Heavy Metal Sunday lowers the flags and celebrates a return.

The Metal World was shocked and saddened by the sudden death of Type O Negative frontman/bassist Peter Steele on April 14th. Early word is heart failure. Peter Steele was only 48 and left a legacy of great music and an inspired sense of humor. There is currently no word on whether the band will break up or seek to replace Peter.

So let's celebrate the life, work, and sick sense of humor of Peter Steele with My Girlfriend's Girlfriend off Type O Negative's 1996 release, October Rust. This one isn't embedable, but well worth a look.

Now the return. I've been a fan of Dr. Who since our local PBS station began broadcasting the Tom Baker episodes way back in 1978. The first convention I attended on my own was a Dr. Who con, I met kshandra at a Dr. Who fan club meeting, and while in the Army I was notorious for always having one of the novelizations on me at all times. To be blunt, i really like Dr. Who. Yesterday, after the Giants game, I tuned into the BBC and caught The End of Time. Great Master episode, and the idea that he was manipulated to be an evil entity by the High Council is chilling. The Master apparently meets his doom at the end of the story, but we've seen that before, so here's to The Master, with Vengeance by Yngwie Malmsteen.

104 years ago today

Today is the anniversary of the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906. When people gathered at Lotta's Fountain this morning at 0512 they were probably heartbroken to learn that for the first time ever there were no survivors on hand. The last known survivor passed away over the winter. But we'll still gather every year before dawn, those at home will wake up each April 18th to the sound of every fire engine in the city sounding it's siren, and each year the Fire Hydrant That Saved The Mission will get a fresh coat of gold paint. We're a region that treasures its past.

But the '06 quake is truly history now, remembered by none and consigned to written accounts and photographic evidence.

California earthquake you just don't know what you've done
We may fall off in the ocean, but you'll never make us run
You're a partner to the devil, but we ain't afraid of him
We'll build ourselves another town so you can tear it down again

The last cat video you'll ever need