From the grand G:TB tradition of throwing up ideas for recurring features and then letting them die on the vine comes today's episode, inspired by legendary SoCal punks, Social D. In addition to catalyzing this sure to be successful running concept, the band that brought you Ball and Chain, Prison Bound, and Story of My Life (and dozens of other rollicking classics) also triggered the following exchange, which occurred several days after I introduced the 'I Was Wrong' blogpost idea:
Teejay: I know who Social Distortion is.
Rob: Okay, who are they?
Teejay: The seminal punk band.
Rob: You got that from Wikipedia, didn't you?
Teejay (sheepishly): Yes.
I'll stipulate that my brother in blogging is several years younger than Whit and I, and a product of the hip-hop generation, but he's also a connoisseur of 80s cheese metal, so his tastes run at least a little to blazing guitars and insistent percussion. It's almost...almost unforgivable that he didn't know Social Distortion. We'll give him a pass because he's a Jets fan and needs a little tenderness right now. But he was wrong.
I was wrong - way wrong - about how bad the Washington Nationals would be in 2007, though I was hardly alone. I also purchased 12 Inches of Snow because I thought Informer was a catchy little ditty. My bad.
Whitney had a particularly ill-advised flattop-mullet during our freshman year of college, though he did it to protest his mother's admonitions about the length of his hair. Regardless, he was wrong.
The Mike Ness Files will return to this space periodically to catalogue our various ill-conceived prognostications and expectorations. Or not. I could be wrong.
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Whitney's Addendum: Well, I was even more wrong about the Washington Nationals this year. I'll admit it. I penned a ridiculous piece comparing them to (mostly) terrible sitcoms. I bashed and mocked, then not only felt stupid when there were nine teams as bad or worse than the Nats, but felt a karmic beatdown when the Nationals contributed directly to my team of choice failing to make the playoffs. I was way wrong; I'm not saying Jim Bowden was right, but I was wrong.
I've been dead wrong for several seasons in betting that the Wizards won't make the playoffs; perhaps that's also cosmic backlash for this former season ticket-holder, current turncoat . . . but if TJ wants the bet, I'll make it again for this year.
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5 comments:
Age is no excuse for not knowing Social D. I plan to play Ball and Chain at my wedding reception. Just to see the looks of horror on my in-laws faces. Also, it fucking rocks.
Mark, great minds think alike. I filed a complaint with Verizon Wireless because the only ringtone I ever wanted to purchase was "Ball and Chain" for my wife's number, yet they couldn't deliver it for my particular phone. Bastards.
it is perhaps unparalleled in the pantheon of those songs which rock. except maybe by 'sick boy'.
I saw Social D as recently as last fall; if they come to your town, buy the ticket.
And a fast fact from TJ "All I know about Social Distortion I learned on Wikipedia" Foyle: The band The Offspring formed in the parking lot outside a Social D show.
Rob was wrong.
April: "It says here that A-Rod will finish the 2007 season with more homers than the Nationals collect wins. And there’s a chance that it won’t really be close."
July: "I assure you this will be a close race all year long."
The final tally...
Nationals wins: 73
A-Rod homers: 54
It was a bold bet to make, but in the end, Rob was wrong. We at Gheorghe admit it.
And it's much easier for me to admit Rob's mistakes than my own.
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