So last week or so I attempt to check in to CF/N'sPCR as I always do about 40 times per day; I go to my trusty "favorites" drop-down menu, and click Nole's link. I get nothing. "Process timed out" is what it said. Now, I'm used to websites being down for maintenance or other foibles, but after the third day, it was getting maddening.
I e-mailed Nole, asking what was up with Crazed Fanboy. "A major server crash" he bemoaned. Check the CF home page of edition 247 for all the gory details. Needless to say I was like a heroin junkie without the smack (is that the right term?) for those days leading up to its restoration.
After what I'm sure was a very stressful battle for Nole, he admirably worked with his web hosting company to get CF up-n-running, and is to be commended for not only having the wisdom to back everything up on his home system, but working with his hosting company to get the site back up (including archival editions) ASAP. Good job, Nole - bully!
I'm still a little down about the status of the CF message boards, on which I (and lots of other fans) posted writings on an array of fan topics. With a little luck, there may have been a way the BB can be recovered. I'm sure Nole will keep us up to date.
Sorry you had to go through the rigamarole, Nole. These things do happen, however; it's a fact of life. Congrats for restoring everything so quickly and having the newest edition up to boot. That's dedication.
"Love Shack" Burns
In the "Say it 'aint so!" Dept., news arrived last week that the famed Athens, Georgia shack which inspired the B-52's hit 1989 single "Love Shack" was the victim of arson which left only the tin roof (rusted!) and frame intact. B-52's singer Kate Pierson was said to have lived in the "love shack" in the 1970's, and legend says it's where the band wrote the 1979 New Wave classic "Rock Lobster".
The B-52's formed in 1976, and are very much still together, recently opening for Cher at the St. Pete. Times Forum (I would have watched the B-52's and left before Cher took stage). "Love Shack" was a mega-hit for the band, who at the time was struggling for a chart-topper in their hazy days of the mid-to-late 1980's, when many were about to write them off. Against all odds, the band emerged in 1989 with what has to be one of the greatest New Wave records ever recorded: "Cosmic Thing", a collection of songs and singles that dazzles with each listen. Rarely if ever has a band risen from the ashes to such triumph than the B-52's did in 1989, making that musically miserable year immensely more tolerable.
I recall watching MTV's classic "120 Minutes" alternative show (which I did every single Sunday, right after "The Young Ones") and really dug the first single off "Cosmic Thing" called "Channel Z". What a great song! "Channel Z" didn't make much of a dent in the U.S. charts, but the next thing I know, radio stations and MTV started playing "Love Shack" in heavy rotation, and it became a mega-hit, followed by other blockbusters: "Roam" and the awesome "Deadbeat Club". My personal favorite song on "Cosmic Thing" is "Topaz". CT is such a reliable CD that I rarely step into my car without having it by my side. The album is made so well that it sounds as fresh and exciting after the 500th play as it did the first.
Like Akron, Ohio (home of Devo and The Pretenders), Athens Georgia is the birthplace of American New Wave hero bands The B-52's and R.E.M. and a Mecca for New Wavers. Sadly, a New Wave landmark has been decimated and may never be enjoyed again by B-52's fans. I guess nothing's sacred.
Holidays Under Attack
Okay, let me get this straight; a faction of Christians (note: I did not write "All") are out to destroy Halloween (which isn't really a holiday) because it's rooted in 'paganism' and 'celebrates' morbid concepts; such as superstition, scary images, and death. Then, come December, they get pissed off because commie libs and the ACLU are out to annihilate Christmas. Serves 'em right, I say! That'll teach them to fuck with Halloween! Pretty soon, the only thing we'll have left to celebrate is Arbor Day and Ground Hog Day.
I say, as a fan of both Halloween and Christmas, take those from the far left and right who want to do away with both holidays and throw them in a pit, like Ronald Reagan and Cheryenko from Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Two Tribes" video, and let them pummel each other to bloody messes. Horror-worshipping will take over as a new religion and Boris Karloff will be our deity.
But seriously, folks, be sure to kick in the nuts anyone who's from the Church of the Poisoned Mind that wishes to take away the very holidays you enjoyed as a kid. These no-good rats are bitter, mean, rotten people who can't sit by and allow others a bit of innocent enjoyment.
Merry Christmas and Happy Halloween.
Rage Hard.
"Mandatory Guidance" Restrictions for the Week:
You're not allowed to see:
"Spanglish" (heard this isn't any good; I'm doing you a favor - docked -250 Fandom points)
Allowed:
"Flight of the Phoenix" (this seems okay - barely - +100 Fandom points)
"Kinsey" (+300 Fandom points)
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" (lots of wonderscapes in this one, +50 Fandom points)
Lastly, I'd like to wish all CF/N'sPCR writers and readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
"Oddservations" is ©2004 by Andy Lalino. The Oddservations banner is a creation of Andy Lalino. All other graphics are creations of Nolan B. Canova. All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2004 by Nolan B. Canova.
