I know this is way late for discussion, but we just got "American Idiot" and it is amazing. It actually manages to deserve most of the hype, which is nice.

Damn straight. It took a couple listens for me to see it, but after it grew on me, I was impressed as hell. There's just so much goddamn passion in it.

Has anyone heard Imogen Heap's single 'Hide and Seek'? It gives me chills.

It was in the season finale of The OC, and I had to download it. FREAKY song.

Now, we're not ones to go round spreadin' rumors Why really, we're just not the gossipy kind! Oh, you'll never hear one of us repeating gossip! So you'd better be sure and listen close the first time

Sorry for the Hee Haw earworm (and if you know the song and try to tell me you aren't earwormed by it you's a lyin' mo...), but I got gossip on my mind and it's Amy Reiter's* fault. From today's Salon:

Speaking of dribbles from unsavory tomes … Karrine Steffans' memoir, "Confessions of a Video Vixen," forthcoming from HarperCollins, reportedly contains Steffans (aka "Superhead") spilling details on her long line of famous lovers. And? Shaquille O'Neal was "nothing to complain about" and generous -- depositing $10,000 into Steffans' bank account after sharing an encounter with her. Sean "Puffy/P.Diddy" Combs was "average." And Bobby Brown was crazy in the sack -- literally: "He told me he was a member of Al Qaeda and that President Bush was looking for him," reports the experienced video star. (Rush & Molloy)

There are more stars covered in the full list. So is Bobby or Whitney the crazy one in the relationship?

• Pointless trivia: the caterer for my wedding catered Amy's wedding, maybe at the same place, too. Somewhere in the park. PT 2: George Rush the gossip columnist is not my friend George Rush. My friend George, however, is -- hey, Jesse! -- Will Holshouser's bandmate, and Will will be playing at the wedding. George will join him to perform the processional music (Arlen/Mercer's "My Shining Hour") but mostly will be a guest, not the talent.

So is Bobby or Whitney the crazy one in the relationship?

Bobby is nuts, but that's his prerogative. Whitney's not crazy, she's just a crackhead. But that's Bobby's fault.

Jesse may have a more informed opinion on this.

Speaking of fucked-up love songs, how was the Richard Thompson show, Joe? My friend Jesse (not the Buffista one) raved over it and made me even sorrier I couldn't go.

And on the same tip, John Darnielle is playing two rooftop solo shows in Brooklyn this weekend! I know where I'm spending my 4th! [link]

I was reminded of this line from a live Mountain Goats show, available with their blessings from etree.org, with Darnielle discussing the then-forthcoming We Shall All Be Healed: "The next album features absolutely *no* wounded-party love songs. Because - [audience protests] - no, no, no, because when you're in love with peanut-butter crank, you don't *get* wounded.... Everybody wins with methamphetamines!"

Terrible lies, of course, because "Your Belgian Things" is possibly the saddest song he's ever written, and one of the few that can reliably make me cry. (To bring us back to the start here, I'll note that Mary Lou Lord's cover of "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" is the only other one that comes to mind -- RT's original, somehow, does not make that particular cut.)

If Whitney is a crackhead, that's her own fault, not anyone else's. Even Bobby Brown, who is I admit a tempting target for blame.

Anyway, didn't she say crack was too ghetto of a drug for her to use?

People saying my name over and over!

Whitney is nuts. And also a crackhead. As is Bobby.

Anyway, didn't she say crack was too ghetto of a drug for her to use?

Yes. Crack is wack. She makes too much money to ever smoke crack!!

Jesse! I am wearing a Jill Anderson dress today, and it has gingham, so it's like a twofer.

Yay!