On a less dour note ...

Dig the bubblegum machine.

I urge everyone to visit this site and download Jeff Thomas' "Straight Aero" immediately. Can't get it out of my head, a swell 60s groove that celebrates the singer's absolute squaredom ... "I don't smoke, I don't sniff glue/And I don't hang with the cats who do/Avant garde and underground/Never really been my scene or sound/Straight Aero." Genius.

I am becoming distressingly square my own self, substance-wise anyhow, and not by choice. Reefers have been cut down on due to occasional dizzy spells, alcohol makes for headaches and I never really had a cocaine personality (although I have some friends who do, whose names shall remain famous). What I have is a ritalin personality, which is similar, except that the drive to stimulate oneself into artificial arrogance is tempered by an extreme fear (and/or hatred) of social situations, which results in a much lower profile. It also reflects a preference for the cold fluorescent light of a pharmacy over the filth and noise of a crowded nightclub restroom.

I'm probably better represented by the second offering on Week 86 of the Bubblegum Machine, Jona Lewie's reserved but catchy synth-popper "You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties." Here's a cat who's hep, but can't make it with people ... it's gonna sound boring at first, but give it a chance or two. Trivia note: the background chorus is sung by Kirsty MacColl, the woman who wrote "They Don't Know About Us," which Lori and I have considered "our song" for some time now (although these days it's getting stiff competition from Guitar Wolf's "I Love You Okay"). Now look, I hate Tracey Ullman as much as everyone else, but for Chrissakes, what a song. In fact, if anyone can score me MacColl's original recording of "They Don't Know," let me know. It's very important to me.