I really don't believe there is a Heaven or Hell (just for the record)
We live in Louisville KY, and every weekend in front of the Big Boy restaurant there is a fat guy holding a large wooden cross, a bible and a megaphone. I guess he's trying to save souls or he's just waiting for his fried seafood platter.
The other day I'm driving by and he has a sign, Heaven or Hell you choose. Well I thought about it for a few seconds, lowered my window and yelled I choose Heaven.
I really did not know it was that easy, so I guess I'm going to Heaven, right?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Let's get drunk!
I'm ashamed to admit that it's probably been damn near a month since I checked in with the blog. I apologize for my lack of support.
I will correct that immediately with a call to action:
LET'S ALL GO GET DRUNK!!!!!
If you are sober this weekend, you are a dirty pig fucker.
-David
I will correct that immediately with a call to action:
LET'S ALL GO GET DRUNK!!!!!
If you are sober this weekend, you are a dirty pig fucker.
-David
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Cheesy Bars and Greasy Diners
I was thinking about Warren, Ohio, on the way home from Mike's tonight for some reason. We watched the series finale of BSG tonight, and I had a couple beers and a snort of whiskey. I started recalling Warren.
I believe it was the summer of 1995. I stayed with David and his roommate Todd in a suburban home. I recall we spent a fair amount of time at dive bars. They weren't rough places. They were just past their prime. Way past their prime. I remember one place that was close by the neighborhood. Close enough to drive after drinking. It seems to me that it had some plywood furnishings covered by carpet.
Almost all the bars were in strip malls. Plus, most of them featured DJs with DJ names like Scooter, and the DJs developed followings.
At the end of a fair evening of drinking beer in strange bars, sometimes we'd end up at a diner. The classic place was on the other side of town. It was a little too bright with white linoleum. But the grill was sizzling up plenty of home fries and eggs well into the wee hours.
Their specialty was the Little something. I want to say the Little Van named after the owner. It was a omlette stuffed with potatoes. There was a Big Van, but the Little one was legendary for its size. I don't think we ever wanted to order the big one lest we ruin the mythology.
It was a pretty sweet summer. Tony, David, me, and Todd variously ended up in strange bars after work. Then we'd retire back to the suburban house where David and Todd lived, and I'd usually end up watching Highlander 2 with Todd until he saw his favorite scene with Sean Connery. Strange times.
I believe it was the summer of 1995. I stayed with David and his roommate Todd in a suburban home. I recall we spent a fair amount of time at dive bars. They weren't rough places. They were just past their prime. Way past their prime. I remember one place that was close by the neighborhood. Close enough to drive after drinking. It seems to me that it had some plywood furnishings covered by carpet.
Almost all the bars were in strip malls. Plus, most of them featured DJs with DJ names like Scooter, and the DJs developed followings.
At the end of a fair evening of drinking beer in strange bars, sometimes we'd end up at a diner. The classic place was on the other side of town. It was a little too bright with white linoleum. But the grill was sizzling up plenty of home fries and eggs well into the wee hours.
Their specialty was the Little something. I want to say the Little Van named after the owner. It was a omlette stuffed with potatoes. There was a Big Van, but the Little one was legendary for its size. I don't think we ever wanted to order the big one lest we ruin the mythology.
It was a pretty sweet summer. Tony, David, me, and Todd variously ended up in strange bars after work. Then we'd retire back to the suburban house where David and Todd lived, and I'd usually end up watching Highlander 2 with Todd until he saw his favorite scene with Sean Connery. Strange times.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Things That Don't Mean Nothin' Bout No Nothin' (Not!)
Here's my new favorite expression that people are using to irritate me. "Now, I wanted to give the new president a chance, but..."
I would posit that not only did these people not even think about giving Obama a chance, but that they are only saying it to make themselves sound smarter. Note, I did not say, "more sympathetic." I believe that this a patrician statement, meant to say, "Well, I knew better, but in this case, I thought maybe this person would turn out to be less stupid than I know that he actually is. How wrong was I to give them a chance." But it is phrased in such a way to imply that whomever says it was trying to be open-minded about a democratic-controlled white house.
It's like people who say "In accordance with..." That is, I believe, supposed to lend the weight of authority to statements. "In accordance with the laws of overextending myself pursuant to the mood-altering libation, beer, I shall now, on this, the 19th day of March in the year of our Lord, 2009, regurgitate the contents of my stomach, recent eatings, etc, into the handbag of my significant other, Carol."
I guess the only question is, do these people know how transparent the phrase is? When they say it, is it just a fun turn of phrase? Or do they know how smarmy it is? I would say that there is some "speechifying" cliché out there that makes people speak more formally when trying to make a political point, some vestigial rhetoric lesson has them speak this way because it doesn't help a point to simply say, "I don't like him! He's on the other team! I think they're dumb!"
I'm beginning to think that there is no such thing as an open-minded person. But I'm willing to give the idea a chance.
I would posit that not only did these people not even think about giving Obama a chance, but that they are only saying it to make themselves sound smarter. Note, I did not say, "more sympathetic." I believe that this a patrician statement, meant to say, "Well, I knew better, but in this case, I thought maybe this person would turn out to be less stupid than I know that he actually is. How wrong was I to give them a chance." But it is phrased in such a way to imply that whomever says it was trying to be open-minded about a democratic-controlled white house.
It's like people who say "In accordance with..." That is, I believe, supposed to lend the weight of authority to statements. "In accordance with the laws of overextending myself pursuant to the mood-altering libation, beer, I shall now, on this, the 19th day of March in the year of our Lord, 2009, regurgitate the contents of my stomach, recent eatings, etc, into the handbag of my significant other, Carol."
I guess the only question is, do these people know how transparent the phrase is? When they say it, is it just a fun turn of phrase? Or do they know how smarmy it is? I would say that there is some "speechifying" cliché out there that makes people speak more formally when trying to make a political point, some vestigial rhetoric lesson has them speak this way because it doesn't help a point to simply say, "I don't like him! He's on the other team! I think they're dumb!"
I'm beginning to think that there is no such thing as an open-minded person. But I'm willing to give the idea a chance.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Rabid Cat
I thought I saw a rabid cat on my porch this afternoon. At first I thought he just had a healthy dose of drinking water, because his jaws were soaked, but when I looked closer at the cat, out-my-window. I should have taken a picture. I called my neighbor, who has been dealing with cats in this neigborhood for 30 years, and he said to call the police to inform animal control. I called 911, hesitently, after I just saw on the smoking gun website about dipshits calling from McDonald's because they're assholes and thought they got ripped off over some McNuggets. Fortunately, you will go to court, and maybe jail for being stupid. The cashier probably has a better case of pulic harassment.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0303091mcnugget1.html
...back to the mangy cat that started eating catfood on my porch.
I've set a fresh bowl of catfood on the porch to see if it will come back, and I would probably give the thing some water. After he or she ate, the cat went to the street curb to lick the mange out. Maybe he just found something salivating good, like the yummy catfood on my porch, or something savory dwelling in his fur. Yes, it took me this long to think of this. The cat was acting much more normally than a rabid cat. A city officer showed up, professionally like any good Texas cop should. He actually made eye-contact with the cat before he stopped the cruiser. He observed the critter for about 20 seconds. It didn't move until I opened the door, and my sneaky cat ran out. All my running around like a moron, trying to catch my cat had foiled my calculated effort to get this cat to the pound. The cat ran to the neigbor's yard. I introdced myself to the officer, and explained why I called. He informed me that he had got a good look at the critter, from his cruiser window. He said it looked fine, or he would have just rolled down the window and shot the cat with his pistol. After I thought about it for a second, I thought that would be pretty cool, but no. The animal control lady showed up shortly after. She brought two chihuahuas in tow. The cat wasn't that fast, and the lady went after it with stove gloves, and it just got up and left, and they couldn't catch the cat. They said they could lay traps but they would probably catch some other hungry animal. I requested that they persure it no longer, and they split (sans chat)
I also saw this on the Yahoo news,
Bud
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0303091mcnugget1.html
...back to the mangy cat that started eating catfood on my porch.
I've set a fresh bowl of catfood on the porch to see if it will come back, and I would probably give the thing some water. After he or she ate, the cat went to the street curb to lick the mange out. Maybe he just found something salivating good, like the yummy catfood on my porch, or something savory dwelling in his fur. Yes, it took me this long to think of this. The cat was acting much more normally than a rabid cat. A city officer showed up, professionally like any good Texas cop should. He actually made eye-contact with the cat before he stopped the cruiser. He observed the critter for about 20 seconds. It didn't move until I opened the door, and my sneaky cat ran out. All my running around like a moron, trying to catch my cat had foiled my calculated effort to get this cat to the pound. The cat ran to the neigbor's yard. I introdced myself to the officer, and explained why I called. He informed me that he had got a good look at the critter, from his cruiser window. He said it looked fine, or he would have just rolled down the window and shot the cat with his pistol. After I thought about it for a second, I thought that would be pretty cool, but no. The animal control lady showed up shortly after. She brought two chihuahuas in tow. The cat wasn't that fast, and the lady went after it with stove gloves, and it just got up and left, and they couldn't catch the cat. They said they could lay traps but they would probably catch some other hungry animal. I requested that they persure it no longer, and they split (sans chat)
I also saw this on the Yahoo news,
Bud
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ask Someone Who's Crappin' all over the Place
Dear Someone who's crappin' all over the place,
I have a friend who not so long ago removed an old friend from his facebook because she kept bugging him and his wife about someone she used to know. She never asked about my friend's life or his wife's, but always bugged his wife and him to help her get in touch with his wife's cousin. The posts would not even beat around the bush, something along the lines of "Hey you, how's so-and-so? She won't respond to any of my emails." Albeit my friend's wife had the courtesy to forward the 4th party's email to this person. As it turns out, my friend's wife's cousin has no intention of speaking to whatshername, not out of hate or spite, but just because they live much different lifestyles (ie. single liberal yoga instructor vs. born again neo-con Disney mom) and maybe she could care less... Recently this person has requested that my friend re-add her to his list of friends without provocation. The question I'm asking: Should my friend give Disney mom a second chance to catch up on old times, or is he just setting himself up again for stalker-like harassment he has seen in the past?
Sincerely
Friend of stalked-by-minnie-mouse
I have a friend who not so long ago removed an old friend from his facebook because she kept bugging him and his wife about someone she used to know. She never asked about my friend's life or his wife's, but always bugged his wife and him to help her get in touch with his wife's cousin. The posts would not even beat around the bush, something along the lines of "Hey you, how's so-and-so? She won't respond to any of my emails." Albeit my friend's wife had the courtesy to forward the 4th party's email to this person. As it turns out, my friend's wife's cousin has no intention of speaking to whatshername, not out of hate or spite, but just because they live much different lifestyles (ie. single liberal yoga instructor vs. born again neo-con Disney mom) and maybe she could care less... Recently this person has requested that my friend re-add her to his list of friends without provocation. The question I'm asking: Should my friend give Disney mom a second chance to catch up on old times, or is he just setting himself up again for stalker-like harassment he has seen in the past?
Sincerely
Friend of stalked-by-minnie-mouse
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Working on a Dream Review
First, the admissions. I'm sort of an easy mark for Mr. Springsteen. And if I had the opportunity to discuss this album with the man himself, I'd probably forget about any nitpicks and just thank him. In other words, I'm not an impartial reviewer. I love you, Bruce! Let's pull on out of here to win!
Give me a minute to pull myself together.
I feel like the loose spirit of the Seeger Sessions really influences this album. There's a lot of fun on this album. Obviously, it's not improvised, but there is a looseness to the music, even when there are strings and guitars playing in unison (which is, by definition, not literally loose). It just all really works and has a very fun vibe. It makes me want to hear the E Street Band tackle more of the Seeger Sessions-style stuff. I thought they really showed us something with "American Land" on the last tour.
I mean, let's talk about "Outlaw Pete." Eight minutes, loose, tempo changes, unbelievable. I think once Bruce starts talking about a baby robbing banks, we get the idea that this song is supposed to just be a lot of fun. I feel like Bruce has been trying to write another "Kitty's Back" for the last three albums. He's not quite there, but I love how crazy "Outlaw Pete" is. It might even be crazier than "Kitty." I predict that live, this will be a song to watch in a way that "Mary's Place" never quite took me.
And beyond joy, "Lucky Day" gets almost elegiac. Of course, it's that "Glory Days," bittersweet happiness, but not "Nebraska" bittersweet. I remember one reviewer once said that "Pony Boy" was the first time Bruce ever sounded happy on a record. I would say that this song is the first time when Bruce ever achieves that soul singer moment of sounding transported by love without sounding too sad. Even "Man's Job" still sounds like he didn't quite get the girl. And, for me, "Two Hearts" is a rock song, not a soul song.
How about that bass answering Bruce's call on "Lucky Day?" I can't think of another moment like that on an E Street Album. Go Gary! I think every album has a few surprising moments, but this is Gary Talents's album. Obviously, I knew he was good, but he sounds renewed on this album. Did he have a kid or something?
"Working on a Dream" is a great example of Bruce taking a simple idea and really working it. It's such a cute song. I feel like this is what he was going for with "Cross My Heart." There's some really interesting backup vocals that are a little "Hungry Heart"esque. Truth though, I hate the damn whistling.
I'm not sure it's for everyone, but a couple of songs, Queen of the Supermarket, Outlaw Pete have a whiff of the Elvis' later operatic voice, which I love. I mean, they're undoubtedly sort of doofy songs (as I load my groceries into the car, dum dee doo doo), but with all that Americana lilting off them from the Seeger session again. The backup vocals on QOTSM are hilarious. I feel like Paul Bunyan is next door to the supermarket. I think Bruce is being very playful on QOTS and we're not supposed to be in the same mythic spot as, say, "Thunder Road," but we're in a mythic spot "where aisles and aisles of dreams await for you, the cool promise of ecstasy fills the air." If you like "I wanna Marry you," then you are in for a treat. Perhaps you can't have the mythic tradition of American music and not at least nod at Elvis. It's not quite Elvis's "American Trilogy," but I believe it shows that Bruce understands that no matter what you think of Elvis, the man was genuine.
I would say that Magic is a really good example of Bruce's songcraft, him really digging in and writing. But this album is a lot more natural feeling with a lot of flow to the songs that doesn't seem quite as "written" as The Rising or Magic, like the songs emerged from jams, more like the River, although it doesn't sound anything like the River, it feels more like it, particularly "This Life," which could be an outtake. And hey, the new organ player sounds great on that one.
"Good Eye" is awesome. He took the bullet mic moments from the second solo tour and incorporated it into the E Street Band sound. It strikes me that this is a direct outgrowth out of what he was doing with "Reason To Believe" on the last tour. And even though it's the blues, I would say that everyone is having a great time on the record, which is very Seeger sessions band.
"What Love Can Do" is a really good example of "new" Bruce and the song that I think the producer had the most to do with. It makes me wonder what producer Brendan O'Brien could've done with "Human Touch."
How about that weird very Patti-centric Protestant a capella thing at the end of "The Last Carnival?" I feel like Patti put that together and Bruce just couldn't say, no. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but it comes out of nowhere. I initially got the song for what it is, Wild Billy, dead, the Circus story over. But then it hit me that it was about Danny and I lost what little impartiality I had and fell for the song completely.
The Wrestler really fits. I don't think they needed it to be a bonus track. Bonus tracks are weird on CDs if that's the only way you can get them. Why not just have "The Wrestler" be a song on the album?
And I think "Surprise, Surprise" is great.
Give me a minute to pull myself together.
I feel like the loose spirit of the Seeger Sessions really influences this album. There's a lot of fun on this album. Obviously, it's not improvised, but there is a looseness to the music, even when there are strings and guitars playing in unison (which is, by definition, not literally loose). It just all really works and has a very fun vibe. It makes me want to hear the E Street Band tackle more of the Seeger Sessions-style stuff. I thought they really showed us something with "American Land" on the last tour.
I mean, let's talk about "Outlaw Pete." Eight minutes, loose, tempo changes, unbelievable. I think once Bruce starts talking about a baby robbing banks, we get the idea that this song is supposed to just be a lot of fun. I feel like Bruce has been trying to write another "Kitty's Back" for the last three albums. He's not quite there, but I love how crazy "Outlaw Pete" is. It might even be crazier than "Kitty." I predict that live, this will be a song to watch in a way that "Mary's Place" never quite took me.
And beyond joy, "Lucky Day" gets almost elegiac. Of course, it's that "Glory Days," bittersweet happiness, but not "Nebraska" bittersweet. I remember one reviewer once said that "Pony Boy" was the first time Bruce ever sounded happy on a record. I would say that this song is the first time when Bruce ever achieves that soul singer moment of sounding transported by love without sounding too sad. Even "Man's Job" still sounds like he didn't quite get the girl. And, for me, "Two Hearts" is a rock song, not a soul song.
How about that bass answering Bruce's call on "Lucky Day?" I can't think of another moment like that on an E Street Album. Go Gary! I think every album has a few surprising moments, but this is Gary Talents's album. Obviously, I knew he was good, but he sounds renewed on this album. Did he have a kid or something?
"Working on a Dream" is a great example of Bruce taking a simple idea and really working it. It's such a cute song. I feel like this is what he was going for with "Cross My Heart." There's some really interesting backup vocals that are a little "Hungry Heart"esque. Truth though, I hate the damn whistling.
I'm not sure it's for everyone, but a couple of songs, Queen of the Supermarket, Outlaw Pete have a whiff of the Elvis' later operatic voice, which I love. I mean, they're undoubtedly sort of doofy songs (as I load my groceries into the car, dum dee doo doo), but with all that Americana lilting off them from the Seeger session again. The backup vocals on QOTSM are hilarious. I feel like Paul Bunyan is next door to the supermarket. I think Bruce is being very playful on QOTS and we're not supposed to be in the same mythic spot as, say, "Thunder Road," but we're in a mythic spot "where aisles and aisles of dreams await for you, the cool promise of ecstasy fills the air." If you like "I wanna Marry you," then you are in for a treat. Perhaps you can't have the mythic tradition of American music and not at least nod at Elvis. It's not quite Elvis's "American Trilogy," but I believe it shows that Bruce understands that no matter what you think of Elvis, the man was genuine.
I would say that Magic is a really good example of Bruce's songcraft, him really digging in and writing. But this album is a lot more natural feeling with a lot of flow to the songs that doesn't seem quite as "written" as The Rising or Magic, like the songs emerged from jams, more like the River, although it doesn't sound anything like the River, it feels more like it, particularly "This Life," which could be an outtake. And hey, the new organ player sounds great on that one.
"Good Eye" is awesome. He took the bullet mic moments from the second solo tour and incorporated it into the E Street Band sound. It strikes me that this is a direct outgrowth out of what he was doing with "Reason To Believe" on the last tour. And even though it's the blues, I would say that everyone is having a great time on the record, which is very Seeger sessions band.
"What Love Can Do" is a really good example of "new" Bruce and the song that I think the producer had the most to do with. It makes me wonder what producer Brendan O'Brien could've done with "Human Touch."
How about that weird very Patti-centric Protestant a capella thing at the end of "The Last Carnival?" I feel like Patti put that together and Bruce just couldn't say, no. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but it comes out of nowhere. I initially got the song for what it is, Wild Billy, dead, the Circus story over. But then it hit me that it was about Danny and I lost what little impartiality I had and fell for the song completely.
The Wrestler really fits. I don't think they needed it to be a bonus track. Bonus tracks are weird on CDs if that's the only way you can get them. Why not just have "The Wrestler" be a song on the album?
And I think "Surprise, Surprise" is great.
Friday, February 20, 2009
If you were here right now I'd buy you a drink.
Is it bad if the woman at the liquor store recognizes you when you walk in? Or is it bad when you are alone when you walk in and she says, "where's your little one tonight"?
Hmmmm......
-David
Hmmmm......
-David
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
