August 2003

“Lee Abrams, chief programming officer at XM Satellite Radio and founder of the “Album-Oriented Rock” (AOR) format that helped legitimize FM radio in the early 1970s, says there are points in time when ‘there are periods of musical intensity, where there’s great invention, fabulous music, and the emergence of a whole new generation of artists.’ This, says Abrams, is not one of those eras.” GREAT! Read it here.

“Greg Dyke, director general of the BBC, has announced plans to give the public full access to all the corporation’s programme archives.” Cool. Read it here.

“Grows to 3-4 times it’s original size!” “Bad to the Bone!” Found at Stein Mart in Pompano Beach Florida. This was obviously a defect that was left on, or missed, by quality control during the manufacture of this very scary Halloween decoration. You could say it was a real boner.

It’s no wonder that Woody Guthrie wrote so many songs. He did a hell of a lot of walkin. I always seem to think better, have a clearer head, when I’m out for a good walk. I’m not so sure it’s the walking in itself that is behind the thinkin, it might be a combination of a lot of things. The fresh air, the walking, lack of other input. Who the hell knows… but it sure does seem to have an effect on my thinkin. I’m much better off at being creative, problem solving and just plain ol’ thinking when I’m out for a walk.

But part of the problem of all this walking and thinking is how the hell do you remember it. This is why it’s so important to cary a notebook with you wherever you go. I’ve found if you don’t write it down you’re gonna forget about it pretty quick. It’s part of the dilema of all of that walking and thinking. I get to thinking so much that I think myself right out of all those great (and sometimes stupid) ideas. I’ve found that the perfect notebook for me is one of these moleskin beauties. They fit in the pocket perfectly, are made well and are perfect for jotting down those random thoughts. Part of the reason I like em is because they are not to cheap, as in inexpensive. They set you back about ten bucks, so you feel that they have intrinsic value. You’re not going to just forget about them. With a cheap notebook, you figure, “What the hell it only cost me a buck.” That doesn’t happen with one of these moleskin things. Besides I like saying “Moleskin.”

Here’s a couple of shots from the Parrot on Fort Lauderdale Beach last night. Friday night happy hour. I ended up shooting the shit with New Times writer Wyatt Olson. Although I spared him the intrusion of taking his picture.

“Hits magazine, the best-read trade tipsheet in the music business, fired its managing editor this week, the latest sign of how the industry’s woes have stung the publication.” Read it here.

My lovely daughter returns to school on Tuesday. Whee! Not that I don’t love her being at home, because I do. She is such a joy, nary a problem. But it will be nice to have the mornings to myself again. I certainly find that I do get more work done when she is in school. Besides she is like I was at her age: A total night owl. Now that I’m old as the hills, I can’t stay up much beyond midnight. But she’s up till all hours working on her web site, painting or writing. Ah to be young again.

“A group of East Villagers is hoping to rekindle the neighborhood’s beatnik spirit with a weeklong festival of poetry, theater, performance art, parades, film screenings and exhibitions. Opening today, the HOWL! festival will feature 260 eclectic events at spots throughout the East Village.” That bastion of beat journalism, The Post, has all the details.