The Greatest Film Ever Created

OK, maybe not. But still, I reviewed it. Please to enjoy by doing the clicking here.

That is all.

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Now playing: Powerman 5000 - Swim With The Sharks
via FoxyTunes

Why It's Good That I'm Not Single

Sooo... a story or two for y'all. Wednesday night, after a looooong ass day at work, I met a friend at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston to see the phenomenal Southern Culture on the Skids, as well as Los Straightjackets. The show was fantastic - Los Straightjackets were... well... They only speak spanish. And they wear suits. And Lucha Libre masks. And play instrumental surf guitar rock. And they kicked ass.


Yup. Awesome.

SCOTS was similarly excellent. But of course, that's not why I'm here today...

So. I'm standing there with my friend J, drinking a beer, bobbing my head and tapping my feet, when someone bumps into me. I turn to my left, and a girl looks at me and smiles. I promptly drop my beer onto the floor. Then I give one of those not-quite-laughs-more-like-the-cackle-of-a-mental-patient things. I pick up my beer (it was a can, thankfully). Try to drink some. Spill it on my shirt.

Needless to say, she looks mildly terrified and slowly starts to move away from me. And not just because of the puddle of Pabst that is slowly creeping towards her feet.

Sigh.

Eventually, we move to the other side of the club. J is a couple of steps in front of me, getting down and boogying. A different girl is walking past me. I step on her foot by accident. And this was even weirder. She stops, looks at me. I raise my hands and mouth "Sorry 'bout that."

You'd expect that she would either a) nod in acceptance and move on, or b) get pissy. Well, no. She for some reason opted for c) - wrap her arms around me and kiss me on the neck. I backpedaled frantically until I bumped into the bar. She untangles herself, looks at me cockeyed, and walks away. Minutes later, I tell J this story and he says, "You stepped on her foot and she tried to make out with you? Is that all it takes these days?"

Weird. Very, very weird.

Anyway. Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

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Now playing: The Sword - Lament for the Aurochs
via FoxyTunes

Consider me stunned

I'm not even close to a Ben Folds fan... nor an A Cappella fan. Yet I reviewed the album that combines the two. Sometimes, I'm woefully unqualified for my job.



Anyway, click here for the review of Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella.

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Now playing: Ben Folds Presents: The Sacramento State Jazz Singers - Selfless, Cold and Composed (University A Cappella Version) [Explicit]
via FoxyTunes

Help Stop the Bleeding

OK, OK, OK... so I haven't posted in a while. And by "in a while," I mean "since friggin' March." What can I say. I've been busy, between work and not-work and Pajiba and, you know, stuff. I'm trying to spend less time on the internet, now that the weather has changed for the better. We'll see how successful that is. BUT, that does sorta kind serve as a good segue into today's topic which is...

Your money. Specifically, I need you to give it to someone, for something important. My good buddy Virgil, of My Taste in Wine Leans Towards Vodka (a top contender for best blog name ever), is training for a charity bicycle ride to benefit people and kids with hemophilia. It's an important cause, and Virg is putting himself through hell to train for it. Why, you ask? Well, because it's no ordinary bike ride. It's the California Coastal Ride, and it's a week long. And it's almost 700 miles long.

Seven. Hundred. Miles. Long.

Yeah, I know. He's insane, and possibly on crack. Or both, I'm not sure. I mean, I'm a pretty avid cyclist, but I got tired just writing that. I rode 40 miles last weekend, and kind of wanted to die, so 700 miles is flat-out crazy. But, Virg was one of the big motivators who helped me become addicted to get into biking. I went from an out of shape slob to a slightly less out of shape slob, thanks in no small part to his advice, recommendations, and support. So I owe him big time.

That, coupled with the fact that it's an incredibly worthy cause (he was inspired by another rider friend of his, whose son has hemophilia). So, it's a good cause, and it helps kids. Which means you should help out, however you can, otherwise you hate children and the future. And the earth. And you don't want to be that person, do you?

Anyway, read Virg's post about it here, and then click over to here and donate, damnit! Yeah, I know, global economy in the tank, blah blah blah. I don't want to hear it. I said donate!

That's all for now. I hope you all are well.

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Now playing: The Legendary Shack Shakers - Help Me
via FoxyTunes

Farewell

Rest in peace, Amanda (aka Alabama Pink).



I'm not great at eulogizing, so I'll leave it up to those more eloquent than I. Please click here. And here. And here. And here. And here. And most of all here, but... steady yourself before clicking on that one.

Finally, our Pajiba tribute is here.

Amid the chaos of that day, when all I could hear was the thunder of gunshots, and all I could smell was the violence in the air, I look back and am amazed that my thoughts were so clear and true, that three words went through my mind endlessly, repeating themselves like a broken record:

You're so cool.

You're so cool.

You're so cool.

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Now playing: Gaslight Anthem - Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
via FoxyTunes

Back From Tejas

Well, actually, I got back on Tuesday, but the last two days have been recovery days. Sweet mercy, what a trip. Easily one of the top five vacations ever. The Pajibites are the absolute balls, and we had a great time. Sure, I didn't see much music or movies, which, considering that it's a music and movie festival, is a little weird, but whatever.

Things I did do:

Get raving drunk. Repeatedly.

Eat a minimum of 7 burritos in four days.

Eat my weight in barbecue.

Avoid hard liquor, except for a couple of Jameson's with the Boozehound, Ted Boynton.

Get a new tattoo. My first impulse tattoo in a long time, and I love it. I was like the Pied Piper of tattoos - next thing you know, four others in our group had 'em as well. I take no responsibility, and will not accept angry phone calls from wives and/or mothers.

Saw Sam Raimi's upcoming horror flick, Drag Me To Hell. It was fantastic. Phenomenal. Scary and hilarious. I literally yelped at one point, much to the amusement of those around me (shut up, Henry). Anyway, I might review it for the site when it comes out, but either way, I look forward to seeing it again.

Words cannot convey the awesomeness

Anyway, that's the short version. It was exhausting, but great. Oh, and in case anyone's curious -- every news post I wrote for Pajiba this week, I wrote while drunk.

I think I need to dry out for a while.

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Now playing: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Days of Being Wild
via FoxyTunes

Greetings from Texas!

Well, day one of my time at SXSW is now behind me. It's been... hectic. In a good way.

Friday night I went out with Mrs. TK and some friends for a fantastic dinner and drinks evening (to celebrate my birfday on Saturday), part of which included, I kid you not, grasshopper empanadas. With actual grasshoppers. They were goddamn delicious, so "ewww" all you want. Of course, we got home late, which made the fact that I had to be up at 3:30 AM the following morning all the more brutal.

But I soldiered through it, and with a surprisingly debacle-free journey, made it to Austin on time. One thing I did NOT realize until I was in the airport in Boston - it's Spring Break. Holy fuck. What a nightmare. 1000's of college kids swarming the airports, like hormonal locusts with poor diction. It was pretty crazy.



Anyway. Austin. I've yet to see any movies or music acts, but that's because for me yesterday was a mostly getting-to-know-you kind of day. Actually, a better description would be that it was a getting-to-know-you-by-getting-completely-shitbombed-with-you kind of day. But most of the Pajiba writers were there - Prisco, Rowles, Nosek, ShepRitz, Boozehound/Boynton, Freilich and Stephens. It was, in short, a fucking blast. I ate nothing but burritos for three meals (what? I like burritos, OK? DON'T YOU JUDGE ME!), drank... um... a bit, and a grand time was had by all. Got to meet a couple of Pajiba readers, who were awesome. Went to a dirt-hole of a karaoke bar and witnessed the glory of ShepRitz and Prisco singing "Bust a Move" and Dustin belting out a howlingly drunken rendition of "Sweet Caroline," complete with all of us providing backing vocals. It was quite a scene.

Anyway, that was Austin in brief. It's been grand. On today's docket: going to Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon to see Dale Watson, as well as possibly play chickenshit bingo. What's that, you ask?



Yeah. I'm excited about it too. Tonight, I might catch a movie. Or I might just fire down some bbq and some cheap Texas beer and have a goddamned ball. Either way, I'm happy.