Comments on: Accompaniments for Happy Hour is for Amateurs

By: Neville Bartoss

Neville Bartoss — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:18:41 +0000

In regards to the people who rip on you for the Thompsonian flourishes in your work, I’d say this: It’s not as though you have much choice in the matter. Anyone with an appreciation for prose who read his work couldn’t help but be influenced by it. Saying that, I don’t think that your work reads as derivative in anyway. I also think that your stuff’s getting even better as you go along- the recent series ‘A little of this, a little of that’ is a personal favourite. Your characterisation of ‘Henry’ is just brilliant.
I also enjoyed your recommendations. It was good to see the inclusion of a gin on the list- I was beginning to wonder about its absence from your writing, starting to suspect that some ugly incident had queered your view of the stuff. That would have been a real loss. Summer just wouldn’t feel right without gin and tonics.
Anyway, I’m a big fan of your writing and I’m looking forward to the new book. Cheers.
PL: I wonder if Henry still has his finance gig…
Thanks. As to the HST thing, I like the flow of his writing, and if people rip on me for sounding like his stuff, I take it as a compliment, for the reasons you cite.
I’ve been on a huge gin kick lately. Terrible, really, because it’s so damned refreshing and goes down so easily. I fired through a bottle of Bombay Sapphire over the weekend like it was water. Just casually sipping it. Tasty shit. I think the reason it hasn’t figured prominently before is I drank a lot of it Tanqueray in college and then stopped drinking the stuff up for close to a decade. Many of the pieces about the law firm years find me in my vodka and bourbon days, and well, most of the memorable drunks of the past I flash back to in them tend to derive from bourbon.
Why I didn’t stick with gin throughout all those years I don’t know. I think vodka just kind of took its place. But I’m back to it now, with a vengeance.

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:37:23 +0000

Fantastic addendum to the book — I was just saying to a friend of mine that if HST had gone into law instead of journalism, he probably would have written a lot like this, and more than likely he’s the only other writer who would have thought to include a suggested drinks list to go with his book. I mean that as a compliment of the highest order.
On the subject of compliments, I showed the book to a close friend of mine who’s a lawyer in Toronto, Canada, and he thumbed through the first few pages. Despite the differences in the legal systems between Canada and the States, his response went like this:
“This is the most accurate statement regarding law as a profession that I’ve ever read — and I’m only on page two.”
Needless to say, he loved it, and so did I. Congratulations on your well-deserved success.
PL: I take that as an unwarranted, but much appreciated compliment of the highest order. People rip me for openly allowing his influence to show in my writing. I say, when a man’s been right in 90% of what he said, and pretty much looks like a sage in his assumption that the American Dream we presently flog is a perverted, clownish shadow of what it’s supposed to be, why not absorb some of his voice? Between him and Carlin, you have all the insight on our society you’ll ever need.
Thanks, by the way, for circulating the book. I love the idea the thing does well in Canada. I’d like to think you’re all up there laughing at us. We deserve it.

By: The Cad

The Cad — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:35:46 +0000

Yuengling Lager – my personal favorite beer
Nice variety in drinks
PL: Thanks.
Try some of the extreme IPAs out there.

By: TenPercenter

TenPercenter — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:45:15 +0000

As you can see by the TypeKey ident, I’ve been a fan for a big long time.
I’ve had to do some catch up reading as I’ve been busy.
Thanks for this list. I might have to try a chapter a night, with the suggested menu.
I could probably dust the book off in a night, but I think I’d be a sloppy mess by the end of it.
I’ve also ordered 3 copies of the book today.
One for me, like I said, really busy, yeah, been out since October, I had stuff going on, one for my best friend and another for the little brother.
Thanks for everything man!
PL: Thanks, man, that is more than appreciated.
I was quite a sloppy mess at the end of writing it. I’m just able to start reading it again now, to knock off some typos for the paperback.

By: Chuckles

Chuckles — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:06:47 +0000

Seeing another commenter mention “Dixie Chicken” reminded me that “Spanish Moon” (live version, naturally) wasn’t on the list anywhere. I find that surprising. The groove and feel of that song fits an awful lot of your stories.
Ranier, in its pre-Miller days, was a mediocre but unique regional beer, like Olympia or Weinhard’s. Goddamn Miller. Many people from the Northwest have fond memories of Vitamin R.
PL: “Vitamin R”… Nice. Cracked me up.
“Spanish Moon” goes with “Lit Up.”

By: FreakNasty

FreakNasty — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:48:36 +0000

Upon reading this list I realize how large the generational gap is between us. A mid 20′s guy like me just couldn’t get into 90% of the songs listed here. Having said that, I think you would absolutely love some of the stuff I listen to. Ten percenters must have similar tastes right? Not what I expected, but maybe what I should have. I press this book on everyone I know and it will be treasured for a long, long time.
PL: Thank you. You’re probably right. I’ll listen to just about anything.

By: Rosie Palmer

Rosie Palmer — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:43:05 +0000

Oh, another drink I’m fond of is known, in some parts, as the “Rebel Yell”… It’s Maker’s Mark and Mountain Dew. PIZZA! PIZZA!
PL: Nothing that goes well with MD wouldn’t go better with Red Bull.
By the way, Twatter won’t let me join with a Diner’s Club. Can I borrow the numbers for that Cuban credit line?

By: Rosie Palmer

Rosie Palmer — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:09:05 +0000

OK, so I tried it… Twatter.com that is… I’m too stupid and old to really grasp what it’s all about.
I also attempted to post some follow up suggestions here in the format presented, but shit the bed on that. So today, I’ve decided to “microblog” (I like that, reminds me of “microdot”) about what ring tones I have on my phone as a linkage to this discussion.
It’s a long way to the top – AC/DC – I use this for all work related numbers.
Search & Destroy – Stooges – One person I know has this ring, it’s fitting, that’s all I’ll say.
Whipping Post – Brothers – My “life-partner” and my “life-partner’s” parents (you dig?)
If you want blood – AC/DC – My siblings and parents.
Long Haired Redneck – David Allen Coe – a childhood friend and a buddy from Havasu.
Heading out to the highway – Judas Priest – Motorsports contacts.
No one left to run with anymore – Brothers – Philalawyer and two other people from the same “place” on the E=MC5 continuum of human existence.
Ace of Spades – Motorhead – Default ringtone.
As you know, I’ve been on the Jaeger and RedBull for over 10 years (since I first had it when I was up in Tahoe, doing the whole “arboreal thing”, where it was referred to as a “Blaster”). So I guess that would be the drink of choice for each… PIZZA! PIZZA!
PL: I had a response, but I think it’s best to just repeat this:
E=MC5
One of those perfect encapsulations.
How’s Lance, by the way? This is what, you’re fifth anniversary?
Red Bull + Bookers. Just try it.

By: ryan

ryan — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:27:34 +0000

What is El Scorcho’s statement? I always thought it was just another song about an unattainable asian girl, with a bunch of pop culture references in the mix.
Loved your book, it’s been passed halfway throughout the office and enjoyed by most so far.
PL: Make the bastards buy it!
El Scorcho is about hot sauce.
Really, thanks for pushing the book. Pass it around to everyone.

By: K.

K. — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:42:11 +0000

El Scorcho for both the walkaway song and in Constanza Method II? Awesome song, but still you can’t have it twice in the same playlist.
I know you’ve already got a couple Zevons in there, but I’ll suggest Desperadoes Under the Eaves for the lead in of Everything Went Pink and I’m surprised you didn’t work Dixie Chicken in there somewhere.
PL: I was going to use “Easy to Slip” in a couple places instead of “Dixie Chicken,” or “Sailin’ Shoes” for the interview near the end, but they didn’t seem to click exactly for me.
On “El Scorcho,” I can never hear it enough. It’s perfectly obnoxious in some inscrutable way I can’t quite explain and also has that excellent chorus. “I’m a lot like you, so please, hello…” Translated loosely, I’m a lot like you and we’re both just laughing at the condition of it all. \Or maybe not. Maybe just singing about hot sauce. Either way, that crazy guitar line, going from low to high to low to high is addictive. Dissonant, but melodic.
I like Rivers Cuomo. He’s earnest enough and pragmatically sarcastic in the same breath. A guy who seems to give a shit, but isn’t crazy enough to think it matters.