Ramblings from a writer, traveler, and insomniac

 
Unforced Error is an article written by Jonathan Schanzer and appears in the new issue of The New Republic. He talks about a recent visit to Suriname in South America.

Here's a bit: "Suriname, in other words, would appear to be an ideal target for Washington's efforts to win Muslim hearts and minds. Yet U.S. public diplomacy is failing as badly here as it is almost everywhere else in the Muslim world."

posted by Pauly at 11/30/2003 08:50:00 PM | Permalink |

 
NFL Best Bets Week 13

Pick of the Week
Chicago Bob (7-5-1): Jags +3 1/2 over TB
Rib Boy (6-7): Baltimore -3 over SF
Tao of Pauly (6-8): KC -7 at San Diego
Zobo (1-2-2): Cincy +3 over Pitt
Jodd (1-0-1): Jets +1 over the Titans

Last Week: Everyone was a winner or at least pushed!

Turkey Day: Green Bay flopped and the Lions won which meant that Bob (and myself) looked like champs on Turkey Day! Jodd called the Miami win and I needed the Cowgirls to cover in order to make it a perfect 2-0 Turkey Day. Alas, the Tuna let me down.

Week 8: Rib Boy likes Balt and Cincy +3. Bob likes Jags as the Home Dog. Zobo likes Cincy +3. I like KC, Indy -4 and the Vikings +6.

Parlay of the Week: Philly +1 1/2, Indy, Cincy & Baltimore.

Rib Boy's Beating of the Week (2-8): Kansas City over the Chargers

Tao of Pauly Upset of the Week (3-7): Houston didn't win, but covered in a tough OT loss to the Pats. I'm hot after I picked two in a row! This week I like the Vikings to upset the Rams.
posted by Pauly at 11/30/2003 09:45:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Phish in Philly

11.29.03 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
Set 1 (1:15): Wilson, Cars Trucks Buses, Limb by Limb, Dirt, Seven Below, Divided Sky, Fast Enough for You, Julius
Set 2 (1:20): Twist > Simple > Taste, Makisupa Policeman, Buffalo Bill (w/ Tom Marshall), David Bowie, Strange Design, Character Zero
Encore: Friday


Set 1: The crowd was buzzing, just like the February show at the Spectrum. The Philly show from this past Winter Tour was one of my favorite shows from 2003 (with a first set Slave to the Traffic Light! and a fatty & funky Cities), and it would be tough to top that show and match Friday night's effort and energy. I had a decent seat in the back with some nice heads from central PA. Wilson to open was flat, but the crowd was pumped nonetheless. Cars Trucks Buses is a song they don't play enough. I really enjoy a Phish instrumental, especially ones composed by Page. Limb by Limb is a song that I grew fond of in Japan, after they really broke out a couple of kick ass tight versions. They have been playing Limb by Limb much better post-haitus than before. Dirt is a song I once admitted that "I could see at every show." Well, this time, I didn't cause I had to take a wicked piss and the lines were slow. I got back just in time for a fat Seven Below. Phish hits or misses when they play Seven Below, because it's all about what kind of jam they were going to break out. That might have been the best version of Seven Below that I have seen. The jam was not sloppy nor too spacey. It was layered with some heavy groove and felt smooth as shit! That jam pretty much set the tone for the night. Whereas Nassau was a night of hard jamming and Trey bouncing all over the place, Philly was more laid back and groove oriented. That was the definite highlight of the first set. Divided Sky is a crowd pleaser and is one of the few songs I'd prefer to hear outdoors. Since the hiatus, Phish has played the rare Divided Sky almost nine times and I caught four (12.31.02, 7.10.03, 7.31.03. 11.29.03) versions. All of them were roughly the same, and I heard a couple of the other ones on CD. They haven't been tinkering with the jam since it was mostly composed stuff from the Phish early Junta years. Fast Enough for You is a nice slow song to smoke or bowl to. They closed the set with Julius, which they opened up their last Philly show with... and Trey was happy to be playing! Overall, the first set was not as sloppy as the night before, however, I prefered the song selection better in the first set at Nassau... which was one of the best First Sets of Phish all year.

Set 2: The opened up with a nice Twist Around and the jam was not too spacey and more groove and funk based. I really enjoy hearing a good Twist and it's a great second set opener. They segued into Simple which was better than average, before they slid into Taste. At the last Philly show, during Taste, I spotted an old lady wearing a green Phish shirt, she smiled at me and I never saw her again. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of her. I looked around, and I could not find her. Then, finally... Phish played a song I was dying to hear... Makisupa Policeman and that made my show! The second set was much better than the first and Makisupa topped it off! Especially when you have to travel a long distance to see a show, it's awesome when the boys break out something personal and something you were willing to pay good money to see. I had not seen Makisupa Policeman in over three years (that's more than 25 shows worth of Phish I had been waiting to hear one of my favorite songs!)... since Albany 9.9.00 with Gil (when Michael Ray came out and busted out some heavy horn action). I was very happy. Next up, Tom Marshall came out and sang Buffalo Bill with the boys. He makes me laugh. And I really have fun with Buffalo Bill. I was waiting for a heavy hitter like YEM, Harry Hood or David Bowie... and then Fishman went to the high hat and I knew we'd get a sick David Bowie. It was average, but I was happy to hear it. They settled down for a few seconds before they played a rare song, but one of Senor's favorites... Strange Design, and I was happy to hear it, but I would have been slightly disappointed that they closed the set with a slow song. Instead they played a crowd pleaser, Charcter Zero, another repeat from the last Philly show. Trey ripped the shit out of that jam and the crowd was going nuts for sure. The encore was one song, and I laughed when I thought about what Senor wrote me about the Nassau encore: "Once again Phish played a killer show... with a huge encore let down." Yeah, I think that Phish cheesed out with a Friday encore. But these days, I do not expect a hot closer. Besides, over the last few weeks I grew fond of a couple of slow Phish songs off of Round Room, including Friday. It was well played and all I could think about was, "Thank God they didn't play Secret Smile or Spices!" Which are two of the worst songs Phish debuted during the summer tour.

Afterthoughts: It was fucking cold. I almost stepped on a puppy. We got to the show just as it was starting and the lights went down. I heard the intro to Wilson as I was finding my seat. Fishman played much better at Philly. He was solid on Limb by Limb and Bowie. I am leaning towards Nassau as the better show (I thought Mike & Trey played better). The first set at Nassau was much tighter and I preferred the song selections. However, the second set of Philly was excellent (I mean... Makisupa Policeman!) and the groove based jams (Seven Below & Twist) were more to my liking. Special thanks to Laura, Craig's girlfriend from New Haven, for the ride. She took one for the team and acted as designated driver for the night. She got me back into the city pretty fast! And I never saw anyone smoke eighteen ciggies in a row while driving on the NJ Turnpike! Next up... Albany! Which is one of my favorite places to see Phish. Hey Trey, where's my fucking Tube opener??
posted by Pauly at 11/30/2003 04:19:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Download the new Phish song: Crowd Control!

Please download it before you play it! Just right click and "save-as": Crowd Control.

A friend of mine Phil Lucks added the MP3 link to his site. If the above link does not work, visit his page: new Phish song and click on the hyperlink on the page.
posted by Pauly at 11/30/2003 04:18:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Sunday Morning Reading

1. The Chant Not Heard is an article written by Thomas Friedman and appears in the NY Times, where he thinks that the "left" needs to get beyond its opposition to the war in Iraq and start pitching in with its own ideas.

2. A New Crowd at the Poker Table is an article written by Demain Bulwa and appears in the San Francisco Chronicle. Here's a bit: "A new crowd is saddling up to the table to play an old game of high stakes -- and big mistakes in cardrooms, online and on TV, the lure of poker is pulling in small-time players..."
posted by Pauly at 11/30/2003 04:11:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Read about last winter's Phish Tour!

If you would like to check out what happened during last Winter's tour (The Meadowlands, Philly & Nassau) when Molly came to visit, please check out three Truckin' stories that I wrote up about each show.

1. New Jersey Blues: Phishin' Tales Part 1 by Tenzin McGrupp
He dug into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a joint. He handed it to me. “I wanted to give it to someone who had a smiling face. And you seem to be that guy.” ... More

2. Mollydelphia: Phishin' Tales Part 2 by Tenzin McGrupp
I was running late and the last thing I needed was to get into a fender bender in the parking lot of the liquor store. For a few minutes, I really felt the sharp pains of having to come to grips with the worst-case scenario: I am not going to see Phish in Philadelphia... More

3. Strong Island Unbound: Phishin' Tales Part 3 by Tenzin McGrupp
We met up with Spider and Gil at Penn Station and took the LIRR to the Island. Molly was shocked to see people drinking single cans of beer in brown paper bags on the commuter train. “It’s routine, in many ways ritualistic for the male suburban commuter,” I explained, “in the morning it’s coffee, in the evening it’s a Bud tallboy.” ... More
posted by Pauly at 11/30/2003 04:01:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Phish at Nassau

11.28.03 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
Set I (1:20): Bouncing Around the Room, Runaway Jim, Ghost > What's the Use, AC/DC Bag, First Tube, Frankie Says, Bathtub Gin > Free
Set II (1:25): Waves > Sample in a Jar > Down With Disease, Walls of the Cave, Two Versions of Me, Crowd Control (new song, first time played), Mike's Song > I am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
Encore (0:08): Crimes of the Mind (with the Dude of Life)


Phish is back to celebrate their 20th anniversary. After seeing a dozen bands in the last two months, I have come to the conclusion that Phish pretty much blows almost every other band I’ve seen this year out of the fuckin’ water. Sure they have not played a gig in over four months, and they were a little sloppy, but they still kicked ass. I prefer indoor arena shows to outdoor gigs and amphitheaters because the sound quality is generally much better, and Chris Kuroda’s lights are more fun to watch. The crowd was rowdy and there was plenty of energy, despite the fact it poured most of the time before the show and sent thousands of kids wandering around Shakedown and the parking lots to head inside to keep dry.

Set 1: 7:48 pm… I was surprised that Phish started before 8 pm! The boys opened up with Bouncin and it’s one of my least favorite Phish songs. I normally would have bailed to take a piss, but since they just started the show, I decided to puff down instead. The played Bouncin at the last Nassau show and was surprised to hear it again. Runaway Jim was next and that made up for the cheesy, crowd pleaser opening song. Jim was a little sloppy, but it was great to hear Phish again play with a high volume of intensity. I heard Mike strum a few bass notes and I knew Ghost was next. The jam out was insane and Trey was being his rock star self and going off all over the place during that jam. They broke it down and segued into What’s the Use, a rare song off the Siket Disc. I have heard that several times, and either I dig it, or I don’t. It was well played, but I was not in the mood for it, so again, I puffed down. I was awaiting a high energy song, and they broke out AC/DC Bag, a Phish song I have been hearing for well over a decade, and definitely a Pauly & Senor classic. First Tube was next, a song that Bruce Cohen wanted to hear. I was hoping for a Tube, but First Tube was not too shabby. The crowd seemed to enjoy Trey jumping up and down. Of course, they slowed things down with Frankie Sez, a song they don’t play too much, but it’s one of Molly’s favorite tunes. Up until that point, I thought the crowd was excellent, the playing was sloppy, but solid, however, the song selection was questionable. Just when I started to think they were letting me down, they busted out Bathtub Gin, and yeah, the crowd went ape shit. Page’s intro solo was delicious and that was the highlight of set one. After a long, drawn out funky jam (which I thought would end the set) they broke right out into Free. I guess everyone in the crowd wanted to hear that song, because everyone swelled with a feisty spirit, when Trey slid right into the first few notes of Free. They closed the set after an hour and twenty minutes and just when they started ripping, they took a break! The first set was all Trey, but Mike stepped up on Ghost and AC/DC Bag.

Set 2: 9:51 pm... I should have figured Waves would have been the opener. It’s one of my favorite new Phish songs and it’s a perfect song to start the second set. Trey noodled quite a bit but I liked the version anyway. They segued into Sample in a Jar, again that was a crowd pleaser song, that I thoroughly enjoyed, while everyone eagerly sang along. Then Mike dropped the bomb. They jumped right into a sizzling Down with Disease and Mike took over. It was hard and heavy and I might have reached the peak of my insobriety at that point. Next up was Walls of the Cave and I’m always a fan of Page piano solos. The intro on Walls to the Cave is spectacular and I wished that Page got more chances to show off his chops. Walls was solid and although I heard it a lot last Winter and this Summer tour, I still dig the jam out, when it starts to take on a Velvet Underground-like riffs. They played a sort of new song, something they played this summer called: Two Versions of Me. I saw it at IT, at Alpine Valley and at the Gorge on 7.12 when it was played for the first time. I like the lyrics: "Too busy to see, two versions of me", and it’s a slow song that I enjoy. Next up, Trey spoke to the crowd. He said that he wanted to play a brand new song. I thought it was called Changes, but PhantasyPhish said it was called Crowd Control. It was a "happy Phish song" and it was kinda catchy. I think most of you will like it, especially Boo! I was indifferent and I was wondering what they would play next. Trey said something like "We’re going to play something that Mike likes. How about… ‘His' Song?" And yeah, the crowd went nuts because we all knew they were about to break out Mike’s Song! The guy next to me was named Mike and he seriously wanted to hear it. During the first set I told him that I had a feeling about Mike’s Song, and for his sake, I hoped they played it! And yes, at 10:57 to 11:08, I witnessed the best eleven minutes of live music, shit… the best eleven minutes of Phish all year! I’ll go out on a limb and challenge anyone to present a tighter, insane, sick, live moment like that, and Phish would demolish that attempt in a heartbeat. That was how good they played. Better than good... excellent, superb, ball crunching, you name it. I dunno what the fuck happened. But I was moved! I recalled a similar "moment" happening in Japan on a few occasions (in the middle of Ghost during Osaka 6.15.00, I was completely in the moment and Phish never sounded better!) I really cannot explain it, but if you go to enough live shows, you can tell when the musicians take their ability to a higher level than they were playing. When professional athletes get hot and play well past their ability, they are referred to as being "in the zone". Well Phish was in the zone for those eleven minutes, and I could not recall a better spurt of Phish in a very long time. I had my "moment" and that’s why I go see so many Phish shows, because you never know what they’ll do and how they’ll get inside my head. The only downside is that sometimes Phish could play for months without hitting a peak like that again. I hope to catch one or two more moments like this tour, but if I don’t I still walked away with an epic Phish memory. Mike’s Song at Nassau in 2003. One of the best versions... ever? Fucking A! I forgot to mention that they played Hydrogen into Weekapaug Groove. The crowd dug Weekapaug and I knew it was the end of the set. I was surprised because at that point, Phish already played for almost ninety minutes! After the encore, three hours of total Phish seeped its way into my ears. Despite the shitty weather, I was not disappointed, rather I was excited and anxious to see three more shows. I’m still perplexed because I have no idea what kinda of crazy shit they boys will pull out in Boston for their 20th Anniversary show! That is just three days away, and I’m trying not to lose sight of the next two shows! The Dude of Life came out, sang, while Phish played a nice version of Crimes of the Mind. Wow, twenty years of Phish. Pretty cool stuff.

Afterthoughts: The best thing about Phish concerts, are Phishy chicks (the cute, clean ones). Man, do I love them! I went with Bruce Cohen (his fifth show) and his buddy Jeff who has seen the Grateful Dead well over 250 times. It was only his second show (he caught them last year at Nassau). He seemed to enjoy Bathtub Gin ad Free, which was the highlight of the first set. He said one of the funniest things to me that I ever heard at a Phish show. "How the hell are some of these kids so dirty? They’re not old enough to get that dirty." He was referring to the collection of kids I refer to as "crusties" or as some other Phisheads like to call them, "wookies". At one point I was sitting next to a couple of kids (two girls & two guys) from the North Shore of Long Island. They were all sixteen. One of the guys asked me to by him and his girlfriend beers at setbreak. They insisted that they weren’t driving, so I did a good deed and bought them some beers. They were super happy and loved me the rest of the night. It was funny because I saw my first Grateful Dead show before they were born. Am I getting old? Geez. They were two when I saw my first Phish show (10.26.89). I know what you are thinking, and get your mind out of the gutter!! I would never pick up a sixteen-year old Phishy chick at a show. They have rules and laws against that sort of behavior (thank goodness). Next up… Philly! Tube to open??
posted by Pauly at 11/29/2003 10:10:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Phish Tour Begins...

In less than 12 hours, the new Phish tour will kick off and I'm pumped for four shows (Nassau, Philly, Albany & Boston) over the next few days.

Top 5 Songs I Want to Hear Phish Open With...
1. Punch You in the Eye
2. Tube
3. Split Open & Melt
4. Carini
5. Makisupa Policeman

Top 5 Cover Songs I Want to Hear Phish Play...
1. Loving Cup
2. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
3. Shakedown Street (never played)
4. Rock & Roll
5. Cross-Eyed & Painless
posted by Pauly at 11/28/2003 08:01:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Tao of Poker more famous than the Tao of Pauly!?!?!

One of my newest blogs is getting an insane amount of web traffic! The Tao of Poker is a blog where I write about poker related stuff in more detail, in addition to analyzing my poker play, tournaments, and multiple visits to Las Vegas, Foxwoods, and/or Atlantic City to play Texas Hold'em. The Tao of Poker has grown in popularity over the last few months since I started it last August. As some of you know, high stakes poker is sweeping the nation. It will be a matter of time before major poker events will be shown weekly on prime time TV.

Anyway, in the last month, two websites have linked up the Tao of Poker, which is the main reason the site has been getting a heavy amount of hits! I am worried that the Tao of Poker will be visited more than the Tao of Pauly!! My poker blog gets more hits than Truckin'. I guess more people rather read about my poker exploits, than those who want to read fiction or some of my travel stories. I don't understand this because I'm a far better writer than I am a poker player!!

Most of the web traffic is international! This past week, Poker Portal, a British site just linked me up and of course Guinnes & Poker (whom I think the webmaster, Ignatius, is either Irish or British... I could be wrong!) linked me up last month. At any rate, due to the linkange... one of my blogs has reached a bigger audience!

Arjen from Poker Portal wrote me: "Hi, I have added a link to the Tao of Poker in the 'Poker Blogs/Journals' category on Poker Portal. A link back would be very much appreciated."

All the links you wanted about poker are on his site. Check out Arejn's cool site.

Here are the rankings of my sites, by popularity (web hits) over the last three months.

Top 5 Pauly Sites:
1. Tao of Pauly
2. Tao of Poker
3. The Blind Kangaroo
4. Truckin'
5. Sweet Nothing (a.k.a. Baby & Winky)

And the rest...
6. Page 2: Bio Page & Lil Senor Pool
7. McPoems
8. Pauly's Pub
9. Jack Tripper Stole My Dog
10. E-Story

I am pleased that people are visitng my many blogs, but I must admit that I am very sad that Truckin' is not as popular as the rest of them. I put the most amount of man-hours into Truckin' and since it's a showcase for my short stories and a place to demonstrate my writing skills, I always wanted that site to get the majority of traffic. Oh well, like I said... more people rather read about Pauly the poker player, than Pauly the writer.

In case you were wondering about my next poker adventure, I'll be in Las Vegas in two weeks to play poker with my brother, and I'll stop off at Foxwoods on my way home from the Phish concert in Boston next Tuesday night.

posted by Pauly at 11/28/2003 07:53:00 AM | Permalink |

 

Reader Mail

Actual letters from actual readers of the Tao of Pauly...

1. Re: NaNoWriMo Winner

I got this from the head of NaNoWriMo: "Dear Novelist, It is our supreme pleasure to inform you that our internationally renowned team of word-counting robots have completed their judicious assessment of your manuscript, and have passed on this final, binding decision: Winner.

Wow. You've really done it this time, writer. Where the vast majority of National Novel Writing Month participants abandoned ship at some point in the journey, you bravely persevered, continuing your literary quest in the face of ridiculously long odds.

In one month, you have written more fiction than most people create in a lifetime. You have dared to dream big, to throw long, to say: "Enough of the self-critical crap, and the hemming and hawing. This time I'm going for it."

And you pulled it off with aplomb. In just four weeks, you built vast worlds and set them in motion. You created characters; quirky, interesting, passionate souls with lives and loves and ambitions as great as yours.

And most admirably, you managed to find time to do it all while juggling the demands of work, school, friends and family. Most people barely have the strength to make it through dinner at the end of a tough day. You dug deep, and found the energy and resolve to make wild, deliciously imperfect art in the midst of a horribly hectic life.

It's an amazing accomplishment, and we're proud of you for seeing it through. And that's about it. It's been an unforgettable month, and we've been very glad to have you with us.

With warm regards (and much applause and whistling), Chris Baty, Director, NaNoWriMo"

Dear Chris, Thanks for the multiple e-mails, which I got after I completed two novels. Most writers don't even complete one novel in their lifetime, but I wrote 2 manuscripts in 25 days: The Blind Kangaroo and Bar Hopping with Buddha. I am now the author of three NaNo novels in less than 13 months. And since my 30th birthday, I cranked out a screenplay, 4 novels, and over 75 Truckin' short stories, not to mention dozens of poems, several new blogs and a couple of flogs! I'm ready for my next big project! Check you later, McG


2. Re: Charlie's Goldfish

Jerry responded after I sent him a copy of my screenplay Charlie's Goldfish. Here's what he had to say: "Charlie, man - was a really smooth read, with a solid story, believable, real, touching, covers all the bases; all of which prevent it from standing out in a Project Greenlight selection. Granted it was written as a screenplay, as opposed to your recent novels, but the difference in your writing in the latter works, is palpable. The novels were risky, out there a little - letting the reader follow those characters to the edge as far as you wanted to take them. The improvement is obvious, thats why I WANT THE NEXT NOVEL!!!! You pigeon-fucker!"

Dear Jerry, Thanks for your kind words. I hope to re-write Charlie's Goldfish in early 2004. I have two new novels complete... but only The Blind Kangaroo will be shown to the public. Thanks again for your support. See ya soon, McG


3. Re: College Basketball Review

Gittler wrote: "Thanks a lot. I see no St. Johns! Jarvis sucks... he goes to the Elite 8 with (Fran) Fracilla's team and has done nothing with his team... under Louie C. they were in the Top 25 every year!"

Dear Git, Yes, the Johnnies suck. Bring back the good old days with Kevin Fitzpatrick and Marco Baldi were the core of the team!! Where's Louie C. these days?? See ya, McG


4. Schanzer on TV

Armando from Brazil wrote: "Schanzer! Saw you on tv today. (We actually get Fox on Brazilian cable) Very eloquent dude. We cracked up when that Asian guy called the US a tyrany. The look you gave was highly amusing. P.S. lose the goatee already! You shouldn't be on national TV sporting a faux pussy on your face."

Dear Armnado, Schanzer looked great, as always. And yes, he put that kid in his place. I thought that might have been one of the funnier moments. Good to see Schanzer think quick on his feet and dismiss the kid's comments and move onto the debated topic. See ya, McG
posted by Pauly at 11/28/2003 06:17:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Affleck's Gambling Caused Temporary Split with J.Lo... gotta love the Hollywood gossip rags.

Here's a bit: "Affleck's recent gambling binge infuriated his fiancee so much, she reportedly ordered him to leave their home. J.Lo only decided to reconcile with the Daredevil hunk after her mum Guadalupe - who pals claim adores the actor - intervened and encouraged her to forgive him... ources close to the couple, allege their romance remains in crisis, because Lopez is struggling to cope with Affleck's "destructive" addictions. One says, "Jennifer was very upset by the celebrity gambling tournament Ben did last month in Las Vegas. "She feels he just gives up one addiction for another and it is destructive behavior. In a strong moment, she told him to move out of her (L.A.) house." But just a week later, Lopez was back with Affleck and planning a poker tournament - thanks to Guadalupe's intervention. An insider adds, "Ben got Guadalupe involved and used the whole, 'Your mother wants to go gamble, too, ' card on her. Jennifer lost her nerve and they are back together again, but it is very tumultuous. Guadalupe loves Ben. She thinks the sun rises and sets on him. Anytime Jennifer has doubts, her mother lets loose on her and tells her Ben is just the best thing that ever happened to her."
posted by Pauly at 11/28/2003 06:03:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Thanksgiving NFL Best Bets

I got the experts together and they announced their best bets for today's games:

Zobo: Green Bay - 7
Rib Boy: Green Bay -7
Chicago Bob: Detroit +7
Tao of Pauly: Detroit +7 and Dallas -3
Jodd: Green Bay -7 and Miami +3

posted by Pauly at 11/27/2003 04:50:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Required Reading

Jon Schanzer recently blogged his last article: POLICYWATCH #808: Yemen'sAl-Qaeda Amnesty: Revolving Door or Evolving Strategy?. By the way... he looked good on FOX News yesterday. Schanzer really put a viewer in his place when he made an off-beat comment. Nice tie, Rib!!
posted by Pauly at 11/27/2003 04:34:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Dark Star Orchestra

DSO is the greatest Grateful Dead cover band... ever. Not only do they play the Grateful Dead's music... they play entire Grateful Dead concerts... as they were originally played 25 years ago!! They were in town and played three shows at Irving Plaza from Monday thru last night. Here are the setlists from all of the shows.

Mon, 11.24.03 at Irving Plaza, NYC, NY
Performing 11/21/1973 Coliseum, Denver, CO (Donna Show)
Set 1: Me & My Uncle, Sugaree, Jack Straw, Big Railroad Blues, Mexicali, TLEO, Looks Like Rain, Here Comes Sunshine, Big River, Brokedown Palace, WRS Prelude > WRS Part 1 > Let It Grow
Set 2: Miss. Half Step > Playin' > El Paso > Playin > Wharf Rat > Playin' > Morning Dew > Truckin' > Nobody's Fault > GDTRFB > Saturday Night
Encore: Uncle John's Band
Filler: Greatest Story Ever Told

Tue, 11.25.03 at Irving Plaza, NYC, NY
Performing 5/15/1977 Arena, St. Louis, MO (Donna Show)
Set 1: Bertha > Good Lovin, Row Jimmy, Minglewood, Tennessee Jed, Lazy Lightning > Supplication, Jack A Roe, Passenger, Brown Eyed Women, Dancin'
Set 2: Estimated > Eyes > Drums > Samson, Ship Of Fools, St. Stephen > Iko Iko > NFA > Sugar Magnolia
Encore: Uncle John's Band
Filler: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider

Wed, 11.26.03 at Irving Plaza, NYC, NY
Performing 9/15/1982 Capital Centre, Landover, MD
Set 1: Playin' > Crazy Fingers > Rooster, Dupree's Diamond Blues > BIODTL, Must Have Been the Roses > Let it Grow > Day Job
Set 2: Shakedown Street > Sailor > Saint > Drums > NFA > Stella Blue > Around > Good Lovin'
Encore: Touch of Grey
Filler: Tom Thumb's Blues, Hey Pocky Way
posted by Pauly at 11/27/2003 04:22:00 AM | Permalink |

 
In Your Dreams, Buddy is an article written by Hunter S. Thompson and appears on Espn.com.
posted by Pauly at 11/27/2003 04:20:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Knicks Win 3rd Straight... Winning Streak?

The NY Knicks topped Latrell Sprewell and the Minnesota Timberwolves 97-92 last night in Minnesota. The Knicks have now won three straight games and find themselves only one game out of first place.

LT's Game Plan... Send in the Hookers!

NY Giant's Great Lawrence Taylor admitted he sent hookers to opposing players the night before a big game. Here's a bit: "Taylor was the NFL's most feared defender for more than a decade - even though he admits he was hooked on cocaine and crack for much of it."
posted by Pauly at 11/27/2003 04:19:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Mr. Dickhead Lives on the Web!!!

Mr. Dickhead has been the subject of my latest flog: Mr. Dickhead. Check him out!!

And while you are at fotolog.net, visit: My Paintings Gallery.
posted by Pauly at 11/26/2003 05:59:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Wednesday's Politico Roundup: Vote for Katie, Part III

Current Results:
1. Angelina Jolie 31%
2. Katie Holmes 27%
3. Milla Jovovich 26%

Dear Minions,

This Sigge Female of the Year polling has gotten out of control. Sides have been drawn... It boils down to this: the US (and my one Canadian reader) versus Norway and the rest of the Eurotrash, non-showering, chainsmoking, butt-cheese... I don't know about you, but I think this is a classic battle of good and evil.

The good... Ms. Katie Holmes, the lovely, the talented, the girl next door we all love.

The bad... Ms. "I'm not an" Angel-ina Jolie, the woman who actually let Billy Bob put his wee-wee inside of her. More than once.

The choice is obvious. I hope you see the importance of your vote (your daily vote). I need all the help I can get. Help the Tao of Pauly take down the Evil Norwegian Goth-like Junta.

This is what Sigge wrote about us on his blog site: "Btw, you should check out what Pauly writes about the competition at his daily Tao. He and his minions are joining in to front Katie Holmes, and on the Norwegian side we´ve got MIB trying to wind up an opposition for Angelina Jolie! Stay tuned for the end!"

Don't forget to vote! This weekend, please tell all your family members about the Poll and encourage them to get involved! Thanks for your support.
posted by Pauly at 11/26/2003 05:51:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Showdown at the Sands

More poker on TV! Action from Atlantic City will be televised on FOX Sports on Thanksgiving Day starting at 12:30 pm thru 6:30 pm, with the Final Table action starting at 5:30 pm. FOX Sports will re-air the early rounds at 8pm. Check your local listings for more info.
posted by Pauly at 11/26/2003 05:28:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Top 5 Phish Songs I DO NOT Want to Hear at Nassau...

1. Scents & Subtle Sounds
2. Bouncin' Around the Room
3. The Squirming Coil
4. Chalkdust Torture
5. Waste
posted by Pauly at 11/26/2003 04:55:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Galactic NY Times Review

Check out: Funk That Shows Off By Holding Back is written by John Pareles.

Here's a bit: "Most jam bands live for the chance to mix up genres and charge off on improvisational tangents. Galactic, a band from New Orleans that played two sets at Roseland on Friday night, isn't one of them. Its songs have a more utilitarian goal: to get people dancing. A Galactic song that starts out as a funk tune stays that way all the way through, keeping the groove steady and the structure obvious. Galactic accepts the discipline of funk: the repetition and deliberate space that give the music its solidity and swing. The musicians show off by restraining themselves."
posted by Pauly at 11/26/2003 04:20:00 AM | Permalink |

 
I Miss the Daily Dave!

Where's Simanoff? It's been over two months since Skippy was forced to take down his old blog by the stiff arm of the foul smelling, thought censoring, anti-blogger policeforce, otherwise known as "the Man". The Daily Dave is no more!! Not being able to read the dribblings of Tampa's most infamous blogger is like having your favorite TV show canceled without notice. What if Friends wasn't on anymore (including reruns!)? Or Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? Or the freakin O.C.??? It's hard not being able to read about your favorite blogger. Like how Girtz reads the Tao of Pauly 3 times a day... so too did I read the Daily Dave, like clockwork. Everyday, I habitually click on the Daily Dave link and I get nowhere... like an old war veteran who tried to scratch an itch on a leg that's no longer there.

Skippy, I know you are out there and you read my blog, drop me a line!!
posted by Pauly at 11/25/2003 04:12:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Top 5 Phish Songs I'd Like to Hear at Nassau...

1. Makisupa Policeman
2. I Saw It Again
3. Foam
4. Peaches
5. Carini

I'm getting pumped. The next Phish show is just 76 hours away from starting...
posted by Pauly at 11/25/2003 03:53:00 PM | Permalink |

 

Truckin'

November 2003 (Vol 2., Issue 11)

I just posted the new issue of your favorite blogzine. This month, there are excerpts from two new NaNoWriMo novels: The Blind Kangaroo and Mona LaVigne submitted a selection from The Wild Side. This month features a Barcelona story from Haley Slovin. Also, I returned with a scary Subway story and a tale about my junkie days in Atlanta... Sit back, enjoy, and please spread the good word about this site. Be sweet, McG.

1. Subway Stalker: Part I by Tenzin McGrupp
At the 23rd Street stop, she exited the train. I was headed for lower Manhattan, but I decided to follow her instead. I waited, and as the doors were about to close, I jumped off... More

2. Confessions of a Donut Junkie, Part I by Tenzin McGrupp
Every time that I visited that particular D & D, I was inebriated; drunk, stoned, tripping, hopped up on ephedrine, or all of the above. We showed up at all hours... More

3. The Blind Kangaroo by Tenzin McGrupp
I imagined Adriana sipping a huge fruity cocktail in a trendy L.A. bar like Little Pedro’s Blue Bongo with a slew of other assistants, all worn out from a long day of being a lap dog to the stars, sharing their bad days and ranting about their famous employers... More

4. The Wild Side by Mona LaVigne
Lorna went to work the following evening, and after her first stage routine, two main floor lap dances, and one ten minute back room private dance, she had a back back room adventure with a young guy... More

5. Gaudy Barcelona by Haley Slovin
The backbone of activity in Barcelona was the Rambla, a long pedestrian walkway which ran through the center of town. It hosted a multitude of newspaper stands, bookstalls, and flower stands... More
posted by Pauly at 11/25/2003 03:44:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Schanzer Bumped by Bush!! TV Appearance Postponed until Wednesday!

Jon Schanzer sent me this e-mail: "The President will be talking about Medicare this afternoon at the same time I was scheduled to go on the air. So, I've been bumped. Therefore, it's safe to watch "As The World Turns," as many of you likely had originally planned.

I'm slated to go on at the same time (1pm) tomorrow, November 26. Same topic. Same show. I might even wear the same tie."

So folks, set those VCRs for tomorrow. He'll appear on Fox News Channel's "Dayside with Linda Vester" on Wednesday, November 26, at 1pm. Check it out.
posted by Pauly at 11/25/2003 02:44:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Schanzer on TV

Jon Schanzer sent me this e-mail: "I'm slated to appear on Fox News Channel's "Dayside with Linda Vester" on Tuesday, November 25, at 1pm. They've asked me to discuss the recent al-Qaeda chatter and what it means for U.S. security."

Set those VCRs!!
posted by Pauly at 11/24/2003 04:55:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Twins & Sisters... Happy Belated B-day to the Bush Twins! Which leads me to have a brand new Top 5!

Top 5 Sisters Who I Want to Party With...
1. Paris & Nicky Hilton
2. The Bush Twins
3. The Barbie Twins
4. Charlotte & Emily Bronte
5. The Olsen Twins

posted by Pauly at 11/24/2003 04:50:00 PM | Permalink |

 

College Basketball Preview

Last year I did not get to watch too much college basketball due to the long hours on Wall Street that I logged. My viewing was limited to highlights, just as Chris Capolongo admitted to me the other night, “I don’t watch basketball… but I watch Sportscenter.” I did poorly in the College Basketball Season Pool. But I got hot in the March Madness Tourney. I hit some big bets in Las Vegas and I ended up winning (my first pool) the Pauly’s Pub March Madness Cash Pool. I guess you can say that I started out slow last year and peaked just at the right time.

Alas a decade a go, a twenty-year old Pauly living in Atlanta, was unable to lead the Emory Eagles to a berth in the Division III basketball playoffs. A bum knee and a chronic drinking problem was my excuse, and Emory ended up under .500. Ten years later, I hope to make a difference. If I can’t play on a winning team… maybe I could pick a winning team. This year, I did a little research. I read a few magazines and I talked to a slew of college basketball experts and I have compiled the Tao of Pauly’s Top 10 Preseason Rankings. Enjoy.

1. North Carolina
2. UCONN
3. Duke
4. Missouri
5. Kentucky
6. Gonzaga
7. Michigan State
8. Florida
9. Illinois
10. Texas

Teams to watch: St. Joe’s, Providence & Manhattan

1. North Carolina: This year the Tar Heels added legendary coach Roy Williams to the mix, hoping to return to the NCAA tournament after a 6-10 record in ACC play last season. Sean May, a sophomore power forward, broke his foot last year and the Heels did not recover from his injury. His return will mean a strong inside presence to compliment the excellent outside shooting touch of Rashad McCants and the quickness of point guard Raymond Felton, whom many say might be the best point guard in the country. Jawad Williams averaged 15 ppg last season from the small forward spot and will have to step up this year.

2. UCONN: Everyone picked them to be #1, so I decided to shy away from the consensus. However, Emeka Okafor is the real deal. He might be the best legit center in the country and led the nation in shot blocking last year. Junior Ben Gordon (19.5 points last year) is one of my favorite players and can score from anywhere on the court. With all five starters returning, the Huskies could be a lock for a Final Four bid, especially after they signed a blue chip high schooler, a 6’10” power forward named Charlie Villanueva.

3. Duke: I’m a UNC fan. It’s hard for me to actually pick Duke this high, but after I put all the bad blood aside, I looked at their schedule, roster, and new recruits, and I can’t argue with the facts… Duke will go to the Final Four. Luol Deng was overshadowed last year by another high school phenom called LeBron James. The 6’8” Deng was the second best high school player in the country and opted for Duke instead of the NBA. He’ll slide into the power forward slot joining a team with 4 returning starters. Deng’s a journeyman at 18, after fleeing civil war in the Sudan, his family was chased out of Egypt, and then moved to London, before he attended a prep school in New Jersey. Shooting guard JJ Redick is ready to light it up as one of the best shooters in the ACC. Chris Duhon, the senior point guard, hopes to lead Duke to another ACC title.

4. Missouri: I like teams with returning starters. Missouri has four, led by senior forward Rickey Paulding's (17.4 ppg) shooting and senior center Arthur Johnson's (9.6 rebounding average) stellar post play. Paulding is one of the best scorers in the country after he improved his three point shooting (he nailed 9 in a NCAA tournament game last year). He is also a tenacious defender and started on the 4th place US Mean’s hoops team at the Pan Am Games this past summer. Missouri is one of the deepest teams in the country, with last year’s NCAA’s leading scorer Jason Conely (a transfer from VMI with 29.3 ppg) coming off the bench.

5. Kentucky: When Kentucky wins the NCAA tourney, the Yankees win the World Series. I was hoping Kentucky would have won last year (I picked them to go all the way) because the Yanks would have beaten the Fish last month. Alas, Kentucky returns three starters including Chuck Hayes, a short guy with a big heart, who will have to step it up this year. He is a solid rebounder and reminds me of Elton Brand. Gerald Fitch will have to improve his scoring and point guard Cliff Hawkins must keep his turnovers down, and keep those assist totals up.

6. Gonzaga: The Zags return three starters from last year’s 24-9 team. Point guard Blake Stepp averaged over 18 points last year and will be leading a deep team with a tough schedule. Center Cory Violette led the team in rebounding and power forward Ronny Turiaf (15.6 ppg) might go pro at the end of the season. If they can win some tough games this year, they’ll be a favorite to make the Final Four.

7. Michigan State: I would have picked them higher, but earlier this weekend, the Spartans almost got upset by lowly Bucknell (sorry Derek, I didn’t mean to tool on your alma mata). A close loss like that scares me. A lot of experts picked MSU to go to the Final Four. Tom Izzo is one of the best coaches around. Chris Hill is one of the best shooters in the Big Ten. He can do it all. Freshman Brandon Cotton, a McDonalds All-American, will see some time at point.

8. Florida: Gotta love any team that Billy “The Kid” Donavon coaches. They Gators bulked up this season. Power forward David Lee improved his shooting range in the off-season and added 20 pounds of muscle (and dropped 4% in body fat). The Gators added freshman Chris Richard (Mr. Basketball in the state of Florida) to help solidify a front line that got pushed around last year. Point guard Anthony Roberson might have the best one-on-one game in the SEC. He’ll be a factor for sure especially if you can’t stop his drives to the basket

9. Illinois: Who? Dee Brown. Get used to that name. He’s the leading scorer for the Illini and might be the quickest player in the country. Just a sophomore, he’ll be looking to improve on a second round NCAA tourney loss. Although they lost their coach Bill Self to Kansas, the Illini are expected to do well in the Big Ten with the deepest backcourt around. Deron Williams and freshman shooter Richard McBride will also lead the way.

10. Texas: With four returning starters (Buckman, Thomas, Mounton & Ivey) the Longhorns will be looking to return to the Final Four. They lost the quick and agile T.J. Ford, but the future of Texas lies on the shoulders of Brandon Mouton, who dropped 25 points in a loss to eventual champion Syracuse last year. James Thomas is one of the best rebounders in the country and they’re going to need his Windex wiping ability of they want to hold off some solid teams in the Big 12.

Teams to watch…

St. Joesph’s: Phil Martelli is a nut! And he’s one of my favorite coaches. I picked them to go to the Sweet 16 and they got knocked out in the first round by lowly Auburn. Their backcourt returns led by point guard Lameer Nelson and Delonte West who averaged 38 combined points last year.

Providence: With Senior guard Abdul Mills returning from a hip injury, look out. He can shoot and will join forward Ryan Gomes who should average a double-double this year.

Manhattan: The Jaspers should win the MAAC with NYC’s best scorer, senior Luis Flores, who dropped almost 25 points a game last year. He can light it up.
posted by Pauly at 11/24/2003 12:09:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Congrats to Spider!

Spider and his team the Muff State Pie Boys won the first annual Pauly's Pub College Football Pool. This is his first win since I started Pauly's Pub fantasy pools, which is important, because Spider has joined every pool I started. Thanks for the support. Congrats and thanks to everyone who participated this year.
posted by Pauly at 11/24/2003 12:08:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Emory Ranked 18th!

It's that time of year again, when US News & World Report announces their top colleges and universities. Sometimes their data is skewed. Some colleges pay them off to get a higher ranking. But over all, I think that they are somewhat accurate since they determine the ranking based on several factors. Anyway... Emory University was ranked 18th! You can check out the complete list at: America's Best Colleges 2004.
posted by Pauly at 11/24/2003 07:25:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Bar Hopping with Buddha

I changed the name of my new novel. I scrapped the old Britney Spears title... and settled on something slightly more religious: Bar Hopping with Buddha. I am almost done... about 80% complete. I can't wait to finish this project. It is my worst novel to date... and I am determined to keep writing until I reach my goal of 50K words.
posted by Pauly at 11/24/2003 07:19:00 AM | Permalink |

 
5 Phish Songs I'd Like to Hear at Nassau...

1. Ghost
2. My Friend, My Friend
3. Halley's Comet
4. Two Versions of Me
5. Gumbo
posted by Pauly at 11/24/2003 06:55:00 AM | Permalink |

 
There's Something Happening Here is an article written by Robert Scheer and appears in The Nation, where he thinks that the echoes of Vietnam emanating from Iraq are all too clear.
posted by Pauly at 11/24/2003 06:53:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Katie Count...

Katie Holmes: 26%
Angelina Jolie: 27%
Milla Jovich: 28%

She's now in third place! A late surge from Milla Jovich fans knocked Katie out of first place. With one week to go, don't forget to vote: Sigge's Female of the Year
posted by Pauly at 11/24/2003 06:16:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Senor & Foxwoods

Senor wanted to go to Foxwoods on Tuesday to play poker. It's terrible timing for me... with two Dark Star Orchestra shows the next two nights, in addition to writing the last stretch of the new novel and posting the new issue of Truckin', it looks like it might not happen... unless I can finish up the new novel this afternoon. I really want to go play Hold'em, after I got fired up from watching some poker yesterday. On Sunday afternoon, ESPN2 hosted a marathon veiwing of the 2003 World Series of Poker and I caught a British poker tournament on FOX Sports, which was hosted by Howard Lederer.

Oh, by the way... November Truckin' will be out this week! Stay tuned.
posted by Pauly at 11/24/2003 06:03:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Last 5 Books I Saw People Reading on the Subway...

1. The Holy Bible
2. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
3. White Oleander by Janet Fitch
4. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
5. The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox
posted by Pauly at 11/23/2003 08:39:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Girtz Day at Dublin

Last night Girtz gathered a couple of his close friends for a celebration of his 30th year on Earth. It was a low-key, but intimate party at Dublin on Hudson Street in the West Village. Girtz described it as an Irish pub with "Cross-channel" food. I never drank at Dublin before, but I knew it was nearby the Whitehorse Tavern, a place I used to drink at many years ago. I got to see a lot of familiar faces that I had not seen in a long time, like Orange, Chris Cap, and Elite. Of course all of the original 1J cast and crew were present (Gil, Spider, Jimmy & Chris). And Lou "DLJ" Smith and Shemper made token appearances to round out the evening. Shemper and his fiancee came up from DC for the party. He told me that he reads the Tao all the time, but had never seen his name in print. Well, Shemper... so far in this blog, I got you three times!

One of the funniest quotes from the night was from Chris Capolongo: "Life is like a movie... except it's a lot fucking slower."
posted by Pauly at 11/23/2003 08:29:00 AM | Permalink |

 
NFL Best Bets Week 12

Pick of the Week
Chicago Bob (5-5-1): Arizona +7 1/2 over the Rams
Rib Boy (5-6): Philly -5 1/2 over N'arlins
Tao of Pauly (4-7): Cincy -3 over San Diego
Zobo (1-1-1): Seattle +3 at the Ravens
Jodd (0-0): Jets -3 over the Jags

Last Week: Bob called the KC upset last week and was the only "expert" who won a big bet last week! This week, we added Jodd Sheer, hoping some new blood will spice the weekly picks up!

Week 8: Rib Boy likes Philly and the Vikings -10 1/2. Bob likes Arizona to pull off a big win. Zobo wrote: "I did really bad last week going with Arizona so I am going to right this ship this week. Seattle +3 at Baltimore should come through and be a big winner!!!" I like the Cincy, Carolina +3, and the Seachickens. My Parlay of the Week is: Tenn -7, Cincy, Seattle, and Carolina.

Rib Boy's Beating of the Week (2-7): Denver -10 1/2 over da Bears

Tao of Pauly Upset of the Week (2-7): Not only did I finally catch a second upset of the week for this season, but I called KC's first loss!! This week I'm going with Houston!
posted by Pauly at 11/23/2003 08:18:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Galactic in NYC!

I caught Galactic last night at Roseland Ballroom. I dunno how many times I have seen Galactic, but I estimate my attendance was somewhere in the mid-50s... I've seen them more than the Grateful Dead (46 shows), but not as much as Widespread Panic (56 shows). Since my first Galactic show in 1998 in Seattle, there was only one other band I have seen more than Galactic in the last six years... Phish, of course.

Galactic was out on tour to support their new CD Ruckus, their fourth studio album (and it's short, just 44 minutes) produced by the infamous Dan “the automater” Nakamura. Most of the show was devoted to the tracks on Ruckus, and they did an excellent job transforming the well mixed songs into a live show.

The first set was smoking, with only a few lulls. I notcied that Jeff Raines had busted out an acoustic guitar on a lot of the new songs. I do not have a complete setlist, but they played most of Ruckus: Doomed, Truth Is Out, Never Called You Crazy, Bongo Joe, Moil, Gypsy Fade, Mercamon, The Beast, Bittersweet, Uptown Odyssey, Paint, Kid Kenner, and All Behind You Now.

The Houseman (was pimping in a sleek gold suit) broke out a heavy funk-riddled Villified in the first set. The female vocalist, Ms. Teedy Boutte, looked snazzy in a pink top and purple velvet pants with a fur ball scarf/boa around her neck. She has been on the entire Ruckus tour, since she appeared on background vocals for a bunch of the songs. A New Orleans legend, she sung solo on a delicious Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder cover). Galactic closed the first set with one of my favorite tunes: Shibuya, and of course Stanton Moore was jumping up and down on his drum kit during the ending to that song. For the encore, Ms. Boutte came back out and they sang a sizzling cover of Led Zepplin's A Whole Lotta Love (minus the Houseman).

Galactic is known to offer up a multi-media format to its concerts. Last year, there were these painters who painted on a huge canvas behind the stage while the concert was ongoing. I was totally into that because I used to paint to music all the time... and especially to Galactic. This year, the painting was replaced by a huge movie screen and various images, short films, and cartoons were being played during the concert, featuring visual design artistry created by Andrew Wade Smith. The show opened up with Evil Kenieval doing some dangerous jumps and stunts.

Now, of course I forgot to talk about Stanton Moore the drummer for Galactic and the cosmic glue that keeps the band together. Just like how I always thought the Grateful Dead was "Jerry and 5 guys" and how Phish was "Trey and 3 guys"... Galactic is all Stanton Moore and 5 other guys. I hate to say that, and no disrespect to the other band members, but Stanton Moore is Galactic. I have said this once before, and I'll say it again. Stanton Moore is not from this planet. His birth certificate says "Metarie, Louisiana", but we all know better. Stanton is an alien. And I love watching him play. He is my favorite drummer and I will say this: he is the best drummer alive today. Watching him every night must have been what it was like to watch Willie Mays play baseball everyday.

Talib Kweli opened up for Galactic. I had not seen the hip-hopper from Brooklyn in concert before and he had a lot of energy. For the most part, the show was not sold out and that might have been the thinnest crowd I had seen at a Galactic show in New York City. Maybe it's the economy, or maybe some hardcore fans did not like Ruckus and did not want to pay to see a show devoted to playing nearly the entire new CD. I'm not a huge fan of the Roseland Ballroom. In some places the sound is shotty and the security are first-rate assholes. Some of the best Galactic shows I saw in NYC were either at Bowery Ballroom or at Irving Plaza, much smaller venues with better sound. Ironically, security was not a problem for me at the show. I was able to break the law without any hassles.

Overall, it was one of the better Galactic shows I had seen in some time. The addition of Ms. Boutte was a nice element and I hope they keep her for good.

Galactic started a nice run of live music for me... next up are two Dark Star Orchestra shows at Irving Plaza next week, and of course Phish tour (4 shows) starts in 6 days! Followed up by two Phil Lesh and Phriends shows at the Beacon Theatre. I'm very pleased with my music schedule!

posted by Pauly at 11/22/2003 12:24:00 PM | Permalink |

 
World Poker Tour Review

Guinness & Poker blogged this link: The World Poker Tour: The Best Show on TV!

Here's a bit: "The second reason poker is so captivating, and will continue to spread in popularity, is the element of luck, and the elusiveness of the qualities that make greats great. When you look at the pros, even when you see them play, it's easy to think that you could beat them. Few of them are of genius-level intelligence. They aren't psychic. They just have some mix of guile, heart, intelligence, patience, the ability to read people and skill at the game--all of which combine and allow long term success. What's more, thanks to the element of luck and the fact that poker is a game of limited information, a skilled amateur can beat the pros on any given night. Playing a chess pro is pointless. Your have no chance. If you sit down across from Phil Ivey, however, you might start with ace/ace. You might put all your chips in and he might see cowboys (pair of kings) and call you. You'd probably win and neither o you would really have made a mistake. It happens a lot. That's why sitting at most final tables on World Poker Tour, is some schmuck like you or me who caught the right cards and made the most of them. This is an element that no other high-stakes professional competition has. You'll never see your neighbor in the Super Bowl (especially if he plays for the Bears). You might, however, see that same neighbor playing for a million bucks or so at one of the major poker tournaments...
posted by Pauly at 11/21/2003 03:00:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Skippy's Back...

Tall Plans for Channel District Grow and Downtown Hotel May Boost Tampa's Convention Appeal were both written by Dave Simanoff! He ain't blogging, but he's still writing.

Skippy ain't blogging these days after the Tampa Trib made him shut down his blog. You can read what other bloggers had to say:
1.Tom Mangan
2. Baileybug.com
3. Media Review
4. Free Skippy!!
5. NewsDesigner.com (post #1) and NewsDesigner.com (post #2)

Everyone is behind Skippy!
posted by Pauly at 11/21/2003 02:17:00 PM | Permalink |

 

Reader Mail

1. Re: I'm Starting a New Novel...

Sigge wrote: "Well, I'm really proud to know you, you should know that. I think it´s really cool to communicate with persons who tend to the same passions as I; writing and life, first and foremost. I don't know, however, how you can manage to write so long texts. Novels, for christ´s sake! Keep up the good work! I hate to say it but there are people depending on you :)"

Dear Sigge, Thanks for your support!! Keep up the spirit on your end... See ya, McG


2. Re: Pics of Jodd by Gil

Jessica wrote: "The pics from Sunday were fantastic! Jodd looks like a Sheer... very cute. And you handsome devil, in your sport jacket :) Although I saw nearly everyone holding him but you... what up with that??"

Dear Jessmiester, I was nervous at first an I was afraid I'd drop the dude! That's why there are no pictures of me with Jodd. But not to worry, I got to hold him eventually, and I have video footage of Lil Senor falling asleep in my arms (you can all say, "Awwwwwwwwwww!!!"). Stay tuned... sneh, McG


3. Re: Sweet Nothing

Stephen Adkins wrote: "Finished the Sweet Nothing manuscript today! This is without a doubt some of the FUNNIEST stuff I have read in a long time!!!! Who knew that the "Big Red House" was such a font of ideas! Man this one is really good ... the characters are evolved and very well defined... the reationship between Winky and Baby is very real... full of ups and downs, elation, and of disappointment! I hope others like it too cause this one is a keeper... all the best, Noonan

Dear Adkins, Thanks for your great review... I'm glad you dug the Seattle inside jokes. See ya, McG
posted by Pauly at 11/21/2003 12:52:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Last 13 Fotologs (Flogs) of Note...

Ever since I signed up for a site to hold my Pauly Paintings Gallery on fotolog.net last month, I had been browsing some of the other flotologs. Some flogs are pretty interesting. Here are some flogs that have been checking out recently, from all over the world... from Brooklyn to China, Iceland to Seattle, Nepal to Paris, and Brazil to London.

1. Ali Kati (Kathmandu, Nepal)
2. Laura Holder (Brooklyn, NY)... "Heart Like a Pyschic Heart of Palm Wheeling Flame"
3. A Day in the Life (London, England)... a Beatles flog
4. Ms. Bai (Xiamen, China)
5. Tribute to Valerian Skies (Brooklyn, NY)... "Life and truth, the depth of youth."
6. Remain in Light (Seattle, WA)
7. Kabun's Movement Photographs (Osaka, Japan)
8 The Mumphalee Shell - Everlasting Pictures (London, England)
9. Iceland - My View (Reykjavik, Iceland)... a flog by Ragnhildur
10. Fabrys (Paris, France)
11.Bloody Kisses (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)... "I am a Brazilian artist and model living in Rio de Janeiro. Bloody Kisses started as a side project with my partner American artist and photographer Sean C. Graham lokithorn to work out characters and scenarios for our graphic novel "Fiend Fatale" but it has since taken on a life of its own."
12. Group Noir (Austin, TX, France)... is a group flog "for black photos... film noir-esque black & whites, snaps of black objects, etc."
13. The Sun Will Always Shine Again (Reykjavik, Iceland)... a flog from Raggi

posted by Pauly at 11/21/2003 12:10:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Phish is on the cover of Relix

Check out this month's issue of: Relix. There's an article about 20 years of Phish... Here are some random excerpts: “It’s so easy to get stuck,” (Mike) Gordon says as he lounges on a couch in his Manhattan apartment, “either in terms of your image, or your situation, which has gotten locked in since you were eighteen. You start to ask yourself, Am I even a human, or am I just the bass player from Phish? And even in terms of being in Phish - in the jamband community that’s cool, but over the years a lot of the music industry in general has thought that we’re a stupid band.”

He’s just beginning to build up steam. “And I’m the guy who writes the songs that have been silly, or tongue-in-cheek, over the years,” he continues. “I make these movies that are off-the-wall and weird. So am I just a huge joke? I know I have deep feelings about all kinds of things, so is it a joke that I’m doing such light-hearted stuff? So there’s a line, and you can teeter-totter on it very easily: You can see yourself as a successful, creative person, or as a joke. Being ‘the guy from Phish’ can be like that. It’s the most respectable or most stupid thing that you can be.”

The realities of life in the band weren’t always merry either. “Over the years there have been times when I’ve been butting heads with Trey,” (Page) McConnell says. “Or Mike and Trey were. And I suppose those conflicts still do happen. But you have to have some methods of resolving those things. You have to appreciate the greater good and realize that there is something we get from Phish that we don’t get anywhere else. Trey, Mike and I doing our own bands has helped us see how unique Phish is.”

posted by Pauly at 11/20/2003 10:55:00 PM | Permalink |

 
New Title...

I need a new title to the novel I'm crrently writing. As much as I like: Oops I Did It Again! The Confessions of a Britney Spears Stalker... it's too long and I need something that packs a bigger punch. I am open to your suggestions. Please e-mail me your ideas for my new title. Thanks...

posted by Pauly at 11/20/2003 04:30:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Happy Birthday, Girtz!!

Today is Girtz's b-day. Girtz is the self acclaimed Tao of Pauly's most frequent reader! Thanks for checking out the site (three times daily) and turning on the Tao to new readers! You can send Girtz b-day greetings: Here!
posted by Pauly at 11/20/2003 03:50:00 PM | Permalink |

 
5 Songs I'd Like to Hear Phish Play in Nassau...

1. Slave to the Traffic Light
2. Waves
3. The Wedge
4. Strange Design
5. Thunderhead
posted by Pauly at 11/20/2003 03:50:00 PM | Permalink |

 
News Alert... 2 Bombs Rock Istanbul, 26 Dead, 450 Wounded
posted by Pauly at 11/20/2003 09:57:00 AM | Permalink |

 
You Gotta Have Friends is an article written by Thomas Friedman and appears in today's NY Times, where he talks about how if the word on the street in London is any gauge, a more drastic shift in Bush's policies is in order.
posted by Pauly at 11/20/2003 08:31:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Wednesday's Politico Roundup: Vote for Katie, Part II

Thanks to everyone who voted... but the elction is not over! After 200+ votes, Katie is now in second place at 25%, just a few points behind the leader Angelina Jolie. With less than 10 days remaining, Katie is one of the three legit contenders (Milla Jovich is the third with 22%).

I am pleased with the boost in Katie's rating. As soon as she pulls close and looks like she might take the lead, a slew of Europeans vote for Milla or Angelina. This will come down to the final day of voting. It's going to be as close as Nixon-Kennedy in 1960 and closer than Gore-Bush in 2000!

Don't forget to vote for Sigge's Female of the Year: Here!

Current Count:
1. Angelina Jolie 27%
2. Katie Holmes 25%
3. Milla Jovich 22%
posted by Pauly at 11/19/2003 11:56:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Happy Belated Birthday, Boogie! I did the same thing last year! Missed it by one day!!
posted by Pauly at 11/19/2003 09:30:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Pieces of Pauly

Back by popular demand! Which means that Modeski and Jerry have been asking me about... poundcake!

What did I eat yesterday? For breakfast, I ate two slices of Pepperridge Farm cinnamon toast with extra butter. My lunch consisted of a Snapple iced tea and a tuna salad sandwich (with Provolone cheese) with chips. For an afternoon snack (in between writing sessions), I ate 2 slices of pound cake!!! Finally, I ate a potato knish and 1.5 hotdogs at Liebman's Kosher Deli in Riverdale for dinner.
posted by Pauly at 11/19/2003 05:38:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Oops I Did It Again! The Confessions of a Britney Spears Stalker is going smoothly. I reached 15,000K words which means I'm almost 1/3 done! I will try to give another excerpt later today.
posted by Pauly at 11/19/2003 05:22:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Living the O.C. is an article written by Rachel DiCarlo. Here's a sample: "The comparisons of Fox's new series "The O.C." to "Beverly Hills, 90210" are inevitable. Like its predecessor, "The O.C." is an hour-long drama featuring an out-of-towner main character the show drops in the midst of the problems suffered by wealthy, attractive teens in Southern California."
posted by Pauly at 11/19/2003 05:21:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Haley sent me this link: California Writer's Club.
posted by Pauly at 11/19/2003 05:19:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Last 5 Books I Saw People Reading on the Subway...

1. The Janson Directive by Robert Ludlum
2. How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie
3. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman
4. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
5. Anna Karenina (in Russian) by Leo Tolstoy
posted by Pauly at 11/18/2003 11:00:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Am I Turning Into a Pervert? is an article written by Hunter S. Thompson for Espn.com.

Here's a bit: "That is the Cruelty of these morbid times we live in. Professional football is not the only pillar of Faith that is crumbling all around us, as we stumble nervously into this new and merciless century. Even our world-famous Military power is visibly failing us. If we get chased out of Iraq with our tail between our legs, that will be the fifth consecutive Third-world country with no hint of a Navy or an Air Force to have whipped us in the past 40 years."
posted by Pauly at 11/18/2003 10:42:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Providence & Foxwoods... a Sunday Roadtrip

I woke up a late. I was up all Saturday and Saturday night writing my new novel. And sometimes, when I get in the swing of things, I loose time. I passed out a little late and woke up very late! Anyway, there was no hassles renting a car, and no traffic leaving the city. I took the "back-way" thru Connecticut (The Hutch to the Merrit Parkways), avoiding as much of I-95 as possible. I hooked up with Gil and Spider (who left an hour earlier from Brooklyn and I found out I was a good 20 minutes ahead of them). I stopped at the Visitor's Center in Rhode Island and drove the last 40 miles into Providence with them. We got there just past 11am.

I had not been back to Senor's house since this June. They were still renovating and it looked like it was in pieces. I got to see some old fraternity brothers from Emory... like Lou and Parker, and of course Gittler was there with Senor's brother Jay. I had not seen Girtz in the longest time, and it was good to catch up. And of course Lee Fenster made an appearance!

We got to meet Jodd and Ang and see Senor's apartment downstairs. Gil took some pictures of Jodd and I shot some footage. I was flattered to see all of my paintings hung up all over his place.

The food was great (I loved the mini Black & White cookies). I drank a few mimosas before the Bris started. Normally, I don't drink on days I'm going to play poker in a casino... but I knew the event would be a little tough on the stomach, so I decided I would need two drinks to take the edge off. I got a good seat close by and I noticed that a lot of people did not want to be up front. It was a little disturbing sometimes, but I had detached myself from the actual event, in order to fully experience the entire Bris. I did not want my emotions to get the best of me, while I was objectively trying to figure out what was going on. As a Catholic, I never attended a Bris before. I got to wear a kippa (thanks to Fenster who helped me pick one out) and I did not video tape the event. I heard you could not and I felt it was in poor taste anyway.

The most difficult part came moments before the actual "cutting". Jodd is the chillest kid I have ever met and he had no clue what was about to happen, and that's what made me uncomfortable. I got to see how Jodd wore the same kippa for his Bris that Senor and both his brothers wore. It was a tradition, this ceremony, and I kept telling myself that. I watched the Rabbi carefully, how he read some passages in Hebrew. Senor had to hold Jodd during the ceremony and he did a good job, even when Jodd cried. It must have hurt for sure. And while the Rabbi was cutting away, I wish I had downed another Mimosa.

Some of my friends were squeamish. A couple of them (names withheld) suggested that they would not follow tradition with a Bris (seven or eight days after birth) and have the circumcision done in the hospital (like what happened to me... but then again, I was raised Catholic). I thought that was weird, but they were being honest.

Everyone enjoyed the great food spread afterwards, although Jay was making fun of the "cost cutter" brands of generic soda.

I got to talk to Senor's Uncle Ed... or UE as he's called by the Sheer clan. EU introduced me to one of his friends as "the guy who played high school basketball against Kenny Anderson". I was slightly embarrassed. No one had brought that up in many years! My glory days as a high school basketball star were long gone, and those memories are almost fifteen years old! But I got to tell the story and it was fun.

Senor's Mom loved the two books that I got for Jodd. I gave the little fellow my favorite books: Green Eggs and Ham and One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish.

I stayed a little late, after everyone left and took some more footage of Jodd while we wtached some of the football game. I drove Jay to the airport and made my way to Foxwoods Casino.

Foxwoods was buzzing. It was the off-day of the big tournament: The World Poker Finals. It started on Thursday and the final table was slated for Monday night (last night... and Phil Helmuth lost to an unklnown, who pocketed $1 Million in prize money). Anyway, I suspected that some big players might be in the poker room. As soon I sat down at a $2-4 Hold'em table, the players were all talking about Chris Moneymaker... the 2003 WSoP champion (He won $2.5 Million). He sat just two table away, playing Pot Limit Hold'em. One of the young ladies at my table kept saying, "He's so small! He looked so big on TV!" Just like everyone else, we all saw Moneymaker on ESPN's extensive coverage of the 2003 World Series of Poker (which was played in May, but aired all summer on ESPN & ESPN2). One of the last times I played at Foxwoods, everyone was buzzing because Ben Affleck played Pot Limit and was giving free money away to players who didn't have enough cash for the buy-in, just so he could get a high stakes game. I did not have enough cash to sit in with Moneymaker. If I did, I probably would have lost it all, but I would have walked away with a great story: "I got to play with a champion..."

Anyway, how did I play? Not so good. I dropped $190 in 8 hours. I was up $100 in the first hour and it was all downhill from there. Why? As always, I played too many hands and on a couple big pots I lost on a few bad beats.

But I had some good hands. In the first ten minutes I sat down, I found myself on the button. I decided that I would aggressive play my position all night, and weakly play my blinds. Anyway, I found a 10-9 off suit on the button. It was definitely playable. Of course the flop comes out 10-10-9. Holy shit... I flopped a fucking full house!! There were 5 other people in on the hand. No one raised, and I smooth-called. I didn't want to raise to knock people out, nor to give away my hand. On the turn, two people stayed in and I raised to $8. They both called and on the river I raised to $8, I got re-raised and one guy dropped. I re-raised the guy and he called. I turned over my full house and his straight was not good enough to win. A young woman nearby said, "I can't believe you didn't jump out of your seat after the flop!" She was watching me the entire time, and I carefully diguised my hand. I tried to play it cool and it worked. It was one of the best plays I ever made in low limit, and unfortunately, it was my only good play all night.

A few hands later, I flopped a flush. And I found myself up $100. Later in the night I saw Oklahoma Johnny... he's a legend in the poker world. He started the Senior Tour and was hosting tht Senior's tourney at Foxwoods. He sat down with a young woman (whom I thought was his grand daughter... but it was his daughter). He was her coach and he didn't play. She wore a fuzzy hat and explained that she "was from Las Vegas and was not used to the cold weather in Connecticut." I sensed that she was prepping to hustle us, so I avoided going heads up with her in any hand. I read some of Oklahoma Johhny's book (which I didn't tell her, nor him). I knew that he preached that you should muck your first fifty hands when you sit down at a game... even if you get a good hand. His theory is that you get used to your surroundings, and get to see what type of players you are playing against. After an hour, and looking at his daughter's stack, I realized that she was doing exactly what he wrote about. She didn't play too many hands. Her father was one of the greatest poker minds of all time, and I made her for a player, even though she insisted she was just starting out. I even read some of her mother's articles on various poker sites. Poker was in her blood and I avoided the shark, which didn't matter because I was getting schooled all night by everyone else.

I got beat badly on pokcet Kings. I kept raising everytime I bet and the kid next to me kept calling. I knew he was on a draw. He eneded up catching a full house on the river and yes, I was wicked pissed. I took Brad Singer's advice... "if you lose on an extremely bad beat, get up and walk away." It was 4am and I played for over eight hours. I watched some of Moneymaker's game before I ate a slice of cheesecake. I left Foxwoods around 4:30am and drove back into the city to return the rental car.

posted by Pauly at 11/18/2003 07:40:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Baby Pics!!

Gil posted some great pics of Jodd that he took yesterday in Providence. Check out: Jodd Pics.
posted by Pauly at 11/17/2003 10:17:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Moneymaker at Foxwoods

I saw the World Series of Poker Champion, Chris Moneymaker, at Foxwoods Casino earlier this morning. When I left around 4:30 am, Moneymaker was playing Pot Limit Hold'em just two tables away. I heard Phil Hellmuth was playing blackjack nearby.
posted by Pauly at 11/17/2003 10:10:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Sleepy Pauly!

After getting up very early Sunday to drive up to Providence for Jodd Day... I'm exhasuted! I arrived in Rhode Island around 11am and stayed until 6pm. I got to Foxwoods by 7pm and played $2-4 Texas Hold'em until 4am. I got a slice of cheesecake before I left! Then I made a tough, but safe drive from Connecticut, back to NYC to return my rental car on the West Side. I tried to write for a little bit this morning and passed out. I was hoping to write tonight and blog about my trip up to Rhode Island and my night at Foxwoods (highlighted by meeting Moneymaker)... but alas, I need some shut eye. Stay tuned...
posted by Pauly at 11/17/2003 10:07:00 PM | Permalink |

 
313 Players at the World Poker Finals Main Event

I just read on Rec.gambling.poker that 313 entries put up $10k buy-in at Foxwoods Casino for the WPF main event! Wow, that's over $3 Million in prize money. I think the winner will take home at least $1 Million! This was the big tournament that I had been trying to win a seat for all summer long and a couple of times this fall!! I wanted a shot at $1 Million!

Today was Day 2 and the Final Table is slated for Monday night, taped for the Travel Channel. Last I heard... Phil Hellmuth and 20 others were still playing.
posted by Pauly at 11/15/2003 09:55:00 PM | Permalink |

 
NFL Best Bets Week 11

Pick of the Week
Chicago Bob (4-5-1): Cincy +6 over KC
Rib Boy (5-5): Minny -4 1/2
Tao of Pauly (4-6): Minny -4 1/2
Zobo (1-0-1): Arizona +6 1/2

Last Week: Zobo and the Jets rallied for an overtime PUSH! And the rest of us got whooped like a narc at a biker rally.

Week 8: Rib Boy likes Minnesota, Arizona +6, and the Titans. Bob likes Cincy +6. Zobo wrote: "Okay, I just took a brief glance at the lines. I think the best bet for the week is Arizona +6 1/2 at Cleveland. If it goes up to 7, then it will be looking much better. " I like the Cincy +6, Minny, and the Rams -6. My Parlay of the Week is: Pats -4, Green Bay +4, Carolina -6 1/2 and Minny.

Rib Boy's Beating of the Week (2-6): The Titans to whoop on the Jags!

Tao of Pauly Upset of the Week (1-7): Cincy! This week it's KC is losing their first game!
posted by Pauly at 11/15/2003 09:33:00 PM | Permalink |

 
I Started Another New Novel!

It was late last night and I could not help myself. I had to write... something. Visit the NaNoWriMo site for a word count, title, and my profile. This is my fourth novel and the second I started since November 1. I'm going to try to finish it before Phish tour begins at the end of the month.

Here's a small sample: "I tried to break out of that desperate funk, that undesired rut that I found myself mired in, in a dark alley, with the odor of stale urine lingering about, about to embark on a confrontation with a group of drunken, horny, thuggish girl scouts and their hundreds of packets of China White heroin which they smuggled in their boxes of Mints and peanut butter cookies. There was never a better way to pitch your product. They had the perfect cover. No one would suspect that little Jenny in her cute lime green uniform, funky beret, and merit badges that adorned her sash, was one of the biggest and most notorious drug dealers, since Pablo Escobar flooded the market with cocaine in the early 1980s. Thousands of those adorable little drug fiends hit the streets every year. They flooded cul-du-sacs and strip malls. They pushed their smack onto housewives with three kids. They showed up at lunchtime in office buildings on Lower Manhattan, with hundreds of dollars thrown their way, to hook up the 9-5 junkies with their daily fix.

The little beret wearing hellcats were vicious if you did not pay them on time. They learned right away that they were not innocent angels, but an important cog in the wheel of the multi-billion dollar a year drug trade. They were a smaller, cuter paramilitary unit, that roamed freely on our streets, on bicycles with pink handlebars, and in the back of SUVs driven by soccer moms. The moms had no clue that their darling little angels were secretly trafficking heroin for the Man for decades."

The title right now is: Oops! I Did It Again! The Confessions of a Britney Spears Stalker, but I might change it to something with a lot less words. We'll see.
posted by Pauly at 11/14/2003 12:54:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Top 5 Phish Songs I'd Like to Hear in Nassau...

1. Tube
2. MoMA Dance
3. Mexican Cousin
4. Cross-Eyed & Painless
5. Mike's Song

Phish tour starts in... two weeks!

posted by Pauly at 11/14/2003 01:37:00 AM | Permalink |

 
65 Phisheads Looking for Tickets...

I had two extra tickets for Phish in Boston and I posted an ad on Jambase.com. Since Noon on Thursday until Midnight, I got over 65 emails... all from people looking for tickets for the Dec. 2nd show. That's supposed to be the 20th year anniversary of Phish. Hmmm... should be a hot fuckin show.

Anyway... I felt compelled to answer every email, even though I cut and pasted a typical rejection notcie, I felt an email regardless was better than nothing. Besides, it's free publicity to the Tao!

Here's what I wrote: "Dear Phriend, I sold the tix!

I am sorry but the Boston tickets have been sold at FACE VALUE plus shipping charges. I had been getting generous offers from all over America (and two from Canada, eh?!?!?). In less than 12 hours since I posted my extras, I got blitzed with over 65 emails. Alot of you wanted to trade up extras to the other NE shows and in Miami, including NYE extras. Many of you offered cash values way above face and some of you threw in many interesting side offers: including a cornucopian of drugs, oral sex, CDs (phish and non), various hemp products, and even coupons to Krispy Kreme. Unfortunately, as much as I could have used an extra toaster oven or a killer hand blown glass bowl, I had to decline all of your intriguing offers. (I'll still be willing to meet the cute phishychick for drinks and the BJ, if you ever make it into NYC... wink, wink).

Thanks to all of you for sharing your personal stories of Phishdom and your woes with Ticketbastard and slow modem connections. (Side note: I'm especially sorry for that one guy in Virginia who had to go to jail and missed out on doing mailorder/lottery... better luck next time! Bro, I'm glad you're out on bail.) Anyway, some of you seemed flat out desperate for tickets... and I sincerely hope you get to the show! Best of luck to everyone, see you on tour, Pauly"
posted by Pauly at 11/14/2003 01:03:00 AM | Permalink |

 

Reader Mail

1. Re: Correction.... Jodd Sheer!

Modeski sent me this: "According to Zuiteness... 'his name is actually Philip Jodd Sheer and he is pretty fucking chill!!!!!!!'"

Dear Modeski, Thanks for the correction!! I get to meet the little fellow on Sunday. See ya, McG


2. Re: Sweet Nothing Comments

Jerry from Miami wrote: "I finished Sweet Nothing the other day and was impressed with the ending - you really tied things together and I think it worked very well - good Hollywood ending at least. We will talk at some point in detail."

Renee C. wrote: "I finished reading Sweet Nothing this morning. Is there going to be a sequel? I think Crackhead Stu should have his own series. The Misadventures of Crackhead Stu. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!"

Dear Jerry & Renee, Thanks to you guys for reading my novel and for your support! There will be a sequel... the final installment of the Faded Triliogy, which includes Jack Tripper Stole My Dog (Part I) & Sweet Nothing (Part II), will be written sometime next Spring. It will be called Peaches, and you'll find out how both novels are connected. I'll promise you that it will be better than the Matrix sequels!


3. Re: Tao of Jessica Alba...

All the way from Washington DC, Schanzer wrote: "Reminder for the Tao: Alba means "box" in Arabic."

Dear Rib, Well she's some mighty fine Alba! Hoooo... McG


4. Re: Vote for Katie!

Derek wrote: "Katie is now in 2nd place. Jenna Jameson (16%) and Milla (15%) are a close 3rd and 4th. Katie has 18% of the votes now. Angelina has a strong 26%. Your last minute campaigning and ballot box stuffing is working so far. At this pace, Katie might pull off a close win!"

Dear Dere, Thanks for voting for Katie in Sigge's Female of the Year Poll. I know she'll win. In less than a week, she went from 2% to almost 20%! (I just checked... the recent results). With 2 weeks to go, it's looking great! Thanks again!


5. Re: Little Senor!

Sigge wrote me from Cuba: "Oh, and do bring my regards to Senor and his wife plus the little one. It´s always fun to greet new ones into our world. It´s like a practical joke: "He-Hey! You´re born! Welcome to our world!!!" - Must be quite a shock if you ask me.. I never got over it:) ... I recall something about a mini-Pauly. What was that all about and how is the little devil? I remember that I found him quite amusing at times, when I didn´t have to slap him around for being just annoying. Heh. Life is strange."

Hola Sigge, I will send Senor your best regards! And I lost the mini-Pauly somewhere! I think I left him in Europe! If you find him, send him home... Se eya, McG

posted by Pauly at 11/14/2003 12:03:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Last 5 Blogs of Note...

Here are some blogs I recently stumbled upon:

1. Guinness & Poker is "an exercise in drinking Guinness and flopping the nuts on Party Poker," and skillfuly run by a poker player named Ignatius. I've been visitng his blog a lot this past week! Somehow he found my blog: Tao of Poker and he linked me up. It was cool to randomly stumble upon his site and see one of my sites in his links!

2. Snotty French Place is about "the life of a Hostess in a NYC French restaurant", run by a woman named Sophie.

3. Awful Plastic Surgery is "the good, bad, and ugly of celebrity plastic surgery". I dunno who runs it, but it's hilarious.

4. Photo Diary is the "day to day musings, pictures and prose, the diary of Mir, where anything goes!" The blog is run by a woman from England named Miriam, who posts pics she took.

5. The Emory Vanguard is where "College Kids Avoid the Unexamined Life..." and run by a guy named Adam, an Emory student. Gotta love blogs from my alma mata!
posted by Pauly at 11/13/2003 11:27:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Thoughts from the author on the Blind Kangaroo...

Here's an excerpt from an e-mail I wrote to my friend Jerry about my new novel:

"The Blind Kangaroo is my most mature novel yet. I have tried to shy away from some of the outlandish sexual connotations and explicit drug use of the first two novels.... and tried to have more serious tone to the overall content. The characters are just as wild, but more real, in an attempt to expose certain themes like image, identity and fame. In that aspect, I think I reached an emotional level of maturity in my writing. I'm not writing just to write, because I actually have something to say in this one... mostly social commentary with regard to image.

I also found myself being more concise than I have ever been. I know when and when not to go off on a tangent. I guess reading a lot of Hemingway the last few months rubbed off on me! We'll see, I think some hardcore fans will not like this book as much as Jack Tripper Stole My Dog and Sweet Nothing (a.k.a. Baby & Winky), but it will be the best written book of my short career... I just dont think it will be as popoular! Stay tuned!!!"

And of course, Jerry quickly responded with this e-mail:

"You may be surprised by you readers; because, they (we) are growing as readers the same way and may appreciate the different approach and maturity. Hey don't get me wrong, I love the sex and drug-capades - but I think you are noticing that you can get there without explicitly telling us how. I am very excited to read the new one - and still discuss Sweet Nothing."
posted by Pauly at 11/13/2003 10:50:00 AM | Permalink |

 
The Truth About the Green River Killer is a haunting article written by Silja J.A. Talvi about the nation's worst captured serial killer Gary Ridgway who copped to over 48 murders of woman in the Seattle area.
posted by Pauly at 11/13/2003 12:53:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Sweet Nothing = 961113

It is official... Sweet Nothing has been registered with the Writer's Guild of America! Here's the Registration Confirmation e-mail I got:

"Registration Number : 961113

Thank you for your registration. Your material has been successfully registered with the WGA Intellectual Property Registry. Registrations are valid for a term of five years and can be renewed upon expiration. Please remember that changes cannot be made once material has been registered with the WGA West Intellectual Property Online Registration Service."

Registered Item Information:

Material Type : MANUSCRIPT
Intended Medium : LITERARY/SCREENPLAY
Item Title : Sweet Nothing: The Baby and Winky Novel

Next up... The Blind Kangaroo!
posted by Pauly at 11/13/2003 12:14:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Last 5 Books I Saw People Reading on the Subway...

1. Engaging Men by Lynda Curnyn
2. Beach: Stories by the Sand and Sea by Lena Lencek
3. The Holy Bible
4. Giant Tales from Wales by Brenda Wyn Jonesby
5. The Great Pretender by Millenia Black
posted by Pauly at 11/12/2003 11:19:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Wednesday's Politico Roundup: Vote for Katie!!

I'm back after taking off last week to write The Blind Kanagroo. This week the focus shifts to a poll being conducted by our good friend Sigge from Norway. Over the last few months he had been hard at work on his new project: The Sigg3.net Female of the Year Poll. He asked his readers to submit possible candidates for his Female of the Year Poll. I submitted Katie Holmes. It was an obvious choice since I was a huge fan of her work on Dawson's Creek. Well to my joy, Sigge selected Katie to be one of the 12 candidates.

Polling lasts the entire month of Novemeber. Vote now!! Vote: here.

Poll Updates... On Nov 6th, Katie was far behind the leader Angelina Jolie (38%), and our favorite actress from the Creek was tied for 5th with just 2% of the votes. I started making calls, drumming up support. On Nov 10th, Katie improved to 8% but was still behind in the polls in 5th place. I was upset to see that she was losing to the chick from Dazed & Confused, a sleazy French actress, and two porn stars (including Angelina Jolie). I suspected that a lot of Northern and Western Europeans like Angelina. I started a grassroots rally for Katie. More phonecalls, then a few annoying e-mails, now this post and an official endorsement. I'm asking my readers to vote for Katie... the official Tao of Pauly candidate. With your help we can push Katie over the top and make her the 2003 Female of the Year!! Thanks for your help. Vote early. Vote often.

Related links...
1. The Poll
2. Poll Updates and information on the 12 candidiates
3. Sigge's blog



posted by Pauly at 11/12/2003 10:53:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Tao fo Jessica Alba?

Since it's Jessica day today, I thought I'd share the cover of Maxim Magazine this month. I was happy to see the healine, "The Tao of Jessica Alba... Delicious!" when I saw the new issue. Hubba, Hubba!
posted by Pauly at 11/12/2003 03:18:00 PM | Permalink |

 
1940 Penny!

It was old, dirty, and crusty with rust. But I got a 1940, old school penny yesterday. I almost missed it, grouped togther in a pile of change I got from a bodega.
posted by Pauly at 11/12/2003 11:07:00 AM | Permalink |

 

Happy Birthday, Jessica!

Today is Jessica's B-day! You can send her b-day wishes: Here. Be sure to read an excerpt of her NaNo novel. She changed the title to: The Wild Side.
posted by Pauly at 11/12/2003 12:10:00 AM | Permalink |

 

The Blind Kangaroo = Complete!

Yes, it's true. I finished my third novel!! You can visit the NaNo site to see the final word count: at 53,000 + words. I won NaNaWriMo for a second straight year.

Please visit the official blog for: The Blind Kangaroo. The site is brand new! Check back for more updates.
posted by Pauly at 11/11/2003 10:45:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Some Unlucky Folks....

1. Turkish Woman Locked Naked Husband in Bathroom for Three Years... yikes! Here's what it said: "His wife, who has two children, had been living it up with other men while he was locked in the bathroom, Milliyet daily quoted him as saying..."

2. Matsui Robbed of Rookie of the Year... The Boss is wicked pissed that two writers left Japanese player Hideki Matsui off of their ballots.
posted by Pauly at 11/11/2003 10:27:00 PM | Permalink |

 
The Blind Kangaroo!

As I reached the last stage of writing The Blind Kanagroo, I slowed down my web time and the blogs, as you can see. I'll be back soon!

If you'd like to see an updated word count and read a new excerpt, visit: The Blind Kangaroo. I have three different excerpts posted to the NaNoWriMo site. I'll definitely be finished by the end of this week. Stay tuned.
posted by Pauly at 11/10/2003 11:20:00 PM | Permalink |

 
NFL Best Bets Week 10

Pick of the Week
Chicago Bob (4-4-1): Miami +5 over Tenn
Rib Boy (5-4): Minny -6 over San Diego
Tao of Pauly (4-5): Indy -6 over the Jags
Zobo (1-0): NY Jets -3 over Oakland

Last Week: Zobo started out 1-0 when Philly beat Atlanta. Bob and Indy proved right, while last week both the Rams and Carolina failed to cover for Rib Boy and myself.

Week 8: Rib Boy likes Minnesota and Indy. Bob likes Miami and Cincy - 5 1/2. Zobo likes the Jets in Oakland. He's got no respect for Rick Mirer! I like Indy and the Seachickens -3. My Parlay of the Week is: NY Giants -10 1/2, the Seachickens, Minny and Indy.

Rib Boy's Beating of the Week (1-6): Kansas City to whoop on Cleveland

Tao of Pauly Upset of the Week (1-6): Cleveland!! Sorry, Rib Boy but I finally got one right last weekend, after I told you to take New Orleans and the points against Tampa. This week it's KC is losing their first game!

Chronically Blunted Update: We won our second game of the season and won Team of the Week (a $50 Bonus!) with the highest point total (129.5 points) for Week 9 in the Lamont Jordan Fantasy Football League! Thank you Santana Moss and your 3 TDs!!
posted by Pauly at 11/09/2003 11:59:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Jordan Philip Sheer... a.k.a. Jodd

A little wrangler was born... Jordan Philip Sheer, also known as Jodd, was born this morning exactly at 1:00 AM in Providence, Rhode Island. After nearly a full day of labor, Jodd was born just past midnight. Senor called me at 2:30 AM (his time) and told me the good news. The mother, Ang, is recovering very well. Congrats to everyone!

In related news, the winner of the Little Senor Pool is.... me! The winning pool was $44 (I won $40... and $4 goes to Jodd!) The winning date was Nov 9 @ 11:18 AM. I edged out my brother Derek (Nov 8), Jerry (Nov 11 & 12) and Haley (Nov 6) to win the pool! Oh yeah! I barely won by an hour! Thanks goes out to Sheer's wife, Ang, who held out the extra hour, just so I could win the pool!

Some stats...
Name: Jordan Philip Sheer
Thai Nickname: Jodd
DOB: Nov 9 @ 1:00 AM EST
City of Birth: Providence, RI
Weight: 7 pounds, 15 ounces
Pool Amount: $44
Pool Winner: Pauly

posted by Pauly at 11/09/2003 04:19:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Breaking News... Little Senor Day?

Senor called me from the hospital in Providence, just a few seconds ago. He said that he took Ang in this morning (after her water broke) and they are awaiting the birth of their baby, Jodd! He wanted to know who had today and tomorrow in the pool. I just checked The Little Senor Pool and it looks like Derek has a great chance of winning $44 if the baby comes sometime today! He picked Nov 8th at 4:20 PM. I picked Nov 9th at 11:18 AM. D'oh! Stay tuned for more details!!
posted by Pauly at 11/08/2003 10:48:00 AM | Permalink |

 
The Blind Kangaroo has been updated with a brand new excerpt! Im done with Act II and I'm taking a break before I start the final stretch and pen Act III.
posted by Pauly at 11/07/2003 06:12:00 AM | Permalink |

 

Reader Mail

1. Re: The Blind Kangaroo

Haley wrote: "I can tell you two things your new novel is not about: blind people and kangaroos."

Dear Haley, Thanks for your vote of confidence. Will your novel Cambodian Sunrise be about sunrises in Cambodia or something far more abstract like the trials and tribulations of a strung out, B-movie star actress living in the Hollywood Hills in the summer of 1968 with two gay-transvestite marijuana dealers, and their wonder dog, Mr. Puddles? Sounds like a winner! See ya, McG


2. Re: Phishy New Years in Miami

Zobo wrote: "That's excellent that you'll be down there! Emi is coming over from Japan to go to the shows and she even asked if you'll be there. I know she will be excited when I tell her that she gets to see you! Beano can't make it. He needs to shine his shoes that week."

Zobo! I'm excited about the New Years show. I've been to their last three NYE runs (98, 99 & 02) and this year should be hot show. It's only 54 days away and officially 49 days until Pauly hits Miami!!!! And just three weeks until the start of Phish tour. Great to see some Tokyo Japahamily represented... and it's a bummer about Beano and his shoes. Maybe we can chip in and buy him a shoe shine? That way he'll be able to come! See ya, McG


3. Re: November Novels

Jerry wrote: "Your friends... ...are fucking hot! I read their excerpts on NaNoWriMo - awesome! "

Hola Jerry, Thanks for checking them out! Feel free to browse the site and see what other writers are working on, very interesting. Some good stuf fout there and some shit. See ya, McG


4. Re: Regis Alumni News... Oktoberfest

The Regis Alumni Association sent me this in an e-mail: "German language students held Oktoberfest once again. The afternoon included hilarious German skits written and performed by the students and an "Arnold Schwarzenegger" impersonator contest (with teacher participation). Over 200 parents, faculty and alumni attended the entertaining event. A representative from the Goethe Institute, who also attended, was so impressed that he invited the Regians to perform at the Institute."

Wow! I missed the Arnold-rama! Heard it was hilarious. I hope to catch them perform at the Goethe Institute!
posted by Pauly at 11/07/2003 06:06:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Last 5 Movies I Saw...

1. Born Rich
2. American Buffalo
3. Manhattan
4. Welcome to Collinwood
5. What's New, Pussycat?
posted by Pauly at 11/06/2003 06:24:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Depp To Star Again as Hunter S. Thompson... Johnny Depp is slated to play my favorite writer in the upcoming film The Rum Diary.

Here's a bit: "It was 1959. Fired for kicking in a candy machine at a small-town newspaper, Hunter S. Thompson fled to Puerto Rico, where his vagrant journalist lifestyle inspired his first novel, The Rum Diary."
posted by Pauly at 11/05/2003 11:18:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Last 5 Books I Saw People Reading on the Subway...

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Robert E. Lee: A Biography by Emory M. Thomas
3. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
4. Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard
5. Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken
posted by Pauly at 11/05/2003 10:52:00 PM | Permalink |

 
November Novels!

As you know, I have been participating in NaNoWriMo, where you sign up and write a 50,000 word (or 175-180 page) novel during the month of November. I wrote Jack Tripper Stole My Dog as a part of 2002 NaNoWriMo.

This year a couple of friends have signed up. Take a peek at their profiles, word counts, and novel samples...

1. The Blind Kangaroo by Tenzin McGrupp
2. Nice Girl by Mona LaVigne (Jessica)
3. Cambodian Sunrise by Haley M. Slovin
4. The Upper East Side Nympho by Constance Cummings (Briana)
5. Vagina Beach by J.T. Insley (Jenna)

As you can tell from the writing samples, some of my friends are writing "dirty books" or what we call in the biz... erotica. Best of luck! Check up on their profiles frequently, because the writers often change their novel excerpts.
posted by Pauly at 11/05/2003 06:16:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Trey on SNL! Trey Anastasio will join Dave Matthews and his solo band as the musical guest of Saturday Night Live on November 8.
posted by Pauly at 11/05/2003 06:01:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Mark Messier passed Gordie Howe for #2 on the NHL Career scoring list last night with two goals in a 3-0 Rangers win over Dallas. Congrats Mess!

Wild Monday Night in Denver is written by Hunter S. Thompson where he sounds off on the Denver-New England shootout.
posted by Pauly at 11/05/2003 06:01:00 AM | Permalink |

 
The Blind Kangaroo is coming along well. I updated the site with a new word count and an expanded excerpt. The first chapter is almost 15,000 words! I'm in the middle of chapter 2 as we speak. The current word count is: 15,099.
posted by Pauly at 11/04/2003 06:42:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Congrats to Sarah!

Sarah Engel, in her first trip to play poker at the Miccosukee Casino in South Florida, got an amazing hand. Jerry told me that his wife nailed a Straight Flush (the best possible hand) in a 7-Card Stud game! The odds on that are astronomical! I have never gotten a straight flush in 31 plus years on Earth (and 14 years of poker playing)! I once got a straight flush on a video game that I practice on a lot, but aside from that, what Sarah accomplished is truly a great feat! Good job! She won a free room for one night's stay and a free dinner at the Miccosukee! I'm pumped. I can't wait until the end of the year to visit Jerry & Sarah & Phish and play Texas Hold'em at the casino. Hooooo!
posted by Pauly at 11/04/2003 06:05:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Check out: 100 Greatest Homeruns
posted by Pauly at 11/04/2003 06:03:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Schanzer Sighting...

Jon Schanzer appeared on CNNfn yesterday for a debate on whether the U.S. is doing enough to protect our troops in Iraq. The segment was slated for 4:10pm and lasted about 8 minutes. I missed it, but I heard he did a great job!
posted by Pauly at 11/04/2003 06:02:00 AM | Permalink |

 
The Blind Kangaroo is going smoothly. Check out the site for more updates. I wrote well over 10,000 words the first two days of NaNoWriMo. I'm 1/5 done and I still have 28 days left to finish.
posted by Pauly at 11/03/2003 06:53:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Chronically Blunted Wins!!!

Our wayward fantasy team Chronically Blunted in the Lamont Jordon Fantasy Football League won its second game yesterday after we knocked off the 75 Steelers. Our team, owned by Senor and yours truly, had only one other win, against Stiffler's Mother last month. Santana Moss scored 3 TDs and led the way with 40 plus points for us this week.
posted by Pauly at 11/03/2003 06:49:00 AM | Permalink |

 
The Little Senor Pool is now at $44! If you have not made your pick today, please do so! Time is running out. If you made your selection and have not paid me, please send me your cash today!
posted by Pauly at 11/03/2003 06:44:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Last 5 Books I Saw People Reading on the Subway...

1. The Holy Bible
2. Othello by William Shakespeare
3. Preachers of Hate by Kenneth Timmerman
4. Empire Falls by Ricahrd Russo
5. Love by Toni Morrison
posted by Pauly at 11/02/2003 11:12:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Widespread Panic Setlist

11.1.03 Madison Square Garden, NYC

Set 1: All Time Low, Greta > Makes Sense To Me, Driving Song > Fishing > Driving Song > Trouble, Climb To Safety, Thought Sausage > Travelin' Light

Set 2: On Broadway, Weight Of The World, Christmas Katie > Superstition > Drums > Ride Me High > Surprise Valley > I'm Not Alone, Thin Air (Smells Like Mississippi) > Love Tractor

Encore: Lawyers, Guns & Money > Flat Foot Flewzy, Space Wrangler

Another kick ass night. First set was pretty much every song that I wanted to hear. I'll write more later!
posted by Pauly at 11/02/2003 07:24:00 PM | Permalink |

 
The Blind Kangaroo has been updated with an excerpt. One day into my new project and it's looking good! I'm about 10% complete! The current word count is: 5,800.
posted by Pauly at 11/02/2003 12:32:00 PM | Permalink |

 
NFL Best Bets Week 9

Pick of the Week
Chicago Bob (3-4-1): Indy +3 at Miami
Rib Boy (5-3): Rams -4 at SF
Tao of Pauly (4-4): Carolina -6 1/2 at HOUSTON
Zobo (0-0): Philly -4 1/2 over Atlanta

Last Week: Bob and the Colts failed to cover. But Rib Boy and I looked great after Tennesse covered. Rib Boy leads the way with a 5-3 record for Best Bets this season.

Week 8: Rib Boy likes the Rams -4 and Philly -4 1/2. Bob called me from Soldier's Field in Chicago to tell me that he likes Indy getting points in Miami and he bet on da Bears -2 1/2 since he was at the game. I like Carolina and Minny -4 1/2. My Parlay of the Week is: Carolina - 6 1/2, Baltimore -7, the Seachickens - 4 1/2, and the UNDER in the Balt-Jags game. Zobo joins the crew this week after he admited: "I think my high school football team could beat the Falcons these days!" He likes Philly.

Rib Boy's Beating of the Week (1-5): Baltimore over the Jags

Tao of Pauly Upset of the Week (0-6): New Orleans to beat up on Tampa Bay! Take the points.
posted by Pauly at 11/02/2003 10:08:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Sunday Morning Reading...

The End of the West is written by Thomas Friedman and appears in the NY Times. He suggests that it is time to mend problems and have a Post-Cold War summit with the US, France, and Germany.

Better Marketing Through Baseball is written by Jeffrey Shock from Alternet.org. Corporate America has found baseball to be a useful vehicle for selling its products... and the New York Yankees are happy to oblige.

The (Russian) Empire Strikes Back is written by Leon Aron from The Weekly Standard. He talks about the lessons of the Yukos affair... and Russia's largest private and most profitable oil company.
posted by Pauly at 11/02/2003 08:03:00 AM | Permalink |

 
The Blind Kangaroo

I'm starting my new novel in a few moments. I'll keep everyone updated on the progress of the project. You can visit the site on NaNoWriMo to see a word count and other things. Unfortunately, I'll be slowing down on the blogs until my third novel is complete!
posted by Pauly at 11/01/2003 12:20:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Halloween Panic!

Widespread Panic... Halloween show setlist: 10/31/03 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Set 1: Chilly Water > Imitation Leather Shoes > Chilly Water, Papa Johnny Road, Ribs & Whiskey > Hatfield, Doreatha, Give, Vicious > Pet Cemetary > Beat On The Brat > I Wanna Be Sedated > Life During Wartime

Set 2: Action Man > North > Bust It Big > Henry Parsons Died > Monstrosity > Pigeons, Love Is The Drug* > Arleen* > Coconut* > The Time Warp*

Encore: City of Dreams, Ain't Life Grand

* with Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Notes: Great fuckin' show! Will write a review later!! Fixin to see my 55th PANIC show tonight!

posted by Pauly at 11/01/2003 12:02:00 PM | Permalink |