LUDIC LOG

Today, in lieu of a regular entry, I give free pub to some people who deserve it. So sue me; some people's logs are like this all the time.

I was never any good as a rock critic; but then again, who is? My Name Is Rar-Rar played a homecoming show at Bruce's Empty Bottle last night after completing their first tour. They weren't good as usual; they were better. Time on the road has honed their tightness and filled out their sound. They know what they can do now, and that's a damn good thing for their audience. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this is a fantastic band. They're the band you'd want at your wedding, if you were me and my imaginary psychotic fiancee. If you can get their record, get it. If you can see them live, see them. And watch their website, because if they come to your town, you're a fool to miss them.

In case you're one of the evil, evil people who do not regularly click on the links over there on your left (no, no. My right. Your left.), then you are cheating yourself out of the daily musings of Ms. Claire Zulkey of Chicago, IL. Not only does she update frequently (not that I'm implying anything about any of the other people on my links list, goodness no), but her writing is generally delightful and entertaining. She'd be my dream girl, if I wasn't already stuck with this imaginary psychotic fiancee. Go frequently to her site; you will find it more than worth your time. And I'm not just saying that because she recently printed one of my stories.

Among the demented obsessions of yours cruelly are comic books, tiki bars, and White Sox baseball. They come together in one man: the lovely and talented B. Clay Moore, writer and co-creator of Image Comics' Hawaiian Dick. Visit the site, see the strips that started it all, read an interview with Clay, and when December comes, for corn's sake, buy the damn comic.

Speaking of White Sox baseball, which no one is at the moment nor are they likely to in the near future, the generous and dedicated Mr. George Bova runs White Sox Interactive as a labor of love, and has been kind enough not only to give me a chance to write for his site, but also to get me primo seats at a game, right next to the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Official Friend of the Ludic Log, Jane Laughlin (of jane.org fame), is featured in this book, which you can buy and help her pay for her next haircut. And as long as you're spending money freely, stop by and give some money to Brent Babb and the fine gentlemen in his excellent band, Dead Hot Workshop.

Finally, inspired by a combination of wacky blogcrafters like Claire Zulkey, Jon Morris and Neal Pollack, and my own overarching laziness, I hereby announce the first annual LudicLog Reader Participation Event. The hook: send me a non-actual diary entry written by an actual member of the current presidential administration. The rules: none dog. The deadline: Sunday, October 20th, for publication the next day. The prize: the adulation and interest of every single reader of this, the most popular non-pornographic web site in North America with the word "dick" in its URL. The method: write that fucker up and send it to me via e-mail.