I finally broke down and started a Myspace page. I am the biggest loser in the world. Go check it out and be my friend.

Check out this site, it is amazing. Anonymous people send in their confessions on small cards in various different designs. It is sad, tragic and liberating all at the same time. An amazing slice of humanity.

I try not to get excessive with the superlatives when I talk about things that I like or that impress me. This is because I can tend to spout off about how great certain things are, and then later realize that they were just passing fads that didn't really have a permanent effect on me. That said, it's time for me to spout off!

I was able to go to the Sleater-Kinney show on Thursday night, and all I can say is "Wow." They are simply the best rock band out there today, bar none. I have rarely seen bands that play with the passion and intensity of S-K. The especially impressive thing about the show was the crowd - the band totally energized the crowd, and the dancing was furious. This is incredible considering that in Portland people don't move around a lot at shows. Getting a Portland crowd up and jumping is a great feat, but of course one could expect no less from hometown icons like S-K.

Their new CD, The Woods is also absolutely incredible, to the point that I would call it essential for any fan of loud rock music. It is simply an assault on the senses, yet with many layers of sublety and nuance that make it a masterpiece. It is not just a breath of originality in today's copycat rock 'n roll world -- it sets the standard. It firmly places Sleater-Kinney into the upper tier of greateness.

Since I've been on the subject of anger, this record fits perfectly. It is anger distilled into sonic form. It's not blind rage, but firm conviction. It is delivered with no pretense or posturing. It is also delivered at arguably the highest level of musicianship to be found in popular music today.

Wow, I just finished a nice long post on anger and once again, my post gets lost because of freakin' browser problems. What an ironic twist.

Anyway, what I was discussing was the subject of anger. A friend of mine recently wrote about me, saying that my anger at the problem of homelessness in PDX caused me to move to the city. I agree with this and I thank my friend for pointing this out. This revelation has caused me to notice some common threads in my life.

For example, a long time ago I was in a punk rock band and wrote a song called "Following." The chorus of the song contained the line: "Anger defines my life." Although that was the expression of a piss-and-vinegar punk rock kid at the time, it was also a prophetic statement. Anger really has defined my life, but not blind emotional rage. Rather, it is a conviction inside me that prevents me from merely looking aside at injustice. Some people see other people hurting and want to comfort them, to heal their wounds. I want to do this, too. But more than that I want to attack and destroy the things that oppress them and cause them harm.

I think that this is a gift that has been given to me. Like any gift it can be misused. When I watch too many political movies and read too many slightly biased news websites :), the anger can turn to rage and effectiveness is quickly thwarted. But it can also be focused and used, and I hope to continue to do so. I have come to grips with the idea that this is who I am.

Speaking of anger,Sleater-Kinney is playing tonight and tomorrow night at the Crystal Ballroom and I'd love to go. A little known fact is that the aformentioned punk band was once on the same record label as S-K back around '95, so I feel some sort of distant kinship. Plus, they're fantastic, and I've heard that their new record is their best yet. If you have a chance to see or listen I highly recommend it.