My friend Eric grows a mustache for science.

Technically, I’m always for hire. That’s one of the “joys” of being self-employed. But, as my finances are about to be restructured in a pretty major way, I’m lining up freelance work for the next few months. So if your blog needs a facelift, or you’re ready to move off blogspot to your own domain, or your company needs a blog or site, I’m your man.

Likewise, if you’re looking for a writer obsessed with pop culture minutiae and rock ‘n’ roll, drop me a line. (My writing portfolio is here)

Or if your publication needs an experienced professional blogger, I do that sort of thing as well

I can be reached through todd at todd-a dot com.

I went down to the Carters big CD release show last night. I’d spent some time Friday redesigning their website in time for the big event. It seemed to be a big success for them. They had some kickass t-shirts and panties at the merch table. I don’t know if they sold any of the panties, but I heard they sold quite a few t-shirts. Plus, they gave away the new CD with the $5 cover.

I got there too late to see Hands Down Eugene, but I caught all of Ole Mossy Face who sounded way better than the last time I’d heard them. They’re a sloppy band at heart, I realize, but it wouldn’t hurt them to get the drums and bass more in sync. With the three guitars and no steady backbeat, it can sound a little soupy.

Apollo Up sounded pretty good even with the earplugs in, but Judas Priest, did they ever play long. At least it felt like it. But I think that’s just the length of their songs. Even with the three opening bands, the Carters were taking the stage around 11.

Once they started playing, my view was obstructed my the people near the stage, but man, was the sound ever good. I couldn’t see the band, but I could hear everything perfectly. That may have been the best sounding show, I’ve ever seen. You could hear every note and still say something to your friends over it without shouting in their ears. You’d never know you were listening to a band whose drummer was vandalized in ping pong a day earlier.

All this plus I’d bought new shoes and jeans yesterday.

Somebody call CSI, ’cause there’s been a pongicide.

Monty and I met again this afternoon for some brutal pong. Series one, 2-0 to me. Series two, 2-0 to me. Series three, 2-0 to me. Then we played a couple of games for fun. I won those also, though they didn’t count toward the day’s competition. That was eight straight victories for me. This is, I’m sure, unprecedented. The worst anyone has previously been beaten was when Eric G beat me a couple of years ago at Christmas. I think I put an end to that destruction after 7 losses in a row. In my defense, I was being unashamedly heckled by his brother and I’d been drinking.

My lead improves to 4-1 in the month. Take that, early summer slump.

I went down to Mercy Lounge’s Everbody’s a Rock Star last night. I have been racking my brain to think of a funnier musical experience. The Blind Draw nights had their moments. Ween on the Pure Guava tour? That first time I saw the acoustic duo of Feable Weiner?

All good moments but lacking in consistency. Everybody’s a Rock Star had consistency from start to the time I left thanks to the incredible band. What also set it apart was how serious the first several performers were. It made me wish for something a little crazy. So as if heeding my telepathic call, Dave Cloud got up and did Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak” in plaid pants. It was way better than RockStar:INXS.

But here’s what a vagina sailor I am, the show completely knocked me out today. I didn’t sleep at all and have felt like crap since getting home. I think the increasing volume of the band and the enormous amount of smoke really did a number on me. My no beer after midnight rule is apparently completely useless when I’m around that much smoke. I still feel like ass.

Not to mention I had already had a full day yesterday, what with beating the pants off Todd K 2-0, 2-1 in pong to strengthen my lead in August to 3-1.

With only 7 days left in the month of August, we have entered what we in the ping-pong game call “The Dog Ass Days.” It is this last week of the official summer season that separates the men from the little girls. Or, more precisely, the man from the girl, since there are only two players in our competition.

Todd “Monty” K has taken victory in June and July. His goal of “Mr. Summer 2005″ is only days away. But just yesterday, Todd “Tits” A walloped Mr. K in a 3 game set. It was, frankly, devastating. That victory gives Mr. A a 2-1 lead in the race for “Mr. August.”

Will Mr. K prevail and win the summer title? Will Mr. A be able to deny Mr. K a three month winning streak? Will Mr. K be able to stop Mr. A’s new, blinding serve? Will Mr. A’s newly-discovered knee pain cripple his comeback? Who will be shouting “Michael!” in damnable frustration next week?

Tune in and find out.

Today’s Barry’s Cherries news is that we’ve finished the first photo shoot for the book. There is a huge Ramones theme running throughout the story so I wanted to pay homage to the band in my author photo. With the help of my photographing pal Doug, we recreated the famous brick wall cover photo from the Ramones first album.

Of course, this photo is not the recreation of that cover photo, just one of the batch that I thought looked cool.

New single from Shania! Whoops. Did I just say that out loud? Oh well, the Desperate Housewives will star in the video. I am unduly excited.

Truly, it warms my heart to hear Black Sheep’s “The Choice is Yours” playing in a new J.C. Penny’s Back to School commercial. Well done, Music Supervisor. I picked up Black Sheep’s seminal A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing on CD yesterday. I don’t even know where my cassette went.

One of the hardest things to learn to do as an avid reader is to put a book down. That sense of wondering how it wraps up just looms over you when you shut a book not intending to complete it. But you’ve got to learn to do it. Maybe not habitually. There are plenty of books that are worth the struggle.

I’ve deemed Nick Hornby’s How to be Good unworthy. I’ve had it on my shelf for years. (Ever since I noticed that its title sounded familiar.) And I think I’ve picked it up a few times and read the opening ‘graph only to decide I wasn’t in the mood. Well, over the past few weeks, I’ve been forcing myself to read it. When I’m in that mode, I’ll find anything to occupy my attention rather than the book I’ve chosen. So last night, after getting about 90 pages in and after the story finally, slowly started moving and I could sort of see where it was going, I decided it just wasn’t worth it. You gotta know when to fold ‘em after all. And I’m folding.