Thursday

Two Presidential Campaign Storylines - UPDATE

by Rickey and T'odd:
Storyline #1 - Clinton/McCain: Shady, equivocating, triangulating, menopausal, socialist, lying politician bitch machine vs. straight-talking, "maverick," war hero, Christian, savior, statesman
- OR -
Storyline #2 - Obama/McCain: Young, tall, articulate, dynamic, charismatic, multicultural, global future change agent vs. old, short, crippled, Elmer Fudd-lookin', PTSD, crotchety, white, patriarchal, cancerous, dying past

Not saying it's right, not saying it's wrong. Just how the press will shape the battle.

UPDATE

Conservatives don't really like McCain. They won't be inspired to show up and vote for him.

But they would be inspired to show up and vote against Clinton.

Warp

Of Alters


Tricks of the Humans



Parts




It's Not Like I Really Care

Just this morning I was thinking, "gee I haven't heard anything about Britney in several days." Then I opened the L.A. Times.
"More than a dozen motorcycle officers and a Los Angeles Fire Department ambulance swept through the front gates of Spears hilltop Studio City residence shortly before 1 a.m., as a police helicopter hovered overheard. At 1:08 a.m., officers inside the home radioed to commanders that 'the package is on the way out.'"

"The line of emergency vehicles stretched longer than a football field."

[clicky]
1:00 AM. A Dozen motorcycles. And a helicopter. Really? For another psychiatric evaluation hold. Really? The package? Was she with the president? I have the distinct feeling that not only will her eventual suicide be a huge relief but in some respects kind of a let-down. Not to be a jerk, but think about it.

Maybe she can take Michael Jackson with her. Nonetheless, us real fans will love her forever.

Wednesday

Continuation of an Analogy

Juilliard = Blue Devils
Curtis = SCV

RISD = Blue Devils
Art Center College of Design = SCV

[clicky]

To Be Fair

OK, now for a parental pride moment (in reference to the last post).

To be fair, the B did earn "Ps" for "The Arts" from her classroom instructor. The "I" grades were from the Aesthetic Education specialists; educators other than her primary teacher (including physical education).

For "The Arts" categories in the class, she fit the molds of the "system" including:
  • Uses a variety of art materials to explore and express ideas
  • Particiaptes in creative movement, dance and drama
  • Participates in group music experiences
  • Expresses and appreciation for the arts
So ACCD and Curtis, you can keep my child's application on file until further notice.

Looky Here


I am currently looking for new subjects for new photography projects.

I) Photographic subjects needed for possible exhibits/collections in preparation:
  • The Sofa Project – subjects posed on their sofa
  • Favorite Socks Favorite Shorts – subjects in favorite comfort wear
  • A World Around Us – subjects shot in crowded public settings - odd person out
II) Photography falls within the generalized category of “naturalistic portraiture.” Most photography will be set in the subject’s personal living or working space (or setting agreed upon by artist and subject).

III) I am looking for anyone who would be willing to have his or her photograph taken. I am looking for all types of people – interesting subjects without regard to physical characteristics. In other words, real people who would be willing to let me meet up with them for a few minutes to take a couple of pictures.

IV) Payment neither offered nor implied. Some subjects may receive digital files (CD or otherwise) or print of draft work. A release is required prior to shoot.

V) This is an art project. I am not seeking a relationship with you. Subjects may have friends, relatives, or partners on set during shoot (or included in shoot).

VI) Interested?
See sample images at: [clicky or clicky]

Contact ty hardaway at: ty[at]middlespace[dot]net
VII) Spread the word.

Art & Music

So the B got her very first kindergarten report card today. Neat stuff. She aced every category except for art and music. That is, she got a "P" for "proficient" on like 30 dimensional categories, reads at 3rd grade proficiency and is at least average for 1st grade math. Except for art and music. P on PE too.

Yes, she got an "I" for art and music which stands for "improving." How funny, right? This is fine. In fact, it's just where she wants to be. I full well know that they just aren't getting her aesthetic (they have no idea) and won't get her aesthetic for a long, long time. She, I am confident, will surpass all of us in no time (proficiency, output, and sales).

After all, she has already appeared on at least three albums (completing a full multi-track recording on one album) and has been honing her visual arts skills for years. She's what, being compared to what, children? Ha! I love it.

Outtake

Oops.


Guano Pixelate


@ ~12 DPI

More Polyethylene Nightmares (plus cows!)


[clicky]
[as promised, "moo!"]

Hey Kids, It's Earth Corner!

The further I read into World Without Us (by Alan Weisman - I've mentioned this book already), the more, dunno, depressed I get. Maybe depressed isn't the right word but concerned and powerless aren't strong enough. Anyway, it's immensely fascinating. Initially the hook was the premise, what would happen to everything else if humans suddently disappeared? Well, of course, stuff humans have built would eventually crumble. And plants and some animals would run around all free and happy (see "moo! above"). But, the detail, insight, and breadth of this thought experiment is both gratifying and illuminating (and goddamn depressing, er, I mean it has me concerned and feeling powerless).

The website does the book no real justice; it just delivers the hook. But, it's good stuff. I'm not finished so I can't tell you if there's a silver lining (lead? mercury?) but humans have pretty much created begun their own genocidal suicide. Our crystalline window of human existence is quickly becoming a sulfurous mudhole. [But, shhhh!, the Super Bowl® is Sunday, so don't tell anyone. ]

Archive Review One


Archive Review Two


Archive Review Three


Johnny Reid

Ha! I didn't know Johnny was a reader.

l8r sk8r.

Where We Stand Since Florida - No Gentle Way

There's really no gentle way to describe Rudolph Giuliani's 2008 campaign for president but because this is what I do, I'll try:
Rudolph Giuliani's campaign to become the 44th president of the United Sates of America didn't metaphorically poop its pants. Rodolph Giuliani's campaign was, metaphorically, said poop in said pants.
From what I've seen, Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani's campaign for president of these Untied States was probably one of the top-3 worst major campaigns I've witnessed in the past few cycles. Gore 2000 was worse. Kerry 2004 was worse but not worse than Gore 2000 (John RFD Kerry was just the world's worst candidate - ever).

"Rudy" was a terrible candidate and would have been a horrible president. But he's cooked now. So who's viably left on the right:
Michael Dale Huckabee - OK, I leave MikeDale in the viable category because my friend "Big Walt" declared him a "stone cold lock to be the next president." That was before the primaries; before people actually voted and such. MikeDale is probably not much of a "lock" anymore.

Willard Mitt Romney - "Willard" sounds a lot like "Wizard" (if you say it fast enough). And for alls I know, the Ku Klux Klan still employs wizards, so...Wizard Mittens is already in a deficit category to me. The Mitten Wizard is probably the only other true viable candidate for the GOP nomination though. And the Mormonism thing isn't his biggest problem. Trust me on this.

John Sidney McCain III - John "left on the roadside for dead just three months ago even by me" McCain - And, John Sidney III is indeed back from metaphorical death (although he's closest to actual death). I wonder what Carol Shepp or Chuck Keating have to say about our Straight Talkin' Maverick. If McCain wins he should name someone younger to be running mate; maybe Father Time.
As far as the Democrats are concerned, where do we start?
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards - 248,575 Florida voters can't be wrong, right? By now we all know why Johnny Reid is staying in this race so I won't get into all that king/queen-maker nonsense. But, lets just say that li'l Johnny's run to win it all is dead and unrecoverable. He does, however, carry a huge and magical scepter. I wonder what he wants? I don't think VP would be such a good fit so what's left? A juicy cabinet position? United States Secretary of My Daddy was a Mill Worker, perhaps. Maybe Secretary of Two Americas. AG? Yeah, AG. Supreme Court? Naw, AG.

You know, like Rudy, he should just drop out, endorse Obama and wait around for to be the next Attorney General.

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton - Everybody is dumping buckets of puss on Hillary Diane for actually going to Florida despite the really, really stupid Democratic embargo. I mean, c'mon? The eventual nominee has to go back for the general. Florida, as we know, could/would/will figure importantly in the electoral count. If Hillary Diane gets the nomination she can waltz back smiling.

Barack Hussein Obama - If Barry Oh!® wins the nomination (I mean if Johnny Reid declares Barry Oh!® the next king) he as to completely suck up to Florida come fall. "Hi Florida. I know, I know. But it was Howard's call. I was just being a good Democrat establishment soldier and playing it as they called it. Hillary? Sheesh, she was just doing her own thing and being all radical and stuff. Anyway, I'm the nominee! Ted Kennedy endorsed me. Uh, change!" Oh Barry Brock!
So who's gonna win the presidential Super Bowl®? Dunno. Don't really care at this point. It's going to be a ridiculous ride.

Tuesday

Problem With A Piston

Hey, That Should Be in a Book

On The Earned Obsolescence of Publishers
- Clayton James Cubitt

Right now you can use an inexpensive computer with page layout software (the same used by all publishers) to design and lay out a lush offset-press printed hardcover coffee table book, and have it printed in Asia (the same presses used by publishers) for just a few thousand dollars. Soon, this will be much cheaper, and you'll be able to print the same quality one at a time (as they sell), instead of how you currently have to commit to a print run in the hundreds or thousands.

For free, you can start a blog online and showcase your photos and/or writing, and develop an installed fan base of interested readers, as well as use the blog as a cheap and easy way to highlight your talents in more traditional venues, like magazines. This costs nothing, and can go from zero to sixty in about a day.

And since publishers are generally a dull and incurious lot, who hope to maximize profit by minimizing the expense of content creation, their business now largely rests on free contributions and press releases. So when you publish your own book, if you agree to give them a few images and a pithy little blurb about it, they'll be more than happy to publish that in their magazines for you, since it's interesting, but more importantly to them, free. And importantly for you, free advertising.

You can then sell copies of the book you yourself printed with the same quality as a traditional publisher, but targeted to a dedicated and primed audience, rather than whoever happens to pass by a bookshelf in Barnes and Noble (if you even get there). The printing house that you used in Asia can interface with (or in fact sometimes acts as) fulfillment centers that will ship your books all around the world to your audience.

You can do all of this, and retain 100% of the profits. In traditional photo book deals you might expect 4-10%, at best.

I have several colleagues who have recently done exactly this, or are in the process of doing it. Every other artist or photographer who hears about this is instantly sold on it. Their eyes light up, like some of the joy that's been slowly drained by the publishing industry leaches over the years has been instantly relit. We are fast approaching a turning point, if we haven't already gotten there, where the distance between creator and publisher is zero. Power to the people, death to the middleman.

Will readers shed a tear for the middleman? Will anybody even notice that he's gone?"

- Published 01.28.08 in Nerve

Impulsar Noche

Monday

SOTU

The very best part of your president Bush's very, very, thank God, finally last State of the Union address was when your vice president Richard "Dick" Cheney yawned, looked at his phat Halliburton nuclear (new-ke-ler) wristwatch, slapped Nancy Pelosi on the thigh (waking her from a seriously deep nod), leaned over and whispered, "Babycakes, nothing screams 'CHANGE!' like the name Ted Kennedy. That's it, I'm Audi 5K, C-YA! Just bring your notes over later, honey," and got right up, waved bye to Larry Craig, and just left -- just fucking walked out while his young retarded "nephew" rambled on and on and on about helping someone somewhere do something that will never, ever in a million years happen because his vague proposal for it to happen could only happen in like 2118 or something and only if certain conditions applied (like the Senate and the House and the Supreme Court and the Knicks blah-blah stars aligning Jerry Garcia and Ronald Reagan and smartbomb or something 'cuz I nodded off too).

Was anybody listening to that bullshit? Goodbye W. Thanks for everything. I'll call. No really. I call you just as soon as I get next month's minutes. I know it's a bad plan. But, seriously, I'll call. Yeah, always bros. Yeah, no more congressional pork. Kewl. Good timing. You and me Dub. Peace!

The End

The Kennedys, Huh?

Subject: Second-Rate Kennedys

"Trying to dilute the impact of the twin endorsements by the brother and daughter of the late president, the Clinton campaign on Sunday issued a statement of support from
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a former lieutenant governor in Maryland and a daughter of Robert F. Kennedy."

- NYT

Really? Kathleen Kennedy Townsend? The only Democrat to lose the Maryland governor's race in 30 years? That's ought to grab some headlines and swing some voters.

Oh, and this...

"But two years ago, Ms. Townsend's mother, Ethel Kennedy, referred to Mr. Obama in an interview as "our next president" and likened him to her late husband."

- NYT

- Richey Powell

The Kennedys, huh? I'm so over the Kennedys. Aren't we all - as a nation - over the Kennedys yet? So if two of the Jackson 5 were assassinated a generation ago would we so breathlessly await Tito Jackson's endorsement of who should win the Best Record Grammy® 40 years on? I didn't think so.

The Kennedys are a huge snoozer, anymore. Crooks and ass-chasers all. As with that F-in' loser™ John "Reporting for Duty" Kerry, if I were a presidential front-running candidate, I'd be all like, "Kennedy on the phone? Ted Kennedy? Endorsement?! Ah, geez. Hummm.... Tell him thanks, but...uhhh, let me ask Mary Jo Kopechne about that. Oh, wait! Mary Jo Kopechne is dead. Dead because Ted Kennedy drunkenly drove her drunk, floppy body into the Chappaquiddick goddamn river! I'll just wing it. Tell him to endorse that Republican wannabe Hillary Diane."

What's the only imagery that voters get when they hear, "Ted Kennedy"? Let's see: a bloated drunkard (complete with those little cartoon spinny things around his head) trying to get the panties of a dead whore back on before the "guys" show up to clean up another mess. I'll tell you one thing you don't think of when you think of Ted F-in' Kennedy - Change. You don't think about change, do you?

And as for Kathleen "Look I'm a Kennedy too!" Townsend? You lost the Maryland gubernatorial election to Robert Leroy "Bob" Erhlich, Jr. Erhlich became - thanks to your sorry-ass campaign - only the sixth Republican Maryland governor ever! The last since...Spiro T. Agnew. So, yeah, your so-called "endorsement" isn't worth the breath spent to make it. To sum: Kennedy lost to Leroy. Cue the banjos.

C'mon. Kennedys? Please go away. Take the Clintons with you. Crooks and ass-chasers all. Brock O'Baughmaugh? You can go away too. Take all the Republicans with you. I'll leave Ms. Ethel Skakel Kennedy alone. She (like Jackie Oh!) has simply been through enough with these freaks.

Untitled

I Know I Did This Before (in lab not field)


[oh, I did: clicky]

The Gaithersburg Twins (across the great Sam Eig from the Target®)




[clicky]

Last Peek: Inside the Lab

Untitled

Like A Velvet Painting

How We Do It 'Round Here

So I was just in a situation this past weekend where I was unexpectedly immersed into a gathering of two first generation immigrant families (see following posts). Sweet people, beautiful children, tasty foods, colorful anecdotes and such. You know.

The B was with me as was a little girl about a year older. The kids hit it off and went off playing. Ah, kids! The other girl lives in New York's borough of Queens. The B lives in new urbanist, neo traditional suburban Maryland. Ha! And, there you have it. It's nice watch kids get together and learn from each other.

They decided to play Rock, Paper, Scissors -- a childhood universal. Janken. Roshambo. I'm watching because it's cute. First round (remember, it's a five year-old and a six year-old).

"Rock-paper-scissors go!" The B whips out a sweet pair or scissors. Her new friend...whips out a...knife. Huh?! A knife! Next round she whips out a bomb!

As you and I know:
Rock: represented by a closed fist.
Paper: represented by an open hand.
Scissors: represented by the index and middle fingers extended.

Rock blunts/smashes scissors; rock wins.
Paper covers rock; paper wins.
Scissors cut paper; scissors wins.
What I now learned:
Gun: represented by index finger and thumb extended.
Bomb: represented by closed fist and thumb extended.
Knife: represented by index finger extended thumb down.

Gun shoots knife; gun wins.
Bomb blow up gun; bomb wins.
Knife defuses bomb; knife wins.
Who knew? Queens in the house, yo! Genius.

A Family - One



A Family - Two



Sunday

Iwazaru, Mizaru, & Kikazaru

Continuation of an Analogy

The United Sates of America = Blue Devils
Canada = SCV

[clicky]

Last Peek: Inside the Lab

Dear Michael Dell, Steve Jobs Would Fire the Mope Responsible

Brother Al

I'm going to say this...God bless Al Davis!

That's hard for me to say because I'm still a little bitter about Superbowl XV.

But there are not enough billionaire eccentric kooks in positions of power and visibility in this country.

Corporations are just that...corporate. They're run by men and women trying to please a board and afraid of getting kicked to the sidewalk for any misstep. Politicians can be eccentric kooks but they have to be beat out of the eccentric kook closet. And as soon as they're revealed as eccentric kooks, they're out of power.

Every now and then there's a DuPont with a gun or a Hilton with a mouth full of penis, but they're just wealthy and visible - not powerful.

Raiders fans act as if Al Davis is destroying a public good with his bizarre behavior and the Raiders should be saved from him. But they forget, they may be the Raider Nation, but the Raiders...the Raiders is Al Davis. He can do as he pleases. He can take his ball and go home if he likes.

And I hope he gets even more bat-shit crazy before he kicks it. I hope he changes the team colors. I hope he decides to not field a team one year. I hope he hires Pam Oliver to coach. Because until Mark Cuban gets Alzheimer's, this is a weird as it's going to get.

- Rickey Powell

You know that's a good point. Insightful, even. Al's kind of like H. Ross Perot; rich, visible and kooky as hell. But (Brother) Al Davis dresses a lot more like a pimp. [note: Believe me, if I were rich....]

Yeah, he can take his ball and go to Hayward if he wants. He can probably take it back to L.A. if he wanted just to mess with a man. "Fuck you white man NFL!"

Pam Oliver. That's damn funny, dude. And you're dead wrong about there not being enough billionaire eccentric kooks in positions of power and visibility. Two words: Steve Jobs. Crazy like a hyena.

And I do like that little coach Kiffin isn't rolling over on Al writing coach's resignation. He's like fuck you back, kook. Davis should go, "Huh?! Oh, yeah that's my boy! I was just testing you." and then he should hire Pam Oliver as GM and have Kiffin report to her. I mean, Al Davis of all people should want a coach as crazy as he is. Unless he wants the monopoly on crazy.

Pam Oliver.

Friday

Hearts 4 Kiffen

"Davis has gone so far as to draft a letter of resignation for Kiffin to sign, a source said. Kiffin has refused to do so but has dared Davis to fire him instead. The letter, the source said, was sent to Kiffin two weeks ago."

- ESPN
Seems to me that Lane is actually a coach that Al should love.

[clicky]

Early Record Reviews

- Brennan and I like playing "Monkey in the Middle."

- I'm trying to imagine what someone with totally fresh ears would think. The confusion: is this some kind of "show," or an album with a lot of strange shit between songs, shit that seems to be all related somehow, but how? And then there are the songs, like Money Lover, so good. And that instrumental part afterwards, that takes high brain bandwidth. The "I eat dog poop" part, not so high. But funny. And adding to the confusion is that the "strange shit between songs" are also songs. I wish I could listen through someone else's brain.

- So that's what middle-aged, suburban dads do. Sign me up!

- Cornholetext: Too bad people won't fully appreciate the noncontextual context.

- It's really good - but I think it's got to be the first of a trilogy. I want more.

- I can't imagine not understanding this. I was trying to imagine what it would be like to be nearly anyone else on earth and not getting PBtKoLS. And I couldn't. I couldn't imagine not getting it.

- Fucking Geeen-EE-us. Another deconstruction:reconstruction.

- Somebody else will listen to this. What will they think? I've reached the point where not only do I not care, I'm not physically able to imagine it. Those synapses are shut down. I love it.

- I love the Breann section.

- There's a reason record sales are down. It's because nobody's making shit like this. This, my friends, is the future of recorded entertainment. I can imagine a number of situations where this would, uh, blow my mind. You know, like road trips or sitting around with friends. Congratulations!

Priceless Banter: The Album

here it is
the newest tKoL record

[clicky, duh! 50:00/104 MB]

By the Kingdom of Leisure
Headphones are Good A Thing --- Smiles Are Nice
The Kingdom of Leisure is:
tej hada as Todd Retard, a Retard Brother
rickey powell as Rickey Retard, the other Retard Brother
big dave wave as Big Dave Wave the world's worst podcast producer

with
Breann B.*
Susan K.
Mark B.
Dr. Hareem
Mr. Kollen
Mr. Tracy
Apryle J.
Trudy P.
Jerry H.
Danny E.
The B
Marceline R.
Tom S.
Roz F.
And others....
Produced by:
ty hardaway
rich walkling
dave blair
the b
Executive Producer:
ty hardaway
*Breann Beal appears thanks to Suffer4Art
...and don't say you never got anything for free © 2008
Photo by Lily Valle
"Headphones are good a thing," "Smiles are nice," and "...and don't say you never got anything for free" are trademarks of
middlespace industries of America

This is 2008

Getting Ugly

"IMNSHO. eet it, tesla. strate ^ beeoch = you."

- Ed Dog

WFH



Predicting Our Future

From Rich:

How I see it from here:

1) The Horse race:
Hillary Rodham Clinton wraps up the Democratic nomination and loses in the general. It's impossible to think that this country will ever vote for Hillary Clinton to be president of these United States. Break it down, clown -- state by state, if you need to, I'll wait....

President McCain and Vice Premier Cheney rule for "Four More Years!" but by then they're both either dead or demented. Gasoline is $16/gallon, unemployment is at like 37% and kids ask, "what a mortgage?" McCain's presidency is surely a departure from the Bush Disaster but not transformative in the way that these United States so desperately needs (note: a Clinton presidency would be described the same way).

Thus making way for the the new, improved, and experienced Obama '12 to lead America into the future.

"Change! Now with Experience!®"

It's at least the best imaginable scenario at this point.
2) Oh, and I also predict that the new Indiana Jones movie will be a huge flop.

3) Oh, and txt msg back to Edison:
"OMG BMOF Edison U LPOS DYOFDW UR stpd ltbulb is RTRDED ^URS ESADMF
L8R > peez -Tsla"


"Change!" and "Now with Experience!" and the colors red, white, and blue are registered trademarks of the Halliburton Corporation.

IMHO, Tesla Is A Jackass - Edison

From Dave:
"To Do: Start blogs for pre-tech famous people or historical figures (as if computers were common then). Swipe material from biographies and autobiographies, like Edison working on the light bulb or Franklin and all his inventions, what he was thinking at the time, his online flame wars with other inventors, etc."
File under: Ideas are easy; execution is hard.

Thursday

This Is Something Funny to Me

Bosses may fire workers for using medical pot off duty,
California's high court says


Get it? Wait for it.... See? That's pretty funny. The high court?

Never mind.
"The state high court's ruling weakened an already beleaguered 1996 law that prohibits the state from criminalizing the medical use of marijuana."

[clicky]

Art

"You should never will a change in your work -- you have to work an idea to death. I find that the best things happen when you're near the end."

- John Currin

So, How Was Ween?

WeeNotes:

Firstly I’d never been to D.A.R. Constitution Hall. You know what DAR stands for? Well they stand for “God, Home, and Country. That’s what they stand for. But the letters herein are for Daughters of the American Revolution®. No shit. Founded in 1890. Not to be confused with S.C.V. of course. No, not the world famous Santa Clara Vanguard although I knew that S.C.V. first. No that’s the Sons of Confederate Veterans (“…preserving the history and legacy of these heroes, so future generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause”). No shit I looked it up.

So finally saw a show at D.A.R. Constitution Hall. After living in D.C. for nearly 16 years this was my first show at D.A.R. OK. Good. Check that off. Done. And after listening to Ween for nearly a decade I finally saw a The Brothers Ween concert. Full disclosure: I am not a Ween expert nor should anyone believe me to be. I'm still learning the context.

The first note in my book is, “morose.” That’s how the show started. Kind of dark. Kind of distracted. I actually wondered if they were just starting a tour or (and) had a big bandfight before the show. Or an intervention. Or maybe some “suit from the label” (SFTL) showed up with a bill for that fat bus out back.

On keyboards, Glenn McClelland was solid all night. A pro’s pro. Low key, clean as a whistle, and adds more than he takes.

On bass was Dave Dreiwitz. Sure he’s good but his timing was not only awful the first third of the show (and it makes a difference on bass) but that shit was downright distracting. Goddamn tic-bomb early.

Claude “Jimmy Wilson” Coleman Jr. played the drums. He’s a pretty good player but he played with petulance last evening. What? Yes. Petulance (I looked it up). He acted bored. He dropped sticks (and not because he’s an ex-cripple but because he was fucking around – we used to call these showoff know-it-alls “cheese” – Claude was cheese last night), and he acted as if he was annoyed to be playing the same old songs again. Like I said, maybe there was a bandfight or something. I was kind of freaked out by Claude though. I don't know if he drums like he does as a result of his accident but he's mostly a left-handed drummer playing on a right -handed set. Fucked me up kind of. I said, “What he lacks in skills he makes up for in enthusiasm.” Claude was cocaine to Dave's slop sauce.

Aaron “Gene” Freeman has killed his body. He’s my age and looks to be at least 55 and about at the end of his span. The post-rehab era isn't suiting him so well. He did his gig though and I respect that. But shit if he lives to be really 55. I didn’t like that for some of the older songs he’d revert to the “voices” of that era. The GodWeenSatan Scotchgard™ voice is pretty out of context in 2008, for example.

Lastly, Mickey was great. Simply put: Great. Let me make this clear again: Great. There was a four song run mid-show (see below) where I screamed, "guitar fucking hero” because I was kind of blown away and it was the guitars that was doing it. It was at that point that I wanted to either play guitar or tour again.

Although there were some fairly serious timing errors and lack of focus early (by the entire band save Aaron) Mickey seemed to be together, barefoot and all.

I'm guessing this show is the beginning of big tour. I get it. It'll be different in a week/month/year.

And I am very glad to have seen Ween though. Lots of dudes. Dedicated following. I do think the venue was too big. Neither intimate nor sold out. No banter. No goofiness. Just a show.
Annotated Set List:

Exactly Where I’m At
Pork Roll Egg & Cheese
Spinal Meningitis
Bananas & Blow
Learning to Love
Voodoo Lady*
Back to Basom*
With My Own Bare Hands*
Take Me Away
Transdermal Celebration
Waving My Dick in the Wind
Nan
Touch My Tooter
I’ve Got to Put the Hammer Down
Object
Buckingham Green**
Your Party**
Beacon Light**
Johnny on the Spot**
Zoloft**
Roses are Free**
Spiritwalker
The Mollusk
Did You See Me?
Ocean Man
Doctor Rock
Shamemaker
Fiesta

Encore:

Mr. Richard Smoker
Miser Would You Please Help My Pony
Stroker Ace***
You Fucked Up***
God bless Ween even if it was just one of those shows.

* Hot run #1 concluding with a dense, nasty, guitar-mazing With My Own Bare Hands.
** Only Your Party slowed this amazing run down. Beacon Light into Johnny On The Spot was fucking wondrous. Spirtwalker killed that buzz, but ya' gotta rest sometime.
*** They closed the show with the class and dignity of "You fucked up you stupid Nazi whore.