the memories will linger on; the good old days, they’re long gone

I still sit in dumb amazement, sometimes, at the power music has over me. Standing in Johnny D’s on Saturday, watching the Ravens lose, Bobby pointed out a particular Beatles song that Beatlejuice was covering. It reminded him of the old shareware game Scorched Earth, which he used to play for hours with a friend [...]

we’re so glad you could attend; come inside, come inside

Last September, I realized that I’d bought tickets to see three shows in three consecutive months: Psychedelic Furs in October, Girl Talk in November and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists in December. The monthly spacing hadn’t been deliberate; it was just one of those coincidences you read about. But I stay in Boston, or I [...]

tis here that truth is known

Professor Coldheart’s Keys to the Game Ravens games don’t usually get picked up by New England stations. I could go to a sports bar and ask someone to switch a TV over, but this doesn’t always go over well. Also, it ties me to that particular bar for three hours and twenty dollars worth of [...]

pressure gonn’ drop on you

Go out of your way for your friends and it usually turns out to be worth your while. On Saturday, I drove to Bukowski Tavern – not a huge jaunt from my house, but farther than I might normally drive – to catch Heather C. on a rare trip to Boston. She spotted me before [...]

how young are you? how old am I? let’s count the rings around my eyes

I don’t want to talk about it.* What I will talk about, instead, is Battlestar Galactica’s season 4.5 debut this past Friday. I will talk as circumspectly as possible, to avoid spoilers, but the ultra-sensitive may want to wait until Tuesday. BSG has always shined in characterization. This is an outstanding feat, given that BSG [...]

don’t mess with the professor

I updated the “About” page (props to Marie for the link). # # # CVS occasionally spits out a coupon worth using, like five dollars off a purchase of $25 or more. Monday last week I decided to save myself a trip to Shaw’s and do my grocery shopping at CVS. I pushed a full-size [...]

christmas is for children

Let’s not overlook the most important gift I could ask for this season: the Ravens in the playoffs. Expect to see a lot more of the #5 jersey over the next few weeks. I’d say something clever in anticipation of the next playoff round, like, “I hope this year’s Dolphins play like last year’s Dolphins [...]

this ain’t back in the day, but you don’t hear me though

I can think of few better ways to spend an autumn Sunday morning than rolling through the tony Brattle neighborhoods of Cambridge with my man Hawver, blasting Ready to Die in the Toyota’s sturdy speakers. Especially if you’re on your way to watch some football. Fraley and Melissa welcomed us into their home, grilling up [...]

why you at the bar if you ain’t poppin’ the bottles?

Updates: Writing: I’m 6000 to 10,000 words away from finishing my second novel manuscript. I started on January 1st and will (hopefully) finish before Halloween. Considering I haven’t been as religious about my schedule – twice a week, 1800 words a night – as I could have been, I feel all right. My plan at [...]

oh, how I burn for you

This weekend’s theme: overheating. I caught up with Grace on Friday, taking her to Redbones for Somerville’s best barbecue. She ate about three-quarters of her pulled pork sandwich, thwacking me on the head whenever I stopped paying attention to her anecdotes (“ow, Indian wedding, right”) and making fun of my beer selection back home. She’s [...]