Someone quoted from one of my favorite contemporary singer-songwriters, and didn't appear to know who it was: Todd Snider's first album, 'Songs from the Daily Planet' is terrific from beginning to end. 'My Generation (Part Two).' has the line 'Hang your hair down in your eyes, you';ll make a million dollars' It's hysterical.

I teach High School, and half my kids tell me they listen to alternative music. When I ask the what that means, they get as glazed-eyed as when we discuss quantum mechanics. I have REM's single 'Fall on Me' on '45 - that was alternative 20 years ago...

In Snider's song, the band tries to fit in in Seattle, then out-does the local 'alternative' bands by not recording anything. They're finally out-done by a band that isn't even together. ("Talk about alternative - that's alternative to alternative... I feel stupid - AND contagious!' I did that for the last time at a school variety show 5 years ago, when it seemed like grunge had finally died - dedicated to a student who was still a huge Nirvana fan. At the time, Cobain had checked out, Courtney Love was a movie star, and another Seattle band (Soundgarten??) had just broken up. I sang the song while sone kids still got the joke.

I also sang Lehrer's "ELement song' last year at an awards assemply (I teach AP Chemistry), and still recall the lines:

'In Cherman, oder Englisch, I know how to count down -
And I'm learning Chinese, says Wernher von Braun.'

(Once the rockets go up - who cares where they go down?
That's not my department says Werner von Braun)