Comic for Monday, February 18th, 2008

Posted: 7:55 am, Monday, February 18th

I just had to vet 2.0's little cousin's taste in music, for my own curiosity as to what the kids are up to these days, and I am very grateful that I grew up in the early 90s, when I had no choice but to listen to good music. Because it's ugly out there today, kids. Sure, the internet has allowed us all to access awesome bands from around the world and limitless live recordings and is spreading good taste everywhere, but it's also allowing more people to find more generic eighth-generation pop that calls itself punk music. Dear God, the kids. Give me the days of coke-fueled A&R men over the MySpace nightmares any day. (Both of those are very worthwhile, by the way, for completely different reasons.)

Staying with music, holy crap, '88 was an amazing year for hip-hop. Also, '80s cover art aesthetic was bad. But it's amazing to me that It Takes a Nation of Millions and Straight Outta Compton came out a month and a half from each other. (Just checked - Ten and Nevermind actually came out within a month of each other. So that may be even more amazing. I'm not sure, though.)

Also, Mike Huckabee gets slapped down by Boston. Wow, the Republicans can't even use Boston for their theme songs. Back to Three Doors Down, boys.

Nice story about the first black letterman on the Irish football team, Wayne Edmonds.

The perception of Notre Dame being an unwelcome place for blacks was prevalent and somewhat substantiated, but Edmonds' reality was different. "The old guard was really anti bringing the two of us in," Edmonds said, referring to himself and Dick Washington. "They said it wasn't going to work. They had money coming in from the South; they would lose it. Then Father [Edmund] Joyce said, 'Things are going to have to change.'"

Also, kind of amusing that Edmonds was recruited by Georgia Tech despite the fact he wouldn't be allowed to play for them because they were segregated. He guesses they thought he was white because of his relatively light skin. Of course, the article stupidly mentions the Moulder at the end, but, aside from that, nice effort.

And we close with two from the Times. Another month, another wistful "things-done-changed!" article from the Gray Lady. And then there's this article about the concurrent fall of PBS and rise of NPR.

bullfrog

Bullfrog -- Monday, February 18 2008, 07:35 am

In case 2.0's little cousin is reading today, I'm lovingly teasing. Mostly.

Also, I meant to make mention that this is not the first time Pete's referenced eating a person of a particular ethnicity. Ron should worry.

Well, between Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me and Car Talk, my Saturdays mornings are pretty much booked. Where else can I go to determine which car is a babe magnet and hear about the application of plastic surgery on fine Corinthian leather? (And marvel at how did Dennis Kunichonich get such a hot smoking wife.)

The problem with PBS is that there really isn't anything new that has worked for them since This Old House. And with many niche cable networks (Food, HGTV, A&E, BBC America, History) taking things away that used to be their specialty, it's kind of hard to find something novel on PBS anymore. I'm pretty sure Noggin is beating up Sesame Street these days.

Funny little bit from the AP Sports section today:

"The New Manager of the New York Yankees met Sunday with owner George Steinbrenner who hadn't spoken with Girardi since the former catcher interviewed for the job in October.

"Girardi was accompanied by spring training instructors Goose Gossage & Ron Guidry, coach Rob Thomson and general manager Brian Cashman. The Yankees haven't lost any games since Girardi was hired, so the atmosphere was jovial as Gossage and Guidry told old stories."

("We like you because you haven't screwed up. Yet." Backstab much, George?) Okay, so the mood was good simply because Girardi hasn't screwed up yet? Or am I missing some sort of diabolical undertones here?

I think it's just saying how fickle the atmosphere around ye olde goate fukkers is.

I must be missing something with Wait, Wait.. A good friend of CK's whose taste I mostly agree with absolutely loves that show, and I just don't get it. I'm assuming it's me, because it's a pretty popular show.

I also forgot to mention earlier that Pete is totally me in the first two panels today. It's one of my terrible habits - I interrupt a lot with my own stories. Everyone reading this can consider this, if they are so kind, an abject apology because I'm sure I've done it to anyone I've spoken with more than once in my life.

I love Wait, Wait... Now, I'm often caught in liking the previous, non-live audience version better than the Chase auditorium stuff they do now. And Roy Blunt hasn't been on in a long time and he was just great. But it is still a wonderful way to fill the audio void in my Saturday morning.

Michelangelo - did you appreciate our Spice Girls shout-out? Could you hear anything?

Totally. I texted Tree "Be a little bit wiser, baby," but he was probably too close to bliss to read his iPhone.