boop!

Judd Apatow, who it would appear is known simply as "The Guy Who Brought You The 40 Year Old Virgin" now, will always have a place in my heart as "The Guy Who Brought Me Freaks And Geeks." He just gave me a reason to look forward to August, a month I usually devote to prematurely mourning the death of summer.

(718)

It was just time. Too long had I avoided the issue, living in the past, refusing to admit that a formerly beautiful arrangement had run its course. I had to rip the band-aid off, hair or no hair. I had to make a move. I needed to spread my wings. I needed something new.

And so, Rhode Island area code (401), it's over. I'll always remember you fondly. I'll even still call once in a while. But it just hasn't worked between us in a long time. Things have been strained for almost three years now, since I moved to New York. And we tried to make it work. I know we did. But it just didn't and I think when the hurt fades, you'll realize this is for the best.

And the same goes for you, Verizon Wireless. We had a good thing going, for a long, long time. God, remember when I worked for you? AWKWARD! I'll admit that right up until I pulled the trigger I didn't believe that I could. And even still the talking points we used to share with customers ring in my ears, spectral transmissions from a different time and place. A piece of me will be with you always.

So Brooklyn, I'm yours, finally, officially. For as long as you'll have me. Sure took me long enough.

mog.com

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Responsibility, free speech, and Bill & Ted

I'm tired of hearing Imus sympathizers invoke the First Ammendment in his defense. It's not an issue of whether or not Mr. Imus had the right to say what he did. Nobody hauled him off to jail. He's been pilloried metaphorically, but physically nobody's laid a hand on him and he'll be licking his wounds (back to metaphors again) very comfortably in the privacy of one of his own lavishly furnished dwellings until such time as he sees fit to announce his triumphant comeback. He had and he has and he will have the right to say what he did.

I think the debate should be about whether he should have said it and I think the reason that's not what most people are talking about is that for the most part, reasonable human beings can agree that he shouldn't have.

I think what we should be focusing on is RESPONSIBILITY. As this media storm continues to gain strength and the frying pans cast eyes on larger and larger fish, I sincerely hope the organizations that truly profit from those who would do hurtful things in the name of ratings continue to feel the heat. And I hope Imus isn't the only casualty.

Imus, Limbaugh, Coulter, the KKK, etc. all have the right to say what they want to say. But none of them have the right to a nationally syndicated radio program. None of them have the right to step on whomever else they please (verbally) as they claw their way ever upwards to the top of the dung pile. They have every right to stand on the street corner and rant and rave. They are not entitled to a paycheck in return, and they are not entitled to a nation-wide public address system. Always remember that the airwaves are licensed to the employers of these blustery windbags by the federal government and by extension, the American people.

"But that's censorship!" you cry. Well, no. But even if it were the FCC already applies archaic censorship rules to the public airwaves. Hefty fines await those who would dare utter a fuckword or two during afternoon drive (children might be listening!) but Jerry Del Colliano compiled today a pretty stomach-turning sampler of what passes for decent broadcasting these days.

No, I advocate not censorship but responsibility. I ask why advertisers have to pull spots before companies hurry out press releases about doing the right thing and excising a tumor. I wonder when decency will be more than a euphemism for PR expediency. I wonder when the major purveyors of this bile will heed the advice of Bill & Ted, who told us to "Be excellent to each other." And really, I don't think it's ever going to happen on the airwaves at all.

Which is why, as I commented on Mr. Del Colliano's blog and as you might have already guessed if you read this blog often, I've turned my back on broadcast radio almost entirely. With a few notable exceptions, radio has become a vile, wretched tar pit, and I could care less that these dinosaurs are sinking into it. Let them shriek and howl all they want on their way down.

I'll be on the Web, where the voices that resonate with me can be heard (and read) loud and clear.

php stands for "popular hunks partake (in web programming)"

...so it should come to you as no surprise that i spent last night dropping some major skillz on this here website. specifically the music page. it's in php now instead of straight html, which means a few things:

1. no more frames. frames are potty.
2. i can link you to whatever song i want, using variables in the url. check it out: http://watchedpots.com/music.php?song=walls. i couldn't do this before.
3. making changes to the site (which i guess i might eventually want to do) will be much simpler.

sorry ladies, i'm taken (amazingly enough).

of balls and weiners

made it up to providence this weekend for just under 24 hours to attend the wbru rock hunt. and to play golf at my old favorite rhode island course. and, most importantly, to eat my weight in new york system wieners. the golf was fun and even though i was terrible, i didn't lose a single ball. the wieners were heavenly, of course. as is always the case, i didn't have nearly enough time to see everyone i wanted to and it was all over too fast. and as for the rock hunt...

all 4 bands were good. the blizzard of 78 (formerly delta clutch), arcadia landing (formerly slik willy), triangle forest, and hello mahalo. but it was triangle forest that ran away with the show. i wrote more about them on mog. they're good. check them out.

same as it ever was

got back late last night from the hinterlands in which i spent my formative years. every time i go back there's a new strip mall and there's an infant-wielding face that i recognize from high school but can't put a name to. time marches on and on i suppose and maybe someday i'll get used to it.
another podcast originating in the uk called the weekly showcase played "if these walls could talk" last week. i emailed the proprietor (a personable guy, from the sound of it) to thank him for playing the song and he hinted that there may be more to come this week, so do keep your eye on his myspace for the newest episode sometime wednesday or thursday.

of course, if there are any podcasts that you listen to regularly, i wouldn't mind if you sent them an email letting them know that all this stuff is podsafe.

i got into a little flame war today in the comment section over at stereogum (of all places) about global warming. it's not usually my style to get into it with morons because really, there's no winning and they always have more energy than i do to fight for the last word, regardless of the merit of their argument. some days though, you just wake up with less of a tolerance for ignorance than usual. i guess today was one of those days.

if you still haven't seen an inconvenient truth (while we're on the subject) please do. i'll even give you my copy. get in touch with me if you want it.