Please help me and donate a buck

Like many Americans, I was laid off from a job a few years ago and find myself still digging my way out of debt incurred from the many months when I couldn't find any work.

The computer that I've had for five and a half years is on its last legs.

I'm hoping to get similar model Dell PC to replace my dying computer, which is approximately $600.

I'm asking everyone reading this or who reads my site to please help me get a new computer by donating a buck.

Just one buck.

Here are some of the things you can forego to spare a buck:

-half a Red Bull
-a quick feel off an exotic dancer
-two newspapers
-a cup of coffee from the Gas-N-Sip
-a kingsize Kit Kat bar

Please consider donating just a buck.

Sure, I can spare a buck.

Helping others feels good. I can donate more than a buck.

When you donate a buck, not only will you get a personal note of thanks from me, your name will be listed in the exclusive "I donated a buck" directory of people who donate a buck to help me out.

Sincerely, Dave

Finally something good happened

I got some really good news this morning which made me feel better about things in general.

In unrelated personal news, I got a new pair of Chuck Taylor low-top Converse sneaks from chucksconnection.com.

They are the traditional black low top, but they havea white tongue and white stripe on the back heel. I also ordered some x-tra thick black laces (i.e., phat) from another company and they should be here early next week.

These sneaks are way friggin cool (although they don't levitate as shown in the picture.) My feet started to really hurt after wearing them all day. The price of looking hip I guess. It's amazing how a new pair of sneakers can make your day a good one.

Must have music

I'm working on a "must have music" guide for work and I'm currently in the process of writing about 100 different CDs. So far I've knocked out 5 reviews. They are brief (under 100 words), but you still have to be clever and creative when cranking this kind of stuff out.

My computer is dying!

My 5 and 1/2 year old Dell computer seems like its on its last legs.

My system just reboots unexpectedly all the time and now its started freezing up when I'm trying to download a file or just browse through my computer.

Two hours on hold on tech support and a two-minute conversation with a rep didn't solve a friggin thing. I really need to just plunk down the $600 or so and get a new computer.

Am I the only person still using Windows 98?

DVD review: The Human Stain

I watched "The Human Stain" last night. Good flick with Nicole Kidman who plays a messed-up, psychically damaged woman who works in a college as a janitor, and Anthony Hopkins, who plays a college dean who finds himself unexpectedly out of a job and inexplicably in bed with Kidman after his wife dies.

As implausible as the film could be on many levels, it holds itself together well and can pass both as a chick flick and a decent drama with something in it for the men (i.e., Nicole Kidman as well as some other woman both get naked in the film - yay!)

It seems like Hollywood has forgotten the fact that guys really just want to see boobs in film.

Sadly, that is what it comes down to for men. It's shallow and pathetic, but its also part of our animalistic nature.

I guess Henry Rollins knew what he was talking about when he titled the album, "Hot Animal Machine."

Drunk driving tragedy makes no sense

I intially felt sadness last week when I learned that Phil Healy, an acquaintance whom I met through the local music scene, was killed in a car crash in Milford, Delaware (...more)

Read my new column at phillyburbs.com

Things I should already know about

I watched "Hearts and Minds" which is a 1974 documentary about the war in Vietnam.

I have to plead near total ignorance about the whole Vietnam War. I can't even remembering studying it in high school, and even if it was covered (which I'm sure it was), history just wasn't of any interest to me.

If anything, the Academy Award winning documentary puts a human face to the people of Vietnam and reveals many of the USA's ignorant beliefs about the people they slaughtered, often referred to as gooks.

This film will make you embarassed to be an American and ashamed of the mistakes our government made. You'll also see some parallels between Vietnam and Iraq.

I finally bought my very first record by the Fall

"50,000 Fall Fans Can't be Wrong" is a newly released 2 CD set that surveys the band's entire career from early singles all the way through their most recent album. I don't know what has taken me so long to get into this band, but after John Peel praising the band for the 100th time, I finally checked them out.

The CDs are well-anotated and is a good starting place for any would be punker who is just discovering the Fall (25 years after the fact.)

Just now discovering Ali G

I'm finally making use of HBO On Demand and catching up with what the rest of the world already knows ...

Da Ali G Show is wickedly funny.

I think I like Borat the best. It's all good stuff.

Booyakasha! Who is Ali G?
boyakasha.co.uk
Ali G movies

Cool things I heard on NPR yesterday

I got a laugh from Lewis Black's analysis of the Democratic Convention on Talk of the Nation

Sen. Robert Byrd's interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air shed some light on how out of control the current president is

Irrelevant personal commentary

That's about it for today. Kind of feeling blah. It's been rainy and rather dreary outside.

I went to BJ's Wholesale Club to stock up on bottled water and sodas and got caught in a downpour of rain. Only upside was someone left a case of Poland Spring water under their cart because they were in a hurry to get out of the rain. So I did get some free water out of the deal ... but then again it WAS raining.

McG's Sunday site selections




This is one of my favorite new stores
My girlfriend and I have two dogs that love treats from Bodhi's kitchen.

I don't make grocery lists unless I have a lot of stuff to pick up
Here's what other people are buying at the supermarket.

Keaggy is the guy responsible for grocerylists.org
I love the design on his site. So much to look at.

9/11 Commission Report revelations
Many commonly held beliefs about 9/11 attack proven false,
no link between Iraq and Al-Qaeda
(Need a login/password?)

Will an October surprise swing the US election?
Generik and other people think its a possibility.

I watched a bunch of movie trailers today
But I hate trailers that give away the whole movie.

The trailer for 'Napoleon Dynamite' is hilarious
I wish this film would play in a theater that isn't 30 miles from my house.

'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' looks like a piece of crap
I predict this movie will bomb.

A thriller based on cellular phones is a bad idea
One movie about based around phones ('Phonebooth') is enough.

My brother-in-law thought this site was hysterical
Word up!

Gorilla Mask would be perfect if it didn't have stuff about sports
My fave: The link to Ebay Auction: 100 Photos of a Drunken, Armless Midget.

I am bewitched by Kristy and Jen
We used to work together at CDNOW. Those were the days.

My girlfriend's boss is infatuated with Johnny Depp
I wonder if she's seen this site.

Here's another band with a great name
My friend Fred told me about them a while ago.

Silence is a rhythm too
It's like someone going through their own record collection and playing their favorites for you.

New RSS feed for davemcgurgan.com

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Making sense of drunk driving tragedy

I have little, if any, tolerance for the actions of drunk drivers. I personally have been involved in two close calls involving drunk drivers.

In one instance, I was able to react and get out of the way of a drunk driver who weaved uncontrollably in traffic, striking a car, then fleeing the scene.

In another case, I merged onto a four-lane highway from I-95 and encountered a drunk driver directly in my path as they drove down the wrong side of the road.

Once again, I was able to get out of the driver's path and avoid injury.

Then there's my sister, who was sitting at a traffic light during evening rush hour. As she waited to make a turn, she was hit from behind by a drunk driver, who fled the scene. While she wasn't seriously injured, she experienced mild recurring injuries that required therapy.

And then there are the cases where people involved in drunk driving collisions aren't as lucky.

I felt sadness when I learned earlier this week that Phil Healy, an acquaintance who I met through the music scene in Delaware, was killed in a car crash. As a fellow musician for over 15 years in the local music scene, I felt an unspoken kinship with Healy and other musicians in the scene like him. It seemed as if "one of us" had been taken away.

Then I learned more about the accident.

I found out that Healy, who had a previous drunk driving conviction, had been drinking before the accident, that he had a minor accident and fled the scene. I winced as I read news reports of how he drove on the wrong side of the road at a high speed, coming to rest only after colliding head-on with a clearly marked State Trooper's vehicle driven by Officer Christopher Shea. The crash killed both Shea and Healy.

My sadness was still there, but as I try to come to terms with what's happened, I've felt angry, frustrated and irritated over Phil's actions and the impact they have had on so many people's lives.

How could someone do something so stupid?

When someone is seemingly together and bright, like Phil was, it's hard to understand how they could make bad choices and how they weren't able to receive the type of help, counseling and treatment needed to overcome their problems and make wiser choices.

The whole situation is inexplicable.

Phil was an intelligent guy. He was well-spoken, a gifted musician and in my experience, an amicable person. I always liked Phil, but right now I'm totally pissed off over what he did.

Christopher Shea's family and friends are crushed. Shea's wife now has to deal with many different kinds of devastation. There's the obvious emotional impact that will be painfully present for weeks, months and years to come.

But there's also the financial devastation, insurance matters and potential litigation that are bound to drag on for months, and possibly years, as Shea's widow tries putting her life back together. Shea's two children, a three-year-old and eleven-month-old have been robbed of experiencing a life with their father.

Everyone can agree that the whole situation is awful.

But it raises the question, how do we cope with this?

What is the appropriate response when a loved one like Phil Healy, who everyone agrees was a good person, does something really bad?

Phil was a friend to many, a teacher who did his part in educating children and a musician who entertained many people. Now his family and friends are experiencing devastation and feelings of losing a beloved friend and family member. And there is probably guilt, anger and confusion as well.

And those left to deal with the aftermath of Healy's actions? What are they experiencing? Rage. Anger. Mourning. The desire for revenge. These things all come up as they process the loss of their beloved friend, co-worker, public servant, husband, father, etc.

As I sit here and reflect on all of this, I can't figure out an appropriate way to conclude these thoughts.

It reminds me of a time I was at the movies when the film unexpectedly stopped during the plot's climax.

As I sat there in darkness I thought to myself, this can't be.

As I waited, nothing happened. The film never came back on.

Then somone came in telling the audience that the projector light had burned out and no replacement was available.

I sat there in disbelief as the house lights came up.

I waited for sometime, hoping that somehow the film would miraculously come back on, which it didn't.

I never did find out how that film ended.

Delaware musician, State Trooper killed in crash




Here are numerous articles about Phil Healy, singer/songwriter of the Knobs, who died on Sunday July 18, 2004 in a head-on car crash in Milford, Delaware. Also killed in the crash was Delaware State Trooper Christopher M. Shea.

Driver in crash severely intoxicated - The driver who died in a head-on crash that killed a Delaware state trooper Sunday had a blood alcohol level of more than four times the state's legal limit, authorities said. The state's chief medical examiner, Dr. Richard T. Callery, released the results Friday. He said Philip Healy's blood alcohol level was 0.336. A level of 0.08 or greater is considered evidence of intoxication in Delaware.

Head-on collision kills Del. trooper - A Delaware state trooper and a motorist were killed early Sunday in a head-on crash on Del. 1 a mile south of Milford.

Delaware State Trooper killed in traffic crash - On Sunday, July 18, 2004, at approximately 1:58 a.m. a crash occurred at the intersection of State Route 1, northbound and State Route 16, approximately 3 miles east of Milton.

State trooper killed on Route 1 near Milford - Leaves behind wife, two young children.

Driver who killed trooper had record of DUI - A driver killed Sunday in a crash that claimed a state trooper's life previously pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol. Philip Healy, 41, a teacher and musician from Wilmington, was arrested for speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol on March 22, 2001, according to court records.

Repeat DUI offender kills state trooper - A young trooper was tragically killed by a repetitive drunk-driving offender July 18. Philip Healy, 41, of Wilmington was fleeing from a crash he caused at the Route 16 and Route 1 intersection, heading northbound in the southbound lane, when he drove head-on into the path of a patrol car.

Tears and tribute for trooper - Nearly 2,000 police officers and emergency workers formed a sea of uniforms that filled two blocks, joining more than a thousand other mourners Thursday for the funeral of Cpl. Christopher M. Shea.

Dead trooper called epitome of public servant - The Delaware state trooper killed in a head-on collision early Sunday had just been promoted to corporal Friday and was so proud of the force, he'd recently gotten a tattoo of the state police mascot bulldog.

Grieving widow says goodbye - Susan Shea said she didn't get to say goodbye to husband before he died.

Musician killed in crash 'just a genuine person' - The crash early Sunday that killed Wilmington musician Philip Healy also effectively killed the Knobs, the indie-pop band he led for the past decade, bandmates said.

The way is up - Today's edition of Spark was supposed to have Phil Healy and the Knobs on the cover. The photo shoot was set for Monday night. As you probably know, Phil died Sunday when he drove into state trooper Cpl. Christopher Shea, killing Shea as well.

Heart and soul of local band, the Knobs, dies in car accident - On the Knobs' third album, there is a song entitled "If I Died In a Car Crash," written by the Wilmington band's leader Phil Healy. The bouncy tune asks the listener, "If I died in a car crash, would you put a wreath up on the tree, the one that killed me?" The song turned chillingly prophetic Sunday morning when Phil was killed in an accident near Milford.

Philadelphia Weekly's Spin Cycle: Phil Healy, 1963-2004 - Phil Healy hasn't even been gone 24 hours and I'm trying to describe just how special an artist/brother/son/elementary school teacher and friend this Wilmington native was.

Flags Lowered For State Police Cpl. Christopher Shea - "Delaware State Police pledge to protect and serve the public, and they know that means putting their lives on the line for the rest of us. The tragic loss of Cpl. Christopher Shea has illustrated that unselfishness yet again. Delaware and I have been stunned by this loss and can only pray for the family that is left behind, especially Cpl. Shea’s two young children," said Governor Ruth Ann Minner.

McG's MP3 recommendations for July 22, 2004

In my quest for MP3s of songs that are above average and/or really exceptional, here are my latest finds:

MP3: The Starlite Desperation - "The Thing"
(note: you need to click through this link, 'right click & save as' won't work)

I've been hearing a lot about The Starlite Desperation and their upcoming live performance on Mike Lupica's Hip Transistor, on WFMU. Tune in on Saturday, July 24th, 8pm - 11pm to hear the band play live. Anytime Mike has a live band on his show, they are always worth checking out. "The Thing" is a ultra-catchy song from the band's "Violate a Sundae" EP on Cold Sweat Records.

MP3: The Lovekill - "Staccato"
There's a sense of urgency in The Lovekill's music as evidenced by this killer cut. The singer's voice reminds me of Guy Picciotto's vocals in Rites of Spring combined with Mick Collins' (The Dirtbombs) soulful swagger. The music is hard, loud and full of emotion. This track is from the band's self-titled EP and is right on!

Rotten read, PIL MP3s and Sex Pistols on KSAN-FM

I finally finished reading "Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs" by John Lydon. I've always been a huge fan of Lydon so I don't know why it took me over 10 years to finally read this book.

In short, it's a good read with lots of details on growing up in England, his family's Irish ancestry and about all the dirt on the Sex Pistols that one could hope for. I really enjoyed Lydon's message of being true to oneself as well as his detailed account of the eight-year lawsuit he had to wage so that the members of the Pistols could get paid properly.

After reading this book, you couldn't ever diss the Sex Pistols as sellouts who got back together just to get a payday. It seems as if they barely got any paydays back in the day at all! I mean $10 a day as money on their U.S. tour? I think Black Flag got just as much!

The only thing missing from this book is Lydon's career with Public Image Limited.

I miss seeing John Lydon on TV and hearing him on the radio. I thought his show "Rotten TV" was awesome, despite the fact that I only caught one episode. And I wish there were some way to hear all his old shows for the defunct eyada.com, which had a surprising amount of good content.

Listen:

MP3: Public Image Limited - Order of Death (Blair Witch Mix)
Here's a unique mix of Public Image Limited's 'Order of Death' featuring dialogue from the Blair Witch Project film mixed into the track. It was released to promote the album soundtrack, Blair Witch Project: Josh's Blair Witch Mix, (which incidentally features only the normal album version). Like all tracks on the soundtrack the 'Order of Death' does NOT actually feature in the movie! Apparently, the soundtrack is music inspired by the film...

You can grab more PIL and John Lydon MP3s at:
John Lydon's Army of One

Real Audio: Sex Pistols interview on KSAN-FM on the eve of their final show in San Francisco (starts at 8:10).
Here's a great interview with the Pistols live on the air on KSAN-FM. It's hard to figure out which is stupider, the band's insults or the dumbass callers. Too bad it's censored. Bleeps and all, it's priceless, mate!

Read my new column, "Old memories"

For this week's column, I re-worked a piece I wrote about 10 years ago for Caught in Flux zine about how I discovered music.

In it, I discuss how blown away I was the first time I saw a punk rock band, getting turned onto Minor Threat and my 15+ years as a drummer.

I also reviewed new CDs by Jing Chi 3D, the Briefs, the Soviettes, the Helio Sequence and Wantage USA's Hits Omnibus compilation (...more)

Read the column, "Old memories"

Archives of my column, "Music for Pleasure"

McG's Thursday recommended reads

America's sickest videos

When Donald Rumsfeld said the Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal was going to get worse, he wasn't kidding. According to Seymour Hersh, who spoke at an ACLU conference, children were raped at Abu Ghraib and the Pentagon has videos (...more)

If you weren't completely sickened by that article, try mustering the courage to read this:

Seymour Hersh: The Gray Zone: How a secret Pentagon program came to Abu Ghraib

OK, too much heavy stuff. How about something fun?

Misterpants doesn't get updated too frequently, but when it does it always has good stuff like this interesting piece by Kurt Vonnegut

Fugazi has released the first 20 CDs in their official live CD series

Fresh Air host Terry Gross has nice things to say about Howard Stern

I'm surprised I didn't see this on many music blogs ...
Alternative Tentacles drops all legal action against Dead Kennedys

New York Dolls bassist dead at 55

Arthur "Killer" Kane - known for his swaggering style on stage - was one of three surviving members of a band credited with pioneering punk rock.

The Dolls, who made their name in the 1970s, last month played two reunion gigs at London's Royal Festival Hall.

Morrissey, a diehard Dolls fan who organised the shows, said: "He has left us with some great musical memories." (...more)

Related: New York Dolls play sensational comeback show in London
Kingblind: Update: New York Dolls bassist dies

Ultimate punk rock radio fest

Make sure you tune into WFMU on Saturday July 24, when Terre T brings you three preeminent punk rock bands from all over the world performing live on the air.

Scheduled to peform are:
The Kids (from Belgium
Clorox Girls (from San Francisco)
Taxi (from Italy)

This will be the first ever stateside appearance of original '77 punk rockers The Kids, who've been cemented as punk legends thanks to recent re-issues of their first 2 LPs, plus tracks on the Killed By Death and Bloodstains compilations. Songs like "This is Rock n Roll," "Rock Over Belgium," "No Monarchy," and "Fascist Cops" are punk anthems up there with "I'm Stranded," "New Rose," and "Chinese Rocks."

Clorox Girls have caught the attention of notables such as Thurston Moore and Byron Coley, who said "their eponymous Kurt Bloch-produced debut LP is clean and classic, just like an early 80's SoCal punk band doing Ramones-based tunes... has a basic goodness that is harder to ignore than a trouser-full of antlers"

Italy's Taxi play tough, '70s punk rock in the vein of The Dead Boys or The Heartbreakers. Their debut album is out in the U.S. on Dead Beat Records.

Greg Palast to testify at US Civil Rights Commission today

One of my heroes, investigative journalist Greg Palast will be testifying today before the US Civil Rights Commission to discuss his continuing investigative reports for BBC Television on Florida and other states' cleansing of black voters from voter rolls.

If you didn't know, it was Palast's reporting and investigations that brought the Florida voting scandal to the press. The BBC ran with the story while US media paid little attention to Palast's work. Meanwhile Michael Moore regurgitated Palast's work in his book, "Stupid White Men," and Moore again relied heavily on Palast's reporting on the vote fix in Florida in his film, "Fahrenheit 9/11." (...more)

A story that made my day

It's not very often that I read something in the newspaper that actually cheers me up.

This story about a 15-year-old who rescued five abandoned puppies and found homes for all of them reminded me that there are good people out there. (...more)

Remembering Karen Silkwood

I watched the 1983 film "Silkwood" last night.

First thing I noticed about the movie is how much people smoked! Througout the film, Meryl Streep, who portrays Karen Silkwood, chain smokes the entire time. Cher and Kurt Russell aren't far behind her. There's even a scene where Russel is moving out of his house and has two cartons of cigarettes stashed in the cupboards. These were dedicated smokers!

Silkwood was one of those people who stood up for herself and for the rights of others to work in a safe environment. Silkwood was a chemical technician at a plutonium fuel production plant in Oklahoma run by Kerr-McGee. After witnessing several co-workers' exposure to plutonium, then becoming exposed herself, Silkwood quickly became a pro-union activist who blasted the company for what she felt was a lack of plant safety.

She put her job, and ultimately her life, on the line as she gathered evidence of the plant's safety lapses and presented them to her union. She was then to conduct an interview with the New York Times and hand over the evidence of tampered records and other safety violations.

Before she was able to meet with the reporter, Silkwood suffered several unexplained exposures to plutonium and was fatally injured in a car accident, that many believe was no accident.

Standing up for job safety, better pay, equal rights and the security of knowing your interests are being looked after by your employer is essential. This film reminds you not to take these things for granted.

Additional reading:

Green Left Weekly: Karen Silkwood Remembered
Union Director Tony Mazzocchi on Karen Silkwood
Conference commemorates Karen Silkwood
Book: The Killing of Karen Silkwood

Things to look at if you're bored

Jello Biafra's recent Dead Kennedys royalty checks.
Is it just me or does this seem like a lot of money?

Sometimes I look for pictures of ugly people partying in Philly.

www.dogsincars.co.uk is exactly what i was hoping it would be.

Sex-mad: A blow by blow description of bedding Britney Spears.

horkulated.com has a lot of funny stuff like these Bush/Cheney 2004 bumper stickers.

The hardest white kids on the block.

I wrote this story in 1993 about how I discovered music.
(Look for my name on left hand side)

McG's Fahrenheit 9/11 review

I finally got to see Fahrenheit 9/11 last night.

I thought the film was thought-provoking, entertaining and informative. The editing and inclusion of old TV shows interspersed between scenes reminded me a lot of Michael Moore's own TV show, TV Nation.

As for the content, the film shows some 9/11 footage I hadn't previously seen along with some behind-the-scenes action of troops in Iraq that gives you a real bird's eye view of what it's like to be in combat.

I found the movie to be highly funny at times. One of my favorite moments is when Moore shows a duo of Marines trying to recruit an African-American who aspires to be a musician. The Marines tell the kid that joining the service will help advance his musical career and bring his aspirations to life. They even use Shaggy as an example of how a Marine can go on to have a music career.

Another amusing moment is when Moore tries to get Congressmen and Senators to sign their kids up to go to war in Iraq. The bewildered look of one politician in response to Moore's recruiting effort is priceless.

As I was coming home from the movie, I saw my neighbor and we briefly talked about the film and he said, "I heard that's a democratic movie." I think the impression many people have about this film is that it's for democrats, liberals or leftists only. This is a film for humans, regardless of political affiliation.

While the first half of the film outlines many of Bush's responses to the 9/11 attack, its the second half of this movie that drives home the message of how the war in Iraq has destroyed so many lives. Moore interviews many soldiers who have witnessed the daily combat first hand including troops in Iraq as well as veterans who have returned home and are undergoing rehabilitation after losing limbs while serving. Moore also follows a mother who has a soldier serving in Iraq.

If anything, Moore's film allows viewers to see some of the human faces and hear some of the tragic and terrible stories of the many victims of the war.

And when you get down to the nitty-gritty of war (i.e., death and destruction), all politics seem to fall by the wayside, and all that is left is an insane and seemingly inexplicable war on Iraq.

Friday MP3s for your weekend

OK, so here are some of my recent favorite MP3s which should help make your weekend a rockin' one.

MP3: Soundhog - "Work it Out" - One of the best mash ups I've heard in a while. Combine Beyonce with Mogwai doing a classic Sabbath cover and this what you get. Way to go Soundhog.

MP3: Abstrackt Keal Agram Hell Mix - A full-length mix from the Gooom label. Check out the impressive track listing, then grab the cover art.

MP3: Floor - "Scimitar" - Dense heavy rock from Floor's 2002 debut album. I've heard a lot about this band, but am just getting into them. Wow! Was I knocked over by this song. Unfortunately, it's only an 80kbps MP3, but you'll get the idea. Then you may even order the record from No Idea Records, like I did.

MP3: The Spits - "Spit Me Out"
MP3: The Spits - "Don't Shoot" - Two tracks from this awesome band. Borderline retarded Ramones bop with twisted Devo-esque sensibilities. Haven't seen 'em live yet, but my friend Andy swears by 'em. And so should you.

MP3: Royal City - "Is This It" - Interesting rendering using would-be Americana licks and Prince Bonnie Billy-style melancholy. At least you can make out the lyrics a little better than the original. See if you can figure it out.

Hot Snakes new LP and tour forthcoming

Just two days ago I pulled out the two Hot Snakes albums and listened to them both, wondering what the band was up to.

By coincidence, the next day I got an e-mail saying the band is doing a limited tour, hitting the following cities: Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Brooklyn and New York City. Get the full tour date info at Swami Records.

Hot Snakes has a new LP, "Audit in Progress," which comes out October 5. It will be the first recording to feature new drummer, Mario Rubalcaba (Black Heart Procession, Thingy, 411). Former drummer Jason K now plays with Burning Brides, who just released a new album, "Leave No Ashes."

Related downloads:
MP3:Hot Snakes - "Who Died" (from "Suicide Invoice")
MP3:Drive Like Jehu - "Do You Compute (live) " (from 1994, Costa Mesa, Our House)
MP3:Burning Brides - "Arctic Snow" (from "Fall of the Plastic Empire")

A very random collection of things

Instead of watching TV, I like to find unusual things on the Internet.

Here are some of my latest finds.

Did you know there was a topless female streaker at this year's Wimbledon?
See the proof for yourself (NSFW).

Prepare yourself to look at ... The saddest picture in the world. Ever.

"I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 25, 2004.
Bushisms: The president's accidental wit and wisdom

Bad Mags (NSFW) collects magazines from publishing's dark side including some of the sleaziest and strangest mags ever printed.

College Humor has a ton of great videos and pics of drunken students doing pranks, hooking up and whatever else it is that kids do these days.

This is the sad story of the Libertines' guitarist/singer Pete Doherty and his life which could end up becoming another example of rock and roll's oldest and deadly cliches.

I don't usually like music documentaries, but these upcoming films about Metallica and Brian Jonestown Massacre sound like they will be really good.

And finally, what are they thinking? BMG is rolling out a new three-tier pricing for CDs including a version of new release CD without a cover and only the basic information printed on the disc, much like a home-burned disc.

People don't burn CDs because they like barebones CD packaging. They burn CDs because downloading music is fun and fast and making your own CD equals instant gratification. BMG needs to focus on how to sell downloads to its customers. (...more)
(Thanks to largeheartedboy for this link).

Support your freedom to read

As early as tomorrow, the House is likely to vote on an amendment to the annual appropriations bill for the Justice Department that would forbid the government from using any money to use the USA PATRIOT ACT to search your library and book-buying records without probable cause of crime.

Last year, the House stunned the Ashcroft Justice Department by overwhelmingly voting for an amendment that would repeal "sneak and peek" provisions of the Patriot Act. Unfortunately, the congressional leadership killed the amendment before it became law.

Act Now! This week, the House can send another important message to the Bush Administration, which is pushing hard to have the Patriot Act made permanent.

Click here to read more about the freedom to read amendment and to send an email to your Member of Congress.

Happy Fourth of July from Jazz and Augie.

Pretty vacant

On October 31, 1998, the group Shellac performed at the Lounge Ax. Dressed as the Sex Pistols, the band performed an eight-song set of all Pistols covers. On vocals as Johnny Rotten was David Yow, whose impersonation was dead-on according to eyewitness accounts (...more). If you look hard enough, you can hear this show for yourself.

Jim Knipfel is ruining it for everybody

I just finished reading Jim Knipfel's book, "Ruining it for Everybody." I recommend this book for people who hate people. I'm talking about reclusive misanthropes and fanboys who think Bill Hicks is a truth-spewing God. People who embraced punk rock and hardcore, only to find themselves facing a mid-life crisis 20 years later. People who think life is pointless and who get annoyed by little things on a daily basis. Fans of Bukowski, Henry Miller and Celine will like what Knipfel has to say. Misery loves company.

Unhappy people will like this book.

For all of Knipfel's loathing (directed at others as well as inward), there is a fair amount of positive mental attitude as well as a recognition that every day life can have its beautiful moments. Knipfel also makes us realize that there are shitty people out there in the world too, but somehow, we put up with them and their shititudes. The same way people put up with people like me and you, and our shititudes.

I liked "Ruining it for Everybody," and I was glad to find that my local library has a copy of Knipfel's first book, "Slackjaw," waiting on the shelves for me to check out.

Knipfel currently has a weekly column in New York Press and his previous column Slackjaw is still available in all its nihlistic glory.

Middle-aged metalhead

Did anyone catch VH1's "100 Most Metal Moments" a few weeks ago? I sure did and loved every minute of it. That's because I'm a heavy metal fan. (...more)

This is quite the tenses

I am sitting next to someone who is cursing up a storm. It's always weird to be in a public place and someone is all riled up and mouthing off.

I didn't find too many interesting MP3s this morning, but this song by the Rogue Wave, who have an album coming out on Sub Pop, sounds pretty good.

MP3: Rogue Wave - "Endless Shovel" (from their forthcoming LP, "Out of the Shadow")

I read some interesting stories today:

Bush told he is playing into Bin Laden's hands - Interesting overseas analysis of the impact of Bush's war in Iraq.

Vice-President Hillary? - Drudge hasn't had many good scoops lately, although this would be interesting if it turned out to be true.

Drunken driving threshold lowered in Del. - I'm glad about this since I live in Delaware. Sometimes I'm driving to work as early as 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. and see drunk drivers on the road on a regular basis. Sometimes I feel like I'm tempting fate and that one day I'm going to get hit by a drunk driver.

Howard Stern taking 'radio jihad' to nine new markets - Howard is back on five of the six stations he was on before Clear Channel dropped his show. Stern announced at a press conference yesterday that he added four new stations that will air his show.

The best part of Stern's press conference was when he expressed his dissatisfaction with Bush's presidency directly to the press and urged people to vote for Kerry. I think a lot of celebrities share Stern's sentiments, but are too afraid to voice them.