I wonder why the Big Boys never got any respect? In the middle of the whole mid 80s Husker Du/Replacements/Minutemen/Meat Puppets punksplosion that I loved so much, they were as good as any of that crowd. Great hardcore punk, a lot of soul, style mixing, and tremendous heart. I just got both of their comp cds (The Skinny Elvis and The Fat Elvis) which makes me very happy.

I always thought one of the greatest things about punk rock was that “no genre, no style, no boundary” thing where you could smash the barriers down and do what you wanted. They did that really beautifully.

Any other candidates for “how the fuck did we miss that?” artists?

Because looming death is so much fun with you around:

High WIndows
by Philip Larkin

When I see a couple of kids
And guess he’s fucking her and she’s
Taking pills or wearing a diaphragm,
I know this is paradise

Everyone old has dreamed of all their lives–
Bonds and gestures pushed to one side
Like an outdated combine harvester,
And everyone young going down the long slide

To happiness, endlessly. I wonder if
Anyone looked at me, forty years back,
And thought, That’ll be the life;
No God any more, or sweating in the dark

About hell and that, or having to hide
What you think of the priest. He
And his lot will all go down the long slide
Like free bloody birds. And immediately

Rather than words comes the thought of high windows:
The sun-comprehending glass,
And beyond it, the deep blue air, that shows
Nothing, and is nowhere, and is endless.

And unleash the Dogs of War (flash)

http://www.juliandibbell.com/texts/blacksnow.html

OK, that’s it, you can kill the lights; the show’s over.

From p723fiu@online.de Sun Nov 23 16:12:33 2003
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POLES!

I should unsubscribe from this but then you know I get something freakin’ CHOICE and I have to share and it’s all worth it:

http://personals.yahoo.com/personals-1053709912-063492

I shall take her out to the Outback Steakhouse wearing SHOES MADE OF DEAD THINGS

I am going to sit back and watch kennfusion and bruisedhips fight over this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6470&item=2444010394

Yes, it happens! Photos.

This Holiday Season, I am going to try to be more and more like John Tesh every day. It will be my spiritual meditation, and my gift to my friends.

John is a man of God, a genius of the New Age music, and my favorite television host ever.

A friend of mine worked for him once. One day, they were setting up for one of his big shows and everything broke, and all the technical people were very frustrated, and John was very frustrated with them! Although John is a tremendous human, he is a flawed sinner too! And he became very upset and used harsh words and loud voice with them, and was quite rude. Then his Higher Self became aware and he was apologetic and tried to make it up to them. He called them together and said something like:

“Guys, I’m sorry I blew up there. We were all frustrated and I shouldn’t take it out on you. And you know..” [dramatic pause] ..”despite all my rage, I’m still just a rat in a cage.”

Also, he made my friend play air French horn on stage once which was an ennobling gesture.

Couldn’t we all use a little Tesh in us, this Holiday Season?