Protect your ribs, Hatton is in Boston for his fight on the 13th.

De La Hoya V. Mayorga this weekend.

You can watch Gatti-Ward I online here.

I've said it before but I will say it again: If I had be fortunate enough to see an Uncle Tupelo concert when they were together, they would be my favorite rock band.

I'm not going to try to explain how I can be certain of that.  Truth be told, after seeing Dinosaur Jr recently, I am a  bit less certain. Its hard to imagine anyone knocking Dino off the podium, but if anyone could, it would have been Uncle Tupelo. The good news is that the Dino Reunion was the only Reunion less likely than a Tupelo Reuinion.  

Having missed the Tupelo boat, I have become a Constantines groupie. ( I own two of their t-shirts). I am not sure why I see the Constantines and Tupelo as similar. It's a volume thing, I think.

I bring up Uncle Tupelo because last night I was trying to explain the song Sundusky to a friend. Failing, I did some research and found this informative write up of three of their albums (re-released).   The article, like so much on Pitchfork, is opaque to anyone not allready familiar with the music, but I don't take that as a sign of a bad review. After all, music itself is often incomprehensable to the unfamiliar.   

Let me set the scene for the cultural landscape when Uncle Tupelo busted out: The cassingle shelves were still reeling from the layered grooves of Neneh Cherry's "Buffalo Stance". People were fascinated with the psychological underpinnings of evil-twin absorption due to Stephen King's scouring of the subject in The Dark Half. Filmgoers finally learned what happened after Chris Lloyd's unforgettable Doc flew away in the garbage-fueled hovercar; and to tell the truth, we were underwhelmed by Cyborg Biff, Western Biff, and the absence of Crispin Glover as the fitful McFly patriarch. The scene was clearly set for a pair of Illinois malcontents to usurp and enhance a country sound that had already been fangled by folks from places as far away as California, some quite well (Rank & File, Green on Red, etc).

The "heartland" was suffering as usual from Bookended Syndrome, penned (if one can be penned in vastness) between all manner of paisley undergrounds and post-punk revivals. And even the South had that whole "Southern" brand to promulgate. So these two prophets of the twang-blast complaint-jam, Tweedy and Farrar, successfully tractorjacked a style of delivery, reappropriating it for the midwest, further secularizing its good-versus-evil conceits (which already hinted at man-versus-machine struggles) by installing a new industrial devilry. No Depression is, of course, the album that spawned a webboard, a magazine, and a movement (if "movement" is an accurate word to describe a music largely about sitting around, watching trains go by, inhaling silo rust, drinking, and feeling grandiosely bummed). What's beautiful is that the expression isn't Unkie's but A.P. Carter's, from Toop's cover of his economic theodicy "No Depression in Heaven"-- one of two Carter covers that beg for hill-cred on this hyperactive debut. (While we're being infinitely tangential, consult Mark Zwonitzer and Charles Hirshberg's excellent page-turner Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone for a history of the spastic and rambling A.P., the father of country who stole as many songs as he wrote.)

.....

Rich and I have been taking it easy, catching up over dinner and drinks.  We worked out with Adrian at CrossfitSF Tuesday and will go again tonight. No big plans for my final three days here.

IMPORTANT CONFIDENTIAL  BULLETIN FROM 'R'

I found another calling for you... your friends need your help!!  ~R

Experts: Polar bears, hippos on extinction path
Polar bears and hippos have joined the ranks of species threatened with extinction from climate change, unregulated hunting and other man-made dangers, leading researchers said Tuesday in a listing of the world's wildlife.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12594371/from/ET/

Important/Confidential: This communication and any files or documents attached to it are intended only for the use of the person or entity to which it is addressed.  It contains information that may be privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.  If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, you are hereby notified that the copying, distribution or other use of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this communication by mistake, please notify the sender immediately by electronic mail and destroy all forms of this communication (electronic or paper).  Thank you.

I don't really care much about the debate over Net Neutrality, but this Slate article is interesting and well written.

I had two drinks on my lunch break for the first time ever. Ever, that I can recall.  To get to Paragon to meet some friends for these drinks I had to take two taxis. The first would only  get me to Market street, which was impassible because of the Immigration Parade.

I those brief moments that I spent fording Market  I saw two Che Guevara T-Shirts.  At the restaurant someone pointed out my Reagan Cuff-Links, but there was no conversation on the topic, except for Kim joking that I was the Black Sheep Republican of the Group. "Liberal Republican?" she implored.  Yeah, sort of.

Its a good thing no argument broke out since I probably couldn't resist giving a Che diatribe, or pointing out that immigrants from Eastern Bloc countries, or Cuba,  might have something to say about our Che Fetish.  (and Reagan demonizing)    

Here is some Rummy on Reagan. (Nordlinger Link)

"Or take the coalition in Iraq. It now includes military forces from 32 nations. Consider some of the countries that are contributing troops in Iraq today: Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. They all have forces in Iraq assisting the coalition. There are others, as well, but I just mention these because those are the nations helping in Iraq today that President Reagan helped to make free."

And, "Why are so many of these nations, many small, most not very wealthy, sending their forces . . . halfway around the world, to help bring freedom to the Iraqi people? I suspect it's because so many of them have just recovered their own freedom, and they're eager, they're proud to help the Iraqi people recover theirs. God bless them all, and God bless Ronald Reagan for what he did to help liberate them."

But, like I said, there was no discussion.  Instead, I drank a Mojito and a Mango Martini, and enjoyed at 72 degree weather.    All my drink posturing disolves in the face of  a warm monday lunch break.  

The Night before I tried to clean up my neckline with my new clippers.  Let me first say that Clippers are not a toy.   I was in the restroom holing a full length mirror in one hand while trying the use the clippers on my neck with the other hand. It was a disaster.  I was very close to having to shave my whole head  bald when  Kim and Adrian came to my rescue. While they were in my neighborhood we thought we might as well play some  Bohnanza, so I called up Miles, who was also game.     After a few bottles of Champagne and one bottle of very fine Cassis,  Miles could no longer  resist making Stink Bean Jokes.    We also ate a can of Luxury Wafers, which I only belatedly realized supported both the Danes in there struggle against the Muslim Boycott AND the fall of western civilization. 

In other news, Rich is going to be in S.F. starting tommorrow.