Home archeology

In the fall of 2000 my friend Marjorie and her housemates got to wondering about a padlocked door in the basement of the home they rented. Their curiosity finally got the better of them, and so, like Howard Carter in Tutankhamen's tomb, they pried the door open. What they found blew their minds: a perfectly preserved rec room fully appointed with vintage 1970s furnishings and electronics--waterbed, wet bar, eight track player, black-light Jim Morrison posters. The housemates dubbed the room the 70s Room, appropriately, and at their frequent parties the 70s Room was the place to be.

Ereck and I attended one of these parties. It was a Ralph Nader fundraiser, and our suspicion of Nader notwithstanding, we purchased raffle tickets. How could we not? The grand prize was a night in the 70s Room.

There was some mixup about the drawing--a foreshadowing of that year's election debacle?--but it finally emerged that the winner was Ereck! We were so excited. We had just begun dating, and a night in the 70s Room sounded most romantic.

Unfortunately, although we made a few inquiries, we never did get Ereck's night in the 70s Room. Marjorie has since moved away, and sometimes I wonder whatever became of the 70s Room. They probably built condos on it.

Now he's a solo artist

During game four of the World Series I enjoyed the singing of "God Bless America" by Creed's Scott Stapp. He's got an interesting voice, and hearing him sing at a ball game is a damn refreshing change from the vocalists who usually show up for these events. You know who I mean: they sing in that generic "American Idol" style that sounds like it comes from computers.

I was listening to the AC/DC album High Voltage earlier today. I wonder if Bon Scott ever sang "God Bless America."

Overheard on State Street

"And then what I want to sing is--have you seen Beaches?"

Good word

William Jefferson Clinton on Being and Time

Is "is" is, or is "is" ain't?
"Is" is is, with one constraint:
"Is" is never is, becuz
Once you've said "is" is, "is" wuz!

--Source unknown

In country

Candid snapshots of American GIs in Vietnam fascinate me, and you can find them on the Web. This is one of my favorites.

There are more here and here. And, doubtless, elsewhere.