Finally saw Lord of the Rings, and it was one long ass film that could have been twice as long and it still would have left out alot of material from Tolkien's novel. Good script, great graphics, excellent cinematogrpahy, avergae acting. And Gandalf is definitely that old hippie guy that you try your best to avoid at all costs, that is until your stash runs out and your jonesin for any sort of herbal supplements, so you give in and call the dude, because you know, shit everyone knows that he’s always holding.

Lord of the Rings: 88

McGrupp Grading Scale: Just like school, 70 is failing. 80 is good, 90 is great. 94+ buy this film. Then again, I’m completely making all this up, shit talkin' mostly, so it doesn’t matter anyway.

Previous Screened Films:
Sidewalks of New York: 92
Godsford Park: 92
Orange County: 90
Black Hawk Down: 90
Not Another Teen Movie: 89
Shallow Hall: 87
Monster’s Ball: 81
Majestic: 53

"The biggest conspiracy has always been the fact that there is no conspiracy. Nobody's out to get you. Nobody gives a shit whether you live or die. There, you feel better now?" - Dennis Miller

Skipford Van Beaverhausen comments: "You seem a little irritated this morning. Perhaps you've got some sand stuck in your vagina?"

Friday Morning Rant

The strike. The Baseball Strike. It’s everywhere: in the papers, on TV, on the TAO. There is no middle ground here, because whether or not there is a strike, the bottom line is that whatever happens in the next few days will be nothing more than a band-aid on a large grossly infected wound, a deep gash that has been bleeding for decades.

CONSPIRACY?

Just like the blitz of the sudden rash of kidnappings across America, our media and TV have been focusing on " this missing child" or focusing on the trial of "this psycho kidnapper". Yes, these are horrible crimes and is on the top lists of everyone’s (especially parent’s) worst nightmares. But in reality, kidnappings are down in previous years. There has been in spike in all general violent crimes and more people have been murdered in the Bronx (317 this year thru AUG) than been kidnapped (6 thru August). The bottom line is that there is a lot of freaky shit that has been going on and as usual, America is too distracted to be paying attention. After all, the average American’s attention span for domestic and global affairs is roughly the same as trying to get Tom Green to sit still for 3 minutes without doing anything or saying anything stupid. It’s impossible.

As America wakes up to another day of enduring freedom, and scratches it’s collective ass and wonders whether or not there will be a baseball strike, they completely miss what’s been going on in back rooms in Washington and in religious schools in Saudi Arabia. How our politicians are selling out individual’s rights and privacy issues, in new laws and legislation, in order to cover THEIR OWN ASSES just in case something else (similar to 9.11) goes down. Have you seen or heard from Hillary Clinton these days?? It seems the political pundits are more concerned with how they will look during the next attack (as Rumsfeld say, "We don’t know when, we don’t know where… but they are coming.") than actually doing something to prevent the next attack and most importantly to me: contain fundamental Isalm across the world, in America, in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. These are the same people, Hillary et al, who tell you that we need to be "good citizens and get in line," but fail to tell you that the world population will DOUBLE in the next 40 years and that oh maybe Americans will be outnumbered by Muslims 8 to 1 or maybe 10 to 1 in the next few decades, which means more funerals, more wars, more headaches and suicide bombers for our kids and grandkids to deal with. Shit, to hell with baseball, it’s a wonderful distraction, I fucking LOVE the Yankees, but in order for me to sleep safely at night, I want to know that America is taking care of business where it should be dealt with. Oil, Saudis, water and education should be the TOP 4 topics each night on the news. But it isn’t. Why?

And if I hear one more redneck tell me it’s un-American to strike because of 9.11, I’ll personally go to Bumblefuck, Kentucky, kick down the unhinged door to his trailer park, bitch slap the soiled NASCAR hat right off his dense head, drag his tighty-whitey wearin’ ass out to his septic tank, and show him pictures of 15 of the 9.11 hijackers, while grabbing him buy his greasy mullet and shouting, "You are the fucking traitor, Billy Bob!! While you and your sister/wife are eating cheez-doodles, eating Big Macs, and drinking Budweiser tall-boys while cussin’ at ESPN, these men, all from Saudi Arabia and thousands more are plotting to kill more and more of us, our allies, and our model for democracy. So while you sit on your ignorant ass and hurl insults at Bud Selig, A-Rod, or George Steinbrenner, just remember that each minute you waste with petty distractions like the baseballl strike or whether or not the word GOD is in our pledge allegience, one more soldier of destruction sneaks into America, another suicide bomber straps up his bomb vest, more terrorists are training to use weapons of mass destruction, and another seven year old kid is brainwashed into thinking that America is full of dumb stupid ass rednecks who only care about tits, ass, TV, and baseball. Well, Billy Bob, who’s team are you on?"

I say, fuck it, go strike. No baseball. Use the time to show pictures of all the people who died on 9.11, hook up AL-Jezera TV and see all the anti-American garbage the Middle East is flooding the airwaves with, and maybe the people America will do something about this mess we’re waist deep in, instead of letting the greedy scumbags that we blindly throw into office make crucial decisions that will cost our children and children's children billions of dollars, and mounds of blood and flesh. Until the American people start to understand what we are up against today and in the future, we will always be the stupid, drunken rednecks that the world thinks we are.

OK, I'm done, now get the fuck out of my office. Some of us have real jobs to do.

"Thoughts are the shadows of our sensations- always darker, emptier, simpler than these." - Nietzsche

"The gulf between knowledge and truth is infinite." - Henry Miller

Jessica Lapidus wrote this funny piece on the Smurfs.

My Smurfette Theory is as follows:

As we know, Smurfette was chemically engineered by Gargamel, as a latter-day whore/temptress/whathaveyou, in order to dupe and foil the incredibly gullible Smurfs. But her chemistry was amended by Papa Smurf, who turned her into a good Smurf from a bad, evil, hooker Smurf. Smurfette was quickly accepted into the Smurf community, and rightfully so! She was, after all, just like the other Smurfs, except for the fact that she was blonde and that she wore a white dress. Did she even have breasts?

So, here is this chick, she's the ONLY chick amidst all of these little blue guys. And these Smurfs were so dense, so naive, that they never saw that poor Smurfette was lonely, aching, needing companionship. Instead, they all go about their smurfy little lives, doing their smurfy little chores, smurfing and ignoring pauvre Smurfette.

Someone has intimated that the Smurfs were collectively homosexual. I don't know that that is necessarily true. I do think, however, that they were simple, basic. I think that Smurfette had a vibrator that she used every night (and sometimes in the day) in her lonely little mushroom shack.

And yes, I am almost certain that she had a...

Little
Blue
Cunt

Addiction: Bad Reality TV

Ever since FOX cancelled my favorite TV show Dark Angel I have been flipping the channels aimlessly looking for something new to get hooked on. In the recent weeks, I have found myself watching Sorority Life on MTV (Monday Nights at 10:30pm EST). At first, I was enraged and hated everyone on the show, but in the last few weeks, I have warmed up to the girls at UC-Davis, especially Jordan (a.k.a the Hot One, the girl that the rest of the pledges and sisters are madly jealous at).

Now, I must admit: My name is McGrupp and I'm a Sorority Life-a-holic. In case you are out of the loop. Here's what has been going on:

In last week's episode: Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi holds a formal dance in San Francisco, which all of the girls attend. Bad impressions are left, however, when Mara and Jordan and their dates leave the event early AND insist in switching hotel rooms; and when a sunglasses clad and drunken Candace and Amanda and their dates leave---and then return, the sisters get irked. The highlight was when Jordan and her date ditched the formal and went to a strip bar. Jordan Crying Count: 1

In last night's new episode: The sisters are super pissed at the pledges for their disruptive and disrespectful behavior at formal and are threatening to kick the girls out of Sigma. While this is going on, Jordan's grandmother passes away and she is in the middle of dealing with a family crisis AND getting grief from pissed off, catty, snippy sisters. Jordan Crying Count: 3 times

Next week? What will happen? Will the girls get the boot? Or will they stick it to Sigma and quit before that happens. Tune in to find out. Oh by the way, if anyone gets me Jordan's cell phone number, I will give you a Pauly Painting.

"Why have kids when you can have dogs?" - Mona LaVigne

"If you slip, let me hold you up. If I slip, you must do the same. Otherwise the world rocks and we are lost." - Henry Miller

Oil Wars

This Bush and Iraq business has got to end quickly for the sake of all Americans. The real intent for an invasion of Iraq and economic reasons and consequences of another war should be put forth to the American people. Tell us the truth, tell us really what’s up. "America needs to preserve its way of life immediately or else we bomb the shit out of you." That's why we are going into Iraq, we need oil. Lots of it. America has a voracious appetite for the black gold and our over-consumption of a perishable natural resource will be our doom, because we lack any sort of economic development and investor confidence in alternative renewable sources of energy. The political pundits in DC are telling us that we need to rid the world of some dictator who won’t let us continue or way of life. In order to do that we need to double our oil supply as soon as possible that way we would be able to avoid any entanglements with our backstabbing allies in Saudi Arabia and the other oil rich nations, who deal with the Osama bin Laden’s of the world by buying off their protection, like some two-bit gangster thug out of a bad Mafia b-film. I read some where that Iraq gives us more than 50% of our oil! That’s a ridiculous amount. Oh by the way, I fucked Mona LaVigne 33 times this weekend. If we take Iraq out, we will be able to double our supply (just like they did in Afghanistan) and meet our junkie’s demands. So Bush and Cheney are rounding up all the horses to advance onto Saddam’s Baghdad and buying off Turkey’s allegiance, like some cheap corner hooker, in exchange to conquer Iraq and divvy up the oil and the water wells.

"There may be a great fire in our soul, but no one ever comes to warm himself at it, and the passers-by see only a little bit of smoke coming through the chimney and pass on their way. Now, you must tend that inward fire, wait patiently for the hour when somebody will come and sit down near it -- to stay there maybe?" - Vincent van Gogh, Letters to Theo (1889)

Theo is van Gogh's brother, an art dealer who lived in Paris. The letters from Vincent to his beloved brother Theo are required reading for anyone who wants to understand the tortured artist. In them, van Gogh provides deep insights into his working process, providing details on his motifs and compositional decisions. These letters are almost an essential accompaniment to his paintings. He wrote these infamous letters while a voluntary patient at the St. Remy asylum, during the last two years of his life. He died in 1890, having sold only one painting, following a botched suicide attempt.

Icelandic Translation of the Day...

"Mjei kelkejkivsvlki velskadl kaoodkos askdok sodkowk hdywgjnkio jsjidjiy!"

My reindeer's urine smells like rotten potatoes!

What song will Phish open up with on 12.31.02?

NEW TAO POLL!!!

What song will Phish open up with on 12.31.02?

My suggestions:

1. First Tube
2. 2001
3. Harry Hood

and when in doubt, go Mike!!

4. Mike's Song

"Nobody can drown in the ocean of reality who voluntarily gives himself up to the experience. Whatever there be of progress in life comes not through adaptation but through daring, through obeying the blind urge." - Henry Miller

Donut Diet Update

Days Since I Quit Donuts: 29!
Pounds Lost: 12
Current Weight: 167

I almost ate an Enteman's chocolate covered donut last night! It was in my hand, and I picked it up and nearly put it in my mouth, but I stopped and put it back, closed the box and walked away. 29 days, sober from donuts. The pastry smack, the mother of all snacks... chocolate donuts.

"I have made a silent compact with myself not to change a line of what I write. I am not interested in perfecting my thoughts, nor my actions. Beside the perfection of Turgenev I put the perfection of Dostoevski (is there anything more perfect than The Ethernal Husband?). Here, then, in one and the same medium, we have two kinds of perfection. But in van Gogh's letters there is a perfection beyond either of these. It is the triumph of individual over art." - Henry Miller, The Tropic of Cancer

Peanuts

Peanuts and more peanuts were picked up right off the floor and shoved into his mouth, as the small yet boisterous man of 56 years old let out a shout of glee, all the while, clutching a bottle of 14 year old whiskey. The man in the corner with a face full of vegetables smiled and coughed as he picked up a cigarette and shoved it into his ear. Insane, perhaps, but his ears where hungry for tobacco. The bartender ignored both of them and continued to clean out the dirty mugs, while the almond roasted ice cream sandwich he bought earlier in the day gets invaded by curious cockroaches.

Phish MTV Article

Read the MTV news article on the Phish Reunion.

Here's a bit:

Nearly two years after they last played together in public, Phish announced Wednesday (August 14) that they are ending their extended hiatus.

A winter mini-tour has already been scheduled and will include three sets on New Year's Eve at New York City's Madison Square Garden, followed by three shows January 2-4 at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia.

The band plans to schedule additional tour dates in 2003 and will likely record an album next year, the group's management said.

Happy Birthday Señor!!

Señor turned 30 today!!! Well, yesterday Samui, Thailand time!

Wish Señor birthday greetings: Here! :)

Spud

We used to play this game called SPUD and I would throw this ball really high into the air and sometimes the ball would never come down and when that happens it would always be the same situation. The feverish anarchists would cry for their complacent mothers, while the religious right would mutter the WASPy names of their spoiled children, when in doubt, call for your suburban family. The voice of reason said very little to me and to my useless mind, as it just sat there in steps and inside all the lunch boxes of the greatest small little garages, where burnt pink and jealous green cars would park side by side in parallel lines, their passengers decked out in the latest Eastern Euro-trash fashions of all sorts and sizes from places we never heard of like Grinsk and Sholjpe and that other obscure place called Helgrinistan. Sometime during the last night of our monthly security meetings, I lost sight of my mission. The gatherings were held by the dried up river, which used to belong to the green people, where they danced in the archaic moonlight until the sun rose. At that point they realized that yes, they too were the only ones who would walk inside the last orbital path of the mighty comet, whose destination lay forth to colliding with our unsettling planet, Earth, where we all just sit, dumbfounded as we stare at the last ship off the solid rock. Alas the bananas and the Olive trees stand still in the fierce winds of the hurricanes. The angry parents tow their children and drag their dogs with chain links, and the tires on their cars are very soiled with dirt and dust from mid-western tourists, who wash their mall bought shoes against their wallets. I sit and I wonder why oh why do all these people sit for hours on end, watching the TV box, and stare and do nothing. There is so much slack around that it kills me. Where is that inner motivation? Our burbs are filled with no drive, nothing to satisfy the insatiable cries of the nice politicians whom live in those glass and golden homes in places like Vail and Simi Valley, as they sip Vodka Martinis and say, "Hey we must get together for the next trip to Hamptons, oh indeed!"

Phishy Countdown: 138 Days!

PHISH Returns

PHISH is... BACK!

From phish.com...

PHISH returns to the stage after an extended hiatus for four concerts beginning with a three-set concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 31, 2002. Following that show, they will perform three nights at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia, January 2, 3 and 4, 2003. The band plans to schedule additional tour dates later in 2003 and will likely record an album sometime next year as well.

Looks like it's time to get back on the train!

German translation for the day...

"Dexuhsahu snchn uhuvcmuidcv uhuremc e nrtre"

Where did the cockerspaniel take my pudding?

"Fall seven times. Stand up eight." - Japanese Proverb

"McGrupp strives to live life as it is meant to be..." - Armando H

"Life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestioningly. Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy and strength, if faced with an open mind. Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such." - Henry Miller

"Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon." - Bertolt Brecht

Real World:Thailand

Here are the highlights of a few e-mails I got from Señor in the past week:

"I have a girlfriend too, but she is a virgin, I can't even give her a fucking hug!!!!! Thank God for the whores.... I've gotten two job offers already but I ain't ready to work yet, besides, trying to come up with stories for Truckin' is a full time job!!.... For the last few days, I have been living with two cute 21 year old chicks from Singapore. Tonight they are cooking for me.... Oh and still no play from my Thai girlfriend.... haven't had a drink in quite a while.... This week I begin my studies to become a Reiki Master.... very similar to Jedi Master, accept in stead of Yoda my master is a hot Malysian chick!"

RIP: Michael Houser

"May we live long and lucky..." - Widespread Panic, Old Joe


Mikey Houser, guitar player for Widespread Panic died yesterday after his fight with brain cancer. I got the sad news from WranglerSpace.org.

Here is an excerpt from a letter he wrote to fans last month. Read it all at: Mikey's Message.

As some of you know, I have contracted a terminal form of cancer. I want to assure all of you that all that can be done has been done, and I want to thank all of you who have contributed information, medicine, and so on. As for me, I am at my home in Athens, GA, surrounded by my family, and being well taken care of. In the words of Lou Gehrig, "Though some of you may have thought I have caught a bad break, I feel like the luckiest man in the world."

Between my best friends, J.B., Todd, Sunny, Dave and JoJo, and you, our friends, and best support group in the world, I feel strong and well taken care of. I have hopes of playing again soon, although I can't say for sure when or where, and I hope to see you all there.

With much thanks and love,
Mikey

---

Editor's Note: 12 years ago this fall, John Wilkins took me to my first WIDESPREAD PANIC show at the Center Stage in Atlanta. Blues Traveler opened. Since then I have seen WSP over 50 times, in 10 plus states. Recently, WSP had jumped to the top of the list of my favorite bands to see LIVE. Indeed after the three kick ass shows at the BEACON THEATRE in NYC last Summer, I turned to Señor and said, "Yeah these guys are the best LIVE show around..."

Señor and I decided to drive to Asbury Park, NJ to go see them last November. And we got a taste of SOUTHERN FRIED PANIC, becuase alot more people from the SOUTH traveled to that show, and they were hootin & hollerin and get all kinds of shitty and drunk and rowdy, and we loved that! Especially when the girl sitting next to me heard the distinct drawls of the group in front of us and she yelled, "Are y'all from the South?" That made me giggle.

Man, it's sad to say that the SOUND of his guitar that Mikey brought each night will be missed.

One show that sticks out was a show from 2000, when Señor and I went to Atlantic City to see the boys. The show was in the TAJ MAHAL! That's Trump's Casino! I didn't know he dug WSP. It was one of the coolest things I ever did. I was playing BLACKJACK at one of the tables and then Señor said, "Yo, the show's starting!" We walked 20 yards into the hallway of the TAJ, and the entrance to the auditorium was right there in the hallway. The lights dimmed and the show started as soon as we walked in! It was trippy cool and perfect timing. The next 3 hours, Panic kicked my ass and the entire audience was reeling that night, especially after the rippin version of PUSHERMAN > Climb to Safety. That still gives me chills. At setbreak, we walked right back to the floor of the casino and I played Blackjack for 20 minutes before returning to hear another set of Panic.

Thanks to John Wilkins for turning WSP onto me, and thanks to Señor who kept my interest in them burning strong. And Mikey, you will be missed. See you on the other side.

For an interesting review of the last few WSP shows (without Mikey) check out: WSP: MAY WE LIVE LONG AND LUCKY, 07.26-28

"If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don't write, because our culture has no use for it." - Anais Nin

Jerry Day 2

Jerry Garcia: August 1, 1942 - August 9, 1995

This is so clear to me, that it still hurts. Seven years ago, I had a day off from work and took in an afternoon New York Yankees baseball game at Yankee Stadium with my buddy Jerry Engel and that's when I found out that Jerry Garcia died. Cal Ripken hit two HRs that day, and that's something I haven't forgotten. After the game we took the subway down to Manhattan, and went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where I had been working as a security guard and that's when I talked to some fellow guards, who expressed their sadness to me. I somberly walked over to Strawberry Fields in Central Park, and gathered near John Lennon's Imagine Memorial were hundreds of Deadheads, from all walks of life, were paying homage to Jerry. Some were crying, some were getting high and passing around bottles of wine, some were singing and playing Jerry tunes, others were telling their favorite tour stories. But for me, I just sat in silence and remembered how just 54 days earlier... on June 15th, 1995... I met Jerry Garcia. While on the job at the Met, I saw Jerry walking through the American Wing late one Saturday night with his wife and I held a door open for him. He smiled and said, "Thank you very much." I couldn't muster up anything other than, "No worries." And I extended my hand, and the old and limping Jerry shook my hand, and he continuded on his way. The next night, I would see my very last Grateful Dead show, with Bruce Cohen.

At the time, it was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me. I shook Jerry Garcia's hand.

Today, I still say it's one of the Top 5 Moments of My Life.

Thanks Jerry!

"Sometimes you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look it right."

"The most terrible thing about America is that there is no escape from the treadmill that we created." - Henry Miller, The Air-Conditioned Nightmare

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin, 1758

Bruce Cohen's WHO Review

Bruce Cohen saw the infamous WHO at MSG in NYC on Sunday. Here's his review:

"August 5, 2002. I saw the WHO... It was the second time I saw them. The last time was 20 years ago in 1982. In 1982, I drove down from Rhode Island with my Deadhead buddy and caught them at the Shea Stadium that summer. Kenny Jones was the newest member of the Who having replaced the immortal Keith Moon after his death.

Well, last night the RE-ENERGIZED WHO were playing at Madison Square Garden where they continued their summer tour after losing their Bassist John Entwistle just 2 weeks ago. John passed away from a heart attack.... apparently from the effects of cocaine. Despite the replaced Bassist (Paladino was the bass player for Pete Townshend's solo projects and live shows) the WHO ROCKED!!!!

Robert Plant opened up the show, though I got in a little late. I caught a wild hard rock version of MORNING DEW!!! My friend seemed to feel that Plant's voice was not quite what it used to be, but nonetheless he did do some ZEP tunes: "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", "Four Sticks", and "Tall Cool One" (Plant's Solo album). He ended his set with "Whole Lotta Love".

Well...... THE WHO came on and they just did HIT after HIT opening with "Can't Explain" into "Substitute", "Bargain" then "The Kids Are Alright", "You Better You Bet", "Behind Blue Eyes". Daltrey's voice was still great and Townshend played extended lead solos on every tune. The WHO seemed to have the highest energy I have ever seen. The drummer Starkey (Ringo's son) RE-energized all of tunes, because his style is very .... very KEITH MOON like. While he keeps steady time (in the pocket) he also does those rolls all around the drum set like Keith Moon would do. In the middle of the set, they went into songs off of QUADROPHENIA, doing "Sea and Sand", "Drowned", and "5:15", which I didn't think they would do without Entwistle on bass. They did an amazing "My Generation" to end the set.

The Encores were from TOMMY which was the Rock Opera that they had performed live a few years back with drummer Simon Philips. They performed "Amazing Journey" which is a really cool melodic arrangement. Then they did "See me, Feel Me" which ended the show. The WHO are still among the Greatest Rock bands out there. I was way psyched and I was invaded by two wild guys from England who were heavy WHO freaks, so, I really got a true taste of what these WHO TYPES ARE ALL ABOUT........ GOTTA LOVE those two crazy druken bastards who sat next to me, they made the show......."

"I certainly do not hope to alter the world. Perhaps I can put it best by saying that I hope to alter my own vision of the world. I want to be more and more myself, ridiculous as that may sound." - Henry Miller

Martha Stewart's Perp Walk

NY Times: Martha Stewart Lying!

In today's NY Times they state that the assistant, Douglas Faneuil to Marth Stewart's stockbroker was ordered to warn Martha that the founder of ImClone Systems was selling large amounts of stock in late December. Mr. Faneuil has told prosecutors that he objected to the order but that the stockbroker, Peter E. Bacanovic, insisted. In addition, he told prosecutors that an explanation for Ms. Stewart's sale of nearly 4,000 ImClone shares on Dec. 27 was concocted after the fact. Wow, the bitch is going down!! I hope the FBI arrests her and makes her do the perp walk.

It's about time that the focus be shifted from scum sucking execs and CEOs and the light shifts to greedy individual investors, who's greed is part of the problem. This greed, is what the mainstream media seems to not talk about. Sure, billions of dollars were lost in the recent scandals, but half of that could have been prevented by investors who's focus was long term value investing, instead of profits now approach. They have not accepted any of this responsibility. It's not their brokers job to do all their prospectus reading for them, brokers are there to make recommendations and set investing goals, not to do all the research and reading for greedy, lazy ass Americans.

Night 2! Grateful Dead Reunion Setlist

The Other Ones 8.4.02, Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI

Set 1: Jam > Cassidy > Brown Eyed Women, Black Throated Wind > Eyes of the World > Saint of Circumstance > Mountains of the Moon > Fire On the Mountain > Jack Straw

Set 2: Space > Drumz > Space > Playin' > Banyan Tree > Wheel > Playin', St. Stephen > Eleven > Terrapin > Let It Grow

Encore: Sugar Magnolia > Uncle John's Band > Box of Rain

"...only he is an emancipated thinker who is not afraid to write foolish things." - Anton Chekhov

Grateful Dead Reunion Setlist

The Other Ones 8.3.02, Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI

Set I: He's Gone Tease > Cryptical Envelopment > The Other One > Feel Like a Stranger, Bird Song, Lazy Lightning > Aiko- Aiko, Estimated Prophet, Casey Jones

Set II: Music Never Stopped, Baba Jingo, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Morning Dew, Dark Star > Born Cross Eyed > Dark Star > Cryptical Reprise, One More Saturday Night

Encore: Help on the Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower

Read about the reunion: Here!

"America is no place for an artist: to be an artist is to be a moral leper, an economic misfit, a social liability. A corn-fed hog enjoys a better life than a creative writer, painter or musician." - Henry Miller, The Air-Conditioned Nightmare

Galactic played at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan and here's the setlist:

7/28/02 Fuji Rock Festival 2002 -- Naeba, Japan

One Set: Shibuya, Cheekybird, All Behind You Now, Whole Lotta Love, Hang Nail*, Hamps Hump*, We Want the Funk (P-funk Medley) > Blackeyed Pea*^, Yes We Can, Little Miss Lover

* w/ Karl Denson
^ w/ George Clinton

Happy Jerry Day!!

Today is Jerry Garcia's birthday! To celebrate, I'm blogging (in the next 24 hours) as many Jerry Garcia Quotes as I can think of. Here are a few to start off with!

•"You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do."

•"Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us."

•"Music is the timeless experience of constant change."

•"There is a road, no simple highway, between the dawn and the dark of night, and if you go, no one may follow, that path is for you steps alone..."

•"Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil."

•"We need magic, and bliss, and power, myth, and celebration and religion in our lives, and music is a good way to encapsulate a lot of it."