About Me:  1993 Graduate of Abilene Christian University (B.A. History). Masters degree from The University of Texas at Arlington in 2002 (M.A. History, emphasis on Pop Culture). I teach high school Government, Pop Culture, and History of Film. Also a member of a fabulous Elvis Costello tribute band called Oliver’s Army (www.oliversarmyband.com). Married to a wonderful woman with two beautiful children.


Favorite Album: As of this exact moment, it’s David Bowie’s Station To Station. But my default answer is Revolver.

Favourite Films:
Comedy: Raising Arizona—So funny, especially now that I have kids.
Drama: Schindler’s List—Maybe the most important film of the last 50 years.
Cult film: This Is Spinal Tap—And the commentary track is like a whole extra film.
Foreign film: Rashomon—Kurosawa, baby.

Favourite Concert: REM with Radiohead (circa Monster and The Bends) Dallas, TX. Reunion Arena, Sept 5, 1995.

Favourite Book: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. A long novel, every time I read it, I am unable to stop for great lengths of time. The most poignant, funny, and life-affirming novel I’ve ever read.


Top 5 Kurt Vonnegut novels:

1. Galapagos
2. Bluebeard
3. Cat’s Cradle
4. Slaughterhouse 5
5. Deadeye Dick



Articles:

November/December 2005
Feature: Kinky Friedman Wants To Be The Next Governor of Texas. How Hard Could It Be?
Feature: We All Shine On: Being There Remembers John Lennon
Album Review: Tim Fite's Gone Ain't Gone
Album Review: Tim O'Brien's Fiddler's Green & Cornbread Nation
Editorial: Sometimes Standing Up Means Keeping Your Seat


October 2005
Feature: The Hosty Duo: Proving that Less Really Is More
Feature: Being There's Halloween Frightfest
Column: Globetrotting
Album Review: Switchfoot's Nothing is Sound
Editorial: I Don't Have Any Problems


September 2005
Column: Should Have Been There
Album Review: Friends of Lizzy's Perfect Little Pieces
Album Review: Liza Lee's Scarlet Mark


August 2005
Column: Globetrotting - Part 2 - Paris
Album Review: Café Tacuba - Un Viaje
Album Review: Café Tacuba - Unplugged
Album Review: Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
DVD Review: Crazed Fruit
DVD Review: Unfaithfully Yours

July 2005
Feature: Top 10 Rock'n'Roll Movies
Column: Globetrotting - Paris
Editorial: I read the news today. Oh boy.
Album Review: Joshua Redman Elastic Band - Momentum
Album Review: Media Burn - Virtual Love
Album Review: White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan

June 2005
Feature: Unsmothered Brother
Feature: Soul-Junk: Making a Lot of Joyful Noise
DVD Review: F For Fake
Editorial: Passing the Lightsaber

May 2005
Album Reviews: Beck's Guero
Album Reviews: British Sea Power's Open Season
Album Reviews: John Doe's Forever Hasn't Happened Yet
Album Reviews: Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama's Live at The Apollo
Editorial: A Few Modest Proposals

April 2005
Feature: Kristin Hersh: Doing Things Differently
Column: Getting to Know Kurt Vonnegut
Album Review: Chatham County Line - Route 23
Editorial: Art, for Art's Sake

March 2005
Feature: Raging Bull - Requiem for a Heavyweight
Album Review: 50 Foot Wave - Golden Ocean
Album Review: McLemore Avenue - 926 East
Album Review: Various Soul Coughing reviews
Book Review: Eleanor Rigby: A Novel by Douglas Coupland
Editorial: It Takes A Village To Raise The Question

February 2005
Feature: Bigamy Sisters: Neither Bigamists, Nor Sisters. Discuss.
Album Review: Nothing is Cool, McEnroe and Birdapres
Album Review: Skittish/Rockity Roll, Mike Doughty,
DVD Review: King of the Hill: The Complete Third Season
DVD Review: The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Special Edition)
Editorial: Go Ahead, Throw Away Your Vote. Please.

December 2004
Feature: Being There 2004 Holiday Music Guide
Column: Getting to Know: David Bowie
Album Review: Lonely Runs Both Ways, Alison Krauss and Union Station
Album Review: , At the Organ EP, The Minus 5
Album Review: How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, U2
DVD Review: Spiderman 2
Unearthed DVD Review: Smothered - The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Editorial: Business As Usual

November 2004:
Column: Been There - Radiohead
Album Review: Del Amitri, Del Amitri
Album Review: Frank Black Francis, Frank Black Francis
Album Review: Shaheedullah And Stereotypes, Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Album Review: The Grind Date, De La Soul
Album Review: Outlaws and Angels, Willie Nelson & Friends
DVD Review: Homicide: Life On The Street: The Complete Season 5
DVD Review: The Ren & Stimpy Show - Uncut: The First and Second Seasons
Editorial: Caught In The Crossfire

October 2004:
Column: Battle Of The “Experts” - Documentaries
Column: Watching The Music: "Swimsuit Issue" by Sonic Youth
Album Review: A Comfortable Pair, The Jones Thing
Album Review: Il Sogno, Elvis Costello
Album Review: Pressure Chief, Cake
Album Review: Spooked, Robyn Hitchcock
Album Review: Thistupidream, BE
Book Review: In The Shadow Of No Towers, Art Spiegelman
Editorial: The Improbable Dream

September 2004:
DVD Review: Duel
Concert Review: Lyle Lovett

August 2004
Album Review: The Spine, They Might Be Giants