Monkeytown...

Of course you knew somewhere there was a place called "Monkeytown", and no, you're not surprised it's in West Virginia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkeytown%2C_West_Virginia

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=monkeytown&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=41.95363,84.726562&ie=UTF8&hq=Monkeytown&hnear=Monkeytown&ll=38.705372,-79.432483&spn=0.010131,0.020685&t=h&z=16

Google Maps Street View - right up to the Beaufort Sea!

Wow - Google has mapped a street view path all the way up to Dead Horse, Alaska - near the Arctic Ocean. The drive from Key West is 5,529 miles one-way.

I envy the people who got to photograph this drive! The scenery is amazing. Here's an example (click on the link for 360 degree street view):

Dalton Hwy, Koyukuk-Middle Yukon, AK

Welcome Home NJ Weedman!

New Jersey approves medical marijuana:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/nj_lawmakers_approve_bill_lega.html

Welcome home NJ Weedman!
http://www.njweedman.com/10/html/aboutme.html

You may recall Ed Forchion... Here was a dude passionate about two things he loved: weed and New Jersey. Ed was arrested and incarcerated multiple times while campaigning to change New Jersey marijuana laws, even making a run for governor. He tried to change his legal name to NJWeedman, but was not permitted.

Eventually he gave up and moved to California where medical marijuana was legalized early on, and set-up a thriving business selling, you guessed it - marijuana.

Now that the legislation passed, will NJWeedman return to NJ?

Broadcast Digital TV...

... blows (sucks, whatever's worse).

It always cuts out, and the screen goes black and silent.

At least with analog TV, a poor signal still gave you sound and fuzzy video. What good is a "pristine" image if you repeatedly lose 15 second chunks of your story? Until the technology or signals improve, we're stuck with a bill of goods that doesn't deliver on the promise. Plus I haven't seen WPVI channel 6 in months, it simply doesn't come into Center City Philadelphia... Thanks NAB & FCC!

Hooray! One of My Favorite Roads...

... is now available on Google Maps Street View!

It's the switchback down the plateau on the way from Flagstaff to Sedona, AZ on 89-A.

At the top, it's pines, cedars and scrub brush. At the bottom, it's cottonwoods, ferns and water . It's a drop of about 1,100 feet in less than 8 minutes of driving from 6,500 ft to 5,400 ft into Sterling Canyon alongside Oak Creek.

By the time you hit Sedona, you've gone down to 4,200 feet, so there's a marked difference in temperature and weather (like from snow to balmy sunshine in the winter) - all in 45 minutes travel time.

Be sure to click the forward arrows and stop to look around as you go along... Enjoy:

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=35.032043,-111.73409&spn=0,359.988627&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=35.032154,-111.734114&panoid=uYJHweDSMleC5zdwFpq_Ew&cbp=12,173.29986467016332,,0,5

Still a favorite...

Even though it's no longer listed on their site, the Random Yahoo Link continues to be a favorite source of, well, randomness. Where else would you even think to find Alpacas for sale? (And who knew baby Alpacas were so cute?)

Go ahead, try it:

http://random.yahoo.com/bin/ryl

A new experience every time you click.

MSNBC's Teabagging Coverage...

OK, yesterday there were April 15th Tax Day protests that supposedly took their inspiration from the Boston Tea Party.

(American Revolution, 1773, remember? See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_tea_party)

But instead instead of throwing tea into the Boston Harbor, these grass-roots events involve throwing / sending used teabags to/at politicians (especially Democrats).

The "media" took the opportunity to refer to yesterday's event as the "Teabagging Protest".

If you are unfamiliar with the term "teabagging", I won't describe it here - but you can look it up in the Urban Dictionary... see:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=teabagging&defid=1608058

Now that you know what that means, enjoy this clip from MSNBC's David Schuster...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELy61zkZHO0

Rockin' Bones

Oh no, say it ain't so! Lux Interior of the Cramps passed away yesterday of a pre-existing heart condition.

While saddened to hear this, I think the best tribute comes directly from a Cramps song:

Roll On! Rock On! Raw Bones!
There's still a lot of rhythm in these Rockin' Bones

I wanna leave a happy memory when I go
I wanna leave something to let the whole world know
That the Rock 'n Roll daddy has a done passed on
But my bones will keep a rockin' long after I've gone

Roll On! Rock On! Raw Bones!
Well, There's still a lot of rhythm in these Rockin' Bones

Well, when I die don't you bury me at all
Just nail my bones up on the wall
Beneath these bones let these words be seen
"This is the bloody gears of a Boppin' Machine"

Roll On! Rock On! Yeah, Raw Bones!
Well, There's still a lot of rhythm in these Rockin' Bones

I ain't a worried about tomorrow, just a thinkin' about tonight
My bones are getting restless and I do it up right
A few more times around a hardwood floor
Before we turn out the lights and close the door

Roll On! Rock On! Raw Bones!
Well, There's still a lot of rhythm in these Rockin' Bones

Still, what a surprise...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqH9o0cCFgc

Still Stupid...

There's a guy named madshackle who has a YouTube site with all kinds of cool Rock'n'Roll video on it... and he graciously pointed out to me that he's got some Still Stupid video there (THANKS DAVE!).

For lack of digitized material, I've never really been able to represent Still Stupid here... But now, I can!

Presenting for your enjoyment:

When I Get That Feeling
Why (Do You Look at Me)?
Infection
Blowfly

For reference, this show was at JC Dobbs in Philadelphia (somewhere around 1991), and we were: Jim Canfield (vocals, clarinet - currently in Bleeding, Sweating, Crying), David Otwell (guitar - currently in DeSoto Rust), Ken Kramar (skinny, non-bald guy w/ white guitar - hah!), Doug Lester (hat & bass), Pat Ward (drums).

A Little Something for the Holidays...

In the spirit of the season, I offer something new: a little ditty that was originally a Trained Attack Dogs song, which has only appeared on the live Lotsa Fun release... I thought it was worth a re-visit, so this is a slight reworking of the tune with both acoustic and electric guitars.

Series of Events

By the way, I've always admired John Manhardt's upbeat lyrics:

When you say what you mean,
People doubt what you meant.
And No one, no one,
no one will ever believe you...

And when you know where to go,
People doubt where you've been.
And No one, no one,
no one will ever believe you...

And when you do what you say,
it doesn't matter anyway,
'Cause No one, no one,
no one will ever believe you.