So I’ve now got actual venues lined up for San Diego and LA.

San Diego: House of Blues, 5th Avenue Stage, February 20th at 8 PM.

Los Angeles: Hotel Cafe, February 21st at 11 PM. Sorry so late, but you LA people finish putting on your makeup until 10 anyway right?

So now the details for the west coast tour can now be found on my shows page. Blog that shit, a-sap!

Someone forwarded me a link to this video, supposedly by Christian pop artist and reformed homosexual Donnie Davies. I was pretty sure this was a joke (and a funny one), but I confess that it was a close call – it’s like looking at one of those optical illusions where first you see two faces and then you see a vase. Then I followed some links to his ministry site, Love God’s Way and was further convinced. There were just a few too many red flags and pink shirts.

Before I post stuff like this, I always like to cover my ass and make sure it’s not something really old, some hoax that everybody already knows about, a viral marketing thing that I’ve fallen for, etc. But it was hard to get any definitive info on this one. I went to Wikipedia and found that there was once an article, but it had been deleted for a number of reasons, basically because nobody could tell who this guy really was. Spooky.

A little more googling and I found a few debates and theories. And then finally this post from blogger Joe My God seems to put the matter to rest with a few links to some convincing evidence including a myspace page and a photo of a sketch comedy group: Donnie Davies is actor Joey Ogelsby. Thank goodness, my bullshit detector still pretty much works.

I have to say, it’s a subtle hoax – you almost never get a winky moment that tips you off. But the internet always knows. And now I’ve spent an hour doing this when I should be working. Thanks a lot Joey Ogelsby.

Just reminding the handful of people who actually read this thing: tonight I’ll be at Union Hall in Park Slope Brooklyn along with David Rees and Graham Smith. The show starts at 8:45 and it’s likely to be pretty full (or at least it was likely before I tempted fate by saying that), so you may want to buy tickets in advance. I can say these things about my set: there will be ukulele, I will have a guest backup vocalist, I will play the bass guitar for one song.

I almost forgot, it’s time for my customary last minute call for merch help – if you’d like to get in free and run the merch table, let me know. There’s a shiny new quarter in it for you.

Also, there is bocce…

John the Uke-ist has outdone himself. You remember John of course, who wore a hat and played Re: Your Brains on Ukulele on YouTube. I should first mention that he sent me a second version of this video, this time with zombie footage. And now I find out he’s also done a video for Tom Cruise Crazy a la Uke, plus backing vocals. Nice work John the Uke-ist.

Oh, also? Glenn tells me that Tom Cruise is the Scientology Jesus. Nice to see the guy’s finally getting some recognition.

Guess where I had lunch this week? Here’s a hint (and a picture of my dessert, post-eating):

Hodgman and I performed for Google employees at the New York office on Wednesday, and then ate in the cafeteria. It’s true what they say, lunch is really excellent there, not only because it’s free. I had a veal chop grilled with sage and a side of truffled macaroni and cheese. Crazy! There were like eight different salad bars there, and a guy grilling sirloin steaks to order. We walked around the offices a bit too, and saw countless happy workers riding on scooters, doodling on white boards, and participating in bake-offs – really everything but adding a multiple destination option to Google maps.