No, the Headline Wasn't in the Paper Sun: Dawn Patrol jingle writer Michael Lynch e-mailed me regarding my latest headline, "Biggest losers at tonight's MTV awards: the cars":

That should increase the chances of Traffic. And the Jam.

Easton Eden: I'm proud of a headline I wrote that's on page 9 of today's paper. It's for a story about streets being closed in midtown due to the MTV awards: "Biggest losers at tonight's MTV awards: the cars".

Quote of the Day: "Are we living in mellow times or what? There are now tables and chairs in the mosh pit at CBGB ... What's next, flowers?"—Pierre Jelenc, in the e-mail version of his highly useful Gigometer.

And They Didn't Even Say "Gesundheit": My Crabby Party Moment of the Week came this past Saturday night, at a barbecue hosted by a friend of Todd's. I wasn't wowed by anyone there save Todd (though, in all fairness, I used the mysterious, capricious, and utterly fallible Dawn Eden method of determining whether or not people looked worth approaching). Moreover, there was little healthful, non-meaty food to be had (well, what did I expect—it was a barbecue, after all).

And so it was that, after we'd been there an hour, while sitting next to Todd on our host's black bachelor-pad style futon, I was moved to sneeze. Three times, in rapid succession. As I did, I noticed that the conversation of the four people who were standing near us suddenly went dead quiet.

I lifted my head to look at them. Sure enough, they were staring at me.

I turned back towards Todd and said in a low, deliberate voice, "It's time to leave. People are watching me sneeze."

Dispatch From The Copy Desk: The young woman in the cubicle next to mine just called out to an editor across the room, "I was placing 'Fire trucks' and now I'm gonna place 'Dolls.'" Although I know she was just referring to the slugs of stories, she sounded so cute saying that in her little-girl voice, as though she were playing with toys. Much cuter than one of my male co-workers at the copy desk sounded a short while earlier, when he said of a proposed headline, "I have to do it: 'Village Manhole Blows'!"

Listen Here: Irwin Chusid's latest WFMU radio show, on which he played my contribution to The Stiff Generation, is now available online. You can hear my recording of "They Don't Know" towards the end of the show, round about 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 11 seconds in, give or take, and read the playlist here.

"You live downstairs from Dawn Eden? There must be a lot of noise." From music, he meant.I I can't recall who it was that made that comment to my neighbor, author and WFMU DJ Irwin Chusid (who produced the much-praised Langley Schools Music Project reissue), but I know what was Irwin's answer.

"Not at all. She just listens to Sixties music. No bass."

Irwin played my version of the Kirsty McColl/Tracy Ullman classic "They Don't Know" (from The Stiff Generation) on his WFMU show yesterday. You can see the playlist here. The playlist page should soon include a link to an archived version of the show. In the meantime, you can hear a snippet of my tune here, or buy the CD.

Thought for the Day: I'm waiting for the day that I'm working at my part-time job on the copy desk and a story comes about a chef who's created reduced-calorie versions of French desserts. Naturally, there'll be a vox populi sidebar in which ordinary citizens debate whether such dishes are worthy of the dessert carts of fine restaurants. I've got the headline ready: "NY'ers debate torte reform".