Blogrophenia: The Reverend Aton's Site

So I guess Jeter is out of his slump the way the media is reacting. It'll be interesting to see where he goes from here. It was good, I guess, that it was a HR, but honestly I'd rather see a clean rope up the middle. In my opinion he still hasn't proven that he is out of his slump. As for the Marlins, Dontrelle Willis and his, .071 is making a start today against Barry and the Giants. It'll be interesting to see how he fares in his return to his native Bay Area. He looked really good against Barry last year in the postseason.

Anyone notice that Uma Thurman sort of describes the Kill Bill group as the Fox Force Five -- the pilot she was in. It's not exactly the same but it's similar. Interesting.

Feeling ok and looking forward to seeing a Who tirbute band at BB King's tonight.

Feeling a bit run down and since I doubt that I can come up with anything blog worthy. I'll simply say: great win for the Yankees last night, bad loss for the Marlins last night and good win for the Marlins today.

I was just thirty four years old and I was still wandering in a haze
Wondering why everyone I met seemed like they were lost in a maze,
Moses

The Donald

Has anyone seen this guy's new book? Donald Trump's celebrity and subsequent self annointing as the expert on everything is a classic case of misplaced authority. Even if we stipulate that he's a shrewd business (I understand that is debatable conisdering the state of his AC holdings) but even assuming that we do stipulate, how does that qualify him to pontifcate on Socrates and how one ought to budget one's time daily? He's an absurd ego maniac he is. . .

I hope you all like the new look of the blog. We have a new trackback feature for all of your comments, unfortunately the cost of this is that all the old comments are lost forever. This is a loss, moreso for me than for anyone, because I really enjoy reading everyone's comments, but change is good, so keep those comments coming and we'll build up some more, I love them.

And I love all of you.

Don't Cry, Don't Raise Your Eye,
It's only Teenage Wasteland,
Rev. Moe

MOVIE REVIEW: HELLBOY

I failed to mention yesterday that I actually took in a double feature of Kill Bill AND Hellboy. The entertaining Hellboy is a nice little movie with some cute themes. Definitely not a must see, but for sure worth seeing if you know what I mean. As far as superhero comic movies it is entertaining, fun and above average somewhere between the really great superhero movies (X-Men I and II and Spiderman) and the ones that just don't work except for comic geeks like myself (Daredevil and The Hulk). Gets really existential in the end with some distinctly Sartrean themes about choice etc. But that's probably overthinking. Put it this way: it's a nice little two hour distraction from life.

I give it three tablets out of five.

Happy Jack wasn't old but he was a man,
The Reverend Moses Aton

Moses and his Marlins

See my March 19th blog entry where I implore my faithful readers to bet the Marlins lighty to win the WS saying "I do think that at 40-1 it's worth plunking 5 bucks down on. If the Marlins can repeat, and let's face it, they are returning the team that won minus Pudge and Lee and I think that Castro and Choi will fill in nicely for them, you could parlay that 5 bucks into two bills. That's some sweet action.", as of 4/22 the first place Marlins' odds have been shredded down to 8-1. Obviously it's still waaaay early, but I hope at least one of my faithful readers took my advice when you get that action at 40-1. The Marlins are looking damn good, they are young happy Champions with no pressure on them. Their rings are garish though. . .

No one knows what it's like to be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes,
The Reverend

MOVIE REVIEW: KILL BILL VOLUME TWO

Saw the motion picture Kill Bill Vol. 2 tonight. Amazing. Absolutely excellent, entertaining and offers a masterful conclusion to the first one. QT is brilliant.
(To be fair the Drucifer knew this years ago and was talking about QT before Pulp Fiction ever came out - still doesn't make up for that Beast from Sacramento he was macking Saturday night at Motown - sorry dog had to get that out) . Now I really really liked the first one - I thought it was excellent, especially if you don't go in expecting a dialogue driven Pulp Fiction type movie. But in this second installment of the Bride's revenge on her former compadres, the bulk of the story is revealed and it is most impressive. It actually winds up being an interesting and compelling story. The stunning Uma Thurman is terrific as are Daryll Hannah Michael Madson and David Carradine. I would strongly urge all my readers to go see Kill Bill. As far as I am concerned it is not only a must see, but a must BUY DVD. I am holding off on buying KB Vol 1 which is available already because I plan to wait for the deluxe double version, which you know is coming out eventually.

I give it four and one half tablets out of five.*

*Tablet evaluation is of Volumes One and Two together.

I'd call it a Bargain,
The best I ever had,
Reverend Moses

Very interesting.

The New York Times > Sports > College Football > Horse Racing's Biggest Bettors Are Reaping Richest Rewards

A quote from a very wise man, my grandfather Solomon Aton, especially poignant as another weekend comes to a close, if you know what I mean:

To you, young man, I may say that old age will come to you either with tidings of gladness or with a sinister warning. It will bring you gladness if you have, from the days of youth, accustomed yourself to good habits, positively as well as negatively: to be concerned with the good of the wolrd at large and of mankind, with politics and culture, with the future your country, or rather with that of humanity. If you take an active interest in all these and find in them lofty ideals, you will find yourself raised by them and educated, and your personality grown, and your intellect wetted. On the other hand, this concern will keep you from the bad habits sthat so often prevail, among the idle fellows whom you find trifling away their time, drinking innumerable cups of coffee or tea every day, and smoking so much that they infect the air around them, and who will seek an escape from their idleness and boredom by indulging in alcoholics and such things.

Do not become one of those hollow men; do not be one of those idlers. Be concerned with the wolrd at large, and with mankind! This your concern will educate you, and make you a young man een when you will be at the age of 70 or 80! And do make philosophy your greatest delight; you will find in it good company until the day of your death, much superior to whatever the idlers may have to say about other pleasures.

Listening to you I get the music.
Gazing at you I get the heat
Following you I climb the mountain,
Moses

Tiny, bacteria-like organisms made their home in hardened lava some 3.5 billion years ago, scientists reported on Friday.

The microbes, known as archaea, dug into volcanic rock to form long tubes. A team from from the United States, Norway, Canada, and South Africa found evidence of the lava-burrowing archaea in 3.5 billion-year-old rock in South Africa.

They dug, they didn't think - they just dug. . .

Nothing is everything, everything is nothing,
Moses

For those of you want more sports baseball blog action (Blue!) enjoy this, from me to you, from me to you:

Baseball Blogs :: All Baseball, All Blogs, All The Time

The loss of Pat Tillman is unbelivably tragic because this guy turned down millions of dollars to serve his country after 9/11 as did his brother. It was shocking to wake up to this news. God bless this brave man's soul and his family in this difficult time. Sometimes though it takes something like this to make us realize that these are real people over there, this is no joke. People are dying over there, good brave strong people. And for what? Bush must go.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/US/Sports/tillman_afghanistan040423-1.html

M

I am officially concerned about MIke Mussina. . .

There is no chance, no untried operation;
All hope lies with him and none with me,
Moses

I have a headache and am in a bad mood so bear with me today. And I just switched from Sanka (anyone names that movie reference and I owe you a beer).

Saw Bombay Dreams last night and really enjoyed it. Although, amongst my age/peer group it is considered unfashionable to like musicals - fuck it - I really did enjoy it. It was an entertaining and fun almost three hour break from life.
The fantastical musical takes an archetypal Bollywood story and presents it in a spectacularly over the top Broadway musical way. In the beginning they tell you to enjoy your journey and that's really what it is a magical colorful journey into a Bollywood dream set in modern day India. It's really really fun.

It did make me wish Tommy was still playing on Broadway. BTW I am seeing Tommy performed by a cover band at BB King's next Friday if anyone is interested. (yes no one answered my e-mail except Normantius so I am resorting to jump starting my social life with my blog). . .Trash? Anyone?

I've long wanted to go to India and although I wouldn't say that Bombay Dreams increased that desire it did rekindle my resolve. I think India is fascinating. In addition to being home to a really really old culture there are many legitimate markets there. Although a deeply spititual place it is also a very conflicted part of the world where almost all the world's major religions are weel represented. It's really intriguing. I must get to India. Also on my list is Japan. Dying to go there. Sushi, baseball, Geisha girls and saki what else do you need?


What is happening in his head,
The Reverend

`Pet peeve:

People who emphasize the wrong word in e-mails: e.g. "WHAT are you up to?" Why would you emphasize that word??

New annoying habit with which to irritate YOLANDA: I am now pronouncing the L in saLmon. .

Yanks may have broken out of their collective slump with 11 runs tonight. A-Rod 3 for 6, I liked his bunt single.

Beautiful win for Dontrelle Willis and the Marlins. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Dontrelle Willis I may soon develop an affection for him that rivals Blue Trash's love for Doc Gooden. Willis is 3-0, with six hits (including a homer) and an ERA of 0.00. He's the reigning ROY and A World Champ. I think he's great and on top of all that he's a nice guy I've met him. . .

Saw The Ladykillers tonight with good friend Yoko. Funny movie, we laughed hard. Good solid entertaining movie. Love the Hanks character. . .

See me, feel me,
The Reverend Moses

KFC is now representing that the KFC stands for Kitchen Fresh Chicken.

About a week ago I posted a blog about "Things that are inappropriate for a man to say to a male buddy". Due to popular demand I am continuing this series today with a follow up. Ladies and gentlemen:

Appropriate ways to express your fruity thoughts:

1.WRONG: At, say, a game or something: "I am really glad we did this tonight."

1. RIGHT: "Good time, bro"

2. WRONG:"I wanna see you. When can I see you?"

2. RIGHT:"Let's get a beer this week"

3. WRONG:"Can we hang out tonight, just me and you?"

3. RIGHT: "I need to talk you about something, man"

4. WRONG: "I really need a hug"

4. RIGHT: "I'm really bummed"

5. WRONG: "You never call me anymore"

5. RIGHT: "Where have you been man?"

6. WRONG: "You can be really mean sometimes."

6. RIGHT: "Quit being a dick, or I'm gonna smash your face in"

7. WRONG: "It's like you don't even give a shit about anything anymore."

7. RIGHT: "Get in the program my man you're fried"

I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm aaaaaaaa boy,
The Reverend Moses

Things I learned in AC this weekend at the bachelor party:

1. You never look like a big shot at the slot machines no matter how many coins you have in the your dirty little coin cup. The big guys doing the real gambling have single chips worth well more than your whole dirty cup.

2. You actuallty do pay for the "free" beers by virtue of your compromised gambling skills.

3. DO NOT under any circumstances eat a big hangover shitburger purchased from the bus terminal "restaurant" for breakfast before getting on the bus for a three and a half hour bus ride.

4. DO NOT then under any circumstances use the dirty bus bathroom, for it is impossible to do "number 2" standing up on a bus and you don't want to come home from a bachelor party having to explain that you in fact obtained your rash from the bus. Talk about putting yourself in a bad position.

5. Said bathroom is the dirtiest place this side of the OTB smoking room on the day of the Kentucky Derby and should be abolished. Hold it in folks even if it requires a full three day food and drink fast beforehand.

I want to come home all covered in mud,
"Chair-man" Moe

Newly ordained and headed to Atlantic City for the big Z's bachelor party. Slightly hung over but enthusiastic. Totally wrong about my Yankees prediction but covered on the over bet. Schilling just struck out Jeter and Bernie. Jeter needs to move positions it's absurd that the best SS on the club is playing third.

God Bless,
The Reverend

I have become ordained as a non-denominational Reverend.

The Reverend Moses

Despite having recently changed to a sports free format, I cannot but help discuss today that the Yankees are in Beantown for a showdown with the Red Sox. Ironically it is TIm Wakefield, the man who threw the last pitch to Aaron Boone when these teams last met, who will throw the first pitch tonight.

Moses takes the stacked Yankees (no run line) and the over in what will be an exciting game tonight. Vasquez looked great in his first start as a Yankee in the home opener but I think he'll let up a few runs tonight to a fired up Boston offense, that is compromised but still dangerous.

While I am at it, how about my Marlins?? They are on fire. Coming into this year they weren't getting any love from anyone despite being the World Champions. I was worried about the loss of Lee, but enthusiastic about Choi and at least very early on I seem to be right about that. Losing Pudge was big, but remember this is baseball and as the Rangers learned recently with A-Rod one player, no matter how good can't save the world. He is missed but this is still a team that beat the Yankees in the WS. Look, at the end of the day they are young (except the manager) they are loose and they have nothing to lose. And they are playing like that. . .

Blue is all pumped for Mets Pirates. Sad huh?

Sometimes in life
My momma said
Things will get real bad
You can wish them better
or just buck up or even just be sad
but in the end
it's how you react
that will decide everything
For how we choose the see the world
Determines the fate we bring

Spent the better part of my afternoon the other day trying to pick a fight with a customer service rep named Cathy Picard just so I could actually utter the phrase, "Damn you Picard!!!!" like a Klingon. . .

For you booze hounds out there:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/04/14/social.drinkers.reut/index.html

That Guy

Everyone knows him. Every group has one. It's not always the same thing, but there's always something about "that guy". Sometimes "that guy" is a dork and everyone knows but him, sometimes "that guy" is gay and everyone knows it but him, sometimes "that guy" has one quality that everyone is aware but everyone else is too nervous to tell him. Perhaps it's body odor, perhaps he has bad breath or perhaps it's that he has a penchant for arrogant comments. At any rate what makes him THAT guy and not just A guy is that one thing.

Who's "that guy" in your group? Or do you know?

You're so lucky I'm around,
Moe Moe

More inappropriate things for a man to say to his buddy:

1. Can we hang out tonight, just me and you?
2. I really need a hug
3. You never call me anymore
4. You can be really mean sometimes.
5. It's like you don't even give a shit about anything anymore.

What else guys? A few nice ones listed for yesterday, check em out. Thanks Alice and Anonymous!!

Substitute My Coke For Gin,
Moe Moe

Things that are inappropriate for a man to say to a male buddy:

1. At, say, a game or something: "I am really glad we did this tonight."

2. "I wanna see you. When can I see you?"

I had a bunch more but can't remember, any suggestions?

Word of the Day Courtesy of www.m-w.com:

simulacrum \sim-yuh-LAK-rum\ noun
1 : image, representation
*2 : an insubstantial form or semblance of something : trace

Example sentence:
After the numerous changes put in place by his editor, the
final piece seemed to be a mere simulacrum of the essay Daniel
had submitted.

Did you know?
It's not a figment of your imagination; there is a
similarity between "simulacrum" and "simulate." Both of those
English words derive from "simulare," a Latin verb meaning "to
imitate." In its earliest English uses, "simulacrum" named
something that provided an image or representation (as, for
instance, a portrait, marble statue, or wax figure representing
a person). Perhaps because a simulacrum, no matter how
skillfully done, is not the real thing, the word gained an
extended sense emphasizing the superficiality or
insubstantiality of a thing. Today, the word is used as a
synonym of "counterfeit" or "fake," but to be fair,
a "simulacrum" is generally not intended to deceive or defraud;
rather, the word implies that something completely lacks
substance or reality.

I've got another annoying thing to say, perfect for this Monday morning: Ask people how their "Easter Holiday" was, it's weird and unnecessary to add the holiday part. Come on people you must have some more suggestions!!

We hate to think about it but in fact we are guaranteed nothing. Assuming you are reading this from your office you are not even guaranteed that you will make it home tonight. You may have a heart attack, you may have an accident, your house may burn down anything could happen. For obvious reasons we don't like to think about that. Occasionally it hammered home so emphatically that we can't ignore it. A year or two I was meeting with my financial advisor and good friend Valentarch at Citibank when we saw a woman across the street get literally flattened by a truck. About ten years ago, as I've discussed previously in this forum my friend Falstaff died. About six months before his death I had made a summertime to visit him in Western New York. While there he took me to have dinner with his paternal grandmother, who made us a delicious pancake breakfast. On the car ride back to his house Falstaff lamented the fact that she probably wouldn't be around much longer. Six months later I stood next to his granmother before his open casket as she softly repeated, "He was such a nice boy". . .

Although, it often takes events like that to remind of our mortality fear of the future is omnipresent in subtle ways. Take a look around at your friends the next time you have Chinese food. Look at how eager many people are to read their fortunes. Look at the multimillion dollar industry that is astrology. Strange isn't it that in a era when we can send people into space that we still look to the stars for guidance? People are desperate for an angle, a tip, a warning - anything!!! Consider the absurdity of the aformentioned fortune cookie, a typed message on a piece of paper baked into a confection and distributed randomly to customers. Or astrology, can it be that EVERY Libra has the same qualities? How much more reductionist can a philosophy get? How obvious is it that the world and people are much more complex than that?

Yet everyday, intelligent and successful adults look to these things and more to offer them any hint of guidance. Perhaps, we are aware of uncertain the future is. . .

Who are you?
Moses

Today is Good Friday, the holiest day of the year for Christians. I would like ot take this opportunity to wish all my Christian friends a meaningful experience on this holiest of days and a belated happy Passover to all my Hebrew brothers and sisters.

Interesting that this year Easter falls on the same for all denominations and Passover overlaps nicely as well. I hope that this portends for a safer world in which there is ecumenical harmony and peace between men and women of all different religions. . .

"Humankind cannot stand very much reality." T.S Eliot

Reality. A subject of interest these days in cinema. The Matrix movies examine reality in a world where the vast majority is completely removed from reality. Where humans live in a falsely created world in their minds while their bodies are harvested in some Cartesian nightmare. Vanilla Sky takes a look at a man who lives in a false reality in his mind for hundreds of years while in a state of frozen animation. A series of M. Night Shamalayan movies are based on the premise of different realities that are exposed in the end.

Everyone, lately seems interested in reality lately. I wonder why?

Why don't we feel as in touch with reality as we used to? Is it classic Marxist alienation? A consumer culture driven by images? Is it the fact that we spend a large amount of time in "cyber space"?

Whatever it is it seems that at to some extent Hollywood seems to think that the nature of reality needs some exploring these days. And judging by the reaction of the public, people seem pretty interested. In particular, it seems in their movies, a subtle but powerful two hour or so escape from reality in itself.

Do we even want reality? Judging by the opening quote to begin this blog by T.S. Eliot it seems that he thought we only WANT a certain amount of reality. Taks a look around you. Do your friends co workers seem to want to experience reality? Do you?

Take a look at those people standing around in bars intoxicating themselves. Do they want reality or is that exactly what they are avoiding?

What is reality anyway? If it's true that we only want so much, how much is it?

With Apple Cores and Mice Along,
Moses

As many of you know I have an older sister, Yolanda. As a younger sibling I have always specialized in ways to annoy her, recently I have been developing a penchant for collecting awkward and kind weird things to say, e.g.:

Photo copy = Photostat As in: Can you photostat this for me?

It's annoying it's weird and it's antiquated. You can use xerox too, but it's not as annoying.

Specifying that you had or are having "tunafish" as opposed to just tuna. Everyone knows it's fish you need not specify no one thought it was tunaturkey. . . DUH!!!

Another good one is the expletive: Bullcrap!! It's bull or bullshit. BULLCRAP is just a strange wimpy way of putting it. . .

Can anyone think of anymore?

I giving serious thought to doing this, I am trying to enlist my father as well.

http://www.alcor.org/

Great article from the Sunday NY Times Magazine:

Taking Religious Liberties
Interview by DEBORAH SOLOMON

You spent seven years in a convent, but in your new memoirs, ''The Spiral Staircase,'' you describe yourself as a failed nun.

I was a lousy nun. I couldn't do it. I couldn't find God. It wasn't suitable for me. It is suitable for very few people.

In the decades since, you have become a distinguished scholar of Islam, but I get the impression that you don't believe in God.

It depends on what you mean by God. I believe in holiness and sacredness in other people. It doesn't mean that the clouds part and I see God. That's a juvenile way of thinking about it.

Do you believe in the afterlife?

I am not interested in the afterlife. Religion is supposed to be about losing your ego, not preserving it eternally in optimum conditions.

What do you consider the most important virtue?

Compassion. No question about it. It goes right across the board in all the world religions. Compassion is the key in Islam and Buddhism and Judaism and Christianity. They are profoundly similar.

If there's so much similarity among world religions, why have wars been fought for centuries?

Because of egotism. Compassion is not a popular virtue. A lot of people see God as a sacred seal of approval on some of their worst fantasies about other people. With the election coming up in the United States, we'll be hearing a lot about God being either a Democrat or a Republican.

I would hope he's an independent.

That would be nice!

Could you feel compassion for someone who wrote a negative review of one of your books?

I spent so many years as an abject failure that if I get a good review, I am surprised. I didn't get anywhere near success until I was 50 years old.

Perhaps you should have given more thought to the biblical belief in an eye-for-an-eye-style revenge?

An eye for an eye is about limiting vengeance. You can only take an eye out for an eye; you may not kill someone for knocking out your eye. It means restraining tribal violence, and it is in the Koran.

That's fascinating, but I still find your emphasis on compassion simplistic. We know from Freud that all true achievement derives from selfishness. Who cares if Michelangelo was nice to his next-door neighbors?

Religions are not dealing with geniuses. They are dealing with ordinary people.

Fair enough, but are there people who are simply unworthy of our compassion? Do you have compassion for Osama bin Laden?

No, I don't. But you start with your own circle, because it is no good thinking fine thoughts about people dying in Africa when you're not looking after the people under your own nose.

You had a nervous breakdown before you left the convent. I wonder how you feel about the current widespread use of antidepressants.

We live in a culture where we think we shouldn't be depressed and we demand things, including good moods. But you should be depressed if, say, your child dies. It's a shame to miss it by blocking yourself off.

Oh, that's so Catholic of you to ennoble suffering.

No. It's a very Buddhist idea. Suffering in itself can be really bad.
It can make you into a psychopath. But if we do suffer, it can help us to appreciate the suffering of other people.

Do you find that more people are turning toward God these days?

No. Not in England, where most people are not interested in institutionalized religion, which they find tired and discredited after the horrors of the 20th century.

Europe seems to be in a post-Christian phase, although the U.S. is not.

You're a younger nation. In Europe, we are tired and old and we know about our sins.

Is there any hope for the future of religion?

We need to rediscover what is in our religions, which has gotten overlaid with generations of egotistical and lazy theology. The current thinking -- my God is better than your God -- is highly irreligious.

D.H. Lawrence once said that it's not religious to be religious.

And Jung once said that a great deal of religion shields us from religious experience.

Vedder on the Who

The April 15, 2004 issue of Rolling Stone features a cover story titled The Immortals, chronicling the 50 greatest artists of all time.

At number 29, The Who are honored, with a description by Eddie Vedder.

Only the top 10 are online at rollingstone.com, but we have the full text of Eddie's description here:


The Who
By Eddie Vedder

The Who began as spectacle. They became spectacular. Early on, the band was in pure demolition mode; later, on albums like Tommy and Quadrophenia, they coupled that raw energy with precision and desire to complete musical experiments on a grand scale. They asked, “What were the limits of rock & roll? Could the power of music actually change the way you feel?” Pete Townshend allowed that there be spiritual value in music. They were an incredible band whose main songwriter happened to be on a quest for reason and harmony in his life. He shared that journey with the listener, becoming an inspiration for others to seek out their own path – this while being in the Guinness book of world records as the world’s loudest band.

Presumptuously I speak for all Who fans when I say being a fan of the Who has incalculably enriched my life. What disturbs me about the Who is the way they smashed through every door of rock & roll, leaving rubble and not much else for the rest of us to lay claim to. In the beginning they took on an arrogance when, as Pete says, “We were actually a very ordinary group.” As they became accomplished, this attitude stuck. Therein lies the thread to future punks. They wanted to be louder, so they had Jim Marshall invent the 100-watt amp. Needed more volume, so they began stacking them. It is said that the first guitar feedback ever to make it to record was on “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere,” in 1965. The Who told stories within the confines of a song and, over the course of an entire album, pushed boundaries. How big of a story could be told? And how would it transmit (pre-video screens, etc.) to a large crowd? Smash the instruments? Keith Moon said they wanted to grab the audience by the balls. Pete countered that like the German autodestruct movement, where they made sculpture that would collapse and buildings that would explode, it was high art.

I was around nine when a babysitter snuck Who’s Next onto the turntable. The parents were gone. The windows shook. The shelves were rattling. Rock & roll. That began an exploration into music that had soul, rebellion, aggression, affection. Destruction. And this was all Who music. There was the mid-Sixties maximum R&B period: mini-operas, Woodstock, solo records. Imagine, as a kid, stumbling upon the locomotive that is Live at Leeds. “Hi, my name is Eddie. I’m ten years old and I’m getting my fucking mind blown!” The Who on record were dynamic. Roger Daltrey’s delivery allowed vulnerability without weakness; doubt and confusion, but no plea for sympathy. (You should hear Roger’s vocal on a song called Lubie [Come Back Home],” a bonus track from the My Generation re-issue. It’s top-gear.)

The Who quite possibly remain the greatest live band ever. Even the list-driven punk legend and music historian Johnny Ramone agrees with me on this. You can’t explain Keith Moon or his playing. John Entwhistle was an enigma unto himself, another virtuoso musical oddity. Roger turned his mike into a weapon, seemingly in self-defense. All the while, Pete was leaping into the rafters wielding a Seventies Gibson Les Paul, which happens to be a stunningly heavy guitar. As a live group, they created momentum, and they seemed to be released by the ritual of their playing. (Check out “A Quick One,” from The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.”)

In Chicago recently, I saw Pete wring notes out of his guitar like a mechanic squeezing oil from a rag. I watched as the guitar became a living being, one getting its body bashed and its neck strangled. As Pete set it down, I swear I sensed relief coming from that guitar. A Stratocaster with sweat on it. The guitar’s sweat.

John and Keith made the Who what they were. Now they’re different, but still the Who. Roger’s a rock. And at this point Pete has been through and survived more than anyone in rock royalty. Perhaps even beyond Keith Richards, who was actually guilty of most things he was accused of. Drummer Zak Starkey played me a new song a while back, “Real Good Looking Boy.” It was beyond moving.

The songwriter-listener relationship grows deeper after all the years. Pete saw that “a celebrity in rock is charged by the audience with a function, like, ‘You stand there and we will know ourselves.’ Not ‘You stand there and we will pay you loads of money to keep us entertained as we eat our oysters.’ “ He saw the connection could be profound. He also realized the audience may say, “When we’re finished with you, we’ll replace you with somebody else.” For myself and so many others (including shopkeepers, foremen, professionals, bellboys, gravediggers, directors, musicians), they won’t be replaced. Yes, Pete, music can change you.

(from the sky i scrape)

April Fool's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I got so many of my friends today. I had Mayhem and Pops thinking I was moving to Chicago. I had a few people that McCartney was dead include the Eggman and Pop's gal and Spitfire!! That's always a good standby. . . Anyway for your amusement I am posting this IM between me and one of best buddies, Leeharveybooth I get him good on this one. Enjoy:

Mosesaton: hey
Leeharveybooth: hey moses!
Mosesaton: did you hear about Paul McCartney?
Leeharveybooth: how are you??
Leeharveybooth: no
Mosesaton: ok bummed
Leeharveybooth: what??
Mosesaton: car accident
Mosesaton: dead
Leeharveybooth: NO WAY!!
Mosesaton: and Heather Mills his wife
Leeharveybooth: ARE YOU SERIOUS??
Leeharveybooth: Oh, that sucks
Mosesaton: it's not official yet
Leeharveybooth: :(
Leeharveybooth: I liked him....
Leeharveybooth: Damn
Mosesaton: Ringo is flying to London
Leeharveybooth: Sad
Leeharveybooth: wow
Mosesaton: Last remaining Beatle
Leeharveybooth: is this on TV??
Mosesaton: radio
Leeharveybooth: let me get MSNC
Mosesaton: hey
Mosesaton: also this girl I slept with two weeks ago is six days late
Mosesaton: SIX DAYS
Leeharveybooth: That's nothing man
Leeharveybooth: I've had pregnancy scares
Leeharveybooth: 6 days is within range
Mosesaton: she got a home pregnancy from Duane Read
Mosesaton: and it's positive
Leeharveybooth: I had a girl who was 10 days later
Leeharveybooth: SHIT!!
Mosesaton: but that might not be 100%
Leeharveybooth: Well, the preg test is a bad sign
Leeharveybooth: Did she sleep with anyone else>
Mosesaton: six days late and a pregnancy test?
Leeharveybooth: How come you weren't wearing a rain coat??
Mosesaton: she claims not
Leeharveybooth: Is she on the pill??
Mosesaton: I did it ripped
Mosesaton: no
Leeharveybooth: Your boys are swimmers
Leeharveybooth: Your tough sperm broke thru the condom
Mosesaton: I know she slept with her boyfriend since then though
Leeharveybooth: Fuck
Leeharveybooth: that's a messy situation
Mosesaton: and also her super
Leeharveybooth: Yikes!
Leeharveybooth: Dude- who is this chick?? The Kobe rape victim??
Leeharveybooth: Who didn't she sleep with??
Leeharveybooth: Her super???
Mosesaton: no just her ex and her super
Mosesaton: dude she is confused
Leeharveybooth: yeah
Mosesaton: having a hard time
Mosesaton: I really like her
Leeharveybooth: Really?? Cool...
Mosesaton: she gets me
Mosesaton: we really connected
Mosesaton: met on the subway
Leeharveybooth: what's her name??
Mosesaton: we went out for coffee
Leeharveybooth: let me call you and get the scoop!
Mosesaton: no don't call
Mosesaton: I am waiting for an important call
Leeharveybooth: ok
Leeharveybooth: what's her name??
Mosesaton: anyway her name is Vera
Leeharveybooth: cool
Leeharveybooth: she's cute??
Mosesaton: we met on the subway
Leeharveybooth: Listen.... There is a fund raiser for the Human Fund in May in NY
Mosesaton: really cute for sure heavy but really cute
Leeharveybooth: You know the Human Fund, right??
Mosesaton: of course
Mosesaton: anyways we met on the subway
Leeharveybooth: I've been asked to give them a list of people to invite... You wanna go??
Mosesaton: and then we went out
Mosesaton: yes I'll totally go!
Mosesaton: can I bring Vera
Leeharveybooth: Yeah sure
Mosesaton: she won't be showing
Leeharveybooth: LOL!
Leeharveybooth: You sound psyched
Leeharveybooth: about the possible pregnancy
Mosesaton: dude it's time
Leeharveybooth: Honestly, when I had the pregnancy scare a whie ago...
Mosesaton: I'm 30
Leeharveybooth: I was psyched for it
Leeharveybooth: wished it was real
Leeharveybooth: it was weird
Mosesaton: and you were even younger
Leeharveybooth: no- i was 30 at the time
Leeharveybooth: it was last year i think
Mosesaton: oh ok
Mosesaton: anyway so we both got out at Grand Central
Leeharveybooth: it's like a movie!
Mosesaton: and we went to Starbucks by my place
Leeharveybooth: ok... Grand Central..
Leeharveybooth: WOW
Mosesaton: two hours later we were in bed
Leeharveybooth: What was your line on the subway??
Mosesaton: 4,5 or 6
Leeharveybooth: Like how did you start the conversation?
Leeharveybooth: no- the line you used on her!
Mosesaton: I sat down next to her and I was reading the paper and I noticed she reading it too
Leeharveybooth: hmmmm
Mosesaton: so I offered it to her
Leeharveybooth: What a gentleman
Mosesaton: and she said no thanks I was just looking at that article on Kazaa
Leeharveybooth: What does she do??
Mosesaton: well she's unemployed right now
Mosesaton: but she used to work at KFC
Mosesaton: she was a manager until they totally screwed her
Leeharveybooth: that sucks
Leeharveybooth: what's her ethnicity??
Mosesaton: yeah we still get free food from there
Leeharveybooth: is she down with you??
Mosesaton: she's half dominican hallf white and half black
Mosesaton: according to her
Leeharveybooth: wow... sounds exotic
Mosesaton: she don't care
Leeharveybooth: she could be sexy
Leeharveybooth: !!!
Mosesaton: she's kinda got bad skin but yeah
Leeharveybooth: and she gets you, huh?
Leeharveybooth: in what way?? You already felt a connection?
Mosesaton: dude, we just connected!!!
Leeharveybooth: mmmm
Leeharveybooth: that's really rare
Mosesaton: it was so natural
Leeharveybooth: to hit it off so fast
Mosesaton: I've never felt this way before
Leeharveybooth: REALLY!!???
Leeharveybooth: Really Moses??
Leeharveybooth: Be honest
Leeharveybooth: NEVER???
Mosesaton: dude literally met her on the subway
Leeharveybooth: Sparks??
Mosesaton: and a few hours later we were making love
Leeharveybooth: so there were definitely sparks
Leeharveybooth: it was not just sex then
Mosesaton: it was incredible
Leeharveybooth: wow
Mosesaton: oh we did everything
Mosesaton: everything!!
Leeharveybooth: awesome!!
Mosesaton: things I have never done before
Leeharveybooth: i'm happy for you...
Mosesaton: once she gets everything sorted out with the ex and the super it's gonna awesome
Leeharveybooth: LOL
Mosesaton: Ijust hope the baby is mine
Leeharveybooth: well, maybe there is no baby
Leeharveybooth: don't get too excited yet
Mosesaton: I just know it's going to be!!
Leeharveybooth: worst case would be she's pregnant with someone else's baby
Leeharveybooth: now that would be messy
Mosesaton: also I will love it no matter what
Leeharveybooth: Moses! You really wanna be a dad! wow!
Leeharveybooth: You're really head over heels for her??
Mosesaton: she actually has two kids already so Iknow she's going to be a great mom!!
Leeharveybooth: to this extent??
Leeharveybooth: Moses!! You gotta slow down man!!
Mosesaton: one of her kids is half Chinese great looking kid the
Mosesaton: other sort of looks like me
Leeharveybooth: By the way... I am watching MSNBC and there is nothing on Paul McCartney yet
Leeharveybooth: Your parents will likely freak about Vera, won't they?
Mosesaton: I don't care
Leeharveybooth: Woman with two kids... from different fathers
Mosesaton: we're in love dude
Leeharveybooth: Wow!
Leeharveybooth: That's awesome you're in love
Mosesaton: ok there is one catch with Vera
Leeharveybooth: What??
Mosesaton: well there's an issue
Mosesaton: she's older
Leeharveybooth: ah... by how much??
Mosesaton: she's ten years older than me
Leeharveybooth: whoa
Mosesaton: I think my folks won't like that
Mosesaton: are you with me on this?
Leeharveybooth: moe moe... do me a favor- even if she's pregnant- just take it slow
Leeharveybooth: there's more than one issue
Mosesaton: no that's the only big thing
Leeharveybooth: this woman has a lot of baggage- she has kids, she's older than you
Leeharveybooth: just go slow
Leeharveybooth: take it slow even if it's your kid
Leeharveybooth: there's no rush
Mosesaton: I just hope it's not the super's
Mosesaton: I think he's a bad guy
Mosesaton: she promised me she won't sleep with him anymore
Leeharveybooth: do you have a lot in common?
Mosesaton: no not really
Leeharveybooth: like do you have a lot to talk to her aboit?
Leeharveybooth: hmmmm
Mosesaton: we talk about different stuff
Mosesaton: she's not very intellectual
Leeharveybooth: Don't you think you might get tired of that?
Leeharveybooth: Long term?
Leeharveybooth: Bec you're very intelligent
Mosesaton: nah
Mosesaton: April Fool's day bro Paul's not dead and, sadly, there is no Vera!!!
Mosesaton: hee hee!!!!
Leeharveybooth: I had my doubts on the Vera thing as it kept getting more convoluted
Leeharveybooth: I was like... Manager at KFC??
Mosesaton: her super!!!!!!
Leeharveybooth: Who got fired??
Leeharveybooth: Yeah.. but with you, you COULD fall in love that easily
Mosesaton: bad skin and fat??
Leeharveybooth: you're a romantic
Mosesaton: I am
Leeharveybooth: well, fat katie??
Leeharveybooth: there is precedent
Leeharveybooth: You got me on Paul
Mosesaton: I gotta run, if I change your name and edit it this can I post this?
Leeharveybooth: yeah sure...
Leeharveybooth: on your blog???
Mosesaton: yupper!!
Leeharveybooth: go for it man
Leeharveybooth: !!
Mosesaton: thanks hilarious!!
Leeharveybooth: send me a copy too!
Leeharveybooth: maybe i'll use it in my screenplay
Mosesaton: ok!!!
Mosesaton: talk later!! gotta run!
Leeharveybooth: k
Leeharveybooth: bye