From the In Box: Workaday World XXV
Here's what Matt had to say:

I'm honestly not sure about the enforceability of these sorts of disclaimers, and searches of Lexis and Westlaw didn't turn up anything useful. I expect that they're generally seen as enforceable to a certain extent, however from my first-year law student point of view I'd say that they're probably not the cure-all companies think they are. After all, by the time you get to the disclaimer, you've already read (and possibly copied/forwarded/etc) the email.

He's going to poke around a little to see what he can learn, but he's got a good point. Sheesh. Fingers crossed that they don't move disclaimers like this to the top of our emails. Ha!

Heavy Petting II
I met Jerry Kaiser in 2001 in Boulder Creek, California, during the third CoF Roadshow. I also met his cat Mack. Mack died recently, and Jerry emailed me to see if I still had the pictures I'd taken of him with Mack.

I do.



Here's looking at you, Mack. Rest in peace.

Blogging About Blogging LIV
I wonder if Clickz will give me a media pass to blog their Weblog Business Strategies conference in June. I'd love to take another stab at immediate journalism and confblogging. My SXSW Interactive transcripts got great response.

Thanks to Marm0t.

Weather Report X
The clouds and cool of this morning turned to sun -- and now again to blustery snow. The world outside my window is a snow globe, flakes of fluffy white blowing horizontally, dancing in sudden fits of twisting wind, and almost hanging still in middair. I wish spring would come back!

From the In Box: Workaday World XXV
Via IM:

It's supposed to provide some protection, confidentiality-wise. You couldn't really go after someone for using the information contained. It's kind of a fake out.

My boss says that some lawyers came up with it to pretend like they could go after you if you used the info, but they probably couldn't, because the rules of evidence would make it tough to prove they had used it without authorization.

See? It is silly.

Workaday World XXVI
I just finished doing an hour-long online event on the Spirit of Work on the Web as part of Spirituality.com's Spirituality@Work conference. Spirituality.com is a Web site inspired by the writings of Mary Baker Eddy -- and aids people as they consider their individual spirituality. The conference, which runs three weeks, focuses on balance and purpose, the workplace, unemployment, and ethics. It was an interesting experience.

As the first online event I've participated in as a speaker, I joined a conference call with the conference organizer -- a member of the Company of Friends who credits his job at Spirituality.com to my work at Fast Company -- and a typist. I talked. She typed. That was rather strange, as I'm used to doing my own typing, and I don't really feel like I found a comfortable pace or rhythm for her to keep up with me. Still, she did a fine job.

We'll see how the transcript turns out -- I'm not sure I had anything important or new to say -- but the experience was an oddly disembodied engagement with the online community. I hope I gave people some good ideas, shared some useful resources, and didn't waste anyone's time. The organizer said about 70 people participated in the chat, with about 35 being the maximum participation at any one time. It felt strange dictating to the typist, but I guess that's how large-scale chats are done. Huh.

Workaday World XXV
I just got the following email:

Company policy dictates that the following verbiage be added to all outbound mail. Therefore, it will be automatically appended to all messages you send out to the Internet:

This electronic transmission contains confidential information intended only for the person(s) named. Any use, distribution, copying, or disclosure by any other person is strictly prohibited. If you received this transmission in error, please notify the sender by return e-mail and delete all copies of this message.

If you have any questions and/or concerns, please contact the Legal Department.

I am going against policy by posting this, even, and it kind of irks me that this is now appended to every email I send at work. It makes the messages longer, and part of the beauty of the Net is that things can be forwarded and shared.

Besides, do such appendages really do anything? I don't see how they would have an impact on people who I might accidentally email -- how else would they get a message not intended for them? Or is it more about us having grounds for legal action after the fact if someone forwards an email I wrote them?

Seems silly to me. My friend Matt is going to law school. I'll ask him.

Event-O-Dex XLVII
April 3: Scott Allie, writer for "Devil's Footprints" and "Star Wars: Empire", as well as editor for "The Art of Hellboy," signing at the Million Year Picnic at 5 p.m.

April 3: Asian Babe Alert, Ellison (from Providence), and Tizzy (from Northampton) play at the Sky Bar in Somerville.

April 10: Scrapple is part of a Mister Records showcase at the Choppin' Block in Boston.

Among the Literati XXIX
I have a silly little humor piece in Zulkey today. I'm almost embarrassed to tell you about it.

The Free-Range Comic Book Project X
This is an installment of Media Diet's Free-Range Comic Book Project.

Batman #441 (DC, 1989). Writer: Marv Wolfman. Artist: Jim Aparo. Location: On the Red Line between Park Street and Central Square.

Notable quote: "Blow up the Twin Towers? Possible, but what do I get out of it besides Batman's death? I do so like killing two birds with one stone. Should I do it? (Flips coin.) Scratch the tower."

For more information on this project, please refer to this Media Diet entry.

Technofetishism XXXII
I just installed Jaguar, and while I couldn't use the AIM client previously because of how our firewall is configured, I can use iChat quite easily. Hurrah. Nice to have IM at work again -- not just on my Sidekick. My AIM username is to the left, if you'd like to IM me ever.

Corollary: Uncommon Cents II
Someone's already bought shares in Media Diet! This blog is currently valued at $939.01, and outgoing links are valued at $1039.01. I don't know what that means, really, but at least the numbers are big.

Business Media Reportage Goes Bust, Now Boom? V
Worth magazine is cutting its staff in half and changing its publication frequency from 10 issues a year to eight. But the the magazine doesn't yet plan to shut up shop.

Thanks to I Want Media.

Uncommon Cents II
Hot on the heels of my post about Celebdaq and related projects, I learn about Blogshares, a fantasy stock market for blogs. Players get to invest a fictional $500, and blogs are valued by inbound links. To date, Blogshares comprises more than 20,000 blogs, almost 80,000 links, and about 1,300 active users. I don't have time to play around with this today, but it might be worth checking out.

Corollary: Comics and Community IX
One of the more useful items I acquired at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival is a coaster made by Philadelphia-based "bartoonist" Jeff Kilpatrick.



My Lunch Is Fun coffee cup now rests gently upon it. Mmm, coffee!

Comics and Community IX
This weekend, I flew to Toronto for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. I arrived around 7:15 Friday night and caught a cab to Jim Munroe's house off Spadina. The cab cost $44 Canadian, and I was a little sheepish spending that much money because my return subway and bus fare Sunday cost all of $2.25. Regardless, I wanted to get there in time for Matthew Blackett's book launch party at El Mocambo, and I didn't want to risk holding up my hosts. After hanging out with Jim and Susan -- and a quick dinner of veggie dogs and kettle chips -- we made our way to the club.



Matt -- or M@B, as he's known in town -- did an excellent reading of his strip, which just started running in Eye, a local alt.weekly. Projecting transparencies of his strip on the wall, he didn't so much read the comics as he did tell the stories and experiences from his life that influenced the comic. He also shared an outline of his creative process, which was interesting to see. The bands didn't really interest or impress me, so I spent much of the evening hanging out with and talking to folks from the Highwater Books gang.

Greg Cook arrived before everyone else, with his sleeping bag slung over his shoulder in a clear plastic sack. When I stepped outside to call Jef back -- he'd called from Boston to see if I wanted to go to a show -- most everyone else showed up: Megan, Ron, Brian, Tom, and Jason Little. They'd all driven up from New York City, where they'd been delayed by some drunken yahoos who'd gotten the bright idea to climb on the Williamsburg Bridge. I also ran into Paul and Scott, who were there to represent Cyberosia Publishing. Tons of friends from New England!



I shared the room at Jim's house with Montreal-based cartoonist Joe Ollman and his girlfriend, and we got up relatively early in the morning, Joe to seek breakfast, and I to head over to Trinity St. Paul's Centre for the show, which opened at 10. The church is just a block away from Jim's house, and I arrived just as the Highwater crew was unloading the van. With more than 50 exhibitors, mostly American and Toronto-area creators, the festival filled three rooms. I was surprised how predominant folks from the United States were, and it would've been nice if more Quebecois comics folks turned out. Regardless, it was a good day. I grabbed breakfast with Tom and Jason Lutes at the Future Bakery & Cafe, sat in on a couple of panel discussions -- one on the history of the comics scene in Toronto and another on self-publishing -- and walked the floor several times to gather up minis, comics, and zines to review for Media Diet.



By the end of the day, I was pretty tired, and I hadn't even been working the table all day like Greg, Ron, Megan, Brian -- and Gabrielle Bell, whose new book, When I'm Old, just came out -- did. Folks were making dinner plans with Seth and Chester Brown, but I didn't really feel like hanging out with a crowd, so I headed back across the street to read, chat with Jim, and watch some fun digital videos. Eventually, we headed out for dinner at Seoul Restaurant, a wonderfully minimalistic Korean Restaurant. After a healthy bowl of bi bim bap -- for $5 Canadian! -- I walked back with the crew to the Tranzac, where the panel discussions earlier in the day had been held.



Saturday night's program involved a panel discussion about autobiographical comics featuring Seth, Chester, Phoebe Gloeckner, and M@B, as well as several art demonstrations and readings. Jason Little did a wonderful slide presentation of a portion of Shutterbug Follies, with a well-edited soundtrack featuring Pram and other bands. Jason Lutes and Phoebe Gloeckner also did presentations. The day had been long, and I didn't really feel like hanging out sitting in a darkened theater, so I spent much of my time in the bar, hanging out with the Highwater kids and several new friends.



Another late night, I got home after everyone else had crashed for the evening. Waking a little late Sunday, Jim and I grabbed a pleasant brunch at the Green Room. Then it was the subway to Kipling, the Airport Rocket bus to Pearson, through customs, and on the plane home. Greg and I were on the same flight back to Boston, so we hung out together in the gate area -- and waited for a ride from Carrie once we'd landed at Logan. I was cold and wanting to get home, so I left Greg for a cab.

And you know what? The new Liberty Tunnel is open!

The Free-Range Comic Book Project IX
This is an installment of Media Diet's Free-Range Comic Book Project.

Friday: Backlash #16 (Wildstorm/Image, January 1996). Writers: Sean Ruffner and Brett Booth. Artist: Mel Rubi. Location: Logan International Airport, Terminal E, Gate 8.

For more information on this project, please refer to this Media Diet entry.

Workaday World XXIV
Today is Hiromi's last day officially working at Fast Company with me on the Company of Friends. One of the things she's going to do after FC is work part time at a Ben & Jerry's. So I thought it'd be appropriate to have a little ice cream sandwich party to send her off in style -- and to help her ease into her new job.



It certainly wasn't easy to find ice cream sandwiches in bulk in the North End. I walked all over Hanover, Parmenter, and Salem streets, hitting maybe five or six shops before coming across a place that sold ice cream in the quantity I wanted. The good news is that a Buck-A-Book is moving into where the CVS used to be. The bad news is that the guy at the shop that had the ice cream wouldn't give me a deal.



These were the most expensive ice cream sandwiches ever. At $1 a piece, 23 ice cream sandwiches ran me $23. Had I thought to go to a grocery store closer to home last night, I could've spent a lot less. A lot less. Still, Hiromi's been a treat to work with, spring has sprung in Boss Town, and I love ice cream sandwiches. Besides, the Discordian in me was quite pleased by the 23.

To Hiromi!

Online at the Trident II
According to Wired News, Tech Superpowers Inc. has continued its WiFi walk down Newbury Street over the last year. Three-fourths of Newbury Street is now online with WiFi. It's free, there's no sign in, and all you have to do is put up with a pop-up ad every three or four hours.

Thanks to Go Away.

Soundtrack: Caetano Veloso, "Omaggio a Federico e Giulietta"

Uncommon Cents
Media Life is bullish on the new BBC spoof series Celebdaq, which trades shares in celebrities in a Nasdaq-like marketplace. Similar to the US-based Hollywood Stock Exchange, Celebdaq reminds me of the Celebrity Dead Pool and parallel projects, in which people bet on when celebrities will die. Chicago artist Ben MacNeill has sold shares of his artwork as part of a printmaking project. And musicians such as James Brown and David Bowie have also sold bonds as shares of their future royalties. How far off is something like Celebdaq or the Hollywood Stock Exchange? Apply Cory's concept of whuffie and the old-school egoboo of fandom, along with near-realtime cultural currency trackers such as Blogdex and Daypop, and we're almost there.

Technofetishism XXXI
Oh, I want a night-vision scope.

Thanks to Lost Remote.

Blogging About Blogging LIII
Jon Udell contributed a useful article about project blogs to Infoworld. One of the most immediately productive ways to incorporate blogs into a corporate setting, project blogs can serve as realtime records of activity and progress, as well as internal and external project promotion mechanisms. Udell touches on the shortcomings of chronological organization and holds up categorization and RSS feeds -- which I still don't offer (sign up for the mailing list!) -- as good workarounds. He also offers some tips on what to post, how to post it, and other aspects of project blogging. A solid piece, and a great way to get started!

Music to My Eyes XIV
Gig Posters is an online archive of promotional posters, handbills, and fliers from around the world. Awesome, ephemeral street media that's rarely archived. Organized by designer and searchable by performer, the collection is not searchable by location. I'd love to see what they have from Boston and Cambridge. Folks can even sign up and submit their own fliers. What a neat project!

Thanks to Metafilter.

Music to My Ears XXXI
This is awesome. A song about blogging that name drops Ben and Mena Trott.

Thanks to Boing Boing.

Event-O-Dex XLVI
Tomorrow evening, I fly to Toronto for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. I'll be hanging out with Jim Munroe and the Highwater Books gang.

Friday night, before the festival kicks off proper, Matthew Blackett is throwing a book-release party to celebrate his new book, Wide Collar Crimes. The event is at El Mocambo and will feature musical guests Gentleman Reg and Rais The Fawn. It'll be a nice welcome to Toronto!

The Free-Range Comic Book Project VIII
This is an installment of Media Diet's Free-Range Comic Book Project.

Azrael: Angel of the Bat #63 (DC, April 2000). Writer: Dennis O'Neil. Artist: Roger Robinson. Location: On the Green Line between Park Street and Haymarket.

For more information on this project, please refer to this Media Diet entry.

Technofetishism XXX
I just ordered Mac OS X v. 10.2 to upgrade my PowerBook from v. 10.1.5. I am so psyched that there's an iChat app included, and that it's AOL IM compatible. Soon, I'll be IM'ing at work instead of just on my Sidekick. Skee!

Corollary: Rock Shows of Note LIX
Christine has posted a more in-depth report on the No. 1 Fun Boston Blog Bash.

Rock Shows of Note LIX
I'm getting into work late today because of staying out late last night -- and this odd lack of motivation I'm experiencing with the onset of spring. Last night was the evening of the No. 1 Fun Boston Blog Bash. Seven Boston-area bloggers gathered at the Cambridgeport Saloon to hang out, swap URL's, and talk about the war. In attendance were:

Charles Dodgson

Christine Geiger

Rick Heller

Michael Laing

Shannon Okey

Heath Row

Brad Searles

Conversation -- at least the circles I found myself in -- largely centered on the war. Rick's been writing a lot about the war and the current state of politics lately, but he says that he doesn't consider himself a warblogger. Brad commented that he was having trouble writing about the mundane pleasantries of life -- such as going snow shoeing -- because they seem so small when compared to everything else that's going on in the world. I said that I've consciously not been writing about the war. Plenty of other people are, the risk of being overwhelmed with war-related news commentary looms large, and, really, what do I have to say? Besides, this fits into my thinking that if something is already all over Blogdex or Popdex, I probably don't need to seed the meme. Do the new.

The Cambridgeport Saloon, as always, was my kind of place. A gaggle of cute girls showed up just as the Blog Bash was breaking up, and I lingered longer to play video games. Unfortunately, the Saloon has ditched Radikal Bikers for Viper Phase 1, a vertical shooter set in outer space. It's a fun play, and I'll probably go back to play it again, but I was really looking forward to playing Radikal Bikers again.

Around 10, I decided it was too early to head home, so I headed instead to the Lizard Lounge for the Scrapple show. It was raining, so the walk from Harvard Square to the Lizard was kind of a hassle, and I arrived a little wilted. Part of the Scara's Night Out series, the show ran hot and cold with me. The "comedic emcee," Sinus Brady, was quite awful and irritating, and the band that played before Scrapple seemed pretty full of themselves. Lots of drama, and not too interesting. But Scrapple was quite nice. They played most of my favorite songs, and Dave even donned the rat mask. It was also nice to hear the theme song to the Art Beat Sideshow again.

OK, to work!

The Free-Range Comic Book Project VII
This is an installment of Media Diet's Free-Range Comic Book Project.

Askani'Son #4 (Marvel, May 1996). Writer: Scott Lobdell. Artist: Gene Ha. Location: On the Red Line between Park Street and Central Square.

For more information on this project, please refer to this Media Diet entry.

Event-O-Dex XLV
Don't forget tonight's No. 1 Fun Boston Blog Bash at 8 at the Cambridgeport Saloon. I'll be there right on time, and if you don't know what I look like, I recently shaved my head, wear small glasses, and will be wearing a blue T-shirt with "shirt" printed on it. Looking forward to seeing you!

Pulling the Plug XI
Two concerning instances of music-related closing or threatened closing. Word is that Deb Klein's wonderful independent record store in Jamaica Plain, Hi-Fi Records is going to close. Her landlord practically doubled her rent, and CD's just aren't selling that well these days. Our guess is that the landlord wants to get a dentist's office or similar renter in that space. It's far enough off the main drag not to be ideal retail space, and it's sad, sad to think of the store not being there. Where else would I have gone when I tripped and gashed my hands? Where else can you go see a band play live on a weekend afternoon? Hi-Fi will be much missed. I'm hopeful that Deb organizes a marathon series of live shows as a last hurrah. I know I didn't shop there enough.

Also, Congress is considering two pieces of legislation that could spell the end of live music. According to the Drug Policy Action Center, the RAVE Act (H.R. 718) and the CLEAN-UP Act (H.R. 834) would make it a federal crime to promote live dance, music, and entertainment events at which drugs may be sold or used -- regardless of whether the organizer is aware or involved -- and make it easier for the feds punish property owners for drug offenses that their customers commit -- again regardless of whether the owner takes steps to control such crime.

This is bad, bad news. Basically, anyone owning property on which or organizing an event at which, someone sells or uses drugs -- again, regardless of their involvement -- will become liable for that activity if this legislation goes through. That could spell the end of live music, because no matter how alert and aware organizers or owners might be, someone could always do something stupid on their own accord. This legislation takes drug control out of the hands of law enforcement and the government and put it in the hands of citizens. Seems like a losing proposition to me, and an egregious irresponsibility.

Take a second and send a letter to your local representative expressing concern. DPAC makes it easy. Also, if you're in the Boston area, take some time this weekend and go to Hi-Fi. Their local section is always well stocked, the staff is amazing, and they could use our support in these late days. RIP, Hi-Fi. Sad to see you go.

Rock Shows of Note LVIII
After meeting a friend for dinner at the Good Life -- which, I was disappointed to learn, has gotten rid of its former entree menu to fall back on burgers and pizza -- for dinner, I headed over to TT the Bear's for a wonderful indie-rock show. Before I report on the show, let me share some of the history I've learned about TT's. The next time you go, make sure you read the enlarged newspaper clippings hanging on the wall in the pool room.

Originally located on Pearl Street, TT the Bear's opened in May 1973 as a full-service restaurant. It was known for its vegetarian-friendly menu, handicapped-accessible restrooms, and bear decorations. There were bear posters on the wall, bear figurines on display, and a big stuffed bear sitting in a corner stool at the bar. All of this is now gone, although last night, the door woman used a teddy bear rubber stamp to mark hands. TT's then moved, perhaps in the early '80s, to its current location. I'm not sure when they closed the kitchen and stopped being a restaurant, but Chris and I were figuring out where the different seating areas might have been. The kitchen space is still there, even if it's not in operation.

The first band up was Teradactyl, an ethereal pop band from Honolulu. A three piece, the band consists of a lanky guy playing guitar, an absolutely beautiful slim woman playing the keyboards and singing, and a slightly larger man playing guitar and working a box to provide bleeps and beats. The guitars were by turns twee and punctuation oriented and almost psyche washy. I appreciated the skinny guitarist more of the two, as his melodic lines were well performed and he occasionally broke into jagged bursts of guitar chunk. The other guitarist focused more on a dreamy, washy, effects-laden sound, which isn't really my bag. And the singer? Her vocals were extremely clean and controlled, and her voice is much bigger than what you'd expect from her frame. Quite a surprise. The songs with more dancy beats were quite fun, and the last song with ukelele, washy synths, and a breathier singing style -- the almost Poi Dog Pondering-like "Sleepy Eyes" -- was extremely nice. But overall, Teradactyl was a little too restrained for my tastes. I'm listening to their "Prepare for Lift-Off" CD now, and it's slightly better suited for listening than watching. Still, fun.

Next up, the Operators, who have several songs newer that they've only played one or two times. One is an awesome Stereolab-inspired number, with Jen singing in a higher, falsetto-like voice. Quite a departure from their usual sound, and quite impressive. I learned that the song "The Old Man Doesn't Like It" is based on Thor Heyerdahl's book Kontiki -- not the restaurant out by Alewife! -- and that the lyrics are almost entirely plagiarized from the text. Even the line "1, 2, 3 ... 39, 40, 41" is lifted straight from the page, ellipses and everything. The show was also marked by a nice moment in which Paul jumped up and down like a spaz, flopping his hair all around. A solid set.

Second Story Man hails from Louisville, Kentucky, and plays a more straight-forward, tuneful mode of indie-rock than the Operators do, and their set made it quite clear why Emily likes them so. The bands are closely related soundwise. While their songs have slightly more concrete structures, I didn't find them as engaging. That said, I found the four piece engaging enough to pick up their homemade CD, "Compilation Songs for the Road," clad in a handmade, sewn cloth sleeve adorned with an embroidered ribbon closure. Worth getting just as an item. (In fact, the Teradactyl CD is also a nice item, with the CD tucked into a screenprinted paper sack.)

Last up, Seana Carmody. I've seen her play live several times already, and this set was much like the others I've taken in. One difference is that she played with a three piece this go. The band included her boyfriend, who debuted as a lapsed drummer at her Dec. 19 show. He's much better and more confident than he seemed at that show, and the band played many songs I recognized, even though I haven't seriously listened to her work enough yet to be able to sing along, name songs, etc.

A fun night, with lots of friends in attendance. One friend even locked herself out of her apartment, so she crashed at my place. I don't think I've ever hosted a friend before because they got locked out.

The Free-Range Comic Book Project VI
This is an installment of Media Diet's Free-Range Comic Book Project.

Ascension #10 (Image/Top Cow, November 1998). Writer: David Finch. Artists: Brian Ching and David Finch. Location: On the Green Line between Haymarket and Park Street.

For more information on this project, please refer to this Media Diet entry.

Soundtrack: Milky Wimpshake, "Lovers Not Fighters"

Newsletters of Note VII
Fine, it's not really a newsletter. But, like the Leadership Directories Guides, if I had a million dollars, this is the kind of stuff I'd squander my new-found wealth on. The 2003 Entertainment, Media and Advertising Market Research Handbook from Richard K. Miller & Associates Inc. is a 550-page guide to the entertainment, media, and advertising market, looking at time spent using media, the Net's impact on other activities, media conglomerates and consolidation, the top 25 entertainment and media corporations, television programming, satellite radio, music retailing, teenage markets, and other aspects of the industry. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. At $375, it's outside of my impulse purchase range, but if any Media Dieticians want to step up as a patron, I promise you I'll use this only for good. Some day. Some day.

Soundtrack: Greyboy, "The Greyboy Essentials"

Corollary: Academy Awards Fight Song
The Boston Globe's editorial page editor and some schlub of a Harvard Law School student take shots at Michael Moore's Oscars overture in today's paper. The Globe, oh, so tactfully points out that Moore is overweight, and the student claims that Moore is out of step with America and Hollywood, as if Hollywood is in step with America. Better to all march in step, I suppose, and quiet still voices lest others take offense.

Games People Play VIII
Robert Bourque, co-inventor of the Zoltan: the Astrological Wizard coin-op fortune-telling machine, died Saturday. You can learn more about the Zoltan machine in Yesterdayland and Vintage Coin Operated Fortune Tellers, Arcade Games, Digger/Cranes, Gun Games and other Penny Arcade games, pre-1977. Bourque's Zoltan game was the inspiration for the Zoltar fortune-telling machine that played a role in the movie Big.

From the In Box: Academy Awards Fight Song
My memory weeps in fits and starts, and Media Dieticians are there to aid me. I couldn't remember who performed the song from Frida during the Oscars, and I get this in my in box:

Caetano Veloso (Brazilian) and Lila Downs (Mexican), performing "Burn It Blue" from Frida.

I appreciated Gael Garcia Bernal's introduction of that performance, also, for it's well-stated peace advocacy. -- Joe Germuska

It was truly a wonderful performance. Check them out if you haven't listened to them yet!

Academy Awards Fight Song
Sorry for the day's delay, but yesterday got a little busy. Sunday night, I went to the Brattle Theatre with Chris, Scott, and Simone to watch the 75th Academy Awards. They have a big-screen showing of the awards ceremony open to theater members and special guests, including a paid reception before the screening, a silent auction, and other festivities. It was a fun time. I was coattailing because Emily was in Philadelphia with the Operators, and I probably wouldn't have watched the Oscars or gone to an Oscars party, but this was a lot of fun.

Most of the people dressed up for the event, some in tuxedos and evening dresses, even. We were definitely the most under-dressed. But we fit right in on the balcony, where a smaller crowd gathered -- most of the people stayed down on the main floor. My group of friends is prone to heckle and comment on almost anything we go to, and I was a little nervous about how our heckling would be received, but the women in the row ahead of us and the people one row behind seemed to appreciate it, grinning and looking over their shoulders, and occasionally jumping right in with us.

One woman shouted, "Did you just smoke a bowl?" when Matthew McConaughey took the stage, which led us to wonder whether she had just smoked a bowl. Maybe she confused him with Woody Harrelson, but McConaughey was decidedly not bleary eyed. However, the most interesting crowd interaction came during the multiple anti-war commentaries -- and subtle recognition of the conflicts overseas. When Michael Moore was booed at the ceremony for his anti-Bush tirade (which I thought was relatively well stated), the audience in Cambridge cheered.

Many other actors and directors commented on the war, so I'm not quite sure why Moore was made the scapegoat at the ceremony. He was the only nominee-cum-winner who showed solidarity with the other nominees by bringing them up on stage, and it seems odd that writers such as David Hardy are now contending that Moore shouldn't have even won the award.

In any event, the other anti-war statements were rather lackluster. Adrien Brody gave one of the most personal and sensible speeches. That balanced with such inanities as Nicole Kidman's commentary that, "there is a lot of problems in the world and since 9/11 there's been a lot of pain, in terms of families losing people, and now with the war, families losing people." My friend Tony leaned back from the row ahead of us and said, "There weren't any problems before 9/11?"

Other highlights? Peter O'Toole is a grand old man. It was awesome to see Pedro Almodovar win for best original screenplay. I was glad that the Pianist edged Chicago out of a couple of key categories. And one of the musical performances, featuring a Mexican singer, was really awesome. I'm guessing that it was a piece from Frida, but I'm embarrassed that I don't remember who the performers were.

Hooray for Hollywood. Maybe next year I'll make a better effort to see more of the nominated films.

Event-O-Dex XLIV
Lots of midweek mischief to participate in:

Tuesday, March 25: The Operators, Seana Carmody, Second Story Man, and Teradactyl get bullish at TT the Bear's in Cambridge.

Wednesday, March 26: No. 1 Fun Boston Blog Bash at the Cambridgeport Saloon in Cambridge, 8 p.m. Afterwards, I'll be heading over to the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge to see Scrapple, Valerie Forgione, Joe Mazza, and Mi3.

Television-Impaired X
Reuters reports that ReplayTV maker SonicBlue is filing for bankruptcy. How's Tivo doing?

Thanks to Interesting People.

The Free-Range Comic Book Project V
This is an installment of Media Diet's Free-Range Comic Book Project.

Saturday: Akiko #39 (Sirius, May 2000). Writer and artist: Mark Crilley. Location: On a bench inside the Zeitgeist Gallery.



Sunday: Amanda and Gunn #2 (Image, June 1997). Writer and artist: Jimmie Robinson. Location: On the floor outside the Million Year Picnic.



Monday: The Amazing Spider-Man #389 (Marvel, May 1994). Writer: J.M. DeMatteis. Artist: Mark Bagley. Location: On the Green Line between Park Street and Haymarket.

For more information on this project, please refer to this Media Diet entry.

Rock Shows of Note LVII
Building on his short set during a recent Punk Rock Aerobics show at TT the Bear's, Thereminist Jon Bernhardt of Pee Wee Fist and the Lothars has built out an entire show of indie-rock, punk, and new-wave covers. He took the stage at ZuZu's, tucked in between the Middle East, Friday night with an all-star cast of collaborators.

Here's who took the stage with Jon: Chris Connely of Mission of Burma and Consonant; Winston Braman of Fuzzy, Consonant, and the Count-Me-Outs; Hilken Mancini of Fuzzy, the Count-Me-Outs, and Punk Rock Aerobics; Jef Czekaj of the Anchormen, the Tardy, and Plunge into Death; and Paul Coleman of Sinkcharmer and the Operators.

It was an awesome show. Good Cuban pressed sandwich on the menu, ample beer, good friends in abundance, and a wonderful staff, including TD working the door. Oh, the music? I don't always dig the Theremin, but I quite enjoyed it in these small-band settings. Even though Jon used the Theremin to highlight most of the vocal and melodic parts of the songs, including the jokey "I Wanna Be Sedated," which he debuted at TT's, the other performers added a lot to the proceedings. A lot.

Connely continues to impress me. Not only is he an amazing player with an amazing history, but since the return of Mission of Burma and the emergence of Consonant, he's been immensely game to play around with other, younger, local musicians. He's becoming quite the grand old man of Boston rock, and he's not even that old. Right on, Mr. Connely.

The Movie I Watched Last Night LXI
Monkeybone
Since I've gotten cable, I've tried not to just fall into the Big Blue Couch at Church Corner and zone out with whatever movie was currently airing, but this happened Saturday afternoon while I was kind of, but not really waiting for a friend to call. Monkeybone is an embarrassment. Equal parts Beetlejuice and Roger Rabbit, it could have used the help of Tim Burton. Lacking that, it's a relatively shallow story about a man sent Downtown while in a coma. Downtown is a Beetlejuice-like world featuring awkwardly designed fantasy characters -- and the animated Monkeybone, the comic strip creation of our comatose cartoonist hero. After snagging an Exit pass from the devilish Whoopi Goldberg, the cartoon Monkeybone escapes in the hero's stead, embodying Brendan Fraser's comatose body and wreaking havoc in the real world. Fraser's character later escapes, embodying the form of an organ donor, played by the rubbery Chris Kattan. Eventually, Fraser overcomes, and everyone lives happily ever after. This movie is slightly intriguing on several levels. One, the star power deployed is confusing: Goldberg, Bridget Fonda, Rose McGowan as the feline and fine anthropomorphic Kitty, John Turturro as the voice of Monkeybone, and Dave Foley. I'd always pictured this as a Chris Kattan vehicle, but his role is relatively limited. Two, there are several cameos that surprised me. Stephen King shows up in the prison holding Fraser's character after he was caught by Goldberg's Deat