January 2012
60 posts
Upping The Ante: Inviting Billy Joel To Lunch →
Dear Billy Joel,
You don’t know this but you and I have had our differences. The main difference between us was that you have been putting out records and I haven’t been listening to them. Awkward!
Well that’s behind us now. I’m listening to everything and sharing it with the world. Now that we’re working things out I was wondering if you wanted to meet up for lunch sometime. Nothing fancy,...
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The Post-Apocalyptic Workout: Where I've Been... →
slackmistress:
WHO IS GOING TO RUN FOR YOUR LIFE WITH ME?
I will join you!
“Please assume I’m not a ghost who is getting a glimpse of the life I never got...”
– A Year Of Billy Joel: Streetlife Serenader
if you’re not following A Year Of Billy Joel, these are the sort of important caveats you’re missing.
basically, what I’m saying is, if you enjoy blogs written by presumtively alive people, you should consider investing your time in that one.
(via...
A Year Of Billy Joel: Streetlife Serenader →
ayearofbillyjoel:
Song: Streetlife Serenader
Album: Streetlife Serenade (1974)
Over the course of the month I’ve been working on A Year of Billy Joel, five different people have contacted me to warn me about the album Streetlife Serenade. Their messages boiled down to the following warning: Streetlife…
I posted this last night but I’d like to share it again because it’s one...
“We’ve never met, but that won’t stop me from fighting someone on...”
– My proposed tagline for the Internet.
Some Running Stuff
As you may know already I’m training to run the LA Marathon which takes place in mid March. I’m feeling pretty good. I’m over 16 miles on my training runs and mentally I don’t feel nearly as intimidated by the prospect of a 26.2 mile run as I was as recently as two weeks ago.
Part of the reason I’m feeling more confident is the fact that I stepped my running up...
Fun Size Slackmistress: Dear Drunk Chick-- →
slackmistress:
—who fought her way to the front of the stage after The Strange Boys were told by the person running the show that they had time for two more songs and yelled for them to GET THE FUCK OFF WE WANT THE REIGNING SOUND:
I hope you woke up this morning in a pile of someone else’s vomit.
Love,
…
My wife who is right about most things, on proper human decency applied...
#brainboxupdate: Two immutable facts of being a... →
jackiekashian:
Two immutable facts of being a comic with lady parts… you can always work Valentine’s Day and, if someone makes a sweeping statement about women comics, you will receive at least three emails telling you the weird mean thing to “find out what you think.”
So, next time, just remember that I’ll be…
Jackie Kashian is very funny. You should follow her on the social networks.
My show DC PIERSON IS BAD AT GIRLS is tonight in...
dcpierson:
and you can buy tickets here.
You guys: This show is so good. It was much better than Cats. I’m going to see it again and again.
A Year Of Billy Joel: Captain Jack →
ayearofbillyjoel:
Song: Captain Jack
Album: Piano Man (1973)
Here we are at “Captain Jack,” the last song on the Piano Man album.
This song has loomed large in my head since I began A Year Of Billy Joel, in part because I have been told that I should listen to it by a number of people. The following is a…
I have been worried about this song since I began this project. I’ve...
Stamped: Public Assistance and The Ugliness of... →
When Gingrich called Obama a “food stamp president,” it was an obvious dog-whistle statement. (Subtext: “Remember, guys, he’s BLACK. And he’s gonna give YOUR money to OTHER BLACK PEOPLE.”) But apart from the badly disguised racism, it was also part and parcel with the delight he takes from attacking the least of us, joyfully positing that the poorest among us are the most deserving of our...
A Year Of Billy Joel: If I Only Had The Words To... →
ayearofbillyjoel:
Song: If I I Only Had The Words (To Tell You)
Album: Piano Man (1973)
One of the stated goals of A Year of Billy Joel is to try and determine what exactly it is I haven’t liked about Billy Joel and his music. There are a number of reasons but today I’d like to discuss one of them: Music…
I’ve now said nice things about way more Billy Joel songs than I expected....
mkeifetz:
That settles it: Right after the class war, I’m self-deporting to someplace where they know why there’s no oil on the moon. But there also needs to be separation of church and state — and baseball.
I find your views intriguing and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
“Have you guys seen my other blog? It’s called “Pictures other people...”
– Me, talking to myself about Tumblr because I’m getting old.
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Hey it's Will, and he's doing stuff.... →
On the off chance you missed it the first 100 times I mentioned it I’m taking on my personal El Guapo this year, who happens to be Billy Joel. This project is called A Year of Billy Joel.
As a companion to the song by song abuse I am subjecting myself to, I will be posting album recaps over at the site of the great Low Times podcast.
Please give my recaps a try and don’t miss the Low...
A Year Of Billy Joel: The Ballad Of Billy The Kid →
ayearofbillyjoel:
Song: The Ballad of Billy The Kid
Album: Piano Man (1973)
Because so few pop songs transcend the era they were written in I think it’s important to consider context when listening to old records. Most art is a product of its time and understanding the context in which it was created can…
Over at A Year of Billy Joel I dive into the deep end of one of Billy’s...
Jen Kirkman - comedian: What I Would Have Said... →
jenkirkman:
**I wrote this last night but was shy about publishing it. But I feel good about it today. Please forgive any grammar or spelling errors. I’m not the best editor. ** - Jen Kirkman
I was supposed to talk to the Larry Mantle show on NPR this week. They wanted to talk to me about the recent…
…….
I bring that up to say – I know some people are NEVER going to stop ...
Here's a guy ...
paulftompkins:
When I started standup in Philadelphia, Todd Glass was a hero to me. Now he’s a hero to me all over again, in a different way. I am proud of him and happy for him!
jamesadomian:
Todd Glass: “It’s time that bullies stop bullying and we bully them.”
WTF with Marc Maron - Episode 245 - Todd Glass
This is a watershed moment for comedy. We love you, Todd!
This is required...
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A Year Of Billy Joel: Nocturne and Got To Begin... →
ayearofbillyjoel:
It only made sense to start this project with Billy Joel’s debut album even though I was warned that it wasn’t up to the high standards of the records that came later. Now that I’ve recapped eight of the ten songs on “Cold Spring Harbor” I’m dying to get to the hit records. “Cold Spring Harbor”…
It feels like I’ve been on this first Billy Joel album for a month so...
Almost There
Still mulling over one last resolution for 2012.
jaybushman asked: For 2012, you should active follow and support the Boston Bobby V's. I'm considering it. It'd be nice to have a team with, y'know, a SHOT at success.
claygharrison asked: I can't recall if you ever saw Star Wars or not. I know you don't like it. Much like your Billy Joel experiment, I'd like you to review Star Wars but not from watching it, from people that like it. Find and interview people via IM, email, or Skype and record what you find. I'd love to help.
lemonbasket asked: Suggestion for a Project: Pick a dead novelist who interests you and who (1) lived to age 60 or older and (2) wrote and published his/her novels over a period of several decades. Read that person's novels in chronological order. When you have finished reading the novels read a biography of the writer. This just struck me as something that might be interesting, I'm not suggesting it would...
Updating My Contacts
In case you’re keeping score, here are the places I can be found these days.
Sentimental Accidents - The place where I tell true stories about myself and the people I love.
A Year of Billy Joel - A new project where I try to overcome my lifelong dislike of Billy Joel by listening to every song he has ever recorded.
Accept no substitutes.
Woodland Creature: NYU Journalism Student Is... →
woodlandcreature:
Wow, this story is incredible. An NYU journalism student was assigned to cover Occupy Wall Street, which apparently triggered some sort of latent insanity. I’m sorry, honey, but if you’re not prepared to encounter “criminals, drug addicts [and] mentally ill people,” you really shouldn’t live in…
K-razy pants.
Why Authors Tweet - NYTimes.com →
jaybushman:
Hrm, maybe because authors are PEOPLE and not solely the function of their vocation.
For fuck’s sake, it’s 2012 already. Can we please stop with the gee-whiz-twitter-is-so-weird bullshit?
What he said.
A Year Of Billy Joel: Why Judy Why →
ayearofbillyjoel:
Song: Why Judy Why
Album: Cold Spring Harbor (1971)
Remastered Version (1983)
Most relationships start out great. You meet someone, you connect, you spend time together and for a while everything is wonderful. Your life has been changed forever and it will always be amazing.
Until it…
Over at A Year of Billy Joel, I encounter the first disappointment. I don’t...
