Spurs Sink Lakers

Hurrah! Finally, someone has sent those smug, crappy-rapping, bad-movie-making, trash-talking primadonnas on forced vacation! San Antonio was all business tonight in knocking the Lakers out of the NBA playoffs….by a margin of 28 points!

Now, who to cheer FOR? The only team left that I’m really not fond of is Detroit, and that’s only because I don’t really know all their players. I guess this year is just an “Anybody But The Lakers” year!

Urgh!

Back in the early 80s, I remember seeing a soundtrack album for a film I’d never seen. The lineup was impressive: The Police, XTC, Echo and the Bunnymen, Devo, Oingo Boingo. The film was called Urgh! A Music War (1981) and it was a compilation of concert performances from about 35 of the best of the current “New Wave” bands. I never saw the film, nor did I buy the soundtrack, but I’ve been trying to track it down for a few years now.

The film is long out of print, but luckily for me, I found a Yahoo! group dedicated to its revival. Through them, I’ve managed to obtain a DVD copy ripped from an old laserdisc. Though the goal of the group is an authorized DVD release, there is so much red tape due to the licencing of music rights, etc. that this will have to do. I’m excitedly watching the film right now. And, due to some delays with customs, I was mailed a second copy. If you live in Canada, and you’re interested, send me an email or comment below. We’ll work something out.

Pathological Liars Make The Best Journalists

The timing might be the most remarkable thing in this remarkable tale of New York Times reporter Jayson Blair, who fabricated many details of his stories. Strangely enough, I watched a profile on 60 Minutes last night of Stephen Glass, the reporter for the New Republic who also fabricated most of his stories. Glass has a new “novel” out called The Fabulist, and after five years of therapy, seems to be trying to make amends. Of course, none of his colleagues trust him…

UPDATE: I’ve also become aware of the story of Janet Cooke, a Washington Post reporter who actually won a Pulitzer Prize in 1981 for “Jimmy’s World,” a story about an 8-year old heroin addict. Two days after winning the prize, she admitted that Jimmy was fictional, a “composite” of other child addicts. She returned the prize, resigned, and faded into obscurity.

Some Running Links…

Here are some fun links I’ve found while developing my interest in running:

  • Endurance Online – a fairly new bulletin board community for endurance athletes (runners, cyclists, swimmers) that’s attractive and easy-to-use, a bit of a rarity, I’m discovering.
  • Run The USA – Two lunatics are running across the country with no support vehicle or any budget for accomodations. Can you give them a place to sleep?
  • Runner’s World – website for the excellent magazine
  • Hash House Harriers – a strange sort of running which involves chasing a “hare” (a runner who leaves a trail of flour or some other substance). Apparently, this sport has a long and storied history. These runners seem to enjoy the occasional drink 🙂