Bring Back the Lions!

And feed these freaking morons to them. Sheesh. I mean really. Wow. I am actually jaw droppingly surprised that people are this horrible.

In other news of the insane, I can't believe this but I actually agree with Pat Robertson. Part of my problem with Christianity is the rampant hypocrisy. Halloween is a pagan holiday. Why should Christians get to enjoy the modern day fruits of it if it so goes against their beliefs? I may still be bitter that my mother made me quit trick or treating while I was still in elementary school (even though I did get the Grease soundtrack as a consolation prize), but at least she was keepin' it real. Real crazy, perhaps. But real, nonetheless.

Another Republican politician has been caught doing the gay sex thing. Oy.

And lastly, not even Ugly Teeth are safe from Chinese lead.

Halloween just isn't the same anymore. I spent the evening passing out candy at Tom's sister's house. I think I had about a 20% rate of "thank you's" from the little brats (but I don't blame them, I blame their parents. Humf). I especially love it when they just show up in jeans and a t-shirt. At least make an effort! Also amazing: kids would just grab whatever they wanted from the bowl without even saying "trick or treat". This makes me want to have a baby just so there will be one more person in the world with manners. There were a few cute ninjas out there, though.

Grumble grumble,
Ms. P

The Bridge to Forever

Happy Halloween, boys and girls!

Halloween is T's favorite holiday so I'm sad he's not here to help me pass out candy to the little rugrats of Oldham County.

I've been hemming and hawing over my Bridge School Benefit post, and the sad truth is I don't even know what else to say! So I'll give you a quick recap and then you can scroll down and have a gander at my photos which probably speak way more eloquently about the experience than I am right now. You can see larger versions of these (and more) pics at my Flickr page.

Some highlights:

Regina Spektor's performance both days was phenomenal. I confess I'm not really into that sort of music but damn, she's a talented gal. As mentioned, she was my fave.

It was great to finally see Tegan and Sara live. I've been a fan of theirs for a little while now and I think I was most excited to see them perform. They seem like the nicest people, too.

Neil Young playing with Jerry Lee Lewis. The Killer is the last man standing now that Johnny Cash has passed away. Though he walks slowly and doesn't seem entirely mobile, his voice and piano skills are exactly the same. Bit scary, really. Makes one wonder if he made a pact with the devil or something.

Tom Waits with The Kronos Quartet was an MMJ fave. Closing Time is the only TW I'm really in love with so though it was neat to see him, it wasn't the transcendent experience for me that it seemed to be for them.

Another Neil moment - his solo version of "Sugar Mountain" that kicked off Saturday's show was sublime.

As for My Morning Jacket, what can I say that won't sound totally biased? I've seen them hundreds of times now so it takes something special to catch my attention these days. Luckily, they provide that often. Their performance embodied the spirit of what we were all feeling, I think. It's rare to be a part of something so unique. It was nice to see them interact with the kids and Tom even got to have his picture taken with one of them. Special thanks again to Trevor and Colin K for the most excellent dressing room signs. I'm keeping them safe until the band gets a studio of their own and we can hang them up once more.

Believe it or not, I never met Kirk Hammett!!! However, he did give me a smile when he was walking to the stage Sunday night. I figured that after walking in on him in our dressing room four times and apologizing like a goober, what could I really say? My whole speech about how he was the only person I wanted to meet would have sounded rather weird. Or, I guess that would have sounded strange no matter when I said it... I won't admit that I pulled a total stalker move by stealing his fork, though.

But, Barack Obama and Kirk Hammett... I'm on a roll now. I'll need to get a display case soon and everything. :)

Going to Neil & Pegi Young's house was something else and seeing KH was funny and slightly thrilling (even though I still can't name more than two Metallica songs). However, it was the kids that made it all worthwhile. Their sweet spirits made me forget how jaded I am about the music industry and for three days and nights we all got to experience something pure.

I hope MMJ gets the opportunity to play the Bridge School Benefit Concerts again someday so we can experience that magic again.

Trick or Treat,
Ms. P

The Candidates Said What?!

Kucinich saw UFO's? Barack is going as Mitt Romney for Halloween? Have the wheels come off the cart?!

Joe Biden is so much fun. I wish he was my dad or something. Did Bill Richardson say anything? If so, it must have been when I took the dog out. Oh wait, he defended Hillary. Interesting. All along I've felt like he was going for a VP nom but today I heard he wants a seat in the senate.

Obama in the debates sounds like I do when I have to leave a message on someone's voicemail. That's not a compliment as I usually sound like an idiot who keeps repeating herself and doesn't know what she's saying.

Clinton made a misstep (on the issue of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants) and Edwards, Obama, and Dodd were ready to pounce. I don't really know what to make of this. We knew it was coming yet it still felt wrong. Perhaps I feel this way because Obama stuttered through his own answers but wasn't stuttering when he was on the attack.

However, Ms. C has been really impressive thus far. I wonder if she can keep it up.

Sadly, I'm still not thrilled about any of them, save Kucinich. It must be refreshing to have a hot wife and the ability to say whatever you believe because Hell will have been proven to exist AND frozen over before you'll ever win. I'm all for the DK but I'm not sure how I feel about a first lady who's only six months older than Tom (which is probably unfair because I know she's really intelligent).

In Republican news, Chuck Hearts Huckabee. Chuck Norris, who can kick your ass, has endorsed Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. I'm always interested by the caliber of celebrities who admit to being Republicans. Very snooty, I know, but I... am very... snooty.

Alright, a good night's sleep is in order so I can resume regular posting tomorrow and be fresh for the trick or treaters.

I'll leave you with the best line of tonight's debate: after calling Rudolph Giuliani "the most uninformed person" in the race when it comes to foreign policy, Joe Biden said, "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, and a verb and 9/11."

Tee hee,
Ms. P

ps. Criss Angel is on Larry King. I'm baffled by Criss. I should hate him and his cheesy baseball hat to the side wearing self, but I don't.

Excuses, Excuses

Yes, I am incredibly lame. Perhaps by the time I write my Bridge School bit you will have forgotten it happened. Tom left late today (musicians!) and I'm still recovering from... everything.

The Democratic Debate is about to start on MSNBC hosted by my boyfriend Brian Williams. I'll be back after it's over with some post-debate snarkiness. Will Barack kick Hillary's butt? Will John Edwards ever seem sincere? Can Bill Richardson get through a debate without sweating profusely?! Inquiring minds want to know!

In other news, Louisville Luminaries week is now slated to start on November 12 as a last minute entry's just come in and I'm in Texas next week for work so will have a little LP Questionnaire surprise for my South By Southwest compatriots.

What this all boils down to is thank goodness this isn't print media and I can change my deadlines around all I want. I'm sorry, dear readers, but I'll try and be as fascinating as possible this week to make up for your lack of Tom Nord, Jeffrey Lee Puckett, Brandon Jones, Will Russell, Chris Higdon and Wax Fang. But now the week of the 12th will be full of goodies galore.

In the meantime, please enjoy this surreptitious photo I shot of Flatiron Management's Jamie Sampson and Metallica's Kirk Hammett (aka my BFF) watching My Morning Jacket at Sunday's Bridge School Benefit show.

The cat is driving me crazy,
Ms. P

Red Eyed

Well, they aren't joking when they call those flights red-eyes. T and I flew home overnight (3 hours to Dallas, 2 hours to Louisville) and... unk. We haven't been the same since.

As the Tom leaves tomorrow to do studio things and I would rather write a not completely incoherent post regarding the Bridge School Benefit shows, I'll defer further musings until Tuesday.

Also coming up... the start of Louisville Luminaries week with The LP Questionnaire!

Apologies for the lameness. I didn't just take some bleary flights home, I returned from a portal into another dimension.

Bon nuit,
Ms. P

The Bridge to Nowhere

It's funny, when we were riding to Sunnyvale from the San Francisco airport we were joking about the 90s collection we'd see commercials for in ten years... You know, it would include great hits from 311, Filter, Dishwalla, Everclear, Seven Mary Three, Deep Blue Something, etc etc... Well, ten years is now because it's 1.47 am and Tom and I are watching an infomercial for The Buzz Box hosted by none other than Mark McGrath.

Damn, the 90s were... embarrassing.

After spending nine hours at the venue my brain is mush. I'm not even sure how to translate everything that I saw today so I think I'll wait until I'm home on Monday to put it all together rather than writing a bunch of gibberish now.

Some quick random thoughts: My Morning Jacket was splendid (of course) and it was quite cool to see Bo playing Neil Young's pump organ. That sounds dirty but it wasn't. Metallica covered Garbage's "Only Happy When It Rains". Hearing Kirk sing "pour your misery down on me" isn't something I'll forget any time soon (another thing I won't forget: witnessing Kirk and those other Metallica people rehearse "I Just Want to Celebrate" in MMJ's dressing room). Regina Spektor, whose live show has only improved (and she's as sweet as ever), was the highlight of the day and seeing those kids nearly broke my heart but it was a joy to watch them revel in the music.

At one point Mr. Hammett was standing right next to me but he might as well have been miles away because of course I didn't say a thing. Apparently he's a fan of the hub's band, though, so perhaps someday our paths will collide. Perhaps even tomorrow!

But tomorrow is today,
Ms. P

Building Bridges

Unbelievably, Tom and I did spend our first anniversary (pt 2) at Neil Young's house.

We have two anniversaries because we had one wedding in Shelbyville with friends and family and a separate ceremony on the beach in Chatham, MA where we got the license (celebrating Massachusetts marriage law, Mitt Romney be damned).

Yesterday we traveled the long and winding road to Young's ranch. We were the first (band) to arrive, so nervously we approached the house (which is like something out of a storybook). However, nerves weren't needed as Neil and his wife Pegi greeted us warmly and welcomed us into their home.

If you read my blog at all you know I'm pretty meh about musicians and celebrities (booking the Viper Room cured any fervor that my previous ten years in the music biz hadn't killed) and to be honest, I didn't think I'd be that excited about the lineup for this year's benefit (with the exception of seeing Regina Spektor - who I tour managed when she opened for Keane - again and Tegan and Sara), but now I'm really looking forward to the whole show. I'm even rather excited to hear "Enter Sandman" (the one Metallica song I know) unplugged.

Speaking of Metallica... I saw every member EXCEPT KIRK at the party (seriously, I'm clearly never going to take up stalking because obviously I suck at it). I'm so sad.

Hammett disappointment aside, I must say it was a magical evening and I was awestruck, starstruck, and amazed at the kindness and camaraderie. I feel quite blessed to have been a part of it.

Marriage does have its benefits! ;) Happy Anniversary, pt 2, to the hubs. We are quite the lucky ones.

Show review and pics tonight or tomorrow.

Off to breakfast,
Ms. P

ps. The photo is from the groovy little bonfire at the party. Poor James Hetfield probably thought, "Who is the is weirdo taking pictures of me?" when all I was doing was shooting the flames.

Fall Out Boyardee

Before I get to the Bridge School Pt 1 post...

It has come to my attention that it's not Pete Wentz who will be guest starring on Law and Order. It's someone named Patrick Stump. Now, who is Patrick Stump? My God, I wish I cared. Oh wait, no I don't.

I went to the Fall Out Boy forum this morning (because apparently someone there was sad enough about my tiny mistaken mention to write about it) and it's been hacked to bits. I won't link it because it's extremely not work or child-safe which I would find mildly amusing but for the fact that tweens across America will now be faced with pornographic pictures and profanity when all they want to do is talk about Pete Wentz's eyeliner or the meaning of the lyrics of "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" (and yes, I had to look that song title up).

So, to Fall Out Boy fans across the world, I shall never mistake Patrick for Pete ever again (and that actually makes a slightly funny My Morning Jacket joke). I'm sure they're as different as day, night, moon and sun.

On another note, I'm watching Silence of the Lambs and I just cannot believe that's Captain Stottlemyer. I feel a bit traumatized, actually.

Today's Short Window: SoCal vs New Orleans

This might be an inappropriately titled post but I didn't know what else to call it (and I confess I'm in a bit of a rush). I've been watching the news over the past few days and am sort of amazed/baffled over the contrast between the organization and reactions of the people in Southern California vs those in New Orleans.

Michael Chertoff credits the response to lessons learned from Katrina but is that really it?

I saw a story about a teenager who lost her home who was at Qualcomm volunteering and helping other victims, there was an impromptu band performance by musicians who lost their homes and Boy Scouts are organizing aid.

I'm loathe to conclude this has anything to do with race, money, or location. I know that the nature of the fires has given people a bit more warning than the people of NOLA had but... both sets of images are equally vivid - more for their stark differences than anything else.

What do you think? I don't know what to make of it, really.

Alright, I'm off to the airport. I'll be mildy amusing again once I'm in beautiful Sunnyvale, California.

Whoopi says if a man panics she can't be mad at him,
Ms. P

America's Next Top Fall Out Boy

Without further ado, tonight's America's Next Top Model recap (spoiler city)...

The girls get spokesmodel lessons from Tyson Beckford and are split into teams and told to come up with a commercial for Keep a Child Alive. Heather, Jenah and Ambreal are the winners, which seems a bit baffling as their Bob Dylan "Subterranean Homesick Blues" flash card ad was a little clumsy. Heather also gets to do a Mary J. Blige art directed shoot for a natural products line called Carol's Daughter.

The rest of the models head home and have a pizza slumber party and it was interesting to see them all get along so well which makes me wonder about how much friction there really is between Bianca and the others. I'm a total sucker, aren't I? That I'm even perplexed about this must make me look like such a naive little goob.

These Cover Girl commercials with Jaslene crack me up. I bet they're so bummed they're stuck with her. I can't understand a word that girl (is she a girl?) says. Renee or Natasha should have won last season.

This week's photo shoot centers around the concept of recyclable materials (I love how ANTM tries to teach us social and political lessons). Heather manages to look straight at the camera over aluminum cans (and resembles Morticia Addams in the final photo), Chantal pretends she's paper (and ends up looking like a dude but the panel loves her), Sarah is... trash... I think (and did I actually hear Nigel fuss about her losing weight?), Saleisha looks like an ad for Goodyear tires (but somehow manages to make Tootie look hot), Ebony is, err, bubble wrap (I wouldn't have looked excited, either, but snarling might not have been appropriate), Jenah blends in among the cardboard boxes (but her picture, once again, is stunning. She's really growing on me), Bianca smiles with her eyes at oil (but gets complaints about looking stiff), Lisa uses her limbs well among the plastic bottles (but Tyra says it's too Modeling 101) and Ambreal reads the newspaper (but nobody's interested in what she has to convey).

Also, what's this I hear about Tyra kissing Lance Bass? I guess she had to prove that her hotness transcends sexual orientation. I know I've turned into a Tyra fan (much to my dismay), but I'm just not sure it does.

The judges deliberate (and does Miss Jay's afro keep getting bigger and bigger? I love it!) and, oh my goodness, in a 'is this or isn't it real moment of drama?' they pick Ambreal to go, but Ebony says she doesn't want to be there anymore! Tyra says she hates a quitter and lets her go! Both girls are in tears as Ambreal gets a reprieve and Ebony heads out the door. Cue dramatic music and credits!

Now it's off to Criminal Minds where I don't miss Mandy Patinkin all that much. I'm still watching Gossip Girl but I have no idea why. The whole "life sucks when you're rich and beautiful" routine is a bit a) played out and b) hard to swallow.

In other TV news, I am uber irked that Pete Wentz is starring in an upcoming episode of Law and Order. Can this show go any further downhill? Does anyone care? I'm trying to think of my favorite L&O combo... Michael Moriarty was a great executive A.D.A. but Sam Waterston is my fave. I miss Chris Noth and Jerry Orbach who had great chemistry as Logan and Briscoe. You know about my inexplicable love for Angie Harmon and I don't think they'll find a better District Attorney than Steven Hill. So, it's sad to watch a much beloved drama lumber towards its inevitable demise Fall Out Boy-style.

Tomorrow it's back to California for Tom and me. MMJ are super excited to play Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit (and I'm excited to shoot it and spend anniversary #2 with the hubs). The Bridge School is a non-profit organization, co-founded in 1986 by Young's wife Pegi, whose mission is to ensure that individuals with severe speech and physical impairments achieve full participation in their communities. A very worthy cause, indeed.

All I have to say is Kirk Hammett, here I come!!! I'm going to find out what kind of monster you are! Okay, we all know what I'm really going to do is stand several feet away and possibly giggle (so Metallica attorneys, you need not get a restraining order), but a girl can dream about becoming BFF's with the sensitive Mr. H, right?!

Toodles,
Ms. P

Jack's Walking with a Cane

There's maybe two people who read this blog who will get that reference. If they even get it... Am I the only one who misinterpreted "Jack's Walking with the King" as "Jack's walking with a cane"? Am I the only one who remembers The Wild Seeds? I remember sleeping in Mike Hall's bed when I was 17. Don't worry, he wasn't there.

Anyway, this post is only titled as such because yours truly is a temporary invalid and now I'm curious as to how this California pt 2 trip is going to work as I'm hobbling around on one foot with crutches (boy, are those things uncomfortable). A word of caution to fellow tae kwon do practitioners, be careful during those side-step drills! I screwed my foot up AND hit my head on the floor! Genius. Really. This is what I get for taking pride in the board breaking.

Tonight is the season finale of Damages. However, I think I'm the only person who's watching this show. For such a strong cast and a fairly interesting storyline it's received a surprising lack of buzz.

Stephen Colbert is polling ahead of Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel. I'm not sure how I feel about truthiness trumping the truth.

The conservative blogosphere has jumped on JK Rowling's admission that Hogwarts' Headmaster Albus Dumbledore is gay. I think this falls into the "Life, Get a" category.

James Lipton confesses in his new autobiography that he used to be a... pimp. In Paris. If you've never seen Inside the Actor's Studio, perhaps you've seen Will Ferrell's very funny, slightly creepy imitation on SNL. In any event, what a hilarious thought. This ranks up there with Rober Ebert writing Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

Let's see, what other completely unrelated to the last thing can I mention? Oooh, here's a good one: southern Illinois firefighter Dave Chambers revived a kitten rescued from a fire using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. How sweet!

Okay, apologies for the slightly schizophrenic writing but I spent the afternoon hobbling around and getting my hair dyed magenta so it's entirely possible I'm not 100% here.

Some news for next week: The LP Questionnaire returns with Louisville Luminaries! Come on back for Velocity's own Tom Nord, The Courier-Journal's Jeffrey Lee Puckett, Will Russell of Lebowski Fest and Why Louisville fame and Brandon Jones whose contributions to Holy Muckle and Follow the Train are the stuff of legend.

Gute nacht, kinder!
Ms. P

Counting like Feist

I'm sure you've all heard, Viva Laughlin got canned after two eps. I love ol' Hugh Jackman, but feel relieved that now I'm excused from watching the singing/dancing debacle.

Kristen Bell debuted on Heroes tonight (spoiler alert). Bell stars as Elle, a hero with Palpatine-like powers as her first scene has her walking past a metal container with buzzing electricity coming out of her fingertips. Heroes is picking up but they're definitely having a bit of a sophomore slump. Let's hope Tim Kring can write his way out of this paper bag. At least Nathan and Peter look more attractive this season although Milo Venti-whatever still gets on my last nerve. I like Monica, the new hero with the copycat ability, even if she thinks her powers come from God.

Speaking of Palpatine, did anyone watch the Fletcher/Beshear debate? Fletcher was a lot more polished than I expected, but I'll be voting for Beshear even if Tom thinks he looks like the Emperor. I did love how Governor Ernie was bathed in a pink glow that complemented his wine-colored tie. And Joe Gerth, no offense, but next time there's a televised event that you're part of, perhaps you might consider combing your hair? Anyway, it was an important debate even though it looked like something out of bad cable access, and I had a hard time staying interested in what they had to say.

Here's a random sampling of bits I've starred on my Google Reader in hopes of passing them along to you:

1. Rudolph Giuliani is appealing to values voters by reversing his stance on gay marriage. I loved Bill Maher's new rule about how Christians need to vote for Hillary who clearly wins hands down in a WWJD smackdown between her and Rudy.

2. Christopher Hitchens' God is Not Great is up for a National Book Award. I wonder if he'll be sober for the ceremony. And in other book news, one of my favorite authors, Milan Kundera, won the Czech Republic's State Award for The Unbearable Lightness of Being which was finally published there last year (after coming out in 1984).

3. Clarence Thomas says his Yale law degree is worth just 15 cents. What price, then, should we put on his Supreme Court judgments? Man, he seems like a grump.

4. South Korea apparently has a toilet culture. I just don't know what to make of this, but at least it's not as weird as the guy I posted who had an ear grafted onto his arm.

5. I would consider a move to Solitude.

6. Zac Posen designed a bag for Teachers Count, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and valuing teachers. While I'm not a huge Posen fan and the goals of this org seem a little... odd (I confess I didn't read up on how they "value" teachers), I am a big supporter of fine edumacators so if you're looking to do some good and are really into the mustard/ketchup/envelope look, here you go.

9. Too bad the Stan Lee running for Attorney General isn't the Stan Lee who co-created Spider-Man and my boyfriend The Silver Surfer. The former seems less qualified to dispense justice than the latter.

10. On the tennis front, David Nalbandian won the Madrid Masters last weekend. He beat Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to take the title. Didn't know he had it in him.

And that's all she wrote! For now...

I really wish Alyson Hannigan didn't have bangs,
Ms. P

ps. Okay, "really" is pushing it.

Konichiwa means Infamy in English

Though I may or may not be related to The Rack's (a comic about a comic book store, not a comic about boobs) Lydia Park (even though we are both fond of the square frame - it looks better on our round Asian faces), I am pretty chuffed that she was able to immortalize my Mall St Matthews "Konichiwa" experience in "print".

Thanks, Kevin (and Benjamin).

Sometimes Mondays start off quite nicely!
Ms. P

Poli-sticks and Stones (Anniversary Edition)

First off, I must say "Happy Anniversary" to that Tom guy. One whole year! He's still as cute as ever (and that's not that honeymoon year crap talking since we've been together nearly five).

Now on to the newsies...

I'm watching Stephen Colbert on Meet the Press. Absurdist humor from Tim Russert (or is that Russerr?) feels very out of place. Russert is holding up a Bert from Sesame Street doll and asking Colbert, "Why is he Bert and not Berr?" Interesting.

Mike Huckabee is the overwhelming choice of the so-called values voters. MH is a candidate I thought affable even though he raised his hand on the "Who doesn't believe in evolution?" question. However, comparing abortions to the holocaust? A bit much, methinks. Way to pander to the crazies, dude. Oh wait, you're one of them. Sigh.

His quote:
"Sometimes we talk about why we're importing so many people in our workforce. It might be for the last 35 years, we have aborted more than a million people who would have been in our workforce had we not had the holocaust of liberalized abortion under a flawed Supreme Court ruling in 1973."

Yes, America is so underpopulated.

More from the Value Voters Summit... That genius Rick Santorum had some choice words: "We are Americans who believe that America from its inception was the greatest country in the world - not because of its military or economic power, but because of its ideas and its culture. It is not multicultural." Gee, what a drag that Santorum didn't get re-elected. And why do these people get the Values Voter tag? Since when are racism and homophobia values?

Did anyone see the ruckus on Real Time with Bill Maher? I'm not sure why they were yelling at Chris Matthews but what irritated me about that most was finally he had a panel I wanted to hear more from and it was interrupted by some conspiracy nutjobs. My new older man crush is Garry Kasparov. He was articulate, funny, intelligent and now I want to read his new book. Also, did Joel Stein have some work done or something? He looked... different.

Barack Obama is doing a gospel tour with ex-gay Donnie McClurkin, who thinks homosexuality can and should be cured and has waged a "war on gays". Now I feel really gross that I have a rainbow Obama sticker on my computer that I got at NYC's Gay Pride Parade. I remain bummed that Kucinich doesn't have a chance in hell.

Other bits and pieces: Brownback is out. Thompson is dropping in the polls. And Louisiana elected a 36-year old Indian Republican for Governor. Bobby Jindal is now the nation's youngest governor and the first non-white to hold the state's post since Reconstruction.

In hometown news, props to Chandra Holloway Emerson who teaches at Oldham County Middle School for winning Kentucky Teacher of the Year and Raymond Edward Farrar of South Oldham High for his honor as High School Teacher of the Year. Maybe Tom and I should produce a few puppies so they can take advantage of our fine OC school system.

That's all for now. Off to the yummy Proof in a few hours for a fancy schmancy "looks like we made it" kind of meal.

Ciao bellas,
Ms. P

ps. Merlin posted a new 5ives list just in time for Halloween! I know I'm considering going as a Sexy Prius (which is untrue since what I really plan on doing is hiding in the bedroom and ignoring small children dressed like Transformers and Hermione Granger).

Dumbledore is Gay and Pedophiles are Dumb

I'm watching Steve Buscemi on 30 Rock right now. I wish I could watch him every day. SB is one of the few actors I've met who was as awesome as you'd expect.

But enough about Steve and me... what do you think about JK Rowling outing Albus Dumbledore? Yes, it's true. The Hogwarts Headmaster enjoyed the company of men. I think it's great, especially as she intended to further her message of tolerance, but find some of Rowling's post-book 7 illuminations a bit odd.

In the "I'm embarrassed to be from Kentucky when I read things like this Department": A man in Whitley County was arrested for downloading child porn. At the library. In front of a cop. I don't want to make light of something so awful but seriously... at the library? I wish all pedophiles were so stupid.

Okay, time to go make myself look presentable,
Ms. P

Between the Click of the Light and the Start of the Dream

Moments ago I was flying down the highway with the windows down listening to "Catch" by The Cure, Timbaland's "The Way I Are" (which features the strangest lyric - "you can still touch my nut, it's free" - I mean, I know that's not what she's singing but it sure sounds like it), and "No Cars Go" by Arcade Fire. I had my new Paul Smith sunglasses on (tortoise shell frames with tiny silver stars and pink insides), the temperature readout said 66 degrees (my favorite number), the leaves were looking colorful, the sun was shining and Win was screaming "Let's Go!" in my ear and oh, I wanted to go because I was starring in the best movie ever! The movie that ran on Highway 71 going 80 mph.

Tom and I are having a cookout tonight. We had the same cookout last year, the night before our wedding. Hard to believe it's been 364 days since that fateful evening in Shelbyville with the magical sunset at Gallrein Farms.

I'm watching the trees blow with the breeze, the cat is sitting in kitty loaf position and the dog is searching for treats... it's a winning kind of day.

Yes I know who you remind me of,
Ms. P

Friday Night Blights

Yes, I'm sitting here watching Next Great American Band, the newest reality competition brought to you by the producers of American Idol.

First up for me (I'm 20 minutes late to the game) is a kiddie metal band called Light of Doom with a 12-year old drummer who looks like he already has a beer gut. Way to start 'em early!

As for the judges, there's the requisite snooty English guy (Ian Dickson from Australian Idol) in the Simon role, Sheila E as Paula Abdul and Johnny (oh, excuse me, John) Reznik as Randy Jackson. Reznik has a lot of white teeth. He's come a long way from Buffalo. I remember when I saw the Goo Goo Dolls at The Cannibal Club in Austin in 1988 and they rocked. What the hell happened?

Oh look, it's a Kings of Leon-esque trio of brothers from Nashville. Three of 11 or something. Evangelical preacher's kids. They must breed them out there in Tennessee. The boys are good, though. I've never seen anyone shred on a mandolin.

Big Toe... what do I say about Big Toe? I wish they'd been better even though I don't like looking at feet. The singer (who was born with no arms and plays bass with his feet) was an inspiration.

Zombie Bazooka Patrol - also from Nashville. "Better Off Undead". Catchy. Sort of.

Dot Dot Dot... No No No. Some horrendous Pete Wentz wannabe and, oh dear. Looks like the judges are going to say Yes Yes Yes to this dreadful cover of "Always Something There to Remind Me". Bummer. Poor Burt Bacharach! Poor Naked Eyes!

Next up, some sob story from Dayton, Ohio. Northmont, they're called, and they still think it's the 90s. This is embarrassing. I almost feel sorry for them. Oh no! Ward, the singer, is losing confidence in the bassist. Frankly, I don't understand how he had confidence in him to begin with.

The Mugs - self described as the ugliest band in the world have a bass player who suffered a stroke. But the band stuck together and make it through to the final 12.

Lots of bass player stories going on here. A rarity as usually they're the most anonymous member of any band (Stink and Ashlee Simpson's boyfriend excepted).

Here comes Fifi Larue, the gothic killer clown who lives with his mother in Long Beach. Oy. I want to cry.

I'm watching this because I'm officially giving up on Moonlight this week. Maybe that's a mistake but boy does that show suck! The vampire show sucks! Oh gosh. I kill me with my originality.

They keep previewing this girl crying, "I just got laughed at by Johnny Reznik." That's a badge of honor, sista!

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. Quel fromage. Reznik says, "you know" a lot. Big band boredom.

I bet you're sad you missed/saw Zolar X who are apparently from some other planet. And I'm sure they're around 20 in Plutonia years but on earth it's more like 60. Nice to see that everyone's got a dream in outer space.

I'm starting to have nightmare flashbacks of listening to demos for booking. This is not how I want to spend my Friday nights!

But I am sticking around for Northmont's second chance... and then I'm not sure the Next Great American Band will get the same.

Okay, Northmont take two. The singer looks a bit like one of those Prison Break guys but comes off like Scott Stapp which is... not good. Creed makes me barf. Creed should make everyone barf. The judges look flummoxed. Methinks Northmont will have to go get some day jobs and become the responsible dads they so don't want to be. OMG! Johnny Reznik just killed their dreams! Tear.

Switching over to Women's Murder Club... Last week's episode was so plodding I never even got around to finding out who the killer was. Let's hope the ladies are a little more beguiling this time around. Angie Harmon is pretty smokin' as Homicide Inspector Lindsay Boxer and it's nice to see Rob Estes' return to TV as her ex-husband Lt. Tom Hogan. Hey look - I'm on this show! Apparently I'm playing someone named Denise Kwon. How did I miss me last week? Oh, I wasn't on. Tonight is the other Linda Park's first ep and she plays a snappy Deputy District Attorney who seems a bit bitchy. Just like me! Except for the attorney part! Paula Newsome is strong as Medical Examiner Claire Washburn, and sadly, Laura Harris, who I quite enjoyed on Dead Like Me, is the weak link here. Her two shades of platinum hair and feeble attempts at looking serious just don't cut it. And her sex scene with Kyle Secor?! Aggh! He's mine! He's bisexual and he's Bayliss and he's mine!

The writing on this show is almost laughable. Are James Patterson's books this bad? The strange combo of Law and Order meets Sex and the City is a tough sell. Just when you get used to the women's murder part it turns club and we're treated to lengthy analysis of, usually, Boxer's ex-husband. I think one of my favorite things about L&O is the fact that they rarely give glimpses into the personal lives of the characters. This is especially beneficial if Detective Green or ADA McCoy's off the clock interests are as banal as what I'm seeing on WMC.

I'm not even going to bother telling you who the subway killer is. I get the feeling that's secondary here. I'll keep watching because I'm a sucker for Angie Harmon and I'd like to see the other Linda Park after hearing about her for a few years. But I'm not sure I'm happy about it.

At least it's probably better than Samantha Who?, right?
Ms. P

The Thrill is Gone but Not Forgotten

I told a friend of mine that I would rather meet Ted Koppel and Brian Williams than Neil Young, and he said I'm boring. Perhaps I am jaded about musicians and the music business but I've earned my jaundiced eye! However, I remember the days when I was an avid music collector, when I bought every magazine that had even a mere mention of Duran Duran or Robert Smith. I remember the year I read Jim Morrison's biography No One Here Gets Out Alive at least five times. There are even semi-recent experiences I had booking The Viper Room in West Hollywood that were noteworthy then and sound even more fascinating when sprinkled with nostalgia's fairy dust. The Viper Room, the club formerly owned by actor Johnny Depp, played host to The Pretenders, The Pussycat Dolls, Weezer, Afghan Whigs, Russell Crowe's band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, Hole and The Neurotic Outsiders to name but a few in the three and a half years I worked there. An evening at the office often consisted of hanging out with Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, Steve Jones, Ian Astbury, Benmont Tench, Rick Rubin or Vincent D'Onofrio. Weird, right? I'm sure it sounds more interesting than it actually was, if it even sounds interesting at all.

However, my time at The VR was a good barometer for how things had changed in terms of my musical excitement. I mentioned before how John Taylor from Duran Duran once sent me flowers. This was after I'd booked a solo residency for him at the club. I remember feeling disappointed that my 13-year old self couldn't have received them because she would have been much much more thrilled!

It would be fun to recapture those teenage feelings but I must confess: musicians, I have moved on! Now I'm married to one and I've spent 20 years in the music biz so yes, I might be boring for wanting to meet Ted Koppel but he is the new rock star for my mid-life self.

And I'm just fine with that.

I think.

In other news, my left heel should now be certified as a deadly weapon as it successfully smashed through a board at my TKD testing tonight. The tornado sirens were howling as I launched my axe kick and perhaps I was the only one amazed that the small square of wood splintered down the middle. It was a pretty rad feeling. Even better than, say, meeting Dave Grohl and watching him do beer bongs.

Droppin' names on drums,
Ms. P

ps. This is a picture of Devo being interviewed in Japan. I was excited to see them but possibly only because Danny Cash's enthusiasm was infectious!

Talk To The Arm

I've been sending this to everyone so I might as well post it. Some people are very, err, interesting. I want to say completely freaking bonkers but who am I to judge?! Anyway, thanks to Tom's friend Melissa for sending me this. I think.

Speaking of Tom, we're traveling back to California next week (no rest for the weary!) and spending our first wedding anniversary at... Neil Young's house. Or something like that. I am only excited about this as it might afford me the opportunity to stalk my beloved Kirk Hammett. His fork will be mine!!! I don't even like Metallica. I just love KH.

I would write about all the TV I've been catching up on but none of it's been that interesting, unfortunately. Looking forward to Kristen Bell's arrival on Heroes next week but that's about it.

Time to practice Dan Gun,
Ms. P

ps. The kitty is Custer. I got to hang out with him in Portland. He knows how to strike a pose!

America's Next Top Model... and some other stuff

Goodness, there's so much to discuss... like Stephen Colbert running for President (a novelty President. Hrm. Can't be any worse than what we have now), Ann Coulter's website getting hacked, (we should have known it was a hoax when some reasonable speech appeared), George Bush hanging out with the Dalai Lama (that sounds like a punchline), Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize (old news, I know), Senator Larry Craig's bizarro interview with Matt Lauer (he's straight. Really! He was just trying to get toilet paper off his shoe. Wha??), sex with robots (marriage, too!) and Don Imus returning to the airwaves (zzzz).

However, my time is short because I really need to get back to Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass. The southeastern sea needs exploring!

Anyway, instead of pontificating about news bits I'll dissect America's Next Top Model (spoiler alert!).

Last week they dropped the Yalie which kind of surprised me but since it was her or Tootie (seriously, what was up with that makeover?), I see why she had to go.

This leaves us with:

Sarah, the girl who looks like Eddie Furlong (circa T2) with boobs.

Bianca, who looks way hotter with no hair but is still a whiny bitch.

Chantal, the moron from Texas. I hope I don't see her walking around Austin while I'm there next month for work because I might have to tell her she's a petulant shrew and then she might cry again.

Lisa, the Flashdancer from Jersey who everyone's gone all green-eyed monster over.

Heather, the Indiana gal with Asperger's who will probably make it to the top three.

Ebony, whose weird mouth is growing on me. I think it reminds me of Jaslene the drag queen's.

And Jenah, who looks like a porn star but takes great pics.

Maybe there are some more? Who cares?

This week the girls go to an ice rink and learn how to strike a pose with skating lothario and Kristy Swanson impregnator, Lloyd Eisler. Everyone makes fun of Lisa but she wins the challenge and shoots an ad for some clothing line I've never heard of.

Next up is posing atop a building and the models must act like... gargoyles. Sure. That's what those pictures looked like to me. Anyhoodle, when all is said and done, Janet and Ambreal (whose name, for some reason, reminds me of Cher calling Amber "Ambulator" in Clueless) are in the bottom two, and Mama Janet gets the boot which is fine since I never even noticed her until she got kicked off.

So much to catch up on! And I'm testing for my 7th degree yellow belt tomorrow night so, uh, wish me luck! If I can break a board with my foot I will be high on life.

Nightie night,
Ms. P

ps. I hope you enjoy this photo of America's Next Top Insect Model. I think he got some lessons from Benny Ninja!

pps. I'm watching Jake Gyllenhaal on The Daily Show. He seems like such a jerk, but I did love Donnie Darko.

Los Angeles to Kentucky

It's with many pounds added and dollars removed that we leave my once beloved Los Angeles. I'm ashamed to admit how many cupcakes we've purchased in the last week (14 - from Sprinkles and Crumbs in Beverly Hills and Saint Cupcake in Portland), bags (3 - including a Tumi man bag - and could you pass this up?), pairs of shoes (3 - thanks Nike), pants (4 - AG Jeans had a buy one, get one free sale!) and books (several - I'm finally the proud owner of the Andreas Gursky MOMA hardcover). I'm starting to sound like Kentucky's own Becky Bloomwood (which is embarrassing because I can't stand her).

I was feeling sad that I had no exciting star sightings to share with you but yesterday we were eating at the Mario Batali co-owned Pizzeria Mozza and who was dining just a table away but THE Judd Apatow and famed producer James L. Brooks. I seriously thought about stealing Apatow's fork after he left but a) I would have looked like a psycho and b) they cleared the table too fast. I will confess to some previous celebrity flatware thievery and perhaps someday I will post a photo of Barack Obama's fork (plastic, clear). I even have a pic of him eating with it. I promise I'm not a creepy silverware of the stars stalker. I don't even think I've ever approached anyone famous that I didn't know. What would I say that wouldn't sound dumb? Besides, I totally subscribe to the theory of never meet your heroes (because I have and... generally it's a bummer), and it's been my experience that all other celebrities are more or less just as human as the rest of us. They're just being human in rather more expensive clothes and cars (seriously - we saw ten Bentleys in one day).

Speaking of cars, we had the awesome opportunity to visit Cinema Vehicle Services and see noteworthy automobiles like Eleanor from Gone in 60 Seconds, Ali Larter's Cadillac convertible from Heroes, Ecto 1 and 2 from Ghostbusters, the limousine from Entourage, the never used Green Goblin Lincoln Continentals from Spider-Man 2 and a smashed Cobra from Iron Man. Famous cars are way more interesting than famous people!

Okay, time to attempt the packing portion of the trip. We had to buy an extra bag ($15 in Chinatown! What a deal!) just to get everything home but it was worth it. Or so I'll keep telling myself until my Amex explodes.

Consumption junction, what's your function?
Ms. P

The LP Questionnaire - Ira Elliott of Nada Surf

Ira Elliott, Nada Surf's drummer since 1995, is clearly a sensitive and thoughtful fellow. And, as you'll read, a rather funny one, too.

Elliott played with The Fuzztones in the mid-80s and once starred in an After School Special, Stoned, along with Scott Baio.

Please enjoy his take on The LP Questionnaire:

Name: Ira Elliott
Pro Wrestling Name: Buff Mysterio (yes!)

1. Pretend it's 1991 (or 1985 if that’s more appropriate for your age). Name three songs you'd put on a mix tape for your girlfriend:
I've already got my back up about this "age-appropriate" business, but regardless- let's go back to 1985 when the world was young and my present girlfriend was even younger- any mix tapes I would have made that year would likely have had some Beatles song ("If I Fell", maybe) to show that I had good taste and "roots", XTC's "You're The Wish You Are I Had" to show that I was a hopeless romantic and smarty-pants anglophile, and "Discipline of Love" by Robert Palmer in order to test the sexual... waters, as it were.

2. Which evil villain would make the best president? I was thinking that although he would be ruthless and vicious, Darth Vader would probably have a better foreign policy than that dick we have in office right now. Well, it couldn't be much worse anyway. Sorry, did I say "dick"? I meant "beady-eyed, ignorant, howler monkey".

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? My first crush was on Betty Rubble. Pale, thin, dark hair... meow. I remember trying to figure out how I might somehow end up IN the Flintstones. Maybe get a job at the quarry and then casually drop by the Rubble house after work. I didn't really consider that I was trying to bag Barney's wife, a guy I probably would have really gotten along with really well. It's as confusing now as it was then, but for a host of different reasons. Funny, I went from Betty Rubble to Bettie Page (with a serious Emma Peel period in between).

4. What superpower do you wish you had? Free, five-bar Wifi wherever I stand! And I would sneeze really strong lattes. I'd be f**king Starbucksman.

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? From Betty Rubble to Bettie Page (With A Serious Emma Peel Period In Between)

Nada Surf plays Jim Porter's Emporium Wednesday night, October 17 at 8 pm.

Three Random Things

We had a splendid time in Portland. More on that later... Apologies for the lag in posts but the laptop stayed in Manhattan Beach. This dog greeted us upon our safe return to California.

Here are some thoughts from a little place I like to call delirium:

1. I saw Mitch McConnell on This Week with George S. this morning and does anyone else think he looks like a ventriloquist's dummy? Seriously, that mouth is... weird.

2. Don't hang around really cute hapas if you don't want kids of your own. It bends the will!

3. I'm sort of amazed by the amount of hits my blog gets from people searching for articles about David Krumholtz's weight gain.

Ira Elliott from Nada Surf answers The LP Questionnaire as soon as I'm up.

David Yepson is a little scary,
Ms. P

ps. I quite enjoy writing on the verge of sleep. Being a non-drinker, it's the closest I'll ever get to drunk dialing.

The LP Questionnaire - Mark Scribner of PS Business Management

Mark "Scribbys" Scribner, last but not least (in fact, you could say I saved the best for last!), is the formidable biz manager of the MMJ boys (along with Phil Sarna, the PS of PS Business Management) and possesses an appreciation for heavy metal and tasty vodka.

Pictured here in a post-Gwar moment (far right), you'd never guess that Sir Scribbys refers to his 58-lb. bulldog Gracie as "my little princess".

MS rounds out a fun two weeks (or at least I hope it's been fun) with My Morning Jacket and the fine upstanding gentlemen who work with them. Don't forget there might be a vintage MMJ surprise in store somewhere in the near future.

And without further ado, Mark Scribner answers The LP Questionnaire:

Name: Mark Scribner
Pro Wrestling Name: Cowboy Hercules - Not what I would have come up with.

1. Pretend it's 1991 (or 1985 if that's more age appropriate). Name three songs you'd put on a mix tape for your girlfriend:
'85:
Scorpions - Rock you like a Hurricane
Motley Crue - Looks That Kill
Judas Priest - Eat Me Alive
(There's a subtle trio of tunes huh?)

What can I say, I didn't discover Thrash until 1986, in which case:
Megadeth - Peace Sells But Who's Buying
Metallica - Masters of Puppets
Slayer - Angel of Death. Because nothing says romance like SLAYER!
And this is probably why I didn't have a girlfriend in 86.

But '91, anything by Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers seemed to get the ladies going.

2. Which evil villain would make the best president? Ernst Blofeld. Experience in running large bureaucracy (SPECTRE). Expert is security. Would keep the trains running on time.

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? I always found the Mighty Heroes and Hong Kong Phooey very amusing. But Bugs Bunny is king.

4. What superpower do you wish you had? Invisibility would be cool but perhaps the ability to self-clone would be better, I would actually be able to keep up on all my work.

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? Self-Medication Does Work!

The LP Questionnaire - Brucie Churchill

What to say about young Arthur Churchill... The well tattooed (you should see his handlebars sometime) guitar tech is a fan of the Trailer Park Boys and The Boston Red Sox (though not in that order). He's also mean with the mic when it's time to karaoke.

Mr Churchill is pictured here with the cat Steve Bing in a parking lot somewhere in France (photo courtesy of Two Tone Tommy).

BC and The LP Questionnaire:

Name: Brucie Churchill
Pro Wrestling Name: I am Captain Peacemaker

1. Pretend you're 15. Name three songs you'd put on a mix tape for your girlfriend:
My 3 song mix tape would have on it:
1. South of Heaven by Slayer
2. Breakin' The Law by Judas Priest
3. Hole in The Sky by Black Sabbath

2. Which evil villain would make the best president? George Steinbrenner for Evil Villain President

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? Tom-n-Jerry

4. What superpower do you wish you had? Flight

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? Bands, Buses, Beer, Boobs & Baseball

Eat, Drink, Art, Shopping

In three days Tom and I have trekked up to Camarillo to shop the outlets, down to Torrance to House of Veg for our fave pepper salt "chicken" tenders (but boy were we bummed to discover that the Krispy Kreme down the street had closed down and was being turned into a bank!), over to West Hollywood for mediocre trendy breakfast foods and further consumption at The Beverly Center (Hello Bunny Bags!), into Hollywood proper to shoot atop the Capitol Records tower, further east to Koreatown for some authentic bi bim bap, over to La Cienega and San Vicente for lunch at India's Grill, west to Beverly Hills for fancy cupcakes and good times at Neiman Marcus and further west to Santa Monica for some gallery hopping at Bergamot Station and dinner at my favorite vegan restaurant (Salisbury Seitain, yum!) Real Food Daily.

Crikey, I'm tired just reading that. We're staying in Manhattan Beach and haven't even had time to enjoy the ocean yet. Though we're both slightly cross-eyed from exhaustion, every trip to California brings memorable moments like Tom finding the Luke Chueh bear on the sidewalk outside Gallery 1988, the lovely owner of Beverly Soon Tofu following us out of the restaurant to give me more spoons (honestly, I was a bit nervous about going to K-Town because I don't speak the language and I've had varying experiences because of it), seeing the Isabel Samaras show at Copro Nason (I asked T if I could borrow $4,000 to buy two of the Isabel Samaras paintings, but I don't think he was so interested in that proposition. Drat!) and catching up with old friends.

Today we're off to Highland Park and La Abeja for our favorite Mexican food. They make the best verde sauce in the world. It's family-owned (and I confess I used to have a little crush on the patriarch, Ray) and so completely out of the way that I remember being rather shocked when I saw Bjork there several years ago.

Tomorrow it's north to Portland for the weekend for some QT with the BFF. Hopefully it will be that relaxing time you're supposed to experience on vacation.

I was discussing TV writing with a friend of mine who has written for shows like West Wing, Hidden Palms and Side Order of Life and she was telling me about how the work can suffer from trying to produce while completely exhausted from the grueling hours. So, err, that's my excuse for the lack of posting/possibly repetitive writing this week. I shall endeavor to return to my usual sparkling witty repartee next week!

Paul McCartney's divorce is almost final,
Ms. P

ps. Don't forget, Brucie Churchill and Mark Scribner are up tomorrow in The LP Questionnaire. This marks the close of two weeks with MMJ... or does it??? Heh heh heh.

The LP Questionnaire - Riny van Eijk

Riny van Eijk, webmaster flash, best Dutch person ever, inventor of the word "magilicious", gifted photographer (see his autobio) and movie buff. He is an enigma wrapped in a twinkie with a dash of Suspicious Minds. Riny is the man who provides online goodness for My Morning Jacket.

There are currently no pets in Mr. van Eijk's life but that didn't stop him from answering The LP Questionnaire...

Name: Riny van Eijk
Pro Wrestling Name: Doctor Assassin

1. Pretend it's 1991 (or 1985 if that's more appropriate for your age). Name three songs you'd put on a mix tape for your girlfriend:
Guru Josh - Infinity
Doe Maar - 32 Jaar
Elvis Presley - Kiss Me Quick

2. Which evil villain would make the best president? Maximillian Shreck - because even when he doesn't know what you want, he'll get it for you, with only the minimum of fuss.

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? Inspector Gadget - WOWSERS!

4. What superpower do you wish you had? I wish I had the superpower to magically produce go-go-gadgets.

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? It's All in the Book

Don't miss the "Thank God it's Friday Edition" with MMJ guitar tech Brucie Churchill and business manager Mark Scribner!

The LP Questionnaire - Marc Janowitz

Marc Janowitz, the man who makes MMJ look all shiny and delightful, is a mean chess player, motorcycle enthusiast and fabulous lighting director. He's also worked with Blue Man Group, Matisyahu, and Jewel to name a few.

Janowitz once rode his bike from New York to Alaska and crossed the continental divide seven times in 31 days.

And yet he still found time for The LP Questionnaire:

Name: Marc Janowitz - Lighting Designer
Pro Wrestling Name: Outlaw Venus (although in some leagues they call me "Sparc Jiggawatz")

1. Pretend you're 15. Name three songs you'd put on a mix tape for your girlfriend (and tell us what year it is):
1989.
"Don't Stop Believin" (Journey)
"Shine on you Crazy Diamond" (Pink Floyd)
"Land Down Under" (Men at Work)

2. Which evil villain would make the best president? Lex Luthor

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? Tom and Jerry

4. What superpower do you wish you had? Flight

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? The Critique of Pure Irrationality - The Study of an Existential Philosopher turned Lighting Designer (or vice versa)

The LP Questionnaire - My Morning Jacket

Since the My Morning Jacket responses are off the front page and Recent Posts sidebar, I thought I'd run a quick list of links:

Jim James
Two Tone Tommy
Patrick Hallahan
Carl Broemel
Bo Koster

Enjoy!
Ms. P

ps. Tom and I are off to Beverly Hills to get stared out of some stores. This has definitely been the "Ya can't go back!" trip. Bit bittersweet, really, as I thought I'd always be an Angeleno at heart.

The LP Questionnaire - Ryan Pickett

Ryan Pickett, fabulous fiend of the front of house, knows every person in North Carolina. He possesses a fondness for fine toiletries and a keen sense of fashion (really - he was the first person I ever saw wear True Religion jeans). Ryan owns his own recording studio in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area and enjoys a rich local life when not on the road.

I believe Mr. Pickett has two cats (from a former relationship) and is stepfather to his girlfriend's dog.

RP on The LP Questionnaire:

Name: Ryan Pickett
Pro Wrestling Name: Dash Champ

1. Pretend it's 1985. Name three songs you'd put on a mix tape for your girlfriend:
"Waiting on a Friend" (The Rolling Stones)
"Don't Get Me Wrong" (The Pretenders)
"So Far Away" (Carol King)

2. Which evil villain would make the best president? Skeletor

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids

4. What superpower do you wish you had? I wish I could fly.

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? It's an Outline and Not a Plan "A Superstar in the Business"

Up next for The LP Questionnaire: MMJ's master of the web Riny van Eijk, the man who makes them look all purty, lighting director Marc Janowitz, guitar wizard Brucie Churchill and the greatest business manager who ever lived, Mark "Scribbys" Scribner.

Also, don't miss Monday's edition with Ira Elliott of Nada Surf (who are playing at Jim Porter's on the 17th).

The LP Questionnaire - Dave Kissner

Dave "Goulet" Kissner, master of the monitors and all around nice guy, enjoys life in the form of a good game of giant Jenga and has tattoos of dead people on his arm. He travels with his own towel, gives great book recommendations, has a laptop that takes 30 minutes to start up, and is trying to quit smoking.

Kissner gave me a 4-liter bottle of generic root beer three years ago. I still have it.

Goulet revelations via The LP Questionnaire:

Name: Dave Kissner
Pro Wrestling Name: Red Titan

1. Pretend it's 1991 (or 1985 if that's more appropriate for your age). Name three songs you'd put on a mix tape for your girlfriend:
"Love Song" The Cure
"Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" - The Smiths
"Melt with You" - Modern English

2. Which evil villain would make the best president? Lex Luthor - He's got money and he's smart enough to make him dangerous.

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? Woody Woodpecker or Tom and Jerry

4. What superpower do you wish you had? To be able to control time, like Hiro on the show Heroes.

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? My life as Dave

(photo courtesy of Two Tone Tommy)