I have made a decision to end my personal boycott of the City Paper.
No, it’s not because I have decided to forgive them, and no, they haven’t reformed their ways to my satisfaction. No--this personal boycott has ended, and I have decided to soil my hands with the shit-rag known as City Paper for one good reason, a reason that was brought to my attention by one of my readers: I need to know what they are doing if I am to effectively criticize them.
In my zeal and my blind rage against the worst alternative paper in Baltimore, I set a standard for myself that was, ahem, parochial. I stuck my fingers in my ears and said “lalalalalala!!!” and thought it was my sworn solemn duty as the founder of The Parochialist to never soil my hands with City Paper ever again. And I have come to realize that this was wrong. Horribly, misguidedly wrong.
This reader noted that right wing fundamentalists are probably listening to NPR and reading alternative media every day so they can know what to criticize and how to combat “The Liberals,” and I should offer no lower of a standard of criticism in the space you have come to know and love as The Parochialist Blog. So it is with that in mind that I picked up my first City Paper in over 2 months and have darkened my door with its pages.
In addition to that reader’s thoughts, I also have noted the absolute impossibility of avoiding the City Paper in this town. I go to work, City Paper is right there, staring back at me, mocking me. I go to the Charles Theatre, I see the popcorn with the City Paper logo on it, and I want to vomit. At least one person I know and like writes for City Paper. In a word, it is unavoidable. Which I wouldn’t mind so much if it was better. But it’s not. (see the “5 reasons” of November to avoid a rehashing of the source of my rage.)
I felt that last months “5 reasons” series was especially strong because of the raw honesty of it, but also because of the fact that it was based on things I had actually seen in City Paper. I hope to make The Parochialist match up to that standard on a weekly basis. For that, I must read it.
I now must think of the City Paper as a primary source for The Parochialist. For me, as the heart and soul of The Parochialist, continuing to avoid that primary source would be like studying law and refusing to read the Constitution. So here I go.
For you, as a reader, I encourage you to do what you think is right. Avoid City Paper, if it annoys you too much (as it did to me) and come back here to read my rants and get the syndicated columns. Or read it and tell me what annoys you about it. For God sakes, just see my point about how their snarky and parochial leanings damage hard working artists (and pre-set keyboardists!) in this town. And then come back here and spend some time with me: The Parochialist.
City Paper Wednesday, The Parochialist blog making fun of it Thursday!
Last Post of the Year! Two week break ensues! See you on January 10!
Note: I am having a hard time with the link to Savage Love...I will try to see what the problem is.
Links
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/11671
Movies
Charm City Cineaste
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
A review of Sweeny Todd!
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
Music Listings
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-12-19.html
The Straight Dope
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071221.html
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Regrets…I have a few.
I used to really look forward to Wednesdays and sitting down with the City Paper. I am realizing this so much now when I am boycotting it for it’s many, many sins. I liked to sit down with a cup of coffee and read all my favorite columns, see what was new, occasionally read the cover article. It was comforting, in a weird way--like a constant friend in the 13 years I have lived in Baltimore. And now, sad to say, I have lost that friend.
I knew it would be tough to give up something that I’d been reading for so long. And I feel that I still face some sticky questions as I continue with The Parochialist and continue not to read City Paper. For example: is it wrong for me to continue to send them press releases for my shows (which they will minimize and never bother covering anyway?). Is it wrong for me to take them up on their free movie passes when they offer them on myspace? (Indeed, is it wrong to even be friends with them on myspace? One school of thought is that whole “Art of War” thing about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer--I do not believe there is anything to gain by being ignorant.)
The last 4 weeks, I have soiled my fingers with it’s pages just long enough to note that there is no mention of me in it, and even during those few seconds I still find shit that annoys the hell out of me--the same snotty and elitist attitude that drove me away from it in the first place. I see the screaming headlines of this snotty attitude and I just shake my head and wonder what I’m doing by even looking at it for that long.
I hate the City Paper for a reason (actually, 5 of them--if you read my blog last month) and I don’t want to feel like hypocrite. If I’m to lead this movement, I need to walk the walk.
I really like free movies, but not at the expense of my soul. What do you think?
--Davey G., founder and editor of The Parochialist.
Links, nosebleeds, stuff you can read.
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/11548
Movies
Charm City Cineaste
This week, CCC puts up his thoughts about the future of the Baltimore Independent Cinema houses (all two of them)
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
Good music listing sites.
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-12-12.html
The Straight Dope
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071207.html
New!
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071214.html
Special Note: there will be a two week break from new posts from December 27 to January 3. You can still come back here to use the links, I just won't be putting up any new links or new content. Please don't cry, but even The Parochialist needs to take a break once in a while.
I knew it would be tough to give up something that I’d been reading for so long. And I feel that I still face some sticky questions as I continue with The Parochialist and continue not to read City Paper. For example: is it wrong for me to continue to send them press releases for my shows (which they will minimize and never bother covering anyway?). Is it wrong for me to take them up on their free movie passes when they offer them on myspace? (Indeed, is it wrong to even be friends with them on myspace? One school of thought is that whole “Art of War” thing about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer--I do not believe there is anything to gain by being ignorant.)
The last 4 weeks, I have soiled my fingers with it’s pages just long enough to note that there is no mention of me in it, and even during those few seconds I still find shit that annoys the hell out of me--the same snotty and elitist attitude that drove me away from it in the first place. I see the screaming headlines of this snotty attitude and I just shake my head and wonder what I’m doing by even looking at it for that long.
I hate the City Paper for a reason (actually, 5 of them--if you read my blog last month) and I don’t want to feel like hypocrite. If I’m to lead this movement, I need to walk the walk.
I really like free movies, but not at the expense of my soul. What do you think?
--Davey G., founder and editor of The Parochialist.
Links, nosebleeds, stuff you can read.
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/11548
Movies
Charm City Cineaste
This week, CCC puts up his thoughts about the future of the Baltimore Independent Cinema houses (all two of them)
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
Good music listing sites.
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-12-12.html
The Straight Dope
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071207.html
New!
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071214.html
Special Note: there will be a two week break from new posts from December 27 to January 3. You can still come back here to use the links, I just won't be putting up any new links or new content. Please don't cry, but even The Parochialist needs to take a break once in a while.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
The Parochial Awards.
A quick perusal of the City Paper the last 3 weeks have reaffirmed my reason number 1 of reasons why I hate the City Paper: no mention of the new Davey G and the Keyboard CD. (I sent it to them, and now it certainly feels like I wasted my postage.) No matter. Of course, there is still time to see if they will ever review it, and then…to see if they can find new and obnoxious ways to say that they hate it, even if they actually like it, because that’s what they do.
The Parochials: I feel that as we reach the end of the year, it comes time to reward those people and businesses whose spirit and actions stand in defiance of the small-minded mentality that envelops the city (and the City Paper.) So to that end, whenever I feel like it, I will be awarding the first ever Parochials: The award for consistent anti-small-mindedness.
Please send in any nominations, comment back to me in this space. Let me get the ball rolling with a few places I feel are deserving of mention:
Reptilian Records. They have been in business since 1989, rode the highs and lows of the Baltimore scene, and still they stand, selling punk rock at reasonable prices. Those guys have carried Davezine since 1998, they carry my CD, and have been about the straightest shooters in town. And, dammit, they are known across the country as a premier record store.
http://www.reptilianrecords.com/
Atomic Books. Ditto for them. Good folk, they carry whatever you can give them, and I have always, always been happy with how they treat me. Good non-parochial behavior.
http://www.atomicbooks.com/
Anyway, those are two off the top of my head. I also like the Hamilton Arts Collective, for all their wonderful wonderfulness. But these are just my choices, and yes, they are all places I have done business with. What I really want to know is, what people do you know who exemplify the open-minded (yet angry and bitter) spirit of The Parochialist?
--DGK.
Links to things the wanks at City Paper link to, and other things they don’t link to because they are too busy being wanks.
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/11417
Movies
Charm City Cineaste
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
A good music listing site.
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-12-05.html
The Parochials: I feel that as we reach the end of the year, it comes time to reward those people and businesses whose spirit and actions stand in defiance of the small-minded mentality that envelops the city (and the City Paper.) So to that end, whenever I feel like it, I will be awarding the first ever Parochials: The award for consistent anti-small-mindedness.
Please send in any nominations, comment back to me in this space. Let me get the ball rolling with a few places I feel are deserving of mention:
Reptilian Records. They have been in business since 1989, rode the highs and lows of the Baltimore scene, and still they stand, selling punk rock at reasonable prices. Those guys have carried Davezine since 1998, they carry my CD, and have been about the straightest shooters in town. And, dammit, they are known across the country as a premier record store.
http://www.reptilianrecords.com/
Atomic Books. Ditto for them. Good folk, they carry whatever you can give them, and I have always, always been happy with how they treat me. Good non-parochial behavior.
http://www.atomicbooks.com/
Anyway, those are two off the top of my head. I also like the Hamilton Arts Collective, for all their wonderful wonderfulness. But these are just my choices, and yes, they are all places I have done business with. What I really want to know is, what people do you know who exemplify the open-minded (yet angry and bitter) spirit of The Parochialist?
--DGK.
Links to things the wanks at City Paper link to, and other things they don’t link to because they are too busy being wanks.
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/11417
Movies
Charm City Cineaste
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
A good music listing site.
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-12-05.html
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Epic Reason Number 1
You waited all month and here it is: Reason Number 1 in my epic series of reasons why I hate the City paper enough to have started this campaign against them:
Reason Number One: They ignore me…and they probably ignore you.
When they should be helping you to get noticed by the city, the state, the country, the world, they do what every gate-keeping cocksucker in this town does: They help their buddies, their cousins, their lovers, and unless you are one of them, (or possibly too big to ignore--like John Waters or something) they just don’t pay any attention to you.
I am a performer. I know I’m not the best, but I’m certainly not the worst. I have been doing my thing for 7 years, and I can say, with all sincerity, that if nothing else, it’s entertaining. Unique. Worth checking out. It’s at least as good as any of the bands and collectives that CP has over-exposed in their pages. And how many feature articles or profiles have I received from them?
None.
I know this may sound like a crybaby, sore loser sort of reason--after all, I stopped reading the City Paper and started this blog when I didn’t win Best of Baltimore--but really, that campaign was just a last ditch effort to save my relationship with City Paper. I can’t stand them because they exemplify everything that is wrong with Baltimore. This is a city of over 600 thousand people that acts like it’s some hick town in the middle of nowhere. It’s got so much going for it (that maybe you don’t see unless you come from somewhere else, like I do) that it is inconceivable that so few people seem to hold the reins in allowing what will be successful.
It boils down to the thing that I mentioned in the posts leading up to the formation of this blog, and indeed form the logic of The Parochialist: Parochialism is the problem. And City Paper exemplifies that problem.
So now I am not reading the City Paper. I don’t want them to go out of business or anything--they have a right to their opinion, this is America, and while I am an idealist when it comes to some things, I’m not crazy. One guy is never going to bring down the giant. But I hope that in the future, I will be able to put some kind of dent in the ingrained culture of this town, and provide even the smallest of small islands of free, non-judgmental information, to serve the community in which I live. You know--like what the City Paper is supposed to be doing?
Thank you for reading this month! Come back next week for less parochialism!
Next Month: Our First Annual Parochialist Awards: The Parochials!
New Political Animal!
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/11288
Straight Dope
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071130.html
Movies
Charm City Cineaste
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-11-28.html
Reason Number One: They ignore me…and they probably ignore you.
When they should be helping you to get noticed by the city, the state, the country, the world, they do what every gate-keeping cocksucker in this town does: They help their buddies, their cousins, their lovers, and unless you are one of them, (or possibly too big to ignore--like John Waters or something) they just don’t pay any attention to you.
I am a performer. I know I’m not the best, but I’m certainly not the worst. I have been doing my thing for 7 years, and I can say, with all sincerity, that if nothing else, it’s entertaining. Unique. Worth checking out. It’s at least as good as any of the bands and collectives that CP has over-exposed in their pages. And how many feature articles or profiles have I received from them?
None.
I know this may sound like a crybaby, sore loser sort of reason--after all, I stopped reading the City Paper and started this blog when I didn’t win Best of Baltimore--but really, that campaign was just a last ditch effort to save my relationship with City Paper. I can’t stand them because they exemplify everything that is wrong with Baltimore. This is a city of over 600 thousand people that acts like it’s some hick town in the middle of nowhere. It’s got so much going for it (that maybe you don’t see unless you come from somewhere else, like I do) that it is inconceivable that so few people seem to hold the reins in allowing what will be successful.
It boils down to the thing that I mentioned in the posts leading up to the formation of this blog, and indeed form the logic of The Parochialist: Parochialism is the problem. And City Paper exemplifies that problem.
So now I am not reading the City Paper. I don’t want them to go out of business or anything--they have a right to their opinion, this is America, and while I am an idealist when it comes to some things, I’m not crazy. One guy is never going to bring down the giant. But I hope that in the future, I will be able to put some kind of dent in the ingrained culture of this town, and provide even the smallest of small islands of free, non-judgmental information, to serve the community in which I live. You know--like what the City Paper is supposed to be doing?
Thank you for reading this month! Come back next week for less parochialism!
Next Month: Our First Annual Parochialist Awards: The Parochials!
New Political Animal!
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/11288
Straight Dope
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071130.html
Movies
Charm City Cineaste
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-11-28.html
Monday, November 19, 2007
Updated Edition, Reason Two
Special Announcement: This blog is going up with some revisions to the basic set-up of the site. As The Parochialist was largely started as an impulse, a rush job, I did some things that in the context of a blog, really make no sense--such as putting up the same static links every week rather than simply posting them on the side and letting you sort them out. I am correcting that now. I will still post the links that change from week to week, but things like your favorite local clubs, etc, will now be found on the side of the page, saving me time and annoyance. When I can, I’ll offer a preview to what I’m linking you to. I put this up earlier before my trip, so it is a bit short, but now I'm back with updated links.
Enjoy!
Reason Number Two: The Borat Movie Review
I did not see, nor did I ever want to see the comedy movie Borat (I had my reasons--I don’t like the style of humor and I really don’t enjoy watching people’s stupidity, racism, what have you, put on display, as it merely depresses me rather than amuses) but it seemed to gain positive reviews across the board. So I found it refreshing to see a bad review in the City Paper. I thought, wow, it’s bucking the trend of the entire country. But alas, this was a mirage, and simply just a lazily written review about how much the movie sucked.
Ahh, who am I kidding, I’m being lazy, too. I’m too lazy to even put up the stupid link to the review. I’ve got a really good number one and I don’t want to blow it here. And I need to be packing for my big Las Vegas trip.
See you next week for the conclusion to the 5 Reasons!
--Davey G., founder of The Parochialist
Movies
Charm City Cineaste
If you want to read an intelligent movie review, check this blog out--this week he discusses Beowulf.
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Updated Links (11-25)
E-Skeptic
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-11-20.html
New Straight Dope!
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071123.html
Apparently there is no Political Animal this week.
ps--I won 200 bucks in Vegas!
Enjoy!
Reason Number Two: The Borat Movie Review
I did not see, nor did I ever want to see the comedy movie Borat (I had my reasons--I don’t like the style of humor and I really don’t enjoy watching people’s stupidity, racism, what have you, put on display, as it merely depresses me rather than amuses) but it seemed to gain positive reviews across the board. So I found it refreshing to see a bad review in the City Paper. I thought, wow, it’s bucking the trend of the entire country. But alas, this was a mirage, and simply just a lazily written review about how much the movie sucked.
Ahh, who am I kidding, I’m being lazy, too. I’m too lazy to even put up the stupid link to the review. I’ve got a really good number one and I don’t want to blow it here. And I need to be packing for my big Las Vegas trip.
See you next week for the conclusion to the 5 Reasons!
--Davey G., founder of The Parochialist
Movies
Charm City Cineaste
If you want to read an intelligent movie review, check this blog out--this week he discusses Beowulf.
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Updated Links (11-25)
E-Skeptic
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-11-20.html
New Straight Dope!
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071123.html
Apparently there is no Political Animal this week.
ps--I won 200 bucks in Vegas!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Number 3...
Reason Number 3 in my epic series of reasons why I hate the City paper enough to have started this campaign against them:
Their short fiction contest; their “after-comments” and advice to the writers who contributed. (2006 version)
City Paper has held a short fiction and poetry contest for years. On occasion, I have entered it, mostly as a way to motivate myself to finish stories that I would otherwise not have the motivation to finish. I never expected to win, so it’s not out of bitterness that I include this as reason #3. What does make me include this is the unbelievably condescending and insulting advice thrown down from the offices of our friends over on Park Avenue.
Consider that in a six paragraph introduction to the 3 winners, four of those paragraphs were filled with this obnoxious criticism. Way to go! Snotty City Paper Attitude has been served!
Read for yourself…
http://www.citypaper.com/special/story.asp?id=12962
(Please, please read the letter at the bottom of the page--it almost writes my post for me!)
What I’ve noticed over the years is that if anyone from City Paper can write worth a damn, they are soon snatched up by other, better papers (Max Weiss, Wiley Hall, Tom Scocca--all good writers over the years who went somewhere else). And who stays? Mr. Wrong--a guy who could barely write a shopping list, let alone a column. And these people think they are somehow qualified to shit on the aspiring writers? Because you were sooooo fortunate to be one of the few who can work your crappy alternative paper gig?
And now the links…before my head explodes.
Movies
Charm City Cineaste!
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
Columns
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/11037
Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071116.html
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
A good music listing site.
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
Other Music sites.
This week in music!
http://www.bmoretunes.com/?p=74
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Clubs/Performance Spaces
http://www.talkingheadclub.com/
http://theottobar.com/
http://www.sidebartavern.com/
http://www.themetrogallery.net/
http://www.lofisocialclub.com/
http://www.fletchersbar.com/
http://www.redemmas.org/2640/
http://hamiltonart.org/dhome/
Yin/Yang
Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-11-14.html
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Reason 4...
Reason Number 4 in my Special November series of reasons why I started this blog:
The review of the Weird Al Show at the Ram’s Head.
Here is one of my little sticky issues with the City Paper: even when they seem to like something, they never seem to have the guts to whole-heartedly admit that they like something. They always, always, always seem to find a reason why the show or the album, or the movie, or whatever it is that they are reviewing, is less than perfect--even to the point where it almost sounds like they think that the event sucks. This was apparent in this review.
http://www.citypaper.com/music/story.asp?id=13611
While the reviewer (Name withheld, do not want to smear but I’m sure you can figure it out--who, much like Karl Rove, has fucked up a good thing and then gone on his way to take another job--do you like that analogy? And do you like the length of this aside? This is the kind of obnoxious thing City Paper does and by doing this I am demonstrating how their butchering of the language and the conventions of writing so completely offends me--and I’m pointing this directly at Mr. Wrong) seems to be a fan of Weird Al, he could not resist the snotty City Paper habit of finding something stupid and inane to not like about the show. In this case, it was the fact that apparently the reviewer was not happy standing for a 2 hour show and that, boo hoo, he did not play “Dare to be Stupid.”
I happen to LOVE Weird Al (no shit), so I am a bit biased when it comes to this issue. But I still think I’m right to say that there is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong, or un-hip, or un-cool about actually admitting you like something.
So fuck your snide commentary: show some balls, leave out that last paragraph (that seemed just stashed in there so you could keep your “I’m a snarky City Paper writer” credentials) and just say “Wow. It was a great show.”
Next week: Reason 3 may surprise you!
(ps--this may be snotty of me to note...but I see that the City Paper is holding their 30th Anniversary Party at the Recher Theater in Towson--correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that NOT in the city? Don't you think that sends the wrong message to the people of Baltimore, the community which they are supposed to serve, to make everyone drive out to the county to celebrate a big occasion like a 30 year anniversary? Aren't there any venues in Baltimore proper where they can have this show? Like I said, maybe I'm just being as snotty as them, but that's just how I see it!)
And now the links…
Links to syndicated columns that appear in City Paper and other links to things that don’t appear in City Paper. Because I heard that reading City Paper gives people STDs.
Movies
Check out this new blog by a Baltimore movie insider--it is a well-written, well organized and insightful look into the local movie scene, and I thank him for allowing me to link to it.
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
Columns
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10899
Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071109.html
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
A good music listing site.
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
Other Music sites.
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Clubs/Performance Spaces
http://www.talkingheadclub.com/
http://theottobar.com/
http://www.sidebartavern.com/
http://www.themetrogallery.net/
http://www.lofisocialclub.com/
http://www.fletchersbar.com/
http://www.redemmas.org/2640/
http://hamiltonart.org/dhome/
Yin/Yang
Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-11-07.html
Thanks again for reading. Come to my show Saturday at the Hamilton Arts Collective!!!
The review of the Weird Al Show at the Ram’s Head.
Here is one of my little sticky issues with the City Paper: even when they seem to like something, they never seem to have the guts to whole-heartedly admit that they like something. They always, always, always seem to find a reason why the show or the album, or the movie, or whatever it is that they are reviewing, is less than perfect--even to the point where it almost sounds like they think that the event sucks. This was apparent in this review.
http://www.citypaper.com/music/story.asp?id=13611
While the reviewer (Name withheld, do not want to smear but I’m sure you can figure it out--who, much like Karl Rove, has fucked up a good thing and then gone on his way to take another job--do you like that analogy? And do you like the length of this aside? This is the kind of obnoxious thing City Paper does and by doing this I am demonstrating how their butchering of the language and the conventions of writing so completely offends me--and I’m pointing this directly at Mr. Wrong) seems to be a fan of Weird Al, he could not resist the snotty City Paper habit of finding something stupid and inane to not like about the show. In this case, it was the fact that apparently the reviewer was not happy standing for a 2 hour show and that, boo hoo, he did not play “Dare to be Stupid.”
I happen to LOVE Weird Al (no shit), so I am a bit biased when it comes to this issue. But I still think I’m right to say that there is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong, or un-hip, or un-cool about actually admitting you like something.
So fuck your snide commentary: show some balls, leave out that last paragraph (that seemed just stashed in there so you could keep your “I’m a snarky City Paper writer” credentials) and just say “Wow. It was a great show.”
Next week: Reason 3 may surprise you!
(ps--this may be snotty of me to note...but I see that the City Paper is holding their 30th Anniversary Party at the Recher Theater in Towson--correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that NOT in the city? Don't you think that sends the wrong message to the people of Baltimore, the community which they are supposed to serve, to make everyone drive out to the county to celebrate a big occasion like a 30 year anniversary? Aren't there any venues in Baltimore proper where they can have this show? Like I said, maybe I'm just being as snotty as them, but that's just how I see it!)
And now the links…
Links to syndicated columns that appear in City Paper and other links to things that don’t appear in City Paper. Because I heard that reading City Paper gives people STDs.
Movies
Check out this new blog by a Baltimore movie insider--it is a well-written, well organized and insightful look into the local movie scene, and I thank him for allowing me to link to it.
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
Columns
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10899
Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071109.html
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
A good music listing site.
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
Other Music sites.
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Clubs/Performance Spaces
http://www.talkingheadclub.com/
http://theottobar.com/
http://www.sidebartavern.com/
http://www.themetrogallery.net/
http://www.lofisocialclub.com/
http://www.fletchersbar.com/
http://www.redemmas.org/2640/
http://hamiltonart.org/dhome/
Yin/Yang
Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-11-07.html
Thanks again for reading. Come to my show Saturday at the Hamilton Arts Collective!!!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
It’s the first! Have you paid your rent yet???
11-1
This month!
A countdown! The top 5 things that have led me to a general boycott of the City Paper!
You may have wondered: “Who is this angry guy at the heart of this movement? What has poor old City Paper done to piss off this ‘Davey G’ character. I need SPECIFICS!!!”
Well here you go--for the next 5 Thursdays I will treat you to the top 5 things that the City Paper has done that has led me to this awful, dramatic breaking point. Enjoy.
Number 5: The handling of the closing of the Talking Head Club last winter.
I wrote about it here in my other blog, which contains a link to the article which you can read for yourself.
http://daveygandthekeyboard.blogspot.com/2007/01/talking-head-club-demise.html
It led to some good angry letters from City Paper Readers that pretty much explain it all. The Talking Head was a great little club that supported local music and was, dare I say, a cornerstone of the Baltimore scene. This article was a hatchet job of “journalism” that highlighted the owner’s criminal history in some sort of attempt to kick him when he was down. (luckily, the club has since reopened in the same space.) This alone was almost the moment I stopped reading forever because I was soooooooo pissed off.
Next week: Number 4 (duh!)
And here we go with the links…
Links to syndicated columns that appear in City Paper and other links to things that don’t appear in City Paper. So that you don’t have to read the City Paper.
Columns
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10779
(sorry I linked to the same post twice--this really is the new P.A)
Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071102.html
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2007/10/29/tomo/index.html
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
Music happening this week!!!
http://www.bmoretunes.com/?p=53
Music sites.
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Clubs/Performance Spaces
http://www.talkingheadclub.com/
http://theottobar.com/
http://www.sidebartavern.com/
http://www.themetrogallery.net/
http://www.lofisocialclub.com/
http://www.redemmas.org/2640/
http://www.hamiltonarts.org/dhome/
Yin/Yang
Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-10-31.html
Thanks for Reading!
Ps--do you have a favorite movie review site? One that does the movies that are coming out that week? I’d like to link to something that isn’t as massive as IMDB that might be useful to readers. Leave a comment if you do!
This month!
A countdown! The top 5 things that have led me to a general boycott of the City Paper!
You may have wondered: “Who is this angry guy at the heart of this movement? What has poor old City Paper done to piss off this ‘Davey G’ character. I need SPECIFICS!!!”
Well here you go--for the next 5 Thursdays I will treat you to the top 5 things that the City Paper has done that has led me to this awful, dramatic breaking point. Enjoy.
Number 5: The handling of the closing of the Talking Head Club last winter.
I wrote about it here in my other blog, which contains a link to the article which you can read for yourself.
http://daveygandthekeyboard.blogspot.com/2007/01/talking-head-club-demise.html
It led to some good angry letters from City Paper Readers that pretty much explain it all. The Talking Head was a great little club that supported local music and was, dare I say, a cornerstone of the Baltimore scene. This article was a hatchet job of “journalism” that highlighted the owner’s criminal history in some sort of attempt to kick him when he was down. (luckily, the club has since reopened in the same space.) This alone was almost the moment I stopped reading forever because I was soooooooo pissed off.
Next week: Number 4 (duh!)
And here we go with the links…
Links to syndicated columns that appear in City Paper and other links to things that don’t appear in City Paper. So that you don’t have to read the City Paper.
Columns
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10779
(sorry I linked to the same post twice--this really is the new P.A)
Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071102.html
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2007/10/29/tomo/index.html
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
Music happening this week!!!
http://www.bmoretunes.com/?p=53
Music sites.
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Clubs/Performance Spaces
http://www.talkingheadclub.com/
http://theottobar.com/
http://www.sidebartavern.com/
http://www.themetrogallery.net/
http://www.lofisocialclub.com/
http://www.redemmas.org/2640/
http://www.hamiltonarts.org/dhome/
Yin/Yang
Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-10-31.html
Thanks for Reading!
Ps--do you have a favorite movie review site? One that does the movies that are coming out that week? I’d like to link to something that isn’t as massive as IMDB that might be useful to readers. Leave a comment if you do!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
The Best Issue Yet!!!
10-25
This week!
Still a work in progress, but all the feedback has been good so far. I have been constantly on the lookout for other papers and sites that are good alternatives to City Paper.
You may notice an attempt at better organization in this edition. And maybe a greater focus on the music section. If you have a show you want me to list, go ahead and I will list it in a non-snotty, non-judgmental way. Because that’s what we’re all about at The Parochialist!
Links to syndicated columns that appear in City Paper and other links to things that don’t appear in City Paper. So that you don’t have to read the City Paper.
Columns
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10287
Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071026.html
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2007/10/22/tomo/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
Stuff to do!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/custom/live/
Music sites.
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Clubs/Performance Spaces
These places have music and stuff that you can go to. I won’t criticize the bands like certain Alternative Weeklies do.
http://www.talkingheadclub.com/
http://theottobar.com/
http://www.sidebartavern.com/
http://www.themetrogallery.net/
http://www.lofisocialclub.com/
http://www.redemmas.org/2640/
Yin/Yang
Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-10-24.html
Win tickets to the next Davey G and the Keyboard show! Enter here!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
Thanks for Reading!
This week!
Still a work in progress, but all the feedback has been good so far. I have been constantly on the lookout for other papers and sites that are good alternatives to City Paper.
You may notice an attempt at better organization in this edition. And maybe a greater focus on the music section. If you have a show you want me to list, go ahead and I will list it in a non-snotty, non-judgmental way. Because that’s what we’re all about at The Parochialist!
Links to syndicated columns that appear in City Paper and other links to things that don’t appear in City Paper. So that you don’t have to read the City Paper.
Columns
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10287
Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071026.html
Comics
This Modern World
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2007/10/22/tomo/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Music/Events
Stuff to do!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/custom/live/
Music sites.
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Clubs/Performance Spaces
These places have music and stuff that you can go to. I won’t criticize the bands like certain Alternative Weeklies do.
http://www.talkingheadclub.com/
http://theottobar.com/
http://www.sidebartavern.com/
http://www.themetrogallery.net/
http://www.lofisocialclub.com/
http://www.redemmas.org/2640/
Yin/Yang
Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-10-24.html
Win tickets to the next Davey G and the Keyboard show! Enter here!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
Thanks for Reading!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
10-18: Pissing in the Wind?
10-18
This week!
A note from the editor:
Hello, everyone!
The launch of The Parochialist last week is only the beginning of my effort to provide an alternative to the Baltimore City Paper. I know there are people out there who feel the same as me--you pick up a paper every week, and not five minutes go by before you say “What the hell?” and get really angry at something in the editorial content of the City Paper. It has taken me years to get to the point where I just can’t take it anymore, and rather than make unproductive complaints, I am trying to do something about it. Even if that means a pissing-in-the-wind sort of effort that makes no difference to the juggernaut of the Baltimore City Paper, I believe it is important to undertake that effort.
I hope that this will become interactive: if you know of a good site or blog that people should know about that I should list here, let me know! Leave me a comment--I will approve anything that isn’t blatant spam. Band listings, events, anything!
Come! Let’s be less parochial together!
Thanks!
Davey G, founder of the Parochialist.
Links to syndicated columns that appear in City Paper and other links to things that don’t appear in City Paper.
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10526
Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
This Modern World
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2007/10/15/tomo/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071019.html
Music sites.
http://www.bmorelive.com/
New to The Parochialist! Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-10-17.html
Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
Stuff to do!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/custom/live/
Big thanks to Alex Fine for this great flyer!
Come back here next Thursday for the next edition of The Parochialist!
Win tickets to the next Davey G and the Keyboard show! Enter here!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
This week!
A note from the editor:
Hello, everyone!
The launch of The Parochialist last week is only the beginning of my effort to provide an alternative to the Baltimore City Paper. I know there are people out there who feel the same as me--you pick up a paper every week, and not five minutes go by before you say “What the hell?” and get really angry at something in the editorial content of the City Paper. It has taken me years to get to the point where I just can’t take it anymore, and rather than make unproductive complaints, I am trying to do something about it. Even if that means a pissing-in-the-wind sort of effort that makes no difference to the juggernaut of the Baltimore City Paper, I believe it is important to undertake that effort.
I hope that this will become interactive: if you know of a good site or blog that people should know about that I should list here, let me know! Leave me a comment--I will approve anything that isn’t blatant spam. Band listings, events, anything!
Come! Let’s be less parochial together!
Thanks!
Davey G, founder of the Parochialist.
Links to syndicated columns that appear in City Paper and other links to things that don’t appear in City Paper.
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10526
Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
This Modern World
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2007/10/15/tomo/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071019.html
Music sites.
http://www.bmorelive.com/
New to The Parochialist! Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-10-17.html
Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
Stuff to do!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/custom/live/
Big thanks to Alex Fine for this great flyer!
Come back here next Thursday for the next edition of The Parochialist!
Win tickets to the next Davey G and the Keyboard show! Enter here!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
Thursday, October 11, 2007
The Maiden Voyage
Welcome to the maiden voyage of my new blog which will send shudders down the spine of a certain alternative weekly, if they ever happen to google it, and scroll down to listing number 237, click on the icon, put in a password, and...damn, they really won't care, will they?
So you wanna boycott the Baltimore City Paper because you’re sick of their pandering to an elite few while ignoring your favorite artists (like Davey G and the Keyboard?) Boy, are you in luck!
I have (had) been a City Paper reader for 13 years, and I’d always found it to be worth the ten minutes or so I spent with it every week. But now, I just can’t even conceal my disgust for this Alternative Weekly. The complete pandering to their butt buddies from whatever local group is cool this week, the snotty and useless movie reviews, their handling of the Talking Head situation (where they unnecessarily highlighted the owner’s criminal record in a “fair” and “balanced” assessment of why the club had to close down last winter), the god-awful ramblings of Mr. Wrong (yeah, I get it, you’re supposed to be that guy everyone loves to hate--only you express yourself so poorly that even when I agree with you I want to disagree). Hell, they can’t even admit when they actually LIKE something, as that would somehow subtract from their coolness. In short, I am sick of reading the City Paper, and I refuse to support them anymore.
But there is a problem. Do I throw out the baby with the bathwater? After all, there are things in the CP that I do like to read, such as Savage Love, Political Animal, This Modern World, etc. Not to mention that CP is a free source for what’s going on in Baltimore on any given week. How can I still get this information without having to resort to picking up the paper that irritates me so much?
Well, here’s where my plucky resourcefulness comes in. I am making my own bastardized version of the City Paper, for my own personal use, (minus their snotty, annoying commentary) and you can too! Print it out for yourself, add your own columns!
This week!
A music site.
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10287
Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
This Modern World
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2007/10/08/tomo/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071012.html
Stuff to do!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/custom/live/
Win tickets to the next Davey G and the Keyboard show! Enter here!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
See you next week for the next edition of The Parochialist!
So you wanna boycott the Baltimore City Paper because you’re sick of their pandering to an elite few while ignoring your favorite artists (like Davey G and the Keyboard?) Boy, are you in luck!
I have (had) been a City Paper reader for 13 years, and I’d always found it to be worth the ten minutes or so I spent with it every week. But now, I just can’t even conceal my disgust for this Alternative Weekly. The complete pandering to their butt buddies from whatever local group is cool this week, the snotty and useless movie reviews, their handling of the Talking Head situation (where they unnecessarily highlighted the owner’s criminal record in a “fair” and “balanced” assessment of why the club had to close down last winter), the god-awful ramblings of Mr. Wrong (yeah, I get it, you’re supposed to be that guy everyone loves to hate--only you express yourself so poorly that even when I agree with you I want to disagree). Hell, they can’t even admit when they actually LIKE something, as that would somehow subtract from their coolness. In short, I am sick of reading the City Paper, and I refuse to support them anymore.
But there is a problem. Do I throw out the baby with the bathwater? After all, there are things in the CP that I do like to read, such as Savage Love, Political Animal, This Modern World, etc. Not to mention that CP is a free source for what’s going on in Baltimore on any given week. How can I still get this information without having to resort to picking up the paper that irritates me so much?
Well, here’s where my plucky resourcefulness comes in. I am making my own bastardized version of the City Paper, for my own personal use, (minus their snotty, annoying commentary) and you can too! Print it out for yourself, add your own columns!
This week!
A music site.
http://www.bmorelive.com/
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10287
Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
This Modern World
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2007/10/08/tomo/
The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/
Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071012.html
Stuff to do!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/custom/live/
Win tickets to the next Davey G and the Keyboard show! Enter here!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
See you next week for the next edition of The Parochialist!
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About Me
- Davey G.
- Davey G and the...is the handle for writer, performer, musician and sports fan, David G. Cookson. This blog (as the late George Carlin would say) is just a place for his stuff.