welcome.
crazyknee.com is:
a personal Web page launched Nov. 1, 2000,
the day Leanne had ACL/meniscus repair performed
on her right leg. Hence the "crazy knee."
This page will be updated in some weekly way.

30 june 2003 . 01:31 pm PT
Recommendations:

"28 Days Later." Very scary film, lots of blood spillage. I writhed in my seat repeatedly. The empty London streets are amazing to see (the world, you see, has just been wiped out by a horrible virus).

Fountains of Wayne,  "Welcome Interstate Managers." First-rate pop record, highly infectious and fun.

Also: Evan Dando (with Juliana Hatfield on bass) at Bottom of the Hill was good ... if abnormally loud. Not sure if it's just the way-cranked sound system in that small space, but my god! The new record "Baby I'm Bored" (which is also good; you can listen to it here. Love the Ben Lee cover.) is so NOT loud. What up with the disconnect?

Here's what John did on his 28th birthday last week:

27 june 2003 . 04:30 pm PT
Comics for diabetics! Apparently diabetics don't have a great sense of humor. Hmmph.

It's the third day of 90+ degree heat in SF. Girls are parading around in sundresses and tank tops, as city girls like to do all five days a year it's hot here. I was trying to figure out exactly how many 90+ days we have a year and this 2001 chart was helpful -- SF temps are in very light green, vastly eclipsed by San Jose's hotter, darker weather lines. It looks like 2001 delivered seven days of 90+ degree heat. An entire week! Thankfully there's always a cool ocean breeze, or we'd never survive. 

Fucking, Austria. [merci, contois]

Your greatest wish has been granted: Here are all the lyrics to every musical (and Disney movie) ever written, in one place. (You can even learn "Grease" in Spanish. I know you want to.) I found this site when looking up information on "Urinetown," which we just saw at the Geary Theater. It's pretty hilarious, making fun of musicals while also paying tribute. And making you realize how important it is to pee. And the singing, the dancing, the dramatic waving of jazz hands, the cheesy love songs! Excellent. Seats in the top top balcony are $20.

We missed the Black Keys opener at the Beck show (damn damn damn! We got there an hour after the scheduled "start" time, which I thought would afford us at least a taste of their set. I really wanted to see them, since they look like two white boys but sound like old bluesy black men). I urge you to fire up this stream of their full-length "Thickfreakness." 

Remarkable: This group of kids from Hunter's Point made a documentary about the 24 bus line; the 24 is an eight-mile route that travels from one end of the social spectrum to the absolute other side, from ghetto to richy rich, through family-fun Noe Valley to gay-friendly Castro, past projects and hippies, to the millionaire Victorians in the Marina. It was an awesome film; the young filmmakers talk to people in each neighborhood about where they live and what it's like there, and they record some true gems. In Pacific Heights, they knock on random mansion doors until an older man lets them in and gives a tour, while reminding them to choose their friends wisely. The audience at the screening nodded their heads, with a supporting chorus of "that's right" and "you said it."  

22 june 2003 . 10:44 pm PT

This Harry Potter madness is OUT OF CONTROL. Between midnight and 1am Saturday, B&N bookstores sold 286,000 copies -- 80 books a second. A SECOND!

We just saw Beck at the Greek Theater. He's very short but his hair looks good, and he can dance. I would write more, but I MUST watch the new "Sex and the City," STAT.

17 june 2003 . 10:22 pm PT
Bothum Baby update:

13 june 2003 . 03:53 pm PT
Oakland kids are all over these new noise-making mufflers, because "it's dat wooo wooo." Here are sounds bites from an interview with Bubb Rubb and Lil' Sis. Bust some beats and mix it up! Woo WOOOOO.

Check out the "snarkiest" online dating site. It's made especially for "jaded sarcastic wankers," and brought to you by Ben Brown. It can't help but pale in comparison to Friendster, the latest killer app (Friendster is everywhere! both Harold and Maude are members!). If you're mo' money, try Date-A-Doc.com (!). And though I'm no longer in the online matchmaking biz, I do enjoy reading my "dating advice" in French and German. 

Every single day, for the last five years, this dude has taken his picture and posted it online. Watch his hair grow! He also has good links to other crazy photo projects.

We're going camping, right now! Never enough. More of this in your future:

11 june 2003 . 03:40 pm PT

We went camping this weekend, and scaled mountains covered in dry yellow grass. It may not look dangerous, but it was a steep hike, on these hills directly above our picnic tables. (The salmon crossing happened at the stream below our tents.) Those with weak knees (Wendy and I) slid back down the hill, butt to the grass. It was surprisingly fast going. And mighty fun. Our camp site was a designated "horse camp." Even though we left our ponies at home, the neighboring horses snorted out whooping bellows at odd intervals during the night. For fun. Or perhaps to scare off the raccoons and snakes.

The next day we drove all over the countryside. Saw fog on lonely Mt. Vision, the old Point Reyes lighthouse, a sunken ship, and a coyote.

In other news, I now have a California driver's PERMIT. Since my DC license has disappeared, I've been going through the motions to get licensed to drive in CA. Right now, I need an over-25 driver in the car with me. At all times. I'm quite nervous about taking the driving test, which I may very well have to do if the District of Columbia doesn't help me out. Parallel parking!

The Bothums welcomed an amazingly adorable baby girl into the world on Sunday. Gaze in wonder and joy:

05 june 2003 . 06:30 pm PT
The Pulpy made his first ever trip to San Francisco last week, and jesus was that fun. Especially when I went shopping with him and his parents on Haight Street, approving the "sexy" boots his momma picked out. Also made my first appearance at Thee Parkside -- good stuff! There's a big open patio, and, uh beer. Slobberbone played, boy did they. It's beer-drinking bar rock, which I don't get enough of these days.

We also took The Pulpy to Santa Cruz, only to find out he does not ride rides. Boring! So instead there was this:

There was also a quick pit-stop on Twin Peaks, the highest point in this city, packed with tourists gaping at the vistas below. I had this simply amazing shot all lined up, Cormi surrounded by a gaggle of foreigners ... and the bitch moved out of the way so all I have is this (that's his shoulder on the right). Yeah, great:

The next MTV Fraternity Life is currently being filmed in Santa Cruz, and wouldn't you know it, those frat boys kidnapped UCSC's pet koi Goldie and, this is sick folks, allegedly grilled and ate the giant fish. Monsters!