Courtney Love: An Inspiration?

Last week, the internet exploded with news that Courtney Love and Ryan (not Bryan) Adams are fighting over money. Courtney, as she so often does, took to her blog to make her anger known. She accused him of borrowing money to make an album and never paying her back. Not content with merely flinging accusations around, Ms. Love called said album "Ryan Adams' worst record and one of the worst records I can think of in rock and roll history." (Additionally, she spewed some venom at Trent Reznor because of "the fall-out from a fling." I am going to pretend I never read that, so that I may keep my love for Trent pure like the driven snow.) The offending posts are down now, but there's still plenty of ranting to read - including her retort to bloggers who have mocked her... uh... unusual style of writing.

To be fair, I'm not a huge fan of Rock N Roll, the album she trashed. I AM a huge fan of Heartbreaker, which contains one of my favorite desperately sad songs of the past ten years: "Come Pick Me Up." I did my fair share of wallowing in misery while listening to this song, over a certain man who broke my heart, and blah blah blah. But that was years ago, and my tears have dried, and I now appreciate the song for what it is. I'm not taking sides in this financial war, but I will take the opportunity to share one of my favorite songs with you. Thanks for the inspiration, Courtney!

Something to Smile About

I've kept this somewhat quiet (save for a few family members and friends), but... I've been featured in the new "Best of Chicago" issue of Chicago Magazine. It's a tremendous honor, and I feel extremely lucky to be part of it. I'm on the same page as Steve Stone, for crying out loud. Beyond awesome. Many thanks to Kevin McKeough and Joe Moreno for making me seem MUCH cooler than I am in real life. Now that the issue is in stores, I've taken some (poor) photos of the issue and article for you to see. You should definitely pick up a copy of the mag yourself; there are plenty of wonderful Chicago people, places and things to explore.

The cover

The picture - kinda badass!


The info - yes, they've unmasked me, but I don't mind.

Thanks for being the motivation for doing my job. Thank you for reading, thank you for listening, and thank you for caring. I couldn't do this without you, and I hope I'm lucky enough to do it for years to come.

Rocky Remake Horror

MTV is remaking the Rocky Horror Picture Show. As someone who owns the DVD AND the sing-along CD and has attended a midnight showing or two, it's safe to say I am NOT shivering with antici-


-pation. This is horrible news and an upsetting trend: I read about plans for a remake of Short Circuit, another of my favorite movies, earlier this year. (Despite what some people think, WALL-E is not said remake.) Do we have to remake EVERYTHING? Is there no one left in Hollywood with an original idea in his or her fake-tanned and Botoxed head? If ANYONE tries to remake The Princess Bride, I'm forming a Brute Squad.

Electra's Crib

I love pickles. Thanks, Adam.

Coldplay: A Brief Review

I just returned from seeing Coldplay perform at the United Center, and it was a wonderful show. I'm finally at a point where I can hear "Fix You" and "The Scientist" and not bawl my eyes out, which is nice. A couple brief notes:

1) Both Chicago shows were filmed for some sort of upcoming project, including but (apparently) not limited to the video for "Lost." I sang my heart out, so I'm sure you'll be able to hear me above everyone else. :)

2) The band played a BRAND NEW NEVER BEFORE PLAYED song; I think it was called "The Dubliners," and I immediately described it as "Flogging Coldplay." Right before performing it, Chris Martin said, "I've always wanted to say this... it's from Back to the Future... 'watch me for the changes,' boys!" Adorable. The new song will make an appearance on some sort of future EP. It's totally jig-tastic.

3) According to the drunk guy next to Paul, "Chris Martin is the biggest rock star in the world right now, and he knows it." I wouldn't go that far, but he sure was a lot of fun to watch tonight. Flailing around, zombie-walking, cursing now and then - he's come a loooong way since the world first heard "Yellow."

(I swear, my Dark Knight review will happen at some point. At this point, I might wait until after I see it in IMAX next week... I can't wait to see it again, I'll say that much.)

Musical Muppets

This morning I stumbled across a video of Beaker from the Muppet Show performing Ode to Joy. Naturally, I had to use it for my Way to Waste Time at Work. When I got home, however, I discovered that Beaker was just the beginning. The internet is full of musical Muppets!


"Ode to Joy"


"Habanera" from Carmen (I've watched this at least 7 times)


"The Blue Danube Waltz"


"Stars and Stripes Forever"

Are they official? Are they an appetizer for a forthcoming Muppet movie? Who knows - but they are some of the most delightful viral videos I've seen in a while.

Oh, and if you're wondering what my thoughts on The Dark Knight are: I'm getting there. I didn't get to see it until late last night, and I'm still processing. All shall be revealed in time.

Andy Dick Is Crazy and a Criminal

Celebrity mugshots aren't hard to find these days, thanks to websites like The Smoking Gun. Perhaps our fixation with these less-than-flattering images inspires certain starved-for-attention celebs to ham it up when caught engaging in illegal activity. Take, for example, this fresh mugshot from one Andy Dick:

That doesn't look like a man who's apologetic for drunkenly exposing a girl outside of a Buffalo Wild Wings. That's a grinning lunatic who's way too excited to see Heath Ledger's performance in the Dark Knight. It is also a man who has temporarily ruined my taste for B-Dubs. What a sorry waste of a once talented guy. I'm putting him in my next death pool.

Final Fantasy Goodness

While other ladies spend their summer hours by the pool or at the bars, I've been indulging in one of my geekiest pastimes: playing Final Fantasy X for hours at a time. There's something about slipping into a world full of magic and machina and moogles that relaxes me. Coincidentally, one of my favorite texters (hi Mr. W!) reminded me of this legendary Final Fantasy VII parody done by Robot Chicken today:





Treeemendous. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Sphere Grid to navigate.

Roland Loves the Camera

Because I can't be snarky all the time... here are a few more pictures of my cat.



It's hard for me to imagine my sweet little boy roaming around Chicago before being picked up by Animal Control. He definitely attacks his favorite feather toy the way a street kitty might attack a passing bird. I'm so glad he's part of my family.

Also: Saul Williams is going to blow people away at Lollapalooza. Mark it.

Now playing: "Black Stacey."

Did He Really Say That?

I'm not one to wax political on my blog: that's why there's Wonkette. Sometimes, though, headlines like "President George Bush: 'Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter'" upset me so much that I must share them with others, so that the shock and disbelief don't endlessly bounce around the inside of my skull and cause irreparable damage. I love a good inappropriate joke, don't get me wrong, but I try not to make mine in the presence of the world's most powerful leaders. Yeesh.

A Coffee Quandry

This morning, when I read that Intelligentsia shops will stop selling large 20oz coffees, I chuckled. You see, when I got dressed today, I reached for one of my more comfortable t-shirts: a soft black Intelligentsia shirt with the Bean on it. I enjoy their coffee, but it's a weekend treat for me. I brew a pot on Saturday morning and relax while taking care of my bills or watching the Food Network. It's always struck me as a type of coffee to be savored, not gulped down in a caffeine-deprived haze. So I appreciate what Intelligentsia's founder, Doug Zell, says prompted the change:

"We're focused on intensity of flavors and providing coffee in the way it tastes best. And it's not in that size."

I know, it sounds horrifically snobby. Let me back this guy up. Every weekday morning, I stop by the Dunkin Donuts in the Mart. Most days, I order a medium with milk. But if I'm feeling particularly sluggish - on a cold and snowy day, perhaps, or after attending a concert the evening before - there's a devilish part of my brain that says: "get the large. You need the large. GET THE LARGE." And you know what? I never finish the large. In fact, by the time I get to the dregs of my medium cup of coffee, it's usually lukewarm and almost flavorless. That same devilish part of my brain says "your show will suck if you don't DRINK EVERY DROP OF THIS COFFEEEEEE." I always obey, and someday, I should learn to refrain.

(As an aside, the article quotes a Dunkin' Donuts spokeswoman as saying: "Chicago is the only market in the country where the top-selling size is 20 ounces. In all of the other markets the medium size is the biggest seller." Guess I'm not the only one who fights the psychological weight of midwestern winters with too much coffee.)

So is Intelligentsia's move a marketing ploy or a genuine desire to make a better product? The cynic in me has her doubts. But I'm definitely going to enjoy that first cup of coffee this Saturday morning.

Hey Baby: It [Was] the 4th of July

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. Mine was JAM-PACKED OMG. Now that I'm finally home, with a glass of lemonade-iced tea in my hand and a purring kitty by my side (he'd be on my lap, since he likes my laptop, but mommy has moved him multiple times), I'd like to share just some of the things I saw:

• A man eating a hot dog that had fallen on the ground - after wiping off the contaminated mustard and onions, of course.
  
• Post-game fireworks at the Cell - although why they included the colors of the Italian flag is still a mystery.
• A 25-person brawl that weaved in and out of stopped traffic on State Street: I watched, horrified, from the safety of my 8th floor apartment. Yep, beefing up security at the Taste sure was a good idea!
  
• The inside of Alkaline Trio's tour bus - thanks, DePippa! - where I drank Schlitz, something I will probably never do again.
• My brother Steve defeating my boss Marc in pool; Steve also beat my friend Susan, but he lost to Paul, who lost to Susan, who had lost to Marc before we made it to the bar, so in conclusion: Liz and I win for deciding not to play at all.
  
• Mars Cheese Castle!
• My first Sausage Race, which disappointed me because the Chorizo blew it in the final seconds. The game, however, was very exciting, and now that the Brewers have a new pitcher, maybe we'll have to make another trip...
  
• bhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnhj - sorry, that was Roland.
• The Jelly Belly Center in Pleasant Prairie, where I learned that they now make Cold Stone Creamery-flavored beans! They also make vomit and baby wipe-flavored beans. I wish I was kidding.
  

All in all: three baseball games, two states, friends, family and lots of cheese curds made for a lovely patriotic weekend. And you?