Anyone interested in seeing The Concert for George ? It's playing at the Waterfront at least until next Thursday. Stars include Paul, Ringo, Tom Petty, and some others who dug George. Email me and let me know. We'll go check it out.

I would like to thank the anonymous stranger who sent me a letter that read:

"FOUND THIS ON THE STREET"

and enclosed my driver's license. It disappeared Friday night, and I wasn't looking forward to replacing it with a new one.

Thank you, anonymous stranger . . . you rock!!!

I encourage you all to do some small unanticipated favor for someone today. Maybe a friend, maybe a family member, maybe a neighbor. Maybe it's letting somebody pull in front of you on the parkway, maybe sweeping your old-lady neighbor's porch, maybe taking your kid to the park, maybe picking up somebody's license you find on the street and mailing it back to them. Whomever and whatever you decide, don't hesitate, go do it . . they'll appreciate your effort!

This is funny, try it out!

DeathDay 2.0 by quill18
Username
Die on	September 19, 2038
Die of	Jaywalking
Value of Estate:	$7,929,606
Created with quill18's MemeGen!

The Patriot Act sucks in so many ways, and the librarians are becoming the finest men and women of the hour. . .

We'll miss you Robert Palmer . . . this has not been a good year for celebrity folk.

It's probably too late for most of us to enter, but Carson City, NV will be hosting this years World Beard and Moustache Championships November 1, 2003. Thanks for the tip, Christina . . . I'm pulling for Alois Plettl from Bavaria. Yeah, why are there almost entirely German/Austrian contestants?
Just another hairy guy ...

The trifecta race has run! Looks like #2 MoJo Wiseman, finished first, #3 Caring Heart, second and #1 Sweet Italian Ice came in a sluggish third . . . #3 was a little skiddish on the turns, #1 her demise, I blame on the rider (Dave Palone or Jim Pantaleano he is not!). Both looked good out there, but lacked on spirit and follow through ... which was just part of what got #2 running strong. Hard to say when I'll be hitting the track again, but it was fun. We'll probably be seeing more of MoJo Wiseman, and Caring Heart may not be out to pasture yet. Somebody help poor Sweet Italian Ice, she ain't that bad!

And Doctor Who is on the comeback? i think the good Doctor gets several incarnations, right? Everyones fave Tom Baker appears in this article. I had such a mad crush on one his girl assisstants . . .

Thanks John Bucket, for letting us know about this cool looking series on The Blues starting this Sunday, 9/28:

http://www.pbs.org/theblues/

Ed Said is Dead

His name is really pronounced like Sah-yeed, but it looks like it should rhyme. He was a cool cat, though. We're reading him in my class right now.

On a little brighter side, I watched the movie A Mighty Wind last night with my friend MJ. Brought to you by the same folks who did Best in Show, I recommend checking it out.

Anyone remember the debates last fall and early winter between Europe and the U.S. about what the hex we're gonna do in Iraq, and who's gonna help us? there may not have been a lot of buzz about it, but apparently the Treaty of Westphalia entered into the arena. What's that you say?

So in 1648, these cats in Europe signed a treaty that helped define the peace in Europe, appropriate lands, establish countries, and set a standard for peace and war procedures. Apparently there is a clause about justifiably declaring war only if there is imminent danger of invasion. The treaty is called the Westphalia Treaty. Go read about it . . . and think about how it may have effectively or ineffectively entered into the debate between Rumsfeld and Co. and the Europeans.

In a sense it kinda fits with this word:
hermeneutics

\Her`me*neu"tics\, n. [Gr. ? (sc. ?).] The science of interpretation and explanation; exegesis; esp., that branch of theology which defines the laws whereby the meaning of the Scriptures is to be ascertained. --Schaff-Herzog Encyc.

Stendahl Syndrome . . . I suffered from it after visiting the museum at the Papal Palace in Vatican City. Like this guy's description, I've been overtaken by art and beauty, to the point of being disoriented, but never felt guilty about it. Just woozy. . . this is not to be confused with Stockholm Syndrome. As Anders will have you know, the two are a little different.

A visit to the dentist's office today, a lot of hygienist work (I think she need some coffee, she was sorta heavy handed) but no cavities. PHeeeeeeeeeeew!!!

And can someone please tell me what is in the water in Athens, GA?
Here's a blurb about one band from there, The Neutral Milk Hotel has a newer album out.
Bu then you get the cats from Of Montreal, REM, the B-52s, and I believe the band Jump Little Children are from there, but I'm not 100% sure.

Is anybody surprised by the obivous abuse of power that comes with the Patriot Act? There are more and more documented cases of common criminals being charged with bullshit terrorist offenses. As an example, a man who made drugs in his bathtub, was charged with manufacturing a weapon of mass destruction?
Check this out for more details.
My response? Watch those dorks just as closely as they are watching you!

Every dog will have his day, but for the neighbor's dog it aint' today.

This morning i walked out my front door and my friend kim is there on the sidewalk. she says, "hey matt, is this your dog?" I said, "no kim, Pancho's your dog," because she was walking her dog. "she says no no not pancho, i mean this dog," and she pointed to my neighbor's dog. he had leapt out the front window he sits in all day through a hole by the air conditioner. it had been blocked by a panel from a case of Mt. Dew ... he was running loose and the neighbors of course were gone for the day. so we tried to catch him so we could stuff him back in the window, but he kept running away and into the street. nearly got run down a couple times. so we thought to put him in the plot of grass at the end of the block, but the gate was locked, kim said. i tried it and it was locked but was able to jimmy it open, and the dog ran in as soon as i opened it. he was safe for the day, nobody would bother him, and he seemed so happy . . . and then we said good dog, and went on our way. ten minutes later it started to downpour and looks like it's gonna rain a good bit today . . . Every dog will have his day, but for the neighbor's dog it aint' today.

For those of you who won't be playing softball at Frick park Tuesday night, there's this to consider checking out:

Chuck Palahniuk, novelist, Talk and Screening of "Fight Club." September 16, 2:00 p.m., Alumni Hall, 7th Floor Auditorium. Reading at 8:00 p.m. Free. For more information please call (412) 624-6506 or see www.english.pitt.edu. Sponsored by The Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series, Wyndham Garden Hotel, Book Center, and Film Studies Program.

Thank you Johnny Cash, for all your great music and influence. We'll surely miss you.

And John Ritter too?

I'm gettin' all Aristotleian on you . . . classnotes and such.

tekhne (the word is conventionally translated as 'craft, 'skill' or 'art') as art is precisely mimesis (a word translated as 'immitation', although many scholars prefer 'representation') as it immitates art.
in the material record, we see the effort of the species grappling with Intelligence . . . the material forms in which Intelligence is manifest.

the function of literature is to articulate and sustain the polis/people. To invoke the people as the function of literature, to articulate and sustain a nation is a dangerous concept.

See if you can relate / see the connection of the above and this . . .

Don't Sweat The Technique Lyrics
Eric B. & Rakim

Don't Sweat The Technique

Don't sweat the Technique(2x)

Let's trace the hints and check the file
Let see who bit to detect the style
I flip the script so they can't get foul.
At least not now it'll take a while
I change the pace to complete the beat
I drop the bass 'till mc's get weak.
For every word they trace it's a scar they keep...
'Cause when I speak they freak
To sweat the technique
I made my debut in '86
Wit a melody and a president's mix
And now I stay on target and refuse to miss
And I still make hits
wit' beats, parties, clubs, in the cars and jeeps
My underground sound vibrates the streets
MC's wanna beef then I play for keeps
When they sweat the technique

Don't Sweat the Technique

They wanna know how many rhymes have I ripped in rep., but
Researchers never found all the pieces yet
Scientists try to solve the context
Philosophers are wondering what's next
Pieces are took to last who observe them
They couldn't absorb them, they didn't deserve them
My ideas are only for the audience's ears
For my opponents, it might take years
Pencils and pens, are swords
Letters put together form a key to chords
I'm also a sculpture, born with structure
Because of my culture, I'm a rip and destruct the
Difficult styles that'll be for the technology
Complete sights and new heights after I get deep
You don't have to speak just seek
And peep the technique

But don't sweat the technique

I speak indiscreet cause talk is cheap
Then I get deep and the weak then complete their
Pull with a seat, never weak or obsolete
They never grow old techniques become antiques
Better then something brand new 'cause it's radiant
And the wild style'll have much more volume
Classical too intelligent to be radical
Masterful, never irrelevant: mathematical
Here's some soothing souvenirs for all the years
They fought, and sought, the thoughts and ideas
It's cool when you freak to the beat
But don't sweat the technique

Don't sweat the technique (2x)

This make sme angry. Color Coded airline tickets . . . ? because it is assumed that we're all really dangerous people, terrorists in the making? because we really don't need freedom anymore? who the heck makes these decisions? I think this is ridiculous . . .

I thought Leni Reifenstahl had checked out years ago, but apparently she's part of the Century Club.

most of my firends with blogs don't post anymore it seems . . . i guess they're busy or something.

You can feel that fall is on it's way, it's in the air in the evenings. And then of course winter follows. What i like least about winter, aside from it being cold, is the lack of smells. Outside air smells at least, are far fewer in winter than in spring or summer. Smell is a big part of autumn, no doubt, but there's some summer smells i'm going to miss: rain falling on hot pavement, tomato plants, and sunscreen. the cut grass, the footy weed smell, well these i may not miss so much. i'm ready for fall now ... or ready to begin the adjsutment. i'll still moan hear and there about the cold. tha't jsut who i am. but i'm ready for fall to come

Goodbye Warren Zevon, we'll miss you. Ahhooooooo! Werewolves of London!

Here's a funny story about two dumb chix to make your day a little brighter.

A cool article on Salon about Bjork, if you can't read it let me know, I'll get you the article another way.

A little something is born and a little something dies with each season change. Yesterday evening I picked up Eli to go play catch (we didnt think many folks would show up for softball because of the rain, and yup, nobody else did) at Wightman field. School started last week, and I think last week was perhaps the last Tuesday softball game, because despite the rain and mud, there was little league soccer in left field, and girls field hockey in right field. Looks like both organizations have Wightman as their regular practice spot? Does anybody remember from last year how it panned out? Anyways, I'm grateful for a good summer of softball fun, and looks like Sunday softball is still on. Plus, now there's Cathedral lawn soccer on Friday's . . . So something dies, something's born.

Sofia Coppola is not only a subtly attractive woman, but talented and intelligent as well. She's well within my age bracket for chix, trouble is she' maybe married and definitley running in different circles than I do. Anyways, I'll still go check out her upcoming film, Lost in Translation if I can help it. it also has Bill Murray in it. I'm looking forward to seeing him in a role where he is not a loser (Royal Tannenbaums, Rushmore). Maybe it's just those Wilson brothers who like to cast him as a loser.

A link describing Stylistic Vices

On another note, here's a good piece from the NY Times on String Theory for all you physics people. It's kind of the Seinfeld of Physics:

Dr. Michael Douglas of Rutgers and the Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies, near Paris, called the plethora of string universes "the Alice's Restaurant" problem.
"You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant," he said. "Is this a theory of something, very many things or nothing? That's what we're trying to establish."

Way to go, Papa!!! Dr. Kevan Yenerall has a new book coming out called Seeing the Bigger Picture. From the Clarion University Newswire, April 30, 2002, a few words about the paper (relevant to the book) he and his colleague Mark Sachleben presented:

YENERALL PRESENTS POLITICS AND FILM PAPER
Kevan M. Yenerall, assistant professor of political science, presented the paper "Seeing the Bigger Picture: Understanding Politics Through Film and Television" at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Political Science Association in Chicago, Ill., April 25-28. The paper was co-authored with Mark Sachleben of Miami University.

"Seeing the Bigger Picture" outlines how the medium of film and the moving image can be employed in the political science classroom. Specifically, Yenerall and Sachleben address the benefits and drawbacks of using film in the classroom, the importance of providing alternative and diverse viewpoints through film, and offer several specific assignments and discussion questions designed to spark critical thinking, discussion and debate in the areas of American politics and international relations. The authors review film and video dealing with globalization, neocolonialism, the presidency, and civil rights and social justice.

Yenerall developed the course "Politics and Film" (PS 301) at Clarion University and also directs an annual Politics and Film series. The second film series will commence in the fall of 2002.

Kevan has a truly distinctive perspective on movies, as evidenced one fine sunday evening at Dee's Cafe when he brought by the movie Gramps starring Andy Griffith.

"That may work in the real world,
but how does it stand up as a theory?"
--Anonymous Frenchman

Erin and Dan Brown have some great stuff going on at the Renaissance Fair (and who wouldn't want to be King or Queen?) Huzzah!!! Huzzah!!! Huzzah!!! I think this weekend or next, I'd like to go check my pals out at the Renaissance Fair. One of my favorites is the mud show, but one piece of advice, don't sit too close. ;)

If you need some burnination, play Trogdor!

Who knew there was all this stuff about the Dark Side of the Force . . . ?

Go talk about Shitty Shitstein and Fucky McFuckface or whatever diatribe of swears you got lined up to the folks at Lucky Pierre's . You have until this weekend for them to record your three minutes of cuss guff.
And if you'r estill not satisfied and havemore angst to vent, you can go to Spain and pelt people with tomatoes. I totally recommend chekcing out the slideshow. Funny stuff . . .

And by the way, dark chocolate is better for you . . .

And perhaps only Anders (as far as readers of this blog go) may have a deeper interest in this guy: Scott of the Antarctic's rival

Oh yeah, there are idiots in Britain too. Jsut ask the Black lady who was supposed to get a white foot

Some new dance moves?

Here's a story from the New York Times about a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. Here's the story of the real criminal duo.

Following is a poem written by Bonnie Parker somewhere in the last weeks of her life: (The punctuation are hers.) She entitled it:

The Story of Bonnie and Clyde

You’ve read the story of Jesse James
Of how he lived and died
If you’re still in need for something to read
Here’s the story of Bonnie and Clyde.

Now Bonnie and Clyde are the Barrow gang,
I’m sure you all have read
how they rob and steal
And those who squeal are usually found dying or dead.

There’s lots of untruths to those write-ups
They’re not so ruthless as that
Their nature is raw, they hate all law
Stool pigeons, spotters, and rats.

They call them cold-blooded killers
They say they are heartless and mean
But I say this with pride, I once knew Clyde
When he was honest and upright and clean.

But the laws fooled around and taking him down
and locking him up in a cell
‘Till he said to me, "I’ll never be free
So I’ll meet a few of them in hell."

The road was so dimly lighted
There were no highway signs to guide
But they made up their minds if all roads were blind
They wouldn’t give up ‘till they died.

The road gets dimmer and dimmer
Sometimes you can hardly see
But it’s fight man to man, and do all you can
For they know they can never be free.

From heartbreak some people have suffered
From weariness some people have died
But all in all, our troubles are small
‘Till we get like Bonnie and Clyde.

If a policeman is killed in Dallas
And they have no clue or guide
If they can’t find a friend, just wipe the slate clean
And hang it on Bonnie and Clyde.

There’s two crimes committed in America
Not accredited to the Barrow Mob
They had no hand in the kidnap demand
Nor the Kansas City Depot job.

A newsboy once said to his buddy
"I wish old Clyde would get jumped
In these hard times we’s get a few dimes
If five or six cops would get bumped."

"The police haven’t got the report yet
But Clyde called me up today
He said, "Don’t start any fights, we aren’t
working nights, we’re joining the NRA."

From Irving to West Dallas viaduct
Is known as the Great Divide
Where the women are kin and men are men
And they won’t stool on Bonnie and Clyde.

If they try to act like citizens
And rent a nice little flat
About the third night they’re invited to fight
By a sub-gun’s rat-tat-tat.

They don’t think they’re tough or desperate
They know the law always wins
They’ve been shot at before, but they do not ignore
That death is the wages of sin.

Someday they’ll go down together
And they’ll bury them side by side
To few it’ll be grief, to the law a relief
But it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde

********************************

And then there's this:

Here's the website of the starwars kid i was telling you about, click "original" first then watch some of the remixes. "Re-mix" and "Dork Clones" are the two funniest. The story behind it is some kid from Canada filmed himself acting like a Jedi with a light sabre and his friends got hold of it. Then internet geeks got hold of it and the rest is history. enjoy.

So there's this test you can take and it tells you some stuff, at least in generic terms. It's gotta be those damned super powers that scored me my high rating. A least it isn't a Very High rating . . . I knew I shouldn't have played with that friggin' meteorite I found that one night in the mountains . . .

Disorder | Rating
Paranoid: Low
Schizoid: Low
Schizotypal: High
Antisocial: Low
Borderline: Low
Histrionic: Low
Narcissistic: Low
Avoidant: Moderate
Dependent: Moderate
Obsessive-Compulsive: Moderate

URL of the test: http://www.4degreez.com/misc/personality_disorder_test.mv

Paranoid
Paranoid personality disorder is characterized by a distrust of others and a constant suspicion that people around you have sinister motives. People with this disorder tend to have excessive trust in their own knowledge and abilities and usually avoid close relationships with others. They search for hidden meanings in everything and read hostile intentions into the actions of others. They are quick to challenge the loyalties of friends and loved ones and often appear cold and distant to others. They usually shift blame to others and tend to carry long grudges.

Schizoid
People with schizoid personality disorder avoid relationships and do not show much emotion. They genuinely prefer to be alone and do not secretly wish for popularity. They tend to seek jobs that require little social contact. Their social skills are often weak and they do not show a need for attention or acceptance. They are perceived as humorless and distant and often are termed "loners."

Schizotypal
Many believe that schizotypal personality disorder represents mild schizophrenia. The disorder is characterized by odd forms of thinking and perceiving, and individuals with this disorder often seek isolation from others. They sometimes believe to have extra sensory ability or that unrelated events relate to them in some important way. They generally engage in eccentric behavior and have difficulty concentrating for long periods of time. Their speech is often over elaborate and difficult to follow. (This sounds like so many heads, young and old ... )

Antisocial
A common misconception is that antisocial personality disorder refers to people who have poor social skills. The opposite is often the case. Instead, antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a lack of conscience. People with this disorder are prone to criminal behavior, believing that their victims are weak and deserving of being taken advantage of. They tend to lie and steal. Often, they are careless with money and take action without thinking about consequences. They are often agressive and are much more concerned with their own needs than the needs of others.

Borderline
Borderline personality disorder is characterized by mood instability and poor self-image. People with this disorder are prone to constant mood swings and bouts of anger. Often, they will take their anger out on themselves, causing themselves injury. Suicidal threats and actions are not uncommon. They think in very black and white terms and often form intense, conflict-ridden relationships. They are quick to anger when their expectations are not met.

Histrionic
People with histrionic personality disorder are constant attention seekers. They need to be the center of attention all the time, often interrupting others in order to dominate the conversation. They use grandiose language to discribe everyday events and seek constant praise. They may dress provacatively or exaggerate illnesses in order to gain attention. They also tend to exaggerate friendships and relationships, believing that everyone loves them. They are often manipulative.

Narcissistic
Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by self-centeredness. Like histrionic disorder, people with this disorder seek attention and praise. They exaggerate their achievements, expecting others to recongize them as being superior. They tend to be choosy about picking friends, since they believe that not just anyone is worthy of being their friend. They tend to make good first impressions, yet have difficulty maintaining long-lasting relationships. They are generally uninterested in the feelings of others and may take advantage of them.

Avoidant
Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by extreme social anxiety. People with this disorder often feel inadequate, avoid social situations, and seek out jobs with little contact with others. They are fearful of being rejected and worry about embarassing themselves in front of others. They exaggerate the potential difficulties of new situations to rationalize avoiding them. Often, they will create fantasy worlds to substitute for the real one. Unlike schizoid personality disorder, avoidant people yearn for social relations yet feel they are unable to obtain them. They are frequently depressed and have low self-confidence.

Dependent
Dependent personality disorder is characterized by a need to be taken care of. People with this disorder tend to cling to people and fear losing them. They may become suicidal when a break-up is imminent. They tend to let others make important decisions for them and often jump from relationship to relationship. They often remain in abusive relationships. They are overly sensitive to disapproval. They often feel helpless and depressed.

Obsessive-Compulsive
Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorder is similar to obsessive-compulsive anxiety disorder. People with this disorder are overly focused on orderliness and perfection. Their need to do everything "right" often interferes with their productivity. They tend to get caught up in the details and miss the bigger picture. They set unreasonably high standards for themselves and others, and tend to be very critical of others when they do not live up to these high standards. They avoid working in teams, believing others to be too careless or incompetent. They avoid making decisions because they fear making mistakes and are rarely generous with their time or money. They often have difficulty expressing emotion.


At least i'm not like this guy so much . . . kind afunny in the sad and pathetic sorta way.

softball last night was cool, finally played on a winning team. hit somewhat better than Sunday, several singles and a lot fewer pop-ups, my fielding was about average, and afterwards, a few of us went to The Sharp Edge for some beers and food. and now that they're all finished with their renovations, i gots to say, the place looks good! it was worth all the schtuff that they did, cuz it's much bigger and looks nice. and whatever their mystery brew was last night, it was tasty......... mmmm . . . beer!

I picked up a few books about Maxfield Parrish at the library the other day. If you don't know his name, you'll know his images once you see them. I've always liked his stuff, the twilight colors, girls on rocks, and the whole Art Nouveau style is pretty frickin cool if you ask me ...

I saw the movie Secretary on DVD last night. The guy at the video store said it was really good but strange. And . . . he was right. James Spader is a kook, and so is Maggie Gyllenhaal. Although it's harder to tell who is more gakked in the noggin, they do have some prety cool chemistry that they work. For those who may hope/fear it's a porno, you're gonna be a bit disappointed. I mean, Maggie Gyllenhaal never even wore stockings with the little lines up the back, except for on the movie poster ... if those are even her legs. Try 9 1/2 Weeks maybe? Or maybe you should just rent some porn about secretaries. I dunno but for real, if you want to see more of her, I highly recommend Donnie Darko. I don't know anything about Riding in Cars with Boys (which she's also supposed to be in), except it's supposed to have a good soundtrack.

And apparently the movie Barbarosa is playing somewhere on cable (although I wouldn't know). That's Willie Nelson and Gary Busey, circa 1982.

John Bucket told me about this one: Apparently, guys, in Vegas you can pay $10,000 to 'hunt' naked women (they wear sneakers) with a paintball gun. And yeah, I guess Howard Stern has already covered the deets on this . . . you can visit the homepage here.

For no good reason, this past week I've been told/heard (not witnessed thankfully) several unsolicited masturbation stories. I won't relate any names or said stories, but at least they weren't like these ones.

Visit the Blu-tack Cat Death Gallery page ...
Visit the Women and Dogs page ...
Visit a page that Strong Bad would love . . .
Visit this page if you need a place to park ...

Although I had to miss camping in Ceep Crack, MD with john bucket and marty and stacy and madge and co., the weekend? . . . t'was a good one. Friday night I met Mike, Autumn, Nikki, Dave Burke and Casey at the Inn'Termission for a coupla cold ones. Afters, Mikey and I went out and busked on Carson St., between 17th & 18th where the bum benches used to be (so called because many a bum would hang out/sleep on said benches). We were there not even a minute when some annoying semi-homeless to homeless dude comes up and decides to set up camp. He's telling everyone he's our manager. He's scaring away half the people who walk along. He's saying stump the band, pay a buck and we'll play any song, if we can't play it, we'll pay the dollar (and whose $$$ does he intend to spend?) He's tossing all of his belongings, like his Christmas cards, his pliers, his ball cap, his deck of cards, his sunglasses, Hummel figurines, etc. into my guitar case. He sets his jug of Orange juice inside my yellow tip bucket. He pulls out a towell and unwraps a half handle bottle of whiskey with a label I've never seen before (for a good reason I think) and says he was gonna save this for his old lady but he'll crack it open with us. Uhhh no thanks, keep it for you and your old lady. And about this point Mike gives me the nod. I agree. dude's set up camp and our best move is to move. So all of the crap he tossed into my case after showing passers by, I piled up on the sidewalk, yanked his orange juice out of my tip bucket, gathered our tips and we're off. See ya, we're off to find a better location we tell him. "Oh I'm starting a band in a few weeks, let me get you information, he says." I'll keep an eye out for you and your band says I. Don't worry, we'll call you. We went a bit past 18th and set up outside the American Savings Bank.

Saturday, I busked in Homestead at an art opening thinger Danielle Crumrine asked me to play. That was cool. I learned from Becky that a guy and his girlfriend she met, met me and my girlfriend. I have a girlfriend? i asked. You'll have to introduce me to her, cuz i'd like to go on a date with her ... ya know, my girlfriend. Turns out it's a girl I went to a party with a few weeks ago. She has since moved on to greener pastures, or something. Saturday night Tony wasn't feeling so hot, so he gave me and Jim his tickets to see the pre-season steelers. Pretty cool. Thanks again Tony.

Sunday afternoon softball was hot and sweaty. I started off good, spanked one over the fence on the first at bat, and then singles and pop-ups the whole rest of the game. Too much sun, not enough water I think. Sunday evening, was a dinner hangout kinda night at Joe and Megans place. A nice chill evening out on the porch.

I was out Monday night checking out Richard Barlow, aka, The Limey spinning his set at the Memphis Lounge (the upstairs of Zythos, 2100 block of Carson), when I met his friend Jim. He and I began talking about the theater (Jim has a show going up this Monday at the Gemini Theater), plays, books, and found that we have a whole string of friends in common. Jim McManus? You're the guy whose name I've heard in a bunch of stories but never had a face to put with the name. We talked a bit about my student teaching at Andover's Summer Session a few years back, and without mentioning any specifics of what courses I taught or what materials we used, Jim began talking about Andre Dubus (pronounced "dub-YOOSE"). As jim described this author he just encountered a few weeks ago, his style, his life story, etc. I'm thinking it's probably the same guy whose essays in Broken Vessels we read for Writing the Personal Essay. Well I hadn't thought about Dubus for some time, and learned that he died since I had first read him, and that he is posthumously gaining greater readership. Go check out Dubus, I recommend him highly. And thanks Jim, for reminding me of what I had forgotten.

I was out busking two weeks ago on a Friday, and had a kooky turn of events. I played on my own for about two 2 1/2 hrs. After seeing a movie at the Melwood, my roommate Jim walks by, stops to say hey, and see if I'm up for getting a beer. Sure I say. he says he'll be back in 20 minutes cuz he wants to shower first. See you in 20 minutes I say. It's late already well after 12, and I'm ready to go get a beer anyways.

So I'm playing my last few songs when this cute Goth chick walks by, stops and sits down just to my right. Ok, Goth chick ... of course she's wearing all black, has blonde streaks in her short cropped hair, and a purple bruise under her left eye? Sorta like somebody socked her in the face? Hmmm. She seems a bit timid and scared, and so I'm a bit concerned for her. Are you alright, I ask. She says yeah, sorta like she knows I'm asking about her black eye, but she doesn't want to talk about it. I can play guitar she says, i wrote a song want to hear it? she offers. I'm hesitant to let anybody play my guitar, especially on the street, but she seemed cute and sorta like she needed a distraction. So I hand her my guitar. She sorta looks at it, and frowns, and Plink! Plink! Plink! is doing I don't know what ... but nothing approaching music or a song. mean while a crew of girls walks by, one stops, turns, comes walking back, says to nobody in particular, Uh-uh, that ain't happening, and sets down on the other side of me. Oh, don't mind me, I'm just checking my phone messages, she says. So I ask Goth girl to give me my guitar back and I'll play her a song while she tries to remember the chords. She does, and I start playin another song. Goth's looking sorta miffed or I dunno, maybe like the gig is up. The other chick smiles at me and says, you don't see what's going on do you? I'm thinking that she means, you don't realize that two girls are trying to pick you up, but somehow if I say that POOF! they're both gone. So i play dumb. No, what's going on? you really don't see it do you? No I don't what's going on please tell me what I'm missing. Then Goth girl, after writing something down, stands up, sets a piece of paper down by my guitar case and is walking away saying goodbye. You should kiss her ya know, says the phone girl. YOu're right says me. So I kiss Goth on the cheek , she kisses my cheek, and then she's off. The other girl (Phone girl) looks triumphant... and a little flirty or maybe just drink. looking back, i think she was just drunk. I remember Jim is on his way back in a few minutes. I should ask if she wants to go get a beer. So I start: "Well hey, i don't mean to be uhmmm ..." " Presumptuous? "she chimes in. Yeah, good word choice. presumptuous, but do you want to get a beer with me and my roommate? we're going right down the street to that bar right there. here he comes now. Sure she says. It;s looking good. Jim says he'll run my guitar back home right quick and meet us there. So I pack up my guitar, notice the piece of paper with a phone number on it, stick it in my case, and hand the whole thing off to Jim. me and phone girl go get our beer, Jim joins us a moment later, and it's looking good. She says after a while she's gonna walk home to mt washington, which is like twenty blocks aways and then up the hill and another twenty blocks. I say I'll give you a lift home, and we shortly after are in my car on the way back to her place. We pull up, she says thanks and i ask her for her digits, she obliges and then gives me the finger tip kiss good night, "how presumptuous," she chuckles.
... and is out the door, across the street and inside her place in a flash. so the next day, I figure i got tow girls's numbers. i;ll call Goth girl's number, I mean what could it hurt, right? so I dial what I think is a 481 extension, SouthSide, and the #'s disconnected. Try maybe 401? It rings and rings and voicemail picks up. A sultry sounding woman on the recording gives the name of a 'professional modeling and escort service' business and thanks me for calling. leave a message and they'll get right back to me. i hang up. and then dial agian a few minutes later thinking, no . . . no way that goth chick was ... so I redial, it rings twice. a dude answers. i ask for Goth by name, he asks who is this, i say my name and he hands her the phone. Hello? Hi it's me. i met you yesterday playing guitar? oh yeah she says, I"m a bit out of it from last night still, can you call back? sure, sure i say as i thank her and hang up. the clock says 6:15 PM. And i throw her crumpled phone number into the trash. I'm left to wonder did phone girl knew the scoop on Goth girl, and if so, how? or was she really trying to pick me up and then once the competition was gone she was bored. who knows?

Well, ain't it a good thing we're a relatively safe city to live in?
Looks like our mayor has found a solution to our police problem: let 52 sr. cops go (early retirement), and keep the 102 rookies we just hired. Yeah, I'm not the guy to solve these problems, just noting that this may not be the best solution for our hurting city:

"Early retirement is not an effective means of reducing unemployment: it is an excellent way of making a country poorer."
- Layard, Nickel, and Jackman (1991) Unemployment: Macroeconomic Performance and the Labour Market

How can this be bad? In part because it can cause a reduction in effective labor supply, which in turn places undue upward pressure on the wage level.
Let's just hope it works out, and I'm wrong about this being a bad thing for Pittsburgh . . . As an addendum, let it be known that I'd like for the city to keep as many of our police officers, young and old, as possible. And mad kudos to the bicycle cops I see out and about in Oakland and South Side. You guys add a little something extra for us civilians.

Returning from the ROAD TRIP hiatus today.

Marty and I went to Baltimore and Ocean City, MD for a short vacation this week. We stayed overnight in a tent at the Ramblin' Pines Campground near Woodbine, MD. We played the open mic at Leadbetter's in Fells' Point to a warm and receptive crowd. We stopped by 203 Amity Street, the house where Edgar Allen Poe grew up. They keep pretty odd hours (Friday and Saturday from noon to 3:45 only) so we just saw the plaque outside. Maybe because it's in the projects? who knows? Oh and the spot where he's buried is kinda cool, what with the old 10th century gravemarkers and all.

Then we went on to Ocean City and set up the tent in an RV park. Not bad way to go, we were right by the beach... We met a coupla cool cats there, and got ourselves licenses to busk the boardwalk. That was a lot of fun. And it was cool to sun on the beach, play a little frisbee, fly a kite, and splash around in the waves. Not to mention how sweet a good road trip can be.

The world of idiots is still going strong.
Topping this girl's story is the man from Croatia. Just one more reason that men should not be flashers. "Good doggy, goohoohoohood doggy!"

I think this man has picked his nose too often.

Finally for you fans of rotoscope and stuff ...

Guido Crepax, an Italian cartoonist and illustrator apparently just died. You may have seen some of his work. Valentina, being his most famous creation, was based on 1920's & 30's film star Louise Brooks. She's got to be one of the sexiest people to ever walk the face of the earth.

A cool article about the psychology of lies and lying . . . For the neurotic or paranoid reader? Just relax. No one can yet read our minds, or hearts. For now, there is no technology that will make lying obsolete.

A Surprise Visit to Another World

I went for a beer with a classmate of mine after class Wednesday and she invited me to a party being thrown in her honor at her friend/coworker's house.

"Bring something to swim in, they have a pool. I'll get you the directions by Friday." Cool enough I thought. So Friday she came to pick me up, we drove up to a housing plan near Cranberry. We followed the directions, and the end part read: "approach the far right gate, dial ____ and we'll buzz you in. " So there's a camera and a phone-type dialer, no guard, and you call the folks you want to visit. I had never visited a gated community before, and after assuming that we were going to an apartment building complex or something, so I was a little freaked out by it at first. Sorta like a condominium complex, but all gated off. Not with barbed wire like the FBI buildings per se, but definitely on top of a ridge, secluded, and secure. The folks there were gracious hosts, friendly, and conversational. Their home was a lot like any condo you've seen, and there was no guard. And not unlike so many pool partied I've been to, nobody went in. I don't understand it, but my guess is it was just cooler air, and why not hang out close to the food and beer and stuff? I dunno, I imagine in my life, I'll probably visit another gated community, and it was cool enough I suppose, but still felt a little wierd, and felt good to get back into the city. I don't know if I could ever live in a place like that.

Picked and plucked from George Eliot's The Lifted Veil: The fluctuations of hope and fear, confined to this one channel, made each day in her presence a delicious torment: to heighten my boyish passion, and make me more and more dependent on her smiles. And when they vanished, the gardens, the summer sky, the consciousness of Bertha's arm being within mine, all vanished.

The shadow passed from between us, and was no longer the object nearest to me. The girl whose light fingers grasped me, whose elfish charming face looked into mine--who, I thought, was betraying an interest in my feelings that she would not have directly avowed,--this warm breathing presence again possessed my senses and imagination like a returning siren melody which had been overpowered for an instant by the roar of threatening waves. It was a moment as delicious to me as the waking up to a consciousness of youth after a dream of middle age.

For all of you who like graPHiC aRts stuff . . . you'll like these comic-book style drawings from fotolog . . . they kinda remind me of comic book style series or something Rich Engel showed me a ways back, a series about depressed hottie english lit type co-ed girls. He said 'you should date girls like this," to which i said, " too bad those girls seem to find me dreadfully boring." maybe i never had enough tattoos or misfits t-shirts or something

A cool quote about self respect that dan brown turned me onto:

"how to deal with the realization that the goals you work toward aren't worth a candle, while nonetheless understanding that giving up is morally unacceptable"

"get busy livin' or get busy dyin"

once again, i'm reminded of dave burke, because of his outdoor trekking adventures, not his pants.

Not a whole lot going on outside of my coursework, work and ya know getting an occasional beer.

I did get a new (new to me) queen size bed. I was in a twin bed for a while, well, I guess since like I moved out of a crib, my bed has been a twin bed. I've slept in Queen and King sized beds, but now I have my own. Sure, for you folks who've had big beds for ever and ever, it's no big deal. But I like waking up in that bed. I mean I like sleeping in it and waking in it and maybe it's just that there's new sheets on it . . . but really, Ilike the s p r a w l factor. And determining which side of the bed I wanna sleep in. Right now I like sleeping in the middle, taking up as much space as I can.

Oh yeah, there was a guy who was gonna pick up my old twin, but never came back. Figures. So, if you or someone you know needs a free twin bed, lemme know ASAP. Or the Goodwill folks'll get it. Good solid Heavy wooden frame. Bookshelf headboard (I'm gonna miss that ... )

So every now and then you poke around and find cool stuff. Dave Burke has a cool thing he's doing with converting photos into illustrations. must be digital, i'm guessing. They look to me like B&W versions of what the hip-hop club kids do with their album covers and stuff. and I think Levi's had this kinda stuff in their ads for a while, must be a term for it but i don't know the name. this style was popular with the dj's and club set in holland a year and a half ago

We Americans are 4% of the world's population, but whether it's the Coca Cola, MacDonalds, Hollywood movies, Network television, Blue Jeans, or quality Pantyhose, everyone has an opinion on the US. So what do you think about us?

Well here is a bit of what the rest of the world thinks across a range of issues and a range of countries, as broadcast from a BBC program you can listen to here.

It's a bit lengthy but interesting nonetheless. Tom Cruise is afraid of America! The world loves Homer Simpson! We are arrogant, but the great benefactor. All this you may have known already, except that bit about Tom Crusie being afraid of America.

So this weekend was the South Side Street Spanktacular . . . and I participated minimally. By that I mean, Friday I went to happy hour at Havana, which was cool for the most part. The I went to the Rex to see Louie and the Humans. Missed the show but saw the Humans.

Saturday, I went to Cleveland with Madge and Kathy Jo to see Gord Downie play at the Odeon. What a cool venue and an even cooler show. way different from the Tragically Hip show we saw in Buffalo. Much more chill, and Gord was close enough you could like see his face, if he didn't have his hat pulled down way low.

Softball Sunday was cool. I got a glove so's now I don't have to borrow somebody else's. As I'm thinking about it... the glove I used as a kid was my older brother's mitt. So this is the first glove tha'ts mine, and I'm 29. Hmmm . . . :)

I challenge you to read ALL of this article from the NY TImes. I bet you can't do it . . .

The Ballad of the Sneak . . . .

Who put a bengal tiger in the Kaiser's latrine? It's the sneak, it's the sneak!

Salon dot com is a cock-teasing whore! Here's why:

They offer an interesting headline, say something about Milton's Areopagitica, anything by Cary Tennis, or a number of political and social commentaries. This is the shapely legs in the short black skirt, the low-cut blouse with a revealing peak into the heart of Cleveland, walking by with a pouty mouthed smile. She knows she's Premium. She even calls herself, Salon Premium.

Come (hither) take a look one of two ways: get subscription (be my sugar daddy), or get a free day pass by watching an ad. I've done this free ad thing before . . . and had success: I got to read the article I wanted to read. I flip though the dumb ad, and then Pow!!! there's your Salon Premium! Not any more . . . it'd be one thing if that route worked, like they still claim, but it doesn't work. You click through the ads, and get tossed back to the main non-Premium page. I imagine it as being kinda like the video clip of Princess Leia R2D2 projects for Luke and Ben in Star Wars ... but in a black mini skirt and low-cut blouse. Sure it can still be Carrie Fisher if you want . . . point being, I keep getting the Luke (Luke warm might I add) version and it sucks cuz I know there's more, but I can't see it. I want the Ben version, the full Kenobi.
Disclaimer: I am not insinuating that Carrie Fisher is a cock-tease nor a whore. simply stated she is an accomplished actress (she's been involved in more feature films than I have) and writer who happens to be attractive. Thus if you want to imagine someone attractive in short black skirt giving you a flirty look you can think of Carrie Fisher . . . or whomever else you'd prefer. I was imagining someone more along the lines of say . . . this.

i'm having a good summer.

i saw mikey melczak this past week and i learned the term baloon smuggler. this 4th of july was a good weekend. tied a goody on thursday night, and friday night i tied a different but equally good one on at madge and kathy jo's rockin' 4th/summer party. bar v. party tie ons. yay.
saturday i chilled out and watched about schmidt after helping Ro and jim paint ro's dining room and stairwell/hallway. i played softball sunday, then hungout for dinner with the folks (something pretty choice about walking in the backyard and talking about the trees out there with my dad) and i watched signs with mel gibson at home while i did laundry.

i'm listening to the new gordon downie battle of the nudes album that madge turned me onto, and it's like the first one but different, defintiely growing on me. i wanna go lake swimming when i listen to Gordon Downies solo stuff. it's like he does summer stuff really well. i think i wanna make a summer CD and put a couple of his choice songs on there.

as if the blog wasn't self-indulgent enough, i must confess something, if only to myself: i made a tape for Gabriel, a guy i work with on the afternoon of the 4th, and it was raining so it sounds pretty cool hearing my songs with rain and T-storms in the background. some came out well with that in the background, esp. the Promise Song. dang . . . so i listened to the songs (i squeezed 14 onto side one of a 45 minute tape) and was like, dang matt, that's an album! so i listened to it. all weekend. and didn't drive myself nuts with it. and come today, i was almost loathe to give it away, but really that's what the music is for, right, for sharing? so i'm looking forward to hearing some of his stuff too

Blogger looks different today. I wonder if that has to do with it's Google merger?
Maybe . . .

Anyways speaking of everyone's googly-eyed over Google, there is an interesting NY Times article from Thomas Friedman about Google

'And that brings me to the point of this column: While we may be emotionally distancing ourselves from the world, the world is getting more integrated. That means that what people think of us, as Americans, will matter more, not less. Because people outside America will be able to build alliances more efficiently in the world we are entering and they will be able to reach out and touch us — whether with computer viruses or anthrax recipes downloaded from the Internet — more than ever.
I am talking about the way information technology — everyone using e-mail, Wi-Fi and Google — will make it much easier for small groups to rally like-minded people, crystallize diffuse hatreds and mobilize lethal force. And wait until the whole world goes broadband. Broadband — a much richer Internet service that brings video on demand to your PC — will revolutionize recruiting, because video is such an emotionally powerful medium. Ever seen one of Osama bin Laden's recruiting videos? They're very effective, and they'll reach their targeted audience much more efficiently via broadband."

None of this means we, America, just have to do what the world wants, but we do have to take it seriously, and we do have to be good listeners. We, America, "have to work even harder to build bridges," argues Mr. Wright, because info-tech, left to its own devices, will make it so much easier for small groups to build their own little island kingdoms. And their island kingdoms, which may not seem important or potent now, will be able to touch us more, not less.

It sounds like Friedman thinks we should be responsible now that we figured out that the other kids like our toys, too. We already share, but we have to play nice. And I have to wonder what those Osama videos are like? I wonder if he has an arabic Frank Capra doing them? or a muslim Leni 'Steel-belted-radials' (I heard that's what 'Riefenstahl' means)? I understand that with video stuff, a cheap camera and an iMac, a boy like me could well make a music video for his songs. I bet a well-funded spigot of angst/terror/poop like bin laden can make a heck of a production. We need to get out of the brambles.

Everyone have good, safe, happy 4th!!! Celebrate the heck out of this wonderful country, cuz even if it's got it's problems, we could be much worse off.

And here's wishing a Happy Birthday to Delia tomorrow!!! You rock, Miss Monkeypants!!!

A paper from my class

From the desk of Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A letter never sent.


To the Honorable Frederick Douglas -

I am honored and pleased, dear sir, to have made your acquaintance this past July 20th and to have heard you speak enobling words of support at our convention for the rights of women in Seneca Falls, New York. I thank you for your eloquence and encouragement in our ongoing struggle to be equal participants in the elective franchise.

Too long have the voices of women been silenced in matters that require the strength of numbers, be those matters about the ownership of property, profitable employment, the pursuit of education and intellectual nourishment, or the struggle each of us makes for confidence in our own power, self-respect, and willingness to lead a life of independence.

My steadfast husband Henry and dear friend Lucretia Mott (her husband James you remember of course presided over the second day of the convention) had faith in all of the resolutions I proposed, save that most important one regarding the right to vote. They believed that that motion went beyond the boundaries of prudence. And until your response, ‘right is of no sex,’ I believed that we may have faltered in our cause. But your response helped sway the convention to pass this resolution. As a fellow reformer and courageous soldier in the cause of abolition, you are all too aware that our disenfranchisement can only begin to be undone when our voices are heard and accounted for in the vote. Your voice, heard and accounted for this July 20th, helped to persuade the Seneca Falls convention to pass all of the resolutions found in the Declaration of Sentiments. It is our mutual hope, our shared dream, that every man and woman of every race and creed shall one day soon be heard and accounted for in the assemblies of men. In echoing the righteous words of our Declaration writer Thomas Jefferson and living heroes like your self, Mr. Douglas, the voices of many fortify as one. Though we may hope to see the results of change and reform before the end of our mortal lives, we can be proud to walk the narrow path of freedom, making broad the way for others to follow. Too long have the voices been silent in matters that require the strength of numbers. Too long have the voices been silent.

With sincere admiration and gratitude,

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

I saw this article in the Rolling Stone while flying out to Seattle last week, and then again on D. Joseph's page. A good article, all about being a Marine in Iraq.

Yeah, initally I stood (and marched) in opposition to the war in Iraq, mostly because I wasn't effectively convinced by the WMD story, because there are other motivations at work that we are not publicly aware of, because of my concern for our troops, and because the occupation after-bits are a soggy seat we must sit in on the blustery ride home. I still maintain a respect for different cultures, and for our troops, but I have been convinced that Saddam, as Matt Stone and Trey Whoz-his-face say, is more evil than Satan.

Up until Friday, I had a theoretical / academic / network-television-Tom-Brokaw-watching distance from this whole Iraq thing. Then it became much more personal for me. Friday night after the Sondre Lerche / Ed Harcourt show at the Club Cafe (it was good), I geeked out and played my own songs on the street. After about an hour of playing, three old friends of mine from grade school and high school happened by and insisted on dragging me off to Mario's for some beer. Jon lives up the street from me, but the last time I saw my buddy Mark, a Marine veteran from Afghanistan and Iraq, was maybe five years ago. It's probably been even longer since I saw Matt, who's in the Coast Guard. And as the night went on and we had fun, the reality of what has and could've happened occurred to me. Matt, patrolling the coastline, was probably not in so much jeopardy as Mark, but somewhere in there, in the landscape of terror and fear propagated by the mass media, was a real war that my buddies were part of. Now they are back, obviously changed, but seemingly none the worse for wear. That really put a lot of the stupid stuff in my own life that I've been tangling with into sharper perspective. Thanks fellas, for the wake up call, for hanging out, for the beers and thanks especially for your service to our country.

Hey Kids !!!

Have any plans for next Saturday (6/28/03)? Looking for a fun night with lots of entertainment? Come to the Millvale VFW to see Me and Marty (billed as Louie and the Humans, even though we don't have any Madge-esty) play a set of original tunes and other good stuff! Follow this link for the address and a link with directions:

http://www.jambase.com/search.asp?venueID=25454

5 bands, only 3 bucks! This is a benefit for the VFW itself. Lineup is: Nebulous, 4SP, 2Rock2, Louie and the Humans, and Big Brother In Law. The show starts at 6 PM and we should be going on 7:00 PM. I think we go on either right before or right after 4SP. So it looks like you should get there like around 7:00 - PM to be sure to see us.

Come check us out, you know you want to!!!

Josh has a link for this rag, which, funny enough, Kurt introduced me to while visiting in Seattle. Kookiest part? Seeing in print some random 'found' stuff that I remember seeing tacked up on a restroom wall here in Pittsburgh. Yeah, kooky.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . I have returned from my much needed vacation!!!

Seattle was beautiful, and it was great to see Kurt. I had pretty good flights out and back, but I am not an early morning airport person. Especially with security stuff (sigh). Anyways, I had a good trip, got to see Emma Rose and Shawn Kirk as well. They both (and Kurt too) send their love to the Pittsburgh folks.

I had some good Italian food, tried some Ethiopian food for the first time, injera is a strange kinda bread. Sorta like pita/pancake/with-some-kinda-tart-flavor, but believe me it was good food. They give you a platter with all of your food on it, and the injera is like your dish and utensil. Pretty cool new dining experience for me.

I got to see a good bit of the city and University district, but I think my favorite part of the whole trip was hiking in the mountains outside of the city. Talk about nature's majesty! And it was kinda cool to walk on deep snow in June. Kooky!

It was cool to see Kurt and a few of his friends to play out at the Pioneer Square Saloon as well.

I was just a little cranky today to start with, as I think I'm long overdue to get out of town. That's THursday and I can't wait. But anyways here's what pissed me off today:

I finish one batch of journal work, go get some new ones. Figuring I'll get lunch while I'm out, I set my journals down, sit under a tree and eat. I'm minding my own business, figuring that a sunny lunch under a tree will lighten me up a bit. And as I'm finishing, I'm ignoring basically everybody (maybe that's the problem, ignoring folks?) and daydreaming. So these three turd-burglars walk right by a coupla feet away and one of 'em says, "What a great day to find someone having lunch under a tree with their books and kick their ass." Ok, so I ignore them and they walk on by, but what the FUCK? where do people get off? all I can say is those three turd-burglars are punks. And punks are bitches. AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrggggggh . . . .

An excellent weekend:

Friday: send-off dinner at Cafe du Jour on the 1200 block of Carson St. for Carolyn Madden, she's working in Australia now. Then some busking. Want a little outdoorsy patio dining place that's casual, intimate, reasonably inexpensive? Cafe du Jour . . . just one note: it's BYOB.
Saturday: a little gardening, planted some tomatoes my sister gave me, some peppers, some squash, some lemon balm and sage.. the flatleaf parsely my roommate mike planted appears to have come back. amazing. Then Dan Brown and his wife Erin treated me to the beer taster thing at Penn Brewery, it was awesome, thanks guys. Afters, we went for drinks at a coupla bars and then got breakfast.
Sunday: Kennywood Park with Tony and Kathy, courtesy of Roseanne. I hadn't been in three years, so it was way fun to go rollercoastering again. Thanks RO!

It's become apparent that my concert-going is following a certain trend: I go to see the openers more than the featured band.

Case example: last night I went to the Blue Rodeo show at the Rosebud. But I'm infinitiely unfamiliar *before last night* with Blue Rodeo. I'd only heard of them. To be expected, they have an alt country/rock-country sorta sound. They're front man/lead singer is a shot of Dave Burke whiskey, dropped in a pint of Donnie Osmond Lager served up in a frosted beer mug (does frosted beer mug adequately describe Canadian Country/Rock?). But anyways . . . I did hear of Sarah Slean, the opener for Blue Rodeo. In fact she's one of my favorite female vocalists. She's got a beautiful, sweet, sounding voice. Maybe a bit of the Edith Piaf? I dunno ... some kind of classic voice that is beautiful, sweet and so sad sounding sometimes but always witha ring of the old soul. I think Edith Piaf had the old soul sound. I would thoroughly enjoy hearing Sarah and Rufus Wainright doing some kinda duet, on some kinda old Depression Era sounding songs ... oh yeah, they're both Canadian so who knows? It could happen. Anyways, as I understand, Blue Rodeo, who does some cool songs (Railroad is a great one), is a well established band in Toronto. They tend to pick up an artist who is up-and-coming and then let 'em air out and sun on the line. This apparently is what they're doing with Sarah Slean. I like her crazy chord changes and time signatures, too. Definitely into the more complex music structures sometimes. And she must be doing something right, cuz I heard her stuff before Blue Rodeo.

All this talk makes me think about the days of peeling 2-ply paper, settling bags of potato chips and setting the elevator buttons crooked . . . ahh, good times!

Here's another story about a Picasso piece from the NYTimes. It reads like an art history novella or something, but it happened just this week in NYC.

Sarah Lentz did a great job Friday night at the Club Cafe. keep up the good work, Sarah!!!

Tim Colbert's piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about visiting Seattle to see Todd Kriedler directing August Wilson's "How I Learned What I Learned."

I saw the movie Wrong Turn with Marty last night. I don't recommend it to anybody. Especially for those of you who go climbing in WV and stuff.
Marty and I (and the rest of the theater) were thouroughly grossed out. I thought it was gonna be the tight-sweater-girls-in-the-woods slasher movie, and it kinda was cuz there were some cute chicks in the movie ... but it was far, far, far grosser. DeepWoods, WV, Inbred, orc-looking, cannibals lay traps for basically any and everybody. Gave me the serious heebie-jeebies ... I don't recommend it. Only movie I've seen where the whole theater got up to leave before the end.

On the positive tip, Ro gave me a free pass to go see it. Thanks Ro!

O

My friend Sarah Lentz is in from NYC to play a show at Club Cafe tomorrow night. Sarah rocks out on the piano, and has a full band with her. Here's the email with the details:

Hey friends,
So I am set to play Club Cafe with my band tomorrow! (Friday). There have been some discrepancies on time and price, but the dealio is this:
Club Cafe, 56-58 South 12th Street
Friday, May 30th (tomorrow!)
doors at 9:30 pm and show start at 10 pm (but might be doors at 10 and show at 10:30)
Cover $5 (but may be $7)
412-431-4950
www.clubcafelive.com
I think the Tribune Review has a blurb about me in it today. Check it out, and someone save me a copy!
If things do get started a little later I'm sorry! We have to quickly load in right after their early show.
I hope to see all of you there. This is a big first for me playing in my hometown with a back up band. It reminds me of my college senior recital..... ;)

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I went to see Matrix Reloaded last night with T Carra, and without giving any details away, I can say there's a cliffhanger ... oh yeah and Carrie-Ann Moss (who's a Canuck, who knew?) is still way hot.

hey, check this out: It's totally the kinda funny shit you want to read everyday.
Some fav's? Check in on Your Roommate Day, Car Wash Girlfriend Day, and Save Somebody's Life Day, and who could forget Don’t Put Your Kitten Into A Cardboard Box And Toss The Box Out The Window Of Your Moving Car And Onto The Grassy Median Of A Highway Day!

A Man of Strong Convictions and Talent

An interesting article in the NYTimes about Pablo Picasso, and how the pre-WWII French gave him the shaft. It explains when asked why he never became a French citizen, how Picasso came to say, "I am a Spaniard, and will die a Spaniard." So why stay in France? Politics, for one, a strong belief that Franco sucked and the pre-Franco Spanish govt' sucked, Picasso didn't want to align himself with anyone sympathetic to Hitler.

I'm learning that playing music for an audience is much more than just singing some song lyrics and playing some chords. I mean, yeah, you can do that (and who hasn't done that?) but there is something else that goes into good music. It's ethereal, intangible, perhaps even ineffable, but no it's not inaccessible.

It's definitley related to the Great Unspoken. It remains to be seen how that fits with Cracking the Cosmic Egg.

"A lot of the time I feel kind of limited vocally. I can hear it in my head, but I can't pull it off. I'm restricted because of my range. I just don't have that kind of voice, that kind of range -- you know, like even Emmy has, or like Joni Mitchell. When I first started out those were the voices I wanted to sound like. Eventually, though, you have to come to terms with your limitations, which, in turn, become your trademark." - Lucinda Williams, as she told the Journal of Country Music

So here's a couple minutes worth of cool photos to peep.

Ok, so this is the cool/wierd/thrilling/distinctive thing about the web and especially the blogoshpere: I see a blog name, click on it. links to another, click and BLAMMO you've suddenly found a photo series of one of the most beautiful girls in the world ... as best I can tell, she' s Brazilian.

New York Times has a bit on a girl rap trio and their song Cameltoe

My favorite bit: { Listeners agreed, Star said, but many had one question: "What's a cameltoe?"

A good question, although answering it requires a certain tact. Cameltoe is slang for a fashion faux pas caused by women wearing snug pants; the term suggests a visual analogy. The song is a cautionary tale, intended to help victims — help them, that is, by ridiculing them — into recovery.

The song's lyrics explain the condition more forthrightly: "Girl, that gotta hurt, take some time and adjust/ Can't you see people staring and making a fuss?" }

From Exit Stage Left, This is comforting, like receiving the postcard in the mail that you have to go see the dentist soon:

The Total Information Awareness program now under development by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, will henceforth be named the Terrorism Information Awareness program.

It's not supposed to be used for certain purposes, like dossiers on US citizens, but how long until it does become that? I have as much faith in that as I do in the temporary taxes that come into effect.

From The Ground Zero Folks, RE: PATransit and our pal Ed Rendell:
If you haven't voted yet today, please do...

And the UltraViolet Loop advisory board asks that you please be aware
of tomorrow's important hearing regarding Port Authority transit
decisions.
Thanks to the Save Our Transit crew for the following info...

ATTENTION BUS, TROLLEY& ACCESS RIDERS!
It is time once again for the annual public hearing to pick your
favorite way to:
KILL OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT!

In order to balance their operating budget the Port Authority wants to:
Eliminate all Sunday service, Eliminate all Holiday Service, Reduce
Saturday service to Sunday levels, Eliminate all service after 9PM,
Eliminate entire routes, increase headways for other routes and of
course increase the base fare to $2.00.

On Wednesday, May 21 between the hours of Noon and 8 PM, we get to go
once again to the Convention Center, downtown and tell the Port
Authority just what routes and services we want them to cut for us this
year. Oh yes we also get to give our opinion about the third fare hike
in three years. Isn't this FUN? Too bad that after just a few more
years there won't be anything left to cut.

Actually, it ain't fun. THIS STINKS and if you hate it as much as we do
then go tell 'em so on May 21.

It is Governor Rendell who cut funding for public transit operations
this year back to what it was in 1994. Many in the State General
Assembly then voted for the Governor's public transit cuts. They are
responsible for this! They need to hear from us. We have till June 30.

Contact Gov. Ed Rendell at 225 Main Capitol Bldg., Harrisburg PA 17120
Call 717-787-2500, 412-565-571 or 1-800-932-0784

Call Stephen at 412-361-3022 to find out who your state representative
is.

SAVE OUR TRANSIT
No More Service Cuts! No More Fare Hikes!

A very good weekend overall.

Friday I met Caroline and Co. at the Tonic bar downtown for her Aussie happy hour send-off. Nice little bar, some cute waitstaff and bartender folk. Very cool bar for the young hip crowd. Oh yeah, something was up at the Federal building, which is caddy corner to this Tonic bar. That was a bit wierd, watching the live news broadcast about the Fed Bldg being evacuated because of a bomb scare, and being right across the street from it. Fortunately nothing happened. then I hungout with Jim and Ro and Tim at the Rumshakers.

Saturday was cool. I played guitar for this girl Valentina's afternoon birthday party at the Rex. Then I worked the CD table for Calliope at the Leon Redbone show. Which meant I got to see the show afterwards. Thanks for the hook-up, Jolene and for the hot-tip, Madge!!!

Very sad news, June Carter Cash wife of Johnny Cash died at 73 yesterday.

Did anyone see the eclipse last night? I checked several times and only saw clouds.

There should be a full moon tonight,with the added bonus of a Full Lunar Eclipse (courtesy of Engel/Bannan page ). Let's hope ther is sufficient clear sky for checking it out.

Leon Redbone is in town this Saturday night at the Carnegie, but tix are like $30 and $75 bucks. I'd so love to go see him play again, but the last two shows I saw were $15 and free.

Wassup ma Jiggas?

A word I invented: Noggage: stuff you put into your noggin.

Kooky dreams last night, in three parts:

1: I dreamt about my friend Delia, partly I suppose because I watched Scotland, PA last night with Maura Tierney playing the part of Pat McBeth. The two (Delia and Maura Tierney) remind me of each other, for one I guess because they have that smooth-smokey kinda voice, and they resemble each other. Chris Walken rocks in the movie by the way, and Andy Dick is funny too. Anyways, we sat and talked in my dream, Delia and I, about life stuff while we watched TV. It was good and insightful, as talking with Delia typically is.

2. Then I dreamt about going on a road trip to see a dinner show somewhere in Canada. My Canadian friend was going too, so we carpooled. We got there and were supposed to get all dressed up, but were in our pajamas. Then we got all gussied up and they still gave us pajama seating which is apparently floor seating in a bed. Comfortable but wierd. Imagine going to someplace like Mattress Discounters to see a concert or musical dinner theater in a made bed. So as we're watching this show, it was like a musical theater thing, some guy who is a knife-guru-sort (kinda looks like Stanley Kubrick there on the left with his beard) approaches us and says he is supposed to do a bit in this show. He immediately takes a shine to my friend. Well that's cool she says, but I think she's a little freaked out by the fact that this guy has like a million different knives, and in the middle of this mattress showcase concert space, has decided to give us a special knife-guru sideshow.
We suggest that he wait until he can go on stage so everyone can see his show. They of course never call him up to the stage to perform, so as we're leaving he follows us all the way back home and in the front yard, says now I'll show you my whole show. He opens up several suitcase-looking attaches filled with knives of all sorts, chinese throwing stars and the likes, and starts up this cyclone of swirling shiny metal, like a angry swarm of metallic bees. Then he tells me to stay away from my friend, that he has claimed her for his show, and that he merely needs to nod in my direction and I'll be sliced up like a honey-baked ham. I said, "Whatever, there's consequences for that kinda stuff, buddy..." I pick up a broad sword and a giant iron spear that I find laying there amongst his stuff, and stand my ground. My friend was, needless to say, a bit freaked out by this guy. And like any good dream sequence, sorta like flipping the channels to see what's showing here, the channel flips and shifts to more strangeness...

3. I dreamt about moving into a dorm-style living space in the Brew House. There were mostly college kids and artist types living there who were cool, many of us were more or less forced to move there. And then there were some annoying freakshow people who I spent half of my dreamtime trying to avoid. They were badly dressed clowns, trying to pass themselves off as cool people, but of course they weren't. They rode around on rusty bicycles, dressed like very colorful street punks wearing cheap makeup that was sloppily applied. Just really bad clowns. Oh yeah, and they thought it was funny to try to give people injections with hypodermic needles, so they'd follow you through the stairwells, through windows, up onto rooftops, whereve you'd go, trying to stick you with a needle full of who-knows-what. I woke up as they were pursuing me and I exited a stairwell into daylight.

Word of the Day for Tuesday May 13, 2003 from www.dictionary.com
comity \KOM-uh-tee\, noun:
A state of mutual harmony, friendship, and respect, especially between or among nations or people; civility.

comity of nations, noun:
1. The courteous recognition by one nation of the laws and institutions of another.
2. The group of nations observing international comity.
In Athens last week, E.U. leaders offered a picture of comity as they formally signed accession treaties with 10 new members.
--James Graff, "Can France Put a Cork In It?" Time Europe, April 28, 2003

Despite the image of civil-military comity during World War II, there were many differences between Franklin Roosevelt and his military advisers.
--Mackubin Thomas Owens, "Sniping," National Review, April 2, 2003

Short-term initiatives in 1919 became longer-term strategies for bringing the two pariahs, Germany and Russia, into the comity of nations.
--Kenneth O. Morgan, "Lloyd George and the Lost Peace: from Versailles to Hitler, 1919-1940," English Historical Review, June 2002

Everyone hopes that Saddam Hussein will honour his agreement with Kofi Annan and that Iraq will be received back into the comity of nations.
--Marrack Goulding, "A wider role for the UN," New Statesman, March 13, 1998
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comity is from Latin comitas, from comis, "courteous."

I am currently enjoying Jen Bannan's book of short fiction stories, Inventing Victor, and the tales therein. Pick up a copy and check it out.

Damien Rice was in town, anybody get to check out his Club Cafe show last night or hear his in-studio bit at WYEP this morning?

"Be good and you will be lonesome." -Mark Twain

I dropped my lunch
I fell down the stairs
I got a hunch
Somebody cares

I know what I want
I know that I shouldn't
Cuz you have a heart
Even if I didn't

Continuing Education:

Indeed there is still some semblance of order inthe world. It goes like this: the very attractive blonde chick who occasionally appeared in the halls of my building, who more and more recently has been seen dressed to the 9's (imagine a remarkably hot chick on a weekend night) on any given day of the week, who as far as i knew was happily married, had got a divorce. it begins to make sense. see, i don't really know and never spoke to this girl, but she would be casually pleasant. smile, ya know or nod. i knew she was married. simple. hot married chick. smile, nod, but just mind your own business. but then the clothes changed, there were inquisitve looks that lasted longer than normal, followed by a flirty smile ? was she looking at me? i dunno, but a definite change had occured. so married folks are like off limits but dang, i was wondering what is she doing? is she really married still or ever? and i today i learned, yes she was, but not anymore. ahhhhhhhh... oh yeah, and she's finished her degree work and is off to NYU. major bummer... but at least i know what was going on was really legit, and not some other thing.

Funny Stuff about crushes from the Viceland:

WALKING ON THE PHONE
I know you want to sound relaxed and busy with other stuff, but calling her from your cell phone while you walk has the opposite effect. I once called this girl Jasmine while I was walking down six flights of stairs and, though I thought it would come across as busy-guy-who-can-only-catch-up-on-phone-calls-while-getting-to-the-train, it came across as psychotic-pervert-who-likes-to-jerk-off-when-he-leaves-messages. Apparently her roommates saved it forever and would smoke pot and laugh their asses off to me going, “He ey ey Ja ah ah sm sm sm ine ine, wha at s u up?” and so on. When I finally went over there, they were staring at me with bug eyes going, “Holy shit, that’s the phone guy!” Anyway, just stop by the dumpster next time you’re leaving a message. You don’t need to be breathing like that.

A thought or two or you fellow bloggers, and anybody else who may enjoy it:

To while away the idle hours, seated the livelong day before the inkslab, by jotting down without order or purpose whatever trifling thoughts pass through my mind, verily this is a queer and crazy thing to do!

—Yoshida Kenko (1283–1352)

If you liked that, you may like where it came from, a site called Aporia.

aporia - Wonder and amazement before the confusing puzzles and paradoxes of our lives and of the universe. Socrates and the other ancient philosophers tried to evoke the philosophic spirit in young men by awakening their aporia, not by simply providing answers to these puzzles.

Keep in mind there is no particular audience for this poem (ie, no intended or beloved, but it sounds cool). I found this on another blog. It sorta reminds me of this one time I wrote an erotic poem (sorry the poem is now gone with the girl), and it actually produced the desired effect. Now the problem is finding a solution to this, which is about scholarly pursuits but fitting enough: Nothing is bitterer than a long dwelling in potential. Nothing shows better what disconsolate gloom may derive from an incessant postponement of the deed (Giorgio Agamben in his essay, The Idea of Study).

The poem:

Imagine a Kiss

Looking into your eyes
Drawing you ever so near
Even that doesnt feel close enough
I want your body to crush me
My body heat feels so elevated
So hot to the touch
I can hardly draw breathe
The need of you is so fierce
Consuming my very soul
Until we make contact
You startle me with your passion
Your lips crushing mne taking me by force
When my will so unsure
We connect soul to soul
Heart understanding without communication
No words are needed
They are simply unnecessary
Pleasure exploding thrugh my body
Rocking my world making me dizzy
I am lost in your shadow
Trying in vain to clear my senses
Our bodies rspond to each other
Our own primal need so clearly shown
You are touching me all over
Your lips bruising my skin
Leaving invisible trails down my body
I rest my head next to your heart
Trying to still the chaos in my body
You bring me to the edge of heaven
Showing me a promise of what can be
When I let you make love to me
This is how I imagine our kiss

Talk about loving your work like an 'ugly stepchild' . . . What a freakin' bleak piece this thing is! {see below}

Reflections in the Lobby

You ask me now to tell you,
So listen, I speak the truth.
I swear I'll fight with all I have.
Against me there's no proof.

I was born here I don't know when.
Mother passed away when I was born.
My father was a drunkard.
I don't remember him.

They always used to shout throw, throw, throw
But I just took my time.
They got angry when I did that.
I never paid them any mind.

Nobody could run as fast as me and I never did look back.
I ran and ran 'til the surroundings were not familiar any more.
Never talk to strangers, they used to say.
"Good child, now go to sleep - for tomorrow is a busy day.

I woke up in someone's lap
I couldn't tell you who,
Dusk was falling quickly.
The bearded man comes too.

T'was a toothless woman sitting there.
Everyone looked strange.
My thirsty throat was burning
With longing lonesome strains.

Now you come to me in your fine coats
And your fine English curses you!
There's God above who knows all
Who will surely deal with you.

But I am speaking of myself
What now will you do?
Let my sins go with me
Or take a dead man's curse with you.

I am borrowing this from somebody else: One because ti's true, Google is the best, and two he used the phrase 'too cool for school.'

Google is the best search engine, but the guys at Google think they are too cool for school. You can choose dozens of different languages to use with Google. Some are silly languages that are just dumb:
Klingon
Swedish Chef from The Muppet Show
Hacker
Pig Latin
Elmer Fudd

Thanks to everyone who came to see the show Saturday! It's always nice to have support from your friends. Next time, I'll try to have a bit more advance notice, so folks can plan accordingly. It's tough going in with less than a week's notice, and tougher when you're competing with Pearl Jam. Word is that they did a good show.

The Flaming Lips put on a good show yesterday. A sorta last minute thinger for that show. A band from Columbus, OH called the Sun opened, and Sparkle horse did a short short set as well. Metropol, although hardly my favorite venue to see bands, wasnt' as bad as it can be. Thankfully their sound guy was good. Holy crowded, though . . .

Today is absolutely perfect outside! That temp where you can go shorts and T-shirt, and not roast. I took lunch under a tree and watched the bees do their thing . . .