When the Lights Go Out

Although Earth Hour Chicago only managed to produce a 5% reduction in energy usage, hopefully the longterm impact will be greater. As I looked out our windows last night, I saw that about a quarter of our neighbors had clearly heard about Earth Hour and were active participants in turning off all their lights for an hour last night. We turned out ours and are going out today to purchase the new CFL lights to replace most of our old lights. For us, this is step two in a plan to lead a more energy conscious and efficient life.

I read article after article about how we are ravaging our planet and how our planet is no longer able to withstand our constant onslaught of abuse. As I've grown older, I am no longer paralyzed with the feeling of helplessness when confronted with issues like this. I know that if we each do our part, we can create change. While I realize that not everyone will support this kind of effort, it is no reason to give up hope. It's my job to do my part and that's what I'm trying to do as best I can. Once again, education and personal action can make a world of difference.



BLACK KEYS-When the Lights Go Out

Rock Band Hall of Fame

Tonight Bink and I have a mission. To rock Moscow. If we succeed, we will be inducted into the Rock Band Hall of Fame. The only thing standing between us and the honor is an eight song set. Bink is hoping it doesn't include "Enter the Sandman." I hope it doesn't include "Run for the Hills." That song is crazy high and I have to sing almost all of it in falsetto, which makes my throat feel like raw meat by the time I finish it. Wish us luck. This is our proudest moment.

Happy Peepster!

THE DONNER PARTY RECREATED IN PEEPS

Happy Easter, if that's your thing, everybody! I had to share our peeptastic adventure. Sweetness was offered extra credit by her Social Studies teacher if she created a Peeps diorama portraying any historical event. My contribution was providing the widest variety of Peep product as I could. Sweetness took them and ran. We used to live in California. We used to live on Donner Avenue. Really. We did. So, of course, she chose that moment of history and her odd personal connection to it as her inspiration for some Peep magic. She used blue Peep bunnies, as she felt they were anatomically closer to humans than the chicks and therefore better to create cannibalization, and the lovely new yellow Peep tulips to represent the fire that they roasted the poor soul over. She's a nice girl. I swear. So, hope you all have a Happy Easter and if you are planning a journey out west, I recommend you take the path most travelled, as opposed to the shortcut.

Achy Breaky Random Ten

This week's random ten finds me a bit achy and a bit breaky. I have a fever and I managed to damage my knees at the gym. I'm Adviled up and iced down and feeling a little less tenacious than usual. Hopefully this won't stop me from seeing Negro Commando tomorrow night at the Cobra Lounge. Negro Commando was the incubator for Naked Raygun. It consisted of Marko Pezzati, Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango. I doubt they will ever play together again, so it sure would be nice to be well enough to go. Here's some fuel for your weekend:

1. We Used to be Friends-The Dandy Warhols
2. Challengers-The New Pornographers
3. Seagulls Screaming Kiss Me, Kiss Me-XTC
4. 1000 Tons of Ice-The Bomb
5. Sad Transmission-The Raveonettes
6. Alex Chilton-The Replacements
7. Hit a Nerve-The Methadones
8. Mirrorful-Jawbox
9. Give Me Novacaine-Green Day
10. Plots and Plans-Film School



FILM SCHOOL-Like You Know

Mixtape Madness

I am one happy kitty! For all of you who know me, you know how much I love to win! And win I did. I will be assisting the lovely Ms. Cup on an upcoming Mix Tape. You betcha there'll be Raygun!

Return of the Friday Random 10

I know. I know. I have been a horrible slacker. No excuses this time. Let's rock!

1. Bittersweet-Hoodoo Gurus
2. Target-Fugazi
3. Jumping Someone Else's Train-The Cure
4. When the Rainbow Comes-World Party
5. Always in Love-Wilco
6. This Wheel's on Fire-Siouxsie and the Banshees
7. West End Girls-Pet Shop Boys
8. Hours-TV on the Radio
9. Etheriel-Lush
10. Idiot Princess-Guided By Voices



HOODOO GURUS-Bittersweet

Many years ago, during my last year in undergrad a bunch of my friends and I lived in a house together. We all worked at the radio station together and each room had its own vibe. Next door to us lived a bunch of guys that were in a local Columbia, South Carolina band that I can only describe as The Cramps meet Guns and Roses. Their house was not surprisingly called Voodoo Mansion. We decided our house needed a name as well and my roommate, Heather, who adored the Hoodoo Gurus named our house the Hoodoo Hut. Now anytime I hear their music, I am transported back to that time and place.

Mutant Pets

This is Ed. Ed is the main act in the mutant pet parade that we have going on at our house. Ed is beautiful, but as you can tell by the look in his eye, he is no angel. Ed spends his days alternating between sleeping on any clothes that might be laying around the house (he especially has taken a shine to Bink's down parka) and blazing through the house, sounding much like an entire herd of wildebeest. Ed believes that because he is beautiful, he is also dainty. He frequently likes to jump on top of my dresser or Sweetness' dresser thusly clearing the decks with his large furry hindquarters. Except for the attempts when he crashes on the way up and sulks off, licking his fur and his pride. Ed likes his water fresh from the tap and yowls for us to turn it on at 6 a.m.. Ed also likes the following two pets and is often found perched on top of their cage with his paw swiping down into the cage hoping for an afternoon snack.

Our next mutant pets are Mandy the guinea pig(*break into Barry Mannilow in your mind at this point*) and Moon Unit the "dwarf" lop-eared bunny (*break into "Valley Girl" in your mind now). Mandy has been with us for a couple of years and really, other than the copious quantity of poop that she produces, she is pretty cool. Sadly, lately, she has become the bunny's bitch. We bought the bunny a few months ago at the insistence of Sweetness. It was the smallest bunny in the hutch at the pet store and we were told it was a "dwarf" rabbit. I think what they meant to say was that it was a baby bunny and would be getting much larger. At this point, I am convinced it is doubling in size each day. Moon Unit has decided that Mandy is not clean enough and has taken to grooming her 24/7. Poor Mandy cowers in the corner and submits to the bunny's incessant licking. Then there's the hopping. I don't know about you, but I really wouldn't want to be steamrolled by what looks to be a bullet out of a shotgun that was twice my weight and size. I know I shouldn't, but I do laugh really hard when the bunny gets a full head of steam on and crashes into Mandy, literally sending her tumbling end over end.

Last, but not least, there is lowly Grottle the tortoise. Grottle has been with us almost a year. She is slow but as sweet as a tortoise could possibly be. Sadly, she is our constantly ailing pet. Just like the lizard that went before her, she can't seem to keep healthy and has cost way too much for anything so unfuzzy. Her story is not so funny. I soak her and put drops in her eyes and give her supercharged vitamin water and she still is sickly. I think if anything happens to her, I'm going to give up on the whole reptile thing. They aren't meant to be pets. Ed does enjoy watching her soak in her little tub, although not as much as he enjoys watching guinea and bunny when they are in their big pen for a run. For that show, he hides behind various Hot Wheel track inching closer and closer, as if we don't see his large furry self sneaking up on them.

The point here is, well, there isn't much of a point. I always wondered as a kid why my parents wouldn't let me have more pets. I think I have my answer now. I just didn't want to be one of those parents who wouldn't let their kids have pets. As odd as they all are, they are part of our family, for better or for worse.

Just Sayin'

I realize I am stating the obvious when I make this comparison, but come on. Is this really the personification of rock and roll or just a horror film gone wrong? And I sit and watch it all. What does that say about me?