Friday, September 28, 2012

the phone won't stop ringing

i never question why anyone commits suicide in the state of Ohio around this time of year. you can't escape the political ads at all. the phone won't stop ringing, every other commercial is some horseshit approved by someone, the radio is filled with them. thank god i have a ton of CD's i can listen to and try to avoid this fucking mess. just wish i had some good headphones...

watched the Yankees play themselves to sleep last night in Toronto. what a fucking bore. now, if they really want to win the division, which i question from time to time, they basically need to win all 6 games left in the season. the chances of that happening are slim and fucking none. and slim just slit her wrists.

nice to see the real refs back in the NFL. now i can at least watch guys with experience get the calls wrong.

the sun is trying to peek out today. not sure if it will help my brooding mood... who the fuck am i kidding? of course it won't. might pick up a pen later on and see if anything other than pure bullshit comes out. fingers are crossed.

hope everyone has a great weekend. take it easy. and if it's easy, take it again.

music today:

Ryan Bingham - Tomorrowland
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No Grave

"I think I have a dark view of the world. I have to make everything funny, otherwise it all seems so sad." - Moon Unit Zappa


Wednesday, September 26, 2012

quick update

great job by the Yankees and CC on a big win today.

Manchester United played the kids on defense and i thought they did pretty good. they were shitting their pants when Newcastle cut the lead to 2-1, but they held on. Cleverly and Anderson with the goals.

heard back from The Montucky Review on my poetry submission. a swing and a miss.

mom and sister made it back safe and sound and apparently have brought the humidity from the south with them. lovely.

"I still think I'm not as good as anybody else." - Andy Williams

the haps

this blog post is brought to you by The Sam Roberts Show Online #30. you can find the podcast on Itunes, Stitcher, or http://notsam.com/podcast.html. i highly recommend this episode. i also highly recommend Sam's YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/notsam. find out what all the buzz is about.

great job by the Yankees last night pissing away a chance to extend their lead on Baltimore. tough on Phil Hughes that his manager can't decide to go by the book or his gut and more times than not makes a fucking mess where it's not needed. doesn't help when the bullpen has a brain fart on top of things. fucking lovely.

my mother and sister should be coming home today from their southern vacation. can't wait to tell my mother all the things i decided to not bother her with on vacation. that should be fun.

i'm interested to see if Manchester United actually give a shit in their match today against Newcastle in the Capital One Cup.

that match starts in a little bit, so i'm out of here.

music today:

the Head and the Heart - the Head and the Heart
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T.S. Eliot

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

i know what this back pain means...

it must be going to rain soon. and one look at the forecast shows that it's possible for the next 4 days. fuck me runnin'. i'll go ahead and apologize now for all the bitching and moaning to come.

glad i got the grass cut yesterday if it does rain. of course, the mower was fucking up the entire time. so part of my yard is cut at a normal level and part of it might as well be dirt. fucking lovely.

flipped around last night between The Voice, Monday Night Raw, the Yankees, and Monday Night Football. the first 3 i enjoyed. as for MNF, i knew these fucking replacement refs were going to fuck me before too long. and sure enough. an absolute fucking joke. and i love that the league can't admit that they fucked the whole thing up because it would hurt their bargaining position. i love when rich people cry over pennies. you're making money hand over fist, you're not going to miss it. and these assholes wonder why they are hated by so many.

i could have gone without the news today that Manchester United's captain will be out for the next 2 months. nothing like a swift kick in the nuts while your back is killing you. let the nightmare from last year begin again.

i'd like to thank Chris Butler for his comment on my poem "happiness for someone else". i really appreciate it.

music today:

Ray LaMontagne - Gossip In The Grain
Ryan Bingham - Tomorrowland
Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
Joe Bonamassa - Driving Towards The Daylight
Cat Power - Sun

"In the world of words, the imagination is one of the forces of nature." - Wallace Stevens

happiness for someone else

my poem "happiness for someone else" was published this morning at The Camel Saloon. you can find the poem by going here.

Monday, September 24, 2012

an odd Sunday

woke up at 6 AM. i wasn't exactly thrilled considering i went to bed only 4 hours earlier, but i knew i had plenty to do.

got my fantasy shit done, fed the cats (much earlier than they like it), ate breakfast, and got the trash all picked up before Manchester United played.

given all the emotion going into this game, i figured Manchester United would be in for it. and they played pretty much how i thought they would. but a nice red card on Liverpool near the end of the first half got my hopes up. i took down the trash at halftime only to come back into the house to see Liverpool score. fuck me. thankfully, that was the wake up call. 5 minutes later Rafael scores a fucking beauty to tie it up. then, holy smokes, Valencia draws a penalty kick. RvP steps up and finally makes one. very happy they got the 3 points. and honestly, any time i can see Liverpool in misery, i'm even happier.

after that, a quick shower and some lounging around before the NFL games started. now, keep in mind, i've been dealing with a bleeding asshole for the last 2 days. so imagine trying to keep up with my fantasy stats, which DirecTV does a marvelous job of doing, while making trips to the bathroom. fuck, forgot to turn up the volume loud enough, etc etc. as for the games (admit it, you still have that visual in your mind), i have no fucking clue how i'm winning 2 of the 3 games. i did my worst job so far picking games. i need Green Bay to win on Monday night just to finish above .500. but, i've done this long enough to appreciate being surprised when checking the stats around midnight.

didn't watch probably more than 10 minutes of the Yankees today. given that they lost and had 3 errors, i doubt i missed anything. thankfully, Baltimore lost as well. 1 game up with 10 to go. if they fuck this up, they only have themselves to blame. series against the Twins coming up. step on the throat early and make it easy on yourselves for once.

i have a nice long day of mowing grass in store for me. 6 hours of sunshine and dust. i really hope this will be the last mow of the season. and i really hope the bleeding has subsided long before i'm 3 hours into sitting on my ass.

and with that lovely thought dancing in your heads...

music today:

Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

"I don't want to be interesting. I want to be good." - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Saturday, September 22, 2012

enjoying the misery of others

what a fucking day. had a surprising productive morning. checked the farm for damage from last night's storm, thankfully there was none. we got about an inch and a half of rain but you wouldn't know it with this 35 mph wind we've had all day long. got the paper and mail. made a trip to the store for eggs and milk. and decided to make a trip to the bank as well. got all that done and was back home before Ohio State played at noon.

knowing the spread for this game was 37 1/2, i knew what to expect. Ohio State will play like shit, down to its competition, still win easily but not cover. like clockwork, they win 29-15. never fails. back in my youth when i had money to burn, Ohio State made me a comfortable living for awhile. they have been like this my entire life it seems. too bad i'm poor now...

got some lunch and came back to find the Yankees giving back the 1 run lead they had when i left. after winning in a walk off last night as the satellite feed was cutting in and out, i wasn't counting on 2 days in a row. fast forward to the 13th inning, after the Yankees pissed away chances to win the game in earlier innings. for some reason the Yankees decided to pitch batting practice and Oakland took advantage. enter the bottom of the inning Oakland up by 4 runs (on 3 home runs). for the first time this season, the Yankees showed what every great Yankee team before has shown. no fucking worries, we're going to win. 3 straight hits, a passed ball, a sac fly and 2 run homer and holy shit, the game is now tied at 9. next inning and A-Rod should have won the game with a single but the runner on second base, a rookie playing in his first MLB game ever, misses 3rd base. fuck me. now 2 outs and Ichiro scores the winning run on a... WALK OFF ERROR. even better. given how i enjoy the misery of others so, i flipped over to the Oakland feed to laugh. their stunned disbelief tasted so good with my victory beer. still in first. 25 games over .500 for the first time since god knows when. hopefully a sweep tomorrow. and hopefully this will be the game that will provide them with a sense of belief when the playoffs come along.

my evening will consist of a nap while flipping between college football games. maybe i'll wake up for Saturday Night Live and Ring of Honor, maybe i won't. a ton of shit to do tomorrow. Manchester United plays in the morning. fantasy football lineups have to be finalized. and it's trash day as well. how i manage to do all that, make breakfast, feed the cats and not miss anything is beyond me. these are the days i miss the energy i had when i was on drugs.

music today:

Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss

"Good humor is the health of the soul, sadness is its poison." - Lord Chesterfield

Friday, September 21, 2012

poetry news, other musings, and shit heading into the weekend

this post is brought to you by Lee Thorn. be sure you check out his great blog here.

i heard back from 5AM on my poetry submission from back in August. lets just say i'll really have some fun pointing out where these rejected poems get published.

always fun to get a rejection notice on a Friday. let the drinking begin. especially when you know these were the good ones, the ones you saved to send to a "better" zine. may we all raise our glasses for piss poor taste.

got a haircut today. went into the barbershop i've gone to since i was a kid. the same guy who has cut my hair for over 30 years looked a bit shocked. i hadn't been in for almost a year. feels good to have the mop gone. and, i gave a little better tip than normal as well. it can't be easy running a barbershop in a town that's been dying for the past 20 years.

nice to see the Yankees sweep a shitty team for a change. big series this weekend against Oakland. hopefully the train can keep rolling. and hopefully Ichiro stays hot. he has turned back the clock. must be smelling the playoffs.

thankfully, i didn't change my pick last night in the Giants game. i almost did because of all the injuries. a rare moment where my guts didn't have shit for brains.

laughed my ass off last night at Wilfred and Louie. 2 of the best shows on TV.

hope everyone has a great weekend. if all my sports teams win, i will be flying high. happier than a dog with two pricks.

music today:

Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

"The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool." - Stephen King

Thursday, September 20, 2012

home alone

saw my mother and sister off on their vacation this morning. i'm really hoping my mother treats it as a vacation. doesn't take any phone calls from work, doesn't check her emails, just gets the fuck away for a week or so. she really needs it.

so in my first hours of home alone, i managed to get my laundry done. yep, i'm at the age now where life is boring. i'm hoping to maybe get a haircut and get some painting done in the next week. other than that, read the paper, get the mail, and manage to not burn the place down.

ordered a few new CD's from amazon.com today. hopefully they will be here in less than a week.

tonight is a Yankees/NFL/Wilfred/Louie night. i really could use that Elvis wall of TVs.

music today:

Howlin' Wolf - The Definitive Collection
Guided By Voices - Propeller

"Everything you see I owe to spaghetti." - Sophia Loren

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

a couple of drinks into a Wednesday...

this blog post is brought to you by Frontier Communications. the worst fucking Internet connection i have ever had, and that includes the ten plus years i was on dial up. avoid this company like the fucking plague, they fucking suck.

you would think from that little diatribe i have had a shit day, but honestly it's the complete opposite. i've been trying to get on for the last hour to post my happiness. if it would be anything else, this computer would be in pieces.

so nice to see Andy Pettitte pitching again. gave the Yankees exactly what they needed. 5 shutout innings. of course, i turn away to watch some Champions League and the bullpen managed to turn the game into a stomach turner. but, great games from Ichiro and Swisher, a tack on run and game over. now, hopefully they go out and win the second game and have yet another day in first place.

speaking of the Champions League, nice win from Manchester United. i would prefer if we do score in the first 7 minutes in the next game, tack on a few more goals instead of having to defend for the next 90. also, MAKE A FUCKING PENALTY KICK. jesus christ, i can guarantee that is going to cost us sometime this season.

finale of Big Brother tonight. i'm hoping Dan gets rewarded for being a bastard this season. he's the only reason this season has been watchable.

music today:

William Fitzsimmons - NoiseTrade Sampler
Delta Rae - Live at Lincoln Theater
The Civil Wars - Live at Eddie's Attic
Kristy Lee - In This Room

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." - Winston Churchill


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

any day Manchester City loses has to be good

at least one would think so. got the mail today and inside was the results from the Rattle poetry contest i entered a little while back. a big congratulations to someone not me. actually, someone i have never heard of before. not really shocking to me. i figured i would take a chance, disregarding knowing that i never get rewarded for taking chances. on the bright side, i have 4 new poems to send out again. i will get a good laugh when all 4 get published somewhere else. insert a line about taste in poetry and an asshole here.

had lunch again with my mother and went grocery shopping with her today. 2 days in a row spent with her. not sure if she's planning on not coming back from her vacation or what. thankfully, people watching does tend to take my mind off of rejection. of course, helps when i get home and see that Manchester City lost. that helps more.

and to see that it was CR7 that had the winning goal late made it even a little more sweeter. hopefully Manchester United can win tomorrow and get the Champions League off on the good foot.

the Yankees got pissed on by mother nature tonight and now have a day/night doubleheader tomorrow. not sure if i like that or not. all depends on the pitching i suppose. if they get 2 wins, i'll be happy. a split, not so much. that all changes if Baltimore happens to lose tonight. if they win, the division is tied again. fun fun fun.

music today:

Red Wanting Blue - Live at City Winery

"TV is chewing gum for the eyes." - Frank Lloyd Wright

Monday, September 17, 2012

i always feel better after a few drinks

needless to say i didn't sleep well last night. when people around my own age, or people i've been published with die, it's always a wake up call to me. and i'm one of these fuckers who reflects too much anyway...

after i woke up and had one of my you sat around and watched too much football shits, i finally settled into a Monday. shockingly, i am still leading 2 of my 3 fantasy football matches. i thought for sure that was a mistake as i tried to fall asleep last night.

i'll be flipping around tonight between The Voice, Monday Night Football, and Monday Night Raw. i'll probably pay more attention to wrestling than anything else. i'm really liking that CM Punk has turned evil again and has Paul Heyman at his side. FUN FUN FUN. 2 of the best minds in the business. hopefully the powers that be in the WWE allow them to take all of us on a journey that none of us see coming. plus, any time John Cena loses i'm a happy boy.

had a nice lunch with mother this afternoon. always fun shooting the shit in a sports bar. never gets old.

watched Everton get robbed of 2 goals this afternoon against New Castle. i can just imagine what i would have broken if that would have happened to Manchester United. it wouldn't have been pretty...

music today:

John Lee Hooker - The Best of Friends
Guided By Voices - Vampire on Titus
Matthew Perryman Jones - Land of the Living

"People think love is an emotion. Love is good sense." - Ken Kesey

hope you're in a better place now

this blog post was going to be about the Yankees winning again, spending a Sunday with the windows open and watching football. it was going to contain my thoughts on Boardwalk Empire and the series finale of Weeds. but after watching Sunday night football, checking my fantasy football scores (i'm somehow winning 2 of the 3 games), i opened up my email and found this:

http://foxchasereview.wordpress.com/2012/09/16/rip-james-d-quinton/

to say i was a little shocked would be an understatement. i'm really at a loss for words. i hope you're in a better place now my friend. my apologies for losing touch over the years. and i'm pretty sure i never thanked you enough for all the times you published me. especially the reunion issue, which was amazing. my deepest sympathies to Amy. i hope you find some peace or comfort, or whatever you happen to be looking for.

music today:

The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East

"A friend who dies, it's something of you who dies." - Gustave Flaubert

Saturday, September 15, 2012

a lovely Saturday

woke up with no back pain. a true holy shit moment. fed the cats and realize i'm going to struggle to come up with names if all of these little fuckers make it through the winter. had a little breakfast and turned on Manchester United.

after a first half of missed chances, hello second half explosion. 4 goals. 2 from the new kids that were both spectacular. a lovely win while resting a few key pieces for the upcoming Champions League match. after now seeing 4 of the 5 signings from the silly season, i do believe Sir Alex has struck gold again. this may be a fun ride after all.

next, Ohio State. the college football team i've rooted for since birth. watching these entitled pricks play can be fucking frustrating as hell at times. but, they pulled out a win over Cal. hopefully, Urban Meyer can whip these fuckers into shape and start destroying teams in the near future.

then, although i didn't get to watch the game, the Yankees. judging from the highlights i've seen after the game, a nice win from the boys. actually got 2!!!!!!!!!!!!! hits with runners in scoring position. quite the fucking concept there. decent pitching and a little tack on baseball. you'd be amazed at how often over the last 200 years that has worked. at least a share of first place for another day. maybe they can win 2 games in a row twice in a week for a change.

needless to say, i'm in a good mood. i'll chill out for the rest of the evening with some more football, Saturday Night Live's season premiere and, if i'm still awake, some Ring Of Honor before i get a quick sleep in. plenty of work to do in the morning for my 3 fantasy football games.

on a poetry note, my book is coming along. barring any setbacks, Sofisticated White Trash, should see the light of day soon.

music today:

The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.

"I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places." - Henny Youngman

Friday, September 14, 2012

the joy of having a bad back...

knowing when it will rain 12 to 36 hours before it actually does. such a sweet fucking pain. and nothing really helps. pain pills, hot water, ice. nothing. if i wasn't born with an absurdly high pain tolerance i would absolutely be dead by now. not a single doubt in my mind.

i wonder if the ones in the fantasy football circles still believe i'm crazy for wanting Green Bay's defense. the same defense i won a fantasy championship with last year even though they were something below horrible. after last night's performance (4 INT, 7 Sacks) maybe some people will actually realize i know what i'm taking about.

in the holy shit moment of last night, the Yankees actually won 2 games in a row for the first time in a month. hopefully they crank it back up on this home stand and take advantage of Baltimore being on the west coast. lets just say i'm not going to be holding my breath.

got a great laugh watching Big Brother last night. why these stupid fucks still trust Dan is beyond me. and the looks on their faces when he blindsided Shane and evicted him was fucking classic. i nearly cried i was laughing so hard.

a big weekend of sports coming up. and the weather is supposed to feel more like fall, which will be nice. looks like i will have to mow the grass again, but i want another good dose of rain before i do that. hopefully, that will be the last time it will need it.

hope everyone has a great weekend. best of luck to the gamblers. may the poets find the right words. may the hookers be disease free. and may all the right teams win.

music today:

Guy Clark - Songs and Stories
Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
Beastie Boys - Anthology: The Sounds of Science

"He has the most who is most content with the least." - Diogenes

Thursday, September 13, 2012

a case of the blah blah blah

you'd think i'd be pissed after just watching Baltimore win and take a 1/2 game lead in the AL East. but, i'm not. the Yankees have put themselves in this situation. if they can't get out of it, then, by all means, blow up the fucking team. god forbid some youth for a change. a man can dream. they'll play like shit, somehow win the division, get blown out in the first round of playoffs, have some wonderful excuse that none of us fans will buy, and then the fun starts. but i have a few months until i will bitch and moan about that. a must win in Boston tonight if the assholes actually give a shit about being in first.

personally, i'll be flipping between the NFL, Big Brother, Wilfred, Louie and whatever the fuck else i can find to avoid watching the Yankees tonight. i did a good job last night of doing that and they won. fingers are crossed.

typed up the 3 poems i wrote about the music festival i attended over the past weekend. i imagine i'll have plenty more to write about it in the coming weeks. i'm thinking these 3 will be going out later this month.

enough babbling from me. i have fantasy rosters to go check before the game tonight.

music today:

Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
Social Distortion - Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln

response from The Camel Saloon

i heard back from Russell over at The Camel Saloon on my poetry submission from yesterday. my poems "the darkness in us all" and "happiness for someone else" have been accepted for publication. when they appear i'll be sure to post the links here on the blog.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

i'm typing as fast as i can

since the internet has been a little more than spotty today (was out for more than 4 hours during one stretch) my nerves are a bit frayed and i'm a little pissy. got the important shit done though. fantasy football shit and game picks are made. next, poems...

i sent out 23 poems today to the following places:
The Montucky Review
Dead Snakes
The Camel Saloon
Gutter Eloquence Magazine
Underground Voices
Black-Listed Magazine

when i hear back from these places (hopefully with good news) i will post the responses on the blog.

was pleased with how team USA responded last night against Jamaica. i didn't like that they took the foot off the gas once they scored, but they won and got all 3 points. hopefully the wake up call was the only one needed.

i'm just about at the point of giving up on the Yankees. inventing new ways to lose like every other day it seems. thank god the NFL has started or i'd be on suicide watch with how this season has gone. i'm back in the not watching mode, trying anything to see if it can bring a win. i guess body hair is next on the list. great.

music today:

Beck - Odelay
Kristy Lee - In This Room
Trampled By Turtles - Burn For Free
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
Paul Thorn - What the Hell is Goin' On?

"A good laugh is sunshine in the house." - William Makepeace Thackeray

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

how could i ever forget

i remember 11 years ago today like it was yesterday. the phone constantly ringing and waking me up in the morning. i go downstairs and listen to the messages on the voice mail. i turn on NBC just as they are showing the second plane going into the tower again. i just kind of stood there for a second and said in my own mind, welcome to the next war. i don't think the TV was turned off for the next 2 weeks. I'm not sure if i slept either. so, yeah, i remember. kind of hard to forget when you watch people jump out of buildings. not an everyday occurrence, at least in my world that is. part of me would like to see every never forget bumper sticker or tweet be changed to quit making the same fucking mistakes. that might get a little more attention.

now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. after a day of relaxing, recovering from the music festival and enjoying schizophrenic TV for a bit, i feel much better. congrats to Andy Murray on his first grand slam. i was a bit scared he was going to blow a 2 set lead. you don't recover from those. was flipping back and forth from that, Monday Night Football, Monday Night Raw and The Voice. let's just say that listening to Jerry Lawler nearly die was a bit sobering. and when i saw the look on Michael Cole's face, i knew this was legit. always a little spooky when pro wrestling gets real.

as for football, none of my players did much of anything last night. i held on to win 2 of my 3 fantasy football games. plus, i picked 11 of the 16 games correct. I'll take that start. just a little tinkering today as i get ready for the fun tomorrow (waiver wire and making picks). i think 2 of my teams have legit chances to win it all. the third one will be a struggle all year long.

did some heavy leg work with my poetry today. figured out what poems were going to go where. always fun when you are sending to places you have never sent to before. i might as well pick with fucking darts. now the fun part. typing and submitting. with a shitty internet. fuck me.

i remember when Yankees vs. Red Sox meant something for both teams. hopefully, the Yankees beat the shit out of Boston the next 3 days and make life a little easier for themselves. I'm not holding my breath that they will take that path, but it would be much fucking easier for me.

i will pay most attention tonight to the USA national team's game vs. Jamaica. a must have 3 points tonight if they actually want to make the World Cup. after watching them play down there and lose, I'm a bit interested in seeing how much do they actually give a shit or not. it would help if they actually remembered how to defend. that's always a good start.

music today:

Father John Misty - Fear Fun
Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation
Of Monsters And Men - My Head Is An Animal
Shrug - Whole Hog For The Macho Jesus
Guided By Voices - Sunfish Holy Breakfast

"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls." - Pablo Picasso



my 3 poems in Zygote in My Coffee #139

i must be finally getting old. here's another set of poems i nearly completely forgot about. i have 3 poems in Zygote in My Coffee #139.

different does not equal evil
a good lesson to learn
pride gets in the way

enjoy them. email me any comments or leave them here. i might blog something later on, while i'm awake.

Monday, September 10, 2012

white people dancing

this blog post is brought to you by episode #28 of The Sam Roberts Show Online. you can find the show by going to ITunes, Stitcher or notsam.com.

had a really good time at the Downtown Dayton Revival the past 2 days. saw a ton of great music and below are some musings.

Day 1 (my sister's birthday by the way. she's now 35. i reminded her it's really all downhill the rest of the way. enjoy it.) showed up fashionably late with my mother and sister. caught the end of Bronze Radio Return (pretty good). then, headed over to the Monster Stage and saw The Right Now (great sounding band i had never heard of). next, down a few blocks to see Kristy Lee (an incredible voice, a new favorite). hung around there and caught The Werks (really needed a joint at this point). we then headed back to the main stage and caught a good portion of Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk (really great band). next, a little high energy from Cowboy Mouth. then headed back to the Monster Stage to catch Jordan Hull (remember his name. for his age, this kid is scary fucking good). then, we caught one of the three most influential bands in my life, Guided By Voices. one of the best sets I've ever seen them play. and thankfully, i hung around for the six song encore. most people, my mother and sister included, went off to go see John Legend. i wasn't in that big of a hurry to do that. by the time i got to the main stage to catch John Legend, quite the mind fuck as he was doing a cover of The Beatles at the time. he's a great performer, totally enjoyed his show. all told, about 10 hours or so of music, food and white people dancing. 2 out of 3 weren't bad. I'm sure you know what I'm putting in the bad column.

Day 2 after showering and scrambling to get my fantasy football lineups in order, we were off to the show. got there a little earlier because i wanted to see Heartless Bastards. holy shit, they didn't disappoint. first time I've seen them live. count me as a fan. next, we went down to see Red Wanting Blue. they sound even better live than they sound on CD. what a great band. next, at the recommendation of Heartless Bastards we went to see Buffalo Killers. before they came on we got some food, my sister was stalked by a family that swore she was an exact double of their sister off in Japan and i was asked to take a picture with a gnome as i was wearing my Big Lebowski "ABIDE" shirt. i was kind of shocked i didn't get called Dude more actually. just your average festival day 2 shit. as for the band, i had never heard of Buffalo Killers. holy shit, what a great sounding band. i will definitely do some digging on them here soon. then, we headed over to see Rusted Root. a great mind fuck for my sister as she hasn't listened to them since college. they sounded really good. sadly, no pot in the air. kind of disappointed. we left that stage a little early as we all wanted to get good spots to see The Ohio Players. they went on 20 minutes late but it was totally worth it. still sound as great as ever. all the big hits, some stories about growing up in Dayton, still funky as fuck. my mother went to go see Tony Lucca afterwards as my sister and i hung around to see Robert Randolph & The Family Band. first time i had ever seen them play after years of hearing only good things. they totally blew me away with their sound and energy. i will definitely try to see them anytime they are in the area from now on. all 3 of us were spent by the end of that show (mom showed up maybe halfway in) and decided to skip out on Train. none of us were interested and the Steelers were playing at the time (my sister is a huge fan). so, out of there, hit a pizza joint and back to the house to catch the 4th quarter on TV. let's just say my sister didn't go to bed happy about the outcome.

all told, incredible festival for the first time. no crazy shit went down other than some travel delays for artists on day 2. the layout was really easy to navigate. the bands were great. the porta potties were aplenty and clean (SHOCKER). hopefully, next year will be even better.

and all of this coming from a guy who hates crowds and being out in public in general. let alone being subjected to seeing white people dance. but, my love of music outweighs all of them. hopefully, that never stops.

Friday, September 7, 2012

this is what happens when you actually read the newspaper

i'm in a bit of a weird head space at the moment. read the newspaper a few hours ago and came across the news that the father of one of my ex-girlfriends died yesterday. so, now i'm sinking in a flood of memories. for the few of you that have known me forever, this is the father of the older Portuguese woman i was madly in love with 15 years ago. the odd part is that Dianna and i haven't spoke in over 11 years now. to go from best friends to incommunicado for over a decade hasn't been an easy pill to swallow. that being said, i'm truly sorry for your loss. my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. i would type here if you need anything... but you're still married so i'm not expecting these shoulders to be used. but, the number and address are the same, just in case...

it's getting ready to rain here. could be bad storms, could be drizzle. i don't trust any of these fuckers with the weather anymore. as long as the power stays on and the DIRECTV signal stays strong, i'm good.

torn on if i should watch the Yankees tonight or not. the last time Baltimore was competitive was 15 years ago. and i'm already in that head space to begin with. i only like one mind fuck at a time. but, i don't see me watching the stand up to cancer shit tonight and further depressing myself. i've lost too many loved ones to that hideous disease. i'm hoping to check out Nick & Artie debuting on DIRECTV tonight. go to www.nickandartie.com for more information.

other than that, who knows. maybe i'll just thrown on some Coltrane and watch it rain. yeah, that should really pump me up for the music festival tomorrow. reminds me of a homeless guy i met when i was 17 in downtown Dayton. we were smoking some cigarettes together and he noticed i was bummed out. girl problems as normal. he laughed. told me that's what i fucking get for having feelings. that kind of stuck with me. do i become cold or do i accept the pain?

i believe we already know the answer.

if i happen to take any photos or have any great stories to tell from the festival, i will post them over the weekend or on Monday.

music today:

Hayes Carll - Trouble In Mind
Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes
Marilyn Manson - Smells Like Children

"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later." - Mitch Hedberg

Thursday, September 6, 2012

i learned my lessons well

last night's game between Dallas and the Giants reminded me why i quit betting on NFL games. because sometimes, you just never know. i got the game wrong, just like every other fucker who didn't play or lives in Dallas did, but at least Tony Romo got me some decent fantasy numbers. not sure why i rushed to start Jason Witten in hindsight, but i'm not really favored in any of my fantasy football games this week. and with the number of injuries i have on my teams, i'm not expecting to win any of them. i've had plenty of seasons where i've lost the first game and won the championship, so i'm not worried.

i barely watched any of the Yankee game last night and they won. so, of course, i will have to do the same tonight. and if they win again, i will have to do my best to not watch them for as long as the winning lasts. i guess tonight will be a hopefully crazy double eviction on Big Brother and myself feeling older than shit watching the VMA's. i know who most of the acts are, i just don't listen to most of them. why i subject myself to this is beyond me.

made a friend of mine a Tom Waits mix cd today. holy shit, i have a lot of his music.

gearing up for the Downtown Dayton Revival this weekend. i'm hoping the weather will be nice. it's not looking good on Saturday. Sunday may be much better, and i of course will be the jackass trying to keep up with sports scores both days. fun.

music today:

Radiohead - OK Computer
Sevendust - Sevendust
Pixies - Pixies at the BBC

"I think trying too hard to be sexy is the worst thing in the world a woman can do." - Christian Bale



Wednesday, September 5, 2012

a little football before the thunderstorms please

with all 3 of my fantasy football teams having players playing tonight, thankfully the NFL season can, at least for one night, allow me to think certain things don't exist. like the fucking Yankees for example. nice work pissing away a 10 game lead in a matter of 48 days. not that i keep track of shit like that or anything.

and with one of the players i have tonight being injured, my ass will be glued to this chair checking injury reports and rumors and twitter bullshit to get the latest news. not exactly sure what i'm going to do this weekend when i'll be at a music festival while the games are on. i lost one fantasy championship 2 seasons ago basically because i didn't have a cell phone to be able to check my team and make a needed change. it's not as easy as you think living life as a stubborn asshole.

if i can go my whole life without a cell phone a part of me will be more proud than (insert your insanity, hilarity or inane bullshit here please).

for any gamblers out there, the home team has never lost any of these midweek season openers. just a little nugget to think about.

and now for an uplifting story from my hometown to leave you with, please go here to understand why i never allow any of the pets inside.

music today:

Beck - Mellow Gold
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
Foster The People - Torches
Shooter Jennings - Family Man
Metallica - ...And Justice For All

"People aren't interested in seeing themselves as they really are." - Jim Woodring

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

when all else fails...

this blog post of really nothing is brought to you by www.riotcast.com. a totally enjoyable way to piss away an afternoon when you're doing anything you can to avoid hearing absolutely fucking anything about the New York Yankees.

as you might be able to tell, i have no confidence in the Yankees at the moment. NONE. Sweaty Freddy takes the hill tonight and i figure by the third inning i'll be contemplating shitting my guts out for fun.

nearly completely forgot i had some new poems up at Underground Voices. i actually remembered when i was driving to the post office. if i ever figure out why my brain works the way it does, i could be scary one day.

as for the post office...i'm not sure this town knows how thankful they should be at how patient i am with the elderly. blocking parking spots while waiting for another one to open up, not understanding how a copier works, not understanding how the money goes in. and all i'm trying to do is get the fucking mail without ending up in jail. FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do they understand how hard they make this some days?

the sun came out today. the rain moved away but forgot to take the humidity with it. fuck me runnin' it's sticky as hell outside. the constant feeling that you haven't wiped your ass good enough....

and with that visual... hopefully i'll have better news to share tomorrow. but don't count on it.

music today:

Zac Brown Band - Uncaged
The Twilight Singers - Powder Burns
Ed Sheeran - +
Beastie Boys - The In Sound From Way Out!

"I'd like to live as a poor man with lots of money." - Pablo Picasso

borrowed time & great expectations

my poems "borrowed time" and "great expectations" have been published in the September issue of Underground Voices.

you can find the poems by going here: http://www.undergroundvoices.com/UVCampbellJJSEPTEMBER2012.htm

Monday, September 3, 2012

labor day

fresh from the shower. tried my best to get the stink of yet another Yankee loss off of me. my favorite kind of loss too. fall behind, take the lead, give up that lead immediately and then lose late on a couple of broken bat hits. fucking lovely. division lead is down to 1. if they keep fucking around they will soon be out of the wild card race as well. might be time for a human sacrifice...

had a good breakfast this morning with my mother. in public even. quite the shock for her when i said yes. drove around in the rain and saw a few accidents. figured that was as good a start to the day as i could have. thankfully, didn't wake up this morning with the pain in my left leg. a complete fucking relief there my friends. as for rainfall, i'm guessing we were well over an inch of it, probably closer to 2. much needed. there's more in the forecast. i know the crops for this year are a lost cause, but next year can still be saved if we have a wet fall and winter. fingers are crossed.

hope everyone had a good labor day. did something productive on their day off or at least told the world to fuck off for a few hours. i'm hoping Monday Night Raw is entertaining enough to rescue my holiday.

i should be sending out some poems in the next week or so. probably after the first week of the NFL is over with. must have my priorities in order. when i start making more money on poetry than i do with sports, that will change. hopefully before i'm dead.

music today:

Ted Hawkins - The Next Hundred Years
Ani DiFranco - Up Up Up Up Up Up
Morphine - Like Swimming

"When something happens, we always say it happens for a reason." - Michael Clarke Duncan

Sunday, September 2, 2012

when the dew point is higher than the actual temperature

it's so ungodly sticky today. reminds me of my only trip to Florida as a child. was at a Days Inn in the Orlando area where one half of the hotel was in a thunderstorm and the other half was in the sun. we haven't got nearly as much rain as i would have loved to... but the holiday weekend is still young.

woke up this morning with my back in the normal pain for shitty weather. the pain in my left leg i couldn't figure out. given my past history with blood clots, there's always that haunting feeling in the back of my head. i did some stretching on my left hip and that seemed to do the trick. i figure given my luck, 36 and here comes arthritis. of course, the fun didn't really start until i was going out to feed the cats and the water jug i take out with me fell as i was changing my shoes and broke. water all over the mud room. just what i fucking need.

after breakfast watched Manchester United play. of course they didn't score first, but RvP comes to the rescue again. and of course they give up the next goal 10 minutes into the second half. now, i learned a lesson long ago watching Eric Cantona play that the magic always comes, but it will test your will to live until it does. so after RvP misses a pk (too cheeky for my liking) Sir Alex stands up, points at the watch and gives the look. and holy shit, for the millionth time i guess, here come the late goals. RvP with a garbage one and then the sweet header in extra time for a 3-2 win. 4 goals in 3 games. i guess the money was well spent.

so, while enjoying the post victory beer, i turn on the Yankees. they get off to a quick lead but given how this season has gone, that doesn't mean shit. Phil Hughes gives up a home run, but they get that run back the next inning. why Hughes was allowed to pitch to the same guy that homered off of him with runners on base is fucking beyond me. of course he hits a 3 run homer. and after the Yankees needed 5 fucking pitchers to get 3 outs in an inning, i turned away in disgust. what a fucking waste. now they have 7 games in a row on the road against the 2 teams on their heels. if they still have the division lead a week from now i'll be stunned.

thankfully, during the Yankee debacle it was another CR7 & Messi Sunday. a total treat to watch 2 of the greatest talents in the world put on another show. CR7 had 2 goals for Real Madrid. Messi was in passing mode but his teammates didn't have the precision dialed up today. Barcelona still won but it was bowling shoe ugly at times. of course, that is the blueprint against them if you want to have a chance.

tonight, i'm hoping it will rain to break the death grip humidity going on. but not hard enough to fuck with my DIRECTV signal. if it does, i guess i'll be working on my 3 fantasy football teams. i know 2 of them are good right from the start. i've already been offered trades. hopefully it's more than just wishful thinking on paper this year.

music today:

Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses - Junky Star
Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See

"Work is a necessary evil to be avoided." - Mark Twain

Saturday, September 1, 2012

all is right in the world... for a few hours at least

after watching the first quarter of the Ohio State football game i had the 'fuck me' feeling going inside me. and then the offense came to life, as did the defense, special teams and the stadium. watching them win 56-10 over the school my mom and sister both graduated from was nice. not earth shattering mind you, but after last year's shit storm, it was beautiful to watch.

and speaking of beautiful, the Yankees actually bothered to show a backbone today and give a shit. came back from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3. a much needed win, let alone a one run win. pushes the lead back out to 3 games. hopefully they will win tomorrow as well.

the remnants of the hurricane have finally arrived. i'm hoping for about 4 or 5 inches of rain over the next 3 days. we need it so badly. i figure with the luck we've had this year, we'll get drizzle and nothing else. if we don't get some rain soon it will take a blizzard this winter to get the numbers back in line for the crops next year. and living in a home 1/4 mile off the road and a blizzard don't exactly go together. i remember being snowed in here for a week before. i was down to a slice of cheese, a can of green beans and 3 cigarettes. ah, memories...

i'll be bouncing between college football games tonight, hoping none go real late. Manchester United plays in the morning. Sir Alex's 1,000th game. and with some defenders back, maybe they won't fuck it up for him.

music today:

Band of Gypsys - Band of Gypsys

"Every work of art is an uncommitted crime." - Theodor Adorno