New Book: The Record Men

I finished reading Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain, and I highly recommend it. The book is a compilation of quotes from musicians, managers, scenesters, groupies, and significant others, giving a firsthand account of the genesis of punk. It starts out with the pre-punk influences, such as Velvet Underground, Iggy & The Stooges, and The MC5, and follows the birth of punk in NYC, with Patti Smith, the New York Dolls, Television, The Ramones, The Dead Boys, and the like. The book focuses on American punk, so there isn't a ton on the Sex Pistols (but a decent enough amount -- definitely a good bit on Sid Vicious), and there's barely anything on The Clash.

Here's what I learned:
(1) Heroin and speed seemed to be the drugs of choice for punk musicians, and holy balls, they did a lot.
(2) Punk musicians have a lifespan slightly longer than that of a fruit fly. For an explanation, see #1.
(3) There was a lot more gay experimentation going on in punk than I would have thought. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
(4) Medically speaking, Iggy Pop should be dead. For an explanation, see #1.

(5) Nancy Spungen was a hooker. So was Dee Dee Ramone.

The book I just started is called The Record Men: The Chess Brothers and the Birth of Rock & Roll by Rich Cohen. It's the story of Chicago's storied Chess Records, which was THE record label for the blues (with such blues giants as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Koko Taylor, and Buddy Guy, to name a few), as well as a solid force in early rock and roll (Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, The Flamingos, Harvey & The Moonglows). I'm sure it will be a pretty solid tale.

New Poll: Michigan or Notre Dame?

Apparently Kanye is more popular than 50 with GMYH viewers. 35% said they would buy Kanye's new album, 14% said 50's, 10% said both, and 39% said neither.

This week focuses on your feelings towards Michigan and Notre Dame, who "played" last Saturday in what I would consider one of the single worst performances I've ever seen by a BCS-level team (and I watch a lot of IU football). Both have storied football programs. Both have losing records this year. Both are hated by many. So, which school do you hate more, Michigan or Notre Dame?

And since I'll be in Germany next week, I'll give you guys a solid 2 weeks to mull it over.

Another Worthy Cause: Saving Breasts

Everyone loves breasts. Women love having them, and men love women having them. That's why it's important for everyone to help people out when they are doing something crazy to save breasts, like walking 60 miles in three days. As you may know, both Kyla and Lutzow's wife Katie recently completed the breast cancer walk in the Chicago area. Now, Shepley's wife (yes, that does read "Shepley's" followed by "wife"), Kim, is doing the same in Atlanta.

Here are the details, from Kim herself:

"As you may know, this spring I had a crazy idea, I decided that I would take on a challenge of walking 60 miles in three days, sleep in a tent, shower in a trailer and raise $2,200 all for the cause of Breast Cancer research. Since the decision in the spring I have been training by walking several miles a week getting my body and mostly my feet ready for the big event. That's right, on October 12th I will begin a three day venture with approximately 2000 other dedicated people to walk 60 miles in the Atlanta, GA area.

I write to ask you to help support me and the cause of breast cancer research. I have an obligation to raise $2,200 dollars for the cause, in the event I am short I will be obligated to make up the difference personally. I am asking that you consider a $1 or $2 dollar per mile donation, but please know that any amount you can donate would be much appreciated."

Alright GMYH readers, as Katie Lutzow said, "Help save second base." You can make an online donation at www.the3day.org/atlanta07/kimberlyshepley. Since the walk starts on October 12, you should donate before then.

Yet Another Reason to Hate Danes

Does anyone else think it's horribly unfair that Dane Cook gets to star in what is undoubtedly an unfunny movie with Jessica Alba?

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

One of the funniest shows on TV, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has its season premier tonight at 10E/9C on F/X. Then after the premier is a second new episode. Does it get any better than that? No, Kevin, it doesn't.

Onion VIdeo: Live From Congress: The Skullfucking Bill of 2007

As someone who has actually written several sketches involving the act of, and/or reference to, ocular penetration (aka skullfucking), I think this video is pretty damn funny. In case the "skullfucking" in the title didn't tip you off, this may not be safe for work. In fact, the simple fact that you are right now on a website that has the word "skullfucking" in it has probably already tipped off your IT department, as well as the FBI and probably Dahmer's ghost, who has no doubt been watching you for years from beyond the grave, just waiting for his chance to say, "I knew that [guy or gal] was into skullfucking. Man, I wish I would have known [him or her, but preferably him] when I was trying to single-handedly skullfuck Milwaukee one teenage Asian boy at a time." Okay, I'm done now. Yep, I'm pretty much going to hell. Where I will most likely be skullfucked continuously for eternity by Jeffrey Dahmer while Konerak Sinthasomphone squeals with glee in the background because, you know, finally it's not him. Okay, seriously, I'm done now. Too far. Just watch this anti-skullfucking video:


Live From Congress: The Skull Fucking Bill Of 2007

If the embedded video isn't working, here's the link.

Onion Video: Missing Girl Probably Raped

Before this video, I hadn't bothered to click on any of The Onion's videos. Maybe it's time I start.

Australian Andrew sent me the link for this video, and, aside from the fact that none of the on-location shots are actually of Bloomington, it is absolutely hysterical, especially if you have a horribly skewed sense of wrong and right, like I do.


Missing Girl Probably Raped

If the embedded video doesn't work, here is the link.

New Poll: 50 or Kanye?

Apparently most GMYH readers think IU is going bowling this year. An astounding 76% think that IU will win 6 games or more. Let's hope they're right because I want to spend the day after Christmas in Detroit.

On Tuesday, both 50 Cent and Kanye West will be releasing their new albums. For some reason, they have been in an adorable little feud. So, which album will you be buying? 50's? Kanye's? Both? Neither?

Almost Famous

This past week has been another one of those weeks where I encounter semi-famous people. Last Saturday, after attending the IU/Indiana State football "game," Jester, Holt, and I headed out to Nick's (the bar at IU, not Nolte's house), where we ran into the likes of Horoho, Gibson (not Dean, but Dan), and Tyler. I kid you not, we saw two guys even more famous than them: Bears defensive ends Adewale Ogunleye and Israel Idonije. Wale, of course, went to IU and is 5th on the Big Ten's all-time sack list (and would be first were it not for a torn ACL that sidelined him halfway through his senior year). Idonije, on the other hand, went to the University of Manitoba, whose game at Taylor Field in Regina was approximately 915 miles further from Chicago than Bloomington, which explains why he was in B-town.

As if that wasn't enough, Wednesday night when I was walking home from the L, who do I pass on Sheffield Avenue, but my English teacher from senior year of high school, Mr. Bald. I haven't seen that ironically hirsute sumbitch since he gave me and Ivaska an A on our post-AP test "final," which was a video called "Confused and Dazed," in which we reenacted scenes from Dazed and Confused and, at the end, had a heart-to-heart with the audience about the all-too-present dangers of peer pressure and conformity that young people face. Not a dry eye in the classroom. I didn't say hi because he had that "dude, I'm stoned and ain't a damn thing keeping me from a burrito" look on his face.

To top it off, Thursday night, Chandler, Australian Andrew, and I went to Beat Kitchen to see Louis XIV. First off, the show was f'n awesome. Beat Kitchen is a pretty small venue, so we were about 30 feet from the center of the stage. Louis XIV rocked the shithouse. They played all of the songs off The Best Little Secrets Are Kept (one of my favorite albums from the past few years, and one of my favorite album covers as well), as well as a few new songs off their upcoming EP (coming out next week digitally) and album (coming out in January). The new songs were just as good as the old ones. They're playing a bunch of smaller club dates until their album is released, and I highly recommend seeing them. Australian Andrew had never heard of them before yesterday, and he became an instant fan, which is a pretty big accomplishment because it's like pulling teeth to get him to listen to anything besides Crowded House.

Anywho, after the show, the band hung out at Beat Kitchen. I made small talk with lead singer Jason Hill, and we reminisced about how hot it was when they played Lollapalooza two years ago. Then, after Chandler and I left and were walking to Damen to catch a cab, we walked by the tour bus and the drummer, Mark Maigaard (who looks as Norse as his name implies), was having a smoke outside the bus, so I bummed a cigarette from him, and the three of us chatted for a few minutes. He seemed like a really good guy. He remembered both of our names, and I of course called him Matt. Nice work on my part. Anyway, they all seemed very down to earth. I can't wait for them to come through Chicago again.

Train Wins Again

Turns out you should NOT try to cross train tracks when trains are rapidly approaching from both directions, even if you are driving a Mercury Villager.

New Poll: IU Football

It turns out that Brits (and the like) have the sexiest accents as compared to Latino/a, French, Italian, and Eastern European/Russian, at least according to GMYH readers.

This week's poll relates to the impending college football season. Last year, the Indiana Hoosiers came within a win of their first bowl game since 1993. This year, they will be attempting to “Play 13” in honor of Coach Hoeppner. Yesterday they avoided getting "Michiganed" (thanks to Christoff for that term), by beating up on 1-AA Indiana State, 55-7. With a pretty favorable schedule, including a fairly light remaining non-conference schedule (3 MAC teams) and no Michigan or Ohio State, the Hoosiers look to be in decent shape to play that elusive thirteenth game. How many games do you think IU will win this year? 4 or fewer, 5, 6, 7, or 8 or more?