Buh-bye Youngstown ...

i took a drive today
time to emancipate
i guess it was the beatings made me wise
but i'm not about to give thanks, or apologize
i couldn't breathe, holdin' me down
hand on my face, pushed to the ground
enmity gauged, united by fear
forced to endure what i could not forgive...
i seem to look away
wounds in the mirror waved
it wasn't my surface most defiled
head at your feet, fool to your crown
fist on my plate, swallowed it down
enmity gauged, united by fear
tried to endure what i could not forgive
saw things
saw things
saw things
saw things
clearer
clearer
once you, were in my...
rearview mirror...
i gather speed from you fucking with me
once and for all i'm far away
i hardly believe, finally the shades...are raised...
saw things so much clearer
once you, once you...
rearviewmirror...
saw things so much clearer
once you, once you...
rearviewmirror...

~ Pearl Jam / Rearview Mirror

New Photos .... Bullet Jones, Red Wanting Blue

Getting caught up on the photo backlog ... finally. Click on the images to see them full size.


Bullet Jones - January 20, 2008

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Bullet Jones - March 15, 2008

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Red Wanting Blue - March 16, 2008

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As always, full gallaries are on my website.

Presidential Advice (a joke)

Hillary Clinton was in bed one night, exhausted after a long day of campaigning. She fell into a deep sleep and began dreaming.

It was dark, misty and foggy in her dream. She wandered around, looking for someone - anyone, when suddenly, out of the fog stepped George Washington, the nation's first president, the father of our country.

President Washington approached her and politely nodded. She looked him up and down, and said, cautiously, "You helped found this great nation as a war hero and our first elected president. Can I ask you for some advice?"

President Washington said, "Of course you can."

Hillary paused, and asked, "What can I do to better serve our country?"

President Washington looked her in the eye and said, "Never tell a lie."

Hillary whined and said, "I don't think i can do thaaaaaaaat. I have to get elected."

President Washington sighed and disappeared back into the mist.

A few moments later, a rustling in the wind made her look to the left, and out of the dark fog walked our third president, Thomas Jefferson.

Hillary asked, again, for advice, asking President Jefferson the same question: "What can I do, to better serve our country?"

President Jefferson proclaimed, "Listen to the People."

Hillary whined, again, "I don't think i can do thaaaaaaat. What do the People know?"

President Jefferson sighed and disappeared into the fog.

Hillary walked around a bit, then felt the presence of another great President.

The nation's sixteenth leader, Abraham Lincoln, appeared out of the fog.

Hillary looked at the Great Emancipator, the man who went to war to keep this great republic together, and asked him, as she had the others, "What can I do, to better serve our country?"

President Lincoln looked her in the eye and said, "Go to the theater."

Random Weird Thoughts

Last week I spent the week in Florence, Kentucky, in a a hotel with an even-numbered room.

This week I am in spending the week in Florence, Kentucky, in a hotel with an odd-numbered room.

Everything's backwards. It's weird. I should have requested an even-numbered room. I ran into this once before ... just makes it hard to have any continuity ...

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My daughter is going to be TEN on Thursday. I'm stunned by that. In a good way. She's adorable, and smart and fun ... and quick-witted on the comebacks. She gets all that from her Mom :-" (that's the whistling emoticon!)

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Had a great weekend of music - Ryan Cox, Willie Phoenix, Snowblynd, Downplay, Philo, Bullet Jones and Red Wanting Blue ... will have pics of most posted this week.

I have to say, Bullet Jones puts on a show like no other - they called it Le Circque ... and featured stilt-walkers, painted women, popcorn, cotton candy, the Cheddar Boyz rapping between acts to keep the crowd entertained ... and the rock was amazing. The Bar of Modern Art (BoMA) is beautiful ... and sounds great. Having that many people in the building to see a band that good was amazing!

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The only thing worse than personal drama is work drama. Ugh.

Tuesday Music Update

Well, some of this isn't all that new ... but it's what I'm listening to in heavy rotation these days:

Okkervil River - The Stage Names

Willie Phoenix - Plastic Blues and Grooves

Kristen Hersh - Learn to Sing Like A Star

Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning

Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers

Cat Power - You Are Free

Asleep - All These Things We'll Never Need / Endomusia

Philo - Self Destruction in Dark



What are you listening to?

Song of the Day

Do It Again

~The Kinks

Standing in the middle of nowhere,
Wondering how to begin.
Lost between tomorrow and yesterday,
Between now and then.

And now we're back where we started,
Here we go round again.
Day after day I get up and I say
I better do it again.

Where are all the people going?
Round and round till we reach the end.
One day leading to another,
Get up, go out, do it again.

Then it's back where you started,
Here we go round again.
Back where you started,
Come on do it again.

And you think today is going to be better,
Change the world and do it again.
Give it all up and start all over,
You say you will but you don't know when.

Then it's back where you started,
Here we go round again.
Day after day I get up and I say
Come on do it again.

The days go by and you wish you were a different guy,
Different friends and a new set of clothes.
You make alterations and affect a new pose,
A new house, a new car, a new job, a new nose.
But it's superficial and it's only skin deep,
Because the voices in your head keep shouting in your sleep.
Get back, get back.

Back where you started, here we go round again,
Back where you started, come on do it again.

Back where you started, here we go round again,
Day after day I get up and I say, do it again.
Do it again.
Day after day I get up and I say, come on do it again.

Uh, I should play the lottery

No idea what's going on today ...

Made it through Cincinnati at rush hour without a slowdown.

Got my coffee made right by Magayagar.

Had my expense report approved the first time through.

This is either going to be a good week or the only good day.

I'm hoping for the former.

This is cool

See latest stories on Yahoo! News

This Time It's Us

"This Time It's Us"

~ Jude Cole

I sat on the roof as the night came down
Looking out over this pitiful town
And thought of you out there
Back in the race
Looking for someone to take my place

That's when it hit me
That's when the walls came down
You see, I never thought it could happen to us
Now we're going 'round
Breaking down each other's hearts
So go on and blame me for whatever you must
But we've become just like the ones
We laughed about
This time, well this time it's us

Up in a watchtower with the streetlights below
In a town full of places that we used to go
And a river of people walking two by two
Everything I see now reminds me of you
That's when it hit me
That's when it all came true

'Cause I never thought it could happen to us
Now we're going 'round
Breaking down each other's hearts
So go on and blame me for whatever you must
But we've become just like the ones
We were laughing about
This time, this time it's us, oh it's us

Yee Haw ... Kentucky Here I Come

Starting next week, I'm going to be working out of our new Data Center in Florence, Kentucky, for the next couple of weeks taking care of some projects that need caught up. I was getting ready to fill out the security paperwork (this data center has armed guards, for reals!) and was given this ... apparently the 'temporary' part of my assignment missed the paper pushers and they sent me the permanent resident package:

STATE OF KENTUCKY RESIDENCY APPLICATION

 Name: _______________  (_) Billy-Bob
         (last)        (_) Billy-Joe
                       (_) Billy-Ray
                       (_) Billy-Sue
                       (_) Billy-Mae
                       (_) Billy-Jack
                       (Check appropriate box)

  Age: ____

  Sex: ____ M _____ F _____ N/A

  Shoe Size ____ Left ____ Right


Occupation:
(_) Farmer
(_) Mechanic
(_) Hair Dresser
(_) Un-employed


Spouse's Name: __________________________

 Relationship with spouse:
(_) Sister
(_) Brother
(_) Aunt
(_) Uncle
(_) Cousin
(_) Mother
(_) Father
(_) Son
(_) Daughter
(_) Pet


Number of children living in household: ___

Number that are yours: ___

Mother's Name: _______________________

Father's Name: _______________________
               (If not sure, leave blank)

Education: 1 2 3 4 (Circle highest grade completed)

Do you (_)own or (_)rent your mobile home?
  (Check appropriate box)

__ Total number of vehicles you own
__ Number of vehicles that still crank
__ Number of vehicles in front yard
__ Number of vehicles in back yard
__ Number of vehicles on cement blocks


Firearms you own and where you keep them:
____ truck
____ bedroom
____ bathroom
____ kitchen
____ shed


Model and year of your pickup: _____________ 194__


Do you have a gun rack?
(_) Yes (_) No; please explain:


Newspapers/magazines you subscribe to:
(_) The National Enquirer
(_) The Globe
(_) TV Guide
(_) Soap Opera Digest
(_) Rifle and Shotgun


___ Number of times you've seen a UFO

___ Number of times you've seen Elvis

___ Number of times you've seen Elvis in a UFO


How often do you bathe:
(_)Weekly
(_)Monthly
(_)Not Applicable


Color of teeth:
(_)Yellow
(_)Brownish-Yellow
(_)Brown
(_)Black
(_)N/A


Brand of chewing tobacco you prefer:
(_)Red-Man


How far is your home from a paved road?
(_)1 mile
(_)2 miles
(_)don't know

Oh no they *)#%$ didn't

Scanning the globe to give you the constant variety of news you probably won't read, part 32:

• Yet another reason I'm glad I don't live in California. I'd be in some serious fucking trouble if I lived in a town you couldn't curse in.
  
  
• If you die in Sarpourenx, France, you will be punished. No, not by the invisible man in the sky. And not for being French (which is reason enough for me). You die, you will be punished. By the mayor.
  
  
• Uh, now we know what kind of bush was burning up on the mount, eh?
  
  
• Wow. Vermont is quite the interesting place these days. Gay marriages? Obama for President? And arrest warrants for Bush & Cheney for crimes against the constitution?
  
  
• Uh, cops turning down donuts? Another dumb criminal story!
  
  
• In a world beset by terrorists, war, famine and other threats against humanity, New Jersey residents are fighting like cats and dogs over cats and birds.

Lying Whores.

And they claim piracy of movies is killing their industry?

Despite record high receipts both in the US ($106.6 million) and the world ($27.6 billion)?

Wow.

Imagine that ... the MPAA talking out of both sides of its mouth.

Lying whores.

Same with Dana White, president of the UFC, who made sure no bars, restaurants or clubs around Columbus were showing the recent UFC PPV that took place in Columbus.

Now I usually head out to BW3's to watch the fights ... apparently he's not happy about that.

After all, how much more money does he need? Isn't one $7 million house enough?

He talks about wanting to build the sport, yet he takes every chance he can to alienate fans.

And don't even get me started on him killing the glory that was PRIDE FC despite saying he would do no such thing.

Lying whores.

Song of the Day

Somewhere Else
~ Kathleen Edwards

I used to look for you out in the daylight
I took highways and sidestreets and back lanes
Slept under open skies
Life can be cruel
Life can be sweet if I want it to be

This town that I once called home
I just can't hold on to
It's got strip malls and bus stops and people
I would never even talk to
She said life can be sweet
But life is so cruel cuz I let it be

Everybody out here
They wanna live somewhere else
I wish I could find a place
and stay there by myself
Bit by bit I swear I think I'm losing
All this city's confidence

Today's The Day

March 4, 2008.

Today is a big day. A very big day.

I can't believe it's here already.

My mind is already made up though.

As if, for me, there really could be any other choice.

Sure, maybe today, making your selection, you might want to try and go back and recapture the magic of the early 90's ...

Sure, you might want to go old school and stay very very conservative ...

But for me, today, without a doubt, there only was one choice.

And sure, it might be a bit of a change from the past, but I'm hopeful ... and looking forward to this whole new experience.

I'm really hopeful.

..
..
..
..
..
..
..

Right now, as I type, I'm downloading the new Kathleen Edwards CD "Asking For Flowers." (iTunes has a bonus track called "Lazy Eye" ... yay iTunes!)

Can't wait to listen to it.




(Oh, were you expecting something else?)

(Oh, yeah, today is Election Day in a couple of places. Sorry. New Music Tuesday and Election Day all in one. Double bonus!)

Go vote Ohioans! And Texans! And Vermonters! And Rhode Islanders! (And you Rhode Islanders - grab me a Dunkin on your way back!)

Song of the Day

David Ford
"I Don't Care What You Call Me"

I never made time
You never made much sense
We never stood a chance
If we're honest

You were not the first
And I won't be the last
But if it makes it better
Well you can call me what you will

Get Home late
No-one's here
Pace around the house
And sit in my chair

And if you think of me
It doesn't mean a thing
So why don't you just tell me what you really think again?

I don't care what you call me
Oh I
I don't care what you call me
No I
I don't care what you call me
'Cos it won't hurt any more

I know I let you down
And Christ you let me know
Every time and time again

Just another afternoon
Get drunk and disappear
So call me what you will

Rain it on down
What else can you throw at me?
I haven't heard before

And tear me on down
I am unforgivable
So why don't you just tell me what you really think again

I don't care what you call me
Oh I
I don't care what you call me
Oh I
I don't care what you call me
'Cos it won't hurt any more

Rain it on down
What else can you throw at me?
I haven't heard before

And tear me on down
I am unforgivable
So why don't you just tell me what you really think again

Scream me on down
I am so forgettable
Yes I know

Shoot me on down
Don't you think this isn't killing me
So why don't you just tell me what you really think again

I don't care what you call me
Oh I
I don't care what you call me
No I
I don't care what you call me
'Cos it won't hurt any more