A Great Start to the Day

Today is my day off. And it was off to a great start. At three in the morning I had a phone call from work. We have an overnight crew so that was who was calling. I'm not going into the reasons, but they weren't very good. Let me tell you that was a great way to start my day off, getting up at 3 in the a.m. And trying to get back to sleep was not the easiest after that.

After such a bad start the day wasn't that bad. I pretty much did nothing, went to the store and picked up the issue of Walking Dead that was supposed to be out last week and the new issues of Rolling Stone and No Depression. This is not a medical journal, but a music magazine devoted to americana music. This is one of my favorite, if not favorite magazine, always jammed pack with interesting articles. So I got home and spent most of the day sitting around and reading.

Not a bad way to spend a day.

Springsteen videos

I was in Bruce mood so I pulled some videos from You Tube.

From the Jazz Fest

This is video from Bruce's appearance at Jazz Fest, which I've spoken at in length on this blog before. For my money, this concert (and I've seen a few over the years) is perhaps the best concert I have ever seen.

Bring Em Home

Perhaps not the most subtle lyrics ever, but sometimes you have to hit some people over the head with a big stick.

Born In The USA

A different version of his popular song. This version is a killer in concert. I've heard him do even other versions of this song, taking it into even more a blues style.

Happy Aniversary

Today marks the one year date of Katrina. If you live around these parts it's kind of hard not to hear some talk of it. On tv that's all they're showing. I just heard our Governor paraphase (and not that well) Pogo's "We have met the enemy and he is us."

On another channel I saw Emeril is hosting a big music bash to raise money for Katrina relief. This is the same Emeril that was too busy with his book signing to come down after the hurricane and help feed the relief workers. The same guy that let most of his people go. While the other big restaruant owners in the city were out on the street helping to feed the people. Brennans paid their staff till they re opened, including the wait staff. Emeril was too busy. But he wasn't too busy to give an interview in New York and say he thought New Orleans was too far gone to recover. You can count on one thing as far as I'm concerned, I'll never set foot in a place owned by Emeril.

Since last year I've read a few of the books that have come out about the hurricane. Some of them have made me re think some of my assumptions that I made earlier. From the showing of the Governor of this state during the hurricane and afterwards I had very little respect. I thought she looked and sounded lost. I thought she did little or nothing to help. But after reading these books I've seen she did more than she is given credit for. Far from what should have been accomplished I've come to the conclusion that she tried a lot more than I thought. And she got some things accomplished. She kept Bush from walking in and taking complete control of the situation, which would have only made a bad thing worse. And after the hurricane I had a higher respect for the city's Mayor. He seemed to be out on the street, helping, using his voice to yell for attention. Well, a lot that isn't what it seemed. He basically fled to a high floor on one of the hotels downtown and decided to stay there. He refused to go to the Superdome and try to offer comfort to all those trapped people. He was afraid. (And on a side note, the Governor did go to the Dome, she refused to let photographers or news people to go with her). And since the storm Nagin has done nothing but put his foot in his mouth more than any one person should be able to. Calling the 9/11 diaster a big hole in the ground? How dumb can one man be?

I've been at work all day so I really haven't had a lot of time to reflect on Katrina. Which is probably for the best. Of the many people that was effected by the storm, I was very lucky. My home was not destroyed, none of my family was lost. Things weren't perfect, far from it, but it could have been a lot worse for me. So if anything I guess I should feel thankful.

The last few days have been kind of deja vu with a hurricane out in the Atlantic and heading into the Gulf. They say it's supposed to hit Florida, which looking back a year or so ago, is what they said about Katrina.

Veronica Mars Rocks

What more need be said? I just finished the second season. This is one of the best shows on tv.

So How's The Week So Far?

Ok, a few posts back I was talking about high excited I was about this week with all the good stuff coming out. Well, I take that back now. Dylan has been pushed back to next week, The Walking Dead did not get distributed down south this week for some reason. Drat! I say, just dang blang drat!

But on the good side the second season of Veronica Mars did come out and I'll been up till four in the morning the last two nights watching it. I'm figuring that tonight I should finish it or die trying.

Which Disney Character Am I?

You scored as Peter Pan. Your alter ego is Peter Pan. You are a child at heart. Anything you believe is possible, and you never want to grow up.

Which Disney Character is your Alter Ego?
created with QuizFarm.com

My Ipod

I've spent the better part of this afternoon downloading songs on to my ipod. I've went this route before and than lost them all on my computer which made me lose them on my ipod. I've purchased one of those progams that is supposed to let me download my songs from my ipod if that happens again.

I've use about 5 GBs of memory so far and have about 13 GBs left. I have 1379 songs downloaded so far.

Don't worry, I'm not going to list all the songs. I just thought I'd list some of the artists that I have on it.

Alejandro Escoverdo
Allison Moorer
Ani Difranco
Bettye LeVetter
Bob Dylan
Bob Seger
Bruce Springsteen
Buddy Miller
Charlie Sexton
Dion
Dixie Chicks
Dolly Parton
Drive by Truckers
Dusty Springfield
Elvis Costello
Everclear
Joan Jett
Joe Ely
John Hiatt
Joss Stone
Julie Miller
Lennon
Little Steven
Living Things
Lone Justice
Loretta Lynn
Lori McKenna
Los Lobos
Lucinda Williams
Marah
Maria McKee
Mary Chapin Carptener
Mary Gauthier
Melissa Etheridge
Neko Case
Patti Scialfa
Patty Griffin
Peter Case
R.E.M.
Rancid
Ray Lamontagne
Richard Thompson
Rodney Crowell
Scott Miller
Shannon McNally
Shelby Lynne
Son Volt
Subdudes
Theresa Anderson
Tiff Merritt
Tom Petty
U2
Uncle Tupelo
Waifs
White Stripes
Wilco
Will Hoge

Ok, a little of everything on there. And I probably have a few thousand more songs I can download on it.

Waifs

While downloading songs into my ipod I put the Waifs live cd in it. If you haven't heard of the Waifs, and unfortunately a lot of people haven't, you should check them out. They are a folk band from Australia, two sisters and a man. The live cd "A brief history of..." is one of my favorite cds.

Right To Brag?

Ok, first I have to admit to something I don't want to upfront. I was watching the teen choice awards. Well, not really watching, I was downloading songs onto my ipod and running to the other side of my house and trying to get my cds back into some semblance of order while the teen choice awards were on. The tv was on in a room between where I was running back and forth. I would listen to it as I ran back and forth. The big finale was Kevin Ferdiline (I'm sure I misspelled his name), the husband of Britney Spears. I was actually kind of curious to see his act, I haven't heard any of his music, only how bad his cd has done. Britney came out to introduce him. If she isn't a walking ad for Ms. White Trash I don't know who is. And she's as big as a house...yeah, I know she's pregnant, but still. Well now I know why his cd sold so poorly. This man has no talent whatsoever. Except maybe the talent to marry someone rich enough to get him his own musical career. He raps if that's what you want to call it. Now in his rap he brags about how much money he has over the rest of us. I don't know, if all my money came from my wife I don't know if I'd be out bragging about it. Just kind of more than arrogant if I may say so.

ONE DAY GAS BOYCOTT

The price of gas keeps going up and the oil companies just keep on making more and more money.  We keep hearing all the excuses on why the price has to go up, but why do they keep making more profit if things are that shaky.  Something sounds fishy to me.  

There is no way that we, the American public, can boycott the gas companies.  We all need gas to fuel our cars to get where we're going.  We need to be able to get to the store, to work, to whereever.  That would never work.

But I keep having this idea.  What if everyone decided for one day that we would not buy any gas.  A one day boycott.  Would it wreck the profits of the oil companies?  I seriously doubt it.  But maybe it would make them realize that we are tried of them playing us for fools.  One day that is decided on in advance and for that day we all pass by the gas pumps.  

What does everyone think?

Good Week

This is going to be a good week coming up.

Bob Dylan's MODERN TIMES comes out.

The second season of Veronica Mars is out Tuesday.

The newest issues of Daredevil and The Walking Dead are our Wednesday.

And that's all stuff just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more good things coming out.

(Am I a nerd or what?)

Which Friend Am I?

Take the quiz:
Which F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Cast Member are you? (pics!)

Ross
You are Mr. Smarty!!! This may come off as nerdy sometimes, but you can also be quite charming!!

Quizzes by myYearbook.com -- the World's Biggest Yearbook!


This actually is a pretty lame quiz, if you know anything about Friends the questions will tell you which Friend you will be. I've always considered myself as a cross between Ross and Chandler.

On The Other Side of the Glass

This image came to me about a week or so ago and it keeps coming up in my mind, so I decided to use it. I'm not sure if it really makes sense or not, but I'll let you all decide that.

Lately my life has felt like I'm in a car looking out the window as the scenery passes by. I watch but everything seems to be a blur as the car races onward. I can press my face against the glass, but I can't get through, I'm stuck on the wrong side, just a bystander as everything whizzes by.

It's so much easier to sit home and watch tv than go out. Friends want to do something but I find excuses on why I can't do it. Every now and than I can drag myself out to a concert or movie or something, but sometimes it seems like its too much trouble to try. I find myself, if not pushing friends away, at least ignoring them long enough that they'll leave on their own. I have some of the best friends in the world, some of them I have barely made an effort to keep in contact with. I know, we are all older, we're all moving on in life, but that's never kept me from at least keeping in contact with them before. Now it just seems to be an effort.

It's so much easier to sit here at the computer screen, zoning out and not even knowing what sites I'm visiting than to try to write. I used to fill my every spare moment with writing. I remember an old friend/editor once told me that whenever something came up I would have a script out in days. It was all I wanted to do. It was all I thought about. I still think about it. I compose entire stories in my mind, but when it comes to actually sitting down and putting those thoughts to paper I find a million excuses not to even attempt.

Even my blogging hasn't intrigued me. I've been filling it up, but with easy quick posts. A lot of YouTube. A lot of pictures. I haven't really made any substantial posts in a long time. I just feel guilty not posting, so I make sure I find something to post. I've ignored my friends I've made on my blog. I've read some of your posts, some of your thoughtful insightful, some of your troubles, and I tell myself I will make a comment....I even think out the comment, but in the end I don't.

I'm not depressed. It's just I feel disconnected from my life. It's as if my life has moved on without me. I need to catch up with it. I need to take control of it again. There's still a lot that I want to accomplish.

Archibald is Back!

Long time readers of this blog will see that my trusty old penguin Archibald is back on the sidebar. Click on him and you can play with him. Even make him go for a swim.

Memphis In The Meantime

I'm heading to Memphis to visit my parents for a few days so I won't be around. Not that I've been around a lot lately anyway. I promise when I come back to try to start blogging more serious again. Hope everyone has a good week and weekend.