Despite the Obviously Displayed Disclaimer Above, I received a piece of vitriolic mail via Compuserve re my Newty comments. Some people find it hard to believe that some people are unimpressed with the man.

The tone of the missive reconfirmed my belief in the oxymoronic nature of intellectual ideologues. The search for any ultimate truth is surrendered to a tortured logic of justification for what are basically emotional outbursts. Why are these so-called thinkers so attracted/addicted to simple answers? No wonder the war on drugs is such a failure. People must be addicted to something, even if it's an idea with no redeeming value except to make you feel like you've figured things out. To paraphrase the N man: I think, but I hate the effort.

Also got my cummupence on the the theory about lousy first gigs. I am apparently responsible for the worst musical experience of some poor soul's entire life (Palo Alto). I'd be terribly upset except for the fact that he tried to get me to give him Prairie's gig at the end of the complaint. I am sorely tempted to give it to him and put up a banner bearing his e-mail address behind the drum riser.

I've got a night off in Tokyo. Japan is kind of melancholy, what with natural and man-made disasters and an anemic economy. I think the last symptom is the worst for a culture that has elevated shopping to a religious experience. The end result is that most of the happy shiny commercials that reenforced product recognition and brand loyalty have been replaced by exercises in consumer intimidation- a kind of screaming match in the casbah. Were it not for the continued loyalty and sweetness of the music fans here, I'd be as depressed as everyone else.

The band is starting to gel nicely. Now if some smart alec out there thinks he can tune a guitar for me, he might get my serious attention.