Fear and Mourning.

I was so depressed this morning to wake up to the news that the great Hunter S. Thompson had killed himself. He took the Hemingway way out, with a shotgun.

I don't have many heroes, but he was one of them. His savage originality and his fierce commitment to destroying hypocrisy are something I've always aspired to, and I like to think that he's been a significant influence on my writing (not that you can tell given how infrequently I update this blog, but go with me on this one).

Like Frank Zappa (another hero), his was a unique voice that perhaps wasn't fully appreciated in his lifetime. But he offered an unvarnished view of American life that was a tonic we sorely needed -- and still do.

(You know, if our impending child is a boy, we were planning on naming him Hunter, just as much in honor of Thompson as for the fact that it's a family name on my side.)

What a sad day. Not only will we not see anymore of his fine prose again, but it also feels like the bastards are one step closer to winning.

That Apocalypse Is Right Around the Corner, Folks.

In the latest news from the "Signs of the Apocalypse" files, two of the famed "Dogs Playing Poker" series of paintings just sold for record price at auction. And it's no surprise that the buyer wished to remain anonymous.

It's so heartening to see the world of fine art supported in this way....

Karaoke For Jesus and Cuckoo for K-Sly.

You know, I really love traveling to the far reaches of my television dial, where I can find all sorts of offbeat programming we don't normally watch.

Like last night, when I flipped through EWTN (you know, the Catholic channel) during their "Life on the Rock" show. First of all, even if you're not Catholic, you've gotta love a talk/variety show hosted by a monk in full traditional monk-style regalia. But to make it even better, last night Father Francis Mary's guest was musical parodist Nick Alexander, who performs popular songs karaoke-style with new lyrics he's penned about the finer points of Catholic teaching. He did two numbers, the oddly S&M-tinged "Repent" (his version of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" with the killer line "R-E-P-E-N-T/Get down on your knees for me") and my favorite, "We Want to Stand United" (a version of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" about various medieval theological debates, including the Arian Heresy and Nicene Creed). And just check out the track listings on his site. Now, THAT'S entertainment!

Then we followed up Nick's dynamic performance by discovering on one of the local channels a show called "Dance 360", which is sort of a modern hip-hop version of one of my favorite childhood guilty pleasures, "Dance Fever." The runner-up (thankfully he didn't win) was a guy whose specialty seemed to be an endless number of variations on The Robot. It's fellows like him who give us white guys a bad name. Anyway, in addition to the dancing, the best part was the fabulous DJ K-Sly.

Mmmm... K-Sly...

Yogi's O-Face.

You know, I used to think "Sex and the City" was bad enough. (I never knew a show about hot chicks talking about sex could come off so shallow and boring, but I was wrong.) But now they've crossed the line with their new ads which raise the image of having sex with Yogi Berra. <*shudder*>

Thankfully, the man himself is fighting back. But if he wins, do the rest of us get any damages for the pain and suffering of having to imagine Yogi naked and making his orgasm face?

Gack!

A Great Day for Reggae.

What a beautiful day it is today. High 70s... Not too hot... Clean air... Crystal clear, not a cloud in the sky... Just enough snow left on the mountains to create a nice little vista... Gorgeous enough to make you forget about all the other shit in the world right now. (And gorgeous enough for me to post about it and rub it in for all of you snowbound easterners....)

So, when Bob Marley's "Is This Love" came on the radio while I was cruising around, the moment became perfect.

It's the Love Sac, Baby!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you... the Love Sac! Not only do they look cool, but you've gotta love any product with a name like that.

"Hey, baby... Wanna check out my Love Sac?"

(Sidenote: It's enlightening what you can find doing a Google search for "Love Sac" under it's various spellings. Particularly this, which is a cause I'm sure many of us can get behind. I mean, you know you're doing it anyway, so why not apply it toward a good cause?)