tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653316702060609022011-04-21T20:49:37.125-04:00Superfluous dispatches from Stinky TownDan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.comBlogger971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-23761993826480476252007-10-15T06:07:00.000-04:002007-10-22T03:06:55.923-04:00

This morning we leave our empty apartment in Stinky Town. The stoop sale is over. The movers have left. We've said goodbye to our dear pals... It's a bittersweet departure - both vacating NYC as well as the blogosphere. Dan's time in both places has come to a close for now.And in moving on, I promise to spend less time indoors Googling useless topics to share with an assumed readership and more

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-32395125429028990142007-10-13T00:36:00.000-04:002007-10-20T11:58:29.207-04:00

During our senior year in KC, we paid the least in rent in all our time there: $150 for a renovated attic in a home on Warwick. We lived above a woman who was trying to decide what to pack in her suitcase when the aliens came down to get her. We had rooftop access, obviously, where we could listen to cicada and the murder of crow that roosted in the trees behind us before a storm.My mentor, Wendy

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-74622046153785931302007-10-07T20:07:00.000-04:002007-10-07T20:54:34.077-04:00

During the third year, I actually spent very little time in cow town. For the Spring (Winter, really) semester, I opted for an exchange program at the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design in lovely little Halifax. (Smarter classmates went on to London, Italy and sunny CA.)Tina came to Maine that Christmas to see me off on my Canadian adventure... It was a sad day on our wintry beach.When I got to

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-54610196010107687792007-10-06T21:17:00.000-04:002007-10-07T17:53:14.572-04:00

After a summer in Maine, I headed back to the prairie lands. The second year at KCAI went by quickly. In fact, for a declared photo/video major, that time is poorly documented with snapshots. Thankfully, ODA saved some pics.We got a new apartment in the Wiltshire building on Warwick. It was dirt cheap (like $250/mo), and a step up from the famously roach-infested Afton two doors down.Tina

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-28026611359232764172007-10-02T23:14:00.000-04:002007-10-03T08:35:10.766-04:00

"A good piece of entertainment is always hard to come by in high school."- Billy the KidI just came from seeing one of the best films - regardless of genre - I've seen in years: Jennifer Venditti's feature-length documentary, Billy the Kid. It was Jennifer's first film, as well as Billy's, but both were made for it, I think. It's simply about a brief period of time (8 days, actually) in this

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-4259128838626382502007-09-28T23:24:00.000-04:002007-09-30T12:47:41.972-04:00

Tonight I came home to our apartment as it was being packed up. Things once on walls and shelves were now nested in neatly stacked piles: frames, books, dishes, Netsuke critters, seed pods. ODA sat partially hidden behind a pile of boxes and two huge rolls of bubble wrap. Busy, busy...As with all of our moves in the past - east to midwest, midwest to east, east to west, west to northeast, then

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-12935816809580725892007-09-23T22:59:00.000-04:002007-09-24T00:04:33.396-04:00

The Good: While swimming in bouts of unbridled goofiness, Into the Wild is forgiven for its remaining moments of truth. While it's been done endless times, mostly by male media makers, it doesn't seem to get tired - ever. It's Kerouac's On the Road and Hopper's Easy Rider all over again, but from a 23 year-old's perspective circa 1992. Yes, always cliche - but this one is sweet and silly and

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-76638113984140591842007-09-22T14:30:00.000-04:002007-09-22T15:17:41.023-04:00

While religious yammering by crazy yet passionate folk on the subway ranks in the top 5 annoyances of commuting, often these subterranean mystics can be quite entertaining. The other night, on the trek home, after an especially loud and nonsensical Bible beater departed the F train, two 20-something guys started chatting to each other. The younger dude, hair pulled back wearing a grimy FedEx

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-87484690228572614712007-09-17T00:45:00.000-04:002007-09-17T01:08:55.982-04:00

With ODA being AWOL in CA, I ventured up to the always pleasant 'ville of Beacon - just north of Stinky Town - and spent the weekend with some Hudson Valley pals!One of my favorite new people up there is little Charlie Z (belonging to Beth & Jim). I took about 2,478 pictures of him, give or take. He's quite adorable. Sorta hard to take your eyes off him.Beth's dad, Gary, pulled into town on his

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-27894488709658213032007-09-16T23:39:00.000-04:002007-09-16T23:50:52.546-04:00

Oh, you bastard son -You can't be counted on.There is the palest shapeSteady your weeping face,Lay the pillow to your cheekWe are failing it seems.This funeral lies insideMy mourning head,What was between usHas now become a wedge.What was is failing in your eyes...-Shannon Wright, Method of Sleeping

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-4459616648628361082007-09-10T21:50:00.000-04:002007-09-10T22:09:41.364-04:00

While it is a well-documented fact that lemurs, especially Lemur catta, soak up the sun in semi-lotus position for an average of 9 hours per day, it's unclear whether or not the tongue action depicted here is legit. Maybe.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-88389183501859216472007-09-07T06:52:00.000-04:002007-09-08T15:52:43.864-04:00

Being back home in Stinky Town after spending nearly a month away is strange. Yesterday, I walked around my neighborhood of six years and kept thinking I was in San Francisco - but the people and storefronts looked so out of place. Last night, on the way home after a movie, I heard a seagull and I was back in Maine for a moment. Then, the other noises drowned it out and the humidity reminded me

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-836585031280680102007-09-06T18:13:00.000-04:002007-09-06T19:01:00.248-04:00

While this is more a memory of my older cousin (he started it: handing me his old pile of Zeppelin vinyl one day when I was 12), I did consume all the early Rainbow albums. This was the first incarnation of the band by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, featuring Ronnie Dio on vocals. Looking back, it seems weird... even ballsy... that Blackmore - a British hard rock icon by then who'd just left Deep

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-63112301167239791352007-08-20T01:18:00.001-04:002007-08-20T01:23:49.852-04:00

Recently, Dan visited Lego Land. A co-worker (MF) told him it was a cool place to film.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-76473291456021189172007-08-12T17:16:00.000-04:002007-08-12T18:04:01.368-04:00

Megadeth: One of the few metal bands that remained in my CD collection well past high school. Most of the metal I listened to in the '80s lacked holding power after I left Maine and discovered the music the rest of the country was enjoying. Most albums that the metal heavies produced post-1988 were woefully lame (Dio's Lock up the Wolves, Maiden's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Priest's Ram it

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-49113953027462982442007-08-11T21:53:00.000-04:002007-08-11T22:11:50.296-04:00

It's been a busy summer for babies in our little circle. This weekend, we were pleased to have met the latest addition to our neighborhood stroller brigade: Baby Zoe! What a cutie. She was very patient with us rude newcomers, fondling her darling features while she tried to sleep and affectionately comparing her to a baby orangutan. As mom and dad fed tiny Zoe, we fed mom and dad!

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-58805639845593967142007-08-05T21:59:00.000-04:002007-10-05T09:03:34.862-04:00

Earlier entries sum up my adolescent and teen years as a budding illustrator and hopeless head-banger, but once I reached 18, I promptly escaped my home state - accepting a scholarship from the furthest point west...Unfortunately, I only got as far as a dorm room in Kansas City, Missouri (not Kansas). But, the Kansas City Art Institute had apparently detected some potential in my pinhole pics...

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-68763898315875352007-07-28T10:28:00.000-04:002007-07-28T10:58:49.831-04:00

Enjoy the hard sound of Metallica but desire a lighter version for those less tumultuous mood swings? Look no further: Harptallica has arrived (last year, actually). More interesting, more genuine and much less "produced" than other classical forays into metal territory, Ashley and Patricia have taken their giant harps on the road. They've also released their CD of Metallica compositions!

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-3018029439971068812007-07-27T22:33:00.000-04:002007-07-27T22:47:44.968-04:00

This may not turn into a regular feature, but it's always worth quoting the little man of metal every now and then. Recently, an Australian paper caught up with RJD while (still) touring with Sabbath's latest incarnation as Heaven and Hell. Here's what he had to say about himself:"I'm not really that impressed with myself... I know what I can do and I do that really well... But once you start

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-74364311117626771162007-07-23T00:05:00.000-04:002007-07-23T00:27:35.848-04:00

This weekend, we had the extreme pleasure of meeting Little Charlie Z. He's just under a week old!We witnessed lots of family bonding...between the peanut...and Mom...and Pa.In between wardrobe changes (3 or 4 in the afternoon we were there, due to both barf and poop), Tina got to hold the little guy...as did Dan, who couldn't get enough of CharleZ's ultra-tiny features!Including those little

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-17410542164321162462007-07-14T18:22:00.000-04:002007-08-08T05:16:51.241-04:00

Our pal Michelle sent us some stolen memories on her recent trip out West. The photos came in this cool little yellow plastic container, a Picture-Tainer! It held about a dozen faded snapshots of teen sporting events from the 1980s. Here are some highlights from the big game!

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-48667376219482141992007-07-13T23:46:00.001-04:002007-08-08T05:16:51.241-04:00

Good news! We finally found our favorite sock monkey, Blabla, a new baby boy! His name is Arthur Atari. Blabla took his binky and went to live on the prairie with Atari. According to his first letter, he seems to like it there so far with his new family. Monkey handwriting is sort of hard to decipher, but he said something like: "Stinky Town is no place for a sock monkey, fools!" Not sure what

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-6915723177977346282007-07-07T23:38:00.000-04:002007-07-14T00:00:41.589-04:00

Dan visited Springfield this weekend. You should go, too - recreate yourself!

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-73799438115014981422007-07-06T09:13:00.000-04:002007-07-06T09:30:22.788-04:00

I saw Slayer before I really knew who they were. One of those life-changing, early teen encounters. Much to my Dad's dismay, after this show I wore a groove in my vinyl copy of Reign in Blood. I played it non-stop for months on end. At one point, worried about the noise level and what the neighbors might think, he came into my room and demanded I "turn down that garbage - it sounds like someone's

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-76216571696066690092007-07-04T20:33:00.000-04:002007-07-04T21:19:02.323-04:00

Three movies watched out of boredom. The good: Knocked Up. (I could've selected Sicko or La Vie en Rose, but they're too obvious.) Seriously, it was quite entertaining and, at times, even hilarious. It was raining, our neighbors were being annoying, there was nothing else playing in the n'hood - and we weren't about to get on the subway on a weekend - so we begrudgingly stumbled into this

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-47723693510048237162007-07-01T19:00:00.000-04:002007-08-08T05:16:51.242-04:00

Our pals Micki and Harley just returned from their honeymoon in Japan. Harley didn't speak Japanese, but the English signage helped guide him during the trip.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-66395584467540947282007-06-25T21:04:00.001-04:002007-06-30T09:51:03.341-04:00

Joshua, after his 8th grade graduationPeacock Beach, Richmond, MaineBrandon & Kenny, before B's Purple Heart CeremonyWalter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-23649484932095785592007-06-24T16:35:00.000-04:002007-06-24T18:04:48.925-04:00

On this day, nineteen years ago, I was standing in the dusty, oil-stained center of the Oxford Plains Speedway with thousands of other small town metalheads from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Brunswick, Quebec and beyond. The occasion: Monsters of Rock 1988! The M.O.R. line-up, as I recall, featured Van Halen, Scorpions, Metallica, Dokken and Kingdom Come. At the time, that seemed like a

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-87935189987812216002007-06-09T11:35:00.000-04:002007-06-25T07:45:13.442-04:00

When I came into the picture, the family house was dominated by women - my Mom, my two sisters, and the cats. Dad and Duke (our first dog - a beautiful, kind, patient German Shepard) were slightly outnumbered.The day I was born, my Dad called my Grandfather Joseph from the hospital and told him, "It's a boy!" Grampy apparently dropped the phone and raced around the family business, shouting, "He

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-16022614509949877962007-06-03T12:42:00.000-04:002007-08-08T05:16:51.242-04:00

Long-time Anti-Bummer artist and friend, Ms. World Book (a.k.a. Irene), has recently been dispatching news from the Elsewhere Artist Collaborative in Greensboro, NC. It is a place exploring a great concept: "Elsewhere is set within a three-story former thrift store housing an immense 58-year collection of American cultural objects amassed by one woman, Sylvia Gray... The collection

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-80099693304824470752007-06-01T22:49:00.001-04:002007-06-01T23:07:30.159-04:00

According to Big Time Listings:"Heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio has sold a three-bedroom, 1,981-square-foot house in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills for $1,110,000... Dio had purchased that house in 1988 for $440,000, according to public records... The house that Dio sold, at 3633 Lankershim Boulevard in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills, was built in 1945... Features in the house, which had been

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-20917070352371573232007-05-29T22:13:00.001-04:002007-08-08T05:16:51.242-04:00

Just when Dan is about to complain about something petty, a little miracle comes along to make him jump for joy!Arthur Atari was born to Cecil & Tara on May 20th, 2007 at 12:17 pm. He weighed 8 lbs 2 oz.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-91432881781201166492007-05-23T00:14:00.000-04:002007-05-23T00:23:30.406-04:00

Finally, a decent e-card site with honest, heartfelt messages for all occasions.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-8595063057186867342007-05-17T20:16:00.000-04:002007-05-18T20:27:16.542-04:00

In preparation for the upcoming 1980s installment of The Bummer Line, wanted to share a nifty blog on that era's fabulous music (a cut above Uncle Wiki). I've linked to one of my favorite artists here, but there's a lot more to choose from... hours of wasted Internets time. Also, the preceding decade's entries are equally informative (and addictive).

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-70510979285123099862007-05-16T00:30:00.000-04:002007-05-18T08:16:08.910-04:00

I was recently reminded that hard copies of old photos in dusty albums are not good enough. Such images need to be scanned and preserved electronically, too... embarrassing as they may be. So, let's start with the '80s... the 1880s:This is one the oldest images of my family. It's from my mother's side. Fuzzy data. No one is sure who they are exactly. Mainers, for sure though. From the research

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-509500707013224682007-05-12T15:39:00.000-04:002007-05-12T15:51:07.405-04:00

"Bilbo the lemur has developed the habit of travelling to work on the metro with his handler. He gets on the train with Veronica Lindberg in the northern suburb of Alvik. But Bilbo, who is not really really a morning lemur, tends to stay wrapped inside a handkerchief under her jacket until they have travelled eight stops down the line to Central Station. By then he is ready to climb out of

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-7394450694038750052007-05-08T21:27:00.000-04:002007-05-17T21:53:36.201-04:00

On my endless search for hometown references, I recently came across this old clip from the Dana Carvey show. My primary gripe about "fake Mainers" is the constant failure to successfully capture the Downeast accent. Carvey and Colbert hit the nail on the head. Oh, and they aced the whole latent hatred of outsiders, too.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-31614187274184033332007-05-05T01:56:00.000-04:002007-05-05T02:01:52.516-04:00

"Hell-Ville, the main town on Nosy Be, was given its deliciously intriguing moniker in honor of a former French governor, Admiral de Hell, and the name couldn’t possibly be less appropriate... a place of volcanic lakes, hilly forests thick with possibility, shockingly lovely beaches and bizarre animals — both on land and below the sea... Lemurs are found only on Madagascar, and they thrive on

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-16082239084536083212007-05-04T08:36:00.000-04:002007-05-05T01:48:32.644-04:00

Bruce Dickinson with hair. Big Eddie with a leather jacket. Old clips from classic horror films. In the world of '80s metal, it doesn't get much better than this. While I enjoyed the two Paul Di'Anno albums, I'd become a hardcore Iron Maiden fan when Dickinson became their vocalist. I first saw them on their popular Powerslave tour when I was 14 (my wife, a true cow-punk from Nashville, also

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-16077819987574249722007-05-01T21:53:00.000-04:002007-05-01T22:03:04.301-04:00

Andrew Scott makes cool creepy-crawleys.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-69204272684368629992007-04-30T08:53:00.000-04:002007-05-01T22:04:36.751-04:00

PART 1On an recent artist-hunt, Google-Wunderkind ODA "discovered" a new and exciting movement sweeping the South: Conceptual artist Jonathon Keats exploits the last true folk artists remaining: 50 leyland cypress trees. Watch the drama unfold as these trees, outfitted with easels, paper and pencils, communicate through art.PART 2PART 3

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-64972911509559595292007-04-29T19:48:00.000-04:002007-05-01T22:04:36.751-04:00

This past January, Elizabeth Tashjian - the one, the only Nut Lady - died in her room at Gladeview Health Care Center in Old Saybrook, CT. Her story is a long one and the final chapters are rather depressing. A few of us who knew Tashjian in her final years recently got together for a de-briefing of sorts (I hadn't spoken with her for a couple of years when I got the sad news). We talked about

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-50168173463121892102007-04-23T22:17:00.000-04:002007-08-08T05:16:51.243-04:00

My pal's once ultra-secret zombie documentary has finally been unveiled and is screening in LA next month. I urge you to see it! Lots of important issues are covered regarding this under-represented community of Americans.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-80775414694943123632007-04-22T19:52:00.000-04:002007-04-22T20:00:07.662-04:00

"The city began to stir yesterday, as if at some unheard signal, or perhaps at the many signals of ubiquitous birdsong, giggling children and flowering trees.New Yorkers shed their winter garb — the Ugg boots, the turtlenecks, the long skirts, the overcoats, the parkas, the gloves, the hoodies and the fedoras — and exchanged them for flip-flops and dishabille...As befits New York, spring is

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-67030906432353260672007-04-15T10:04:00.000-04:002007-04-22T20:01:01.683-04:00

"I-a screama, You-a screama, we all-a screama for ice-a creama"—Roberto, Down By Law

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-58706089751705368712007-04-14T09:43:00.000-04:002007-04-14T10:15:33.580-04:00

Not a complaint, really. Just an observation...A man and a woman on the Manhattan-bound F train yesterday morning. They seemed familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen them before. Maybe down at Coney Island? Both in their mid-thirties, they had pile of bags strewn around them on the subway. They did not talk. The man sat there, slumped over on the woman's shoulder. She paid no attention to

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-58285043832152952432007-04-13T23:36:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:25:59.128-04:00

The word “lemur” derives from the Latin word, lemures—meaning specters or spirits of the dead—and was given to these prosimians on account of the animals’ ghostly faces and nocturnal habits.The evolution of this Latin word has its own haunted history. According to ancient mythology, the city

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-19326746558386612552007-04-07T11:42:00.000-04:002007-05-17T21:54:01.258-04:00

During an impromptu class activity on careers, I remember some kids in my 5th grade class announced that they wanted to be a:A. FiremanB. PolicemanC. LobstermanD. NurseE. Bank RobberF. VampireHad I known mythical creatures were an option in this exercise, I would've chosen Werewolf without hesitation. However, in considering actual monetary compensation, I declared my goal in adult life to be an

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-32850386566040018212007-04-05T15:41:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:32:32.968-04:00

OK. One last heavy metal entry. Really, I promise...Test your headbanger history skills on this quiz - Name That Hair Band!I got 10 out of 11. Sad.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-91838105418580504182007-04-04T10:06:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:34:48.174-04:00

To ween myself off the barrage of heavy metal entries of late, I offer one last for a spell: April's metal memory. Van Halen was my first "loud" concert. As memory serves, my two older sisters had literally worn out their VH1 album (AC/DC's Back In Black and Queen's News of the World were to follow) and could no longer settle for staring at David Lee Roth in poster form. After hearing that Eddie

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-44384289981297690422007-04-01T14:15:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:35:00.100-04:00

Born Again... again. Who would've thunk it?(PS: "If you listen to fools, the mob rules!")

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-4387170568854801242007-03-30T00:38:00.000-04:002007-08-08T05:16:51.243-04:00

In the same column as his enthusiastic plug of the annual Stinky Town appearance of the Allman Brothers, NY Times music critic Ben Sisario gave this lame one-liner for tonight's sold-out Heaven & Hell show: "Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio in place of Ozzy Osbourne. Again. Which means it’s effectively 1980 and not very exciting. Again. At 8pm, Radio City Music Hall." Again, he likes the

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-67225261641765171772007-03-28T08:10:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:35:00.101-04:00

Last week, Rhino Entertainment launched a PR campaign for Sabbath's H&H tour, a poster design contest! And the grand prize is: "2 tickets to a show on the U.S. tour where you’ll meet and greet with the band, plus an official t-shirt, a signed poster, and a signed catalogue of Dio-era Black Sabbath CDs including the new release, The Dio Years." Already, there are some stellar entries to vote on.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-25485372004508853072007-03-24T09:23:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:35:00.102-04:00

"It's almost here, time to get the hair dye out," Sabbath bassist recently said regarding the band's reunion before they embarked on the Canadian leg of their tour this month. I've been tracking some reviews of the H&H shows as they make their way across the frozen tundra (slowly, possibly with the help of canes, walkers or wheelchairs) towards Stinky Town. Surprisingly, not all reports have been

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-33415435452224617152007-03-19T23:01:00.000-04:002007-03-22T00:16:20.386-04:00

On the morning of my most recent birth day, I awoke to a cupcake buffet, attended by a multitude of miniature monkeys, turtles, toads and rats.Together, my new menagerie and I wasted half the day away watching season 2 of The Office. To celebrate another year on Earth, Stinky Town once again hosted a green parade in my honor. (For all its faults, this place really knows how to take care of its

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-59555272360470125712007-03-17T06:08:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:35:31.695-04:00

On a recent mining expedition, I came across evidence of H&H's front man, R. J. Dio, having once been a crooner. Long before his status as heavy metal icon hailing from Elf, Rainbow, Sabbath and finally his own band Dio, he was vocalist for some not-so-well-known local favorites including Ronnie and the Redcaps, Ronnie and the Prophets, and the Electric Elves. Even way back in the 1960s, the

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-51792791390066436182007-03-16T23:28:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:35:31.696-04:00

A taste of what will be available at the merchandise booth night of show. Classy. I'm crossing my fingers for a fair mirror of days gone by.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-20192439612948936572007-03-10T21:50:00.000-05:002007-04-14T09:35:31.697-04:00

20 days until the geezers of Sabbath take stage in Stinky Town. Can you smell it in the air? The stench of heavy metal? (A friend recently told me that smell was actually a combo of Aquanet, weed and crotch rot. Possibly.) In any case, this week the reunited Sabbath (currently touring as Heaven and Hell) posted one of the new studio tracks to be included on their upcoming box set Black Sabbath:

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-46179853643364781842007-03-03T21:12:00.000-05:002007-03-03T21:30:58.701-05:00

Someday I want to cast some of my favorite seed pods.In silver.Bronze.Not gold,but maybe iron...or steel.Even plastic...or rubber.That would be cool.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-60966077055311224942007-03-03T01:53:00.000-05:002007-04-14T09:35:31.697-04:00

Either Geoff Tate and the boys of Queensryche watched too much early Judas Priest videos or not enough Spinal Tap in their formative years as a metal band. I'm not even sure I remember this tremendous music video, Queen of the Reich, from 1983, but it's a prime example of the band's first incarnation as a full-on fantasy enterprise. In five years, QR would find their true identity as the "concept

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-88366810009956885742007-02-25T18:51:00.000-05:002007-02-27T19:52:42.271-05:00

Nick-Name: SWANGSTUPrimary Animal: MUSK OXTraits: Muskoxen are native to the Arctic areas of Canada, Greenland and Alaska. It is thought that the muskox was able to survive the last Ice Age (Wisconsin glaciation) by finding ice free areas away from prehistoric peoples. The Norwegian municipality of Dovre has a muskox in its coat-of-arms.Secondary Critter: MOUNTAIN GORILLANick-Name: BUDDY /

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-62440048535043944672007-02-20T23:29:00.000-05:002007-02-21T20:30:12.131-05:00

In the flurry of vacation activity, my eldest nephew graced us with his first visit to Brooklyn! Armed with borrowed scarf and gloves (he's from Maine but ain't used to walking in the freezing cold - they have cars up there), we headed out...Kenny D had a busy weekend: First, we got all the trivial tourist sites out of the way, including Lady Liberty via the free Staten Island Ferry and the view

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-48081499919983613212007-02-19T16:48:00.000-05:002007-02-19T18:06:53.523-05:00

What better way to take advantage of a couple weeks of winter unemployment than head West? ODA and I landed in the Bay Area and began our mini-adventure by visiting our familiar haunts as well as discovering some new spots...First stop, Ray Bandar's homespun bone palace. This gentle giant has amassed more than 6,000 skulls of marine mammals and other critters since he was a boy. His basement is a

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-9552355031856741972007-02-15T16:48:00.000-05:002007-02-15T17:22:20.821-05:00

Our week-long CA vacation has stretched into a 10-day retreat... or more. But unlike some fellow jetBlue travellers, we have no complaints. On Wednesday, when our original return flight was cancelled, weather in Stinky Town was in the teens and the snow was pounding down across the east coast. The forecast in the Bay Area was 60 degrees and partly cloudy. Today our flight was again cancelled and

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-76376229885457490232007-02-02T09:16:00.000-05:002007-04-14T09:35:31.698-04:00

I hate to pile one metal entry on top of another, but it is that time of the month again. Looking back through my catalog of embarrassing hair bands, I found one of my old favorites from 1986, "Trilogy" by Yngwie Malmsteen. This music video ballad is yet another example of heavy metal musician turned fine actor. Born born Lars Johann Yngve (pronounced "ing-vay") Lannerbäck, this Swedish "shred"

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-11963609365993248882007-01-25T22:29:00.000-05:002007-04-14T09:35:31.699-04:00

This week, my pal from Nebraska (also a former teen metalhead, hailed from the Northeast), scored two pre-sale Heaven & Hell - a.k.a. Black Sabbath - concert tix. Reuniting with Dio, the band's 1980-83 Ozzy replacement, to promote their new CD box set, "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years," Heaven & Hell recently announced the first leg of their 2007 tour. Before heading off to the heavy metal hot

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-30335520996411217202007-01-20T23:04:00.000-05:002007-07-04T21:19:02.324-04:00

The good: Notes on a Scandal is probably the best film I saw in 2006... at minimum, it holds the finest performance of the year (Judi Dench as the delightfully evil, aging high school teacher Barbara Covett). While most movies that use a character's narration to thread the film together have little effect, Covett's VO is crucial. You thought Dan was a Bummer? Just wait until you witness Dench's

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-22616787227261593832007-01-18T22:48:00.000-05:002007-04-14T09:35:31.700-04:00

'Ol Ronnie James, the elf-man, finally got recognized for his mighty contribution to music with an imprint of his hands (horns, actually) on a sidewalk in Hollywood. Let's just hope someone sweeps that public shrine once in a while. Dio was honored at a ceremony alongside Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa drummer) and Slash (the mute dude with the Dr. Seuss hat from Guns 'n Roses). Could've been a worse

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-41532486668249117142007-01-13T10:14:00.000-05:002007-01-13T12:58:24.084-05:00

After the overwhelming popularity of the original report, a couple more requests for ani-mystic consultations have been processed, including Dan's own profile...Nick-Name: DANPrimary Animal: RING-TAILED LEMURTraits: The Ring-tailed Lemur has a slender frame and their narrow face is white with black lozenge-shaped patches around the eyes. This species also has claws on the second toe of the hind

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-50733250328058995232007-01-05T00:04:00.000-05:002007-04-14T09:35:31.700-04:00

1970 was a good year. Dan was born. The Chicago 7 were acquitted. Elvis announced his first concert tour since 1958. Deep Purple released "Black Night." Now, while some metal fans dismiss DP as simply an old rock band, scholars put them at the top of the family tree of grand-daddy headbangers along with Hendrix, Zeppelin and Sabbath. This video is another beautiful look back at how Ritchie

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-40677417851133653832007-01-01T17:40:00.000-05:002007-08-08T05:16:51.243-04:00

While not a huge fan of New Year's Eve bashes (as the calendar struck Y2K, ODA and I retreated all the way up to a secluded cabin on a frozen lake in Maine to sip non-vintage bubbly in peace), I had a blast ringing in 2007 with pals at Micki & Harley's lovely wedding at the NYC Fire Museum!Maureen and Tina "sign the guestbook" in the digital photo-boothNew Year's Eve paparazzi spotted our own

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-11877801513402325952006-12-27T14:47:00.000-05:002006-12-28T08:24:07.044-05:00

Los gringos hit Playa del Carmen!"Casa Salsa:" our home for the next 7 days.Night #1: To the beach!Alex & Lindsey prep a Mexican-ish meal for the 4 couples.Day #2: More beach!Jon secures a secluded spot for lounging.Some of the critters we spotted during our visit included...In addition to the occasional Frigatebird and Turkey Vulture, the most common feathered critter we saw (and heard) was the

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-31662464128052874512006-12-11T22:56:00.000-05:002007-08-08T05:16:51.244-04:00

ODA took this picture somewhere in DUMBO. Elbow Toe scribed it in deep blue chalk on a forgotten door. It's immediately sad and hopeful. Why must we spend the bulk of our days riding the F train with ghosts and sharing desk space with strangers when our true friends are scattered thousands of miles between here and there? These are old friends and new, but all who divide one's sorrow and multiply

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-46144628785184636902006-12-10T13:52:00.000-05:002006-12-10T14:18:58.272-05:00

This week, the New Yorker reminds us that we don't choose our spirit animals or animal guides - they choose us.*As a true Ani-Mystic, Dan must constantly distinguish himself and his unique gift from other snake oil peddlers out there. Beware of these grifters! However, if you want to test yourself without Bummer's expert assistance, try this test.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-33321891828854896672006-12-06T22:14:00.000-05:002007-07-04T21:19:02.324-04:00

The good: two films, similar in style. One French, the other from Argentina. First, They Came Back: a sort-of zombie pic, but minus the grunting, bloodthirsty undead with rotting flesh. A collective knot in the community's stomach begins when 13,000 of their recently dead citizens walk out of the cemetery and proceed to find their loved ones and resume their previous jobs. Throughout, an

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-62641978754466422252006-12-04T23:48:00.000-05:002006-12-06T00:35:49.691-05:00

I've been told that I possess a special power, not like those of a real super-hero, but more akin to those "medical professionals" (so-called psychics, dream theorists and life coaches) who prey on wealthy Upper East Side New Yorkers. It's a gift. Anyway, I see animals in people. Physical, spiritual or behavioral traits. Most people harbor a few characteristics from more than one animal, like a

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-28110521583561441882006-12-03T00:26:00.000-05:002007-04-14T09:34:23.683-04:00

In honor of the good news that yet another bunch of 'ol metal geezers (Black Sabbath, Dio era) are reforming (under the name Heaven & Hell) and hitting the road next year, this month's metal nugget is from their first studio album back in 1980: "Heaven and Hell." It's live, long and sorta boring, but features little hair-flipping Ronnie James sporting platform shoes and the devil horns.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-28913616097535320142006-11-30T19:54:00.000-05:002007-08-08T05:16:51.244-04:00

After trying to lure her out here for years, Subburdenite finally landed in Stink Town for a whole week! While she'd been east before - on a summer trip in our New England days - she said she'd never felt 39 degrees before. Luckily, she rented some gloves and a coat.While here, Subburdenite celebrated T-Day with us at one of our favorite little restaurants on the less-frequented Upper East Side.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-47116514344995457122006-11-19T08:37:00.000-05:002007-07-04T21:19:02.324-04:00

Three flicks. One good, one bad and one ugly (or not entirely bad, but just sort of lame). The good movie this month, surprisingly, was Babel (a more obvious choice would've been Borat, but...) A sometimes fan of Alejandro González Iñárritu, this film was layered, subtle and as good as his second feature. The bad: Crispin "Hellion" Glover's What Is It? We saw this film, as well as Glover's Big

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-50707329460478227982006-11-14T23:25:00.000-05:002007-05-01T22:04:36.752-04:00

At the end of a long, hard day at work, what better way to unwind than listening to some old favorites on the turntable?Lost, but not forgotten gems...that make Dan want to laugh... or cry?We're all truly just visitors in Christopher Guest's world.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-25495505866238443122006-11-05T00:12:00.000-05:002007-04-14T09:34:23.684-04:00

Oh, my God... the first 6 minutes of "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny" is a scene from my own childhood! Okay, my family didn't pray before meals and my parents were divorced by then, but the bedroom segment with the Dio apparition - it happened! His instructions were mostly lost on me (too many obscure references to lost rainbows and silver goblets), but I do recall he told me get the hell

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-82411129953823883472006-11-01T22:41:00.000-05:002007-04-14T09:34:23.685-04:00

October is over. Dan is blue. What better time for a classic metal power ballad? For Germans, the Scorpions put out some pretty darn good stuff between 1974-1986. I lost track after that. This video is a live version of one their more memorable throbbing, teen-crush songs, "Still Loving You," that remains etched into the hearts and minds of most recovering metalheads of the '80s (as a successful

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-3885631009112519392006-10-21T11:31:00.000-04:002007-05-01T22:05:52.434-04:00

One thing that equally bums Dan out and cheers him up is art. Bad art is often unforgivable, making Dan go on a tirade about art school debt and talentless trust fund kids who plague New York galleries. Good art, on the other hand, makes an otherwise gloomy Saturday afternoon bright and reminds both Dan & ODA of their own dormant creativity. Unlike a museum visit where you can usually count on a

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-59511139535914226352006-10-19T23:42:00.000-04:002006-10-20T00:18:40.874-04:00

While I've known about Richard Leacock - the legendary documentary filmmaker and co-founder of "direct cinema" - and his films for years, I'd never heard him speak publicly before (mainly because he's lived in France with his sweetheart since the '80s). Recently, he returned to Stinky Town for a little show-and-tell and all of his disciples were in attendance, from D.A. Pennebaker and Al Maysles

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-14703916197504399002006-10-10T20:48:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:50:50.574-04:00

Last month was lease renewal time for Dan's Stinky Town apartment near the Gawanus. Probably as a result of all of the complaining we've done over the past 12 months, the landlord decided to raise the rent... again. This time by $75/month! Despite the urge to relocate to a building with kinder, more respectful neighbors (Ha! Does one exist?), we signed the dreaded paperwork and have settled in

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-42680059326958694832006-10-04T08:18:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:34:23.687-04:00

The Priest wins this month's slot for '80s heavy metal flashback nugget. Just making the time frame, Breaking The Law was the band's big hit on their British Steel album from 1980. This particular tune takes Dan back to different time... a simpler time... when paychecks were wasted on chrome rims, lunch was just a choice between Burger King or Wendy's, and one's career goal consisted of

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-34668628202833551232006-10-03T00:19:00.000-04:002007-04-14T10:16:24.597-04:00

What's that smell? Stinky Town is the only city where Dan has encountered such a range of odd & awful odors on a single outing. Today, for example, while traveling between home base and his workstation a mere 45 minutes uptown on the F/B subway line, Dan's nose involuntarily witnessed more than 23 foreign smells (2 were pleasant, 1 was unknown but not terrible, and the remaining 20 were downright

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-66230296200415080342006-10-02T08:38:00.000-04:002006-10-02T09:01:20.180-04:00

While it goes without saying that Dan is a bummer about many things, one annual event that always cheers him up is the coming of Fall! While the season of dead leaves also signifies the rumbling of Winter just around the corner, Dan can look forward to at least a month or so of orange, yellow, red, green and brown. Those vivid colors against a deep blue sky make Stinky Town a bit more tolerable.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-19028368047907842392006-10-01T20:06:00.000-04:002007-05-01T22:04:36.752-04:00

...to join the circus this weekend. I'd heard that one was passing by not too far from the Stinky Town borders, so off I went. I've always loved the road and those who live on it - even part time - are inspiring. In particular, I went in search of the black sheep of the traveling circus: the sideshow...As I wandered through the vast fairgrounds, I wondered WHY they always put the livestock

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-12318612801382399362006-09-25T23:32:00.000-04:002007-08-08T05:16:51.244-04:00

Bummer's best bud, Cecil, just called and announced he got hitched for the second time in this life! Cecil, I say to you and T what Rilke said to ODA and I on our big day (I know... it's been nearly over-used, but still a great, meaningful quote):A good marriage is one in which each partner appoints the other to be the guardian of his solitude, and thus they show each other the greatest possible

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-83610992148954442742006-09-22T10:25:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:34:23.688-04:00

With Winter (or at least Fall) fast approaching, what better way to pass the time than stumbling down memory lane, tripping over things lost and found... like those classic metal tunes from the 1980s? Dan presents a new monthly installment of some of these juicy nuggets from the past. Because this blog began with Dio, it seems fitting to display his unique brand of genius first: Holy Diver! Enjoy.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-15674063951983999592006-09-20T22:37:00.000-04:002007-05-17T21:54:01.259-04:00

I walked outside this morning and realized that Summer will officially be over in a couple days. It was just a few months ago that we were kissing Spring goodbye and welcoming the heat. We were able to squeeze in a nice little vacation, but - like most - never get to take full advantage of Summer. Now, we wait for the cold. Winter in NYC makes Dan even more of a Bummer...In another reality, Dan

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-68578650580509303272006-09-17T00:06:00.000-04:002007-04-14T10:16:24.597-04:00

Mothers clipping their adolescent boy's fingernails on the F train (Yes! I've seen it more than once). The repetitive "snapping" sound of metal against keratin. The dirty bits of human debris shooting off in random directions, landing God knows where. C'mon, folks... some common sense commuter etiquette here, OK?

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-83054726257357820132006-09-16T08:36:00.000-04:002006-09-16T08:56:05.431-04:00

This morning at 5:13am, I was once again woken up by the sound of voices in my head. No, not those kind of voices - they are real voices, I swear! (The fact that nobody else in the neighborhood complains about it, does often make me feel like they are only in my head, but... I know better, I think.) They emanate from a loudspeaker operated by a local concrete business behind our street. Noise

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-14995846687802123332006-09-15T00:47:00.000-04:002006-09-15T01:19:19.007-04:00

offdutyartist (ODA) and I recently returned from a vacation in London - a little hot August relief from Stinky Town! I'd never been to England and ODA only has fuzzy teenage recollections, but it was (as our host said), "brilliant!"We stayed with a friend in her wonderful, historic neighborhood - home of Spitalfields Market. A block away was Brick Lane: where the Bangladesh community (a.k.a. "

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-365403744503132692006-09-14T14:06:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:34:23.689-04:00

As a postscript to the previous Dio post: while RJD claims that he got his signature devil horns (aka "the goat") hand gesture from his Italian grandmother, he is smart enough NOT to take credit for the ancient sign of unknown origin or meaning. Even a rather smutty engraving from 1779 shows Marie Antoinette sporting the same signal! Sorry, Gene.

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165331670206060902.post-86495380986629960012006-08-17T00:44:00.000-04:002007-04-14T09:35:46.773-04:00

Lately, the wise words of '80s metal prophet, Ronnie James Dio, have been informing my F train commute into Stinky Town proper. As a teenager I was an avid fan of Dio and the usual musical suspects of any rural New England delinquent (Sabbath, Rainbow, Maiden, Preist, AC/DC, Metallica, etc.) Reclaiming these old, often embarrassing tracks of my youth has taken time - but now they're mine again...

Dan Bummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476156011017343068noreply@blogger.com0