Matt Welch asks: When are you coming to visit your bro(s) in DC?
as you may know, i was born in washington dc, and my half-brother lives and works there. and, as you may know, our paper has a bureau there. however i am deeply in love with my job and im a loyal servant of my boss, who i adore, and am i completely committed and devoted to my work. so most days i dont even leave the building let alone consider leaving the state.
however i have a brilliant idea for a blog, and who knows, i might have to head to the east coast to make it happen properly, so you might get a strange knock on yr door one of these nights from a very light skinned brotha.
also, yr wife needs to update her blawg.
bicyclemark: Have you watched The Wire? (note if no, then please please, Im your friend and I highly demand that you start, I promise you wont regret)
Everyone at the Times watches it because it’s allegedly great, but also because this season is about the newsroom that one of our former editors took over in baltimore. i watched the first episode and didnt get it, so everyone said oh man you gotta watch it from the begining so i went to Target and season 1 was like $60 so i figured id get it off ebay, but then i realized i was about to get a blue-ray dvd player so i held off but then i decided not to get a blue ray dvd player but one that upconverts instead but then i saw one that upconverts AND records then i was all, wait im gonna spend like $350 to see a fucking TV show? season 1 of a tv show, and i have 3 more to watch? so i just went to jack in the box and forgot about all of it.
xtx: Did you break up with Lost so you could go fuck Big Brother?
i am the most loyal man alive. i adore Lost and last night’s episode was so good. however i am pulling several 12-hour days at work, so i barely have any time to write about this or that let alone all the beautiful complexities and midfucks contained in this seasons best drama on TV. last night i didnt leave the office until 10pm so when i got home i didnt get the shit fired up till 11 and i was almost nodding off by 1130pm… but it was soooooo damn good. fuck!
Travis: If you were a dinosaur, what dinosaur would you be?
A truckasaurus of course
TR: What’ve you been listening to lately?
1. The Hollow Trees – Welcome to Nelsonville
2. Lil Wayne – I’m Me
3. Ting Tings – “That’s Not My Name”
4. Janet Jackson – Feedback
5. Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond
6. Rihanna – SOS
7. Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque
8. Merle Haggard – Down Every Road
9. Oreskaband – Ore
10. Wyclef – Carnival pt 2
miguel: I’m going on a weekend trip with a semi-girlfriend to San Diego. Besides doing some bargain shopping in Tijuana we don’t have any plans. I know you hate the place but there’s gotta be something redeeming about it. Any tips?
the only redeeming parts of san diego are the restrooms on your way to ensenada. but even they have disease and shame so just pee against a beemer and get back into your car and keep headed south. your semi girlfriend will thank you. but dont forget to bring your passport because thanks to 9/11 instead of bombing saudi arabia now we all have to show our passports at the border even if we’re americans. fuck diego.
Dan: Know of the Australian band Silverchair? And if so, have you heard their latest two albums (Young Modern, and Diorama)? What do/did you think of them, if you remember?
i remember the cobain lookalike kid. i hear he grew up a tad. other than that i havent heard a thing. and unless he plays with his teeth occasionally or behind his back im not interested.
creepy dude: What’s the weirdest drug induced incident that ever happened to you?
check one two. is this mic on? ive been around the block a few times. i went to U Can Study Buzzed, and i studied a lot. now im basically straight edge because im old and gray and bald and fat and most of what i learned off drugs i learned in college where it was safe.
but since you asked i will tell you since we’re all friends. alcohol is the most powerful and dangerous drug i ever encountered mostly because it’s underrated and overabused.
one night me and all of my friends decided to have a dress up party. all the boys wore suits, all the girls wore cute summer dresses. the Brothers Steve wore tuxes and Coulter was the bartender. even the moon and the stars put on top hats and busted with monocles.
we were buzzed, not drunk. none of us were drunk. pleasantly pissed as the brits say. but booze and love was in the air. maybe one dude rolled a joint in the back of the santa barabara house that we were partying in but i dont think i even got a contact high.
sometime shortly after the band played – out of the blue and totally unexpectedly everyone started making out. and by everyone i mean everyone. the boys the girls the everyones. and it wasnt drunken sloppy omgiloveyouman kissing it was hi baby smooches which lead to deeper kisses which lead to omg youre great at kissing hey come here mary you should kiss tony. etc etc.
i went to the bathroom and there was my bro in the shower with two girls. kissing. not showering. no water running. no clothes off. just three people in the shower as if That was what was supposed to happen. they saw me, smiled, and went back to making out. taking turns. taking little sips of whatever was in their red cups.
i walked a girl home who was crying because the boy she really liked kissed everyone but her. and when she got home she wiped her tears and kissed me for a good five minutes. then i kissed her g’nite and skateboarded home.
all of my other experiences with drugs were totally expected, wonderful, weird, scary, freaky, fucked up, wild, etc., but when it happens with just a little bit of something and a whole lot of magic, thats really weird, for me. good weird, but weird.
Curtis: Tony, Today as you may already be aware is Leap Year Day. As a reader of your blog thing, a question comes to mind as to your plans for a once in a 4 year holiday. How does Tony usually spend a once in a four year holiday celebration extravaganza? Ok, long question, but ya know what I mean right? Holla.
tony doesnt usually spend any particular day in any particular way except for on 9/11 i always watch Fahrenheit 9/11. other than that i hate ritual except for saying my prayers at night before i fall asleep.
Blank.FM: I’m thinking of moving to Los Angeles with 5 grand and no job. I don’t know LA. I want music and clubs. I’m more interested in the music scene and surrounding myself with fellow artistic individuals.
Where do I go? How do I prepare? More importantly, how much are apartments, and what are generally good areas to consider? Gas a killer?
More than one question, I know. But you get the general theme.
General google stuff, but I like the busblog first hand account.
for music and clubs there are only two places for you to live. hollywood or east hollywood. because the music is better the further east you go, i suggest moving to echo park, los feliz, or silver lake, which is also home of artistic people.
use craigslist. start a blog. tell everyone you know. because of the housing bubble you might get lucky and be able to rent a little house for the price most people are paying for 1 bdr apartments ($1,400/month). if you dont know anyone in town and/or are relatively young, you might also try scoring a roommate.
gas is $3.40 a gallon. the subway is $5 a day. and since this is the busblog id have to recommend a buspass.