Saturday, May 31, 2014

what a month

just got done folding my last load of laundry. like a dumb ass i turned the air off today and opened up the house. it's in the 80's today. no humidity but no real breeze either. good times.

after playing last night like they wanted to be somewhere else, (losing 6-1), the Yankees won today 3-1. helps that Tanaka pitched 8 strong innings and gave up 1 un-earned run. the defense absolutely fucking sucked today. hopefully they can rough up their former teammate tomorrow and win the series. knowing how this season has gone, Phil Hughes will look like Cy Young tomorrow.

i did watch Miami destroy Indiana last night to go to their 4th straight NBA Finals. that must have sucked to all the LeBron haters out there, watching him do something Michael Jordan never did.

also, i watched Chicago force a Game 7 be defeating the Kings out in Los Angeles. that should be interesting on Sunday night. i don't care who wins. just hope they play forever and have nothing left for the finals against the Rangers.

tonight, after i put my laundry away and make my bed for the first time in weeks, i plan on watching the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductions on HBO. that should be good. also, there's a new episode of ROH tonight. and a Game 6 in the NBA playoffs. so, i'll be bouncing around between those things.

i did a little poetry work last night. came up with 20 poems to send out. now i just need to figure out where they are going. i've got a few places in mind. the plan is to have another round of submissions out by June 6th.

had a little fun on iTunes today. came across a band i had never heard of, Royal Blood. i got their EP and i have to admit, it is really fucking good. definitely a band i will keep an eye out on.

i'll be on here tomorrow after the Yankees game and/or Team USA's friendly against Turkey. i'm hoping they play much better tomorrow than they did in their last game. i'd like to think they actually have a chance to make it out of group play in the World Cup. (i'm dreaming)

hope everyone is having a lovely Saturday. and hopefully you haven't been stuck inside doing the toilets and laundry like i have been today.

be well.

music:

Ghost Loft - So High
Dr. Dog - Shadow People
Royal Blood - Out of the Black EP

"Re-examine all that you have been told... dismiss that which insults your soul." - Walt Whitman

Friday, May 30, 2014

after 20 long years...

i read last night that the Rangers were going to treat Game 6 like it was Game 7. so, i decided to do the same thing. i put on my favorite clothes knowing damn well if they lost, i was getting matches and a trash can. and i certainly didn't want to burn these clothes. so, when the Rangers won 1-0 to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years, i was very fucking happy and relieved at the same time.

it was easily the best game the Rangers have played in the entire playoffs. they smothered Montreal for the entire game. it's really hard to believe that i was getting ready to graduate from high school the last time the Rangers made it this far into the playoffs. hopefully they win the damn thing so growing this beard was worth it.

winning goal from Dominic Moore. Hank with his 9th career playoff shutout. he also set the team record for playoff wins. they get some days off now as the finals don't start until Wednesday. they will be playing at Chicago or Los Angeles. given how good they have been on the road for the last few months, i'm fine with that. if the finals get to a Game 6, that is on my mother's birthday. that will get a little interesting.

my sister happens to be in New York City today and has sent my mom pictures of all the Rangers stuff around town. she said it is nuts. i'm hoping she gets me something nice while she's there.

needless to say, i had one of the sweetest victory beers of my life last night. and then i did the dishes as i knew damn well i'd be up for hours. and i was. i don't think i got to bed until around 4 in the morning. was up by 8, because who the fuck needs sleep.

the Yankees play tonight at home against the Twins. they have owned the Twins over the years. hopefully that continues.

i'll bounce between that and the playoff games tonight in hockey and basketball. and if i somehow get bored, there's always the Food Network and pro wrestling. such a rich, sophisticated white trash life i live.

the weather has been fucking amazing here today. hardly any humidity, a little wind, plenty of sunshine, but not crazy hot. it's supposed to be like this all weekend. hopefully, for once, those fuckers on tv are correct.

i'll probably do a little poetry work this weekend. i'd like to get some submissions out the first week of June.

had a little fun on iTunes this afternoon. you'll see that madness below.

hope everyone has a great weekend. be well. be safe. be drunk. be the crazy fucker that jumps off a building to prove he can fly.

until we meet again my enemies...

music:

DJ Khaled w/T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg & Rick Ross - All I Do Is Win
P!nk - Raise Your Glass
Michael Franti & Spearhead w/Cherine Anderson - Say Hey (I Love You)
Sharon Van Etten - Taking Chances
Lush - Ladykillers

"There comes a time when you have to stand up and be counted." - Gayle Sayers

Thursday, May 29, 2014

may tonight be the night

i've been doing my best to think positive all day long. as you might imagine, it's nearly fucking impossible for me. but, i'm channeling all my emotions in the right direction at least.

tonight is Game 6 between the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens. the Rangers just need 1 more WIN and they will advance to the Stanley Cup Final. after being embarrassed in Game 5, i'd like to think tonight the "real" Rangers will be on the ice. if they can score first and Hank can start the game on fire, i do believe they will win. i could go without any overtimes or huge comebacks tonight. just win it in 60 minutes please. and if they do, let the party begin.

the Yankees offense showed up last night, which was funny, as they were playing a ton of backups last night. a nice 7-4 win in St. Louis to give them a winning road trip. they are off tonight as they prepare for a home game with the Twins on Friday. hopefully their mastery over that team at home continues.

i did get to see The Normal Heart last night. it certainly didn't feel as long as it was, which i take as a sign of a great movie. the acting in it was magnificent. i highly recommend it.

i heard back from Craig Scott over at Luciferous on my poetry submission from last month. he said he is shutting the site down so he isn't considering my work. so, there's 4 "new" poems to toss back on the pile. i'm planning on doing another submission in early June.

did a little shopping today online. can't turn down a clearance sale on some wrestling shit.

we did get some rain last night. about half an inch or so. that was plenty for the crops. a cold front is supposed to move through and take the humidity away for the weekend. i really hope that happens.

that's all for me today. i'm going to take a quick shower and then get ready for the game tonight. that will have ALL of my focus tonight. i imagine you'll know how the game turns out on my mood tomorrow.

be well. hope this finds everyone in a good mood.

peace.

music:

Beastie Boys - Solid Gold Hits
Lou Reed - Transformer
Jay Z - The Blueprint 3

"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men." - John F. Kennedy

paying off old sins

my poem "paying off old sins" was published this morning at The Camel Saloon. you can find the poem by going here: http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2014/05/paying-off-old-sins.html

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

a night from hell

last night was a prime example of when you listen to your gut, you soon realize that your gut has shit for brains.

i had a good feeling about the New York Rangers. they lose 7-4. The King gets pulled, the team stages a comeback only to choke like a fucking dog in the end. Game 6 will be Thursday back at MSG. they better win it there as i want no part of a Game 7 in Montreal. i'm waiting to hear about any possible suspensions from last night. i'm willing to bet there will be at least one, perhaps two.

the Yankees only managed to get 5 hits and they lost 6-0. they need the injured players to get better SOON.

and team USA struggled for most of its match against Azerbaijan. they won 2-0 but when you struggle against the 85th best team in the world, how the fuck are you going to have any success in the group of death...(Ghana, Portugal, Germany)? easy answer, you won't. they have 2 more friendlies before the World Cup. i'm really hoping they play much, MUCH better in those 2 games.

i also realized last night that i totally missed the two episodes of Louie on Monday night. and i'm way too lazy and broke to find them online or pay for them, so i guess i'm going to have to pull a mini-marathon next Monday night. this is why i need a damn DVR.

i'm planning on watching The Normal Heart this evening. i'll end up missing a few innings of the Yankees game, but honestly, what am i really missing there.

i suppose i will also be watching some playoff basketball and hockey tonight as well.

it's supposed to storm here tonight. of course, it was supposed to do that the last few nights and we haven't got a drop. the crops need some damn rain. what little is coming up is all from the snow in the winter. i'd like to end this month with at least more than a few drops of rain.

i got my mother's birthday gift today on Amazon.com. hopefully she will love it. i got some shit for myself as well. had to get to $35 for the free shipping. thank god i love cheap music.

saw today that Maya Angelou died. as did Malcolm Glazer. he happens to own Manchester United. i can't even begin to fathom who will be the third member of the group.

that's all for me today. i've been listening to classical music for the last 17 hours (off and on). most people that know me know i only listen to classical music when i'm angry. congrats if you just connected the dots.

be well. be creative. be the asshole that lets your lawn die. if mother nature wanted it green, it would rain.

peace and chicken grease fuckers...

music:

Sibelius - The Best of Sibelius
Tchaikovsky - Greatest Hits
Beethoven - 25 Favorites

"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud." - Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928 - May 28, 2014)

my 5 poems accepted for the Midnight on the Stroll Poetry Contest

my poems "park bench", "how to survive life on the street", "the dreamers", "pretty girls", and "keepin' it real" have all been accepted and published in the Midnight on the Stroll Poetry Contest. you can find the poems in the comments section at the Midnight Lane Gallery. here is a direct link: http://midnightlanegallery.wordpress.com/2014/04/11/grand-opening/#comments

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

anxiety and the heat

looks like we are now officially in summer. another day near 90 degrees. those 3 weeks of spring were nice.

mom needed to go to the grocery store today, so i volunteered to come along as i know the heat and her aren't friends. but, of course, i don't have any good shorts clean, so i have to wear the only pair of jeans i have that i like. jeans, 90 degrees, public situation... what could go wrong.

on the drive over, my stomach started to feel a little weird. i figured it was just nerves of the Rangers game tonight. and the good kind of anxiety... something i am looking forward to so much, etc. etc. about 2 minutes into the store, i have to go to the bathroom. not good.

i HATE shitting in public. i avoid it at all costs. today, of course, was an exception. as soon as i sat down, here it comes. at least it was mostly solid. i gave a few courtesy flushes as there were other people in the bathroom. after 15 minutes, i clean my hands good and ignore the young fucker next to me trying to start up a conversation. i suppose i look like a bear in the gay community, but i'm not a part of the gay community. not that there's anything wrong with that.

mom asked me when i walked out of the bathroom if i was ok and i told her well, i don't believe any turds are going to fall out of my jeans as we walk through the store, so let's go. and i of course said this loud enough that anyone could hear it.

needless to say, there will be poems about this.

the Yankees won last night in extra innings, 6-4. that was a victory beer i wasn't expecting. they play again tonight. i have no clue how much of the game i will watch.

Monday Night Raw was pretty good last night. i love how creepy The Wyatt Family is. and stringing the championship situation out with Daniel Bryan is the smart way to go. should get more people interested in the PPV this Sunday.

other than that, i caught a little of the basketball game and the rest of the night was emails. i'm not used to getting this many poems published so close together, so i've been a busy boy. there's going to be some more in the next few days as well.

the New York Rangers play a HUGE Game 5 tonight in Montreal. i'd love for them to close it out tonight. just 1 more WIN and they will be playing for the Stanley Cup. i have a good feeling about tonight, mostly because 20 years ago today, this happened:

i will be drinking myself under the table tonight if the Rangers win.

also tonight, i'm going to try to fit in Deadliest Catch at some point. could be one of those nights i'm up until the sun comes up. good times.

not sure when i'll be on here tomorrow. probably depends on how tonight goes.

hope everyone is well. hope everyone is enjoying the poems. feel free to tell me if you are. fuck, tell me if you don't like them as well. i enjoy a good hate email from time to time. those make for some good fuel at times.

peace and chicken grease my enemies... be well.

music:

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors - Live Forever
Phillip Phillips - Raging Fire
Kelly Sweet - In The Air Tonight
Muddy Waters - Champagne & Reefer (Live)
The Naked and Famous - Young Blood
Kiss - War Machine

"A man who limits his interests, limits his life." - Vincent Price

my 3 poems in Zygote in My Coffee #144

my poems "poor souls on front porches", "on the edge of the world", and "the loving arms of your dreams" have been published in Zygote in My Coffee #144. you can find the issue here:
http://www.zygoteinmycoffee.com/100s/issue144contentsprick.html

direct links to my poems will be below.

others with work in the issue include Doug Draime, William Taylor Jr., Ron Androla, Ally Malinenko, Catfish McDaris and many more.

poor souls on front porches
on the edge of the world
the loving arms of your dreams

my 3 poems at Dead Snakes

my poems "lonely eyes", "the world never stood a chance", and "before the pain takes over" have been published at Dead Snakes. you can find the poems by going here:
http://deadsnakes.blogspot.com/2014/05/jj-campbell-three-poems.html

Monday, May 26, 2014

the joy of adrenaline

last night was a roller coaster of emotions for me. the series between the New York Rangers and the Montreal Crybabies has become so badly officiated that even non hockey fans can tell the league wants Montreal to win so the country of Canada will actually watch the finals. like they aren't going to be watching anyway. amazingly, despite the best efforts of Montreal and all 4 officials last night, the Rangers won 3-2 in OT. a beautiful goal from Martin St. Louis to win it. the Rangers are now 1 win away from going to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1994. my playoff beard looks ridiculous and i couldn't be more proud. below is the recap to the game:

the Yankees are currently in a rain delay as i type this. i figured i would do this blog now as i know a rain delay in St. Louis could actually be for hours when it only looks like it would be 10 minutes. if it does go long, i suppose i'll just add it to the other stuff i'm watching tonight. 

Monday Night Raw, playoff hockey and basketball and god knows what else.

i did catch Penny Dreadful, Californication, and Nurse Jackie last night. i was so wired from the game that i ended up watching them again, after Total Divas, just to make sure i didn't miss anything. so i ended up falling asleep around 4 in the morning. of course, i was up before 8 in the morning. who the fuck needs sleep.

the only real Memorial Day tradition i have is watching the NCAA lacrosse championship. it was a great game this year. Duke was killing Notre Dame early. ND came back to make it a game late, which made it highly entertaining. Duke wins 11-9.

that's all for me kids. i'm going to go take a nap as the weather has heated up here big time. it got up to 87 degrees this afternoon. i closed up the house and turned on the air conditioner. it's comfortable enough in here that i could fall asleep in about 30 seconds. i'm hoping we don't get some storms tonight, like what usually happens when it gets this warm. i'll gladly take the rain for the crops... but i don't need the thunder and lightning and everything else that comes with that.

hope everyone had a great day. hope everyone has a great evening.

peace.

music:

Bee Gees - To Love Somebody
Tegan and Sara w/The Lonely Island - Everything is AWESOME!!!
The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight
Morphine - You Look Like Rain
XTC - Dear God
FIDLAR - Cheap Beer
Grouplove - Ways To Go

"Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid." - John Wayne

Sunday, May 25, 2014

another stellar day... so far

yet another day where the sun is out, the temps are reasonable, low humidity, and no rain. one could get used to this. of course, it's Ohio, so it will be different tomorrow. too much of a good thing is discouraged in this state.

the guy who farms out here got the rest of the soybeans planted today. so, i do hope we get some rain soon so all the crops can get a good soaking. and then it can go back to being sunny.

i had a nice little run in with a raccoon this afternoon. caught the fucker trying to eat the cat food. of course, i had nothing to kill it with so i scared the shit out of it with a broom and a 2x4. at least i know why we're going through so much damn cat food here recently.

the Yankees won today 7-1 to split the series with the White Sox. Tanaka went back to his winning ways and Jeter had 4 hits. they play tomorrow in St. Louis.

i did watch most of the F1 race this morning. i'm not a huge F1 fan, but i do follow it occasionally. i also watched most of the Indy 500. i really wanted my favorite driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, to win, but he came in 5th. his damn mistake on pit road did him in. it was a great finish to the race with the lead going back and forth. after i get done with this i'll be watching a little NASCAR until the hockey game tonight.

the New York Rangers play a MUST WIN Game 4 tonight. my blood boils anytime i think about the game tonight. i really, REALLY hope they fucking kill Montreal tonight. and i'm not sure if i'm speaking figuratively or not on that. i do want to see them get a 3-1 advantage in the series. not sure how the Rangers cope with their top center out to injury. i'm hoping the crowd gives them a huge lift and some role players step up HUGE. i'll be completely wired in on that tonight.

after that, i'm going to try to figure out how to fit in Nurse Jackie, Californication, and Penny Dreadful in along with the HBO movie tonight, The Normal Heart. i've got the feeling that i'll end up watching the HBO movie some other day.

i wrote 8 poems last night and submitted them for the Midnight on the Stroll Poetry Contest. you can find more info on that at http://midnightlanegallery.wordpress.com/. the early feel i get from the editor is that i'm going to have a few poems accepted for it. more on that in a week or so.

i always love when i can write something on the spot and someone else really likes it.

well, that's all for me today. not sure when i'll be on here tomorrow. might be doing the cemetery tour tomorrow for Memorial Day. it will be probably after the Yankees game. or, if the weather somehow turns to shit, it might be early.

hope everyone is having a great weekend. if you do have plans for Memorial Day tomorrow, be safe. have fun. only fuck the ones that cough.

peace and chicken grease my enemies...

music:

The Allman Brothers Band - Whipping Post
Muddy Waters - Champagne & Reefer (Live)
Love and Rockets - So Alive
The Delta Riggs - Anybody Home
Trampled by Turtles - Where Is My Mind? (Live)

"Money can't buy love, but it improves your bargaining position." - Christopher Marlowe

Saturday, May 24, 2014

why can't the weather be like this all the time

hardly a cloud in the sky, in the low 70's with hardly any humidity. for a fat ass that likes to sit and watch television with the windows open, today has been a slice of heaven.

lots to get to, so away we go.

the Yankees finally got some runs last night and were on the verge of winning until DRob makes a horrible mistake pitch to Adam Dunn. sadly, 10 seconds before this happens i mention to my mother that he needs to careful to Dunn because a mistake will cost them the game. sure enough. but, the Yankees came back today in a game where they were comatose for 8 innings, to force extra innings while down 3 runs in the 9th (and down to their final out) and win it in the 10th 4-3 on a HR from Jacoby Ellsbury. first Yankees win in the south side of Chicago since 2011. and finally, my first victory beer in days.

i did get to watch ROH this afternoon so i won't have to try to stay up tonight to see it. another great episode.

i watched the playoff final to see what team would be in the Premier League next season. a stunning goal from a 10 man QPR in the final minute to win the game 1-0. hats off to them for playing down a man for nearly 35 minutes and still finding a way to win the game.

i also watched the Champions League final today as well. hopefully everyone saw it and understands why you should never try to sit on a lead. Real Madrid scores late to force extra time and then blows it wide open in the final 15 minutes of extra time to win 4-1. i'm happy for CR7 to win another title and to win one in his home country.

not a bad day of soccer at all.

as for tonight, i'll be flipping between some playoff hockey and playoff basketball. i also need to look at this website that i was asked to submit some poems for. i saw some of the names on it so far and i definitely believe i will try to come up with something for it.

thanks to everyone for the responses to my poems on Horror Sleaze Trash. i really appreciate it.

i saw a rabbit, 2 toads, and a snake while i was mowing yesterday. good to see the zoo is still going strong out here. i also believe that my cat Whitey actually had 4 kittens and not the 3 i thought she had earlier this month. these fuckers look like they are going to be monsters as well.

it was perfect yesterday for mowing. not even 70 degrees and a light breeze. i didn't get a sunburn and haven't got sick yet (knock on wood).

that's all for me kids. i'll be on here tomorrow sometime during all the car races. and it will be before the Sunday night festivities of a Rangers MUST WIN Game 4 and the shows i love on Showtime. plus, i want to see the movie on HBO as well. as always, who needs sleep.

a few new songs in the music section below. was up to 2:30 in the morning seeing how depressed i could get on iTunes. that should give it away i suppose. hope this finds everyone well. until tomorrow my enemies...

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Corb Lund w/ Hayes Carll - Bible On the Dash
U2 - Bad (Live)
My Best Fiend - On the Shores of the Infinite
Soul Coughing - Super Bon Bon
Pulp - Common People (Full Length Version)
Tricky - Aftermath

"All I can do is be me, whoever that is." - Bob Dylan

my 5 poems at Horror Sleaze Trash

my poems "the perfect cover", "the first real snowfall of the season", "a new tomorrow", "black, no sugar", and "my last breath" have been published at Horror Sleaze Trash. you can find the poems by going here: http://www.horrorsleazetrash.com/poetry/j-j-campbell-4/

Friday, May 23, 2014

just how i wanted to start my holiday weekend

in case you don't know me, i hate fucking losing. hate it with a passion that most people believe is psychotic. so, last night was one tough pill to swallow.

the New York Rangers lost in OT last night, 3-2. i was thrilled when they scored late to force overtime, given that they had been outplayed for nearly 40 straight minutes. but, 72 seconds into OT, the game was over. i was very pissed at how many times the Rangers refused to make the simple play. the KISS theory (keep it simple stupid) works amazingly well in the playoffs. of course, it wouldn't be a playoff game this year without some HORRIFIC officiating. and i'm talking about shit that refs in the minor leagues don't miss. the Rangers are still up 2-1 in the series, but Game 4 is a MUST win to regain all the momentum in the series. sadly, they don't play again until Sunday, so this loss will fester for way too long.

the New York Yankees lost 3-2 last night in a game where they were manhandled by the White Sox for most of it. 3 damn hits for the entire game. i was a little amazed that they actually had a chance to win the game late. the White Sox starter owns the Yankees in his career, so i wasn't very surprised. hopefully they can win tonight.

so, i had a night of some shitty sleeping in great sleeping weather. i got up this morning to get all the shit done i needed to do today so i could get the grass mowed and over with so i might actually have a chance of enjoying my evening. so i go down to get the paper and for the second straight day, it wasn't where it was supposed to be. we have a tube for it with the paper's name on it, so you would think any dumb fuck would think to put it there. at least yesterday it was in plastic. today, it wasn't. and the wind tends to fucking blow out here in the sticks. and, i wasn't about to walk over planted fields to get the parts of the paper that had blown across the road. people get shot for shit like that out here. we're supposed to have another one brought out here, which i will believe it when i see it.

as you might imagine, my frustration level at this point is through the fucking roof. now i get to go out and mow the grass with this thick ass playoff beard on me that will only make me hotter and more pissed. can't wait to count the number of insects that get caught in it while i'm flying around like a madman in about 30 minutes. good times.

not sure what i'm going to watch tonight. probably some baseball. if my anger hasn't gone down, there might be some writing or painting in my future. i do like how my anger often leads to creativity. i suppose that's better than the alternative, murdering the world.

not sure when i'll be on here tomorrow. chances are it will be after the Champions League final.

hope everyone has a great weekend. hope everyone enjoys the holiday and has some fun. i'm off to go get a sunburn and scare the shit out of some cats.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
Anthrax - Antisocial
Metallica - Bleeding Me
Iron Maiden - The Trooper
In This Moment - Whore
Pantera - I'm Broken

"To attempt to advise conceited people is like whistling against the wind." - Thomas Hood

Thursday, May 22, 2014

the calm before the storm

today has been damn near perfect. mid 70's with just a little breeze and not much humidity. the kind of day you open the windows, turn on a ceiling fan and go to sleep for a few hours. which is exactly what i did.

i did manage to type up the 3 poems last night, before midnight. i really like these 3. i'll probably be working up another batch to send out before the end of the month.

the New York Rangers play Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals tonight. if they can win tonight, they will take complete control of the series. and it would also put them 1 win from the Stanley Cup finals. i've kind of got that good anxiety in my stomach at the moment. i will be in full throat and i am completely rested for the game.

i guess at some point tonight i will flip over and see what the Yankees are doing against the White Sox. their best pitcher came off the disabled list for the start tonight. hopefully he is rusty. if he isn't, the way the Yankees are hitting at the moment, this game could get ugly. and fast.

all in all, i just want to be drinking 2 victory beers before i go to bed tonight.

chances are i will be mowing the grass tomorrow, as long as the weather and my health all cooperate with each other. i'm sure mom would like it done for the holiday weekend.

that's pretty much it for me today. got some new songs i found on iTunes that some of you might notice down in the music section. my tastes are getting more varied, which is truly fucking bizarre.

if i am mowing grass tomorrow, i will be on here before i go out to sweat my ass off. hope this finds everyone well. until we meet again my friends...

peace and chicken grease...

music:

AM & Shawn Lee - Dark Into Light
The Figgs - Je T'Adore
Swedish House Mafia - Save The World (Knife Party Remix)
Bassnectar w/W. Darling - You & Me
Joe Ely - Me and Billy the Kid (Live)
Glamour of the Kill - A Freak Like Me
Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy
Paolo Nutini - Iron Sky

"Where there is no imagination there is no horror." - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

when storm clouds don't bring any rain

today has been one long fuck me kind of day. it's been threatening to rain just about all damn day. so my back has been feeling oh so great since i woke up. go 10 minutes to the north and they got 4 inches of rain in about 30 minutes. go 10 minutes to the east and they got hail the size of golf balls. and what did we get? not one fucking drop. a little drizzle would have been nice for the crops. fuck me runnin'.

the Yankees lost last night as Tanaka proved he was human. and today, they pulled out a victory from the grips of defeat as they rallied in the 9th and eventually won in the 13th, 4-2. the game took more than 5 hours. at least i got a decent nap in.

i was pleased with who won The Voice last night.

as for the NBA Draft lottery, should be fun to watch the Cavs fuck up the first pick once again.

tonight, as soon as i can get this done, it will be some hockey, a victory beer and something for dinner.

i was planning on doing some typing today as i have 3 poems that need to be typed up. maybe i'll do that later tonight.

not sure when i'll be on here tomorrow. i'll be in full playoff game mode as Game 3 is tomorrow in the Rangers series. thankfully the Yankees play a night game, so it should be an afternoon blog for me.

that's all for today. be well. be creative. be the fucker that pisses the masses off while opening doors for old ladies.

peace and chicken grease.

music:

Angel Haze & Sia - Battle Cry
Iggy Azalea w/Charli XCX - Fancy
Earl Sweatshirt w/Vince Staples & Casey Veggies - Hive
Craig Mack w/Notorious B.I.G., L.L. Cool J., Busta Rhymes & Rampage - Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)
Geto Boys - My Mind Playin Tricks On Me

"Praise undeserved, is satire in disguise." - Alexander Pope

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

long live The King

the New York Rangers took a commanding 2-0 series lead over Montreal last night with an outstanding performance from The King, Henrik Lundqvist. stopping 40 of the 41 shots, he absolutely stood on his head. and to think this team is 2 wins away from going to the Stanley Cup finals is mind boggling to me. they play again on Thursday, at home.

i didn't catch much of The Voice last night. i honestly didn't really care. as long as Jake or Josh wins, i'll be happy. if not, i'll seriously wonder how many times did the producers vote to get this shitty outcome.

as for Monday Night Raw, since it was taped last night from London, i read online to see what happened before it aired. that allowed me to watch the hockey game without feeling like i was missing something.

i did catch both episodes of Louie last night. funny and awkward. such a great show.

tonight will be the mix of playoff basketball, the NBA draft lottery, the Yankees playing the Cubs in Chicago, The Voice season finale and some Deadliest Catch as well. Tanaka is pitching for the Yankees tonight, so hopefully his winning streak continues.

the weather has finally warmed back up here. sadly, the humidity did as well. nothing like some uncomfortable sleeping.

i did write a little poem this afternoon. let's just say i had an interesting time watching some porn today. anything for a poem.

that's all for me kids. i want to get a shower in before dinner so i'm out of here. hope everyone had a great day. i'll be on here tomorrow after the Yankees afternoon game. hopefully it's after a win.

peace and chicken grease... now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

music:

The Naked and Famous - Young Blood
Icona Pop - I Love It
Tegan and Sara w/The Lonely Island - Everything Is AWESOME!!!
Goldfrapp - Ooh La La
Love and Rockets - So Alive
Swedish House Mafia - Save The World (Knife Party Remix)
The Glitch Mob - Can't Kill Us
DJ Shadow & Little Dragon - Scale It Back
Grouplove - Ways To Go

"Did you ever get the feeling that the world was a tuxedo and you were a pair of brown shoes?" - George Gobel

Monday, May 19, 2014

where do the hours go

i'm currently running on about 3 hours of sleep. needless to say, i will be a little extra cranky while watching the New York Rangers tonight.

let's go back to yesterday shall we...

the New York Yankees split a doubleheader, winning game 1 and giving away game 2. they won the series and are in first place, so i guess it's ok. they are off tonight and start a series in Chicago tomorrow.

i somehow made it through all the Sunday night shows, even though it took me forever. Total Divas was good, but scripted beyond belief last night. Nurse Jackie was good once again. Californication really had me laughing last night. Penny Dreadful had a HOLY SHIT ending. easily, the best show on tv right now. Last Week Tonight was brilliant. as for Silicon Valley and Veep, i enjoyed both of them. but, i was so damn tired, i have no idea if i was laughing because it was funny or i was delirious.

on to today...

Manchester United officially hired Louis van Gaal as manager today. he takes over once he is done coaching the Netherlands in the World Cup. he is a no non-sense kind of guy, so it will be interesting. Ryan Giggs was appointed his number 2, so that means the end of his playing career. but, hopefully in 3 years he is taking over the club for the next 20 or so. this will certainly make for an interesting silly season with all the rumors.

the New York Rangers play Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals tonight. Montreal announced that their starting goalie is out for the rest of the series. hopefully the Rangers take advantage of this HUGE opportunity. i expect tonight to be a nasty game as i'm sure Montreal will want some revenge for their goalie being injured (on an accidental play mind you). as long as the Rangers win and no one gets injured, i couldn't care what kind of game it is.

also tonight (all at the same time) are The Voice, Monday Night Raw, and Louie. hopefully the hockey ends at a decent time so i get to watch some of the other shows. looks like a night i'll be spending on YouTube.

i happened to do a little writing today. penned 5 poems in a little over 30 minutes today. so, with the one i wrote over the weekend, i typed up 6 poems this afternoon. i think i have a few winners in the batch.

a big thank you to everyone with their comments and reaction to my poem "all the damn yesterdays". i really appreciate it.

after feeding the animals today, i had to spray for insects in the cellar and around the house. that's always fun in a strong ass breeze. thankfully i didn't get any on me.

that's all for today kids. i need to get some dinner and get my mind in the right place for the game tonight. hope everyone had a great weekend. i'll be on here tomorrow sometime.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Morphine - Like Swimming
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Old Crow Medicine Show - Down Home Girl EP
Barbarian Overlords - The Harvester
Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy
Tune-Yards - Water Fountain
FIDLAR - Cheap Beer
deadmau5 - Raise Your Weapon

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today." - Malcolm X

all the damn yesterdays

my poem "all the damn yesterdays" was published today at Napalm and Novocain. you can find the poem by going here: http://napalmandnovocain.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-poem-by-jj-campbell.html

Sunday, May 18, 2014

with only a few clouds in the sky...

this happens to me so many damn times that i can only laugh at it now. i got a line trapped in my head last night. a line that would make for a pretty damn good poem. so, sure enough, as i'm taking the trash down to the end of the lane in my truck, the poem starts to write itself. and of course, i have no pen or paper on me. so, like the crazy fucker i am, i have to keep repeating it to myself until i get back up to the house to write it down. and as i'm repeating i'm adding more lines to it. so you would think it would be easy to just write it down when i get back up to the house. well, not exactly. i forgot the last few lines of what i came up with so the poem that came out of it is a little different than i thought it was going to be. basically, there's the long version of oh by the way, i happened to write a poem this morning.

i enjoyed the season finale of Saturday Night Live last night. helps that some of the best to be on the show in the last decade came back for it. also, i think i'm going to have to give St. Vincent a closer listen when i get the chance.

i did catch most of ROH last night. another great episode of some great pro wrestling. i'll probably check it out again at noon before the Yankees game.

the Yankees play a true doubleheader today. they have an off day tomorrow, so that's good. hopefully they can win both games and not get anyone injured in the process.

i figure i will also watch some playoff basketball and hockey today as well.

and if i can get a good nap in this afternoon, i figure i will make it through all the Sunday night shows. i've re-watched Penny Dreadful a few times in the last few days. this might be the first series i have been this excited for since Six Feet Under.

hope this finds everyone well. i'll be on here sometime in the afternoon tomorrow i guess. it's supposed to get warmer tomorrow, so i might end up being outside for awhile. i noticed the buzzards were out last evening. and when i went to feed the cats this morning, there was definitely the smell of death on the other side of the barn. i figure if it gets a little drier tomorrow, i may do some investigating. my best hunch is that something went to go die underneath one of the brush piles we have over there. i do have one cat that is "missing". i haven't seen it in a few weeks.

sorry for that tangent. sometimes when i start to write i just let the thoughts flow. and like most of my drunk elders, they have no sense of direction.

have a great end to the weekend. go get drunk and forget about work tomorrow.

take it easy... and if it's easy, take it again.

music:

St. Paul & The Broken Bones - Half The City
Johnny Cash - Out Among The Stars
TV On The Radio - Nine Types of Light

"A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something." - Frank Capra

Saturday, May 17, 2014

so much for the house of horrors

the New York Rangers have played like shit in Montreal for nearly as long as i can remember. the tide started to turn this season and today, like a team that is threatening to do something special this year, they came in and burned the fucker to the ground. they destroyed Montreal in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, 7-2. the power play was working, the skating was great, and holy shit, RICK NASH fucking SCORED a goal for the first time in nearly forever. hopefully they can keep the ball rolling for Game 2 on Monday.

the Yankees broke out the long ball today and won 7-1. that should put them in a good mood for the doubleheader tomorrow.

and yes, both victory beers are gone.

i picked the top 3 of the Preakness correct, just in the wrong order. had the winner right though, that's all that matters.

i figured Arsenal would win the FA Cup. at least Hull City made them work for it. i also caught part of the La Liga final as well. i suppose the Barcelona superiority is officially now a myth.

i'll probably end up watching a little NASCAR tonight, right into the season finale of Saturday Night Live. if i stay awake, i'll hopefully catch the new episode of ROH. if not, i'll hopefully catch it tomorrow at noon.

the rain has held off for most of today and the sun made a rare appearance. now, it just needs to warm up.

i'll most likely be on here tomorrow sometime in the morning. i get the feeling that the doubleheader is going to run right into my Sunday night shows. and hopefully i will be refreshed like i was this morning. not sure why, but it's amazing how i feel when i actually get more than 6 hours of sleep.

hope this finds everyone well.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Serena Ryder - What I Wouldn't Do
FIDLAR - Cheap Beer
Earl Sweatshirt w/Vince Staples & Casey Veggies - Hive
The Black Crowes - The Last Place That Love Lives
Rancid - Ruby Soho
Trampled by Turtles - Where Is My Mind? (Live)
Butthole Surfers - Pepper

"I really try to put myself in uncomfortable situations. Complacency is my enemy." - Trent Reznor


response from The Camel Saloon

i heard back from Russell at The Camel Saloon on my poetry submission from yesterday. my poem "paying off old sins" has been accepted for publication.

Friday, May 16, 2014

been a busy boy today

since i chose to sleep last night instead of typing like a bleary eyed asshole at 3 in the morning, i had plenty of typing to do this morning. i managed to get it all done in a few hours. a little faster than i expected actually. i sent out 21 poems today, 6 to ZYX and 3 each to Pyrokinection, Napalm and Novocain, The Camel Saloon, Dead Snakes, and Pink Litter. a big thank you to A.J. for getting back to me so quickly on my submissions to Pyrokinection and Napalm and Novocain. as an old school fucker in this game, i'm still wrapping my head around submitting some work and finding out in a few hours if it was accepted or not. i suppose the days of mailing them out and waiting for weeks are just about over. i still know a few places that still go the old school way. anywho, when i hear back from the other places, i will pass along the verdicts here.

the sun has managed to appear today. briefly. it's still cold as shit for May, but at least it looks bright and warm. of course, i still have the heat on in the house.

the Yankees got much better pitching last night than i was expecting to win 1-0 over the Mets. hard to believe that was the first 1-0 game in the history of the Subway Series. at least the Yankees got a split this year. tonight's game with the Pirates has been rained out already. so, they are going to play a doubleheader on Sunday. should be interesting to see how they set up the pitching for that.

i spent a good portion of last night playing music educator to a friend. she basically only knows certain kinds of music and artists. so i'm going to have some fun exposing her to the VAST range of music i listen to each day.

the season finale of The Big Bang Theory was interesting. should give the writers plenty of room to move around with the characters for next season.

not sure what i'm going to watch tonight other than Game 7 between the Ducks and the Kings. that should be a fun one to watch.

i probably will not be on here tomorrow until after the Rangers game and maybe even after the horse race. tomorrow looks like wall to wall sports that i give a shit about. between the FA Cup, the Eastern Conference Finals in hockey, The Preakness, baseball, etc... i'll have to carve out a few moments for this blog sometime before the sun goes down.

i do hope everyone has a great weekend. hopefully your weekend has started early and you're in the process of getting hammered as you read this. or maybe i just gave you a great idea.

until tomorrow, peace and chicken grease...

music:

The Band of Heathens - Look At Miss Ohio
JJ Grey & Mofro - The Sun Is Shining Down
The Dan Band - Total Eclipse of the Heart (Live)
Tegan and Sara w/The Lonely Island - Everything is AWESOME!!!
Little Dragon - Klapp Klapp
Banks - Goddess

"You don't have to hold onto the pain to hold onto the memory." - Janet Jackson


response from Napalm and Novocain

i heard back from A.J. at Napalm and Novocain on my poetry submission from earlier today. my poem "all the damn yesterdays" has been accepted for publication. it should be out around May 19.

response from Pyrokinection

i heard back from A.J. at Pyrokinection on my poetry submission from earlier in the morning. my poem "open swing" has been accepted for publication. it should be out around June 2.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

who turned the sun off?

this whole damn day has been gloomy, cloudy, and quite honestly, fucking cold. the wind has been whipping so it feels like it has been in the mid 40's the entire time. i had to turn the damn heat back on. fucking crazy. and it's not looking like it's going to get warmer anytime soon. just lovely.

i took an afternoon nap today that i must have needed. i was watching something and next thing i know it's 2 hours later. that should come in handy with some late basketball this evening. i may have that on in the background as i send out some poems via email. at least that sounds like a plan.

i do plan on watching the season finale of The Big Bang Theory tonight. other than that, it will be a night of some baseball, playoff basketball and god knows what else.

the Yankees got what they needed from Tanaka last night. a complete game 4 hitter from him and some runs from the offense to win 4-0. they are playing right now actually as i'm typing this. they have a kid going tonight, making his MLB debut. so do the Mets. this game could be really fucking ugly before too long. hopefully the Yankees win to split the series.

we had a tornado hit a few counties from us last night. i wasn't joking when i said the skies were getting dark. thankfully, they blew up after they passed over us.

i'll have news of some poems being sent out tomorrow, which means a trip to the local post office. depending on when i go, that usually gets interesting. interesting in the please god, kill me before i get that old kind of interesting.

it's kind of shitty that the St. Louis family had to move the funeral of the mother to Sunday because the NHL and whoever else wouldn't move the Rangers game to Saturday night. it's hard to imagine how great this league could be if they weren't so fucking clueless. hopefully the Rangers use that as fuel in their series with Montreal, which also happens to be where the funeral is. they haven't faced each other in the playoffs since 1996. it also means an original six team will be in the finals. hopefully it's the one i want it to be.

not sure when i'll be on here tomorrow. probably the afternoon, hell, maybe early evening like this. kind of depends how much i get done early in the morning. if i choose sleep, i will be typing all afternoon. fun.

hope this finds everyone well. and certainly warmer than here.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
Pantera - I'm Broken
Lamb of God - Redneck
In This Moment - Whore
Iron Maiden - The Trooper
Metallica - Bleeding Me

"It's not the destination that matters. It's the change of scene." - Brian Eno

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

the thrill of victory

i believe my adrenaline is still running high from last night. the New York Rangers slayed another demon to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in three years. the 2-1 victory over the crybaby Penguins last night was beautiful. the King stood on his head and became the first goalie in NHL history to win 5 straight game 7's. and when you think of all the great goalies that have played this sport, that's an accomplishment. they'll find out tonight who they play on Saturday. i think we have a better chance against Montreal though i would LOVE to beat Boston in the playoffs. below are the highlights from Game 7:
8 wins to go. halfway to the ultimate goal. The Stanley Cup.

also on the good/great news front, my health situation seems to have returned to normal. normal color. normal texture. not sure what the fuck i had but i am thrilled it is gone.

the Yankees last night got no pitching at all and lost 12-7. Tanaka goes tonight so they might have a chance. i'm really happy i didn't sit through that shit last night. injuries are slowly killing this team.

we are under a Tornado Watch until 9 tonight. so you might notice my music this afternoon has a bit of a theme. i did a little poetry work this afternoon and came up with 21 poems to send out, probably on Friday. i was a little surprised that i had that many poems sitting around.

i got 2 out of the 3 finalists correct on The Voice. i believe everyone knows that Christina made it because of all her YouTube fans. it will be a crime if she wins it all. Jake and Josh are much better than she is.

Deadliest Catch was pretty damn good last night. i have also started watching the show after it, Alaskan Bush People. i imagine i might get a few poems from that show.

on top of watching some playoff basketball and hockey tonight, i will be watching the final 2 episodes of Legit for this season. should be yet another busy night, as long as the storms cooperate.

and speaking of the weather, the skies are getting dark so i'm going to close up shop. hope this finds everyone well. if you enjoy this blog, tell a friend. or send me money. that will work as well.

peace and chicken grease my enemies. until tomorrow, long after i have erased the backlog of victory beers.

music:

The Band of Heathens - Hurricane
The Steel Wheels - Rain In The Valley
The Gospel Whiskey Runners - Muddy Waters
Morphine - You Look Like Rain
Tune-Yards - Water Fountain
Heterotic w/Vezelay - Rain
William Fitzsimmons - From The Water
JJ Grey & Mofro - This River

"Real beauty knocks you a little bit off kilter." - David Byrne

slice of utopia

my poem "slice of utopia" appears in the Storm Cycle 2013 Anthology from Kind of a Hurricane Press. you can find out all you need to know about the anthology here:
http://www.kindofahurricanepress.com/2014/05/storm-cycle-2013-is-now-available.html

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

it all comes down to this

there are no words that mean more to a sports fan than Game 7. it's life or death. win or go home. as a fanatic that lives and dies with each game, tonight is a big one. the New York Rangers have the chance to do something they have never done before, two things actually. they have never come back from being down 3-1 in a series to win. and they have never defeated the Penguins in the playoffs. and even with the NHL assigning the same shitty officials from game 6 for this game tonight, i have a good feeling about it. and there is nothing i would like to see more than watching that crybaby pussy Sidney Crosby skate off a fucking loser once again and be out of the playoffs. game starts at 7.

my health is starting to take a turn for the better, i guess. my first shit of the day wasn't dark green. it was a lighter shade, so hopefully i'm rounding toward brown. no sprints to the toilet, so maybe whatever the fuck that was causing that has moved on.

the Yankees last night blew two different 3 run leads to lose to the fucking Mets 9-7. needless to say, i won't bother with them tonight.

Monday Night Raw was good but was overshadowed by the news that Daniel Bryan has to have neck surgery. they haven't stripped him of the title yet, so that makes me believe that the company hopes that it won't be long. it totally sucks as he has busted his ass so hard to get to this spot only to have this happen. if he is out long, hopefully this forces the company to start pushing some new guys. PLEASE.

The Voice was ok last night. i honestly only watched snippets of the performances. if i had it my way, the final 3 would be Josh, Jake, and Kristen.

i'm going to try to fit in some of The Voice tonight as well as Deadliest Catch, but tonight is all about Game 7.

i did catch the last few minutes of LeBron's 49 points last night. i love that he was pissed that he didn't get to 50.

i have no clue when i will be on here tomorrow. i could be so damn happy that i drink myself to oblivion tonight. or i could be so damn sad or mad that i start shaving off the playoff beard and don't stop. i'll guess sometime in the afternoon, but who knows.

congrats to Rio on 12 great years at Manchester United. you will be missed.

i'm off to go get my mind ready. worked up a special batch of crazy at iTunes for tonight's game. you'll see that below. until tomorrow my enemies...

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Iron Maiden - The Trooper
Tove Lo w/Hippie Sabotage - Stay High (Habits Remix)
LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Grey Cell Green
Blackjack Billy - Got a Feeling
Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne - Let It Rock
The Glitch Mob - Can't Kill Us

"I don't like money, actually, but it quiets my nerves." - Joe Louis

my 2 poems at Dead Snakes

my poems "even suicide is pointless" and "the observation of pain" have been published at Dead Snakes. you can find the poems by going here:
http://deadsnakes.blogspot.com/2014/05/jj-campbell-two-poems.html

Monday, May 12, 2014

misery, revisited

just when i thought i had things under control, the demons came back and pulled me back under. i was feeling pretty good yesterday morning and then the afternoon came. my stomach started to get that feeling again and sure enough, back to the toilet. i thought i had got rid of the bug so now my mind was focusing on possible food poisoning or something along those lines. i finally got it to stop before my evening started, which made the night much easier. and i took it easy today. dry toast for breakfast. at lunch i got adventurous and had grilled cheese and a banana. and then came my first solid shit in days. i look down and see dark green stool that in my head is fucking black. and black stool i associate with blood. and blood in the stool i associate with cancer and death. sure, my mind races at times. if this continues it will mean a trip to the hospital for sure. i'm hoping after a few days of plenty of water and "safe" food, dark green stool will be removed from my memory banks. until then, i'll simply ponder my death and do some more writing. good times.

the New York Rangers played a great game last night and for the first time since 1939, they have forced a game 7 in a series they were trailing 3-1. a HUGE 3-1 win. and it had storybook written all over it. Martin St. Louis scores the first goal, on Mother's Day, three days after unexpectedly losing his mother. when that happened, i knew they were going to win. game 7 is Tuesday. needless to say, i will be fucking wired for that one.

the Yankees lost again, this time on a walk off. 2 tough losses to finish a road trip is never a good thing. and they now have 3/5 of their starting rotation injured. this team is barely staying afloat at the moment. they play the Mets tonight to start the Subway Series. i'll watch a little of it but i'm so wrapped up in other shit at the moment, i'll only watch more if i need to sleep.

also tonight will be the semi-finals of The Voice, Louie, and Monday Night Raw. throw in some playoff hockey and basketball, and it will be another schizophrenic night of television for me.

last night i got to see everything i wanted to see, minus a few minutes of Last Week Tonight as a huge thunderstorm rolled through at 2:20 AM and knocked the satellite out for 3 minutes or so. the Rangers game got over in time for me to see the debut of Penny Dreadful. FUCKING BRILLIANT. i urge everyone to see this show. i can't emphasize it enough. it was great. Nurse Jackie and Californication were awesome last night. Total Divas really made me laugh, especially Natty's paintings. hideous. Veep was funny as always. Silicon Valley made me laugh. Last Week Tonight is always great. but, the only reason i was able to stay up the entire time was the adrenaline from the hockey game. i think i'm still wired from it.

got the t-shirt i ordered from Opie today. i can't wait to wear that around this backward ass town. that should get a few looks.

i was hoping that thunderstorm last night was going to bring some poetry, but it didn't. it did help me get 5 hours of sleep, so that was good. it feels like summer here today. a little humid, blazing sun, insects... kind of hard to forget there are no fucking seasons anymore. it's really just hot or cold. that's it. and climate change doesn't exist. what a bunch of fucking dumb asses.

that's all for me today. i'll try to get on here early tomorrow as i will be in my game 7 mode all day long. i hope everyone had a great weekend. hope all the mother's enjoyed yesterday. be well. be creative. be the motorcycle weaving through traffic on the highway. or be the asshole that cuts him off and laughs when he wrecks. it's all good.

peace and chicken grease fools...

music:

Beck - Odelay
Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting
The Band of Heathens - Hurricane
Portugal. The Man - Purple, Yellow, Red and Blue
Los Lonely Boys - 16 Monkeys

"Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist." - George Carlin


Sunday, May 11, 2014

mother should i build a wall

knock on wood about a thousand times, but it looks like the shitty (pun intended) health i had for the last 48 hours has finally passed on. yesterday evening i finally started to feel better and could eat without racing to the toilet within seconds. hopefully, it was just a bug that i had. and hopefully something i don't get again for a long time.

the Yankees lost last night 5-4. CC struggled which sadly is the norm now. they came back to tie the score but committed the baseball sin of giving up runs right after you score. when that happens, nine times out of ten, the baseball gods will rule against you. oh well. they play again this afternoon in the rubber match of the series.

Saturday Night Live was a bit flat for me last night. there was a couple of really funny moments but nothing that was holy shit, that was funny. i'm actually amazed i stayed up for all of it.

ROH was excellent last night. you can never go wrong anytime Kevin Steen and The Briscoes are involved.

Manchester United drew 1-1 today with Southampton. not sure why they started so badly today, but United played much better in the second half. they couldn't finish worth a shit today. Juan Mata had a beautiful free kick that tied the score. thankfully, this season is over and there will be no European football at Old Trafford next season for the first time in a quarter century. hopefully they hire the right man for the rebuilding job.

tonight will be utter chaos for me. the New York Rangers play a MUST WIN game 6. somehow, after that i'm going to try to fit in the normal Sunday night shows with the addition of the show i am really looking forward to, Penny Dreadful. i have high hopes for that one. if i do pull this off, i'll be up until about 4 in the morning. lovely. that's the joy of DIRECTV, i get all the west coast feeds of HBO and Showtime.

hope everyone is having a wonderful Mother's Day. that is all for me today as i believe i'm going to try to nap most of the afternoon. my mother seemed to enjoy what i got her. or at least she acted like she did. i'll be on tomorrow in the afternoon i suppose.

peace and chicken grease my enemies...

music:

Tune-Yards - Water Fountain
David Ramirez - The Bad Days
Kenny Rogers & The First Edition - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
Swedish House Mafia - Save The World (Knife Party Remix)
Rancid - Ruby Soho

"The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad." - Salvador Dali

Saturday, May 10, 2014

misery, continued

here it is, more than 24 hours later and i still can't keep anything in my stomach without racing to the bathroom within minutes. true fucking fun. was hoping this was just a 24 hour bug that i literally needed to shit out of my system. i suppose if it stays like this all weekend i'll be going to the hospital. good times.

the New York Rangers dug down deep last night and played their best game of the playoffs. a 5-1 win that was convincing and gave me hope that they can still win the series. game 6 is Sunday night at MSG. hopefully the power play (that ended an 0-36 skid last night) keeps clicking. if they can force a game 7, i like their chances as the Penguins struggle at home in game 7's.

the Yankees last night got another strong performance from Tanaka (now 5-0) to win 5-3. they play again tonight as CC takes the mound back in Milwaukee for the first time since he left i believe. that should be interesting.

also tonight i'll be watching Saturday Night Live, ROH, some playoff basketball and hockey, as long as i'm not spending the entire night on the toilet.

i did manage to type up 4 poems this afternoon. they are pretty good. that includes the one i wrote before i tried to get some more sleep. got nearly 2 hours. i believe it was more like passing out as it was just as the cold front was moving through and my back was in misery.

that's all for me. i'll be on here sometime tomorrow. probably after i have ruined mother's day with whatever the fuck i have going on inside of me. my sister will be annoyed beyond belief. that should be fun. probably mid-afternoon, after Manchester United's season has ended.

hope everyone is well. hope your weekend has started off MUCH better than mine. now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

peace...

music:

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (Deluxe Edition)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away

"I learn the most from making my own mistakes." - David Fincher


Friday, May 9, 2014

my poems in ZYX #67

my poems "the panic of tears", "better change your pants first", "through the rough patches", "these days will turn into decades", "no desire to conquer", and "a little betting tip" have been published in ZYX #67.

to get a copy, send a few bucks to:

Arnold Skemer
c/o ZYX
58-09 205th Street
Bayside, NY 11364

others in the issue include John Grey, Alan Catlin, James Babbs, and Simon Perchik just to name a few.

misery, hello (use your best Larry King voice)

so, when i should have been sleeping last night, i was writing. and out of nowhere, 3 poems just sort of appeared in my new notebook. that made me laugh, as i was dead fucking tired. so, i finally fell asleep at 4 and was up at 8 this morning. but, since my dumbass never has changed my clock that goes ahead 40 minutes by itself, it was actually 7:20. anywho, i felt good enough and started checking email, etc. around 9, i was fixing breakfast and the powers that be decided to catch up with me. so, what i thought was just a little fart was an unleashing of god knows what out of my body. and since there is a massive cold front trying to get through here... as i start to wipe my back decides to start to lock up. given that my mother was away at work, i knew i couldn't make it to where she came home to her son prone on the bathroom floor. not for a few years at least. so i've been doing my best to win this battle with misery today, but that cold bitch is winning by a mile.

i did watch a good bit of the NFL Draft last night. i was happy with what the Saints did. always good to get Drew Brees another toy to have fun with. now, hopefully they sure up the defense and the offensive line.

the Rangers play a MUST WIN game tonight in Pittsburgh. as of right now, i have no clue if Marty St. Louis is going to play or not. his mother died last night. and as much as i would love to see the team bond together and win one for him, this is more likely to be a scenario where they feel sorry for themselves and get killed tonight. i really hope i am wrong as i don't feel like getting rid of the playoff beard just yet.

The Big Bang Theory was really good last night. and it should set up for a big season finale next week.

the Yankees play tonight in Milwaukee. Tanaka is on the mound, so i will be sure to catch most of it.

i've been in between naps and signing up for different shit online (sbnation.com and bleacherreport.com). lord knows i don't consume enough information each day.

the guy who farms out here got the corn planted before it tried to rain this morning. i wish it would have as that would have been an excellent start for those seeds.

that's all for me today. i haven't eaten lunch today yet and i really have to to take my pills. so, yeah. i have no clue when i'll be on here tomorrow. it will definitely be sometime in the afternoon.

hope everyone has a great weekend. hope your back is feeling better than mine. and hopefully i won't be bitter when i'm writing tomorrow.

peace and chicken grease my friends and enemies...

music:

Deer Tick - Goodbye, Dear Friend
Gary Jules - Mad World
Trampled by Turtles - Alone
Dinosaur Jr. - Feel the Pain
Joanne Shaw Taylor - Blackest Day
The Steel Wheels - It's The End Of The World Again
Exitmusic - The Cold
My Morning Jacket - Rocket Man
Trixie Whitley - Breathe You In My Dreams (Live)
Will Hoge - When I Get My Wings
Thriving Ivory - Angels On The Moon

"Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all the others were making ships." - Charles Simic


Thursday, May 8, 2014

oh sunshine, why do you hate me so?

i got the grass mowed yesterday. a little under 5 hours. but, my left leg took most of the punishment. the heat from the engine of the mower just happens to hit my left leg for the entire time i'm mowing. so, my lower left leg looks like i'm a burn victim. good times. but the yard does look nice. the birds love it and the cats hate it, as i've taken away their hunting advantage. and like i tell them all the time, they are free to leave anytime they want to.

so i got my shower and dinner in before the Rangers game started last night, just like i wanted to. a must win game that i was fully invested in. sadly, the Rangers were better but still not even close to being good enough to win. at least they finally fucking scored. but pissed away all the momentum of the goals by giving up ones to Pittsburgh way too soon. a 4-2 loss that pushes the Rangers to the brink. i've got the feeling my playoff beard will be coming off on Friday night. that will make my mother happy. i on the other hand, will be pissed off for the summer. good times.

thankfully, the Yankees came to life last night right from the start and put the game away early. a 9-2 win to take the series out there for the first tine in years. it was good to see Jeter finally get one out of the park. they are off tonight and start a series in Milwaukee tomorrow night.

Legit was fucking hilarious last night. i didn't watch Ali G as the Yankees game was actually good from the start last night.

tonight will mostly be the NFL draft on my television. i will of course watch The Big Bang Theory and probably a good amount of the American Comedy Awards. and probably a decent amount of playoff basketball and hockey as well. mostly, i just want a night to sit in my chair and chill out. it's really warm here today and we just have fans on. no A/C just yet. we usually wait until it gets really hot to turn that on. and 87 apparently isn't really that hot.

i did manage to write 5 poems today. i typed them up and REALLY like them. i'll be sending those fuckers out soon. that finishes up the notebook i've been writing in for 10 months i do believe. that's always interesting to go back and see if you've changed any in that time. thankfully, just getting better with time.

that's all for me my enemies. i have a sweaty nap in my future before dinner. hope this finds everyone well.

until tomorrow...

music:

Valerie June - Pushin' Against A Stone
The Afghan Whigs - Do To The Beast
Beth Orton - Sugaring Season
The Allman Brothers Band - Whipping Post
Metallica - Bleeding Me
Deer Tick - Goodbye, Dear Friend

"Show business is my life. When I was a kid I sold insurance, but nobody laughed." - Don Rickles

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

bleary eyed insanity

it figures, the Yankees would win last night as i fell asleep somewhere around the 7th inning or so. i woke up at 2:30 AM and the tv was black with a little message on it saying that this broadcast is blacked out in your area. so, at least i know i was watching the game when i fell asleep. i checked my email and saw they won. saw some highlights on the internet and then enjoyed my victory beer. i had hoped that would help me sleep longer, which of course it didn't.

i was a little shocked at the results on The Voice last night. how Sisaundra didn't make it to the semi-finals is fucking crazy to me. she joins Judith Hill and Sarah Simmons as three of the best "voices" not to win The Voice. it also reaffirms my belief that America is still racist and dumb as fuck. they save the girl with 3 letters, KAT. not that she isn't great, but shit. the show is basically between Josh and Christina and her millions of YouTube fans. i'm secretly hoping Jake wins and all these fucking hipsters that don't know shit about music get so fucking outraged that they boycott the show. and then maybe some "real" singers get a chance. good thing i'm smart enough to know that will never happen.

i did enjoy Deadliest Catch last night, and i really enjoyed Wild Bill saying the word motherfucker. that made me laugh out loud. hopefully someone uses that in a rap somewhere, it was fucking hilarious.

none of the playoff games really surprised me last night. Minnesota beating Chicago by 4 goals was a little surprising, but that is a tough building to play in.

i'm really hoping the Rangers get their shit together tonight and even the series. this falls into a MUST win game tonight. i have avoided mowing the grass on days they play. seeing they have lost 2 in a row, i'm changing that up today. i suppose you could say i'm a little fucking superstitious.

and i will be falling asleep during the Yankees game again, just in case that helps them to get a win and win the series. once again, i'm crazy.

and somehow i'll try to squeeze in Legit and Ali G. tonight as well.

if you need a good cry or need to understand why i'm a pro wrestling fan, please check this out:
and if you watched that and didn't cry, either kill yourself or find your true profession and go into politics.

i'm not looking forward to mowing the grass today, though just by looking at it i know it really, REALLY needs to get cut. and given my shitty skin, i have to wear long sleeves and pants and SPF somewhere around 100 or so. and chances are, i'll still have a sunburn. good times.

hope this finds everyone well. hope you have or had a great day. if you read of some fat fuck dying on a riding lawnmower, chances are...

peace...

music:

The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight
Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy
Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers

"Ignorance is not innocent but sin." - Robert Browning

please watch this and share it. each view raises money for the March of Dimes:

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

a slight glimpse of hope

last night was another of those sports nights that i wish i would have been a comic book fan and never liked sports at all. but, thankfully, this afternoon has offered a glimpse of hope.

Manchester United won 3-1 over Hull City with James Wilson getting the first 2 goals on his debut with the senior team. not bad for 18 years old. RVP got the other goal on an assist from Ryan Giggs, who played the last 20 minutes of the game. he nearly scored but the goalie made a great save. i did laugh when the announcers said that the goalie must not have read the script since this was likely Giggs' last game at Old Trafford as a player. first season out of the 23 that he didn't score. unless of course he plays on Sunday. that will mark the end of this horrific season and the start to the summer of who knows what the fuck is going to happen next. thankfully, i'll have the World Cup to keep my mind from constantly thinking about it.

as for last night, the New York Rangers lost 2-0 in game 3. that's 2 straight games that they haven't scored. the power play showed signs of life last night but couldn't score, which is beyond frustrating by now. they better tie this series up in game 4 or it is going to be over soon.

the Yankees invented another way to lose last night. top of the 8th, bases loaded and no outs and they can't get anyone in. of course, a bad call from the umpire is the excuse these assholes will use. and then in the bottom of the 8th they walk FIVE straight batters to give the Angels the game, 4-1. that drove my frustration to the point that i was up until 4 in the morning.

Louie was excellent last night. both episodes made me laugh. the poker table scene was the best tv i have seen in 2014. helps when some of my favorite comics are involved.

Monday Night Raw was pretty good as well. i thought the show kept a decent pace for most of the evening even though the crowd was absolutely dead at times.

The Voice last night was really, really good. i have no clue who is going home tonight. i believe they cut it from 8 to 5 this evening. chances are there will be 3 people that could have won the whole thing going home tonight. i really think the talent this season is strong.

as for tonight, after The Voice will be Deadliest Catch. after that will be my torture of watching the Yankees. i imagine i will be watching some playoff hockey and basketball as well this evening. and hopefully i will be getting to sleep much earlier than last night.

i am planning on mowing the grass tomorrow. both of my legs feel much better and the weather looks like it is going to be great. i want to start sometime in the late morning so i can be done in time to get a shower in before the New York Rangers play again.

chances are i will write my next blog in the morning. i doubt i will be interested in writing after hours in the sun. i doubt i will be interested in doing anything.

hope this finds everyone well. hopefully your teams are doing better than mine. these are the days i wish i had a woman that could take my mind off of things. my hands are developing carpal tunnel i believe. enjoy that visual.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Anthrax - Antisocial
Rancid - Ruby Soho
The Horrors - Still Life
Thieves Like Us - Drugs In My Body

"Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock." - Sigmund Freud

Monday, May 5, 2014

revenge of the dead moles

the past 30 hours or so have been miserable. strap in kids, as i'm going to take you on a little ride.

so, yesterday i was out feeding the birds when i came across a dead mole. that was obviously the work of Kit Kat as she is the only cat we have that doesn't eat what she kills. within two minutes, i roll my fucking ankle on some earth that the fucking moles were digging in. and i rolled it enough that i needed ice and could barely walk the rest of the day. so, that basically ended any hopes i had to mow as i could barely hit the gas pedal when i took down the trash. and today i busted open my left leg while in the hog barn looking for the kittens that Whitey just had. i believe she had 3. made sure i cleaned the cut and got some Neosporin on it as god knows what kind of 100 years old shit was on what i hit. good times.

so i had the misfortune of watching the Yankees yesterday. a 5-1 loss that CC couldn't get out of the 4th inning. holy shit. thank god Aceves was able to eat up the rest of the innings. they play tonight out in California. they hardly ever play well at the Angels, so i'll avoid the game for as long as possible.

the New York Rangers lost 3-0 last night. if The King wouldn't have been on, it would have been something around 7-0. they play game 3 tonight, which i believe is like the Rangers 5th game in 7 days. i'd like to think they will win tonight, but they looked tired as fuck last night. i just hope they get off to a good start and the crowd can pump some energy into the team.

given my anger i had last night, i was able to make it through all the shows. Nurse Jackie had a good ending that will set up next week perfectly. Californication was brilliant as always. Silicon Valley made me laugh. plus, i love graffiti art. Veep was really fucking funny, especially the bar scene. Last Week Tonight was great. and i loved the piece on the death penalty. Years of Living Dangerously was perfect last night. i'm constantly amazed by these fuckers on the right who don't believe in science but will willfully put their faith in god, just because. once again, i understand why so many of my friends are atheists. Total Divas was pretty funny, but more in the i've been a pro wrestling fan for 35 years and that's the only reason i'm watching this kind of way.

as for tonight, i will somehow try to fit in The Voice, Monday Night Raw, and a new season of Louie around the Rangers playoff game and the Yankees on the west coast. another late night and another night on YouTube i imagine.

speaking of YouTube, i believe i have my next video planned out. now, it's just getting off my lazy ass and shooting it.

probably the only thing that has brought me joy in the last 2 days was watching Liverpool blow a 3 goal lead to Crystal Palace. watching those assholes cry on the pitch made me cackle with joy. of course, that means Manchester City is most likely going to win the Premier League this year. but, as a Manchester United supporter, i look at it like this. the last time Shitty won the title, United won it the next year with ease. so, hopefully history shall repeat itself.

i woke up in a bit of a mood this morning. my music selections today at iTunes make no sense to anyone other than me. you'll see those below.

i'll be on here tomorrow sometime after the Manchester United game. hope this finds everyone well.

peace and chicken grease my enemies...

music:

Gov't Mule - Soulshine
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Lamb of God - Redneck
Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
Seether - Careless Whisper
Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing
Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way

"What is a poet? An unhappy person who conceals profound anguish in his heart but whose lips are so formed that as sighs and cries pass over them they sound like beautiful music." - Soren Kierkegaard

and for my little nod to Cinco de Mayo

Sunday, May 4, 2014

can a bitch get a beef bowl

when i heard that line last night on Saturday Night Live, can a bitch get a beef bowl, i nearly cried with laughter because that pretty much summed up my 4 years in high school. it's coming up on 20 years since graduation. i have no clue if the class is planning on doing anything or not. the beauty of being a loner is i tend to be forgotten when the inviting to this shit goes on. i remember i got sent the info to our 10th reunion the day of. i kind of prefer it this way. they obviously would be shocked at all they have missed. or, much like high school, not really care.

i had 2 of the top 3 horses yesterday in the Kentucky Derby. if i would have had some money down on it i would have been pissed beyond belief, as i missed the 3rd horse by one number. i suppose i'm poor to protect myself at times.

today is going to be an incredibly busy day. when i take the trash down the lane, after feeding the animals, i have to go get some gas. and then if the weather is still good, i'm going to get started on mowing the grass. that means i will miss most of the Yankees game today. but, i can't stand to watch CC pitch anymore as he is going through the process of losing his arm and having to learn how to pitch. good times.

now, if the weather or my bad back doesn't cooperate, i'll be watching the Yankees but probably napping a good bit. i need to be able to stay up late tonight and i really don't like using caffeine to do so.

tonight, the New York Rangers play Game 2 of their second round series against the Penguins. sadly, this will run right into my Sunday night tv viewing. so, i'm going to somehow figure out when to watch the other shows after the hockey game ends. this will most likely make me use the west coast feeds to HBO and Showtime and will have me up to 3 in the morning. if i happen to mow the grass, there is literally no chance i'll make it up that late.

this growing old shit sucks.

for a little different twist, check this out:

i really have no clue when i'll be on here tomorrow. i'd like to get some writing done. and i get the sense that i might be catching up on some shows as well. probably via my shitty joke of a high speed internet connection. until then my friends and enemies. i've got a forest to go mow down.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

The Band of Heathens - Hurricane
Muddy Waters - Champagne & Reefer (Live)
Swedish House Mafia - Save the World (Knife Party Remix)
The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight
Portugal. The Man - Purple, Yellow, Red and Blue
Chet Faker - Talk Is Cheap
Angel Haze & Sia - Battle Cry

"I have been enlightened. I have fallen into poetry and it has swallowed me up." - Keith Haring

Saturday, May 3, 2014

the run for the roses

i absolutely love this time of year. hockey and basketball playoffs, baseball, horse racing, just about every sport i love other than the big 2 college sports are going full stream. lovely. but, with that comes the highs and lows that any fanatic goes through.

last night, the New York Rangers won 3-2 in OT to defeat the Penguins for the first time EVER in a game 1 of a playoff series. since the boys have lost the previous 4 against them, i'm hoping this is a good sign. now, i could live without blowing a 2 goal lead again, or having to watch a game where one ref only has one good eye (which says something about how shitty the officiating truly has been in the playoffs this year when a ref with one good eye is better than someone with 2), but i am thrilled with that win. that game got over in time for me to turn over to the Yankees game.

the Yankees last night were trailing and then managed to tie the game twice late. so, by that time, i'm now invested in the game. but, after leaving a small army on base in extra innings, they lost 10-5 in 14 innings. that's usually how the baseball gods work. Tanaka was on the mound today, but he was not sharp to begin the game. but, the Yankees rallied once again, from down 3-0 to a 9-3 win. the offense finally scored the runs they didn't last night and the pitching was good enough, especially after they got the lead. CC goes tomorrow for the series win.

i was interested to see how Manchester United would play this morning against a Sunderland team that is fighting for their life in the league. sadly, the United players weren't as interested as i was. a 1-0 defeat to a team that hasn't won at Old Trafford in the league since i believe 1968. that should pretty much quiet the call for Giggs to be the full time manager. i really just want to get this damn season over with and forgotten as soon as possible.

i did catch ROH at noon today. that allowed me to take out some of my United anger there. another really good episode.

the rest of my day will be The Kentucky Derby and some playoff basketball. three game 7's should be fun to watch. plus, i do believe that playoff series between the Ducks and Kings gets started tonight.  and lastly, Saturday Night Live is new tonight. hopefully i will be able to stay awake for that.

the Rangers game tomorrow is at night, so my tv viewing on Sunday night is going to be pure fucking chaos. i will most likely do my blog tomorrow in the morning, probably before i get the trash out. and if mother nature complies tomorrow, i might actually attempt to get the grass mowed. it's been super fucking windy today, so it has really dried things out. now, if we can simply avoid the rain that is supposed to come overnight, i'll be a happy boy. if not, looks like the grass won't get mowed until Tuesday. and by then, parts of it will be about a foot high. good times.

that's all for me today kids. enjoy some hockey highlights and i will see you tomorrow. be well and be willing to tell a friend that they should buy my book. :)


music:

The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.
The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
Disturbed - The Lost Children

"I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it." - Niccolo Machiavelli

Friday, May 2, 2014

learning how to deal with pain

i woke up this morning feeling like shit. not sick, but full of pain. and not the kind of pain that means a rush to the hospital. more like the kind of pain that goes with oncoming cold fronts and my arthritis probably getting worse. good times. so, i knew pretty damn early i wasn't going to be mowing the grass feeling like that. but, i'm 2 weeks behind on my laundry and the toilets need cleaned. so you can imagine what my afternoon has been.

my last load of laundry is in the dryer and as soon as i get this blog done i get to do some dishes. i figure what i'm really doing is keeping my mind off of the Rangers second round playoff game tonight against the Penguins. not sure if my back appreciates my brain seeking a little vacation.

the New York Yankees lost last night 4-2. the pitching, other than Tanaka, has been spotty to say the least and the offense has gone cold for the last few games. they play against Tampa tonight. i doubt i watch much of it given the Rangers game. maybe during intermissions.

i did enjoy the Star Wars episode of The Big Bang Theory last night. that did make me laugh pretty good. most of the rest of the night was spent watching hockey and basketball. that's probably what tonight will be as well.

mom went back to work today. not sure how she's doing as she hasn't called. i figure most of the day was spent showing people the scar. i'm hoping she has had a pretty good day. i figure if i can get the dishes done before she gets home, i will have at least done my part.

with that being said, that's all for me today folks. hope everyone has a great weekend in store. mine will be filled with some sports and not much sleep. i'm hoping to have a writing session at some point this weekend, maybe get a few good poems out of it.

be well. be creative. be sure to treat your inner geek on May 4th. and then be sure to treat that geek to some pussy afterwards. or dick, i know there are some women and gay men that enjoy Star Wars as well.

i'll be on here tomorrow sometime in the late afternoon. hopefully after a few victory beers.

peace and chicken grease.

music:

In This Moment - Whore
The Band of Heathens - Hurricane
Chet Faker - Talk Is Cheap
Trixie Whitley - Breathe You In My Dreams (Live)
Butthole Surfers - Pepper
The Devil Makes Three - Old Number Seven
Kiss - War Machine

"Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason." - Novalis