Month: December 2002

Autobiography’s a funny thing. People made famous for their illicit behavior often want to trade on that fame — but without reminding anyone why, exactly, they came to the public’s attention in the first place.
They aspire to that special class of famous people who are famous for reasons no one quite remembers, like Shadoe Stevens or Richard Simmons.
In other words, they’re like Donna Rice Hughes. Go read that bio and see if anything jumps out at you. “Donna has given over 2500 media interviews, having appeared on virtually every national news program,” it says. Nowhere does it mention the two words that tell why, exactly, Donna Rice is famous: Gary Hart.
That’s selective autobiography at its finest.
By the way, the most annoying line by far in Donna Rice Hughes’ official bio: “Additionally, she is the Founder and Principal of DRH Enterprises, LLC, a vehicle for the honest exploration of major issues facing our culture today.” Gag.

Just to show that newspaper editors are not immune from bouts of insanity, there’s the assistant national editor of The Washington Times, who has a habit of posting his thoughts on Internet message boards. (Why a newspaper person would ever get involved in all this Internet craziness is beyond me.)
Among his thoughts: the evils of interracial relationships, why people should be “persecuted and run out of town” for supporting gay rights, the South was right, and Abe Lincoln was a “war criminal” who should have been tried for treason.

Thanks to a stunning performance last night by ex-Saint Ricky Williams, my fantasy football team (The Bobby Heberts) has eeked into the playoffs, edging out such outstandingly named squads as the Flying Alpacas, Bye Week, and Kwyjibo. This weekend, I’ll be facing the intimidating UrShellackers for a spot in the league finals.
Players you’re all encouraged to root for this weekend: Rich Gannon, Eddie George, Michael Bennett, Eric Moulds, Amani Toomer, Shannon Sharpe, Koren Robinson, Sebastian Janikowski, Simeon Rice, Jason Webster, Eric Barton, Sammy Knight, Roy Williams, and Jason Webster.
Players whose minor, pain-free, but week-long disabling you are encouraged to support: Jeff Garcia, Peerless Price, Corey Dillon, Derrick Mason, Duce Staley, Marcus Pollard, Keenan McCardell, Mike Vanderjagt, Derrick Brooks, Keith Brooking, Zach Thomas, Adam Archuleta, and Rodney Harrison.

Nice takedown in Slate of Chesa Boudin, the radical chic Yalie just named a Rhodes Scholar.

Thomas, master compiler of all things CDMOM, tells me that these acts/songs/albums showed up the most on the October mixes people sent in:
Most popular artist:
1T. Radiohead (14)
1T. U2 (14)
3. Wilco (13)
4. Ryan Adams (12)
5. Beck (11)
Most popular song:
1. The Strokes, “Last Nite” (5)
2. Ryan Adams, “New York, New York” (4)
Most popular album:
1. Ryan Adams, Gold (11)
2. The Strokes, Is This It? (10)
3. Doves, The Last Broadcast (8)
4. Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head (5)
5. Jack Johnson, Brushfire Fairytales (5)
6. Norah Jones, Come Away With Me (5)
7. Jeff Buckley, Grace (5)
8. The Beta Band, Hot Shots II (5)
9. Ani DiFranco, Living in Clip (5)
10. Pete Yorn, Musicforthemorningafter (5)
11. Beck, Sea Change (5)
12. Eels, Souljacker (5)
13. Weezer, Weezer (Green Album) (5)
14. Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (5)

Since all the November trading is (finally) over, I can reveal the contents of the November mix.

Audio of the Thurmond quote referenced below here.

Bigfoot is dead. Long live Bigfoot.

Anybody else see what Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott said at Strom Thurmond’s 100th birthday bash yesterday?
“I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had of followed our lead we wouldn’t of had all these problems over all these years, either.” (The quote’s a ways down the page, and because The Note doesn’t permalink, it’ll disappear into the archives Monday.)
For those whose U.S. history teachers spent too much time on the Civil War and never got to World War II, Strom ran for president in 1948, as a States’ Rights Democrat — the gentler way of saying he ran on a pure segregationist platform. His most famous quote from that race: “I want to tell you that there’s not enough troops in the army to force the Southern people to break down segregation and admit the Negro race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our homes, and into our churches.”
Luckily, the rest of the country didn’t follow Mississippi’s “lead.” I’m curious which of America’s “problems” would have been prevented by electing a man who would have been the most virulently racist president of the 20th century.

Underdog fan fiction. “Disclaimer: I wrote a lot of this stuff while I was on some very heavy medication for my bowel disease. Some of it is very heavy. Please be warned.”
The author of these heavy tales even gives Underdog a real name. (He was just known as Shoeshine Boy on the old cartoon.) The name: Jonathan Weissman. Who knew Underdog was Jewish?
Among the tales: “One: A snapshot of the darkest period of Jonathan’s life. Contains extreme profanity.” And “Dark Shadows of the Future: Years after ending his superhero ‘career,’ Jonathan Weissman isn’t doing that well — mentally. But a government project forces him to face his fears of the past and present.”
Of course, this Underdog renaming business has the capacity to freak out other Jonathan Weissmans.