iTunes can suck it

They’ve got the crappiest support ever. The guy I spoke with just kept saying “well, what do you want me to do?” Uh…how about Help Me? Isn’t that what Support is supposed to do?

NYC Men’s Haircut – NY Recommends…

Visit Freemans Sporting Club on Rivington Street for a great haircut done by people who care about quality.

Specifically, I’d recommend my barber (stylist?), Jason James. He’s very talented and also happens to be a really nice guy.

Expect a bit of a wait as these guys take their time to do the job right. It’s worth the wait, though.

Here’s their website: http://www.freemanssportingclub.com/

They also make gorgeous clothing. Gorgeous expensive clothing.

Artistic Beauty – In the iPod of the Beholder

I feel the piece above really captures the struggle of man’s desire to dominate while simultaneously wrestling with his desire to connect on a deep personal level.

Actually, this is a photo of my iPod’s screen which is decidedly shot. It still plays music, but it will only play my iTunes library in alphabetical order by artist. Now every time I turn it on I always hear my friend Adam’s EP, since he’s the first of the A’s (I don’t mind at all…it’s really good. Listen to selections from it here: Adam Salzman).

I’ll be taking it the “Genius Bar” (I’m sure this was intended to be clever when they coined this, but I think some of the people manning these stations take it to heart – especially in the Portland, OR ones) hoping there is a quick and cheap fix for this. I assume though that the quick fix is to just buy a new iPod. Hard to stomach when this one still plays music.

Maybe I’ll just stick with it. I can still listen to music, plus mine has the added bonus of displaying a unique piece of modern art for a screen. It’s all about perspective. My iPod isn’t worthless…it’s priceless!

Banana Republic Sale – Buy 2 Get 1 Free

I don’t know if this sale is nation-wide or even all of NYC, but the Rockefeller Center Banana Republic is having a “Buy 2 Sale Items-Get 1 Free” Sale.

I picked up a couple of nice dress slacks and a sweater for $50. Not a bad haul (seemed expecially so to me since I’d just browsed the designer section at Saks 5th Ave – holy shit those prices are ridiculous! $400 for a t-shirt? wow).

My selections…


Sorry I don’t have more details – you might want to call ahead to see if your local store is participating since I couldn’t find anything about it on the BR website.

Also, I asked and you can buy 4 items and get 2 free, buy 6 and get 3 free, and so on. Just buy strategically because they’ll only give you the cheapest of your selections for free. Don’t screw yourself by grabbing 4 items because you picked up a $9 t-shirt on the way to the register (they’ll charge you full sale price for the 3 items and give you the stupid t-shirt free).

Have a good weekend!

Tim Hardaway’s Jersey Retired – Gay Bashing Is Okay With NBA’s Miami Heat

The Miami Heat retired Tim Hardaway’s jersey last night. ESPN.com wrote that Hardaway “had hugs for everybody — players, coaches, even referee Joe Crawford, no small feat considering how much the player loved to clash with officials during his playing days.”

And it’s no small feat because Hardaway is exceptionally homophobic. This is the man who said: “You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don’t like gay people and I don’t like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in the world or in the United States.” All that man-on-man love last night must have made him pretty uncomfortable.

Hardaway was one of my favorite players in the 90’s. He was one of the NBA’s best guards, probably of all time, and will most likely enter the Basketball Hall of Fame. Still, should this honor have come so soon after his bigoted comments? We can’t beat him up forever for being an asshole, I guess, but it feels a bit soon to be singing his praises. I know they aren’t hanging his number in the rafters for being a great guy, but this suggestion that all is forgiven so easily sets a questionable precedent.

Hardaway did apologize through a press release from his agent (a lame move that seems to have become standard for idiots who can’t be trusted to speak for themselves without making things worse). When asked directly about if he was sorry for his comments, in his response he sounded more sorry that he’d shared his hatred aloud due to the backlash. Of course he was sorry he’d said it – it cost him his job as NBA analyst and he was asked NOT to appear at that year’s All-Star game. That’s the selfish kind of regret. Just like his initial bonehead comments, he was only thinking of himself.

You’re No Einstein, Baby (Disney Recalls Baby Einstein Products – Kids Dumb As Ever)

The idea that you can plop your infant in front of a TV and expect that to yield a brilliant child has always been suspect to me. My suspicions have been confirmed…

The Great Baby Einstein Scam

Seriously though, is anyone truly surprised by this news? Didn’t it always feel a little gross to leave your child’s young impressionable mind to the questionably scrupulous world of Disney for hours every week?

The fact that they are RECALLING these products is almost terrifying when you think about it. Not only must they not work at all…but there must be something in them that they don’t want us to discover! Subliminal mind control, perhaps? I do not put it passed them.

Sorry parents…it is back to basics for you. That cocktail will just have to wait until the kid falls asleep.

By the way, if I suddenly disappear…please come try to find me. I will probably be trapped inside a giant Goofy costume with an electric shock collar somewhere in EuroDisney.

Good For a Laugh

It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherf…

You might want to wait until the kids are out the room the read it.

Thanks to Syd for sharing. Now go update your blog!

Free Custom-Fitted White Collar Shirts at Rockefeller Center

As part of USA’s promotion of their new show “White Collar,” they’ve set up a “White Collar Shirt Bar” in Rockefeller Center where you can receive a custom-fitted white collar shirt (men and women). We’re not talking about any old shirt either, these shirts are being provided by PINK!

Today and tomorrow only (Oct 22-23). For more details click here.

I popped over to check it out and there is line with a wait time of about an hour. I wish I had time to wait, because an hour long wait for a free bespoke Thomas Pink is totally worth it to me.

Hear No Evil – Hearing Loss Concerns Fall on Deaf Ears

How high do you crank your music when you’re wearing headphones? It’s probably too loud.

On the train this morning, a woman had her headphones up so loud that I could easily hear what she was listening to in spite my being at least 15 feet away from her. I was hearing this over the sound of a moving NYC subway which is loud in the first place. Unfortunately, this is common occurrence.

I fear that not enough is being done to educate people about hearing loss. In an age where there is a focus on healthful lifestyle choices, hearing health seems to get passed over. An increasing number of people in their 30’s and 40’s are experiencing levels of hearing loss generally experienced in older people – likely as a result of being the first “Walkman Generation.” Today’s iPod users are abusing their ears starting from a younger age, so the long term effects on the next wave of adults could get progressively worse.

As a musician and music lover, hearing is very important to me. I feel that more should be being done to let people know that hearing loss is progressive and permanent. I intend to do more research into this. Eventually, I would like to start a hearing loss awareness campaign or get involved with an existing one.

To read more about this topic…

Dangerous Decibels
More headphone use leading to hearing loss
Noisy Planet

Oprah Contest

Oprah’s having a karaoke contest. Hopefully they like the video I submitted. I’d like to meet Oprah – she seems like a nice lady.

If the video gets chosen, I’ll post the link to it here. I can’t figure out the WordPress video function at the moment…

Oh, I sang the Bill Withers song “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone.”