Just wanted to let you DC folks know that my friend Kurt will be showing his latest film at the AFI/Discovery Channel Silverdocs film fest next month. I would encourage you to check it out. Though be warned it is a very sad story -- a documentary about the death of his friend Andy, who I had the good fortunate to meet a couple of times many years ago -- but one that is worth telling. It has gotten a good reception most everywhere it's screened so far, including SXSW and Slamdance.

Information about the film, "Dear Zachary," and the showtimes can be found here:

http://silverdocs.com/festival/films/2008/dear-zachary-letter-son-about-his-father/

For the rest of you, keep an eye out for it. I suspect it will screen elsewhere in the near future.

thanks.

Just wanted to give a shout out to the Daily Nexus, the student newspaper at UC Santa Barbara, for taking home a few awards this weekend at the California College Media Association lovefest. Brings back some memories (most drunken. I was a writer/editor at the Nexus in the mid-90s)

Not a bad haul. And hopefully they continued the tradition of schooling the other papers in proper partying.

Just stumbled across this lovely feature from the Onion AV Club. Worst Band Names of 2007.

Among my faves:
Neil Diamond Phillips
Dysphunkshun Junkshun
The Mister Fuckhead Emsemble
Clown Vomit
Steaming Wolf Penis
Ringo Deathstarr

However, I'll will defend the DC scene and say Let's French shouldn't have been on the list. Plus they broke up this year. So that's just sort of piling on, isn't it? And the guitarist is a nice guy. He sold me a pickup for one of my guitars a couple of years ago.

Now, Twin Earth on the other hand. Those guys have a way stupid name.

I really can't say anything that this video doesn't already say:



(stolen from www.iamspencer.com, who I'm sure got it from somewhere else)

I think I'll try to find this for a costume:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/20/world/asia/20japan.html
Fearing Crime, Japanese Wear the Hiding Place

Today, Comedy Central launched an online archive of most every clip from the Jon Stewart era of the Daily Show.
To mark the occassion, I present George Bush debating himself (some might say he's a master debater):

Well, I think this is a clever little experiment Mr. Yorke and co. have come up with -- letting fans decided how much to pay to download their lovely new album "In Rainbows."

Being the hardcore Radiohead fan that I am, I shelled out the $80 for the deluxe CD/vinyl package. But I probably would have been willing to pay around $10 for the download had that been my only option. They're usually worth it.

This is, hopefully, going to shake up the industry quite a bit. Record companies are evil blah blah blah (really, at least a couple of years ago they were still deducting "packaging" costs from artist advances for sales of digital downloads. Packaging? For an mp3?). I think this sentiment is best summed up by the folks over at Best Week Ever:

Radiohead Bends Record Industry Over Conference Table And Goes To Town

Seems like US networks spend too much time ripping off British shows. We need to rip off Japanese TV!!!!

Coldplay karaoke sends woman into rage

SEATTLE - A woman attacked a karaoke singer belting out Coldplay on Thursday night, telling him he "sucked" before she pushed and punched him to get him to stop singing, bar staff said.

The man was singing "Yellow" when it happened.

"It took three or four of us to hold her down," bartender Robert Willmette said.

When she was escorted outside, the 21-year-old woman "went crazy," Willmette said, throwing punches at him and others, including an off-duty police officer.

Patrol officers and detectives then arrived at the neighborhood bar and blocked off the street, which inflamed the woman's rage even more, a police report said. Before police could handcuff the woman, she headbutted the off-duty officer at least twice.

The off-duty officer was treated for cuts, scrapes and bruises.

After treatment for injuries, the woman was booked into the King County jail for investigation of assault. She was also held on a warrant issued for a previous theft charge.

According to bartender notes, she had only a single shot of Jagermeister.

(I guess I'm a bit behind the times, but boy is this hilarious. Oh those crazy Germans)