You know you haven’t updated your weblog in a long time when your mom emails to ask what’s going on.

Personal to Mom: I say the F-word alot in this one.

Before I get started, let me say that Morcheeba is the 21st century’s Barry White. Thanks to DJ for pointing this out.

I could say that I’ve been busy — but that would be what we in the publishing world call A LIE — so I’ll instead tell a closer approximation of the truth and say that I have been otherwise occupied. I didn’t realize that people were Jonesin’ like Whitney Houston for these little updates. I consider myself properly chided and will double-up in the effort department.

Until I get my act together, feel free to read So Bad It’s Funny, Shannon’s weekly recaps of 7th Heaven and Joe Millionaire. There’s nothing about me in there, but you should read it anyway.

Speaking of addiction, I finally bought Pinback’s Blue Screen Life and haven’t really listened to anything else since. Aside from Kym, no one digs it as much as I do. Ivan gave it a strong “ehh” and althought I’ve tried to turn Holly onto Pinback through a subtle form of manipulation, which in my book means yelling “You have to listen Pinback!” at regular intervals, she refuses to cave. She hasn’t punched me about it yet, but I think I saw her clench her fist.

Speaking of fists, Blue Screen Life has an iron-fisted grip on my aural cavities right now, and Pinback holds sway over my CD player. Remember in Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan when Ricardo Montalban shoved that space-earwig thing into Chekov’s ear and turned him into a mindless slave? My situation is similar, but with less free will on my part. Maybe I’ll listen to something else in the future, but when I say future, I’m thinking less “spoiled milk” and more “Hey Marty, give me the keys to the Delorean“. That’s the timeline I’m working with right now.

Too much has happened in the last month to give a full accounting, so instead I’ll pretend like it didn’t happen and just jump into last weekend.

I spent Saturday at the anti-war rally. It was freezing — 13 degrees plus the windchill which made it feel like 3 degrees — but I got a chance to hang out with 300,000 of my closest hippie friends and bitch about why the Bush Adminstration is evil, so it was all worth it. A fine cross section of America was represented, but the crowd definitely skewed granola. Everyone has that one friend who wants to turn everything into a bong; “Dude, that Coke can would make an excellent bong. Dude, I bet I could catch a buzz off of that chocolate cake.” Anyway, that guy was there, and he brought 100,000 of his closest friends.

Now, I love my peace-loving brothers and sisters, but I’ve got to get some stuff off my chest:

1. An Anti-War Rally is not a Grateful Dead show. Don’t smoke pot while Jesse Jackson is speaking. It’s impolite, it makes everybody look bad, and it’s just bad for the cause.

2. If happen to run into Ralph Nader (which I did) be cool. He just a guy. And whatever happens, don’t blame him for losing the 2000 Election. It’s not his fault. Al Gore blew it long before Florida screwed the planet. Besides, he’s Ralph Nader and he’s been taking on corruption, apathy and ignorance for close to 40 years. What have you ever done?

3. Nothing will make you be more anti-war and pro-peace than hearing a veteran talk about war. Were you in The Shit? They were in The Shit and their experiences and opinions carry more weight with me than any celebrity’s speech or politicians ranting. And while I’m talking about veterans and politicians, Fuck Georgia and Fuck Saxby Chambliss. Long live Max Cleland.

3. The best thing I heard all day — in fact the highlight of the proceedings — was when this dirty hippie standing behind me turned to his friend and said “Duuuuuuuudddee. Duuuuuuuudddddeeee. We should have brought the didgeridoo.”