vain, selfish & lazy.

Saturday, June 17, 2000

Disaster! After last night's recommendation, Detuned Radio is now higher on the chart than Solinger is. Well, better discontinue that feature, then. Sorry, Fred.
I am delighted to say that I am an e-fluential. I should hope so too. E-fluentials appears to be a cheapjack market research outfit which rather than offering proper incentives to its panel members is instead offering them flattery, by claiming that they are in a mythical 'top 9%' of savvy and intelligent web users. Unfortunately by e-fluentials' definition, any political obsessive or Usenet stalker fits into this elite group. It's a slimy operation which panders to the very worst elements of the websurfer's insecure ego, and needless to add I think it will be a) enormously successful and b) completely useless. (Link thieved from Spume)
-Tanya Headon | steal this link! | discuss

Friday, June 16, 2000

Well, I guess I should be contributing something to my own fine (not to mention redesigned) website, but I suppose I feel I owe something to Monsieur Solinger. Plus, I may not have the chance this weekend to add to this blog, as my DSL connection at home appears to be down, so here we go...

Mr. Planet SOMA's latest journal entry reminds me of a certain yearly event me and my fellow homosexual friends will be actively ignoring this year.

There's a link to this on my own site, but I'll actually say something about it here: naho.com is cute and girly, very Hello Kitty, if you will. There's free web-stuff, like animations of happy people in candy colors. Yum.

This is a real movie list.

Growing up, James Joyce was like a father to me. (Well, not really.) This webpage reminds me why some people refer to Finnegans Wake as a hypertext novel, or something equally pretentious-sounding.
-Michael Daddino | steal this link! | discuss

Clearly we need some kind of THEME this weekend. In order to encourage the healthy capitalistic virtue of competition, let's take a look at the sites which are snapping at Solinger's HEELS on the stats4all 'Personal Page' chart. There sits Fred at No.20. A mere two visitors below him is Catherine of Detuned Radio. Catherine is 16, her design is loads better than Fred's and her fine blog is considerably less turquoise, too. She has an extensive music page with sound samples: I find it a matter of some concern that the YOUTH OF TODAY are listening to dessicated nonsense like To Rococo Rot but it's been a while since I was 16 and perhaps gibberish songs about Ants are what 'do it' for the kids nowadays. Visit Catherine's site and help her THRASH THIS BLOG INTO THE GROUND, hitswise.
-Tanya Headon | steal this link! | discuss

Hello, people, Tanya Headon here. I run the best music weblog in the world and I agreed to help out on Steal This Blog while Solinger entertains his HAREM of HUMANCLICK BABES at a weekend swingers party. I like Fred, apart from his taste in music (it's more the fact he has taste in music than any specific sins, mind you) so I've promised to be moderate. In the great tradition of Steal This Blog I am now going to whore for a link: I like gobshite because it links to ME, but I also like its huge FONT, a particular blessing at a time when it seems the 'in thing to do' is to make your blogging fonts as tiny as possible. The reason for this is obvious: when your mother finds that you have GONE BLIND after surfing the net you will need an excuse such as "Oh, it was all those blogs I read", whereas of course the real truth is that you've been spending day and night surfing for PORN.
-Tanya Headon | steal this link! | discuss

Backstreet Boys Full Body Funky Chunky Magnet: Obviously the manager of the Blogstreet Boys has been sleeping on the job. Where's the laughably tacky Blogstreet paraphernalia? (Amusing aside: has anyone looked at the dictionary definition of paraphernalia recently? Definition 1 puts a new spin on the phrase "drug paraphernalia"...)
-Dan Perry | steal this link! | discuss

what's your wu-name?: if you were a member of the wu-tang clan, what would your name be? mine is greasy choirboy. some people i know would say that's all too fitting, but FUCK them. anyhow, this link was ruthlessly stolen from the sicklytim.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

tlc to split?: it's not really a shock, is it? given all of the acrimony between the trio lately, it's hardly surprising.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

radiohead's first gig in 18 months posted on napster: YESSSS!!!!!!!! um, no, just kidding.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

do you want to steal this blog?: well, here's your chance! as you've undoubtedly noticed, i don't do updates on the weekend. instead, i leave it to a hastily arranged crack team of bloggers. well, frankly, i'd like to have even more people contribute. so if you want to try your hand at posting to this blog, feel free to drop me a line, and i'll send you an invite. act now, this is a limited time offer!
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

CHIC - RUMSEY PLAYFIELD - 6/15/00
the fifteenth anniversary bash for summerstage got off to a fairly well start with a dj set by frenchman and one-time air associate, alex gopher. for most of his set, the music acted as wallpaper as he was playing too many rarities. my rule on rarities: in order for one to move a crowd, it's got to be at least three times better than even a mediocre "classic." he reached a peak early by seguing funkadelic's "red hot mama" into zapp's "more bounce to the ounce," but then destroyed all of that momentum with another obscure track. it did end very well, though, with a trio of prince's "controversy," skyy's "call me," and indeep's "last night a dj saved my life."

a couple of opening acts filled the void, but i didn't pay much attention to them. we had another interesting crowd on hand last night with people of all ages and races gathered together: the strangest was an old woman in a plaid skirt and leather jacket who shook her shit when the band came on, and the most pathetic were all of the guys who at one time fancied themselves their neighborhood's tony manero. apparently, the band was late which forced the organizers to talk more than anyone wanted them to, bringing up pretty much anyone who had something to say.

finally, they arrived and stormed the stage. "le freak" started the show off, and it was somewhat of a disappointment. maybe they weren't really warmed up at that time or maybe it's just so perfect in its studio version that it couldn't help but pale in comparison; either way, i was feeling a bit worried.

i'd soon realize that there was nothing to worry about as they found their groove and just took off. hit after hit followed and they sounded as good as ever. the billing says chic, but it's really nile rodgers and a back band. a very good backing band, but a backing band nonetheless. there was obviously no bernard edwards who sadly passed on several years ago (more on that later), no tony thompson, hell, not even an alfa anderson, but the band was still top notch. the percussionist damn near stole the show. according to nile, he was one of the percussionists jimi hendrix employed at woodstock. he was this little puerto rican guy and his musicianship was just as good as his showmanship, which was excellent. the rest of the band were nearly as good, with the horns and bassist particularly impressive.

highlights were many: the false start to "dance, dance, dance"; the medley of "i'm coming out," "upside down," and "he's the greatest dancer"; the band spotlight on "chic cheer." nile had a great rapport with the audience, but i guess that comes with all of the years in the biz. he and the band cleverly referred to the songs that used chic samples: "na, na, na"s from "gettin' jiggy with it" in "he's the greatest dancer" and singing the chorus of faith evans' "love like this" to "chic cheer." after they finished with a rousing rendition of "we are family," nile thanked the audience and said good night. YEAH RIGHT. like anyone believed they were leaving before playing "good times." so they returned to the stage and did a fabulous version of that all-time classic; unlike "le freak," this one perfectly translated to the live setting, and during the song's break, nile led the audience into the first verse of "rapper's delight," which everyone knows sampled "good times." hearing "good times" was just one of those great moments that i'm likely to never forget.

a couple of complaints: one, the name of bernard edwards was not mentioned once during the evening. considering that his stake in chic was as great as nile's, i thought it was a miscue not to talk about him. also, while the rest of the band sounded great, nile's guitar was lost in the mix. when he got a solo, he showed that he's still one of the very best rhythm players out there, but too often he was drowned out. end of complaints. it was a free show and a fun night out and i can't wait to see what other good times are to be had at upcoming summerstage shows.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

some clarification: from western homes. initially, you may recall that i took umbrage with being called an "indie" blog. now, he has let us know what he means by indie. my friend, though we have our differences in musical preference, i still respect and enjoy your reviews, and visit the site daily. hey, we'll always have eminem. ;)
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

why you won't see much sex in shaft: how can you be the black private dick who's a sex machine to all the chicks if you don't get to sex up a few hotties? the studio says they did it out of political correctness, i.e., they don't want to offend women. what woman who's going to see shaft doesn't expect him to have a lot of sex? for God's sake, it's all laid out in the theme song! i see it as the old double standard in hollywood, i.e. the studio still thinks african-americans having sex on screen isn't okay.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

madonna ends london house hunt: the article mentions her complaining about spending lots of money on houses in "cold" and "damp" london locations. obviously she just hasn't visited the "warm" and "sunny" areas of london yet.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

billy bob and angelina -- homicidal lovers: once again, i have nothing to add.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

columbia tristar tv sends 'donny & marie' packing: sometimes the world just isn't fair.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

minn. gov. ventura plays himself on cbs soap: ``the plots are so real-life, they're the meat and potatoes of what goes on in the real world," ventura said, proving for a FACT that he is not out of touch. and, hey, since when is predator a b-movie?!
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

bomb scare at matchbox 20's london show: but what's new? whenever matchbox 20 or counting crows are in the house or release an album, there's always the very real threat of a bombing. if you get what i mean.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

madonna 'music' set for july: according to a website, the single will be released july 6 "due, in large part, to the premature posting to the internet of a stolen and unfinished version of the 'music' single." little does she know that NO ONE WILL BUY IT BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE IT ON MP3!!! HA HA HA HA HA!

personally, i think she needs to calm down a bit, but i can't complain about getting the music earlier. then again, if it's able to be released right now, why was she holding off anyway?
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

gates still richest man in world: he lost one-third of his fortune this year and the government is trying to split his company, but don't feel too bad for him. he'll still die richer than you and all of your relatives and ancestors combined.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

Thursday, June 15, 2000

save napster: well, it's about time. for all of your napster concerns, this blog is the place to go. one of these days i'm going to give my opinion napster. one of these days.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

miss bitch: via humanclick, i just had a nice chat with lyssa who is the woman behind the brand spanking new blog, miss bitch, and the owner of the enviable bitch.org.uk domain. what i find is that all of these blog chicks out there calling themselves bitches aren't bitches at all. though maybe i'm just catching them at the right time. her blog is just getting off the ground, so why don't you go pay her a visit?
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

the cult are back in business: yes, but don't say it too loudly! i mean, after all, they're doing a diane warren ballad on the gone in 60 seconds soundtrack. for those who don't know, diane warren has penned songs for celine dion, barbra streisand, whitney houston, ricky martin, and now, the cult. hmm.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

no, reeg: i'd like to change my answer; i read the question wrong. the correct answer is $52.50, and that's my final answer.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

hmmm...: i was expecting to get an even kind of number, but i get approx. $38.52. is this correct?
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

who wants to drop kathy lee gifford onto regis' head? did you answer yes? then go to smashregis.com and enjoy. i have another variation of the game: i hide outside regis' apartment building early in the morning, and then i jump from behind a corner and smash him in the face! at first, he thought it was cute, but i think he's beginning to tire of it. (link via riothero.)
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

just a thought: thinkdink says:
"Just a thought - blogging is the coffee break of the new era."
that's funny. i think of working as the coffee break of the blogging era. ;)
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

so last night...: we watched the philadelphia story. it's #11 on the afi list i mentioned yesterday of the century's greatest comedies. it's arguably better than anything ahead of it -- though 1, 3, and 5 are tough competition -- and it is certainly better than fucking tootsie. this really isn't a review, i guess, because i like to reserve that for movies i've only just seen and i've known the philadelphia story since i was a teen, though i don't think i've ever appreciated it at much as i did watching it last night.

first off, the stars: i can't imagine how much money it would cost today to get a trio with the combined star power of hepburn, grant, and stewart in one movie and then, secondly, i can't imagine that it's even possible to find a threesome of stars that popular and talented in hollywood today. (in a remake, for better of for worse, i'd see julia roberts, rupert everett, and tom hanks, respectively, being cast in the leading roles.)

the movie itself is just delectable, from grant knocking hepburn to the ground to the end surprise wedding. the story is great and the dialogue is stinging and witty. hepburn dazzles as the "goddess," she seems to relish the role; grant is perfectly droll: he had eight movies on that list, which made me realize that i've somehow been oblivious to his comic genius; and stewart deservedly won an oscar for his portrayal of the novelist/reporter with a chip on his shoulder -- he gave the part exactly the kind of delightful churlishness it need.

when movie critics say things like, "they don't make movies like that anymore," i can only imagine that they're thinking of films like the philadelphia story. i don't think any writer/director working today could come up with anything like this, and there's probably a reason for that. the philadelphia story is a product of its time: the rich were still idle and high society activities still nabbed the front page of the daily paper. the fact that it's redolent of a time when things were simpler and symbolizes an era when hollywood stars seemed graceful and larger-than-life is probably a large part of its appeal to me. at times, i feel like i don't belong in this day and age, and so i'm grateful to movies like the philadelphia story that effortlessly and artfully take me back into time, allowing me to escape from these modern times, if only for a little while.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

another cute blog alert: this one comes courtesy of jerwin, who gets all weird about it. anyway, it's called elvis doesn't eat fish, and it's run by a girl named noa. reading her about page, one finds that she loves elvis and hates cats and coffee -- sounds like my kind of chick. go check it out.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

cute blog alert!*: while checking the update page at blogger, i discovered amplified to rock. yes, there are links to elliott smith and quotes from guided by voices (sounds like we have another catherine on our hands), BUT all of this is forgiven by the latest post which mentions that the mag field's "busby berkeley dreams" was cranked. for that reason alone, you owe it to yourself to visit. as far as i can tell, it seems interesting and can only get better with time.

*yes, i too am embarrassed that i stole that one from the dearly departed sassy.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

"straight edge": which is inspired by this, this, and this. i am one such person that tom is talking about when he mentions the online americans he knows that are "non-militant" straight-edge. i've mentioned once on this blog, while discussing thetruth.com, that i don't smoke, do drugs, or drink. no one ever really asks you why you don't do the first two. i assume that they know there are health risks involved with them so if you don't do it, the reasons are obvious.

i've heard about these straight-edge folks and i imagine as i learn more about them that i'd hate them as much as i hate thetruth.com. i am quite the opposite of all of them: the one and only thing we have in common is that we're abstemious. i loathe to discuss the reasons why i don't drink alcohol as they're intensely personal, and besides the question is usually raised at a noisy bar, the last place i'd like to discuss such matters, particularly when i'd need to SHOUT them to make them heard. besides that, i'd never think of preaching about it: it's my decision and it works for me. it may not be your thing, and if it's not, that's cool. it's your life and it's for you to live.

so why don't i drink? alcoholism runs in the family. a number of relatives have lost their lives due to drunk driving, usually at an early age. for many, that would be enough in itself. however, i've also done a lot of thinking and have tried to understand more about myself: one of the things i've learned is that i have an addictive personality. throughout my life, i've become addicted to things: comic books, sports cards, music, computers, video games, etc. thankfully, those have had no negative health consequences, but have served to make me lighter of wallet.

i'm also fairly addicted to both caffeine and sugar. since i've moved, the former has gotten a bit under control, but the latter is about as bad as it's always been. when i've got both of those conspiring against me, i don't need anything else to worry about. when people hear about how i don't drink or smoke, they think about how health-conscious it is: yes, it is, but to counter the sugar and caffeine, i need to not drink or smoke. it's as simple as that.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

tomb raider: the movie: angelina jolie as lara croft: the internet geek's dream fulfilled.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

bloodhound gang star detained by police after onstage antics: dude, that kind of thing may play in the stix, but you're in the soviet union now! they've killed people for less!
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

radiohead apologise for pulled show: this quote from thom yorke typifies why i hate radiohead:
"It was just too dangerous with the thundr (sic) and lightning very very frightening. I'm off to sleep, goodnight."
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

carrey hangs up on ``phone'': it's probably for the best. now if only he had done the same to the "grinch" people.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

Wednesday, June 14, 2000

wall street mafia busted: dude, if this means no more ranch 1 for me, i'm going to be pissed.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

man doesn't remember $10,000 tip: the other day, i insulted the british by stereotyping them as rude. for that, i apologize. it turns out that the guy was not in fact a rude brit but a drunk brit, which is akin to saying something like wet water.

the woman did get her tip from the bar owner. now playboy wants her to pose nude. if you're young and female, being offered a spot in playboy seems to come with your fifteen minutes of fame package.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

DE LA SOUL FT. REDMAN, "OOH"
"ooh" isn't the adjective for this song. no, the appropriate descriptive for the new de la single can be found in another recent monosyllabic hip-hop title: "WHOA!"

a few weeks ago, de la came up as a topic on the okayplayer boards. i expressed my disappointment with stakes is high, and found that this was an opinion shared by the majority of respondents. it wasn't bad, it was just average with some flashes of old brilliance. when one surveys the career of de la soul, you realize that for this innovative group, being average is worse than being flat-out bad.

i'd read an advance review of the "ooh" at hiphopsite.com and my hopes for the upcoming, oft-delayed de la set grew. i read that redman would be on the single and, in my mind, i couldn't think of a more bizarre pairing as redman strikes me as the kind of rapper who would've dissed the group back during the daisy age, but i was eager to hear how he'd interact with the group. when i went to the roots concert in central park, there were guys handing out flyers celebrating the return of de la with "ooh" -- put simply, anticipation was building all around. i finally acquired a copy of the single and i'm happily here to report that "oooh" is quite easily the best thing they've done since "breakadawn."

the song starts off with redman quoting run dmc's "together forever" lending an easygoing yet assured feel to the proceedings. all three rappers (including redman) display their skills, but their skills were never in question: my problem with de la's recent records is that the production has been very dull and uninspired -- simply unacceptable for a group who, with prince paul's help, created some of the most groundbreaking music ever.

so the big surprise, then, is the beat. oddly enough, it's produced by rockwilder, who's better known for working with busta rhymes, big pun, and redman, but his street-styled production melds wonderfully with de la's rhymes. the funky guitar and bass is complimented perfectly by the background samples of "ooh"s and an interesting use of the "blow your head" sample (think p.e.'s "public enemy #1"). with the chant-along chorus, it's one of those tracks, in the classic de la sense, that can't help but put a smile on your face.

is it earth-shattering? no. is it classic de la? hmm, maybe, but right now i'm leaning towards no. is it very good de la? yes, it is. given my shattered faith in them as of late, my fear that without prince paul, they're nothing, having a de la soul song just put a smile on my face is all that i could ask for. with summer just around the corner, the timing for the release of this single couldn't be better. they've never really been accepted by the hot 97 crowd, but hopefully with redman's help, this one will be a part of the season's soundtrack.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

barbie reaches out to deaf: is there anything the woman can't do? forget about her having an unnatural figure, how do all of her achievements and abilities not make young girls feel inadequate?
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

site update: the playlist page has been totally revamped (almost). reviews are forthcoming on much of this stuff.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

flavor flav sides with springsteen: the strangest bedfellows. EVER. in other news, the cop who made the "floating fag" comment that mike blogged has apologized. aw. all better now.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

the coolest and uncoolest people in rock: according to melody maker, but for some reason, printed by q. look at the top three "coolest" and realize what's wrong with the uk.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

new york summer restaurant week 2000: WHOA! i just got faxed this info. if you don't live in new york, i pity you, but you also won't be able to take advantage of this!
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

pitchfork review of imagine: for a character like brent d. who tries to keep as cool as possible, this rant is embarrassing. brent, e-mail this guy. i think you two would have a lot to talk about.

thanks to tom for pointing this one out.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

aol blocks another instant messaging rival: aim, the one aol program i've said nice things about in the past and is FREE, may not survive the ftc's review of the aol-time warner merger. but, for now, my aim user name is fred91577.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

i just thought you should see this: sebastian bach, as some of you will unfondly recall, was the singer of a hair metal combo called skid row. it's nice to see that his "talent" isn't going to waste.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

man dies after organ delivery mix-up: now this is just about the worst thing that could happen to you. admittedly, i'm no surgeon, but i believe i could tell the difference between a heart and a kidney, especially if i was being paid to have that kind of knowledge.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

regis philbin starts clothing line: is nothing sacred anymore? in the past, you'd have to be a celebrity on the level of kathy ireland or victoria principal to get your own clothing line, but now they'll give one to any two-bit quiz show host. how times have changed.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

''some like it hot'' -- a century's best comedy: another list from the folks at the american film institute. not too much controversy this time around, though tootsie at #2 is a head-scratcher. at the very least, i think they should be lauded for doing a special on comedies as many critics still hesitate to call them art. mel brooks said it well last night: "drama is bullshit."
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

the barbelith 100: one thing you can say: the man loves his belle & sebastian. ;) other than that, i'm glad to own 43 of them, and then i hate 20 of them. long time readers will be able to guess which is which. not a bad ratio, then.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

doors musical hopes to hit broadway: and i thought that footloose was the worst idea for a musical ever.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

ritchie not frischman's type of guy: calls madonna's beau a "useless little sod." BURRRNNNN!!!!!
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

mansun in fire drama: but who would possibly want to hurt mansun?!
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

Tuesday, June 13, 2000

to my female fans: if you're young, female, and love this blog, might i suggest the josh blog? besides being super dreamy, josh also writes about how sensitive he is and how he does nice stuff for chicks. occasionally, he even discusses music. he's a friend of mine and i desperately wish that he'd find the right girl and settle down. maybe it's you! but you'll never know if you don't read the josh blog.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - "AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS)"
so, at last i've heard the song that's causing a firestorm of controversy. is it anti-cop? no. should the nypd be bothered? yes, probably

is bruce springsteen anti-cop? no. as has been mentioned time and again, springsteen is very pro-cop, right down to headlining a benefit in southern new jersey for a cop slain in the line of duty. so what's his problem? well, apparently, he doesn't like bad cops.

what is all of this even about? if you live in the new york metropolitan, you know all about amidou diallo. if not, go here and read up. the "41 shots" referred to in the title are the number of times the police shot at diallo, and the "wallet" mentioned in the chorus is what diallo had in his hand -- not a weapon as the cops had thought.

so is it any good as a song? yes and no. the lyrics are textbook springsteen, the story of a mother instructing her young son to be polite to officers and, if he should get in trouble, to always keep his hands where they can see so that he doesn't end up like diallo. the lesson? you could end up a victim of the police based on your skin color. frustratingly enough, though, the song never goes beyond just shining a light on the problem: he doesn't examine the root of the problem (which may or may not be doing the cops a disservice) and he doesn't offer any solutions.

as far as the song goes, it's as anthemic and epic as you would imagine, building to a crescendo at about the six-minute mark with the boss raspily shouting out the chorus. there's a definite mood to it -- defiant, indignant, mournful -- but it feels half-finished, like the product of a jam session. by the time he finishes his ten-night stand in new york, i imagine it'll be more fleshed out. the streets of this city gave birth to the song and if he can't find the right inspiration here, i'll bet that you see this one on another tracks set 10-15 years down the line.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

my top 10 albums of the 90s: i think this should accurately reflect my faves from that past decade. so with no further ado...

10. pixies, trompe le monde
9. tony toni tone, house of music
8. public enemy, fear of a black planet
7. happy mondays, pills n' thrills & bellyaches
6. spiritualized, ladies & gentlemen, we are floating in space
5. primal scream, screamadelica
4. pulp, different class
3. suede, dog man star
2. massive attack, blue lines
and, coming in at number one....

1. magnetic fields, 69 love songs: nearly a year after its release, this album is still unveiling new gems to me (see the current mixtape.) and as time goes by, its stature only grows and grows.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

there is no point to this entry: besides letting cat know that she should rename her site, "steal this pita!" with all of the link thievery going on. oh, and that living in an apartment building that pays your electric bills is sweet, allowing you to run the air conditioner at ALL TIMES.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

manhattan's pup art: i just walked by this thing on my lunch break, and now you too can see the flower puppy.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

bad andy: okay, just what is this thing? he apparently works for domino's and his name is bad andy (he's pictured at the top of the page.) i want you to read this press statement and then come back and tell me what it all means.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

tom's album list: damn, this list is sure making its way around the 'net...only six months or so after it was created but, hey, that's the speed of the internet i guess. ;)

barbelith mentions that he has a handful of them; prolific hates number 90 (and with good reason); not so soft feels out of the loop by not owning any of them (don't worry, darling, he has awful taste); josh owns a few of them and notes that he must've been listening to different music (yes, awful music); and us against them only owns two of the albums and takes a well-deserved dig at mr. ewing.

so how do i stack up against tom? i own 1, 4, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 20, 21, 22, 26, 28, 29, 36, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 46, 48, 53, 56, 57, 68, 73, 75, 83, and 94. one day, i will own 2, 8, 11, 18, 30, 85, 92, and 96. i will kill myself and all those i hold dear before i own 7.

for a better, altogether more thought-out list with a less tossed-off feel to it, see ned's 136 albums or so of the 90s, also on tom's own freaky trigger site. i own 28 of those. am i surprised that tom hasn't advertised ned's list in all of the hoopla? no. sadly, i'm not.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

philosophical musing of the day: last night, i went out to get some ice cream and soda. just ice cream and soda, and yet as i ran down the stairs in my apartment building, i had this feeling of everything just being right. i can't tell you why, really, but it's such a wonderful feeling to have. as i neared the door, i noticed one of my neighbors coming in and so i opened it for him. he said, "ah! it's the ballet dancer!" the other day, he let me know, in the nicest way possible, that i stomped too much. i asked him if it had gotten better and he nodded his approval. i wished him a good night and he did the same. he's a very nice, outgoing old man and one of only two people in the whole building who've said a word to me. i read in the village voice's shelter section about how everyone has this great sense of community with their fellow tenants, an experience that i lack where i live. when i talk with people from work, they tell me about how everyone in their buildings does their own thing and stays behind their locked doors which is kind of sad, i guess, but it's not enough to change my mood.

so i go to the local grocery store, buy a bottle of mountain dew and a ben & jerry's half-baked (a combo of chocolate fudge brownie and chocolate chip cookie dough) and cherry garcia. they have a new flavor called orange & cream which sounded really tempting at the time, and phish food is always very tempting and is quickly becoming my favorite flavor. it is good enough to justify the existence of phish, the band.

after i pay for everything, i head back out onto the street. the sky was very pretty, most likely due to the storm. as i walk back i start thinking: here i am, young, healthy, and in the greatest city in the world. what more could i ask for? sure, the rain was coming down, but i didn't mind. after all, a little rain never hurt anyone.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

XICA!: we don't have cable yet, so for entertainment, we turn to public access, the chinese channel, and the hispanic networks. one evening, i stumbled across this show featuring badly dubbed actors in revolutionary-era get-ups. it was one of the two or three silliest things i've ever seen. spanish-language novellas have always been entertaining in a super trashy kind of way, but this one elevated the novella to the level of art -- or at least it was trying very hard to.

a couple of weeks later, i was watching entertainment tonight...and the cover story was on that very show, xica! as the heroine explained, it's a show about slavery in brazil in the 1800s or so and xica won her freedom with her wits...and with her body. yes, the show is extremely racy, making the censors extremely busy as its simulated sex puts u.s. soaps to shame, but i dunno. it doesn't strike me as very "hot." because of the dubbing and because of the outfits, when the characters have sex, it's about as ridiculous as the notion of your parents having sex (because they did at least once, you know.)

it shouldn't go without mention that the president and ceo of telemundo, one of the largest spanish-language networks in the world, is an old white man named...jim mcnamara. huh.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

1900 house: so i watched 1900 house last night, and let me tell you something. only in england, would a family travel back to the country's dirty, filthy past for the sole reward of...getting to be on television! i mean, at least the survivor people are getting a $1 million if they win, and the real world kids get to live in really posh surroundings (here's an idea for a crossover: what happens when you take seven whiny, spoiled punk-ass strangers and force them to live as if it were the year 1900?).

what i saw last night were a bunch of families with smiling faces talking about how wonderful it'd be to live without electricity. hell, one family didn't even know why they wanted to be on, but they apparently did, having crafted an audition video. funniest of all was the family who seemed to own authentic 1900 clothing which led me to wonder if that's their normal dress. all of these families had one thing in common: they seemed to have an average of five children. why would you want to live in a house with all of those children who'll have to toys to entertain them? that's just asking for it, really. the family that "won" have a child who they described as a "computer game addict." that's just brilliant!

you sit there, watching the show, knowing about as much as the families do about the situation and, i don't know about you, but i wouldn't even dream about living in that damned house. WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE THINKING? so they show you footage from upcoming shows, and what do you know: they hate it there. do you feel bad for them? not in the least. what you do think about is how sweet it must be for the eldest child who gets to watch over the family home and live without her parents for THREE MONTHS. dude, that rocks! i bet she was the one who convinced them to do this in the first place.

i'll admit that watching them put together the house got a bit dry at times, but now that the family is in there and the focus should be on them, it'll only get better. i reckon that this is even worse than survivor: in survivor, at least you're so far removed from society that electricity is but a dream. the bowlers are surrounded by modernity -- it's everywhere that they go! it's as if an amish family moved into the neighborhood. do the neighbors make fun of them at every opportunity? will the boiler explode and kill them all? i guess we'll just have to tune in for the next installment.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

john goodman sitcom gets makeover:
the setting: central casting.
casting guy #1: "so, we need a single gay father for this new fox sitcom. any suggestions?"
casting guy #2: "well, one name leaps readily to mind: JOHN GOODMAN!"
casting guy #1:"i can't believe i didn't think of that! someone get his agent on the line."
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

bobby brown admits alcoholism: and for all of this time, i thought it was just stupidity. the surprises just keep on coming.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

jim carrey movie angers alliance for mentally ill: this group must love the farrelly brothers.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

ny cheers springsteen's diallo song: so much for that police boycott. here's a common reaction: "when he plays that song, i plan on booing all the way through." but she's obviously still planning on going to the concert. the boss 1, cops 0. ;)
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

uh oh!: it looks like the worst kind of crime is returning to new york city: random violence.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

Monday, June 12, 2000

a love letter...for me?: i'm flattered. i received this poem praising the site on saturday:

roses are red and violets are blue
your blog is a notch better than poo
I like to play with a ball or a toy
I got your blog cause youre a blogstreet boy
Summer is here and its quite excellent
My car is really cool except for the dent
this poem could not possibly get any worse
save it and kill it and drive it away in a herse

thank you, claire. that was lovely. keep them coming, folks, and perhaps you too can earn infamy on steal this blog!
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

imood.com: i've seen this on a number of blogs and i'm not sure what to think. it seems to be a chick thing and that may explain why i don't get it. it's a very touchy-feely, new age-y type of thing that, according to the site, "helps you keep in touch with how you and your friends are feeling."

hey, here's an idea! if they're your friends, why not ask them how they're feeling? if you don't care about them that much to even do that, then maybe they're not your friends after all. this is not to malign anyone who uses this service, btw. it's just another in a long line of services that are de-personalizing the internet by trying to make it more personal. i just hope to God that no one is paying for this.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

oasis announce free open-air gig in paris: they have to resort to playing for free. this is how bad things have gotten.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

radiskull & devil doll: no, no, episode four is not up yet, but for those of you unfamiliar with this pair, i'd like to introduce you to them. this is my favorite net "show," as it were, starring the cantankerous radiskull and the adorable, yet unspeakably evil devil doll. go view them yourself and then tell me they aren't the best thing since sliced blogger.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

ouch!: jerwin nails one of the more unpleasant sides of blogging, and that is the clique-ishness of it all. this isn't to say that our back-and-forth isn't clique-ish, and i will admit to having a circle of friends within this blogging thing. the main difference seems to be that i'm willing to allow new people into it, and i continue to do so with each passing day. to have any other attitude about it is self-defeating to the entire purpose of blogging as i see it, and that is trying to find like-minded individuals to converse with. i found it refreshing to learn that at least one of the "popular bloggers" feels the same way.

to a degree, it's understandable to feel the way that some do, since we are relative newcomers, we can't talk about old times -- old times get stale pretty fast, though. i've noticed that some do not like the proliferation of blogging and will ignore newer blogs on this alone. many of the more popular bloggers have their own domain name and are biased against those with poor design; some won't associate with you because your hit count is too low. again, i find it best to have an open policy: i think i've at least mentioned anyone who's talked about this blog before, and if i haven't, please feel free to -fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

scratch that: i found the guy test which can be taken here. it says my ideal celeb is...jennifer aniston? yuck.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

emode: i'm sure all of you already know about emode. what you may not have known is that i just went there and took some tests! yeah!

um. anyway. the loony test seemed to verify the insanity test i took the other day, saying that i'm "as loony as i wanna be." my super power, for those who may dare to cross my path in the future, is super speed (which isn't cool, cos in terms of uselessness, i used to put the flash right up there with aquaman). i wanted to do the celebrity match-making test, but it's for women. i find that a lot of these type of quizzes and tests are more geared towards women.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

i'm not as slutty as i thought: thespark.com proved it. their lastest test is the slut test. yes, you're supposed to be a woman to take it, i know, but i have a healthy imagination. it turns out that i am sluttier than 38% of all women, which isn't very impressive. just don't ask about the thong underwear. please.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

yet another site update: my review of the roots show in central park from last week can now be found in the reviews archive. while there, be sure to check out many of the other reviews i've written on a plethora of things.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

some responses to stuff while i was away:
dan/dex/WHATEVER you're calling yourself today: the cure suck. you made me do it.
tom: as i told you earlier, i'd seen neighbor sex when it was just starting. it didn't have that nifty chart when i was there, though. funny stuff, and i'm sure it helps them to vent.
tom: promoting duel here? you shameless huckster!
mike: all of this nonsense about springsteen is going to go down right outside my door. can't wait to see it! ;)
mike, again: bob pollard cleans out his basement, huh? good, maybe that's where he was hiding all of the GOOD songs.
mike, again: 1) there is no such thing as decent desktop wallpaper. 2) because there is no such thing as decent desktop wallpaper. so much for rhetorical.
jerwin: too much info. ;)
mike: thanks for the restraint.
jerwin: i'm trying to get these damn perma-links to work. really, i am.
mike & jerwin: why don't you two get a room? ;)
mike: saw a commercial for 1900 house last night. this is the real survivor.
tom: when you said arnold, the first thing that popped into my head was gary coleman as arnold on "diff'rent strokes." freaky.
tom, again: ooh, pokemon husbandry! it scares me that a number of children will only see the sun rise and set while playing pokemon gold and silver.
as if i didn't do enough shameless plugs in the above, here are a few more.

what? yes, i am very pleased with myself.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

another site update: the archives have been updated to include last week's utter INSANITY. you should visit there some time.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

new poll!: the other day, i got sent e-mail from a newcomer asking me what makes for an interesting blog. i'd like to think that she thought mine was interesting and that's why she was asking. so i'm asking all of you: what makes for an interesting blog? please feel free to comment.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

site update: the playlists/mixtape section has been updated. i created a new tape, and it tends to lean towards the pop side of things. my playlist has also changed slightly. see if you can guess the changes!
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

a slow day for news: indeed. so i guess i'll have to regale you with stories of my weekend. a good weekend it was, too. saturday night, my girlfriend and i attended a charity dinner organized in part by one of her co-workers. it was a very nice affair and a good time was had by all, and a better time was had by some, but more on that later.

one of her co-workers seemed smashed by the time she got there and dragged me out onto the dance floor. how do we know she was smashed? the woman nearly punched a guy out for touching her hair and here she is allowing her buttocks to come in contact with mine while doing "the bump." she nearly killed me with all of the dancing. she commented to my girlfriend that she'd like to rent me out whenever she goes to a party. ideas of a male escort service whirled through my head but were then dashed when i was yanked onto the dance floor yet again.

so, yes, some had a good time and others had an even better time. when my friends, in their early 20s, get drunk, they get very ridiculous. that's nothing, though, when compared to her friends, in their mid-30s or so, when they get drunk. honestly, i thought i was in high school again, but i'll be damned if it wasn't funny. scary thought, though: a number of them had to drive home and they were discussing plans to go to get more alcohol at a local bar even as we were leaving. hopefully they all made it home okay.

as part of attending that night, we received free movie passes, which brought our personal total to four. yesterday, it was hot as a muhfucka, so what better way to spend the day than in an airconditioned theater watching a great popcorn movie. we looked at the listings, but nothing that we hadn't seen looked any good. so we saw gladiator again. even with its length, it still managed to entertain, nearly as well as the first time around. a few of the flaws seemed more significant this time around:
- there's no need for the romantic subplot.
- the cgi effects, though they improve as the movie progresses, still aren't very good.
- the dialogue should've been as simple as the thrills the action brought. i could've done without the philosophical musings.
- when commodus' "love me, dammit" complex is played straight, it's trite and often unbearable.

still, i highly recommend this movie to all. so go see it; i mean, what else are you going to see? gone in 60 seconds?
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

stork time for celine: sure, this should keep her busy for a while. but then we have to contend with the baby album! GAH!
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

gilligan comments on "survivor": but bob, "gilligan's island" wasn't real. was it?
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

celine reveals 'obsessive love for golf': i have nothing clever to say about this at all. it speaks for itself.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

'noel's a loser' - liam: it's liam's tough guy way of saying, "PLEEEAAASEE don't go."
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

good morning!: your regularly scheduled blogging will begin shortly. i'd like to thank dan, tom, mike, and jerwin for keeping the site up over the weekend. of course, i'd also like to bitch out tom for not using tags since i've personally heard him complain about other people not doing the same on his blogs.

don't you hate it when you can't find a good link for something you read in the real world? ah, scratch that. here we go.
meet dreamstreet. when you find the backstreet boys are too complex and mature, there's dreamstreet.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

Sunday, June 11, 2000

Pokémon World - Games: "For the first time, you'll be able to find out if your Pokémon is a boy or a girl. If you introduce two Pokémon of opposite genders, you could end up with a Pokémon egg! By hatching the egg, you can create pre-evolved Pokémon that have never been seen before." Um..... Also: "Pokémon Gold and Silver are guaranteed to amaze you with a wide range of ground-breaking features. A built-in clock will keep track of whether you're playing the game at night or during the day". Or of course you could look up at the sky.
-Tom Ewing | steal this link! | discuss

Celebrity Dreams: "Suddenly Arnold pops out of thin air and starts giving everyone a lecture.. I never dream about celebrities, I'd die of embarrassment if I did. But these people dream about Arnold Schwarzenegger. All the time. A full-on celebrity dreambook is such an obvious idea for an internet site, but nobody seems to be doing it. Probably a good thing.
-Tom Ewing | steal this link! | discuss

I haven't seen 1900 House yet. But based on the evidence, I think Joyce Bowler -- animated, inquisitive and well-nigh exhibitionist -- would make any reality television show worth watching.
-Michael Daddino | steal this link! | discuss

Dominatrix? Tutu? No, nothing like that, heaven forbid! I had it when I was maybe five years old. I was making the Captain angsty in some non-specific yet comic way, causing him to pile up a bunch of glowing guitars, each a different color, against a flight of stairs.

I won't venture an interpretation, but I recall that a) in The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud claims stairs as a symbol for male genitalia, b) the same could be said for guitars and c) the "each a different color" aspect is closely related to the only drug-induced hallucination I ever had, which was of a flower shop filled with an absurdly large number of Buddha statuettes, each a different color and size. So take that for what you will.

The Blinksters are not gorgeous, but when I say "don't even get me started" about their music, I mean that I have an embarrassingly strong affection for a couple of their tunes.

Blink 182's drummer scares me because he has a frightening number of tattoos and tattoos are so icky. But for some reason, I find that drummers are usually the sexiest members of alt or punk bands -- they're usually the most built or stocky one in the group.
-Michael Daddino | steal this link! | discuss