emails, which cannot of course be linked. obviously she needs a pita.)

thursday, march 22
why does it take 3-4 weeks to start receiving your forwarded mail? i have not received a single piece of mail in three weeks that was not from a parent. it's the equivalent of having no messages on the answering machine or nothing in your email inbox. it's deflating, like you're a nonperson. no one has anything to say to you. then again, no one really needs their mail, right?

i'm getting my hair cut tonight at this cool-looking place in my neighborhood, stylist recommended by a work friend. one with a kickass haircut, too. i'm not planning on doing anything too drastic though: just shorter, please, thank you. and then i'm going to enjoy some inspired lunacy with recent new york transplant michaelangelo, who was cool enough to get on the list and make me his plus-one. according to citysearch i am a "cult hipster," which means i know enough to roll my eyes at such a description. *rolls eyes at self for even mentioning it, actually*

wednesday, march 21, 2001
never fear, english lovers, words girl is here! (she cares a great deal about linguistic accuracy.)

old 97s rambling (ignore if you wish) : robert christgau writes a great piece about them that discusses, among other things, their intense "prepunk" earnestness, which truth be told annoys me in a way (it's kind of embarrassing), but then i just get lost in it: this morning while listening to the new album's "weightless," whose chorus's cheesy lyrics i'll spare you, i almost forgot to get off the train at my stop because they had me anyway. i realized where i was just as the doors were about to close and my legs flew up and back down in cartoon-character fashion as i scrambled to get off. it made me laugh to myself, at myself. and that is why i love them, or one of the ways. i mean, how many bands can do that, really? if there was any justice in the world, which there is not, they would be superstars. but even though they're probably as close as they'll ever get, tour dates are out and rhett is playing two solo shows at fez! which is great, sure, but i'll be very disappointed if they don't do a full-band date in new york, because the live show is just such blazing rock goodness. [side note for anyone who might possibly care: i got satellite rides at sounds for $12.99. yee-haw! AND i found the jim white cd there for eight bucks, so i get to return the one i bought at virgin. and i couldn't resist also checking the used bins and ended up with: butthole surfers, cinerama's peel sessions (which isn't even out yet), something else i can't remember, and, um, fuck (sorry mom, that's the name of the band).]

tuesday, march 20, 2001
here's a picture steve was telling me about, of the badly listing oil rig before it sunk today.

congressional offices are woefully under-equipped to deal with the thousands of monthly emails they get, according to a study. get with the program, guys! and meanwhile, dubya has sent his last e-mail. some good insights into his character in there, as we all know that the kind of email a person sends says a lot about that person. i suppose it is only prudent for him to give it up, although it would seem to decrease efficiency of communication, but then you have to wonder: what are the potential scandals they're proactively covering up?

ahhh, spring comes to nyc. it's beautiful out. i booked my spring haircut, desperately needed, then took a stroll down to times square at lunch to see what outrageous price they're charging for "satellite rides." $18.99, it turns out, which i refuse to pay on principle. (i'll go up to $12.99 with a minimum of fuss, but i start shifting feet and hemming and hawing when it gets up to $13.99.) but they had this irresistible 3-for-$26 sale, so i replaced a couple lost cd's and took some chances:

joni mitchell's "blue"
weezer's "blue album"
beasties, paul's boutique
aimee mann's i'm with stupid
the cramps, bad music for bad people
"the essential" steve earle

i also got the new jim white, which sounded interesting. and soon i'll be swimming in new music because tonight i'm doing even more record shopping, having of course still to get the records i've been wanting and needing. binging is good, right?

i think hit by a train has redesigned, but i wouldn't know cause it's crashing my browser.

monday, march 19, 2001
thing i love about living in manhattan: on the way out to a key food whose produce is of acceptable quality, can stop by a great record store and pick up new albums from crooked fingers and spoon, even find call and response in the used bins (which i listened to while making chili last night and which, by the way leanne, is not what i would call "funky" in any way, is more what i would call "impossibly gay" or more charitably, perhaps, "fey," no?). i didn't find what i went in there for, but that was mostly okay, because i'm going to have to hit the record store again tomorrow anyway, for i hope you know what.

thing i do not love about living in manhattan: having to worry about whether one day the construction (more like destruction) next door will one day land my ass in the hardware store below. this morning the foreman or whatever came over to explain that they were going to plaster and paint over the wall they broke through on friday, creating a door-sized hole in the living-room wall through which you could see out into the pit of rubble. not ten minutes after he left the earthquake-like sounds began to rock the house.

friday, march 16, 2001
nabbed again for remote loading. uploaded this page's pics to honesty.com though, and now all of them are working again.

all i have time for is this. go and chuckle.

thursday, march 15, 2001
very funny interview with the guy from "american movie," who is definitely an alcoholic (though i feel like a bit of party poop for pointing that out). i'm so glad he finished "coven," though i wonder if anyone ever convinced him of its proper pronunciation. [via obscure store]

all right, friends. is there anyone who wants to see some punk rock with me next thursday?

via a new fave of mine, listen missy, comes this great story about how "traffic" could be making a real difference in the minds of lawmakers, which might one day even translate to policy.

things to remember in may: new albums from david byrne and weezer (who by the way "love to juice").

what a shame that the chainsaw-wielding eminem doll doesn't come with a matching kim doll, complete with slit throat and detachable limbs, so the kids can fully act out their murderous misogynistic impulses, huh? or maybe it's simply in the works...

tuesday, march 13, 2001
what i am reduced to at the end of the day: virtual bubblewrap.

you know, you can now pre-order the "lost" modest mouse album, which means you get it two weeks before it'll be in stores, AND you get a free sticker and poster. what could be cooler?

new yorkers, put your name and number on this do not call list and telemarketers cannot call you or else they will have to pay a $2000 fine. you could be at peace as early as may 1.

scientists are starting to test hallucinogens for possible treatment of mental illnesses. funny thing, alcoholics don't want to drink when they're tripping. imagine that! oh and while i'm on the subject, the ny state assembly is considering a plan to loosen the state's harsh rockefeller drug laws.

governor schwarzenegger??

monday, march 12, 2001
a more in-depth look at that guy who's going to skydive from not-quite-outer space.

sunday, march 11, 2001
sure, it compromises the relationship listeners have with their music, but if licensing their songs for commercials is the only way the apples in stereo can buy a crib for their baby, i'm all for it.

ikea. oh the possibilities, right? you flip through the catalog and fold over pages and the things you could do! but then you get there and it's all somehow...less. for instance: the MOMENT grey swivel desk chair (p. 234) just was not comfortable. the YRA table lamp (p. 51) was only available in the freakishly tall size, the 10-inch version nowhere in sight. the ODLA metal cabinets (p. 39) were not wall-mountable, despite appearances to the contrary (p. 131). i still got a good amount of stuff (KIRP wall shelves, p. 163; REDO clock, back page; KRABB mirror, p. 26; MINUS curtain rod, noncatalog; BITS magnetic board, noncatalog) , but i had to wait an infuriating amount of time to get my one piece of non-self-serve furniture (IKEA/PS white steel locking cabinet, p. 195) and then grunt and scream my way through the hours-long assembly process. if only the marked-down floor model had had the keys still in it. but now i have more stuff, and additional storage for my existing stuff! so, much gratitude to steve for taking me on the journey, which began around 3 when we set off and didn't end till about 8 when we finally arrived back at rivington street after narrowly missing passage over first manhattan bridge and then the williamsburg bridge. i hope it's a long while before i feel the urge to go back.

97s concert photos taken by a professional.

friday, march 9, 2001
10,000 journalists on the isle of manhattan, and i would say that's a low estimate.

i am bored out of my ever-loving gourd. please help.

thursday, march 8, 2001
man plans sky dive from the edge of space. uh, but what, exactly, is the "edge of space"? [via steve]

joss whedon talks about the last, harrowing episode of buffy. he says some interesting stuff, including that the idea to leave buffy and dawn motherless was conceived years ago. [via fresh hell]

holly liked this shot i took monday during the so-called storm, so i guess i'll post it, although it is not really what i was going for:

feeling a little loopy today. i'm kind of sick, but nyquil and dayquil seem to be keeping me nicely numb.

last night, after months of wheedling, i finally got the ex-new woman posse to agree to go to barcode, the bar/arcade in times square. it was pretty fun, despite the high neon factor and abundance of cheese (it was 80s night, too). except that just about every cool-looking game was broken. *both* whitewater rafting games, the jet-ski game, the drum machine game (which i was so psyched for -- tubthumping!), all busted. but the nachos were tasty. a look:

eileen makes her own fun.

lauren and holly, skeeball champs.

scary puppets.

the lights are on, but nobody's home.

wednesday, march 7
john ritter exposed!

"country-rock nirvana" [update: that's with a lowercase n]: yes, i'd rather agree with that assessment. it's a review of the upcoming old 97s album, satellite rides, from rolling stone, which is going to feature the 8-year-old band in its "new faces" section in its next issue. just a few more years and maybe they can win a "best new artist" grammy, huh?

tuesday, march 6, 2001
the next wilco album comes out in july. not too sure about that title, though.

for those of you who are big sopranos fans and don't read jami, go check out the new supercreative sopranos site she worked on: jeffreywernick.com, written from the perspective of a fictional mafia writer.

test your reaction time. weirdly fun.

i don't have a car, so i don't have to deal with the decision of whether or not to get a pair of balls to hang from my rear bumper. those of you with wheels, i'm sure, are very excited. [thanks christina!]

monday, march 5, 2001
it's almost 4 p.m. and the storm so far is still MIA. in the meantime, can someone explain to me why people feel the need to go out and get milk when a storm is coming? what, exactly, are you getting the milk for? are you going to be eating a lot more cereal during these snowy times? i don't get it.

courtney love is trying to take down the major labels and their "unconscionable and unlawful" business practices. interesting read.

woke up yesterday morning and jumped online in my new red/pink room, which i was informed quite confidently is not shoebox-sized at all (and i guess i *was* exaggerating), and this doomsday report about Blizzard of 96 Redux was the 2nd story on the front page. and today? still waiting....but apparently it's still on.

friday, march 2, 2001

ohmygod he is so hot.

after last night i am ready to officially bestow upon the old 97s the title of My Favorite Band. i don't know if i can describe the shameless joy i felt watching them. betsy and i actually did squirm our way up to front and center, just a couple people deep, leading one girl to declare it a "fallacy," which i still find hilarious. also up front was randi, amy and her espn cohorts dan and jim, and well that was it because everybody else (linnea and her boy, holly, nate, ange) was playing it cool by the bar. we even managed to make it back from periodic trips to the bar, even, AND the bartender was cool enough to not require two wristbands for two beers (the bowery ballroom is once again tops). our group danced like hell -- we had so much room! it was annoying that a lot of the people around us were doing the standing-still, but i didn't waste much time dwelling on it. i was too busy screaming my head off. i mean rhett is *such* a rockstar. my love for him is well-documented; i'll say no more.

after the show, while waiting outside for people still getting their coats, ken the guitarist came out and talked to us for a good while. really cool guy; told a funny jeff tweedy story. then murray came out and i told him how much i love his songs (he only has a couple on each album -- can't wait for that ranchero brothers disc). then the drummer came out, and finally rhett with his very sweet-looking, very-much-the-girlfriend-type girlfriend. they all signed our free posters. i'm going to frame mine and hang it in my red room. oh yes. okay, is that a good enough "review"? (a setlist, if you're interested.) how about some pics? they're blurry, b/c i didn't use a flash, not wanting to get booted again, but i think they still capture...something:

it's not all rhett, see. that's murray.

amy and me.

jim, amy, and dan, with betsy peeking over the top.

granted, i could have used flash after the show, but i liked the effect.

betsy is six feet tall, in case you didn't know.

the move went well. the movers were quick, efficient, and friendly. one of them even knew who at the drive-in are (did you know they have a video?) and ended up asking me out. already the manhattan address is improving my life. i'm definitely not settled yet -- my stuff is all over the apartment, because the cable guy never came on wednesday, forcing me to paint at night and setting me back by a day. and my cat is spending a lot of time under various couches and beds. she's kind of freaked, but i'm confident she'll adapt quickly. anyway, some pics:

it's not that orange, really.

the construction next door rocked the house several times.