Did I ever tell you this one? You know, the one about my Aunt Annie?

I don't think reasons for being in Florida exist. If they do, they're long forgotten by the time you actually arrive in Florida. I've been here for three weeks now, and I'll be damned if I know why I'm here. I think it has something to do with the fact that Alex and I both grew up here for part of our teenage years, and, by some freak accident, both became nostalgic a few months ago. It was decided that a trip to Florida for four weeks was imperative, and the month of December was promptly sacrificed for this purpose.

Champagne the Wonder Horse lived with little Tommy Crandall in a big white house on a farm. Champagne had fresh grass to eat everyday, a field to run in, and a stall to sleep in. He was very happy, but he wanted more than anything to be able to fly like a bird.
"You're a horse. Be happy with that," said Tommy. He gave him a crisp red apple, and scratched his ears. Tommy was very wise.

21 APR 92 - Machrihanish, The Kintyre Peninsula, Scotland
The single prop plane slides in on a 45-degree tilt, advancing patiently through the rain, wind, and the fog. Nothing but rocks, valleys, and green slopes are visible; no cities or houses to speak of. Touchdown.
I grab my bag and step off the plane out into the miasma, like a condottiere in a spaghetti Western; my leather coat, black jeans, a bashed-up pair of steel-toed boots, and a plain black t-shirt. The apocalyptical Walter Mitty.

Taking another drag from his cigarette, Mark leaned back on the bus stop bench in front of the convenience store where Miners Park used to be, watching the grey smoke wind its way upward through the orange and gold of the falling leaves. He sat unmoving for a moment, as the red in the sky slowly retreated west, giving way to the deep blue of evening, before he picked up the handful of papers he'd printed out before he left home.

TAKE THREE GUYS WITH A LOVE FOR OLD-TIME MOUNTAIN MUSIC, ADD PLENTY OF D.I.Y. SPIRIT, AND INCLUDE A GENUINE PASSION FOR JUST PLAIN PLAYING MUSIC TOGETHER. DO THE MATH RIGHT, AND YOU HAVE THE ORIGINAL NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, CONNECTICUT'S OWN CAN KICKERS. VINNIE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO TAKE A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH ALL THREE MEMBERS, AND TRANSCRIBE IT INTO ONE OF THE MOST FUN INTERVIEWS HE'S EVER DONE.
Doug: (to both Dans) Can you guys hear, dude?
Dan Thompson: Yup.
Dan Spurr: Present.

It was 2001 when I first heard Beat Happening. It wasn't a love that rushed into my heart right away, but I'm told relationships take time. Soon, a friend made me a tape of the band that influenced my Nirvana and Fugazi crushes as a child, and then Beat Happening filled a void no substance or person could fill.

And the winner of this year’s “Aw, Hell! I Still Can’t Pinpoint Exactly Why I Can’t Stop Listening To This Record” Award is Bobby Digital Presents: Northstar. Yeah, I know. It’s only January. Eleven more months left. Will something better come along? Maybe. But I’m not sure anything I listen to will be more perplexing than this.

As most of you who read this know-- that is, if most of the people who read this don’t work for the paper or actually read comics-- this past month, Mark Millar released four comics all with the logo for his website on the cover.

Intro: Every January, Wayne and Vinnie tell the world what their favorite albums of the year were. This year, they wanted to include Debbie into the fold so they could have a sweet illustration of the three of them as Destro, The Baroness, and Cobra Commander. (Bet you can’t guess who got to be The Baroness?) Unfortunately, Debbie is up to his hair plugs in comic deadlines, so Wayne and Vinnie are once again left alone to do the recording industry justice.
WAYNE CHINSANG