Happy Birthday, Marcus!

How could I go on hiatus without wishing The World's Loveliest Boy a Very Happy Birthday? I don't know what I was thinking. Marcus has been either the direct source of or inspiration for many of kerplink's best links. So much of what I put here comes out of our conversations, which are always full of what the best kind of conversation is all about: fun and silliness and serious stuff and hardcore bonding. And he was one of my very first, most supportive readers, which means so, so much to me. He's boy, he's friend, he's boyfriend, he's the best. And now, he's 26. Yay! And I'm going to see him tomorrow! Double, even triple yay!
Wednesday, February 20, 2001 12:01 a.m.

Vacation Time

I'm taking a 2-week break from kerplink, starting today. I'm going away for a while, and I need to take some time to just read stuff that's out there without constantly thinking "oh, would that link do for kerplink?" Now's as good a time as any to do that, so I'll see you all on March 5 or thereabouts.
Monday, February 19, 2001 01:59 p.m.

Eminem: Grammy or Groan?
The New York Times has lots to say about Eminem these days. Between the above piece by Mim Udovitch which ran in their Magazine and this one by Jon Pareles, questioning why Em gets boos and hisses while Steely Dan are given a free pass, there's lots of fodder for yet another debate about the ill-tempered mutated seabass. Er, I mean rapper. I really don't know how I feel about the whole thing. He's full of hatred and anger and self-loathing, and all the misogyny and homophobia in his lyrics make me very uncomfortable. Then again, he's an incredible lyricist and performer. Does he really have a responsibility to be a "responsible", acceptable artist simply because he's in the public eye? Do we hold one very fucked-up man responsible for our societal issues? I don't know. I've turned this over in my mind so many times that I now have the problem of being able to see it from every side, so now I find that I agree with bits of every argument, from the "boo! hiss!" side to the "Em rulz!" faction, but I don't have a clear opinion of my own. Which is a whole other level of discomfort.
Monday, February 19, 2001 01:49 p.m.

Matt is Back
Go now to read all about his vacation. Yay, Matt! Yay, SoCal road trips!
Monday, February 19, 2001 01:48 p.m.

Oh, Happy Day!
There's a new Bjork album due out May 21. I am so excited. It's called Vespertine, which is such a great name - it sounds religious & naughty all at once, with hints of vespers, valentines, and libertines running through it. Yay, Bjork!
Monday, February 19, 2001 01:46 p.m.

Check Yourself!
Amen, Omar. My public restroom usage has increased this year, and if there's just one rule we should live by in a public bathroom-using society, it's Please Check Your Flush.
Monday, February 19, 2001 01:44 p.m.