Good morning. Hello. How are you? #811
Dan Savage's 2003 Santorum stunt, Siouxsie without Banshees, Oldchella, the monumental accomplishment that is Man Ray, Concrete World, Borosilicate news, Kitchen Aid news, CAT scans
Good morning, friend. How are you today? All well? I’m okay, thanks for asking. Another day another mass shooting. We’re just supposed to live like this, pretending we are good people in a good society when this sort of thing happens every day because people fetishize a bunch of slaveholders and racists from 250 years ago. Fantastic.
Reading A People’s History of the United States right now, so, you know. Feeling it. Figure I should finally read it before they ban it when Santorum becomes president. Remember when Dan Savage got Santorum’s name to lead to something really obscene on Google in, god, like 2003 and we all thought he was done for? Lol. OH WELL. That didn’t work. Does seem like Dan Savage still owns santorum.com, though. Good on him for having the foresight to not let that domain expire.
So. Oldchella. Cruel World. Siouxsie. Without the Banshees. What does this mean. Is there a band, a different band, one that does not earn the name Banshees, presumably because Budgie is not there? Or is it, like, Siouxsie sitting there on a stool with an acoustic guitar? Maybe she karaokes it like Pete Burns at that Dead or Alive show at Man Ray. Setlist.fm tells me that Siouxsie has done a few one-off shows — as well as a meltdown festival — as just Siouxsie no Banshees. I suspect it’ll be fine. I suspect it’ll be great. It’s weird. I’ve seen Siouxsie twice but didn’t really care at the time. But for the last year or so I’ve been kind of sad, operating under the assumption that Siouxsie had retired for good and I would never get to see her again. She is by far the act I’m most excited on that really-quite-stellar Cruel World line up. Not that I’m going. I’ll just cross my fingers that she does an East Coast show and then probably not go to that either.
Also I just wish there were a few more new acts on the bill? One modern headliner would be great, so you don’t feel like so much of a has-been. Old Coachella was great for this, it had all your old-people legacy acts but you could also check out all the new artists and you didn’t feel like an old fogey for it. Cruel World seems to have a few, but it could have used one “new band” headliner. By new I mean, like, 90’s. Interpol or Ladytron or something, lol.
Man I used to go anywhere for a rock show, but what can I say, it is not the biggest priority in my life these days. Emma and I have a wedding on the west coast and I guess if it worked out with this we would probably go, but the wedding and Cruel World are just far enough apart that I don’t think it’s realistic to stay out west for, like, a month, even though that would be so, so fun. So many people to see. So many friends I haven’t seen in ages. And I gotta go home to Alaska this summer as well, but this doesn’t work out with that either. Alas.
That being said, I bought tickets for High Vis at Cat’s Cradle (in the back room!) for April and I am very excited about it.
While we’re on the subject of old people and 80’s music and goths and whatnot, a few more comments about the new Man Ray. Looks great. I did not anticipate that I’m gonna have to see photos of people going to Man Ray every week now. I kind of thought that if I just got through the opening, this ache of missing it would numb back down into every day life and I could get on with things. But that is not really happening. Every day, you Bostonians go back to that club and talk about how great it is and I ache ache ache with longing and it is somewhat problematic in my life.
The matter is not helped by the fact that the new Man Ray seems to have significantly eased its no photos policy, which I suppose is a cop to the realities of the new world. It’s not like they’re gonna implement Atlantic-City-strip-club levels of checking cell phones at the door. Though honestly that would be pretty awesome. I suppose this is the reality of the situation. And of course I’m biased because seeing all these photos makes me ache ache ache. But I do wish, somehow, the new Man Ray managed to keep the old no-photos policy. Maybe just through polite social pressure and morés or something.
But really. What a profound accomplishment. The return of Man Ray is an asbolutely stunning event in the history of night clubs — one that I cannot think of having been replicated anywhere on the planet. Name another storied, historic night club that staged a comeback twenty years later. With many of the same primary participants! It is absolutely unprecedented! It’s bonkers! I can’t stop thinking about it!
I watched a few Youtube videos from World of Concrete, which is going on right now in Las Vegas. Seems to be one of the big conventions in January after CES and my god it looks like so much more fun. They set up these giant outdoor booths in front of the Convention Center, and every vendor makes all these weird concrete pads, foundations, walls and blocks and then all week they show off their new concrete tools that can chip away, or cut through these giant concrete blocks they have set up. And then, I suppose, after World of Concrete is over, they have to pick up all the rubble and take it away. Seems phenomenally wasteful but also phenomenally cool. And I wonder if there is some sort of Concrete Police force to ensure that the venders are making “real” concrete and not some soft version that makes it easier on their new jackhammers and hammer drills and masonry saws.
I want to go to World of Concrete so bad. I wish I could spend a year of my life just going to Trade Shows. If I ever get a real retirement, that is absolutely on the list. Trade Shows are the best. At least, Trade Shows not in your chosen profession. The ones in your chosen profession are terrible.
In borosilicate news I have purchased to measuring cups from Amazon that claim to have borosilicate in them. They are no-name brands, clearly from China, and I am deeply skeptical that they have any borosilicaste in them at all. It is somewhat surprising to me that no reputable glass brand is trading in borosilicate in the kitchen at the moment even though, reading through Amazon comments, there is clearly demand for it. The one I purchased has a lot of good reviews and specifically says borosilicate and many of the reviews seem to confirm this, but who can believe anything on Amazon anymore. Also the reviews all say that the measuring markings are incorrect so, you know, whats the point I guess. I will keep you apprised as the situation develops I know that many of you are following the GMHHAY borosilicate content with keen interest.
In other kitchen tool news, my friend Jen has informed me that basically every aluminum attachment for Kitchen Aids ever have lead in them, lots of lead, and it’s a giant problem. If you have the coated ones, it is probably fine, unless there is a chip in it. If there’s a chip in it, get a new one. Kitchen Aid sells a stainless steel set of the three main attachments, but they are, of course, sold out. They will supposedly replace them if you call them and act like a lunatic but that is not my style. I just bought the stainless steel ones. The whole movement has that distinct crazy-mom vibe but also the testing seems to be real so better safe than sorry I suppose. As if we can shield our families from the toxic chemicals that are absolutely everywhere. But, you know, at least we can try.
Went and did my heart procedure yesterday. It was some crazy shit. First off, it was not 20 minutes it was about two and a half hours but hey whatever. My resting heart rate is about 78 (is that fast?) and it needs to be under 60 for this procedure so they give you some Metaprolol and you sit there for an hour until your heart rate goes down. The slowest mine got to according to my watch was 58. And man my blood pressure was so low at that point just fantastic I wish it was like that all the time. Then they strap you into this machine and you gotta put your hands over your head and then you do a few practice runs where they slide you into the machine, you take a breath, hold it for ten seconds, and they slide you out. Once they’ve confirmed you are capable of doing this, they give you a saline injection into your IV slot and you almost immediately feel like you peed your pants. Then the final touch, they give you a spray of nitroglycerin under your tongue that then proceeds to give you a splitting headache. Then you go into the machine again, do the thing with the breath two more times, and you’re all done. Two hours of prep for about a five minute procedure. Pretty crazy. Most of the time besides waiting is this nurse guy with excellent bedside manner reading off of a script — well, he is good so it didn’t feel like a script, but it was. More of a checklist — managing expectations, answering questions before you think to ask them. It was all highly professional and I was very impressed. All the questions really make you wonder about all the different ways people freak out about this.
Somewhere in there they also took blood for a kidney test, which I passed with flying colors. No idea if I passed the heart test, though. He said that unless it was really bad, so bad, you weren’t going to know for a while. And so I guess it is not really bad, so bad. That’s promising.
Also, I have to say, UNC Eastowne Center is still requiring masks and by all appearances they are taking it very seriously. Honestly, significantly more seriously than the last time I was there two years ago. That was heartening and gave me one small glimmer of hope for this world. And who can’t use that.
Today we have volume 100 of our Moody and Quiet series. Wow that is crazy. Man I’ve been doing this a long time. You guys are great. I’m getting weepy. Anyway, mostly new stuff, except for a great Ultra Vivid Scene song to close it out and hit the hour mark.
Until tomorrow!