I freely admit that I myself got sick of Moby - the endless ads, the overexposure - by early 2000...

But believe it or not, while lazily rummaging thru my CD collection (just yesterday) I found my copy of "Play" - which I had not listened to in ages.

I put on "Bodyrock" (Best. Workout. Song. Ever.)...and just like I did 9 years ago, I almost involuntarily began to shake my unhip, uncoordinated South Asian booty all over my apartment. =)

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I probably will not buy Moby's new album; frankly, I've never been a huge club/techno fan. (Sadly, it's people like me who probably got the poor guy branded a sellout by "hardcore" techno fans & purists)

Yet I still love "Play" for the way it melded blues, funk and rock to driving loop beats. The 21st century brought the advent of mash-up albums between Jay-Z and the Beatles, etc. - but back in '99, "Play" was ballsy, fresh and innovative.

And FWIW: It has aged very well, Moby.

...still use only typewriters and abacuses as well?

Do they hear the term "Excel spreadsheet" - and visualize a bed linen that has been smoothed and tucked very, very well?

...and an apologist for airline treatment of passengers/cattle during two-hour runway delays, etc., you're a damn fine writer, Patrick.

Beautiful article. I'm looking up pics of "Monsters" as I write this.

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Less telling passengers to just suck it up and deal with crappy airline treatment - and more columns like these!!!

...Has never truly been penniless.

...Has never had to go without food - or been unable to feed their family.

...Has never experienced the strife and adversity of being jobless - not in cushy USA, with welfare/unemployment checks aplenty - but in a rural Third World land.

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Yes, plastic bags are bad for the environment. Yes, they should be recycled and their use reduced wherever possible.

But treating the loss of livelihoods of 20,000 people as no big deal (or "acceptable losses" in the Green Movement) makes you just as heartless and callous as rich, pampered Republicans who could give a shit when they layoff thousands of American workers to preserve/amplify their own executive bonuses.

Myopia and inability to empathize with the little brown (or yellow) people of the world does the environmental movement no good.

It just makes us all look like privileged yuppie snobs who would sooner hug a tree than value human/social wellbeing on the same level as the spotted owl.

Just sayin...

If/when I form a band, we shall be named the Hilarious Elks.

Our first (double-)album will be called "What About Frogs?? Volumes I and II" - and the cover will be a photo of Bret The Hitman Hart snapping cigarettes in half.

Our first single? The sure-fire smash hit Quantum Decoupling; its music video - 3 minutes of slow-mo footage of Bea Arthur unhooking various bras - will be watched 4 million times on YouTube the first day alone.

Thanks, I Googled for You!

That was a classic gem of a Simpsons episode!

My favorite parts: 1.) Homer getting in the Krusty Burger cashier kid's oily/pimply face and breathily intoning, "My God, you're greasy!"

2.) Willy rippin' off his shirt (revealing a super-ripped Scottish 6-pack/torso), just before he battles Homer to recover his "retirement grease".

=) ;-)

It doesn't just have to be recycled junk food oil that you use; one can make their biodiesel using fresh veggie oil (i.e. that has touched nary a french fry*) for about $1 a gallon.

With a little research, you can even make a winter blend of homemade biodiesel that won't coagulate, etc. even in Snow Belt winters. I'm planning to buy an old diesel Suburban and install the biodiesel kit on it; it will offer the towing/hauling capacity of a full-size SUV with significantly better mileage...and for ~ $1 a frickin' gallon?!? Try to beat that.

* - Are you Repubs still insisting on callin' em Freedom Fries, E-R?

Think that's bad? Borders Books actually sells a how-to book entitled "The Clitoral Kiss".

No, I myself did not read it...but I did look at the illustrations while killing time in their cafe. =)

1.) Rodney Dangerfield

2.) Margaret Cho

3.) Gilbert Gottfried

4.) Carol Burnett

5.) Rachel Dratch

Did I miss anyone? (Other than Jessica Simpson, maybe? =)