Sleeping With the Fishes

Exhibit A in how to kill your career before it even took off:

Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg is threatening to axe scenes starring actor Tyler Nelson in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie after he leaked the plot line to an Oklahoma newspaper. Upcoming star Nelson, 24, was so excited about landing a role alongside Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett in Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, he revealed the plot and every major scene to local paper, the Edmond Sun. And now Spielberg is considering cutting all scenes featuring Nelson from the film following his betrayal. A spokesman for Spielberg says, "Who knows if he's ever going to work in town again?" The new Indiana Jones movie has been shrouded in secrecy since filming began earlier this year. The title of the sequel was only made public by actor Shia LaBeouf at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas on September 9.

I Love the Way You Put Me in the Big House

From TMZ.com:

Paris Ordered to Serve 45 Days in Jail

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has sentenced Paris Hilton to 45 days in L.A. County jail for violating her probation in a reckless driving case. Judge Michael T. Sauer handed down the harsh sentence, telling Paris she will not be allowed work release, furloughs, use of an alternative jail or electronic monitoring in lieu of jail. She must do the time!

The next season of the Simple Life, perhaps? Nicole Richie needs to get busted on some charge and get thrown in jail to be Paris's cellmate.

Father of the Year

Alec Baldwin.

Believe in Nothing

"If you wanna hang out you've got to take her out..."

Some stories are just too good to be true.

Richards Denies Snorting His Dad's Ashes
Keith Richards Denies Snorting His Father's Ashes; Magazine Says It Wasn't a Joke

LONDON Apr 4, 2007 (AP)— Off the cuff or up the nose? That was the question Wednesday as Keith Richards said he was joking when he described snorting his father's ashes along with a hit of cocaine.

"It was an off-the-cuff remark, a joke, and it is not true. File under April Fool's joke," said Bernard Doherty, a Rolling Stones spokesman, about Richards' quote in NME magazine.

But the magazine said on its Web site that the remark was "no quip, but came about after much thinking" by the 63-year-old guitarist.

...

In a statement posted on the Rolling Stones Web site, Richards said:

"The complete story is lost in the usual slanting! The truth of the matter is that I planted a sturdy English Oak. I took the lid off the box of ashes and he is now growing oak trees and would love me for it!!! I was trying to say how tight Bert and I were. That tight!!! I wouldn't take cocaine at this point in my life unless I wished to commit suicide."

The result? Keith Richards is now the subject of two of the greatest urban myths in the history of rock n roll. I think the other myth was a little more believable: that he checked into a clinic in Switzerland and had a complete blood transfusion to try to kick his heroin habit. Kudos to the New York Post as well for the best headline ever written.

And Now For Something Completely Different

I would like to congratulate my friends in the DC band the reserves, for finishing their first album. They've scheduled a release party/performance at Iota Club and Cafe this Friday. I've seen them several times in bars and clubs around DC, and on one weekend trip up to New York City and friendship aside, I can vouch that they are good. You can pick up the album on iTunes or CD Baby. Check them out.

R.I.P. CBGB's

Check out this Rolling Stone report from the final performance at CBGB's.

On that note, watch this epic 3-song, 6-minute performance by the Ramones at CBGB's.



Gabba Gabba Hey!

Fallout

I'm working on an in-depth comment and analysis of the political fallout of the Mark Foley resignation, which I'm hoping to have up sometime tomorrow.

In the meantime, check out this joint performance by U2 and Green Day last weekend for the opening ceremony of the first New Orleans Saints home game at the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina last year.

Quick Update

I've been swamped with school work for the last week or so, so I haven't been able to write on this very much. I have a few ideas kicking around and some possible blog entries at different stages of completion.

In the meantime, keep yourself entertained with this stunning live performance by Jeff Buckley.

Wish You Were Here

"Come on you raver, you seer of visions, come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!"

Several news organizations are reporting that Pink Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett has died.

Barrett was the band's leader and creative force during its early years before he eventually left the band and was replaced by David Gilmour, and Pink Floyd went on to become one of the best selling and most influential bands of all time. More info on Pink Floyd here and Syd Barrett here.

He was also a central theme of the band's 1975 album Wish You Were Here (hence the title of this entry and the use of the album cover). "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is about him, and during Pink Floyd's performance at Live 8 last summer, Roger Waters told the audience,"It's quite emotional standing up here with these guys... We're doing this for everyone who's not here. And particularly, of course, for Syd," before performing "Wish You Were Here."

Rolling Stone has reached into its archives and dug up this 1971 interview with Syd Barrett which you should read. According to the MTV News writeup, he hasn't given an interview since 1971, so this could be the one.

Finally, this bit of information coming in from the Department of Bad Karma: Rolling Stone is reporting that although Barrett died on July 7, it was not announced until today (July 11). Today is also the day that the DVD version of Pink Floyd's 1995 live album Pulse is released.