The last weekend of summer is here, and I am finally getting around without a cast or splint. My X-rays on Tuesday looked good. I cannot run for 6 more weeks, but walking is almost back to normal. It's still tender going down the stairs, but it's a major improvement. If you're vacationing this weekend, travel safe. I will be spending the weekend at home, with friends.

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The weekend of September 7 - 9 is looking to be a great time to be in NYC. The inaugural BLOWOFF event is only one of several happenings. Check out this lineup.

Friday September 7
Snaxx at Westside Tavern, 360 West 23rd Street
DJs Rich King & Gustavo

Saturday September 8, 10 PM - 4 AM
BLOWOFF at Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street
Tickets also available at Nasty Pig, 265A West 19th Street

Sunday September 9, 5 PM - Midnight
DJ Paul Ferrer at the Eagle, 554 West 28th Street

Sunday September 9
SUPERSnaxx at Cielo, 16 Little West 12th Street

Here's an audio preview at Out.com.

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This week's Ask Bob column.

An article about the ads, at msnbc.com.

Is it too much to ask that you get your children to school? It's free, you know.

I am still having a hard time wrapping my head around this article.

The government wants to fight child pornography by violating the privacy and constitutional rights of consenting adults.

SI publishes list of current, past, and deceased WWE performers connected to Florida anti-aging clinics. Two weeks ago, the Post had a sobering article about the culture.

A bunch of press last week, centered around the upcoming live DVD and supporting tour dates.

billboard.com
brooklynvegan.com
harpmagazine.com
fmbq.com
antimusic.com
pluginmusic.com
livedaily.com
livedaily.com again

The first mention of BLOWOFF NYC, at newyorker.com.

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Last Wednesday, I broke down (and went broke) for an iPhone. For the last 4+ years, I was a loyal Treo user. I intended on holding out until the next version iPhone (rumors have it as Feb 2008), but my Treo 650 has been a mess for a long time. The screen was filled with desert dust, it was terrible to back up (Palm OS to Mac OS is one OS too many), and it crashed at 1 PM every day. All I can say about the iPhone: if you're thinking of waiting, don't. It's been out long enough for any major hardware concerns to make themselves known. Yes, there's plenty of logical features missing from the phone (copy / paste, video); those are software updates waiting to happen. The big plusses for me: one OS, mindless synchronization with all my other Apple products, and the one device replaces THREE devices (phone, iPod, simple camera). I may even experiment with leaving the laptop behind on trips. That would be the basic features / functions of FOUR devices boiled down to one. Most important, it's a Mac; I've been using them for 16 years. No other computer paradigm comes close. Now, if they would offer Kool-Aid colored iPhones, everyone would be happy. Little Mac joke there.

Thursday, SMDF was packed and fun. Friday, no WOOF - straight to grilling with the guys. Saturday, a nice walk in the 'hood, a good workout, and no UFC pay-per-view, thanks very much Comcast for the worst customer service. Thank goodness I didn't have a full house of men wanting to watch the fights. Randy Couture defeated Gabriel Gonzaga in the main event, so all is good in Mudville. Sunday, a lazy day, home-cooked chicken stew with the guys, then watched 300. Visually, nice; story-wise, lacking.

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Aging rockers. Germans can be very direct.

Last week's Ask Bob column. Keep those questions coming.

Friday, my new pre-amp / compressor arrived. I like it a lot. Great on vocals, good on basses and guitars.

Saturday, one giant step for me: farewell to the air cast! After 31 days, I decided to test the ankle. I strapped on the much smaller splint I was fitted with at the hospital, and walked for most of the day. It felt great to be mobile again! Spent a few hours at the coffee shop, with several buds stopping by. The little things in life are often the biggest joys, especially after 4 weeks of restricted movement. Some great art at plan b, especially the pieces created by my bud Jason. Down the street, another great show at Irvine Contemporary. Up the hill for homemade pizza with the guys, and a great evening to sit outside and listen to the never-ending sound of sirens. I managed to get home before my sole egress was locked down by MPD.

Sunday, a rainy lazy day. Fired up the grill, and hosted a handful of buds for chicken, vegetables, and sorbet. Not enough time for a movie, so we watched this piece of work. (NSFW, or most anywhere else.)

Monday, my even smaller ankle brace arrived. I like it. More x-rays, then PT, then back to normal. I can't wait.

Cheney. Marijuana.

More solo / DVD screening shows added in the past few days. WDC, NYC, Boston MA, New Hope PA (solo only), Charlottesville VA. BLOWOFF NYC in September and December. More to be added shortly. All upcoming performances are here.

A nice article in today's NYT about the TIAA-CREF / powerof.org advertising and branding campaign. If you haven't heard the music yet, click on the Manifesto screen for the 60 second version. Thanks again to the folks at Modernista for making this happen.

A person brandishing a 10 - 15 inch knife mugs at least 3 people. Same night, same block. 911 and 311 unresponsive. The incident, as described by one of the victims.

An e-mail from a neighbor, received last Saturday morning.

On a related note, what did I see this morning at 9AM? 

I was walking down 17th Street passing the dog park (S and 17th) and there was not one but five cruisers and one unmarked car surrounding the dog park.  And what do you think they were responding to, a break in; a mugging, a drug bust, an escaped criminal?  Nope.  One man with his yellow lab mix.  The dog was off its leash.  He was receiving a ticket.  THREE officers were writing him up for disobeying DC's leash law while a fourth lectured the man for disobeying the law.  The other two officers were in their cars.

A similar story in yesterday's Examiner. Software consultant, arrested for letting dog off leash in grassy area, now has criminal record.

Let's not forget about the recent challenge of the DC Gun Law.

Today's forecast: 87 and sunny, low humidity. Enjoy the nice weather while you can, it's bound to get more uncomfortable as the week goes on. August in DC.

What would you think if one of my songs was used in a TV commercial? Would the product be of concern? Would it change the meaning of the song?

The product is good. The recording is from two weeks ago. Here are the commercials. Number 3 is the long version. From the producers:

Our spots are airing on national cable for the next 3 weeks. During the week of 8/13, here is a list of stations/programs where you can look out for them. These are all shows that air every night Mon-Fri, and on each of these we are running 1-3 times per week. Because it’s cable, we’re not able to specify the exact days/times.


Bloomberg – Evening Edition, Night Talk

CNBC – On the Money, Donnie Deutsch, Fast Money, Mad Money

CNN – Anderson Cooper, Larry King Live

Fox News Channel – Hannity & Colmes, O’Reilly Factor, On the Record with Greta VanSustren

History Channel – Modern Marvels (Tues, 9-10), The Universe

MSNBC – MS Documentaries

National Geographic Channel – Exploration Showcase, NG Presents

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BLOWOFF in NYC on Saturday, September 8. I would suggest checking into advance tickets. The entire weekend is going to be busy: Friday night, Snaxx at Westside Tavern. Sunday, beer bust with DJ Paul Ferrer at the Eagle, and SUPERSnaxx later that evening at Cielo. Pick up some new threads at Nasty Pig, and you're all set.

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There will be additional live dates / screenings, in promotion of Circle Of Friends DVD. Cities include Boston, NYC, and DC. When the dates are confirmed, I will post links. Chicago is already sold out.

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First, thanks to everyone who made BLOWOFF such a sexyfun time on Saturday night. The joint was jumping; even I was hopping up and down on my one good foot. I'm sure there will be pictures all over the Internet. My favorite songs from the evening:

Feist - 1234 (VanShe Technologic RMX)
listen

Hardrox - Feel The Hard Rock (Heiko And Maiko Mix)
listen
artist site

Countparis - Highest Level (Original Mix)
listen
artist site

Everyone else's favorite:
Supermode - Tell Me Why (Finger & Kadel Remix)
listen
youtube

Sunday, my sleep patterns were completely out of whack. A fun afternoon pool party at the Dinger / Dumbek residence, and back to the ranch for plenty of rest.

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The ankle is healing nicely. I think I am a little ahead of schedule. I am going to the orthopedic doctor two weeks earlier than scheduled, for what I hope will be my final X-rays. I am chomping at the bit to rehab this leg. I never realized how active a life I lead until this accident. I walk most everywhere, and pace constantly while thinking or talking on the phone. Not being able to get those 3 - 5 miles of walking has really affected my lifestyle. I can't wait to return to normal.

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Goodbye, and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

RIP Tony Wilson.. Among his many accomplishments, there are two that affected me personally. Wilson founded Factory Records and the Hacienda. Unknown Pleasures is one of my top albums of all time, and I worked his Manchester club in September 1985.

This week's Ask Bob column. The questions have slowed a bit, so please feel free to participate. Non-musical questions are more likely to be addressed, but all are welcome.

WOOF was great fun last night. More of the same at BLOWOFF tonight. Gingy.

Life has slowed to a sweaty crawl. Other than heading to Wolf Trap to see the B-52's on Wednesday, I haven't been leaving the house much. Been in the studio a lot, with some decent results. The ankle is getting better. Thanks to all who wrote with personal experiences, medical advice, and rehab regimens.

BLOWOFF this Saturday. Another great poster by Pat. I'm sure the Bear Invasion folks will be in attendance.

A pleasant weekend of eating off my Fitday chart, chilling in Columbia Heights, on demand movies at the ranch, and plenty of studio work.

Friday, a graduation dinner for my bud Scott - congratulations on another Master's degree! Great to see Jon as well, and Rob and TJ were in attendance. The food was sinfully delicious. Four different desserts. I don't know if my .7 mile hobble to the restaurant was enough cardio to make a dent in those calories.

Saturday, breakfast with the guys, followed by coffee and a short walk. Back to the studio for the balance of the day. I can't talk about the project (yet); I hope to make it official later this week. Say Anything on the big TV, then sleep.

Sunday, back to the gym for a decent workout. The ankle is healing well; I wish it would speed up. Hobbling is no fun, and now, it's beginning to cause other problems. The airboot has a very thick sole, and is throwing my left hip and lower back out of whack. The muscles in the left leg (knee down, and glute) are withering. The doctor is calling for three more weeks in the boot, but I am hoping for less than two.

I'm getting a little soft in the gut as well. So what do I do? Eat pizza, for the first time in years. And it was really good! RedRocks is a new brick oven restaurant, on the same stretch of 11th Street as Columbia Coffee. Easy Rider on the big TV. Great movie, hadn't seen it in years. I enjoy it every time.

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A reader dropped me a note last week, mentioning how much they enjoy posts that include my musical favorites. So, here's two videos from one of the favorite groups of my early childhood.

The Cyrkle: Red Rubber Ball
The Cyrkle: Turn Down Day

BLOWOFF is on the front page of Gay.com. (Screen grab here.)

under-the-radar gay rock punk bathhouse disco

My life in a nutshell. Except for the bathhouse part.

My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by last night's bridge collapse in Minneapolis. I watched a fair amount of cable news coverage last night, and was impressed by the relative calm, yet grave concern, shown by Minnesotans who were interviewed. Crisis coverage in American media has changed over the past six years, for a number of reasons. The post 9/11 world (where an incident could be suspected as terrorism), the immediacy of living in a digital culture (where most everyone has a digital camera within reach), the competitive nature of modern media. I turned to streaming local coverage, and immediately felt more in contact with the actual stories. You can help by visiting the American Red Cross (Twin Cities Area Chapter) website.

A woman, who decided against taking the 35W bridge because of volume, mentioned "in Minnesota, we only have two seasons: winter and road construction". Hearing that quip, it took me back to having lived there for eleven years.

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This week's Ask Bob column at Washington City Paper.

Rolling Stone's Top 25 Underappreciated Artists. (Not so sure about this one, but hey, people love lists.)

Another robbery at Ledroit Park Market, 4th and T NW. Suspects have been apprehended, according to WaPo.

August in DC can be tough. In many neighborhoods, the volume of people on the street is down. The Hill goes on recess, schools are quieter, people are vacationing. Packs of juveniles wander around, looking to make things miserable for the remaining residents. Defacing property, petty theft, muggings, assaults, home invasions. In my grumpiest moments, I calmly recite my new tourism slogan: Washington DC - If I can't have anything nice, neither can you. Is that a classist comment, or the frustration of one who was violated five times in my first year as a DC resident? Or is this normal behavior in contemporary urban life? It's something to think about, and I am not alone in my concern.