Drew McDermott

Lost Control Again Today

Have a happy NYE, y'all! I've had Naked Raygun's Vanilla Blue on repeat this afternoon to get me in the mood for the festivities.

My God, They're So Gifted

A small chunk of this day was spent obsessing about Wire and the fact that some clips of a performance on a German TV show in 1979 have made it onto the tubes of ye Internets. In particular, I was taken with the great live version of The 15th. The recorded version of The 15th is a great quiet, delicate pop song, but the live version gets a little more oomph and almost sounds like it would have been more at home on Pink Flag rather than 154. If you are in the mood, check out Two People In A Room and Practice Makes Perfect as well. Over the years, I've grown to love the entire Wire catalog, including the period where they finally complete their transition into new wave that you can hear happening on 154, and then later came backto some kind of middle ground between their early records and their 80s sound. All of this is just to say, in the words of Skot (via IM), that I am "totally gay for Wire." Thanks for the nice summation, jerk, now go back to listening to your precious Nitzer Ebb.

Also discovered today: no, condemned inmates don't actually get whatever they want for their last meal, at least not in Texas.

Do Not Pass Me Just To Slow Down

I can move right through you! Yeah, Youtube is totally indulging every desire to relive high school and college music obsessions. Anyhoo, there is a bunch of Superchunk up there nowadays including Precision Auto, Driveway to Driveway and others. Now if they would only come out of semi-retirement to play more than occasional shows in NC or at the Daily Show's anniversary concert.

Going To The Chapel

Congratulations to my little brother and Abby on their engagement! No, I really don't have a nice engagement photo of them it seems, so here's one of them picking crabs at Abby's birthday that will have to do.

Yer No Rock And Roll Fun

So, That Happened

Woops, someone who is paying more attention than I am pointed out that this site turned 3 back on the first of this month. Yup, that's how much attention I'm paying to this here weblog these days.

This Gun For Hire

I'm asking for ideas for some photo projects. I think that I've fallen into a rut since I started grad school. I'm thinking that it's high time to climb back out. Sure, photos of the metro and other stuff from my daily life can occasionally be nice, but they're all pretty run of the mill and boring to me these days. The occasional wedding or engagement photos have provided me with a bit of work, but that's not really what I'm interested in doing more of right now. I'd like to get back to doing an occasional organized project, something with a little bit more organization and direction.

Over the coming weeks, I'm going to be doing some brainstorming to try and think of some shooting projects that I'd like to do over the coming year. Doesn't have to be anything major, I just need to break out of the creative tailspin. So, if any of you have some bright ideas, drop me an e-mail and enlighten me!

Latke Overload

I'm still kind of stuffed to the gills with latkes from yesterday's party. And I still have leftover latkes, crab dip and cupcakes in the fridge. So much gluttony, so little time.

Still shopping? Check out the most dangerous toys of all time and then go see if you can track them down on eBay.

Here We Go Again

Yes, the holiday party insanity continues this weekend.

Boy, We Can Pretend

In my opinion, The Grates totally stole the show last night at the Black Cat, but then I'm not the crazed We Are Scientists fan that some of y'all are.

I've Been Good

Yeah, hup!

Sister Bernadette

A book my friend Becky edited (It's about sentence diagramming. No really, it is.) is #118 on the Amazon sales list, which is pretty damn good when it comes to sales. Awesome!

Kill Surf City

Kill Surf City

Red

Which Way?

Randy Needs A Buck

To Whom It May Concern

So, around 8:30 this evening, at the Ritz Carlton in Tyson's, I graduated from George Washington University with a Master's in Systems Engineering. According to this letter, I now have some "associated rights, responsibilities and privileges," whatever those are.

P.S. I actually got the date wrong. I thought graduation was tomorrow night. I only showed up because I ran into a classmate at the gym, who told me that the graduation dinner was this very evening. Woops! So, after finishing up my rowing, running and lifting, I had to drive home, take a shower and change, run back outside, hop in my car and drive back to Tyson's.
P.P.S. That drive home took forever, since Route 7 suddenly slammed to a halt just after I got on the road. I'm pretty sure that for many people Hell will be Route 7 in Tyson's Corner, and will be filled with cars that never, ever move more than a few inches towards your destination. An eternity spent idling outside of a strip mall, looking at the neon signs of Bed, Bath and Beyond and EEE of Tyson's, wondering if you'll ever do anything other than listen to the sound of your car's engine and an old Bad Brains tape a friend dubbed for you in high school. Nuke this place from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

Waiting

Bristol-Meyers Squib is donating a dollar to AIDS research for every person who goes here and lights a (virtual) candle today. Do it!