Up and running

My kennethburns.com e-mail account is working now, so you can again send all those stock tips and virility ads my way.

Mail woes

If you're trying to write me at kenneth(at)kennethburns(dot)com, you oughta know that I'm having some difficulty with my Internet service provider, and e-mails are getting bounced. Bear with me, and know that you also can write me at kburns(at)isthmus(dot)com.

Today's fun link

Behold, a Web page devoted entirely to photographs of Elvis Presley posing with other celebrities. My favorites are this one and this one.

Good word

He was a clean-cut kid
But they made a killer out of him,
That's what they did

They said, "Listen boy, you're just a pup"
They sent him to a napalm health spa to shape up
They gave him dope to smoke, drinks and pills,
A jeep to drive, blood to spill
They said "Congratulations, you got what it takes"
They sent him back into the rat race without any brakes

He was a clean-cut kid
But they made a killer out of him,
That's what they did

Bob Dylan, "Clean-Cut Kid"

Media frenzy

By sheer happenstance, the new local music site More Cowbell also reported on Tim Whalen's show at Le Tigre Lounge on Thursday.

Roar

Dig if you will my latest Daily Page article, a report on the weekly performance at Le Tigre Lounge by Madison jazz pianist Tim Whalen.

Ho

I have been mulling over how best to rename, in a nonpartisan spirit, the double-blind gift-swapping custom known to some believers as Secret Santa. A friend once reported that she worked at an office where the event was known as: Secret Holiday Elf. That seems cumbersome. More recently my loving partner Ereck told me that at his workplace they call it Secret Snowflake, which frankly is a little eerie.

So what's a better option? My first idea was to strip away all pretense of secularism and call it: Secret Jesus. You must admit that has a ring to it. My coworker Mike suggested the anagram route in coming up with: Secret Satan. Which also has a ring to it.

But Ereck came up with the best solution of all: Secret Santana.