a productive tuesday

enjoyed watching men's volleyball and women's soccer early this afternoon. so jealous of the USA women to be playing at Old Trafford. one of those places i want to get to before i die. and looks like from the events some will watch on tape delay tonight, they will be happy. thanks to twitter, i'll be watching the Yankees and Deadliest Catch.

speaking of the Yankees, after another one run loss last night, the frustrated fan in me wanted a huge trade today. thankfully Cashman didn't do that. getting a nice role player from the Pirates for a guy who was going to be let go when Joba comes back (which may be tonight) is a nice stroke of genius. with A-Rod injured and now Tex injured, Casey McGehee can fill in at both spots and provide some right handed power. hopefully that works. a warm body that can drive in runs. please.

actually wrote and typed up (a rarity for me in the same day) 2 poems. not sure if they will go in the august submission pile or the later in the fall pile. time shall tell.

hopefully the USA men's basketball is boring enough (as in they are up by 50 20 minutes into the game) that i might get a nap in before some baseball tonight.

music today:

The Killers - Hot Fuss
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Everclear - Sparkle and Fade
Double Trouble - Been a Long Time
The Full Monty Soundtrack
Muddy Waters - Blues Legend

"Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience." - Paulo Coelho

blue monday

done my best today to avoid most sports (other than the Dan Patrick Show this morning), which means my day has mostly been filled with music, porn and playing chess on the computer. and here they told me when i was younger that being a loner was going to be boring. fucking liars.

got some mail today from Australia. thanks go out to Ben John Smith for the broadsides he sent. if you haven't read any of the work of one of the best writers i've stumbled upon in the last ten years, check out his work on the internet or his great, mind blowing blog http://horrorsleazetrash.blogspot.com/.

if any of you would like to send me things, feel free. i do write back, no matter where you live in the world. so be warned.

i'm so dearly hoping CM Punk drops another pipe bomb tonight on Monday Night Raw. i got a feeling i'll be watching that much more than the Yankee game tonight.

music today:

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Buddy Guy - Sweet Tea
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Morphine - Like Swimming
The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - Trouble Is...

"A friend is nothing but a known enemy." - Kurt Cobain

what could have been

so for the second straight fucking game, the Yankees get behind, come back, and lose late. i'm a little fearful that they have taken the foot off the gas way too soon. if they fuck around for the rest of this home stand, my suspicions will be confirmed.  happy happy joy joy.

sunday dreaming

watched team USA (basketball) sleep through a first quarter where they couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. and, as always with basketball, play better defense and offense becomes easy. sure enough. a nice wake up call and then a blowout of France.

as that was going on i was watching Neymar  put on a show at the Theater of Dreams. while watching that, it was hard not to think of him one day wearing a Manchester United kit on that field. and with the back heel for the third goal, i really hope those dreams come true one day.

speaking of Man U, Giggs and Cleverley look to be in pretty good shape. nice win for GB.

a night of schizophrenic television awaits for me. Red Sox vs. Yankees, Big Brother, The Newsroom, Weeds, Episodes, Big Brother After Dark. thankfully i already know the results of the events (swimming, gymnastics, etc.) going to be shown this evening. i don't care for tape delay in a world where i can find out what happened in seconds.

speaking of Big Brother last night, finally an episode on Showtime where i could laugh my ass off. PLEASE, keep giving them tons of alcohol.

music today:

Melissa Etheridge - Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled
Florence & the Machine - Lungs

"Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names." - John F. Kennedy

a saturday without humidity

so, due to MLB's stupid blackout rules, i wasn't able to watch the Yankees game today/tonight (thanks rain delay). and after seeing them fall behind 6-1, come all the way back and then lose 8-6, i was pretty sure i didn't want to see the highlights. and after seeing the highlights, i was right. hate losing to that team especially on fluke plays and after a great (i guess) comeback. fuck. (thank you to crawls on the bottom of MLB Network and ESPN2)

so after that i, for some reason, flipped to PBS and watched the rest of The Hustler. made me think of my early 20's drinking for free in local pool halls. the more drunk i got the better i played. made the drives home interesting.

absolutely loved the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. i thought Danny Boyle put on a great show. i've watched bits and pieces of the events off and on today. when the basketball starts i'll really start giving a shit.

always fun to watch Chelsea lose. this time to AC Milan. good times.

music today:

Korn - Issues

"Hatred is a very underestimated emotion." - Jim Morrison

here comes the weekend

yesterday was my father's 66th birthday. i haven't seen my father since Jan. 23, 1995. by choice, mostly his. that was the day he showed up two days after my 19th birthday and handed me $50 and said sorry i forgot your birthday. i took the money and closed the door in his face. needless to say, July 26 and i aren't good together.

a busy sports weekend awaits. Red Sox vs. Yankees. the start of the Olympics, (if you don't count that Olympic soccer has already been going on for 2 days), the Brickyard 400 and i'm sure i'll try to squeeze in an international friendly or two as well.

in other words, my ass will be glued to the television for the majority of the weekend, let alone the next 3 weeks. i will hopefully only post some positive shit and not as much bitching and moaning as the past 2 weeks.

i'm not really sure why the illusion of America voting is going to somehow stop the coaches from getting in the Big Brother game. no matter what the vote, the coaches are coming in. and once they do, then it should get really interesting.

laughed my ass off last night at Wilfred and Louie. maybe the best hour of comedy on tv. at least FX is one network that knows what it's doing.

music today:

AC/DC - Back in Black
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head

"Housework can't kill you, but why take the chance?" - Phyllis Diller

response from Zygote in My Coffee

i heard back from Brian on my recent submission to Zygote in My Coffee. my poems "pride gets in the way", "a good lesson to learn" and "different does not equal evil" have been accepted for publication. those poems will appear in issue #139. they should appear online around 8/31/12.

amid oncoming storms

you know, it never fails. whenever i want something to happen, all i need to do is start doing something else and then... case in point. back oh so many years ago, when i had a girlfriend, if i wanted her to call all i had to do was go take a shit or a shower and sure enough the phone would ring. back to today.

i was watching Manchester United this morning and the game was boring as hell. so, i decided to go into to town before it got really hot, get the mail, maybe a little breakfast and come back. as i was driving down my bumpy ass lane to the road, i laughed and said to myself, you know when you get home Man U will be winning 1-0. and sure enough, i get back and they are up 1-0, 5 minutes left in the match. nice goal from Kagawa by the way. i'm reserving judgement on the team until i see all the pieces in place.

a big fucking thank you to Jayson Nix for his bases loaded double to help the Yankees pull out a win in Seattle, 5-2. my constant bitching and moaning but the inability to do the small, fundamental shit was answered by that double in the gap. win the series and come back home to face the Red Sox. hopefully whipping their asses will get the stench of a horrible road trip out of sight for a while.

had my first taste of the Cherry Wheat beer from Sam Adams this evening. Holy Shit that was good.

had a good laugh watching Chelsea lose to the MLS All-Stars 3-2. i believe the last 2 times Manchester United played in that game Man U won by a combined 10-0. i will sleep with a smile on my face this evening.

music today:

Metallica - Kill 'Em All

"I can resist everything except temptation." - Oscar Wilde

if you don't see a post from me tomorrow, chances are the storms they say are coming has knocked out the power. or, i'm too busy masturbating. or writing, whatever you choose to call what i do.

same shit, different game

this season is driving me fucking nuts. same old bullshit, can't take advantage of chances, can't get runners over and can't get timely hits. best of all, you get a great pitched game from Garcia and take him out with one out in the 8th before he gets to 90 fucking pitches. then it takes 4 fucking pitchers to get the next 2 outs, but not before walking three and giving up a run on an infield single. what a fucking waste. lose 4-2. to top off this horseshit evening, Jeter, Ichiro and A-Rod all got hit by pitches. A-Rod has a non-displaced fracture on his left hand, so off to the disabled list. what was the Yankee response. nothing, as usual. can't wait for Joba to return and buzz a fucking tower or two. contemplating not watching the day game later on today just to give my stress level a chance to decrease. i know that probably won't happen, but it's a nice thought.

leftovers

just a couple of nuggets that i didn't write about last night as i was busy falling asleep.

i totally enjoyed the 1000th episode of Monday Night Raw. i'm always up for a bit of nostalgia in something that i've watched for 35 of the 36 years i've been on this planet. what i liked the most was the return of the evil CM Punk. seeing him stand over The Rock and John Cena near the end of the episode made me very happy. as i said aloud to no one as i was watching, that's what you call passing the torch. i'm hoping the writers see it the way i do.

if anyone is interested to some links to my poetry that maybe aren't on this blog, please check out http://sites.google.com/site/losersincsite/.

got some decent rain this morning. wasn't so hard that it beat up what's left of the crops but was hard enough to hopefully penetrate the ground. at least that's what i'm hoping.

a hello to my friend in California. i hope you are doing well.

really looking forward to the season finale of Deadliest Catch tonight. one of my favorite shows of all time.

and after that is over, here's hoping the Yankees can make it two in a row. Sweaty Freddy against King Felix, so i'm not counting on much. maybe Ichiro knows some secrets. hopefully.

music today:

Grouplove - Never Trust a Happy Song
Fun. - Some Nights
TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
Ben Harper - The Will to Live

"It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book." - Friedrich Nietzsche

i was destined for it

my poem "i was destined for it" was published this morning at The Camel Saloon. you can find the poem by going here http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2012/07/i-was-destined-for-it.html.

hope you enjoy.

a totally bizarre day

let me start this out by saying hello to anyone who happens to stumble upon this blog. if you like what you see, please subscribe to the blog and tell a friend.

also, i still have broadsides for sale. if anyone is interested please contact me. if i have any left i'm thinking of possibly sending those copies to anyone who purchases my upcoming book, Sofisticated White Trash.

what a bizarre day today. or yesterday as i write this early tuesday morning. was probably listening to my 4th or 5th cd for the day, got done with watching porn and decided for shits and giggles to check out some sports sites. and holy shit. the New York Rangers finally got their man. Rick Nash. and they didn't have to give up any of the kids i was fearing they would lose in the deal. i'd like to thank the dumb asses that run the Blue Jackets for allowing us to steal your best player. if this finally brings the happiness i haven't had since 94 with that team, all the bullshit and waiting would be totally worth it. congrats to Slats for highway robbery.

and then the stunner.

basking in the glow of the Nash trade, i happen to see a little blurb that Ichiro was traded to the Yankees. a nice holy fucking shit moment as this came out of nowhere. would have been great if it happened a decade ago, but i think he still has a little gas left in the tank. the Yanks gave up 2 arms that were never going to help us now or down the line, so it's not much of a risk.

and the best thing of all

the fucking Yankees finally won. 4-1. great pitched game from Kuroda. Ichiro had a hit and stolen base. A-Rod hit a home run about a mile and the bullpen did their job finally. totally insane seeing Ichiro in that uniform after all these years. but if he helps them win another championship, i'll gladly enjoy welcoming another mercenary into the family. almost reminds me of 96 when Cecil Fielder went to the Yankees. good times.

so happy to see the NCAA grow a set of nuts and give Penn St. what they deserved. hopefully the punishment is the gift that keeps on giving. as a victim of child sexual abuse, all of them that covered for that fucking monster can all rot in hell for what i care.

saw that asshole who shot up the theater in Colorado in court today. guess i know what color i won't be using for my hair anytime soon.

music for today:

The Band - The Last Waltz (Box Set)
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Don't Explain
Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting
Beastie Boys - The In Sound From Way Out!
Eminem - Recovery
AC/DC - High Voltage

"I was the kid next door's imaginary friend." - Emo Philips

Beethoven used to mean better things

i go to sleep every night with the radio on. what i listen to depends on whether the teams i follow are winning or not. if they aren't, the music changes until they are. yes, i'm a little fucking weird. but when i woke up to Beethoven this morning, i figured i was in store for a good day. fucking figures i was wrong.

i'll get to the Yankees in a bit...

what a choke job by Adam Scott. bogey the final four holes and lose by one stroke. with Tiger's old caddie. enjoy those nightmares.

the Yankees were in line to finally win a game on this road trip and then Rafael Soriano decided to throw nothing but sliders until he gave up the game tying home run. so, of course they lost in extra innings, the fourth fucking one run loss in a row. back to the old shit of not getting runners over, not getting timely hits, overusing pitchers and putting guys in spots where they can't succeed. what a fucking waste. off to Seattle and hopefully a fucking win.

some creative editing by CBS on Big Brother tonight. i always laugh when they take stuff that happened a week before and try to make people think it all happened in sequence. by the rate this cast is dropping out, the show will be over in mid august.

i'm really enjoying my Sunday night routine of The Newsroom, Weeds and Episodes. hopefully the shows continue to get better as the season goes on. The Newsroom might be one of the better shows i've seen in a long time.

music today:

John Mayer - Born and Raised

"All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

i should have gone to the movies

Oakland 2 Yankees 1, i haven't seen the bats neutered like this in a long fucking time. CC goes tomorrow. i think i may either shave my head or break out the voodoo dolls. i'll have a hard time believing this team is capable of losing to a glorified AAA team four games in a row. of course, it's baseball. stranger things have happened.

my saturday so far

woke up early this morning to watch Manchester United play. i could have just stayed in bed actually. same shit from last season. piss poor defending on set plays that lead to countless goals last year seems to still be around for the start of this year. fucking frustrating. but the joy of being a fan, no matter the name on the back of that jersey, the belief stays the same. a goal always comes late, no matter what. and sure enough, in the 92nd minute, Bebe scores. never gets old if you ask me. really enjoyed watching Kagawa and Powell play. they should be welcome additions to the squad.

made a trip east to Half Price Books to sell off some books from my mother's other house. made a little scratch. and then, with the help of my fantasy football knowledge, finally cashed in a free large pizza for lunch out there. first time i had been to Milano's in years. very good.

i'm tempted to skip watching the Yankees play tonight and go see The Dark Knight Rises and Ted at the drive-in in town. not sure if i will or not. going to a theater by yourself is one thing, a drive-in is another. plus, i really have no clue if my truck is up for that or not.

so yeah, here's hoping the Yankees stop the losing streak tonight.

some great drama on Big Brother yesterday. i'm really hoping they show Willie going ape-shit on the house on this sunday's episode. good fun.

music today:

Paul Thorn - What the Hell is Goin on?
Zac Brown Band - Uncaged

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." - Ernest Hemingway

and there goes the streak

the Yankees just lost in a brutal walk off to not only lose the game 3-2, but also end their run scoring streak of having 3 or more runs in the game in a row. i think it was at 42 straight games. this road trip has started off as the trip from hell. Oakland's pitchers have suddenly grown up and the Yankee bats have been left silent for the most part. might be time for a trade to happen. nothing drastic, just a younger outfielder so i don't have to see one of the geriatrics break a hip trying to get to a ball in the gap. there must be someone in the minors at least under the age of 35. i'm just sayin'...

gloomy

at least i didn't wake up at 5 a.m. like yesterday. we've had some real rain for a change around here, even a little fog. as much as we need it, it is a nightmare for my bad back. but i'll accept discomfort if the corn can hang on and produce something this year.

tried watching the Yankee game last night but it was like one big blah. Sweaty Freddy dug a hole and the bats were left on the plane. at least Swisher hit a home run in the 9th to keep the run scoring streak going. it was the first loss in Oakland since 2010. win the next 3 and no one will give a shit about one loss.

after giving it a good week, i'm all in on Big Brother. a damn guilty pleasure i can't escape. fuckers.

no real plans for the weekend. the humidity is actually supposed to break and it's going to be nice. at least on paper. some outside yard work might be in order if paper becomes reality. other than that, sports (Yankees, Manchester United) and some poetry are in order.

go to www.notsam.com if you'd like to laugh your ass off. Primetime Sam Roberts has posted episode #22 of The Sam Roberts Show Online. highly recommended.

not really sure what i want to say about the Batman shooting. but i think i know what i'll be writing about this weekend...

music this morning:

Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile

"Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom." - Francis Bacon

response from Underground Voices

My poems "borrowed time" and "great expectations" have been accepted for publication at Underground Voices. They will appear in the September issue.

and then it rained...

Had a nice storm roll through this afternoon. It actually might have rained for about 20 minutes or so. Only a minor leak in the kitchen this time. Cooled the temperature down to the 70's as well. Hopefully there will be more to come.

The Yankees had a nice rain shortened win over the Blue Jays 6-0. A good way to end a very nice home stand. Good pitching, timely hitting and let mother nature take care of the rest. This team is starting to make me think of the glory days. Can't wait until they actually get healthy. Last west coast swing of the season is up next. More late nights for me.

Happy to see Manchester United get their tour off to a good start. Still waiting to see if Sir Alex has any more tricks up his sleeve regarding transfers. I'm hoping he does. The back line still needs a little help.

Typed up 3 poems today. The last one is probably the best of the bunch. Might be found next to my body in case suicide ever becomes the only option left for me. It's that good.

In other bizarre news, a first for me. Had a friend actually hang up on me (not that rare) and then call back 3 minutes later to apologize. I don't believe that has ever happened to me before. What an odd life.

music for today:

Father John Misty - Fear Fun (might actually be the best CD I've purchased this century)
The Jesus And Mary Chain - 21 Singles 1984-1998

"Death is not the worst that can happen to men." - Plato

Life

CC came back tonight and was strong. When Deadliest Catch came on the Yankees were up 3-0. I flip back and they are up 6-1, top of the 9th, bases loaded. I'm not thrilled that Soriano had to pitch yet again but he got a double play in 5 pitches. Very good. Let the train keep on rolling.

I may have lost my longest friendship I have earlier this evening. Apparently telling someone to believe in themselves and don't quit are means to blow up the last decade or so. And to top that off, my mother will probably need a hip replacement sooner rather than later. Funny how sometimes life can really fuck everything up. Needless to say, any excitement I may have had from my first full length book coming out soon is now completely gone.

Fuck me runnin'

"Call no man happy till he is dead." - Aeschylus

a Tuesday in the blistering sun

Another day in the 90's. Heat index is supposed to hit at least 100 today. There's a rumor that it might rain on Wednesday. I'm not going to believe it until I actually see it.

I'm pretty proud of Phil Hughes. It really looks like he has turned the corner. Only 2 real mistakes last night, only one of them a home run. He's really cut down on his walks this year as well. It always helps when Raul "I may be 40 but i can still hit a 3-1 fastball a country mile" Ibanez hits a grand slam in the bottom of the 8th. Nice 6-3 win last night. Sucks for the Blue Jays that Joey Bats injured his wrist last night. Hopefully it means he'll miss the next 2 games but be back in time to crush the rest of the AL East.

Side note, the Yankees have scored more than 3 runs in 40 straight games. A team record for a single season. That kind of shocked me considering all the great teams in the past. Of course, according to my superstitious ass the streak will end now that I've talked about. CC comes back tonight, so hopefully they won't need a ton of runs in case it does.

My cat Rita Dove made a rare appearance this morning. I haven't seen it in over a week or so. Not sure what it was eating because it looks really good.

Chuckled as I watched Monday Night Raw last night. I'm really hoping the writers are smart enough to make John Cena the first guy to cash in the Money In The Bank contract and lose. As a fan of CM Punk for years now, I'd love this title run to continue for over a year. The 1000th episode is next week, I'm hoping for 3 hours of good memories and some great wrestling. I fear a lack of both as age takes a toll as the last month of stars coming back has shown.

Not exactly sold yet on this Big Brother cast but I'm slowly getting there. Just enough drama and stupidity that I can laugh myself to sleep each night. Now, if there was only a little slutty activity...

music for today:

Of Monsters And Men - My Head Is An Animal
Walk The Moon - Walk The Moon
John Mayer - Born and Raised

"Genius does what it must, and talent does what it can." - Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

another fucking heatwave

It's 96 degrees outside. maybe it will rain again before I turn 37. maybe not.

I've got dishes to do but I've decided to wait until the sun goes down. probably right around the 3rd or 4th home run Phil Hughes gives up tonight.

other than the heat and people dying in car accidents, not much going on around here.

thankfully, my shipment from Amazon.com came in a day early.

music:

Howlin' Wolf - The Definitive Collection
Paul Thorn - What the Hell is Goin' On?
Father John Misty - Fear Fun
Zac Brown Band - Uncaged
Grouplove - Never Trust a Happy Song

"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of." - Jane Austen

Sunday frustration and a little bit of good news

when you have two good/sometimes great pitchers facing each other, a novice would expect a well pitched game. I've been watching baseball for nearly all of my 36 years on this planet, and things in that sport rarely if ever go according to plan. Angels win the beer league softball game 10-8. I'm happy the Yankees gave themselves a chance in the bottom of the 9th, more on that in a bit. what pissed me off was the absolutely horrific base running, Russell Martin bunting twice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for no fucking reason, once into a fucking double play. bad, bad relief pitching which lead to tack on runs, or the difference in the game. enter the bottom of the 9th down by 5 and score 3, have the bases loaded and have the guy who is tied for the most grand slams in history at the plate. great drama and all i can expect as an unreasonable fan is the team to give themselves a chance to win. and what does A-Rod do? of course, pop up to first base. i have never seen a great player get so fucking scared of being great in moments that actually matter. it's unreal. at least the bats are going good seeing that 3 days of home run derby against the Blue Jays start tomorrow.

in other news...

we got almost 5 good minutes of a steady rain this afternoon. not nearly enough considering we're probably 10 inches below where we should be for the year, but i have no choice but to take it. took a Sunday drive earlier and most of the crops in the area look like ours. not making me feel any better, but at least we're all fucked.

sold off a few cd's today. made a little money. will mostly go to covering postage i believe.

my book, Sofisticated White Trash, is really in the final stages now. it has a registered ISBN and a tentative release date of August. let the fun begin.

music:

Lucero - 1372 Overton Park
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life." - Charles Darwin

the sun shines on a dog's ass every now and then

the Yankees got 5 innings from Sweaty Freddy and the bullpen was pretty much spotless for the next 4. go against their usual trend and get some hits with runners in scoring position (and of course 2 of those hits were home runs) and you get a tidy 5-3 win. very good to win the first 2 games of this series as Weaver pitches tomorrow for the Angels. get the sweep and that truly is icing on the fucking cake.

on a side note

got nearly 20 minutes of drizzle this morning that was almost hard enough to get the sidewalks wet. thank god the crop insurance is paid because this year has fucked in the ass written all over it. the soybeans actually look pretty good all things considered but the corn is somewhere right above shit. not good.

rarely do i give 2 quotes in a day, but i'm in a decent mood

"Those who know how to win are much more numerous than those who know how to make proper use of their victories." - Polybius

wouldn't you know it

so i was writing this blog post in my head last night as i was watching the Yankees fail for something like the millionth time this season with a runner in scoring position. then a double, a walk and a hanging curve and i could simply imagine John Sterling going ape shit on the radio when Tex hit the 3 run homer to tie the game. then, someone commandeered Russell Martin's uniform and got what turned out to be the winning hit and threw out a runner in the top of the 9th with a perfect throw to second base for the final out. how i hope that's the Russell Martin that plays for the entire second half.

i have no clue how much longer the smoke and mirrors approach can last but i will enjoy it for the time being. of course, i kind of want them to hit home runs like this in the playoffs just so i can watch all these baseball "experts" bitch and moan endlessly that that's not how the game was meant to be played.

sweaty Freddy Garcia goes today. fingers are crossed.

in other news

stumbled upon a band yesterday that i really, really like. Delta Rae.

trying to figure out how i can keep this hot streak going with my writing. this is starting to remind me of my mid 20's again. oh, the glorious past. whiskey, strange women, the city of Chicago and wasted potential. guess we'll see if i have learned anything in this life.

enter your cliche about time here

music this morning:

Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth
Delta Rae - Live at Lincoln Theater

"Admiration for a quality or an art can be so strong that it deters us from striving to possess it." - Friedrich Nietzsche

useless old romantic

my poem "useless old romantic" was published today at The Camel Saloon. you can find the poem by going here http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2012/07/useless-old-romantic.html

my 3 poems at Carcinogenic Poetry

my poems "i may not be perfect", "the proper motivation" and "reflecting on failure" were published to day at Carcinogenic Poetry. you can find the poems by going to http://www.carcinogenicpoetry.com/2012/07/jj-campbell-three-poems.html

would love to know what you think of them if you get a chance to read them. thanks. hope everyone has a good weekend.

Friday the 13th, who gives a shit

i always laugh at people who think of some crazy shit just because it's Friday the 13th. do yourself and the world a favor and think of crazy shit all the time.

i will admit though, today is pretty fucking weird. only because i find myself totally agreeing with something Dane Cook said. hell might have just froze over. it was in regards to the whole Daniel Tosh bullshit (rape jokes) going on, the world's most over-hyped comic ever tweeted out that anyone who is easily offended should kill themselves. i raise a glass and say bravo. now, if he would only put himself at the beginning of the line.

thin the herd.

getting the itch to check out some music festivals this summer. only time will tell if that itch is greeted with a credit card or not.

baseball gets back in the swing of things tonight. hopefully the Yankees can start off the second half on fire and put this damn division to bed early. the 6 game home stand to start off won't be easy. playing the Angels and Blue Jays in that bandbox has home run derby written all over it. or better, beer league softball. as long as they win, i couldn't give 2 shits how.

shout out to Ben on the kind words regarding my writing. totally appreciate it. maybe one day the rest of the world will understand.

went a little heavy on the music this morning

Anthrax - Sound of White Noise
Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power
Tool - Undertow
Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss

"He who angers you conquers you." - Elizabeth Kenny

response from The Camel Saloon

my poems "useless old romantic" and "i was destined for it" have been accepted for publication at The Camel Saloon. i will post some links when they are published.

poetry in the morning, mindless bullshit at night

got my ass in gear this morning and sent out poetry to the following places:

Rattle (Poetry Contest)
ZYX
ART:Mag
The Camel Saloon
Horror Sleaze Trash

hopefully the factory put the right poems in the right places. time will tell.

as for tonight, some mindless television. tonight marks the return of Big Brother, one of the few guilty pleasures i allow myself. and after that will be two of the best shows on tv, Wilfred and Louie. some local news, Letterman, Fallon and then Big Brother After Dark on Showtime 2. hopefully this cast doesn't suck. from what i've seen so far, it could be an interesting season. of course, if it sucks, more sleep for me.

music today:

Beck - Guero
AC/DC - The Razors Edge
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
KISS - Destroyer
Pixies - Bossanova
Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." - Rumi

a heartbroken response and a few other things

part 1 of this post is in response to a tweet the muse sent out last night that my ego insists is directed for me, which even if it's not, for the purposes of this entertainment, it is. the tweet goes as follows "Can you leave it all behind? Cause you can't go back."

my response is a heartbroken YES. sadly i can leave it all behind as being a fucking lapdog is not my specialty. my love and our friendship was once one of the most important things in my life. on most days, the most important. but if constantly being belittled, shit on and made to feel insignificant is what it takes to be your friend, i will gladly fall back into the arms of my mistress named loneliness. and seeing that i will honor your final words and this piece of shit won't call you again, i figured i would take this space to offer a few words.

i do hope for the best for you. i do hope you get what you want out of life. i do hope you figure a few things out along the way. and i do wish you the best of luck finding all the suckers in the world. and i hope for your sake, you figure those things out before they do.

now on to part 2

didn't catch much of the all star game last night. from what little i did see, i didn't miss much. i was more interested in Deadliest Catch. i figure most of the world found something better to do as well.

listened to episode #21 of The Sam Roberts Show Online this morning. entertaining as always. check it out at www.notsam.com. well worth your time.

not much in the mail or paper today, so the rest of my day will be spent readying my submissions for tomorrow. return envelopes, double check of poems, all that good shit. then, a nap where i yearn for rain. there is talk that we might get an inch of it over the weekend. i'm not holding my breath.

music today:

Buddy Guy - Buddy's Baddest: The Best Of Buddy Guy
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Ray LaMontagne - Till The Sun Turns Black
Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily


"Death may be the greatest of all human blessings." - Socrates

a productive day

always love when the words hit me out of nowhere and then holy shit, 4 poems i like are sitting in front of me just like that (snaps fingers). i guess i might as well use those 4 poems for the poetry contest i got in the mail yesterday. i haven't done a contest in a decade but i figure, what the fuck. the winner gets $5,000, so i might as well just press my luck.

on top of that, went through all my other poems and i now have my nice big batch of poems to send out, later this month most likely. always good when the factory keeps churning out a good product.

did my part for the economy and got gas today and placed an order on amazon.com. say goodbye to my health care refund check.

music for today:

John Prine - Souvenirs
Dawes - Nothing is Wrong
Nine Inch Nails - And All That Could Have Been

"There is something curiously boring about somebody else's happiness." - Aldous Huxley

i'm back

wanted to come back to this blog and gloat after a Yankee sweep of the Red Sox but sadly they only took 3 of 4. but, anytime the Red Sox can be in last place at the All Star break, i'm a pretty happy boy.

didn't watch much of the home run derby, especially after Robinson Cano put up a big fat ZERO. no need to watch after that.

after a few days of over 100 the heatwave finally fucking broke. nearly 2 weeks of 90+ every damn day broke to only 87 today. of course, we're nearly 9 inches below where we should be for precipitation for the year so far. i get the feeling we would have been better off growing dirt this year. thank god for crop insurance i suppose. and thank god the heatwave was just about broken when the a/c decided to go out.

managed to write 4 poems over the last few days. actually think they are pretty good. want to write another batch before i think of another round of submissions. i'm also toying with the thought of entering this poetry contest i got a postcard about in the mail today.

laundry day today (Monday). also a nice trip to the bank to deposit my rebate check for my health care (thank you Mr. President).

music that sneaked into my ears:

Ana Tijoux - La Bala
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
Tom Waits - Orphans (Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards)

speaking of Tom Waits, great appearance on Letterman tonight. he's going to be on Jimmy Fallon Tuesday night.

"Men do not fail; they give up trying." - Elihu Root

my misery laughs

my poem "my misery laughs" was published today at The Camel Saloon. you can find the poem by going here http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-misery-laughs.html.

feel free to comment if you like.

my poems in ZYX #61 and ART:Mag #38

my poems "fighting back temptation", "will someone please knock on my door", "my inner voice of contempt", "on a saturday in february i", "fond memories of my youth" and "life just got interesting" were published today in ZYX #61. others appearing in the issue include Alan Catlin, David Chorlton, B.Z. Niditch, Leonard Cirino and Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal. another great issue from Arnold Skemer.

ZYX
58-09 205th Street
Bayside, NY 11364

my poems "once all belief is snuffed out" and "the helpless feeling of falling" were published today in ART:Mag #38. others in the issue include normal, Greg Evason, B.Z. Niditch, Alan Catlin, Simon Perchik and John Grey. another outstanding issue from Peter Magliocco.

ART:Mag
PO BOX 70896
Las Vegas, NV 89170

support the small press and these two fine zines. you won't be disappointed.

too many pieces to count

my poem "too many pieces to count" has been published at The Camel Saloon. you can find it by going here http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2012/07/too-many-pieces-to-count.html

it's another muse inspired poem and i really like it. i hope you do as well. please feel free to comment on it. thanks.

thank you Kyle Farnsworth

i just wanted to thank Kyle Farnsworth for the Yankees win today. you did more today by walking 4 Yankees in an inning than you ever did while you pitched for the Yankees to help them win. the losing streak in that dump is over. Now, it's off to Boston with a scorching Robinson Cano. should be fun.

when it's too hot for a holiday...

a good July 4th to everyone. hope this finds you cool and with a cold beverage in hand. the last time i recall a heatwave like this was back in 1988. i was 12 and ready to die. not much has changed...

if any of you are into podcasts i urge to go over to http://www.notsam.com/ and check out the Sam Roberts Show Online. a highly entertaining podcast if i must say. an enjoyable way to pass the time.

i'm hoping the Yankees can avoid the sweep today but my hopes aren't high. the quicker they can get out of that dump the better.

no real plans for today other than napping and watching tv. i'm hoping an urge to write erupts inside of me, but i really don't know if i want to force it out of me. if the earth moves, i'll be sure to pass along an update.

either the cats are hiding from the heat (85 degrees by 9 am) or they are dropping like flies. my gut says hiding. but we all know my gut has shit for brains. if they all end up going, i guess the cat food won't be eaten by raccoons, skunks and groundhogs anymore. just ask anyone who has ever been out here. it's a fucking zoo.

music this morning:

R.E.M. - Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage 1982-2011

"A pun is the lowest form  of humor, unless you thought of it yourself." - Doug Larson

another morning in the 80's

always great when it's over 80 degrees before 8 am. looks like their forecast for about 2 weeks in the 90's is looking more and more correct. fuck.

i don't know what it is about that dump where the Rays play, but the Yankees have now lost 8 straight games there. quite a time for Tex to have his first error of the season. a house of fucking horrors. hopefully Nova can right the ship tonight as i don't want this week (2 more with the Rays, 4 with the Red Sox) to be the week where the Yankees shit away a 6 game lead before the all star break.

i had a cat that i thought for sure was dead suddenly reappear yesterday. Weezie Jefferson had been gone for over a month. came back rail fucking thin. if it makes it through this heat i'll be stunned. but welcome back my whiny friend. and yes, those small kittens are not toys.

as of 3 in the morning, the muse was back. always nice to hear her voice. best of luck with your big interview. you'll do great.

music this morning:

Gary Clark Jr. - The Bright Lights EP
Tracy Chapman - Collection

"Expect problems and eat them for breakfast." - Alfred A. Montapert

an afternoon with no internet

my internet was out from 8:15 this morning to 5:09 this afternoon/evening. that's alot of time to fill.
so, i want to thank the Dan Patrick Show, a trip to the post office, doing the dishes, reading the paper, jerking off to QVC (don't ask) and my constant need for music for getting me through the day. i don't know if i have ever played chess vs. the computer so many times in one day. i actually won a few for a change.

waiting on Parise and Suter to stop holding NHL free agency hostage. after those two make up their minds, the Rick Nash sweepstakes can begin. if the Rangers can get him without giving up any of the key kids, i'm all for it. it seems like he wants to be in New York, a welcome change from most years.

with the holiday approaching i'm hoping to get some writing done. those are my current plans for the 4th of July. i'd like to have a big submission pile by mid July, hopefully to take my mind off my book coming out soon. anxiety can be a mother fucker at times.

afternoon music:

Foster the People - Torches
Social Distortion - Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time." - Mark Twain

monday morning reflections

well, Spain certainly showed me that my guts have shit for brains. they absolutely destroyed Italy. i think i can feel pretty safe in my thoughts that they are the greatest national team in history. all in all, a pretty good EURO 2012. in a few weeks club pre-season play starts, so i'll enjoy all the rumors in the meantime.

a little underwhelmed with what the New York Rangers did yesterday. i don't think they made any mistakes actually, just curious to see how it will all work out. it will be hard watching Brandon Prust wearing a Montreal sweater. good for him to get the money and i'm really hoping one of the kids can step up on the penalty kill.

was nice to see the Yankees get a split of the series with the White Sox. kudos to Phil Hughes for putting on his big boy pants for a change and showing the lessons he has learned over the years. to get shit on in the first and then last 7 more innings and allow basically nothing, in that heat, fucking impressive.

speaking of heat, the run of 90 + degree days continue. can't be long until the insanity begins i imagine. at least i'm hoping...

music ths morning:

Tom Waits - Closing Time

"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." - George Bernard Shaw

a little story about life on the farm, etc.

so, last night i go to check to see if the back door is locked. i happen to look out the window and see a black cow about 4 feet from the door eating on some weeds. i go to get my mother and tell her "You've gotta fucking see this." She looks out the window and sees nothing, i'm thinking great, i'm having an acid flashback. i hit the outside flood lights and she says "Oh shit!" and flings open the back door. 2 cows and a steer. i go get a flashlight and get all the outside lights on. a phone call and some careful walking in the dark by smell and as far as i know, the cows were back on the farm next door. drenched in sweat, i went upstairs to find a fan and flip between Ring of Honor and Cinemax.

there's a little slice of life in the sticks.

hard to think it's already July 1. but, today is christmas for sports junkies.

NHL and NBA free agency starts.
Old Timer's Day at Yankee Stadium.
EURO 2012 final (My heart says Spain, my gut says Italy, i really just want to be entertained.)

i see a nice long day with the a/c and my chair watching some tv. racing to the computer to confirm some rumors and then a rest period on the shitter. hopefully i won't end up bored out of my mind. hype is such a double edged sword at times.

music this morning:

Matthew Sweet - Time Capsule-The Best of

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." - Jack London