louisa makes it beautiful

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ANGRRY

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If I had a list of people I know who should be rich and famous, The Shondes' Louisa Rachel Solomon would be at the top of it, since no one else is really still pushing the kind of Riot Grrl punk that made me really fall for music back in the 90's.

Which reminds me: danke, Mike!

This is Louisa, in action.

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PUNK + VIOLIN = EPIC EPICOCITY

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That video is from The Shondes' national tour earlier this year, and - no matter how dark and cold and windy it gets in Chicago, and no matter how much harder some things are than I thought they'd be, and no matter how much I worry and fret and fuss - Solomon's shiver-inducing voice and The Shondes' "Heavens to Betsy + a political message + violins + actual talent" formula always gets my head back where it should be.

Press "play" up there, and enjoy.

paul newman's last laps

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This week has been kind of a downer already, what with Phil Hill's passing - but this news (which is, admittedly, a few days old) is both kinda sad, and incredibly kickass.

Diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, Paul "Nobody's Fool" Newman closed down Lime Rock Park for 90 minutes to drive his Corvette GT1 race car on the storied circuit for the last time. Paul Newman set the standard for gentleman drivers, helping to establish Nissan in North American sportscar racing, and winning the demanding Daytona 24 Hour race ... when he was 74.

In addition to being the type of driver they make movies about, Newman set up several charities, giving over 200 million dollars to causes he believed in while making the very best cookies money can buy (Newman-O's, in case you're thin and clueless).

That number looks like this: $200,000,000.00

Think about THAT the next time you start to feel good about yourself. Then realize that, at 40, most men start to think about retirment ... and at 74, most men are dead. In his 80's, dying of cancer, Paul Newman hammered a thundering, tire-shredding GT1 Corvette across Lime Rock Park.

Simply put: at any age, most men will never measure up to Paul Newman.

Godspeed, Paul. We never met, and I'll always regret that.

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I hear the guy could act, too. Community theater or something.