when you're bored sitting at your computer, it's always hard to remember the links that people drop in conversation every now and then. today i got lucky and remembered that i was supposed to check out bushwatch.com (redirects to bushnews.com). i'm glad i did. i've been on such an awful anti-bush binge over the past few days that i've actually been overheard contemplating armed revolution (put on the back burner for now while i look into getting the clutch on my car fixed). if you have ever looked for a one-stop, "bush is a fuckin' moron" information depository, this place is the jackpot. give it a few reads. be a liberal. let your heart bleed.

and through that site i found this one. too damn bad that guy beat me to that idea. my personal favorite.

ever wonder why they already had that patriot act written, pre-9/11? hmmm…

so we have a new downstairs neighbor. it's kinda weird not having rob down there. he was always quiet and unassuming, and we never had any problems. sometimes rob and i would sit on the front porch with a few cans of beer and talk about whatever. it was nice. now we have a girl down there. a girl. the boy's club has been invaded.

to be honest, she's really nice and we both work for the same company, but still…a girl. i've already noticed scott going about strange new rituals like listening to his music with headphones on, so as to not disturb the new tenant. she's never even home, anyway. and she's one of those hippie type people. who knows if she'd even be bothered by us, anyway?

went to cahoots last night. hung out with the lady and william. john was there. big buck hunter was played. many digital deer were laid low. many high life's (high lives?) had their life essence drained from them. it was a wretched affair.

and now, after a great breakfast of french toast, i'm gonna sit here and try to work on the new double malt music site.

the operative word is try…

it's taken me nearly 30 years, but i've finally figured out a few of my favorite things. (i have a hard time limiting myself to just one favorite, so the fact that i've finally done this is a big deal for me.)

Movie – Amelie from Montmartre : the first time i saw this movie, i fell immediately in love with the main character. i knew that i liked the movie a lot, but before i rented it and got to watch it again, i had settled on "So I Married an Axe Murderer" as my favorite movie. shortly after i finally decided on "So I…", i rented Amelie, and my recently picked favorite was quickly deposed.

Album – Monkeywrench – Clean as Broke Dick Dog : i've been saying for years that this is the greatest album of all time, largely tongue in cheek, but i finally realized that this album–of everything i own–is my absolute favorite. This first disc by some of the influential players from the Seattle "grunge" explosion, was an exploration of blues music as the roots of modern rock & roll, and particularly of grunge–the "Seattle sound."

Restaurant – Irish Rover, Louisville, KY : I've long held the Irish Rover to be "one of" my favorite restaurants, but i've finally taken the plunge and singled it out as the numero uno of restaurants in my personal pantheon. In fact, as i was thinking this morning, and to pull out an inside joke from the old days… if Jesus were to give me a plate of fish & chips, he would've ordered it from the Irish Rover.

i've been trying to decide for several years on a favorite color, and it's either black or a dark purple… but then, i don't know if you can really *pick* black as a favorite color. it seems like it's one of those staples that you just aren't allowed to pick… i dunno.

those are the only favorites that i've managed to settle on (well, i've got my favorite girl now, but she knows who she is). just don't ask me for top ten lists, 'cause i don't work that way… i like too many things too much to narrow it down that far. that's why these favorites are such a big deal to me–it's a miracle i managed to figure them out at all.

in other non-news, there's a fun little discussion going on over at the new louisvilleshowcase.com where we started out talking about all the crappy emo rip-off bands, and moved on toward rip-off bands in general.

and yeah, still haven't got the last Paris entries up… i know you're just dyin for 'em.

another week, another complete lack of anything to write about. i did go see gangs of new york. i guess that might be something. it was three hours long and daniel day lewis was awesome in it. that's about all i can really say about it.

75 or less has run a couple more reviews of mine over the past week. check out the seluah and the live neurosis write-ups. i also wrote a review for the hot charity reissue, but it looks like someone beat me to the punch. just for the sake of pleasing my own ego, i'm going to print my review here and then post a link to the other review.

rocket from the crypt – hot charity + cut and play (swami records)

i bought this record while i was supposed to be out christmas shopping, but since it was the season of giving, i decided to "give" myself a little holiday treat. it's no surprise that a reissue of older, out of print rocket records blew away their newest record with ease. tracks like "lorna doom" and "if the bird could fly" rock you so hard that you think you might crap your pants. after hearing this, you may change your new year's resolution to "throw this thing on repeat and ride around giving beer to homeless people."

and the pretender…

you decide.

ok. so, i managed to take my laptop to my grandmother's with me over christmas, and, while i was there, managed to get *both* of my final paris posts typed in and ready to go. only problem with that is, i've yet to find an opportune moment to get them from the laptop to the desktop at home, and to work on the remaining images i need to link within the post. so, this is another stop-gap post, to hold us over until i can get off my tookis and get the final Paris entries online so we can get back to a regular schedule (or something).

AllSnap – this is a kick ass little utility for windows that gives "all" your windows the ability to "snap-to" one another (and the desktop edges) like PhotoShop's palettes, or WinAmp's various component windows. i've been looking for something like this for years.

LLuna 2 – and this one is probably the most interesting application of Instant Messaging (even of Jabber technology in general) that i've ever seen. it allows you to browse web pages and chat with people who are currently browsing the same site you are. craziness.

geoURL – this is one of those fun, utilitarian sites we all like to geek out over, at least momentarily. i went ahead and registered bipolar with it, so now you can (if you can interpret the satellite images) get within 40 – 50 feet from my house. also, there's this neat little feature that will show other registered sites and their physical distance from casa de coffeemonk. the closest currently is ben's site. (of course, since he's the one that pointed this site out to me.)

old-man.net – yes, in case you hadn't noticed, old-man.net did finally launch on monday. and not a moment too soon, as the puffin has decided that it's time for the a-go-go to be a-gone-gone. so, take your last longing looks folks, as the a-go-go will be no more in short order.

that's it for now.

well, i've gotta say, the first few weeks of this year have been just as good as the last few months of last year. so far, so good. i generally don't like to make resolutions, so i've avoided it this year as usual. of course, there are things that i'm trying to do in my life to improve it, but that process started many years ago.

for the past several days, i've been working like crazy on getting the Old Man site whipped into shape and ready for public consumption (that link isn't live *yet*, but will be soon). The really sad thing is, i think i've ended up putting together a better site for them than i made for my own band… ah well, guess that just means i'll have to overhaul the prick site soon.

and speaking of getting things whipped into shape… i just went out on monday and played racquetball with friend & co-worker ben while our respective significant others did their own workout routine. now, he beat me solidly at 3 games to 1, but i figure i did pretty well considering i've only just stopped smoking recently (well, in the past couple months), and i haven't had a lick of exercise since the last time i played baseball with him & his crew. and before baseball… the last exercise i had was probably the last time i went running… nearly a year ago. needless to say, this body is pushing 30 (well, ok, pulling 29) and severely out of shape. but, i did actually manage to make it through four entire games (and could have done more if the gym hadn't been closing), and i managed to hold my own throughout. ben pretty much took me to school for the first couple games, but once i remembered what the hell i was doing and got warmed up, it was pretty much a dead heat, even battle. i think i can take him, next time.

damnit. i had something else to say, but by the time i got a browser window open to load… whatever it was… up, i forgot what the hell it was i was going to look up. sometimes i really hate being so easily distractable.

anyway, i fully expect you all to hold your breath in anticipation of the new old-man.net. oh, and have a happy geeky wednesday!

just a quick check-in on my way to work…

one of my new reviews is up over on 75 or less. the lucky record getting reviewed: twenty years of dischord. i should have a bunch more reviews popping their heads up soon enough. i kinda went on a review writing binge the other night. keep your eyes peeled for 'em.

now i have to dash to work…

okay…new year. still haven't gotten around to some of the posts i planned on making last year. oh well…that's the way the cookie crumbles, i guess. maybe i'll make a new year's resolution to be more timely with these posts. or then again…maybe i won't…

so…let's kick the new year off by doing that thing everyone does: listing my top ten records of last year. here goes (in no particular order except the first one)…

hot snakes – suicide invoice
hands down the best rock record to come out last year. hell…for a couple of years, really. this thing will kick your ass up and down the street and still leave you begging for more.

rocket from the crypt – hot charity + cut and play
it's weird that a reissue of a couple of way out of print rocket records would be on this list while the proper album that they released around the same time is conspicuously missing. did i say weird? maybe i meant…fitting.

the flaming lips – yoshimi battles the pink robots
tripped out space rock/pop about giant pink robots and a little japanese girl that fights them. this record made me smack my head and say "oh yeah…i really like the flaming lips."

wilco – yankee hotel foxtrot
i almost shouldn't count this record since i've had it since 2001, but since it was actually released this past year, i'll allow it. wilco steps up to the plate and refuses to be pigeonholed as "alt-country." an awesome record with enough depth and a wide enough range of sounds to keep even me entertained.

queens of the stone age – songs for the deaf
skullcrushing stoner metal with grohl back behind a drum kit. throw in mark lanegan (ex-screaming trees, an old guilty pleasure) and you have a bona-fide rock masterpiece. now where'd i put that bong?

neurosis – live in lyon, france 11.02.99
the first in (hopefully) a long series of "official" bootlegs from the best live band to ever roam the earth. the sound comes across just as huge on the cd as it does in person.

nirvana – nirvana
who'd think that i'd put a whole record on this list just for one song? well…that song is just that damn good. the other 13 tracks are no slouches, either. damn any of us that forgot that nirvana rocks harder than six hookers on pcp.

shipping news – variegated
the last in the limited run of eps with handmade packaging, this one clocks in as the best of the bunch. throw kyle crabtree's track "haymaker" on repeat and feel the rock.

the roots – phrenology
the roots do rock the old school way. ?uestlove and black thought deliver the album that i've been waiting a few years for, and boy do they do it with style. this should be on everyone's "must-have" list.

the dillinger escape plan – irony is a dead scene
four insanely crushing and elaborate songs from the kings of schizo-core. throw in mike patton on lead vocals and a aphex twin cover and you've got a smokin' little ep that hits you straight out of left field.

there you have it…my top ten. take it or leave it.