Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, door #2)

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

These are not very smart people, and things got out of hand.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

Donald Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

75% of people clapping liked the show!

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

This blog will pay for itself.

Consistently wrong since 2002

Not rolling over. fuck you, make me.

“But what about the lurkers?”

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / It’s Friday Night and I Am on the Bottle

Reader Interactions

213Comments

  6. 6.

    dp

    Something happened that is too weird not to share.

    My laptop crashed, and I reloaded iTunes, and I had zero history, so I decided to play it start to finish to see how long it took. I kind of have a lot on it — 11,000+ songs.

    Here’s the weird part. By sheer coincidence, I started it on my brother’s birthday, September 29. I finished it earlier tonight, March 23, which is my sister’s birthday.

    I feel I may have to start a religion or something.

    I may be a touch tipsy as well, but all the facts in this post are true and correct.

  7. 7.

    Satanicpanic

    I’ve become a regular on friday nights at a local bar but couldn’t make it there this week. The other locals have been monopolizing the juke box with schmaltzy 70’s love songs for the past couple weeks and I’m thinking I might have to find a new bar. Dive bars should be either Classic Rock, Country or YMMV Hip-hop.

  8. 8.

    spaceman_spiff

    I’m snot-hanging, knee crawling drunk, dialing numbers for local strip joints and trying to call ex-girlfriends a touch tipsy and listening to southern rock:

    That’s OK. I’m snot-hanging, knee crawling drunk, dialing numbers for local strip joints and trying to call ex-girlfriends myself. Oh, & listening to Nirvana..FWIW

  9. 9.

    John Cole

    @Little Boots: Of course I am awake.

    I’m really not that drunk at all, I just had a bottle or so of wine. I’m just energetic because I napped for an hour this afternoon AND had tea after 4 pm, so I am wide awake.

    And really, any chance I get to listen to Waiting for Columbus at ear-bleeding volumes, I take. Period.

  14. 14.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @dp: Weird. September 29 is my saint’s day and today is my niece’s birthday. It’s like we are twins.

  16. 16.

    spaceman_spiff

    And right now my wife is on the couch, in front of the TV, fast asleep in front of Saving Private Ryan

  17. 17.

    Satanicpanic

    @Little Boots: It’s one of those internet connected ones so they’re finding what I can only guess were the B-Sides to Endless Love and One, Twice, Three Times a Lady. There’s a time and a place! Personally, I want to hear old honky tonk, George Jones, I’m not even that country, it just fits.

  19. 19.

    Corner Stone

    @spaceman_spiff: Ok. Step away from the wife. Slowly…carefully…find a nice patch of floor and just pass the fuck out on it.
    Blanket would be nice. But not necessary.

  22. 22.

    Bnut

    Ok, question. Any riders on here? Took my first motorcycle class last weekend, taking the medium class next weekend. I’m tired of driving the damn Z71 everywhere, I need to save some gas and it’s already pretty much a tow vehicle for the food truck so I would like to save some it’s miles. I’m looking at an 07 Rebel 250 for $1500 atm. Any thoughts on it as a first bike?

  25. 25.

    Southwest of Heaven

    Live at Ludlows Garage, shit yes.

    I was working in a chain CD store in 1990 when I first heard that. Lo-fi, right from the sound board, raw as it gets. What a great set. The entire second disc is Mountain Jam for 44 minutes complete with dual drum solo. Enjoy yourselves!

  26. 26.

    freelancer

    @Bnut:

    Any thoughts on it as a first bike?

    Wear a goddamned helmet and layered clothes. When I worked in the OR, all the trauma surgeons called them “donorcycles”.

  27. 27.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Bnut: How big are you? A modern 250 is good enough for most people as an in town bike. If you are bigger or may do many highway miles, a bigger bike might be needed.

  28. 28.

    ulee

    I’ve been listening to Sweet Home Alabama on youtube. Love the backup singers. Neil Young says its a great song..no real rivalry.

  34. 34.

    Bnut

    @freelancer: Yes, yes, yes. I have a great helmet, full leather, combat boots and a good truck to drive in the rain and for long trips. I appreciate the sentiment, but I have read the bike forums and seen the pics of things that can happen. I know I’m not invincible (something I wish someone had told me before I joined the Marine Corps), but I also am going to do this, so…

    @Omnes Omnibus: @Corner Stone: I weigh about 200 atm, fighting weight is about 180.

  35. 35.

    danielx

    @Bnut:

    No advice on bikes, I gave them up after an incident involving a brutal amount of tequila and near as dammit straining myself through a chain link fence. I’m younger than that now…

  40. 40.

    Satanicpanic

    @Bnut: Good songs there (Ok, I wasn’t too into the middle one) I swear I’ve heard that Black Joe Lewis song somewhere before.

  41. 41.

    Corner Stone

    @Bnut:

    but I have read the bike forums and seen the pics of things that can happen.

    Yep. That’s what all the families say. After.

    Seriously man. I had a GSXR 750 that I loved so much. And never loved more than the day I sold it.

  42. 42.

    freelancer

    @Bnut:

    No I know, I sound like my mom, and as Pacino says in HEAT “You can get killed walking your doggie!” We all pay the piper at some point.

  43. 43.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Bnut: A 250 is too small for you. You might want to look for a well maintained, used 500. I personally don’t like sport bikes or cruisers. I am a fan of straight-up classic bikes. They are more versatile.

  47. 47.

    PeakVT

    @Bnut: I had a bike for a while, but it end up scaring me b/c I was cheap and bought a crappy one. So, whatever price point you pick, make sure it’s in good shape. IIRC the Rebel has an incredibly low C of G, so it’s a good starter bike.

  52. 52.

    Sawgrass Stan

    Just got done for the night, and I’m out of the studio and celebrating with a bottle o’ Bass and the prospect of getting paid. Recalled Wisc.Repub state pol managed to beat a DUI/etc. charge by blaming it on the DFH unionized Po-lice, who musta had it in for him. The jury bought it. (TPM, but you read it already.)
    Guess I’d better have another Bass or two. At least I’m not planning to drive.

  54. 54.

    wasabi gasp

    @Bnut: My sister started on a Rebel. She was petite and the bike fit her well, but even she grew tired of its lack of power. Before long, she got a bigger bike.

  55. 55.

    Mnemosyne

    For some reason, our local rock oldies station has been playing .38 Special a lot, so now I remember that they have some really good pop songs, like this one and this one. Other than that, not a big fan of the subgenre.

  57. 57.

    Petorado

    @nellcote:

    Effing iTunes won’t let me buy that without buying the entire disk. Gah! One of the best songs I’ve ever heard.

  59. 59.

    Omnes Omnibus

    I know this will probably get me banned, but Little feat has never done anything for me. Nothing against them, but they leave me entirely meh.

  66. 66.

    Alison

    @freelancer: It probably makes me weird but that is my favorite line from that movie. Something about him, especially as that character, saying the word “doggie”. My ex and I used to use it constantly as an inside joke, whenever someone would say “You could…” or “You might…” with some Bad Thing following, we’d throw out that line and cackle away while everyone else stared at us like the nutjobs we were.

  80. 80.

    freelancer

    @Little Boots:

    I kinda wish John would check in.
    __
    is that needy?

    Yes. This is like the third consecutive weekend that this has been pointed out to you. You’re an amusing contributor, but you seem to hang on the word of everyone that responds to you. Let’s change the playbook and try a little self-confidence.

  83. 83.

    Sawgrass Stan

    @Petorado: Fantastic. Absolutely! One of the two R.Johnson tunes I can play (not for public consumption), and DB does some nice things on the lower frets. RJ plays mostly on the 12th fret with a muted bass drone on the original, but uh– blah, blah, blah– sorry.
    The Allmans always seemed to be playing somewhere in So. Fla. when I was in High School, and I’ve always regretted that I didn’t sneak out to see them more often.
    One more Bass, and I’m going to go put that box in an open D, and then listen to that wind howlin’….
    But the Allmans never seemed to be “Southern Rock” to me. All the other SR bands seemed more stuck in a genre rut. Maybe it was the Allman’s feeling for the blues. Maybe just good luck with song choices….

  91. 91.

    MattR

    Widespread Panic covering Bloodkin’s “Can’t Get High“. Not the greatest version, but watching La Bamba groove makes it worthhile. And the closing verse is pretty cool too

    Hallucinated a green light
    And I slammed on the gas
    My performance ain’t perfect
    But it’s loud and it’s fast
    Set sail for the new world
    And I burned down the mast
    Well, it wasn’t the first time
    And I know it won’t be the last

  103. 103.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @eemom: No. I love NOLA, but the rest of the south confuses me. Okay, NOLA confuses me too, but it is worth it. And I haven’t done the Bourbon Street thing in 24 years.

  104. 104.

    ulee

    Where is John? He started this whole thing. I do not understand where John has gone. It is strange that John is not participating in this drunkfest.

  105. 105.

    freelancer

    @Little Boots:

    We are having fun. I’m watching a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, attempt at a psychological thriller called 88 minutes because a very fun podcast called “How did this get made?” covered the movie in their last show. This movie blows chunks. But it does have Amy Brenneman, Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski turning in their attempts at decent performances, and Racetrack from BSG gratuitously nekkid in the first 10 minutes.

    It doesn’t make the film any less stupid, but it helps.

  117. 117.

    Bnut

    @Little Boots: Guitar focus, hard to differentiate between that and blues rock. I think “genres” are largely made up at this point anyway. Like what you like.

  119. 119.

    Little Boots

    and you know what else?

    I like John.

    he can be difficult, but he can also be fun. and he runs a great site.

  122. 122.

    Little Boots

    @Bnut:

    what would you say is southern rock, other than lynyrd skynyrd or allmann brothers? the band? neil young?

  123. 123.

    Sawgrass Stan

    @Petorado: thanks, still waiting for the vid to load, but I’ll assume it’s worth waiting for.
    BTW– I’ve got two close friends who are astonishingly talented musicians, and they can barely make a living playing down here. Gigs at clubs pay the same, or less, that they did ten years ago. “Don’t quit your day job” has always been the rule, but both of these guys are real pro’s– books, session dates, decent press– but they get less club work than ever. Are good local musicians getting work where you all are, or is it just here in benighted Scottland?

  124. 124.

    Satanicpanic

    @Trinity: I’ve kept my mouth shut, but I’m just not into southern rock. Or classic rock. Just not my thing. And I’m enjoying my vodka. +5

  130. 130.

    MaxxLamge

    Trivia corner! Amaze your friends!

    Oteil Burbridge, the current Allman Brothers bassist, appeared in the Peter Sellars film “Being There”, as one of the thugs in the “message for Raphael” scene.

  134. 134.

    MattR

    @Little Boots: You can’t really classify Neil. I’d say the Band has a southern sound even though they largely lack the heritage (everyone other than Levon Helm is Canadian). I kinda want to call them folk rock, but there is too much screaming guitar. For southern rock, I’d go .38 Special, Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels Band, Little Feat, Molly Hatchet. (EDIT: I’d add the Black Crowes as a more modern example. Also, IMO, southern rock has a bit more of a country twang to the guitar than blues rock)

  136. 136.

    Steeplejack

    @Little Boots:

    “Southern rock” is rock by bands from the South, heyday (starting) in the ’70s. Strong beat, blues-inflected and usually featuring the distinctive sound of the Gibson Les Paul guitar. (Almost all of the links I have put up tonight have that.)

  141. 141.

    Sawgrass Stan

    @Bnut: CSNY were folk-rock, but Young never quite seemed comfortable with the style. He always had–has!– an appreciation for the joy and sorrow that loud distorted guitars can bring. I don’t always like him, but he doesn’t pigeonhole easily.

  146. 146.

    freelancer

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Neil Young is Canadian. All of the Band except Levon Helm are Canucks as well

    For whatever reason, I was under the impression he was from Tennessee. It’s probably from a story he told about where the song Old Man originated from, but now that I looked it up, he was talking about his ranch in Cali and has nothing to do with Tennessee.

    Memory is baffling, please tell me it get’s better.

  150. 150.

    Bnut

    @Sawgrass Stan: Like I said, genres are increasingly stupid. Look at what has happened in rap music. It’s less than half as old as rock, yet people struggle to classify different artists at this point. Also, much like race in people, music classification is used by others to either support or tear down those who are “different”.

  152. 152.

    Kris Collins

    Very long-time lurker, can’t remember if I have ever commented, but whatever, this reminded me of my greatest “brush with fame.” It was circa 1974 or 75 not quite sure now, I was on the road with my then husband in our crappy lounge-lizard type dance band (you know, covers of Doobie Brothers and the Captain and Tenille.) We were in a very nice Sheraton Inn in Buffalo rehearsing one afternoon when this guy with long blond hair came into the bar. We played for a bit, he invited us to join him for a beer, we had a nice chat. Turned out to be Greg Allman, recently married to Cher, in town to take the cure. Lovely man, brilliant musician, one of my best memories. I also ran into Cher later that night in the ladies room, very nice, insanely skinny. I know this sounds nuts but would I make up the Buffalo Sheraton Inn? As somebody says in a better fantasy than this, “you can look it up!”

  154. 154.

    ulee

    Little Boots knows that Neil Young and everyone but Levon Helms from The Band is Canadian. This is hilarious theatre.

  155. 155.

    MattR

    @freelancer: Neil was born in Toronto but moved to Winnipeg as a teen where my mom remembers watching him play high school dances and then small clubs where she also saw folks (pun intended) like Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez

    EDIT: Mom was also at the Newport Folk Festival where Dylan got booed for going electric. God I hate her ;)

  159. 159.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Little Boots: Neil Young is sui generis. He worked with Devo in the mid-70s. Don’t try to pigeonhole. And now I really am going to bed.

  164. 164.

    Satanicpanic

    @Trinity: to each their own. The confident I’ve gotten in my own music playing abilities (which are still, sadly, not that developed) the less I judge people’s choices. On any given day I’m likely to be driving my car listening to cheesy Top 40.

  166. 166.

    dead existentialist

    @Trinity: Yes it is “a very personal problem,” but this place is a cesspool of personal problems so you’re probably good.

    I threatened suicide up-thread, and everybody acted like I was dead or something.

    Fuck, I’m drunk +

  168. 168.

    piratedan

    @Little Boots: well it really IS a regional thing and while Neil Young can sing about it and may even claim to understand it, it’s almost one of those “you have to have lived it” kind of things. It’s a pretty decent list of bands that are either “southern rock” or have southern rock influences. Certainly bands like Little Feet, The Allman Brothers Band, 38 Special, Lynard Skynard but its more than just those headliners, you have a whole 2nd and 3rd tier of bands and even spanning generations if you want to consider groups like The Black Crowes and Georgia Satellites. Also, people who have a foot in this camp (i.e. I admit it, I reached my maturity cutting my teeth on this stuff) can get tetchy about it. Especially by claiming that Neil Young is a Southern rock musician when he’s spent a fair amount of his time writing songs that are less than favorable about the south (If you care to advocate on behalf of Lynard Skynard and their opinion of him).

  173. 173.

    Sawgrass Stan

    @Bnut: Uhh… Word(cough)! I agree, as long as we’re talking about artists that don’t want to be confined to a single style–or label. But some artists very happily self-select their “labels.” Look at the artists that want to be known as Blues musicians, or Jazz, when those categories aren’t anywhere as rigid as they used to be. I don’t have a problem imagining Neil Young partnering with a major Blues artist for an album, but I can’t see him doing an album of Standards……..
    Wait— that could be awesome! Ramp up the distortion!
    BTW– When the Band was still Levon and the Hawks, they hooked up with Levon’s boyhood radio idol Sonny Boy Williamson for some back-alley jams, and made some tentative plans to be his backup band. Sonny Boy spoiled it all by dying. (Robert Palmer, “Deep Blues”)

  175. 175.

    MattR

    @dead existentialist: Geez. I missed that. Hope it was a fleeting feeling and nothing more serious. If not, please talk to someone (immediately if need be, or in the near future otherwise). Things can get better even when that seems impossible. If you can’t find someone, let me know and I’ll give you my email address.

  183. 183.

    piratedan

    @Little Boots: np, amongst others on the list….

    Molly Hatchet
    Nantucket
    Rosington-Collins Band
    The Outlaws
    Ozark Mountain Daredeveils
    Mountain

    and if others need to pile on, they can do so… just saying that the genre does have some overlap with country and western and western rock and even some of the southern beach music.

  190. 190.

    Sawgrass Stan

    @dead existentialist: like some of the other folks said, we’re here to help if you need it. But as far as being drunk, well, dude, just look at the title of this thread. This probably ought to be called “It’s Friday Night and Are Those Twelve Steps or Am I just Seeing Double??” John C’s asleep with His Animals by now, and i’m off to kick the animals off my bed so I can sleep with my wife.

  195. 195.

    Sawgrass Stan

    Petorado: Just hope the really talented folks can keep up their morale and keep playing– being a musician is usually a great way to almost starve to death. However– there are a bunch of old, retired swing musicians who like to get together and play the old charts at the community center in my little village. They’re still pretty good, and you’ve got to hand it to a guy who can still swing with an alto sax even though he’s using a walker. And thanks for the links; very much appreciated. You are a man of taste.
    Good morning, all!

  197. 197.

    piratedan

    @MattR: sorry to be so flip Matt, I love my tunage but I’m also a firm believer in that what works for me may not work for you, as such, I do my best to not get pissy about anyone else’s musical preferences. Strictly a ymmv kind of thing.

  198. 198.

    MattR

    @Sawgrass Stan: My sister followed up quitting her job and going back to school with marrying a musician. You can imagine how thrilled my parents were by that combination. But her husband is a great guy, she now has a PhD and a job that gives them both health insurance (and the latter was really always my parents biggest concern)

    @piratedan: I am not a VU fan and I was also being serious. I couldn’t think of a good single word description for them. And “bizzare” really does work as well as anything else. (EDIT: I do like “Loaded” but it’s also the least Velvety of their albums – which is probably why I like it)

  199. 199.

    LosGatosCA

    I still think the Allman Brothers live at Ludlow Garage is one of the greatest albums ever made.

    Could be. Of course Live at the Fillmore East IS the best album ever made.

    And if you find the Nazz version of Hello, it’s Me, on the jukebox you are in a true dive bar. If the beer is Carling black label in long necks for 45 cents, then its happy hour in the Twilight Zone.

  200. 200.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    I’d have to be far beyond “drunk” to listen to “Southern Rock”. I’d need to be either “asleep” or “unconscious”.

    Don’t wanna chill, don’t wanna sit
    Don’t wanna hear no hippy shit
    Don’t tell me I’ve closed my mind
    Don’t wanna groove, don’t wanna dig
    Don’t wanna spend the day naked
    Don’t like my music country fried
    …
    He’s got a tye dyed Rancid shirt
    He wears his birkenstocks to work
    Is he a jerk? No! Just confused
    Jeff don’t wear regular shoes

  201. 201.

    Clime Acts

    I believe Little Boots is a spoof sock puppet.

    But whose spoof sock puppet is it…?

  208. 208.

    DaveinME

    I still think the Allman Brothers live at Ludlow Garage is one of the greatest albums ever made.

    That there is the truth!! Mountain Jam from that album is simply one of the best!!

  210. 210.

    john patrick

    We twelve hours different here in Taiwan, but it’s that time of the evening here for me. Which means it’s time for my alltime jezbout unconscious vid – “Wonderin'” by Neil and the Shocking Pinks.

  212. 212.

    Jebediah

    @Bnut:
    I know I am wicked late here, but if you are still around I wanted to throw in my two cents about your bike choice. As a few people have pointed out, a 250 is on the small side for someone your size, but modern bikes do squeeze more power out of each cc. For a first bike anyway you don’t want gobs of power, not until our riding skills, reflexes, and instincts are up to it. And if you just use it to commute, (not to go racing through canyons etc.) you might never feel the need to get a bigger bike. But a smaller, less expensive bike is always a good idea until, after several thousand miles of riding, you start to figure out what you like about riding and thereby figure out what your ideal second bike would be. I vote “yes” on the Rebel. (As long is this particular one is mechanically sound, of course.)
    Not to be a nudge, but helmet-jacket-gloves EVERY TIME and pay attention to your tires’ pressure and tread condition, since you only have two. And accept the fact that you will hit the deck at some point. We all do.
    Welcome to two-wheel world – have fun!

  213. 213.

    piratedan

    @Raven:@Raven: granted, but their music transcended many genres and a great amount of their early work dealt with southern themes (hell, even wiki has them with a southern rock label, amongst many others)

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