"I KNEW IT WOULD HAVE THE WORD SITH IN IT!"

Sadly, with a girlfriend with flu-like symptoms, my planned screening of COLLATERAL didn't happen. I tried to pawn off the tickets to various friends, but no takers. Hopefully tonight my significant other will be in better shape to see this film. I read the script and while it was good (not great), I feel the director and actors will elevate it to where it needs to be.

Meanwhile, I am hard at work doing lots of things NOT related to my music. This is only helped by the fact that one Brandt is somewhere like in Poland pretending he is "cosmopolitan" when he is in fact, nothing more than Summer Man. Someone is gonna figure that out at some point and there will be some big ass trouble. Probably involving a big ass chick, knowing B. However, I have my own European trip to worry about, which will be Irene's first time in that direction of the world. While many people plan tours of historic sites and such, we are taking a more rock n roll approach to the trip and are just seeing gigs (at least in London) and being lazy as hell. So if you're British and you are at either the Twilight Singers, Primal Scream or David Cross (!) gigs in London this month, come say hello to the New Yorkers. Also on the cultural agenda for this trip: shopping, eating, and sleeping (probably in that order). And yes, I do intend to see a few old pals in London, mostly while Irene shops (Gilez, save me!).

Anyhow, I've become preliminary art idea for the band In Loving Memory, which has been referred to here jokingly as Ass Cobra and will be referred to as such from this point on. Yes, this is Ash and company and I'm fascinated by the challenge of coming up with a "look" for this project. However, i have no fucking music for this project, which doesn't help me (ASH!). I heard some more of it last week and damn do I like it a lot. Charles has been the difference maker big time and has brought out the best in Robin and Ash. I have one concept piece done already, but I really want to spend time with this and do it right.

Our house continues (happily) to be MOG Central Station this week. Most of the week saw Agent/Lawyer/Advisor using MOGworld has her NYhomebase, though Irene has seen her more than I have. Also here was the 5 months preggers Mrs. Cramp, who is a riot and was introduced to Sizzling Rice Soup for the first time ever this week. Another convert! We dined with our new friend, Ben, who Irene and Mrs. Cramp befriended while trying to get Mrs. Cramp's laptop fixed at the Apple store. Ben is a cool dude and is studying to be a priest of some sort, and works at the apple store during his time away from Seminary School. Anyway, he too enjoyed the finer dining in Chinatown and as soon as I'm done with this entry, I will be heading down to see him to get this laptop into fighting shape. Aces.

FYI, I have tried to re-listen to new albums I have recently had problems with or didn't love just to make sure they weren't lost in the shuffle in the recent onslaught of "too much new music at the same time". Sadly, very few of the opinions stated in previous entries have changed. I still hate the new Prodigy album (Q Magazine agrees), i still hate the production on the Cure album (so does Simon Gallup supposedly), and I still just like the Interpol album. I have new respect for Muse since seeing them live and am now enjoying the albums much more. I'm still digging the Damage Manual album immensely and the new Clay People stuff (only have a few demos) rocks my pants silly.

I have tried to control my urge to run to a certain nearby bookstore to haunt the singer of my favourite band for mixes of what I think is his now completed album. It's so hard to be so restrainted. I know you read this, PLEASE PLEASE send me the album!

OK. Out for now.

F

P.S. The headline quote is from my 6 year old cousin, Eric, who is my clone who, upon hearing the title of STAR WARS EPISODE III, proceeded to quote every instance the word SITH (or has he pronounces it: Seeeth) was used in the previous 5 movies. I can't think of much that would be make me prouder of this boy. To hear him quote a random Darth Maul line is astounding and brings great joy. Attack of the clones indeed!