From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V16 #273 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, July 26 2007 Volume 16 : Number 273 Today's Subjects: ----------------- REAP [Sebastian Hagedorn ] Re: Wetness [hssmrg@bath.ac.uk] Re: From Mike Randle's page (9% RH content) [hssmrg@bath.ac.uk] [0% RH] dvd player advice ["Stewart Russell" ] Re: an iTunes question [2fs ] Re: REAP ["Stewart Russell" ] RE: REAP ["Bachman, Michael" ] Re: REAP [2fs ] RE: REAP ["Bachman, Michael" ] Re: is everyone reading? [kevin ] Re: REAP [kevin ] Re: Wetness [kevin ] Re: worst movies [kevin ] Re: Too much Testosterone vs. Too Much Estrogen....whuzz Re: Robyn Hitchcock, uh, iPod [kevin ] yes, Eddie, we do [Jill Brand ] Re: From Mike Randle's page (9% RH content) [Rex ] Re: REAP [Rex ] Kleine Haie [Jill Brand ] my last post tonight, I promise (this is for Kinks fans) [Jill Brand ] Re: REAP [2fs ] Re: iPod problem solved [2fs ] Re: an iTunes question [2fs ] Re: iPod problem solved [Jill Brand ] Re: worst movies [grutness@slingshot.co.nz] Re: an iTunes question [Rex ] Re: Grinderman on Letterman Tonight ["Aaron L." ] Re: iPod problem solved [Rex ] Sad. [FSThomas ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:03:54 +0200 From: Sebastian Hagedorn Subject: REAP Ulrich M"uhe, the lead actor of "The Lives Of Others", 54: I had no idea he head cancer. That's he shame, he was one of our best actors. - -- Sebastian Hagedorn http://www.spinfo.uni-koeln.de/~hgd/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:28:59 +0100 From: hssmrg@bath.ac.uk Subject: Re: Wetness Just heard from Matt Sewell re flooding in Oxford. Apparently he is OK but Jim Davies in Osney is imminently threatened. - - Mike G, on a hill in Bath where the flood prevention scheme seems to be working. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:14:06 +0100 From: hssmrg@bath.ac.uk Subject: Re: From Mike Randle's page (9% RH content) http://www.thefreedomman.com/love/diary735.htm "ALL YOU NEED IS US" O.k., so now it can properly be announced: Appearing this September 21 in Milan, Italy, will be none other than BABY LEMONADE. Yep. We are performing the entire SGT. PEPPERS record alongside the London Sinfoniettia! Vocals, for now, are being handled by Mr. Rusty Squeezebox and Mr. Robyn Hitchcock. Vocal duties will more than likely get divy'd up as more 'singers' may apply for the job. The Keyboards are being helped by the one and only Mr. Ed Harcourt. So there you have it: Baby Lemonade, Robyn Hitchcock, Ed Harcourt and the London Sinfoniettia. This wonderful opportunity came about when the L.S. got approached to do the famous Beatles staple in honor of it's 40th Anniversary. Since so many people were doing this (Cheap Trick is in LA to do THEIR Beatle tribute) album already, The Royal Festival Hall Events Coordinator contacted us and pretty much said, "Hey, when you guys did Forever Changes, you played it like what the band might have possibly sounded like had they attempted it live. But we'd never know, as they never DID it live. Same with Sgt. Peppers. How about Baby Lemonade approaching Sgt. Peppers the way you guys did Forever Changes?" That was the conversation and i've been immersed in Beatles stuff every since. David Jenkins got us the Mono mixes and loaned us Brian Kehew's AMAZINGLY BRILLIANT BOOK, Recording The Beatles Book, which weigs a ton but gives loads of insight into that record (like the fact that Paul actually plays the solo to "Good Morning Good Morning." Ok, must run off to work but nice things are on the horizon. Also happened to run into Tina Winter and her family, who are in California on Holiday. Had some pints and quick conversation and she's up in San Francisco now...good on you Tina. Roll on, Milan. And who knows where this may lead to... All the Best, Mike ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:00:28 -0400 From: "Stewart Russell" Subject: [0% RH] dvd player advice As most of you seem to be quite AV savvy, is there a way to connect a dvd player to a multisync monitor? Thanks Stewart - -- http://scruss.com/blog/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:14:54 -0500 From: 2fs Subject: Re: an iTunes question On 7/24/07, Rex wrote: > > > I have it spread out over three drives and it's cool with that. I even > take > two of the drives away for weeks at it time and when I plug 'em back in, > iTunes still knows where they are. If you're using it in shuffle mode, does it just silently ignore tracks on drives that can't be found, or does it choke? (BTW: did anyone - like that guy Peter Buck hates - definitively answer Jill's original question?) - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:51:51 -0400 From: "Stewart Russell" Subject: Re: REAP That is sad. He was good. At least he'll be spared the horror of the Hollywood remake. Stewart On 25/07/07, Sebastian Hagedorn wrote: > Ulrich M"uhe, the lead actor of "The Lives Of Others", 54: > > > > I had no idea he head cancer. That's he shame, he was one of our best > actors. > -- > Sebastian Hagedorn > http://www.spinfo.uni-koeln.de/~hgd/ > - -- http://scruss.com/blog/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:40:01 -0400 From: "Bachman, Michael" Subject: RE: REAP I'm glad Wim Wenders is still with us, but I wonder if he ever suffered through seeing that horrible Hollywood remake of Wings Of Desire? I have avoided it like the plaque. Michael B. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-fegmaniax@smoe.org [mailto:owner-fegmaniax@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Stewart Russell Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:52 PM To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Subject: Re: REAP That is sad. He was good. At least he'll be spared the horror of the Hollywood remake. Stewart On 25/07/07, Sebastian Hagedorn wrote: > Ulrich M"uhe, the lead actor of "The Lives Of Others", 54: > > > > I had no idea he head cancer. That's he shame, he was one of our best > actors. > -- > Sebastian Hagedorn > http://www.spinfo.uni-koeln.de/~hgd/ > - -- http://scruss.com/blog/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:02:58 -0500 From: 2fs Subject: Re: REAP On 7/25/07, Bachman, Michael wrote: > > I'm glad Wim Wenders is still with us, but I wonder if he ever suffered > through seeing that horrible Hollywood remake of Wings Of Desire? I have > avoided it like the plaque. Oh come on - dental plaque isn't *that* bad. - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:08:28 -0400 From: "Bachman, Michael" Subject: RE: REAP Double darn that spell Czech! The Black Plague must have really been hell for dentists back in the day. _____ From: 2fs [mailto:jeffreyw2fs.j@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:03 PM To: Bachman, Michael Cc: Stewart Russell; fegmaniax@smoe.org Subject: Re: REAP On 7/25/07, Bachman, Michael wrote: I'm glad Wim Wenders is still with us, but I wonder if he ever suffered through seeing that horrible Hollywood remake of Wings Of Desire? I have avoided it like the plaque. Oh come on - dental plaque isn't *that* bad. - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:22:12 -0700 (GMT-07:00) From: kevin Subject: Re: is everyone reading? - -----Original Message----- >From: Jason Brown >Sent: Jul 24, 2007 4:19 PM >To: fegmaniax@smoe.org >Subject: Re: is everyone reading? > >I just finished and I thought it was wonderful. Many unexpectedly sad parts! You all can have Harry. I'll stick with E. Nesbit. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:23:58 -0700 (GMT-07:00) From: kevin Subject: Re: REAP - -----Original Message----- >From: 2fs >Sent: Jul 25, 2007 12:02 PM >To: "Bachman, Michael" >Cc: Stewart Russell , fegmaniax@smoe.org >Subject: Re: REAP > >On 7/25/07, Bachman, Michael wrote: >> >> I'm glad Wim Wenders is still with us, but I wonder if he ever suffered >> through seeing that horrible Hollywood remake of Wings Of Desire? I have >> avoided it like the plaque. > > >Oh come on - dental plaque isn't *that* bad. You obviously don't go to my dentist. The lectures I get - oy. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:28:06 -0700 (GMT-07:00) From: kevin Subject: Re: Wetness >Just heard from Matt Sewell re flooding in Oxford. Apparently he is OK >but Jim Davies in Osney is imminently threatened. > >- Mike G, on a hill in Bath where the flood prevention scheme seems to >be working. I hope the deity of your choice, if any, is watching over all of you over across the water. This is a terrible situation, and does anybody know where we can chip in to help out? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:36:34 -0700 (GMT-07:00) From: kevin Subject: Re: worst movies >i've always loved the avengers series. they need to show it on pbs >again, and the prisoner is up for a round as long as i'm making >requests. the wild wild west i've not seen. must be a new zealand >show. That was a sixties thing that was largely inspired by the success of the early James Bond flicks, back in my schooldaze. It was too cute for its own good but at least it didn't have that stupid farging mechanical spider in it. >> Oh, and there was also some appalling thing I saw about half of one >> time with Anthony Perkins as a psychotic priest ("Crimes of passion"? >> Man did that guy ever get typecast). > >oh my, that was a ken russell movie, wasn't it? did it have kathleen >turner in it? some bizarre percentage of people at my last job were >ken russell fans. last i checked, he was completely lost on me. >although actually it was an ex-boyfriend not at at my last job that i >saw that one with. I saw that one when I was still mad for Kathleen Turner (and Ken Russell) and I really, really wish I hadn't. To the extent that a movie can blow big raggedy chunks, it did. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:39:19 -0700 (GMT-07:00) From: kevin Subject: Re: Too much Testosterone vs. Too Much Estrogen....whuzz Re: Robyn Hitchcock, uh, iPod >Yeah well I've got an option on a film based on a glob of coke and snot >hanging from Michael Bay's left nostril. > >Look for it in theaters near you. It stars SHIT BLOWING UP. Spent most of the last couple days reading another webcomic discovery called GIRLY. There's a big promo in there somewhere for a new movie called "People With Guns Shooting Each Other With Guns." np Miles Davis Live At Fillmore. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:02:46 -0400 (EDT) From: Jill Brand Subject: iPod problem solved I haven't got the computer man here right now to report exactly what he did, but I know that he went to some Mac publication which had him follow additional steps. Yes, Chris, "consolidate music" was one of the steps, but there were more things as well. In addition we created folders in everyone's libraries (we don't care if they are duplicated) so in case one of us deletes something that someone else has in his/her library, it won't disappear. Thanks to EVERYONE for jumping in and helping. Today my son picked up his new Mac and the video iPod that he has been drooling over (the college deal is great - he can get a Nano or $199 back on any iPod he wants), and he is giving his old iPod to my husband. Now we will all be going deaf in a gradual manner. So when it comes time for Curt to be moving things over to his Mac, I'll come whining again. Jill ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:06:09 -0400 (EDT) From: Jill Brand Subject: yes, Eddie, we do Eddie wrote: "remember when i hated *Challengers* so much that i wanted to weep? well, i've now officially reached the point that i love it so much that i want to weep. thank you for your patronage." You made me so happy when you did your 180. I don't know Challengers that well yet, but it was your ability to turn completely around and proclaim this to the world that was wonderful. It's like my conversion to being a football fan. Only more peaceful. Jill ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:06:44 -0700 From: Rex Subject: Re: From Mike Randle's page (9% RH content) On 7/25/07, hssmrg@bath.ac.uk wrote: > > http://www.thefreedomman.com/love/diary735.htm > "ALL YOU NEED IS US" > O.k., so now it can properly be announced: > Appearing this September 21 in Milan, Italy, will be none other than > BABY LEMONADE. It's still odd to me that the guy from Baby Lemonade of Los Angeles has exact same name as one of my best friends, also in Los Angeles. I probably should even have some Baby Lemonade in my collection, but I don't... - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:09:03 -0700 From: Rex Subject: Re: an iTunes question On 7/25/07, 2fs wrote: > > On 7/24/07, Rex wrote: > > > > > > I have it spread out over three drives and it's cool with that. I even > > take > > two of the drives away for weeks at it time and when I plug 'em back in, > > iTunes still knows where they are. > > > If you're using it in shuffle mode, does it just silently ignore tracks on > drives that can't be found, or does it choke? It slowly starts marking all of the missing tracks with an exclamation point (or a "chk" as the kids call it these days) and eliminates them from shuffle consideration. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:11:44 -0700 From: Rex Subject: Re: REAP On 7/25/07, Bachman, Michael wrote: > > Double darn that spell Czech! The Black Plague must have really been > hell for dentists back in the day. If I had a nickel for every time my hometown newspaper documented someone receiving a plague as if it were an honor... Ooops. The plaque has reached my estate LOL!!!!1! - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:13:37 -0400 (EDT) From: Jill Brand Subject: Kleine Haie Sebastian, I LOVED Kleine Haie! And I loved the movie Das Leben ist eine Baustelle, which has one of the actors from Kleine Haie (but I don't remember his name). And yes, Wild, Wild West was a great TV show. I thought the movie was worse than horrendous. However, the worst movie I've ever seen was called Always, but NOT the one with Richard Dreyfuss. This one was a self-indulgent, self-pitying, whiney Henry Jaglom movie. And Andre Gregory, king of self-indulgence, even makes an appearance. Jill ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:15:21 -0400 (EDT) From: Jill Brand Subject: my last post tonight, I promise (this is for Kinks fans) I just read on the Kinks digest that Wes Anderson's new film is using both This Time Tomorrow and Strangers in his new movie. Here's the link to the trailer, which uses both songs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p77mBVTYHeU Jill ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:16:19 -0700 From: Rex Subject: Re: worst movies On 7/25/07, Sebastian Hagedorn wrote: > > I enjoyed very much. I *know* that everybody and their sister hates it > with a vengeance, and maybe it's only because I wasn't really familiar > with > the series (even though it had the rather sweet title "Mit Schirm, Charm > und Melone" in German, which translates to "With Umbrella, Charm and > Melon", Well, hell, that makes it better already! I couldn't watch that whole movie. But that, and Lauren's comment, remind me, whatever happened with the Prisoner movie? ISTR a potentially classy treatment being considered for it, but... - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:18:54 -0500 From: 2fs Subject: Re: REAP On 7/25/07, Rex wrote: > > > > On 7/25/07, Bachman, Michael wrote: > > > > Double darn that spell Czech! The Black Plague must have really been > > hell for dentists back in the day. > > > If I had a nickel for every time my hometown newspaper documented someone > receiving a plague as if it were an honor... > > Ooops. The plaque has reached my estate LOL!!!!1! > Sounds like a catpion just waiting for an image... Uh, that typo? Quite apt innit - which is why I left it intact. I think, in fact, that the captions on lolcats ought officially to be called "catpions" from here on out. (Pronounced exactly the same as "caption") - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:20:57 -0500 From: 2fs Subject: Re: iPod problem solved On 7/25/07, Jill Brand wrote: > > I haven't got the computer man here right now to report exactly what he > did, but I know that he went to some Mac publication which had him follow > additional steps. Yes, Chris, "consolidate music" was one of the steps, > but there were more things as well. In addition we created folders in > everyone's libraries (we don't care if they are duplicated) so in case one > of us deletes something that someone else has in his/her library, it won't > disappear. Thanks to EVERYONE for jumping in and helping. At some point if someone could detail how this works, taht'd be quite useful - - since I'm likely in the relatively near future to be both/either splitting my tunes over a couple drives or/and buying a new laptop. - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:17:00 -0500 From: 2fs Subject: Re: an iTunes question On 7/25/07, Rex wrote: > > > > On 7/25/07, 2fs wrote: > > > > > > If you're using it in shuffle mode, does it just silently ignore tracks > > on drives that can't be found, or does it choke? > > > It slowly starts marking all of the missing tracks with an exclamation > point (or a "chk" as the kids call it these days) and eliminates them from > shuffle consideration. > So when you reconnect the other dirves, do you have to "feed" it those tracks again? (By playing them intentionally, say?) If so, seems kinda cumbersome, in that you'd have to reacquaint iTunes with all the tracks it missed: it would make using shuffle on the whole iTunes library rather annoying. Of course, you could just separate each drive into its own mega-playlist (does the "smart list" allow sorting by drive I wonder?) - that would avoid the problem, I imagine. - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:15:27 -0400 (EDT) From: Jill Brand Subject: Re: iPod problem solved On Wed, 25 Jul 2007, 2fs wrote: > At some point if someone could detail how this works, taht'd be quite useful - since I'm likely in the relatively near future to be both/either splitting my tunes over a couple drives or/and buying a new laptop. Actually, I think it was you who said the thing about consolidating files, and maybe Chris Gross did as well. Anyway, when my husband rips himself away from HP7 (he's a slowpoke; three of us finished over the weekend), I'll ask him. Aha! It's from an Apple publication (the url didn't print out) called "iTunes for Windows: moving your iTunes music folder." Thomas says if you google this verbatim, it should come right up. We had a big scare with this before because my daughter was freaking out; half her files couldn't be found. Then we realized that she had forgotten to turn on the external hard drive (it's this cute little Lego looking thing). And I promised that I wouldn't write again tonight. Sorry....... Jill On Wed, 25 Jul 2007, 2fs wrote: > At some point if someone could detail how this works, taht'd be quite useful > - since I'm likely in the relatively near future to be both/either splitting > my tunes over a couple drives or/and buying a new laptop. > > -- > > ...Jeff Norman > > The Architectural Dance Society > http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:03:33 +1200 From: grutness@slingshot.co.nz Subject: Re: worst movies Sebastian said: >Huh, I never knew that Wild Wild West was based on a series! Anyway, that's >definitely among the worst movies I've ever seen. The Avnegers, however ... and Lauren added: >i've always loved the avengers series. they need to show it on pbs >again, and the prisoner is up for a round as long as i'm making >requests. the wild wild west i've not seen. must be a new zealand >show. Nope, a US one. Sort of James Bond reimagined as a western, set in the 1870s, just as the "old west" is starting to disappear. Read about it - where else? - here: . Loads of fun. > > Oh, and there was also some appalling thing I saw about half of one > > time with Anthony Perkins as a psychotic priest ("Crimes of passion"? > > Man did that guy ever get typecast). > >oh my, that was a ken russell movie, wasn't it? did it have kathleen >turner in it? some bizarre percentage of people at my last job were >ken russell fans. last i checked, he was completely lost on me. >although actually it was an ex-boyfriend not at at my last job that i >saw that one with. That's the one. One of the few movies I've walked out on. James - -- James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.- =-.-=-.-=-.- You talk to me as if from a distance .-=-.-=-.-=-. -=-. And I reply with impressions chosen from another time .-=- .-=-.-=-.-=-.-=- (Brian Eno - "By this River") -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:26:02 -0700 From: Rex Subject: Re: an iTunes question On 7/25/07, 2fs wrote: > > On 7/25/07, Rex wrote: > > > > > > > > On 7/25/07, 2fs wrote: > > > > > > > > > If you're using it in shuffle mode, does it just silently ignore > > > tracks on drives that can't be found, or does it choke? > > > > > > It slowly starts marking all of the missing tracks with an exclamation > > point (or a "chk" as the kids call it these days) and eliminates them from > > shuffle consideration. > > > > > So when you reconnect the other dirves, do you have to "feed" it those > tracks again? (By playing them intentionally, say? > No, you just close iTunes and open it again. Every time it opens it assumes the drives are there until it figures out otherwise. I don't remember how or why I figured all of this out. I was single for a while; musta been then. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:11:19 -0500 From: "Aaron L." Subject: Re: Grinderman on Letterman Tonight This thread has strayed a bit from the original post, but I just wanted to say that I've put the (Letterman) Grinderman performance up on my web server, if anyone is interested. It's in AVI (XviD) format. I found it pretty disappointing, but YMMV. http://starblog.org/Grinderman.avi This is NOT a good look for Nick Cave. The longer hair + seriously receding hairline make him look extra-creepy, not to mention the weird facial hair. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 23:27:16 -0700 From: Rex Subject: Re: iPod problem solved On 7/25/07, Jill Brand wrote: > > On Wed, 25 Jul 2007, 2fs wrote: > > > At some point if someone could detail how this works, taht'd be quite > useful - since I'm likely in the relatively near future to be both/either > splitting my tunes over a couple drives or/and buying a new laptop. Well, right now I'm replicating my iTunes library on the new Mac laptop, using the same two external drives that've hitherto served the same function on a PC desktop. It's happening as we speak, so I'm open to questions. The two libraries should (briefly) be identical when I'm done (and then the one on the PC will most likely languish unaltered from here on out). So in case anyone's keeping score, I'll end up with a Mac laptop all of whose iTunes files are residing on two separate outboard drives. So far I've discovered one interesting thing. The PC version of iTunes thinks that 'Til Tuesday comes first in the alphabet, whereas the Mac version puts them well after both ? and the Mysterians *and* ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead. Is the alphabetizing of punctuation a known key difference between operating systems or... whuh? 'Nother question... I've come up with a few OGG files. Is there an easy plugin that lets iTunes handle these? I've just been too busy/lazy to look. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:21:31 -0400 From: FSThomas Subject: Sad. From the Atlanta-based Criminal Records newsletter: John Stabb, who was the singer of the DC hardcore band, Government Issue, and is one of Chris's musical heroes. Chris was going to write something about John, but I decided to crib what Eric wrote in the newsletter that he sent out yesterday to our record label peeps. It's long, but I hope that you'll make a little time in your day to read it. Oh, boy, I just read the news today: A long-lost friend, John Stabb, was brutally attacked last Tuesday, a block away from his home. He was beaten by five teenagers and has undergone extensive facial reconstructive surgery. Like most Americans, this is something that he can't afford to cover on his own. Beyond my immediate sympathy, and a quick response to offer what financial support I can personally afford (including this newsletter plea and some fund-raising activities at Criminal Records), I spent a good amount of time sleepless last night reliving a particularly insouciant part of my life. John Stabb, leader of Government Issue, one of the most influential bands in the early-80's DC hardcore scene was an unlikely friend, and, more accurately, he was a friend of my late brother Corey. To me, he was a punk rock god, someone who whispered in my ear (or rather, screamed in my ear) teaching me about, well, about government issues, more so than public school civics lessons and social studies. Like Jello Biafra and the Dead Kennedys from the West Coast, and his local contemporaries like Minor Threat and Dag Nasty, his music fueled my adventures, but his words and ideas nurtured my brain. When my brother introduced me to him, for the first time, I was meeting a hero, who also happened to be a person, a very nice and hip person. Corey lived in Gainesville, Florida, teaching percussion at UF and playing in bands, cooking in a four-star restaurant (another learning experience for me, when I visited, I was put to work, imagining myself a sous-chef, when in actuality, I was a garbage boy, but it was formative nonetheless) and abusing himself and others in true seat-of-the-pants punk rock living. I was three years his junior, and in 1986, those adventures and lessons were truly formative. Gainesville, at this time, was a dark and evil place and I feel like it still is. This was long before the "scene" explosion that included Hot Water Music, Less Than Jake and the wonderful No Idea label, Gainesville was known for Ted Bundy and eventually, in 1990, for Danny Rollings, the Gainesville Ripper. I vividly remember one afternoon, sitting on the roof of my brother's apartment building, with John Stabb, watching the smoke bloom from the neighboring funeral parlor, imagining Bundy's cremated remains drifting skyward. I'm not sure why we thought it was Ted Bundy, probably the strong acid we were on, looking back, I'm sure we were just watching the evil of Gainesville escape. Like most of Florida, Gainesville was a place to escape from, but, like John Stabb, at some point in your life, it's not a bad place to escape to. I never knew why this punk rock legend migrated to Florida, and I have no idea how he hooked up with my brother, but in a city that small, and with an alternative population that much smaller, it made sense that their paths would cross. At that time, John was on sabbatical from GI, but the band got together, with my brother sitting in on drums, for a show my brother helped to throw at a local VF hall, featuring the Subhumans and Scream. I raced up from my home in Daytona Beach to witness this extraordinary event, with the sounds of my terrified mother yelling, "You'll break your nose!" Midway through the GI set, it occurred to me to stage-dive for the first time, having only seen it in the magazines. I had actually forgotten that such a thing existed and, punk rock being such a rarity in early-80's Florida, it hadn't occurred to anyone else either. Moments after scrambling on stage, John reared back with his microphone, smashing me in the face and breaking my nose. The blood streaming down my face was awesome: I had no interest in washing it off for the rest of the night, a real red badge of courage and, of course, my mom was right. Her nightmare realized, and my dream come true. I get a reminder of that special time every time I look in the mirror at my mangled nose. Good times, good times. Before the show, John remembered that they had no merch for the show that night and he taught me the real meaning of D.I.Y. Using spray cans, cardboard, an X-Acto knife and an assortment of thrift store shirts, he cut out his legendary GI logo on the car-board and spray painted a dozen various shirts. D.I.Y., a strong lesson that has resonated throughout my life and career. I remember another time, making T-shirts again, sitting around my brother's kitchen with a purloined silkscreen set-up, most likely a theft from UF's art department. Corey and John were sketching ideas, silly slogans and the like, and I was blank with ideas, faced with the terror of a blank sheet of paper and in the presence of two geniuses (in my estimation). I wanted to curl up and die because I could think of nothing worth printing on a T-shirt. Like two good teachers, John and Corey helped me through the thought process, instead of making fun of me, like I deserved. (I believe I did a design commemorating the 1984 McDonald's massacre -- a crude image of Ronald McDonald McMassacaring dozens, "Eat a quarter-pound of lead," if memory serves. Hey, I was fourteen!) The best times were undoubtedly playing music/making noise in my brother's living room. Corey was a stellar drummer, a true musician, and I was a sub-par bass player, a passable technician with no musical "soul," my role was to keep the rhythm so Corey could weave in and around my foundation like a vocalist. Any other musicians, who would join us, were welcome to splash color on top of our endless jams. Stabb arrived with tons of guitar pedals and toys, and we made a hell of a racket. As naC/ve as I was musically, it had never occurred to me that you could plug a bass guitar into a delay and distortion pedal, and I was entranced for a whole summer making gloom and doom, dub rock, spending more time on my knees fiddling with knobs and manipulating feedback than actually plucking my bass. A band was born, the terrible (but wonderfully named) Wealth Vs. Evil, and more flyers were produced than actual gigs. I don't think any record remains, and for that I'm thankful. Reading about John's recent attack chilled me to my bones, as I don't recall ever meeting a more humble or genuinely nice and caring individual. I urge you to help. Please check the John Stabb benefit website or make a PayPal donation directly to JohnStabbBenefit@aol.com. Another way to help is to donate some items to the e-Bay auction that is being set up by volunteer James Sinks for this worthwhile cause. To donate items please contact James at obik@dementlieu.com. Send auction items or other donations by mail to: Dementlieu PO Box 16675 Alexandria VA 22302 * When mailing items, please include a note with the following info: Your e-mail address, a return snail-mail address, and a list of items in your package. * If shipping items by UPS or FedEx, please email James prior to shipping for a street address for delivery. * Please be sensible -- don't send more than five of any one item without e-mailing James first. * Autographed merchandise is encouraged. Another way to help is to use the following banner on your websites to help spread the word: Click to get the Help John Stabb banner and link it to this page http://members.aol.com/johnstabbbenefit. Thanks for indulging me today. -- Eric An update posted on the benefit site offers his current status: Update - 7/25/07 - John has made it home and is recuperating under the tender loving care of his wife, Mika. The surgery was successful. John is now the proud owner of 5 or 6 titanium metal plates shoring up his zygomatic tripod bones (around the eye orbit) and his upper jaw. A screw under his right eye. A leather splint over his nose. And temporary braces readjusting his teeth. John was fortunate to not have his jaw wired shut, however, this will be reevaluated within the next week, and he will be on a liquid diet for several weeks to come. Ouch. ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V16 #273 ********************************