Play with this. A beautiful image database. Inspiring.

Lynn and I were discussing critical thinking late last night. It’s amazing how many people who blog just put in links to things like Robert Palmer’s death (yes, those sad emoticons so sum up your feelings about that two-hit wonder, I’m sure) and articles they’ve read and seen. I’m certainly guilty of that, but on occasion, I post about things I like or dislike and most importantly, I’d like to think I know why I feel a certain way about things.

My solution is this. Market a Dummies book about Critical Thinking. The Dummies Guide To Critical Thought won’t make you Noam Chomsky or even Roger Ebert, but you’ll be able to relate ideas more clearly to people without making them feel personally insulted because you fucking hate their work. You can say “I fucking hate your work because your ideas are scattershot with a lack of cohesion and no throughline. But the bit with the puppy was quite good.”

First person who’d get a copy would be Augie over at Comic Book Resources, who once decided he wasn’t going to read a comic because the lettering bothered him.

The Greatest Film Ever?

I think I’ll go visit Little Joe soon. Let him know I think he should look at arming himself if he wants to keep attempting escapes from the Franklin Park Zoo.

He may be a bitch, but Ishkur’s guide to Electronic Music is most satisfying. Check out this rather brutal tidbit on J-Pop:

I mean, I’m sure the culture is swell once you get past the incest and pedophelia and giant robots and all, but after that — huh? Japan is super crazy place, 100 PERCENT!

No, it’s not at all politically correct and there’s moments where he disses records I like, but I really admire the fact that he seems to truly love electronic music while smacking it around like the bitch it can be. (I’m sure that comes off as me being the sort of guy who masturbates to the latest Lifetime movie featuring a woman being clobbered by Mark Harmon or whoever’s playing her husband.)

Buy some of Kathy’s spooky stuff. She’s not Goth, but she plays one on TV.

George Plimpton is dead.

Author John Updike, an old friend of Plimpton’s, said: “My goodness, he was so vital, full of fun.”

Plimpton died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan, New York, friend Elaine Kaufman said.

I’ll have a glass of scotch for you tonight, and perhaps reread On The Road. You’ll be missed. Someone unafraid to be intellectual about the mundane and accessible.

Buy My RM1X, Suckers! Remix! Sequence! I’m selling my blue box. You need it.

Kevin Does A Stupid Internet Thing

1. What is your Full Name: Kevin Jon Church

2. What color trousers are you wearing right now? Khakis

3. What are you listening to right now: Gav talking about the sex he had

with his ex last night.

4. What are the last 2 digits of your phone number: 18

5. What was the last thing you ate: Super Cinnamon Raisin Bagel with

Peanut Butter

6. If you were a crayon what color would you be: Cornflower Blue

7. How is the weather right now: Loverly.

8. Last person you talked to on the phone: Tom DeLucia

9. First thing you notice about the opposite sex: Face.

10. Are you hungry right now: No.

11. How are you today: Eh.

12. Favorite Drink: Beer.

13. Favorite Alcoholic drink: More beer.

14. Favorite Sports: Women’s Soccer

15. Hair Color: Black with bits of grey creeping in.

16. Eye Color: Green

17. Do you wear contacts: Nope.

18. Siblings: 1 Brother, 14 years older.

19. Favorite Month: September

20. Favorite Food: General Gau’s Chicken

21. Last Movie you Watched: Shaolin Soccer

22. Favorite Day of the Year: Labor Day.

23. Are you too shy to ask someone out: No.

24. Summer or Winter: Winter.

25. Hugs or Kisses?: Kisses.

26. Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate.

27. Do you want your friends to write back: What friends?

28. Who is most likely to fill this survey out: Everyone before me.

29. Who is least likely to fill this survey out: Kari

30. Living Arrangements: Kristin’s my housemate cum life partner.

31. What books are you reading: Alan Moore’s SWAMP THING, LITTLE GREEN MEN

by Christopher Buckley.

32. What’s on your mouse pad: A mouse.

33. Favorite Board Game: Trivial Pursuit

34. What did you do last night: Watched a comedy DVD. Read.

Made dinner with K.

35. Favorite Smells: Apple pie. Cheese.

36. Can you touch your nose with your tongue: No.

37. What inspires you? The city. Alan Moore’s writing. Insane chinese cinema.

39. Favorite Flower: Roses.

40. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning:

“That hooker is starting to stink.”

Interviewer: So will Underworld go on and on like the Rolling Stones?

“I don’t want to pretend to be Karl in his 40′s or Karl in his 30′s when i’m in my 50′s and 60′s and 70′s. But i think it’ll be such a laugh making music and doing live stuff in our 80′s. The relative lack of ageism in the dance scene is really quite welcome.”

Yannick’s put up samples from the “Born Slippy 2003″ single. Rick’s Down Ambient mix will bliss you out.

It rained very, very hard yesterday. Afterwards, the sky was beautiful.

The buildings, they look down on you.

Russia, 1964. Admire the buildings, citizens, for we are winning the space race! (OK, no, really, that’s Boston, 2003, but…c’mon.)

A few moments ago, I ran into Claire. Claire’s a fetching girl, very toothsome and gregarious. I like her quite a bit. She’s an actress.

Today, she’s wearing an old-timey dress and taking people on a tour of the city.

I really hope she gets a better gig soon.

I done got told which candidate I should be votin’ fer.

1. Dean, Gov. Howard, VT – Democrat (100%)

2. Moseley-Braun, Former Senator Carol IL – Democrat (94%)

3. Kucinich, Cong. Dennis, OH – Democrat (91%)

4. Edwards, Senator John, NC – Democrat (83%)

5. Kerry, Senator John, MA – Democrat (81%)

6. Graham, Senator Bob, FL – Democrat (79%)

7. Gephardt, Cong. Dick, MO – Democrat (78%)

8. Clark, Retired Army General Wesley K “Wes” Arkansas – Democrat (77%)

9. Sharpton, Reverend Al – Democrat (74%)

10. Lieberman Senator Joe CT – Democrat (67%)

11. LaRouche, Lyndon H. Jr. – Democrat (65%)

12. Libertarian Candidate (46%)

13. Phillips, Howard – Constitution (3%)

14. Bush, George W. – US President (1%)

He makes dildos. Electric ones.

My commute home last Thursday. Photos.

From my screen, she tells me “Go home, Kevin. You look peaked.”

Young love.

“And at the fall of night, the city’s made of light”

Plastic look.

BARBELITH COMMANDS OBEDIENCE. (It’s OK if you don’t get the reference.)

Beneath the feet of the city.

Mind the gap.

Black and white boogie shoes.

Rest.

I have the plague. It’s raging inside of me, desiring an exit so it may infect all of you. I had to come into work today, but will be leaving early to dose up on fine medicines and enjoy some rest, which I’ve been informed should help this whole thing go away. FYI: my uvula now weighs eight pounds.

Huh. Plaid’s playing in the US. Nice one.

My favorite coffee spot is now websited or whatever the proper verb would be.

He has an angle-grinder and is seeking justice.

(Thanks to Vylar for pointing that out.)

Hooray! From The Official Pet Shop Boys Site. It never rains but it pours, eh?

PopArt: full details – 17 September ’03

24 Parlophone/EMI will release internationally a double-CD of Pet Shop Boys’ hits: “PopArt”. Since 1985, Pet Shop Boys have had 33 Top 20 hits in the UK and they will all be included on “PopArt” plus two new tracks: Miracles”, the forthcoming new single, and “Flamboyant”, a new song.

The U.S. release date for “PopArt” has not been decided yet.





Miracles happen in November – 17 September ’03

Pet Shop Boys will release their first single for well over a year in early November. The song is “Miracles” and was produced by and cowritten with Adam F and Dan Fresh. Neil describes it as: “very beautiful, very electronic”. Strings for the track were arranged by Anne Dudley. Bonus tracks on the CD1 release are: “We’re the Pet Shop Boys”, their cover version of a song by My Robot Friend, and “Transparent”. Remixes of “Miracles” are being worked on now.

You’ll be able to hear “Miracles” on this site very soon.