Monday, April 30, 2001

Some Days Are Like Diamonds

I love days like today. Bright sun and dry air ... it's like the Looper song says, "some days are like diamonds, the way they catch the light." It was like that. Went golfing. Played like crap, nothing new or surprising about that, but it hardly mattered. Listened to the Sox game on the radio driving down to the course. Manny hit a 3 run homer early in the game, which made me think fondly of my pal Allie sitting out in the bleachers at Fenway, soaking in the sun, cheering 'em on. The Bosox ended up losing, by the way, because of Jimmy Williams. I'm finally going to go public and join the throngs in this sentiment -- he needs to be shitcanned before he lets Craig ".059" Grebeck or Darren "Late Game Defensive Replacement" Lewis bat in a crucial situation again. Today was also the 15th anniversary of the day Roger Clemens became the first pitcher to strike out 20 batters in a game and it was cool to hear Joe Castiglione recall the game during the broadcast. I just now watched highlights of it ... Rocket was amazing that day ... he was so on that it hitters weren't even getting a chance to foul off pitches, everything was a swing and a miss, incredible.

So today had all that golf and baseball history going for it plus going down to Lupo's to see the Dropkick Murphys, per Mark's suggestion. They put on a great show. Any band that warms up the crowd by playing "Alternative Ulster" and "There Is Power In A Union" over the loudspeaker before they take the stage you just know is going to kick ass. Loved the bagpipes ... and the guitar/accordion player's antics ... didn't love some of the self-aggrandizing, stage-hogging superfans -- Sing Along Fist Pumping Hug the Lead Singer Until Thrown Offstage Boy irked me. Sweaty Lots of Ass Crack Showing Fist Pumping Jerk Boy was a horrible and fascinating spectacle. Cute Rolled Her Shirt Up And Danced Provocatively Girl was the only one I wish got more stage time. I'd never heard the DMs before, so I couldn't tell you most of what they played, but they did some great covers: "Which Side Are You On?" (which Mark has already commented on), CCR's "Fortunate One," AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds," the Clash's "Career Opportunities," and a mind blowing take on "Amazing Grace." Lars Fredericksen and the Bastards also did a nice job covering Billy Bragg's "To Have and Have Not." I only my hope my skull stops ringing so I can get to sleep tonight.

Saturday, April 28, 2001

Radiant

An excerpt from "Radiant Green Star" by Lucius Shepard. Shepard is one of my favorite sci-fi writers; I'm ashamed that I didn't even know about this novella until I saw that it's been nominated for a Hugo. It doesn't appear to have been anthologized yet. I'm hoping this means there'll be a follow up to "Barnacle Bill the Spacer" one of these days.

Friday, April 27, 2001

Booze Tape

See the song listing of the mix tape Mega and I made for m.a.d. and read the story of how it got made.

Thursday, April 26, 2001

Turtle Racing

Stallone writes at ESPN.com - Page2 - What drove me to 'Driven'
I also think people are drawn to racing on a subliminal level. Racing is a microcosm of life. We race to pay taxes, to fall in love, to fall out of love, to get home, to get a job. We race against each other, against ourselves, against time. You name it -- turtles, mice, balloons, planes -- we race it. And I thought, "If I could somehow tap into why we are so attracted to racing, we'd really touch on more than just the obvious in a racing movie."
So, don't be fooled moviegoers .. this one's gonna be deep. Turtles, baby, We race turtles. I want to know where that drive comes from and I believe Sly's movie will tell me. Plus, it's directed by Renny "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane" Harlin.

Wednesday, April 25, 2001

The Cold Six Thousand

By way of a PSA: Chris Barsanti review of the new Ellroy, The Cold Six Thousand, at In These Times. This one picks up where the meaty, beaty, big and bouncy American Tabloid left off; therefore, it's probably not going to make a good introduction to Ellroy, but sounds like a promising re-entry point.
The speed is lightning-quick; there's hardly a paragraph that's more than two sentences long. Every page is packed with information; blink and you've missed about 40 major plot points. There are times when it reads more like a police rap sheet than a novel ... The book quickly becomes almost an alternate history of the Vietnam War era, with the usual run-through of civil rights battles and war protests taking a backseat to explications of the country's criminal underbelly ... When Ellroy lets himself take a breath, he does come out with a nice line or two. Describing a small Southern town: "A main drag. Feed stores. Segregated shade. Whites on the sidewalk/Negroes in the street." The jazzy bop-bop-bop of the writing is infectious and carries the reader fast through the most ludicrous and comic-book-like events ...

Saturday, April 21, 2001

Choose Wisely

Freddy Got Fingered. Whatever. How about this ... how about I only charge you $5, saving you $3-$4, and just tell you that Tom Green is a dipshit? I won't even make you give me the 92 minutes of your life you could otherwise never get back. You keep the 92 minutes. Use them to give your wife/husband or boyfriend/girlfriend a nice massage that s/he will truly appreciate instead, treat him or her to a refreshing Dairy Queen treat -- you still come out ahead $$$-wise, and your significant other will think you are a sweetie-pie. Or, go see the new Tom Green movie. But, I have a feeling that stink won't wash off. If you simply must see a movie, why not go see Crouching Tiger again? Or The Tailor of Panama, that was decent.

Wednesday, April 18, 2001

The Power and the Glory

Bosox and Bucks are among the most powerful teams in sports! It's a little early to think it means much to the Sox. The Bucks on the other hand are about to make some big noise in the NBA playoffs.

Tuesday, April 17, 2001

Pine Valley Cosmonauts Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills

In the CD player now I've got The Pine Valley Cosmonauts Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills (The King of Western Swing), which is available for purchase from the mighty fine Bloodshot Records label. I should disclose prior to giving the hardsell that my granddad used to spin old Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys LPs when I was just a toddler, thereby conditioning my growing neural network to be pre-disposed to love western swing forevermore. Even if you weren't so lucky as to have a granddad that listened to cool music, I can't believe there is a heart so black, a soul so depraved, or an ear so tone deaf that it wouldn't love this music. The arrangements on this disc are tight, the guest vocalists universally fine ... Sally Timms, of course, can do no wrong while Kelly Hogan, Bob Boyd, and Chris Mills turn in spot on performances as well. Ordering through Bloodshot was a smooth and painless process and the folks in shipping were quick as bunnies; I received the CDs I ordered in good condition four days later.

Sunday, April 15, 2001

Made Men

Made: Favreau and the recently bar fight prone Vince Vaughn's upcoming film. Sounds like Swingers meets Snatch?

Thursday, April 12, 2001

First Blogiversary

I just realized Triptych Cryptic turned one year old back on March 28th. Wow. I can't believe we've been at this for (over) a year now. My how we've grown. What started as a playful idea back in a Brooklyn apartment remains a playful idea a year later. Ah, the misty-eyed nostalgia evoked by our first posts before Bone Daddy, Molasses, MD, and Prime Time were even a glimmer in the loins of the Crypter collective. If I can get the archives working properly again, perhaps I'll scour them for a compilation of memorable posts to belatedly mark the occasion.
On a personal note, I want to say thanks to all the Crypters for joining, and sticking around, and an extra big thanks to the folks that have taken the time to read our blathering over the past year, made this heaps more fun by joining us through the (soon to be replaced?) BlogVoices, and even linked us on their own highly enjoyable blogs -- particulary Pete, Eleni, P.J. and John.
I don't know what we have for booze here in the No. Providence office of TC Worldwide ... but I'm going to go help myself to an extra big helping of it in celebration.

Tuesday, April 10, 2001

Taco Anyone?

My brain worm is telling me to go out and get a taco.

Wednesday, April 4, 2001

Nomo

Nomo no-no. What a great way to start his career with the Bosox. I can't wait to hear the "nobody after Pedro" contingent on the sportstalk shows explain this one away.

Monday, April 2, 2001

Booze Bracket

What a great idea. TC should hold an invitational when the gang congregates (as I'm hoping it eventually will) one of these upcoming weekends.

Sunday, April 1, 2001

Memento

New meta-review attempts to convince you to ignore superior critic Charles Taylor and go see Memento.

Took Friday off from work and went up to Beantown to catch Memento in the afternoon followed by the Celtics and Pacers that evening. Boston Friday was hellish. Bitterly cold rain and umbrella inverting wind. My bone marrow still hasn't thawed. Stupid Celtics, by the way, have no guard play to speak of and don't deserve to make the playoffs. Paul Pierce is awesome though.

Stuck in traffic on the way home, I learned of the UConn women's cruel fate at the hands of Notre Dame. I'm glad I didn't witness the debacle. I don't think that kind of second half collapse happens to them if Shea and/or Svet are playing. Credit to McGraw, Riley and the Notre Dame program ... here's hoping they carry the flag for the Big East and take the championship. Now that college basketball is over (don't even talk to me about Duke and Arizona) I can turn my attention to baseball ... which promises to be disappointing as Everett continues to act as a cancer on the Bosox, Nomar finally succumbs to the scalpel for his split tendon, and Manny Ramirez's blasts to center die in the triangle.
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