NOW it's Friday . . . Pain Dogs got the ikSnay on the Ow Shay . . . . so their out for this Friday, although the other folks still are gonna play, ya know tonight at Club Cafe.

Groove Armada’s Andy Cato brings his side-project, Weekend Players, to Morning Becomes Eclectic for a much anticipated performance . . . that page is so worth a tour . . . always something by somebody that you didn't think would be on there, and you get an interview and their music. Nic Harcourt's a great interviewer too, quite natural.

I wonder what Curt Connolly is doing with all his 'free time' . . . long time no update. I hope he's alright.

This weekend it's off to the Land of Cleves, with my buddy Steve's merry band of thieves who get no reprieves from Ohio-an plebes.

Uhhmm . . . sometimes you gots to go with the flow, ya know? the above line indicates that I intend to travel to Cleveland this weekend for my friend Steve's birthday.

The class I'm signed up for, The Uses of Literacy, looks pretty good. Lots to read about reading and writing. Oh yeah and lots to write about with that too. An example of what I mean is one article to be read for Tuesday: "I 'on' know why they be trippin' " which is all about the motion for the Oakland school distric to make teachers aware of Ebonics . . . and the whole thing of course was bent and twisted by the popular media into something other . . . hmmm, when have they done that before?

Ok, for a moment I thought it was Friday . . . but it's not. It just kinda feels like that, Friday morning sorta feeling.

Here's a new blog to check out from one of America's future animator/creative artists, Josh Seybert: http://www.freshmutton.blogspot.com

Woof! Woof! Yelp!: Pain Dogs at Club Cafe this Friday . . . they open for Soma Mestizo and Soda Jerk.

I cleaned my room last night . . . like it's been an ongong project for some four years, but really, this is the best it's looked in say . . . four years. I woke this morning and thought, who did this? who lives here?

Anyone going to see the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (JSBX to those WAY into the SWWWWWWWWWWWEeeeeeeeeeAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTttttttt!! of the Blues Explosion!) I love those cats and would love to see that show, but somehow i jsut do't think it's gonna happen, too many extenuating circumstances beyond my control . . . :( Much praise to be given for the album Orange. Those who don't know the album but wanna know why? why you can ask . . . or just listen.

Last night was the tour of the South Side Open Mic circuit with Madge and Marty. We played both the Club Cafe and Rex open mics. Lt. John Bucket was waiting dutifully at the Rex when we got there. The Rex Open mic I've played before, Club Cafe was new for me. BOTH places were fun to play, but cold cold cold inside. I guess it is January but sakes alive, it was cold last night everywhere we went. I coulda played better, at least remembered the words to my own songs better (I was kinda nervous at the Club Cafe), but we had fun playing, which is most important. One cool note: My friend Ketah was very encouraging about my music and told me over a year ago to go play the Club Cafe open mic. She and I haven't seen or run into each other for a coupla months though. So it was funny when as I was walking with my guitar past a car stopped at the light by 12th and Carson, I look over and there in the passenger seat is: Ketah! We waved and smiled and I thought, how oddly appropriate. Pittsburgh is a little city, but the chances of that . . . I dunno.

In the news: A Giant Lava Lamp

And tonight, if all goes well, is the end of the Spring semester fiasco. All should be lined up for the ONE class I'm signed up for, and hopefully it's a good fit. I feel pretty good about it working out.

I went to check out the last film at the CMA series Saturday night: Orfeu. It was the myth of Orpheus ( a favorite of mine ) retold in the context of Carneval (like Mardi Gras but Brazilian and bigger, too, I think). The movie itself was OK, but I think the stomach virus I had over the weekend kinda tainted the experience. I will miss the film series, but if enough people protest squawk banter etc., I hope it may return. I heard some folks talk about yanking their museum memberhsip in protest... hmmmm.

I bought three movies yesterday: Stripes, English Patient, and Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers. They were at bargain prices, so I couldn't pass them by.

Here's a story from Bend, Oregon that merits a quick peek. I think Dave Burke would like it especially well, given that it's public transit related. Get this: to our Pat (Port Authority Transit) they have BEAT (Bend Extended Area Transit). kinda cool . . .