Well, as exciting and and all as Christmas is supposed to be, I'm relieved that it's over, I guess... I mean, as I stated earlier, I always (always) get a feeling of "excitement" when Christmas comes around... It's very much the kid in me that still has a lot of control from time to time. The reality of the situation, nowadays, is a bit sobering, though... Y'know... the whole "missing people," the whole "no presents" (thanks Santa... dick)... Don't get me wrong... I'm not any type of "Bah Humbug" guy... I really enjoy seeing how Christmas affects those around me... just kinda aggravates me in the end, anymore. So yeah, it's time for all that to go away, again, until late November of next year.
At least I got to see Duncan and his wife... and Anne, his little sister (his other sister, Alee, didn't make it up, this year... bummer)... and his mom... and his grandma, yesterday. Granted, it was only for a couple hours in the middle of a crowded restaurant and not how we all usually "get together," but still... I take what I can get when it comes to my friends. I hope that he (and his goofy wife) can get his ass up here again, soon... He's one of my most cherished friends on the planet. I'd probably rather go down there and visit, but I never know what my work schedule is going to be like, so... y'know.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Okay... Hello, Christmas Eve... :)
So... Just got off work... have a few shots of that lovely, smooth, dark tequila in me... at 7am... awesome... Totally took the edge off of what was a very difficult week.
That's about all I have to look forward to for Christmas... Things... they just ain't the same no more...
I don't consider myself remotely a "drinker," anymore... I had plenty of that in my teens and early 20s... Every now and then, I will "tie one on..." usually, with a group of friends in some form of celebration for some event... This morning, I am drinking to "me." I made it through a rough few weeks... survived, relatively unscarred.
I see the sun is starting to creep its way up... here's to you, Mr. Sol... and all your bright, shiny glory...
(three shots later) Yeah... This stuff is awesome...
I totally walked out without telling young miss Katie Jo Merry Christmas (she usually doesn't work early in the morning, but she was there when I left... much to my surprise... drinking a Tim Horton's hot chocolate - I don't think she's ever worked mornings before) so I must make that all proper...
(a quick phone call later) Okay... problem solved... I work with some really great people... I must say. They're the closest thing to "family" I have around here, anymore... I mean, I still have some good friends (Mike, Jarrod & Steve) around and some cousins and such (one whom I am employed by the same company with)... but we don't spend nearly the time together that we used to when our fathers were still roaming the earth... I think I really miss that more than anything about the whole "Christmas" thing... and go figure, the one cousin who I'm still really close with ("J.R.") is in Florida for Christmas (his first Christmas away from 1717 Timmonds, ever)... That totally bums me out...
So... to Aaron L., Jim, "Humble Pie" (you have no idea how much I wish you were still around), Gina, Tom, Mike, Joe, Pam, Aaron B., Mark K., "Corona," Jason, Dave K., Andy, Tim, Brian, Roger, Ian W., Jeff B., Dave D., Rhonda, Bob, and even you Dan, (and you guys I don't "work with" but still have a really good time with) Ian E., Katie, Melanie, Trent, Jeana, Heather, Meagan, Sara, Margaux, Brandy, Jeff C., Mark J., Charlotte, Paul, Mr. Mark Arms (miss you, man... much thanks) - Merry Christmas.
So... Just got off work... have a few shots of that lovely, smooth, dark tequila in me... at 7am... awesome... Totally took the edge off of what was a very difficult week.
That's about all I have to look forward to for Christmas... Things... they just ain't the same no more...
I don't consider myself remotely a "drinker," anymore... I had plenty of that in my teens and early 20s... Every now and then, I will "tie one on..." usually, with a group of friends in some form of celebration for some event... This morning, I am drinking to "me." I made it through a rough few weeks... survived, relatively unscarred.
I see the sun is starting to creep its way up... here's to you, Mr. Sol... and all your bright, shiny glory...
(three shots later) Yeah... This stuff is awesome...
I totally walked out without telling young miss Katie Jo Merry Christmas (she usually doesn't work early in the morning, but she was there when I left... much to my surprise... drinking a Tim Horton's hot chocolate - I don't think she's ever worked mornings before) so I must make that all proper...
(a quick phone call later) Okay... problem solved... I work with some really great people... I must say. They're the closest thing to "family" I have around here, anymore... I mean, I still have some good friends (Mike, Jarrod & Steve) around and some cousins and such (one whom I am employed by the same company with)... but we don't spend nearly the time together that we used to when our fathers were still roaming the earth... I think I really miss that more than anything about the whole "Christmas" thing... and go figure, the one cousin who I'm still really close with ("J.R.") is in Florida for Christmas (his first Christmas away from 1717 Timmonds, ever)... That totally bums me out...
So... to Aaron L., Jim, "Humble Pie" (you have no idea how much I wish you were still around), Gina, Tom, Mike, Joe, Pam, Aaron B., Mark K., "Corona," Jason, Dave K., Andy, Tim, Brian, Roger, Ian W., Jeff B., Dave D., Rhonda, Bob, and even you Dan, (and you guys I don't "work with" but still have a really good time with) Ian E., Katie, Melanie, Trent, Jeana, Heather, Meagan, Sara, Margaux, Brandy, Jeff C., Mark J., Charlotte, Paul, Mr. Mark Arms (miss you, man... much thanks) - Merry Christmas.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
I drank so much Cuervo Especial as a youth, I developed an aversion to even the smell of tequila... I tried some of this a few months ago... extremely tasty... way, way, smooth... I almost bought a bottle of scotch (my love), but there was one bottle of this left... so I decided I must have it (I must, I must).I hear people say stuff like, "Mix it with Coca-Cola..." Fuck that... mix it with mah belly.
Merry Christmas to me, damnit (I'm getting something for Christmas this year, even if I have to buy it for myself)... I have to work tonight, so I won't get a chance to have any until tomorrow... but I know it'll be here, waiting for me. :)
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
People are so Funny...
So... the other night, one of my friends at work (we'll call him "Jim") was telling me about how his cousin, another friend of mine (we'll call him "Herb"), was telling him about how he found a "video of himself playing with (a particular band that shall remain nameless) at the Alrosa Villa on YouTube." I found this to be both hilarious and puzzling... For starters, "Herb" is one of those guys that likes to tell people he plays guitar... but when it gets down to it, he doesn't do a whole lot of playing, but a lot of talking about it... oh... what's the word I'm looking for? Oh, yeah... a poseur. Maybe that's a little harsh... maybe it isn't... I dunno.
"Herb" once got a hold of a demo I did and went around playing it for girls (and some guys, too, I guess) telling them that it was him on the guitar... When a couple of the girls played me a copy of the tape he made for them and said, "Isn't he great?" - well... after laughing hysterically for a few moments, I picked up my guitar and started playing along verbatim with the recording... They were like, "Wow, did he show you the songs?" (more hysterical laughter) After I explained that it was actually me on the recordings (and provided proof in the way of the master recordings), one of the girls laughed and the other was pretty unhappy... I later learned that he used the tape to attempt a crack at her poonanner...
(It's interesting to note that the day my friend (we'll call him "Steve") and I went to mix that demo, a particular country artist (we'll call him "Billy Ray Cyrus") was sitting, listening to the roughed tracks when we got there (we were recording in his keyboardists' studio)... He was all like, (imagine a Kentucky accent) "Man, I'd love to sing on your songs... I love rock 'n' roll, but y'know, country pays the bills... You heard that song by the Rolling Stones '19th Nervous Breakdown?' I LOVE that shit..." Having had plenty of experience with him in the past, we were both thinking, "Yeah, right... don't call us, we'll call you..."
He proceeded to go in the other room with the engineer and do a bunch of blow... and six months later "Achy Breaky Heart" was everywhere, and I would have loved to have had BRC singing metal on tape... Coulda fetched a pretty penny...)
Anyhow... The other thing I found interesting about "Herb's" story was the fact that I was pretty familiar with the band that he was referring to... One of my amigos (we'll call him "Hoshimoto") played drums for them at the time that "Herb" was claiming to have played for them... As long as I could remember, they were a one-guitar band (we'll call him "Rick 'Rikki' Soga")... Could it be that somewhere between the time in '92 that I watched "Herb" run out of one of my band's rehearsals in a feverish sweat when I offered to let him sit in on a couple songs and '94 (when the band he was referring to broke up), he actually learned how to play a guitar worth a shit? Well... I couldn't take it anymore, and after a little digging... "Herb" is still as full of shit as he ever was...
Humorous... yet kind of sad. I mean, don't get me wrong... I like "Herb." He was always a good guy to me and very devoted to music... He just always seemed to, like, try too hard. He didn't need to be so overblown about things to get friends. He just needed to be himself. I'm not sure what he was trying to do, other than make some impression on his cousin... but I guess he hasn't changed a bit... I hope he's not still giving that (17 year-old) demo to (17 year-old?) girls and trying to get in their pants? lol I'm sure he's not... but still.
So... the other night, one of my friends at work (we'll call him "Jim") was telling me about how his cousin, another friend of mine (we'll call him "Herb"), was telling him about how he found a "video of himself playing with (a particular band that shall remain nameless) at the Alrosa Villa on YouTube." I found this to be both hilarious and puzzling... For starters, "Herb" is one of those guys that likes to tell people he plays guitar... but when it gets down to it, he doesn't do a whole lot of playing, but a lot of talking about it... oh... what's the word I'm looking for? Oh, yeah... a poseur. Maybe that's a little harsh... maybe it isn't... I dunno.
"Herb" once got a hold of a demo I did and went around playing it for girls (and some guys, too, I guess) telling them that it was him on the guitar... When a couple of the girls played me a copy of the tape he made for them and said, "Isn't he great?" - well... after laughing hysterically for a few moments, I picked up my guitar and started playing along verbatim with the recording... They were like, "Wow, did he show you the songs?" (more hysterical laughter) After I explained that it was actually me on the recordings (and provided proof in the way of the master recordings), one of the girls laughed and the other was pretty unhappy... I later learned that he used the tape to attempt a crack at her poonanner...
(It's interesting to note that the day my friend (we'll call him "Steve") and I went to mix that demo, a particular country artist (we'll call him "Billy Ray Cyrus") was sitting, listening to the roughed tracks when we got there (we were recording in his keyboardists' studio)... He was all like, (imagine a Kentucky accent) "Man, I'd love to sing on your songs... I love rock 'n' roll, but y'know, country pays the bills... You heard that song by the Rolling Stones '19th Nervous Breakdown?' I LOVE that shit..." Having had plenty of experience with him in the past, we were both thinking, "Yeah, right... don't call us, we'll call you..."
He proceeded to go in the other room with the engineer and do a bunch of blow... and six months later "Achy Breaky Heart" was everywhere, and I would have loved to have had BRC singing metal on tape... Coulda fetched a pretty penny...)
Anyhow... The other thing I found interesting about "Herb's" story was the fact that I was pretty familiar with the band that he was referring to... One of my amigos (we'll call him "Hoshimoto") played drums for them at the time that "Herb" was claiming to have played for them... As long as I could remember, they were a one-guitar band (we'll call him "Rick 'Rikki' Soga")... Could it be that somewhere between the time in '92 that I watched "Herb" run out of one of my band's rehearsals in a feverish sweat when I offered to let him sit in on a couple songs and '94 (when the band he was referring to broke up), he actually learned how to play a guitar worth a shit? Well... I couldn't take it anymore, and after a little digging... "Herb" is still as full of shit as he ever was...
Humorous... yet kind of sad. I mean, don't get me wrong... I like "Herb." He was always a good guy to me and very devoted to music... He just always seemed to, like, try too hard. He didn't need to be so overblown about things to get friends. He just needed to be himself. I'm not sure what he was trying to do, other than make some impression on his cousin... but I guess he hasn't changed a bit... I hope he's not still giving that (17 year-old) demo to (17 year-old?) girls and trying to get in their pants? lol I'm sure he's not... but still.
Monday, December 18, 2006
I want to hold the hand inside you
I want to take a breath thats true
I look to you and I see nothing
I look to you to see the truth
You live your life, you go in shadows
You'll come apart and you'll go black
Some kind of night into your darkness
Colors your eyes with whats not there.
Fade into you
Strange you never knew
Fade into you
I think its strange you never knew
A stranger's light comes on slowly
A stranger's heart without a home
You put your hands into your head
And then smiles cover your heart
Fade into you
Strange you never knew
Fade into you
I think its strange you never knew...
I want to take a breath thats true
I look to you and I see nothing
I look to you to see the truth
You live your life, you go in shadows
You'll come apart and you'll go black
Some kind of night into your darkness
Colors your eyes with whats not there.
Fade into you
Strange you never knew
Fade into you
I think its strange you never knew
A stranger's light comes on slowly
A stranger's heart without a home
You put your hands into your head
And then smiles cover your heart
Fade into you
Strange you never knew
Fade into you
I think its strange you never knew...
Saturday, December 16, 2006
The ground gives as you go
With all them secrets that you know
As if to give nothing away
Of the signals you obey
They're weightless as a child
Fallen from above
Helpless to your size
Lonelier than God
Footsteps, empty room
As if a temple or a tomb
The bed gives where you lay
As if a power you betray
It's weightless as a child
Fallen from above
Helpless to your size
Lonelier than God
Lonelier than God
Fallen from above
Weightless as a child
Helpless to your love
When you was a child
Fallen from above
Helpless to your size
Lonelier than God
Lonelier than God
Fallen from above
Weightless as a child
Helpless to your love
Helpless to your love
With all them secrets that you know
As if to give nothing away
Of the signals you obey
They're weightless as a child
Fallen from above
Helpless to your size
Lonelier than God
Footsteps, empty room
As if a temple or a tomb
The bed gives where you lay
As if a power you betray
It's weightless as a child
Fallen from above
Helpless to your size
Lonelier than God
Lonelier than God
Fallen from above
Weightless as a child
Helpless to your love
When you was a child
Fallen from above
Helpless to your size
Lonelier than God
Lonelier than God
Fallen from above
Weightless as a child
Helpless to your love
Helpless to your love
The horizon pales
when she hits the ground
sirens and scaffolds
all coming down
under the weight of heaven
if only devotion
could rise on a word
then you could stumble
never be hurt
you could let go
Breaking your fall
Breaking your fall
The pilots of pleasure
your weatherman
never could push you
far as I can
they just let you fall
while buildings and bridges
just crash and burn
it's only a cloudbank
bursting in turn
they were made to come down
Breaking your fall
Breaking your fall
Fault lines and failures
angels and all
follow her footholds
breaking her fall
it's alchemical
when she hits the ground
sirens and scaffolds
all coming down
under the weight of heaven
if only devotion
could rise on a word
then you could stumble
never be hurt
you could let go
Breaking your fall
Breaking your fall
The pilots of pleasure
your weatherman
never could push you
far as I can
they just let you fall
while buildings and bridges
just crash and burn
it's only a cloudbank
bursting in turn
they were made to come down
Breaking your fall
Breaking your fall
Fault lines and failures
angels and all
follow her footholds
breaking her fall
it's alchemical
Friday, December 15, 2006
okay... my archives seem to be missing... wtf?
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edit: Okay... I've figured out why the archives are missing... but I'm not sure how to get them back on this layout... and if I pick a new layout, I'm not sure how to get my haloscan comments to work with the upgraded template... grr...
Decisions, decisions... Do I keep the same classic look this thing has had since I started it and lose the archive, or do I go to a new layout and lose the old comments (but actually get to use blogger's built-in commenting from now on)? Crap, crap, crap...
---
edit: Okay... I've figured out why the archives are missing... but I'm not sure how to get them back on this layout... and if I pick a new layout, I'm not sure how to get my haloscan comments to work with the upgraded template... grr...
Decisions, decisions... Do I keep the same classic look this thing has had since I started it and lose the archive, or do I go to a new layout and lose the old comments (but actually get to use blogger's built-in commenting from now on)? Crap, crap, crap...
This time of year drives me crazy... I wish I understood it... Well... I do understand it, but I wish I understood it better, I guess... I have very much of a love/hate relationship with the holiday season. I love the memories I have of being (a lot) younger and all the fun I had with my family... and I guess I hate it because so much of that family is gone... I mean, yeah, my brother and my mother are both still alive and all that... but I haven't seen my mother since my dad's wake, about three and a half year ago. My brother may come around for Christmas, this year... I've only ever seen my almost three year-old niece once and that was for about 20 minutes... Hell, I don't know... I don't get presents, anymore (I usually end up buying myself something small for Christmas every year and that's about it)... I think one of my friends is coming up for Christmas (one of my best friends in the world, whose wedding I wasn't even invited to).
I swear, I'm not a grinch... I really love the idea of Christmas... I find myself looking forward to it, every year (only to be kinda slapped in the face a little by the reality of the situation)... I have fun, whatever I'm doing... even when I'm working my ass off... but damnit... come on, already.
I swear, I'm not a grinch... I really love the idea of Christmas... I find myself looking forward to it, every year (only to be kinda slapped in the face a little by the reality of the situation)... I have fun, whatever I'm doing... even when I'm working my ass off... but damnit... come on, already.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
...Blood like rain come down
Drawn on grave and ground
Part vampire, part warrior
Carnivore and voyeur
Stare at the transmittal
Sing to the death rattle
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-lie
Credulous at best your desire to believe in
Angels in the hearts of men
Pull your head on out
Your head believes it, give a listen
Shouldn't have to say it all again
The universe is hostile
So impersonal
Devour to survive, so it is
So it's always been...
Drawn on grave and ground
Part vampire, part warrior
Carnivore and voyeur
Stare at the transmittal
Sing to the death rattle
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-lie
Credulous at best your desire to believe in
Angels in the hearts of men
Pull your head on out
Your head believes it, give a listen
Shouldn't have to say it all again
The universe is hostile
So impersonal
Devour to survive, so it is
So it's always been...
Friday, December 01, 2006
Food Network note: Giada DeLaurentis is a pretentious twit (I hate how she does the whole Italian accent thing whenever she speaks of an Italian ingredient... Yeah, Mario Batali does it, too... but at least he's not all like, "I'm so cool and you're not," about it... which makes him, in fact, cool)... and Emeril Lagasse is just a dufus... Rachel Ray is so cute, you just wanna pinch her cheeks... or smack her... I can't decide which... Bobby Flay? Douchebag...
Monday, November 27, 2006
"Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet,
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams"
W.B. Yeats
"It's circular. You exist to continue your existence. What's the point?"
"Without love... breath is just a clock - ticking."
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet,
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams"
W.B. Yeats
"It's circular. You exist to continue your existence. What's the point?"
"Without love... breath is just a clock - ticking."
Sunday, November 26, 2006
...and so it begins...
If there's anything I hate, it's bad jazz music... even more specifically, bad jazz saxophone music (I would insert Kenny Gorelick ("Kenny G")'s name into that, but he's not even jazz... he's just pure, unadulterated shit on a cracker). The only thing I hate worse than that is bad jazz saxophone Christmas music... I guess at midnight on Thursday night, the music at work switched from decent music to "assloads of Christmas music and some decent music every here and there..." Every now and then a decent rendition of a Christmas song would play (no Stan Kenton, yet, mind you... and I'm not holding my breath)... followed by several horrendous renditions of Christmas songs (most notably about six different totally shitty versions of "Christmas Time is Here" (a personal fave) - you know, the song that opens up A Charlie Brown Christmas - here, just download it and listen for yourself)... I know it's really early in "the season..." but if I have to put myself through this for much longer... I may have to burn down the building...
If there's anything worse than bad jazz saxophone Christmas music, it HAS to be Gloria Estefan Christmas music... You can almost see her doing the conga over her versions of "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night" (which really made me wish it was), and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town..."
Ack...
If there's anything I hate, it's bad jazz music... even more specifically, bad jazz saxophone music (I would insert Kenny Gorelick ("Kenny G")'s name into that, but he's not even jazz... he's just pure, unadulterated shit on a cracker). The only thing I hate worse than that is bad jazz saxophone Christmas music... I guess at midnight on Thursday night, the music at work switched from decent music to "assloads of Christmas music and some decent music every here and there..." Every now and then a decent rendition of a Christmas song would play (no Stan Kenton, yet, mind you... and I'm not holding my breath)... followed by several horrendous renditions of Christmas songs (most notably about six different totally shitty versions of "Christmas Time is Here" (a personal fave) - you know, the song that opens up A Charlie Brown Christmas - here, just download it and listen for yourself)... I know it's really early in "the season..." but if I have to put myself through this for much longer... I may have to burn down the building...
If there's anything worse than bad jazz saxophone Christmas music, it HAS to be Gloria Estefan Christmas music... You can almost see her doing the conga over her versions of "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night" (which really made me wish it was), and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town..."
Ack...
Friday, November 24, 2006
Okay... after sitting and actually reading that last post... is it pleaded, or pled? I know I always used to say pled as the past tense of plead... and then all I hear on, like, CourtTV and stuff the last several years is pleaded... so I think I must've subconsciously become conditioned to this strange word (this, coming from the same people (journalists that get paid good money to know these things) that, for some reason, have the inability to capitalize the word President in reference to the Commander in Chief of this oh-so-great nation)... Oh, well... fuck it. I'm going back to saying pled and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it...
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Guilty
So... I had no idea... but it seems that ol' pilljunkie is free on bond, awaiting sentencing, after pleading guilty to breaking into my house...
Here's the updated docket sheet.
Would've been cooler if someone would've, maybe, let me know something about it, all...
Still want my fuckin' razor... and maybe my mechanic's gloves (no, I'm not a mechanic, but they were pretty nice gloves)... but most definitely the razor... *sad face*
He also pleaded guilty to a count of forgery on the same day and has to go to court on the 30th... possibly to be sentenced? Maybe he will be sentenced for the burglary on the same day? Eh, who knows?
So... I had no idea... but it seems that ol' pilljunkie is free on bond, awaiting sentencing, after pleading guilty to breaking into my house...
Here's the updated docket sheet.
Would've been cooler if someone would've, maybe, let me know something about it, all...
Still want my fuckin' razor... and maybe my mechanic's gloves (no, I'm not a mechanic, but they were pretty nice gloves)... but most definitely the razor... *sad face*
He also pleaded guilty to a count of forgery on the same day and has to go to court on the 30th... possibly to be sentenced? Maybe he will be sentenced for the burglary on the same day? Eh, who knows?
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
"Love... I get so lost, sometimes
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
When I want to run away
I drive off in my car
But whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are
All my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside..."
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
When I want to run away
I drive off in my car
But whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are
All my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside..."
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Oh, man... I actually got off work before 6am, this morning... and I'm actually off, tomorrow... I'm truly amazed... I have no idea what I will do with all the spare time... Oh, yeah, I do... sleep. I'll just hang out all day in my lounge pants... Won't shave... just be a lazy slob for a day... that will be awesome... too bad there's no good TV on Tuesdays...
Monday, November 13, 2006
I love good dreams... I had a really good dream, yesterday... It was one of those "so real you could smell stuff" types of good dreams... It wasn't a sleazy dream (anyone that knows me very well knows that, for some reason, I never dream about sex... like, ever), but it was kinda sexy, I guess... I love the feeling when I wake up from an awesome dream... and then kinda hate the feeling when I am awake enough to realize it was just a dream... so I try to go back to sleep real quick to see if I can pick up where it left off... which has actually worked a few times. It didn't work, yesterday, but I guess it didn't really matter... what I dreamed was certainly satiating enough for me... and like I said, there was no actual "sex" involved in said dream (if there were, I probably wouldn't have felt as good about the dream when I woke up)... just a lot of "being there" and stuff... Sooooo real... Speaking of...
"Love, let me sleep tonight
On your couch...
And remember the smell
And the fabric
Of your simple city dress...
Oh... That was so real
We walked around
'til the moon got full
Like a plate...
And the wind blew an invocation
And I fell asleep
At the gate...
Oh... That was so real
Oh... That was so real..."
...always totally loved that song...
"Love, let me sleep tonight
On your couch...
And remember the smell
And the fabric
Of your simple city dress...
Oh... That was so real
We walked around
'til the moon got full
Like a plate...
And the wind blew an invocation
And I fell asleep
At the gate...
Oh... That was so real
Oh... That was so real..."
...always totally loved that song...
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Y'know what really grinds my gears? Not getting text messages... I mean, receiving things telling me that several text messages have come while I was asleep... and not actually receiving any of them... Well, a couple of them were reminders for sporting event things, I'm sure, which is no great loss - I was asleep, anyway... but the other ones that came in, I think I really wanted to get them...
It's an extreme rarity that it ever happens... but when it does, it aggravates the living hell out of me... there is no living hell in me, right now, because it's all been aggravated out. I'll live... but damnit, anyway.
It's an extreme rarity that it ever happens... but when it does, it aggravates the living hell out of me... there is no living hell in me, right now, because it's all been aggravated out. I'll live... but damnit, anyway.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
I don't enjoy being in pain... It's not a welcome thing, to me... I am not "into" it... However, after a night of absolutely exhausting work, I am very much "in" it... and to beat all, instead of having a day off to recuperate like I was planning to, I have to work... because I'm a good guy like that.
There's a guy that comes in in the mornings... he's like one of those guys that whistles... constantly... over top of music. Now, I'm not much for whistling... I tend to find it a bit annoying when people whistle over top of music that is playing... and this guy is vamping over top of Neil Diamond and Air Supply shit like an avante garde jazz saxophonist... The music at work is pretty decent - lots of classic rock (Rush, etc.), sprinkled with some modern stuff... nothing too heavy, or anything. Then, at 6am, it changes over to a bunch of schlock (can't wait for the Christmas music to start - oh, boy). Now, I'm staying super-extra late at work to make up for some people being complete slackers and dropping the ball left and right... I don't want to hear this guy whistling in the first place... and then to have him whistling loudly over top of really shitty music... totally aggravating. I seriously thought about how much I would have liked to shoot him in the face for about ten minutes.
I have to go take some aspirin... because it's all I have... and I have to lay down... because I hurt so much I can barely sit up.
There's a guy that comes in in the mornings... he's like one of those guys that whistles... constantly... over top of music. Now, I'm not much for whistling... I tend to find it a bit annoying when people whistle over top of music that is playing... and this guy is vamping over top of Neil Diamond and Air Supply shit like an avante garde jazz saxophonist... The music at work is pretty decent - lots of classic rock (Rush, etc.), sprinkled with some modern stuff... nothing too heavy, or anything. Then, at 6am, it changes over to a bunch of schlock (can't wait for the Christmas music to start - oh, boy). Now, I'm staying super-extra late at work to make up for some people being complete slackers and dropping the ball left and right... I don't want to hear this guy whistling in the first place... and then to have him whistling loudly over top of really shitty music... totally aggravating. I seriously thought about how much I would have liked to shoot him in the face for about ten minutes.
I have to go take some aspirin... because it's all I have... and I have to lay down... because I hurt so much I can barely sit up.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
I'm in a good mood... I'm in a bad mood...
I have totally clarity... I've never been so confused...
The more I look... the more I need to look...
The more I consume... the emptier I feel.
The firmer I plant my feet on the ground... the more I want to fly.
The more pressure I apply... the more it bleeds.
...
I have totally clarity... I've never been so confused...
The more I look... the more I need to look...
The more I consume... the emptier I feel.
The firmer I plant my feet on the ground... the more I want to fly.
The more pressure I apply... the more it bleeds.
...
Waitress : Tuna on toast, coleslaw, cup of coffee.
George : Yeah. No, no, no, wait a minute, I always have tuna on toast. Nothing's ever worked out for me with tuna on toast. I want the complete opposite of on toast. Chicken salad, on rye, untoasted... and a cup of tea.Monday, November 06, 2006
I took this the other night on the way home from work... it's the new U.S. Grant Bridge... that came in something like three years late (they tore down the old one in 2000, I believe)... At the time, there were something like three bridges in the world like it... now, there's a buttload, and the Portsmouth bridge isn't all that special, anymore... Oh, well... it's still pretty cool lookin'.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Friday, October 27, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Friday, October 20, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Damn... I really miss my razor - I'll most likely never see it, again... I despise blades, anymore.
Mom, if you're listening? Christmas? Possibly? Eh?
Mom, if you're listening? Christmas? Possibly? Eh?
I was just checking one of my emails... and I got a piece of spam - well, this address seems to be riddled with it, anymore... but, still, I found the subject line of this one rather intriguing:
Subject: But now I can penetrate hardly and give the pleasure to every woman!
So, every woman needs to be prepared for the pleasure, apparently... Now, if I can just find one to penetrate hardly, you're all good to go.
Maybe I should have actually read the mail before I pitched it...
Subject: But now I can penetrate hardly and give the pleasure to every woman!
So, every woman needs to be prepared for the pleasure, apparently... Now, if I can just find one to penetrate hardly, you're all good to go.
Maybe I should have actually read the mail before I pitched it...
I held out as long as I could... but I finally had to turn my furnace on a little bit ago... I'll porbably turn it back off here in an hour or so, but it was just too freakin' cold...
I'm not taking my air conditioner out of the window, yet... because, of course, it will be 85 again within a week... 'cause that's just how it is around here this time of year.
I'm not taking my air conditioner out of the window, yet... because, of course, it will be 85 again within a week... 'cause that's just how it is around here this time of year.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
"The Burglary," Part II
Okay... I guess I could have written about this much sooner... like, later that morning... but, I didn't...
This is actually a pretty long story, but I'll try to keep it not too long-ish...
So, after I was broken into, I decided that when the sun came up, I was going to go see if I could maybe find my wallet in one of the dumpsters or trash cans, nearby... So, I went out and had a look around... I decided to have a look at the back door screen that was ripped open to gain access to my back door and all that... took a couple pictures of it... and when I was coming back down the steps, I noticed something unusual... looked like drag marks... Well, the intruder person took a HUGE plastic Rubbermaid tub (that I had used to bring down some appliances and such when I moved in) and put all the stuff they stole into it... So it made sense... It also told me that there was only one person doing the burglary... It was easily a two-person sized tub... so one person would have to drag it (two people could have easily carried it). The grass had been cut the day before and was extremely short, to the point of exposing the soil underneath in some uneven places)... This helped to make the drag marks a little more conspicuous... So, I followed the drag marks around the back of my nextdoor neighbor's house... and... lo and behold... the drag marks stopped... right at his back porch... There was a trash can between his house and the building next to it... I lifted it up a little bit and could easily tell that it had been in place for quite a while (the grass underneath was a different color (gotta love that chlorophyl stuff) and there were no other marks on the ground where the can could have been sitting before the burglar would have moved it)... There was no way to get that huge tub around the trash can... and the drag marks abruptly stopped at the back porch... I had my suspicions about him as soon as I realized that it had happened (his blinds are always up, but every blind in the house was all the way down when I came home, obviously so no one would look in and see him sorting through my stuff).
I took some more pictures of all of it and then called a former neighbor of mine who is the head of the detective bureau here in town... He and his partner showed up and walked around the houses... I took it upon myself to point out the drag marks and when I did, I was asked to go to the office next door and "hang out" for a while... Within about an hour, I had most of my stuff back... no cash, though... and a few other things that I didn't realize were stolen were still inside (which were later taken out of the house by the kid's mother who came down to clean it out after he was arrested)...
I'm a little pissed that the landlady let the mother in to empty the house out knowing that there was still some of my property inside... so I'll probably never see it, again... I really love that razor, too... not to mention a couple digital recorders and some awesome gloves...
When the police were taking him out of the house in cuffs, I was nextdoor at the business, sorting through all my stuff that they had recovered... The kid stops... looks at me... and says, "Tony, I stole all your stuff..." I kinda laughed and was like, "Really?!?! No way!"
He had a drug problem (that the VA fed for him every month with mass quantities of painkillers, nerve pills, etc.)... The night before, I had come home from work and saw him passed out on his bed... I gave a doubletake and thought he was dead... after I figured out that he was, in fact, still breathing, I went in and fixed my dinner and was walking back through my hallway and saw him trying to stand up off his bed... and failing miserably... I clicked off my hall light and sat there for a minute and watched... He probably fell over four or five times before he made it to his feet for more than ten seconds... I knew something was up, at that point... I thought about maybe saying something to the landlady, but I figured as long as he kept that mess to himself, I wasn't going to put my nose into it... But yeah... end of the month... no job, no money, no dope... and judging from the fact that he emptied out my fridge and pantry, probably no food, either.
It just burns me up to find out that a neighbor would do something stupid like this... I mean, from the first day I was moving in, I knew he was sketchy... but we were always very friendly to eachother (I'm a nice guy, y'know?)... If he would have needed money, I could have just loaned him some... it's not like I didn't know where he was to find him, y'know? But to break into my house and steal my stuff? Lower than low... I mean, I had a "best friend" who decided to steal or attempt to steal every girlfriend I ever had in my life (I had always adopted a philosophy that if the girls were dumb enough to fall for his line of crap, then they weren't worth my time in the first place - the friendship abrupty ended when he decided to scam on the wrong girl... who also fell for it hook, line and sinker)... and he was low (well, besides some of the most ridiculous behavior I've ever seen from people (with regards to that ex)... he actually broke into my old house a few times, himself (caught him once, even), looking for stupid shit... I wouldn't say he was necessarily "stealing stuff," but rather than just asking me about something, he waited for me to not be home and went in and "borrowed it," instead)... okay... so he was really low, too (it's okay, though - he's reaping what he's sown to this day)... but even that dork couldn't touch the sliminess of the little pilljunkie nextdoor neighbor chump.
I don't hate the neighbor kid, or anything... I just think he's an idiot.
Okay... I guess I could have written about this much sooner... like, later that morning... but, I didn't...
This is actually a pretty long story, but I'll try to keep it not too long-ish...
So, after I was broken into, I decided that when the sun came up, I was going to go see if I could maybe find my wallet in one of the dumpsters or trash cans, nearby... So, I went out and had a look around... I decided to have a look at the back door screen that was ripped open to gain access to my back door and all that... took a couple pictures of it... and when I was coming back down the steps, I noticed something unusual... looked like drag marks... Well, the intruder person took a HUGE plastic Rubbermaid tub (that I had used to bring down some appliances and such when I moved in) and put all the stuff they stole into it... So it made sense... It also told me that there was only one person doing the burglary... It was easily a two-person sized tub... so one person would have to drag it (two people could have easily carried it). The grass had been cut the day before and was extremely short, to the point of exposing the soil underneath in some uneven places)... This helped to make the drag marks a little more conspicuous... So, I followed the drag marks around the back of my nextdoor neighbor's house... and... lo and behold... the drag marks stopped... right at his back porch... There was a trash can between his house and the building next to it... I lifted it up a little bit and could easily tell that it had been in place for quite a while (the grass underneath was a different color (gotta love that chlorophyl stuff) and there were no other marks on the ground where the can could have been sitting before the burglar would have moved it)... There was no way to get that huge tub around the trash can... and the drag marks abruptly stopped at the back porch... I had my suspicions about him as soon as I realized that it had happened (his blinds are always up, but every blind in the house was all the way down when I came home, obviously so no one would look in and see him sorting through my stuff).
I took some more pictures of all of it and then called a former neighbor of mine who is the head of the detective bureau here in town... He and his partner showed up and walked around the houses... I took it upon myself to point out the drag marks and when I did, I was asked to go to the office next door and "hang out" for a while... Within about an hour, I had most of my stuff back... no cash, though... and a few other things that I didn't realize were stolen were still inside (which were later taken out of the house by the kid's mother who came down to clean it out after he was arrested)...
I'm a little pissed that the landlady let the mother in to empty the house out knowing that there was still some of my property inside... so I'll probably never see it, again... I really love that razor, too... not to mention a couple digital recorders and some awesome gloves...
When the police were taking him out of the house in cuffs, I was nextdoor at the business, sorting through all my stuff that they had recovered... The kid stops... looks at me... and says, "Tony, I stole all your stuff..." I kinda laughed and was like, "Really?!?! No way!"
He had a drug problem (that the VA fed for him every month with mass quantities of painkillers, nerve pills, etc.)... The night before, I had come home from work and saw him passed out on his bed... I gave a doubletake and thought he was dead... after I figured out that he was, in fact, still breathing, I went in and fixed my dinner and was walking back through my hallway and saw him trying to stand up off his bed... and failing miserably... I clicked off my hall light and sat there for a minute and watched... He probably fell over four or five times before he made it to his feet for more than ten seconds... I knew something was up, at that point... I thought about maybe saying something to the landlady, but I figured as long as he kept that mess to himself, I wasn't going to put my nose into it... But yeah... end of the month... no job, no money, no dope... and judging from the fact that he emptied out my fridge and pantry, probably no food, either.
It just burns me up to find out that a neighbor would do something stupid like this... I mean, from the first day I was moving in, I knew he was sketchy... but we were always very friendly to eachother (I'm a nice guy, y'know?)... If he would have needed money, I could have just loaned him some... it's not like I didn't know where he was to find him, y'know? But to break into my house and steal my stuff? Lower than low... I mean, I had a "best friend" who decided to steal or attempt to steal every girlfriend I ever had in my life (I had always adopted a philosophy that if the girls were dumb enough to fall for his line of crap, then they weren't worth my time in the first place - the friendship abrupty ended when he decided to scam on the wrong girl... who also fell for it hook, line and sinker)... and he was low (well, besides some of the most ridiculous behavior I've ever seen from people (with regards to that ex)... he actually broke into my old house a few times, himself (caught him once, even), looking for stupid shit... I wouldn't say he was necessarily "stealing stuff," but rather than just asking me about something, he waited for me to not be home and went in and "borrowed it," instead)... okay... so he was really low, too (it's okay, though - he's reaping what he's sown to this day)... but even that dork couldn't touch the sliminess of the little pilljunkie nextdoor neighbor chump.
I don't hate the neighbor kid, or anything... I just think he's an idiot.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
My apartment was broken into while I was at work, tonight... Took my wallet filled with my rent and stuff (which is due in a couple days, mind you)... my video game console... my Palm Tungsten E2... My badass Braun razor (but they left the cleaning stand and charger, so it won't do them much good, for long - "Hey, thanks for leaving my toothbrush and deodorant! I bet you coulda used them more than the razor.")... all my DVD's - well all the store-bought ones, anyway (because they were obviously seasoned in the thievin' trade)... they even emptied my refridgerator and my pantry (wtf?)... They took other stuff which I'm still trying to figure out... yet, they left all my guitars, my amp, all my computers, a $200 watch sitting right out in the open - all untouched... which is kind of baffling... The thing that hurts possibly more than anything is the fact that in my wallet were the last driver's licenses of my father and my grandfather... some of the only things I'll ever have of theirs.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
I've been seeing/reading all this crap about how all these parents are outraged at myspace for various reasons... well, it all started when a woman from my town went on a vendetta against the mayor... and found his daughter's myspace profile (why, or how, I'm not really sure)... and proceeded to use the daughter as some kind of pawn in her campaign to smear the mayor... which I found not only retarded and misguided but completely evil on the woman's behalf. Anyhow, it sparked a big debate on a local newsgroup. Many of the people on it immediately jumped on the "myspace is nothing but whores and serial killers" bandwagon... which really cracked me up... because they don't know what the hell they're talking about. Yes, there are whores on there... and I'm sure there's a serial killer and a pedophile or two, as well... but COME ON. Stuff like that is not limited to myspace, by far... It's probably more dangerous to go shopping at the mall than it would ever be to surf myspace. Cyberspace is what it is... you make the best out of it that you can... and if you can't, then maybe you just stick to watching tv.
This was going to be a lot longer... but, y'know... 'nuff said.
The woman eventually got banned from the newsgroup for being an out of line, nuisance douchebucket...
This was going to be a lot longer... but, y'know... 'nuff said.
The woman eventually got banned from the newsgroup for being an out of line, nuisance douchebucket...
Friday, June 16, 2006
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Nothing says "I'm a douchebag" quite like this catchy little number, courtesy of Spinner Exhaust Tips
Coming to an asshole's car exhaust near you.
Coming to an asshole's car exhaust near you.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
I've had this pic for a few weeks and I never thought to post it... I'm not really sure as to the authenticity of it (her face looks a little sketchy in relation to the head, although that could just be attributes to the whacked-out 'do she's sporting), but it's still pretty funny, nonetheless.
Possibly the best thing about it is the (black) kid in the (totally insane racist) Von Dutch t-shirt. I really never have understood that, beyond the fact that people will try to be trendy and cool withouth really knowing anything about what they're doing...
Ah, what am I saying? The best thing about the pic is Whitney's 'do... That kid better not let Bobby Brown see him with his mits on her like that, though.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Steve Howe, Former NL Rookie of Year, Dies in Truck Crash at 48
April 28 (Bloomberg) -- Relief pitcher Steve Howe, who was the 1980 National League Rookie of the Year and suspended seven times by Major League Baseball for substance abuse, died early this morning when his pickup truck rolled over off a California freeway. He was 48.
Howe was driving westbound on Interstate 10 around 5:30 a.m. local time eight miles east of Indio, California, when his truck drifted into the center median, hit an embankment and rolled over, California Highway Patrol Officer Franco Castro said in a telephone interview.
Howe wasn't wearing a seatbelt and was partially ejected from the truck, which crushed his head and torso, Castro said. Howe was pronounced dead at the scene, which was around 135 miles east of Los Angeles.
Castro wouldn't say if there was evidence of alcohol or drug use by Howe, adding that the crash was still under investigation.
The Associated Press reported that Howe was critically injured in a motorcycle crash in August in Montana.
Howe, a left-hander, helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series in 1981, one season after he set a team rookie record with 17 saves.
``Steve played for me for five years and I thought the world of him,'' former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda said in a statement. ``I am truly sorry to hear about his passing and my deepest sympathies go out to his family.''
He underwent rehabilitation for substance abuse for the first time before the 1983 season and was suspended for all of 1984. The Dodgers released him in 1985, but he spent the rest of that season with the Minnesota Twins, before missing the 1986 season.
He spent 1987 with the Texas Rangers, but missed the next three seasons before joining the New York Yankees in 1991. Former major-league commissioner Fay Vincent banned Howe for life in 1992 after he pleaded guilty to a cocaine-possession charge in Montana, but an arbitrator overturned it.
He pitched with the Yankees through 1996, but two days after being released on June 24, 1996, was arrested in a terminal at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport with a loaded .357 Magnum in his suitcase. He pleaded guilty to gun possession and received three years probation.
Howe was born March 10, 1958, in Pontiac, Michigan. He was a first-round pick of the Dodgers in 1979 and had a career major-league record of 47-41 with a 3.30 earned run average and 91 saves. He made his only All-Star appearance in 1982.
April 28 (Bloomberg) -- Relief pitcher Steve Howe, who was the 1980 National League Rookie of the Year and suspended seven times by Major League Baseball for substance abuse, died early this morning when his pickup truck rolled over off a California freeway. He was 48.
Howe was driving westbound on Interstate 10 around 5:30 a.m. local time eight miles east of Indio, California, when his truck drifted into the center median, hit an embankment and rolled over, California Highway Patrol Officer Franco Castro said in a telephone interview.
Howe wasn't wearing a seatbelt and was partially ejected from the truck, which crushed his head and torso, Castro said. Howe was pronounced dead at the scene, which was around 135 miles east of Los Angeles.
Castro wouldn't say if there was evidence of alcohol or drug use by Howe, adding that the crash was still under investigation.
The Associated Press reported that Howe was critically injured in a motorcycle crash in August in Montana.
Howe, a left-hander, helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series in 1981, one season after he set a team rookie record with 17 saves.
``Steve played for me for five years and I thought the world of him,'' former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda said in a statement. ``I am truly sorry to hear about his passing and my deepest sympathies go out to his family.''
He underwent rehabilitation for substance abuse for the first time before the 1983 season and was suspended for all of 1984. The Dodgers released him in 1985, but he spent the rest of that season with the Minnesota Twins, before missing the 1986 season.
He spent 1987 with the Texas Rangers, but missed the next three seasons before joining the New York Yankees in 1991. Former major-league commissioner Fay Vincent banned Howe for life in 1992 after he pleaded guilty to a cocaine-possession charge in Montana, but an arbitrator overturned it.
He pitched with the Yankees through 1996, but two days after being released on June 24, 1996, was arrested in a terminal at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport with a loaded .357 Magnum in his suitcase. He pleaded guilty to gun possession and received three years probation.
Howe was born March 10, 1958, in Pontiac, Michigan. He was a first-round pick of the Dodgers in 1979 and had a career major-league record of 47-41 with a 3.30 earned run average and 91 saves. He made his only All-Star appearance in 1982.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
I was having a "bad dream" last night... I mean, it wasn't one of those "truly nightmarish" kinds of dreams, but it was unpleasant, nonetheless. I woke up in the middle of it (as I often do during such experiences)... yet, I found myself wanting to get back to sleep as quick as I can so that maybe I could see how the dream turned out... I do that a lot when I am having cool dreams, but I can't ever recall wanting to go back into a shitty dream... until this morning, anyway.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Bonds is a Disgrace
I really dislike Barry Bonds... I've probably seen him play against the Reds four or five times and in those games I've seen him go 0 for 4 (with 3 Ks), get ejected once for arguing balls and strikes and another time on being called out at second (some people would call that "desire," or whatever - I call it "stupid")... I was personally flipped off by him after giving him a little "good-spirited ribbing" for making an error on a catch (well, it honestly could have been anyone of the half-dozen or so people that were sitting around me giving him the business) - no one was cursing at him or calling him names or anything, we were merely pointing out that his glove seemed to have developed a hole in it that he might need to look into getting repaired... anyhow, he flipped me off, and that, as a pro athlete - on the field of play - is about as classless as it gets.
Beyond the fact that he's a punk... he's also a cheat. Anyone that thinks Bonds hasn't been juicin' needs to look no further than that ever-expanding (in more way than one, I guess) cranium of his. If he was in any way a stand-up guy, he would do what Trey Parker & Matt Stone suggested in an episode of South Park and go to the league and ask that his home run record be removed from the books, because he's a cheater and a liar.
Look at a guy like Ken Griffey, Jr. - straight up, he's "The Natural" if there's ever been one - he's got one of the sweetest swings ever to grace the game... if it hadn't been for a couple pretty nasty injuries, there's no doubt he would be knocking on Hammerin' Hank Aaron's home run record... and he's a genuine nice guy, to boot. Griffey will breeze into the Hall of Fame on an unblemished record of being a credit to the sport... whereas Bonds will, no doubt, face ten times the scrutiny he's facing now in his quest to get in... he probably will (even though he's a cheater and doesn't deserve it), though...
When (and if) Bonds breaks Aaron's record, I hope everyone will realize that his new record doesn't mean shit because he broke the rules and acted like a complete dick along the way to break it.
I really dislike Barry Bonds... I've probably seen him play against the Reds four or five times and in those games I've seen him go 0 for 4 (with 3 Ks), get ejected once for arguing balls and strikes and another time on being called out at second (some people would call that "desire," or whatever - I call it "stupid")... I was personally flipped off by him after giving him a little "good-spirited ribbing" for making an error on a catch (well, it honestly could have been anyone of the half-dozen or so people that were sitting around me giving him the business) - no one was cursing at him or calling him names or anything, we were merely pointing out that his glove seemed to have developed a hole in it that he might need to look into getting repaired... anyhow, he flipped me off, and that, as a pro athlete - on the field of play - is about as classless as it gets.
Beyond the fact that he's a punk... he's also a cheat. Anyone that thinks Bonds hasn't been juicin' needs to look no further than that ever-expanding (in more way than one, I guess) cranium of his. If he was in any way a stand-up guy, he would do what Trey Parker & Matt Stone suggested in an episode of South Park and go to the league and ask that his home run record be removed from the books, because he's a cheater and a liar.
Look at a guy like Ken Griffey, Jr. - straight up, he's "The Natural" if there's ever been one - he's got one of the sweetest swings ever to grace the game... if it hadn't been for a couple pretty nasty injuries, there's no doubt he would be knocking on Hammerin' Hank Aaron's home run record... and he's a genuine nice guy, to boot. Griffey will breeze into the Hall of Fame on an unblemished record of being a credit to the sport... whereas Bonds will, no doubt, face ten times the scrutiny he's facing now in his quest to get in... he probably will (even though he's a cheater and doesn't deserve it), though...
When (and if) Bonds breaks Aaron's record, I hope everyone will realize that his new record doesn't mean shit because he broke the rules and acted like a complete dick along the way to break it.
Monday, March 06, 2006
I'm not sure if this belongs on my music blog or on this one... hell I'll probably copy it over there, too... but I had a chance to go see a band play at a teeny little club (actually called "Teeny's") that I've probably played twenty-five or so times. The last time I played music there was probably 1995-96. Oddly (or maybe not), the place hasn't changed a single bit. Well, I take that back - there was a couch in the very back of the bar where there used to be a couple tables, but other than that, it was identical... same decorations, same lights... even the same people working behind the bar.
The highlight wasn't the fact that I was there, though. The highlight was who I was watching.
Twenty years ago I started playing music in my first high school rock band. Scott Douthat, Brian Jenkins, Eric Drake, Dane Morgan and myself... We would get together after school, almost every day, and just played and played and played and played (and then I would go home and play some more)... I have said this to many people but in all the music I have played in my life, playing with these guys was absolutely the single best experience I've ever had (playing with Jarrod and Brandon was a very close second, but...). We were just a bunch of kids, no pretense, no ego, nothing to prove to anyone - we just played... whatever we wanted, however we wanted, whenever we wanted... It was absolutely great.
So I read in my local music newsgroup that this band, Second Hand Smoke, was playing... I glanced through the post and saw that Scott and Eric were in the band. Holy shit! They're playing music together, again? Incredible.
I walked in the bar and there they were... They hadn't really changed a bit in 20 years... both sporting Van Dykes at this point, but they really didn't look any older, honestly... When I saw them, all these memories of sitting in Scott's basement came flying back (they honestly hadn't flown that far away, or anything, but visual triggers can be pretty intense, sometimes, I guess). I walked over and said hi... and it was like we had all said goodbye from our last time playing together just yesterday... They were the same guys I remembered... totally goofy, totally themselves. It was so cool.
Eric Drake (vocals) and Scott Douthat (drums), circa 1986. You can't tell who my hero was, can ya?
Eric Drake (at the congas) and Scott Douthat (at the drums), 2006.
The show was really cool, too... Scott hasn't missed a beat playing drums in the years since we all played together and Eric sounded just like he did back then... The other three guys were all great, too. Dr. Miller sounded like he had learned a couple new blues licks since I saw him play with my friend Duncan in '90-'91... and he played those new licks in every song. Eli and Rick were totally rock-solid, too... but I was there to see Scott and Eric... and I really had a great time watching them... watching them all... but seeing my old bandmates... my old friends - two guys I looked up to so much and was practically inseperable from twenty years ago - granted, playing much different music than we played back in the day - it was really a treat and I was so happy to see them and to see them having such a good time playing music, again.
The highlight wasn't the fact that I was there, though. The highlight was who I was watching.
Twenty years ago I started playing music in my first high school rock band. Scott Douthat, Brian Jenkins, Eric Drake, Dane Morgan and myself... We would get together after school, almost every day, and just played and played and played and played (and then I would go home and play some more)... I have said this to many people but in all the music I have played in my life, playing with these guys was absolutely the single best experience I've ever had (playing with Jarrod and Brandon was a very close second, but...). We were just a bunch of kids, no pretense, no ego, nothing to prove to anyone - we just played... whatever we wanted, however we wanted, whenever we wanted... It was absolutely great.
So I read in my local music newsgroup that this band, Second Hand Smoke, was playing... I glanced through the post and saw that Scott and Eric were in the band. Holy shit! They're playing music together, again? Incredible.
I walked in the bar and there they were... They hadn't really changed a bit in 20 years... both sporting Van Dykes at this point, but they really didn't look any older, honestly... When I saw them, all these memories of sitting in Scott's basement came flying back (they honestly hadn't flown that far away, or anything, but visual triggers can be pretty intense, sometimes, I guess). I walked over and said hi... and it was like we had all said goodbye from our last time playing together just yesterday... They were the same guys I remembered... totally goofy, totally themselves. It was so cool.
Eric Drake (vocals) and Scott Douthat (drums), circa 1986. You can't tell who my hero was, can ya?
Eric Drake (at the congas) and Scott Douthat (at the drums), 2006.The show was really cool, too... Scott hasn't missed a beat playing drums in the years since we all played together and Eric sounded just like he did back then... The other three guys were all great, too. Dr. Miller sounded like he had learned a couple new blues licks since I saw him play with my friend Duncan in '90-'91... and he played those new licks in every song. Eli and Rick were totally rock-solid, too... but I was there to see Scott and Eric... and I really had a great time watching them... watching them all... but seeing my old bandmates... my old friends - two guys I looked up to so much and was practically inseperable from twenty years ago - granted, playing much different music than we played back in the day - it was really a treat and I was so happy to see them and to see them having such a good time playing music, again.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
How the hell does FOX drop Arrested Development? Oh, yeah... they're FOX... notoriously bad at keeping great shows on the air... Greg the Bunny, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, the Tick... and now, Arrested Development...
What dumbasses...
I hear that Showtime wants to pick up Arrested Development, though... that could be good news for a great show...
What dumbasses...
I hear that Showtime wants to pick up Arrested Development, though... that could be good news for a great show...
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
So, the Olympics are over... Bode Miller showed that he was all talk and no walk... The U.S. men's and women's hockey teams failed to medal... Showboating snowboarders fell on their butts and made themselves look stupid... U.S. speed skaters talked trash about each other... For being the "best U.S. Olympic team ever," they sure didn't seem like it, to me.
Probably the biggest "shocker" was the Canadian men's hockey team not making the medal round... but then again, maybe it wasn't. To me, it all boiled down to Wayne Gretzky's shitty picks for the team. Well, he did pick some great players... but who couldn't pick Joe Sakic, Martin Brodeur, Joe Thornton, Adam Foote, Rob Blake, Jarome Iginla, Martin Saint-Louis, etc.? I, personally, think the huge downfall of the team was the inclusion of mediocre knucklehead and general shit-for-brains Tod Bertuzzi and the complete bullshit snubbing of Paul Kariya... plain and simple. This was Gretzky's second snubbing of Kariya in international play (the other being the 2004 World Cup of Hockey after Kariya spent a majority of the hockey season injured). Considering how well he is playing this year, I have to think that Gretzky has something personal against Kariya... Maybe his gambling shill/wife made a comment about thinking Kariya's cute, or something. Anyhow, I would trade Bertuzzi's enforcer attitude for Kariya's speed and skill any day of the week. I mean, what did Bertuzzi have the entire Olympics? Three assists? Oooooooh... awesome. Well, if I had three assists in the Olympics, I would be pretty happy, myself (because, see, I don't actually play hockey)... but compared to what Kariya would have done in his place, it's not even a discussion. The one thing that Canada needed and totally didn't have was any element of speed... St.-Louis almost was fast... like, once...
So, Wayne Gretzky, get your head out of your butt and put people that deserve to be there on your hockey team.
Probably the biggest "shocker" was the Canadian men's hockey team not making the medal round... but then again, maybe it wasn't. To me, it all boiled down to Wayne Gretzky's shitty picks for the team. Well, he did pick some great players... but who couldn't pick Joe Sakic, Martin Brodeur, Joe Thornton, Adam Foote, Rob Blake, Jarome Iginla, Martin Saint-Louis, etc.? I, personally, think the huge downfall of the team was the inclusion of mediocre knucklehead and general shit-for-brains Tod Bertuzzi and the complete bullshit snubbing of Paul Kariya... plain and simple. This was Gretzky's second snubbing of Kariya in international play (the other being the 2004 World Cup of Hockey after Kariya spent a majority of the hockey season injured). Considering how well he is playing this year, I have to think that Gretzky has something personal against Kariya... Maybe his gambling shill/wife made a comment about thinking Kariya's cute, or something. Anyhow, I would trade Bertuzzi's enforcer attitude for Kariya's speed and skill any day of the week. I mean, what did Bertuzzi have the entire Olympics? Three assists? Oooooooh... awesome. Well, if I had three assists in the Olympics, I would be pretty happy, myself (because, see, I don't actually play hockey)... but compared to what Kariya would have done in his place, it's not even a discussion. The one thing that Canada needed and totally didn't have was any element of speed... St.-Louis almost was fast... like, once...
So, Wayne Gretzky, get your head out of your butt and put people that deserve to be there on your hockey team.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
I'll Take the Fins for a Fin, Please?
Team USA men's hockey... totally blew goats at the Olympics... totally... I'm not all that disappointed. Well, I wanted them to do good... for my country... but I hate Chris Chelios more than possibly any other hockey player... besides Tod Bertuzzi.
Team Canada... gone... They lost to a better Russian Federation team... well, maybe not a "better" team... but Team Canada hadn't looked "on" since the beginning couple games. Seems like they didn't get the puck to Joe Sakic nearly enough... and after he got his face busted (fractured cheekbone, anyway), the gave it to him even less, even though he was on the ice a lot... Sakic is THE MAN, for crying out loud. Crikey!
So... before the Olympics started, my prediction was the Czech Republic taking the gold... they're just deep as deep can get. After the round robin play... they're not looking as good as I thought they would, but they're still doing better than the US and Canada. The other team I'm looking at is Finland... of course. I can remember them being "powerhouses" when I was a youngster... and nothing's changed.
I have to say, though... as crappy as the United States and Canada ended up doing in Olympic hockey, I saw some extremely high-paced, entertaining games... and I'm sure there's a couple more to come.
P.S. - I was kinda joking about a US Curling medal before... but it's a possibility, at this point. Awesome!
Team USA men's hockey... totally blew goats at the Olympics... totally... I'm not all that disappointed. Well, I wanted them to do good... for my country... but I hate Chris Chelios more than possibly any other hockey player... besides Tod Bertuzzi.
Team Canada... gone... They lost to a better Russian Federation team... well, maybe not a "better" team... but Team Canada hadn't looked "on" since the beginning couple games. Seems like they didn't get the puck to Joe Sakic nearly enough... and after he got his face busted (fractured cheekbone, anyway), the gave it to him even less, even though he was on the ice a lot... Sakic is THE MAN, for crying out loud. Crikey!
So... before the Olympics started, my prediction was the Czech Republic taking the gold... they're just deep as deep can get. After the round robin play... they're not looking as good as I thought they would, but they're still doing better than the US and Canada. The other team I'm looking at is Finland... of course. I can remember them being "powerhouses" when I was a youngster... and nothing's changed.
I have to say, though... as crappy as the United States and Canada ended up doing in Olympic hockey, I saw some extremely high-paced, entertaining games... and I'm sure there's a couple more to come.
P.S. - I was kinda joking about a US Curling medal before... but it's a possibility, at this point. Awesome!
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Best Team Ever?
Before the Olympics started, I kept seeing this commercial talking about how the United States was sending the "best team it's ever sent" to the Winter Games... if that's the case, then why all the mediocre stuff? I mean, what the HELL was the deal with the girl showboating and doing the method air off the last jump at the gold medal run of the women's snowboard-cross... and subsequently falling on her ass and losing a sure gold medal? Everyone couldn't seem to shut up about mogul skier Jeremy Bloom... and he totally blew at the games... totally. Bode Miller? Not even on the radar. The speed skaters have been doing rather well, thus far... which is good, because it is probably my favorite thing to watch. The men's hockey team has been doing rather poorly (1-1-1 is NOT what I was expecting from such an "elite" team). The women's hockey team losing to Sweden? Never happened, before... wouldn't have predicted it happening.
I'm just missing some of that "total dominance" I was kinda led to believe existed... Well, in the snowboarding events, okay... but big deal. Snowboarding? That shit's for the X-Games. Well, okay, maybe not... but it's not one of the bigger sports at a Winter Olympics, I don't care what you say. I'm still waiting for a biathlon medal or a curling medal... lol. In all seriousness, I love both events.
Un the upside... Krissy Wendell and Natalie Durwitz are two totally gorgeous hockey players... and they're pretty damn good, to boot.
Before the Olympics started, I kept seeing this commercial talking about how the United States was sending the "best team it's ever sent" to the Winter Games... if that's the case, then why all the mediocre stuff? I mean, what the HELL was the deal with the girl showboating and doing the method air off the last jump at the gold medal run of the women's snowboard-cross... and subsequently falling on her ass and losing a sure gold medal? Everyone couldn't seem to shut up about mogul skier Jeremy Bloom... and he totally blew at the games... totally. Bode Miller? Not even on the radar. The speed skaters have been doing rather well, thus far... which is good, because it is probably my favorite thing to watch. The men's hockey team has been doing rather poorly (1-1-1 is NOT what I was expecting from such an "elite" team). The women's hockey team losing to Sweden? Never happened, before... wouldn't have predicted it happening.
I'm just missing some of that "total dominance" I was kinda led to believe existed... Well, in the snowboarding events, okay... but big deal. Snowboarding? That shit's for the X-Games. Well, okay, maybe not... but it's not one of the bigger sports at a Winter Olympics, I don't care what you say. I'm still waiting for a biathlon medal or a curling medal... lol. In all seriousness, I love both events.
Un the upside... Krissy Wendell and Natalie Durwitz are two totally gorgeous hockey players... and they're pretty damn good, to boot.
Monday, February 06, 2006
I'm a little concerned that Hollywood is becoming less and less capable of making ORIGINAL MOVIES. It seems like every time I turn around, there's another remake of a classic hitting the theaters. It just doesn't make sense. I've always liked Steve Martin... but him and Beyonce Knowles in a remake of The Pink Panther??? Well, I suppose it has to be better than Cedric the Entertainer doing Ralph Kramden The Honeymooners... I can almost understand the Disney remakes to a point... I mean, updating Herbie the Love Bug and The Shaggy Dog so that little kids of today will enjoy them kinda makes a little sense, but the kids should still see the originals and bask in the glory that was Disney at its most glorious, and not the strange machine it has become in recent years...
There always has been and always will be remakes... but the pace at which they are appearring is becoming a bit disturbing in that I think Hollywood would rather just rehash old movies that come up with fresh ideas... Time to stock up on my book collection, I guess.
There always has been and always will be remakes... but the pace at which they are appearring is becoming a bit disturbing in that I think Hollywood would rather just rehash old movies that come up with fresh ideas... Time to stock up on my book collection, I guess.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Friday, January 20, 2006
Yup...
Yeah, Underworld: Evolution was really, really good... I would say "it rocked," even, except for the fact that they pretty much did away with the rock-heavy soundtrack in favor of an excellent score. I've always been kinda weird about movies like that... I mean, I loved The Crow, liked the soundtrack, I guess, but absolutely loved the score... I really hope that they will put out a score CD for Evolution, as well...
As far as the movie, itself... excellent story, very well-written... and they upped the blood & gore budget by about twenty times over the original. There are a few scenes I would say are definitely not for the squeamish. I saw where the rating says, "R for pervasive strong violence and gore..." and they mean it.
Kate Beckensale looked incredible, as well... yummy, even. She makes me all tingly... Almost got to see her naked... almost, anyway.
Yeah, Underworld: Evolution was really, really good... I would say "it rocked," even, except for the fact that they pretty much did away with the rock-heavy soundtrack in favor of an excellent score. I've always been kinda weird about movies like that... I mean, I loved The Crow, liked the soundtrack, I guess, but absolutely loved the score... I really hope that they will put out a score CD for Evolution, as well...
As far as the movie, itself... excellent story, very well-written... and they upped the blood & gore budget by about twenty times over the original. There are a few scenes I would say are definitely not for the squeamish. I saw where the rating says, "R for pervasive strong violence and gore..." and they mean it.
Kate Beckensale looked incredible, as well... yummy, even. She makes me all tingly... Almost got to see her naked... almost, anyway.
I am actually quite looking forward to Underworld: Evolution... I hope I won't be disappointed. I'm not sure how I could... I mean, Underworld was easily the best "vampire" movie in the last twenty years, or so... well, whenever The Lost Boys was out. Well, there have been some pretty okay ones in between... Fright Night and From Dusk Till Dawn both were pretty entertaining, as well.
I saw a movie recently called The Twins Effect starring a couple of really cute Hong Kong pop stars that was actually pretty entertaining, as well... The acting wasn't great, the story wasn't the best thing I had ever seen, but the fight sequences and some of the special effects were very entertaining... not to mention a five minute cameo by Jackie Chan - did anyone realize that he could sing rather well (he does the theme song with the Twins)?
I really can't stand that Anne Rice stuff, though... and Tom Cruise as Lestat was ridiculous... and that Queen of the Damned thing was atrocious (both in print and on the screen)... Likewise, I didn't care for Bram Stoker's Dracula in the slightest, either... I mean, the book is incredible... but that movie... and I like Gary Oldman, too... but that movie...
Anyhow, here's to hoping that Underworld: Evolution kicks some of the same ass that its predecessor did. And maybe Kate Beckensale will get naked in this one, too... or nearly... please?
I saw a movie recently called The Twins Effect starring a couple of really cute Hong Kong pop stars that was actually pretty entertaining, as well... The acting wasn't great, the story wasn't the best thing I had ever seen, but the fight sequences and some of the special effects were very entertaining... not to mention a five minute cameo by Jackie Chan - did anyone realize that he could sing rather well (he does the theme song with the Twins)?
I really can't stand that Anne Rice stuff, though... and Tom Cruise as Lestat was ridiculous... and that Queen of the Damned thing was atrocious (both in print and on the screen)... Likewise, I didn't care for Bram Stoker's Dracula in the slightest, either... I mean, the book is incredible... but that movie... and I like Gary Oldman, too... but that movie...
Anyhow, here's to hoping that Underworld: Evolution kicks some of the same ass that its predecessor did. And maybe Kate Beckensale will get naked in this one, too... or nearly... please?
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