thursday, november 29, 2001
i missed ben kweller last night, but i am definitely going to order his cutely named EP. only five bucks, how can you go wrong?!

wednesday, november 28, 2001
something i forgot, which i'm sure has been gnawing at a few people i told this story to: the case of the mysterious towel. see, i woke up yesterday morning, a little worse for the wear you might say, and stumbled into the bathroom, where to my wondering eyes should appear, IN THE TOILET, my blue towel. not partially in the toilet. completely in the toilet. stuffed-like, in the toilet. IN THE TOILET! obviously, it was totally soaked. i pondered this. was this a curious attempt to prevent overflowage? an even curiouser attempt to cover up something nasty that happened in the toilet? i shook my head, hurled the towel into the tub, and continued about my business, flushing as usual despite some misgivings. i stepped back out into the living room and waited for my roommate justin to appear. he did. i interrogated him about the towel. he professed ignorance and confusion as well, and inquired with cocked head if i had to "poop." clearly he had avoided use of the toilet. we whispered about the possibility that holly and nate, presumably slumbering in the other room, might be responsible. would somebody vomit and then cover it up with a towel? is that even conceivable? had justin or i somehow done this by accident without being aware of it? had my CAT somehow effected this phenomenon? (she was seen with a mouse dangling from her mouth just days ago, for the first time ever. who knows what else she can do!) the answer, ladies and germs, is that we still don't know how in the fuck that towel got into the toilet, for holly and nate turned out to be not even in the apartment that night. "just one of those things"? "a mystery"? "a freak accident"? this will haunt me for the rest of my days.

can you believe the hot steamy buffy/spike sex scene was actually edited down? it was pretty much x-rated as it was.

feels just like 1883 again: the new york sun, a new nyc daily, is on the horizon (har har).

monday, november 26, 2001

ummmm...

public service announcement: do not go see heist. it sucks. i think my popcorn had more fun than i did.

thursday, november 22
happy thanksgiving, kids. i'm back in the basement, waiting for my laundry to get clean. don't forget there is a huge buffy marathon going on today, replacing the usual x-files 'thon. i'm a little disappointed with the lineup (since i've seen most of them on the nightly reruns the last couple of months), but i'll still be watching.

can you believe a maryland county is going to start regulating in-home smoking?

all right, here is the thanksgiving-related link i was hoping to come up with: digital turkey thermometers. for the truly dorky chef.

wednesday, november 21, 2001
so i am in the basement of my parents' house in jersey, web surfing and watching cnn. steve tells me he sometimes does these two activities while also playing a video game on the neighboring monitor. oh the joys of home. steve is out getting us the bridget jones dvd and krispy kremes. oh the joys of little brothers....i don't know how to feel about this, but did you know that the official 9/11 death toll is way lower than is generally reported?

gbv, nye, nyc: okay, now that my tickets are secure i can tell the general public about my supercool new years eve plans. i and 11 of my closest brethren will be rocking out to guided by voices and the strokes at the historic apollo theater in harlem when 2002 appears on the horizon. it looks like they're only releasing lower mezzanine tickets for this internet presale, but we got eight of our seats together, and we're in row A so i think it's all good. tickets to the great unwashed go on sale friday. bobby p. on new year's eve for the second year in a row! yes! hopefully nobody's house will burn down this time.....

tuesday, november 20, 2001
i am not going to pretend that i clicked on every link that metascene fred posted in his latest update. instead i am going to steal a couple. how do you feel about "the destructors," the graham greene story alluded to in donnie darko (a movie i have seen twice now and if i did not say so, very highly recommend if you get off your stupid harry potter fixation), and pictures of osama bin laden's house? pretty good, eh?

heh: 33 million editorial personnel thrown out of work.

monday, november 19, 2001
i wasn't going to go out tonight, especially after my oh-so-exciting weekend of watching movies and reading my book, but hey, monday is the new thursday. besides, somebody put on a very effective sadface this morning, so i am going to see todd d. in bk. i hear the jukebox at this bar is a thing to behold, but reports are conflicting about the nature of the crowd; somebody used the phrase gay indie beefcake. we shall see.

i did not see the dismemberment plan on saturday. however, the weekend was not a complete bust, as i did catch the new pornographers last night. they were good, but the sound was just not as precise and gigantic as on their most excellent record. but neko case made vicious fun of nelly furtado, which i thoroughly enjoyed.

this is an interesting story from the perspective of a dissenter in an MSNBC focus group.

the fire at ground zero is still burning. which is not that surprising, especially when you consider that there is a fire in pennsylvania that's been going since 1962.

by the way, i am VERY disappointed that only one of you wrote to my mom.

thursday, november 15, 2001
took a photoshop class today. yay for learning! it is quite overwhelming, that program. i just sort of got my feet wet. who knew that colors could be so damn complicated? on a random note, it was quite amusing when the instructor, having complained about a bad salad, was forced to admit that he had gotten it at hooters. and then informed me that he'd "only" been there three times.

don't you just love signing birthday cards for coworkers you hardly know? in this case i thought for a long time and came up with the very pithy, i'm sure you'll agree, "happy b-day." but i used lowercase and orange sharpie so i think i distinguished myself. oh yes.

so i just got back from dismemberment plan (rock! on!), who announced that they are playing in bound brook, new jersey, saturday night. which if you don't know the area is right next to somerset, new jersey, where i grew up, and new brunswick, nj, where there is a handy train from nyc. so i hereby demand that brothers paul and steve hopkinson join me for this show. eight bucks. anyone else (randi/amy/betsy/ness/holly?) is welcome too. i got nothing better to do; do you? "too much work" does not count as a good excuse. you can see my old house, how 'bout that? isn't that fun??

wednesday, november 14, 2001
heee: "bulge" jeans. via madorangefools.

today is my mom's birthday. how about everybody sends her email? come on, do it! (happy birthday, mom!)

so first we found out the government is going to be listening in on lawyer-client communications, now we learn that they're after 5000 middle eastern men between the ages of 18 and 33 who entered the coutry in the last two years, and they're reserving the right to use military tribunals and thus limit the rights of the accused. pretty scary. meanwhile in afghanistan i do cheer the freedom that the capture of kabul has allowed: men are shaving their beards, music is now allowed to be played, they're digging up their buried television sets. and some women are even shedding their burqas and showing their faces in public. but the northern alliance soldiers are also exacting revenge; did you see this story (with pictures) yesterday about a taliban soldier being shot right in front of the reporter? i don't think we should necessarily cheer the righteousness of the northern alliance.

this is so funny. i think it really is the worst record review ever written. stolen from the always entertaining kempa dot com.

flights to texas from nyc are currently $110. that's round trip, people. i'm now thinking dec. 27-30 in texas; dec. 31 in nyc. i've heard there's a good (fantabulous) show happening. but it's secret. i can't tell. i am so in the know.

tuesday, november 13, 2001
some pretty mixed (read: sucky) news over at hit by a train: rhett has fled new york, which i think bodes ill for the monthly fez gigs we've become accustomed to; the old 97s are going to "continue to play scattered shows and the occasional mini-tour"; 2002 will see the release of a rhett solo album but the indefinite delay of the ranchero brothers album; the band will not return to the studio until 2003 (!). oh, and there's a scary picture of rhett and erica dressed as smurfs. despite all this, i am still advocating a trip to texas post-christmas to see my beloved 97s play the day after my birthday and to generally get rowdy and stuff. must leave new york for new year's. i've already mentioned this to certain key people; what about wendy, john, amy? bothums? cormipants?? anyone?

monday, november 12, 2001

so yeah, party in brooklyn saturday at betsy and amy's. fun was had; drinks were drunk. and then in the wee hours, there was much debauchery at the new bar directly across the street from my house. which i really shouldn't talk about. moving on...

last night betsy and rae and i went to the lakeside to see todd deatherage, who was playing with sloan t. on bass and a very smiley drummer with lots of "tats." very fun band. singalongs included! and i think we officially became groupies when betsy delivered three rolling rocks to the stage per the band's request. gotta love the cute texas boys.

i was uncharacteristically kind of bummed out yesterday when i read that ken kesey had died. my roommates were like "who?" merry pranksters! acid tests! cuckoo's nest! unbelievable....

and today i am irritated. i'm pretty sure it's the network news coverage of the crash in queens that's doing it.

finally, you must go see donnie darko. if you have any doubts, just banish them from your head and go. because i said so!

friday, november 9, 2001
what was chelsea clinton doing "expounding on the detriments of Bush's tax cut" on sept. 11, after she heard about the attacks? i guess people react in different ways, but that is still very very weird.

stick figure fighting game, perfect for extremely bored friday afternoons. for about five minutes, that is.

thursday, november 8, 2001
i can't believe jack valenti is still around. now he and other hollywood executives are meeting with karl rove at the white house's request. valenti is really eager to "help" with the war. is it just me or should that really not be happening?

it looks like rhett's hair has taken a turn for the worse (see especially that third shot). who's cutting it? erica? in the meantime, i have all but officially declared travis morrison the new rhett, in terms of worship-worthiness. the new plan album, i've decided, though more subdued than earlier efforts and lacking in the crowd-pleasing singalong pop anthems, is just as good. which is to say, brilliant. you know they rock the bowery next week, right?

perhaps the last daily amador minute you'll see for a while: sadly, the Oh My God You Are So Hot, You Make My Hands Shake Construction Boy did not accept my offer of coffee, offering a detailed explanation as to why. heh. it is possible he is as flustered by me as i am by him. yes, i think he secretly loves me. he even said he would personally go get the lighter shade of paint that i require to recreate the subtly textured look of my red walls. this means it was meant to be. or not.... stay tuned.

this is perfect for a friend of mine who is constantly giving out her number, then reluctantly agreeing to dates, and finally cancelling them in a wave of guilt-soaked fear. the rejection line: "we would like to take this opportunity to officially reject you." ha! [via travelers diagram]

wednesday, november 7, 2001
wow. i knew les savy fav were good, but i didn't know they could incite a roomful of indie-rock boys to make out with each other. rock!

and now for the daily amador minute: some of you took me a tad too literally when i said i had a date this morning. in fact the Oh My God You Are So Hot, You Should Be Illegal Construction Boy did come over to my house, but it was pursuant to the finishing of the goddamn walls. he was nice and remembered little things and wore a cute hat and broke out his little smile a lot. and so tomorrow morning when history repeats itself, once i have gotten over the initial fluster, because boy does he fluster me (and i am not easily flustered), i am going to Offer Him A Cup Of Coffee, which holly thinks will be good (i don't know about the "donuts" suggestion), and maybe i can use the kitchen-table convo that i hope will follow to find an opening to ask him out. do you think?

it still kills me that buffy has never been nominated for an emmy. the musical episode was phenomenal, even with Loud Gay Roommate blabbering from the kitchen. i think i'm going to watch it again. note: Loud Gay Roommate is not holly, she wants you to know. careful readers will in fact recall that one night at pyramid on 80s night she was invited to "go to a straight club." fun fact.

okay, the receptionist is freaking me out. she just told me in her singsong-y, possibly west indian-accented, definitely annoying voice, as i got off the elevator, that she knows i'm avoiding her. um, what?! even if it's true that i hate smiling at her, ever, because of her history of commanding me to smile, and even if i did say to myself this morning, "there, that's your smile. one smile per day, that's all you get," she is still out of line. but she did clean the water fountain, which has never worked properly and which had been filled with bright pee-colored liquid for two days now. so i guess i won't strangle her. but i think my thanking her for this act encouraged her. back to ignoring, pronto.

tuesday, november 6, 2001
nice jab at the editor's letters of fluffy magazines, which have tried to address the attacks while still maintaining their editorial focus, but ultimately been laughably unsuccessful.

even though it took much berating of my lazy self by holly to get me to the polls this morning, i did do my civic duty and vote. the race for mayor is very tight, you know. and a lot of people seem unaware that you can still vote even if you have moved within the city and not changed your registration. just go to your local polling place (call 212-vote-nyc if you don't know it) and ask for an affadavit (paper) ballot. and you don't even need ID. easy as pie!

in other news, i have a date at 9 a.m. tomorrow with the Oh My God You Are So Hot, I Could Eat You Construction Boy. wish me luck.

monday, november 5, 2001
in the race to bring you the most up-to-the-minute ryan adams news, i was beat to the punch not twice on this q&a. but i am here to glory in telling you that now the alt-country wunderkid is on the cover of the newest cmj. maybe they don't suck as much anymore?

once agan the pita's anniversary has passed me completely by. two years and a couple of weeks ago, the pita was born. woo-hoo, etc. please celebrate as you see fit. (send me presents!)

celebrities without makeup. love it! [via fresh hell]

new yorkers: if you're afraid of lines at here is new york, there's a gallery on east 9th street between 1st and A that's showing lots of pictures of sept. 11 and its aftermath, many of them by tabloid photogs. go and get wrecked all over again. i do wonder, though, who is going to buy these prints of people plunging out of the towers...why would you want that on your wall?

friday, november 2, 2001
this is funny: michael kinsley on the lack of proper verbs in tv news. i laughing my nerdy ass off.

so, because you have come to expect it, i must report on my favorite art-punks, les savy fav, who played a benefit show for FDNY last night: tim harrington started it up by staggering zombie-like, in a witch's hat, through the (very young) crowd to the stage, setting the usual tone of crazy showmanship. over the course of the evening, he proceeded to climb the walls, throw the stage curtains around, pose like dracula, and stomp around the floor a lot. he even started a sizable dance circle in the back of the audience toward the end, lending a house-party feel to the bowery ballroom. AND he took his shirt off, revealing a very shall-we-say normal torso, then requested that the audience turn around ("okay, can at least one person turn around?") when he put his FDNY tee back on. as for the music, it seemed slightly less intense than on previous occasions, but it was still damn good. i was very glad to see amy bopping around and liking them, because you just never know. he does shout and stuff. anyway, they're awesome, so go see them. and buy their new album, too. openers !!! (pronounced "chik chik chik" or "pow pow pow" or anything similar; you decide!!!) were okay, kind of like if les savy fav were a funk band. they had a lot of the crowd moving. but they annoyed me with their constant exhortations to dance. if your music were compelling enough, i would. i bobbed my head. that was enough.

thursday, november 1, 2001

deborah harry performed with "the fishsticks" last night at an "exclusive party." it was a bizarre party. i heard people did karaoke after we left. which is sad, because we all know my love for karaoke, but i had to head over to hammerstein ballroom for...

the strokes! they rocked, really and truly. everyone was very into them, and there was a bunny in the mosh pit. it was a good time. ange hit pretty much every relevant nail on the head in her summary. but they only played for 45 minutes cause they only have that one album, so jami and i headed to a nearby dive bar, stopping for a very necessary hot dog on the way, and proceeded to drink until the clock (uh, cell phone) struck midnight and she entered her fourth decade. (that's age 30 for those of you who can't count). happy birthday jami! you rule!

tonight, i rock out with les savy fav, and, perhaps on sunday, ben kweller! everybody say woooooh!