such an ugly world

so, here i am yet again, starting a fucking blog off with another fucking terrorist attack. this is one thing i do agree with conservatives on. radical Islamic terrorism must be ended. but, unlike the conservatives, i don't think every fucking Muslim is a fucking terrorist. it's beyond obvious that the only way this government thinks they can beat Isis is through absolute force. how is that working out? i suppose you can't win a war for hearts and minds when your President doesn't have one. personally, i don't think there is much difference between Isis and the fucking Nazis. and i'm way too old and too fucking cynical now to believe love will ever win. i know that's the goal, but i'm a fucking realist. all i can do is treat people the way i would love for them to treat me. i would love to live in a peaceful world at least once before i die. i won't be holding my fucking breath. my thoughts are with Barcelona tonight. mucha fuerza mis amigos.

i see some of the GOP have found their nuts today. good job.

the New York Yankees won again last night, 5-3. Aaron Judge hit a mammoth home run last night. of course, he set a strikeout record as well. they will go for the sweep of the Mets tonight.

Big Brother was pretty funny last night. Cody will be the first one evicted tonight. i don't think the tv audience will get to see who wins the next HOH and the VETO competition and the next eviction until tomorrow night. hopefully there are some damn fireworks for a double eviction night.

Mr. Mercedes was fucking great last night.

Snowfall was fucking brilliant last night. easily, one of the best shows on television right now.

Lucha Underground was amazing last night. the matches were excellent and the brawl to end the show was fucking great. next week should be incredible.

NXT was very good last night. Takeover Brooklyn III should be great on Saturday night.

enjoy some music:

and now some of this and that:

on the DVR tonight will be Vice News Tonight, Big Brother, Weekend Update and The Chris Gethard Show.

i did listen to the latest Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast this morning. you can find that by going here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sam-roberts-wrestling-podcast/id934576040?mt=2

i wrote 3 poems this afternoon. i figured it was raining and i was in pain. so, i might as well try to squeeze a little creativity out of that. the first poem was a long ass one i had bottled up in me since the weekend. i'm not sure where i'll ever send that epic, but i'd love to see it get published somewhere. the other 2 were pretty good as well. i'm still on a good pace for the month. hopefully, i'll have another writing session and then another round of submissions in the next week or so.

Real Madrid thoroughly outplayed Barcelona yesterday to win 2-0 and win the Spanish Super Cup. given the players that weren't playing for Real Madrid, they are going to be a fucking scary team this year in the Champions League.

i didn't go to the grocery store today. i figure i will go tomorrow after mom's next eye appointment. i believe tomorrow is the measurement day to see what kind of new lens she can get for her eyes.

that's all for me today kids.

be well. be creative. be cool. be quick to send me CASH, panties, hate mail, love letters, broken promises and dirty pennies from heaven.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Guided by Voices - Just To Show You
Drive-By Truckers - What It Means
Lorde - Royals
Tom Waits - Make It Rain (Live)

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." - Mae West

and your whatever the fuck i wanted you to see video of the day:

happy Elvis is dead day

i have never really been a big fan of Elvis. that is probably due to my father being a huge fan. most of the men in my family that i remember growing up were fans. hell, i remember one cousin dreamed of being an Elvis impersonator. it was probably then that i questioned if i was adopted or stolen from another family. thankfully, i'm not old enough to really recall 40 years ago today.

is anyone really surprised the President is racist? or is it just the typical old man no longer with a filter that actually thinks there is such a thing as a good Nazi? and the silence from the Jews in his inner circles is baffling to me. i guess money can buy every fucking thing in this country, including your fucking soul. enjoy the shit show ladies and gentlemen. you wanted it.

the New York Yankees held on to win last night, 5-4. i do like that Gary Sanchez is heating up. and Sonny Gray finally got some damn run support. but, it might be time to try someone else as closer. they play tonight at the Mets. oh joy, National League baseball.

Smackdown was sort of odd last night. i guess the company lost faith in Baron Corbin, having him cash in the Money in the Bank contract and then having Cena help him lose. i guess i know what that means for SummerSlam. all in all, it's kind of scary how much better Monday Night Raw is at the moment.

205 Live was pretty good last night.

Hard Knocks was pretty funny last night. i do love watching Tampa Bay lose.

Deadliest Catch was really good last night.

The Jim Jefferies Show was fucking fantastic last night.

enjoy some music:

and now some of this and that:

on the DVR tonight will be Vice News Tonight, Lucha Underground, Mr. Mercedes, Snowfall and Big Brother. i'll watch NXT sometime tonight on WWE Network.

i do plan on watching the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup today between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Barcelona will have to score some away goals today to make it interesting.

it is hotter than shit today. i think it is easily in the 90's. i never like these days. one, i sweat so easily it's ridiculous. two, the heat really fucks with mom's Meniere's disease.

i think it is supposed to storm tomorrow, so it figures that i'll probably have to go to the grocery store. i'll probably be on here after all of that.

i'm really hoping i won't be sitting on the computer at 4 in the morning again like i was 12 hours ago. nothing quite like drinking and then having insomnia.

that's all for me today kids.

be well. be creative. be cool. be quick to send me CASH, panties, hate mail, love letters, broken promises and dirty pennies from heaven.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel
My Morning Jacket - Suspicious Minds (Live)
UB40 - Can't Help Falling in Love
Elvis Presley - In the Ghetto

"Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must live." - Charles Bukowski

and your whatever the fuck i wanted you to see video of the day:

death on a sunny day

so i was watching the UFC on Fox Spots 1 last night. the windows were open and it was a pretty comfortable night. then, the coyotes started howling. about 5 minutes later i smell a skunk. i figure these 2 events are connected. so, i had to shut up the house. not happy. fast forward to this afternoon. we had some family over so they could shoot their guns and they said there was a dead cat out by where they were. i go out to investigate and sure enough. it looks like my cat Rita Dove was ripped to fucking pieces last night. at least i believe it was her as there was hardly anything left. hopefully her kittens are old enough to fend for themselves now.

speaking of the UFC last night, it was excellent. a really entertaining card that really brought it. i thought the cherry on the night was the post match interview with Chael Sonnen.

i laughed when i watched the "highlights" from the Yankees game yesterday. figures. i start to praise them and they go out and shit the bed. 6-1 loss. they go for another series win this evening on ESPN. i might watch some of it, don't know yet.

my usual Sunday night watching is scheduled for this evening. Big Brother, The Newsroom, Ray Donovan, and Total Divas. plus, i hope to find the results of Summerslam and not miss anything. i'm really tempted to order it, but unfortunately, i'm not made of money.

spent most of today watching soccer from England and Spain. i watched Barcelona and laughed. i told my mother, if anyone doesn't like or understand the game, stick them in front of a television and watch Messi and company play. if you don't enjoy that, please stop watching all sports.

my stomach issues came back with a vengeance this morning. thankfully i feel better now. not sure what triggered it. i figure i fucked up somehow in a previous life.

that's all for today. hope this finds everyone a bit tipsy.

music:

Tom Waits - Mule Variations
Led Zeppelin - Presence
Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation

"Fashions have done more harm than revolutions." - Victor Hugo

a bank, a dead cat, some poems, and something funny in Europe

hopefully the title of this post caught your attention. so, on with the show.

went out to feed the cats and was coming up 1 short. i figured since it was fucking freezing out, it was just hiding. so, while out feeding the birds i come across the cat i was missing, face down and frozen solid in the snow. no visible signs of what killed it, so i'm thinking something internal. now you can understand why i don't name these cats until they survive a winter out here.

made a nice little deposit at the bank today and got some poems in order to send out tomorrow. i think we've got some weather coming in on Friday, so i might as well get it all done by tomorrow. at least that's what i think, i'm in one of my avoid the local news as much as i can.

i had a pleasant shock watching AC Milan defeat Barcelona 2-0 in Champions League play today. that was about as bad as i've seen Barcelona play in probably ever. should make for an interesting second leg in Spain in 3 weeks.

i was really disappointed with how the New York Rangers played last night. that had to have been one of the most boring hockey games i have ever witnessed in my life. and i've been watching this sport since my birth. doesn't help that Rick Nash is out with some mystery injury (i'm hearing either concussion or groin) and it certainly doesn't help my fantasy team either. always fun when you get hit with 2 injuries out of the blue in a battle for first in the division. oh well, just another thing for me to bitch about.

for the in case you missed it file:

i stumbled across this the other day. check it out if you'd like to read some of my work from a few years ago. http://foxchasereview.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/from-the-archives/

any old school pro wrestling fans should go check out the Sam Roberts Show Online for episode #44. an interview with Superfly Jimmy Snuka. you can find the episode at iTunes, Stitcher, and at notsam.com. click on podcast and help Sam out if you can.

music today:

Living Colour - Super Hits
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York

"I don't care what people think. People are stupid." - Charles Barkley

when the dew point is higher than the actual temperature

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

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

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

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

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

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

music today:

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

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

a little poetry news and a few other musings...

i finally got my hands on a copy of Open Wide Magazine #25 (ISSN 1746-4390). it was published last year i believe. i have three poems in the issue, "across four lanes of traffic", "after sex talk", and "trying to sneak a peek". also in the issue include work from Debbie Kirk, John Sweet, William Taylor Jr., Nathan Graziano, R.C. Edrington, Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal, Dan Provost, justin.barrett and Glenn W. Cooper just to name a few. you can purchase a copy of the issue here. for back issues of Open Wide, go here http://www.openwidemagazine.co.uk/owmissues.htm.

i watched the Champions League draw today and got a chuckle. i can just hear all the conspiracy theories running around, just like last year, that Manchester United got an easy draw, blah blah blah. same shit was said last year and they couldn't make it out of the group stage. well, Sir Alex has vowed to play all the best guys for all the games this time around. so, if they have learned their lesson well, they should win the group stage pretty damn easy. and they will need to if they want to avoid Barcelona in the next round. i got a bigger chuckle when i saw that Manchester City was placed in the group of death. serves the little blue fuckers right. hopefully they have their asses handed to them repeatedly in the group stage. seeing they are playing 3 other champions, there's a good chance of it happening.

the shock of the day was seeing Iniesta beat out Messi and CR7 to win the best player in Europe. fucking please. there's no doubt he's a great player, but better than the 2 best players in the world. no fucking chance in hell. i can only figure the tipping point was he played for a Spain team that won their 3rd straight major championship. it must have been since Barcelona last year didn't win La Liga or the Champions League. so he wins the award because he happens to play with 10 other great players born in the same country. what a fucking joke.

lastly, tomorrow morning i will wake up to the results of the first fantasy draft of the new NFL season. my fingers will be crossed, hoping for the best. and hoping for a season where my first pick doesn't get injured in the first week, like last year. damn you shitty turf and weak knees.

until we meet again my friends...

music today:

Rage Against The Machine - Live & Rare
Queensryche - Empire (Bonus Tracks)

"A gentleman is simply a patient wolf." - Lana Turner

one of those days

got back up into the 90's today. i'm afraid we haven't had a good rain here in so long that if we did it would totally fuck what crops we do have left. i only mention it because there's like an 80% chance of rain in the next 2 days. fun.

was totally weird watching the high school i graduated from playing high school football on ESPN. but some things don't change. i didn't make it to the end of the game. now, i just change the channel when they are getting blown out. back then, i would leave the stadium and go smoke a bowl underneath the nearby bridge. memories.

good win by the Yankees today, 4-2. a great job by the bullpen after Sweaty Freddy could only go 4 2/3 before imploding. a run of games against the AL East coming up. time to put the foot on the gas again. hopefully.

it was another Messi and CR7 Sunday on tv. incredible job by Messi to score 2 goals in about 4 minutes to rescue Barcelona. CR7 and Real Madrid obviously had their minds on the second leg against Barcelona coming up in a few days. lose 2-1 to a team i had never heard of before. not good.

a little dinner and some mindless tv tonight. then, i'm hoping for a nice long sleep. not quite death, but something close to it.

music today:

Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs - God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise
John Prine - In Person & On Stage

"Here I am trying to live, or rather, I am trying to teach the death within me how to live." - Jean Cocteau

as close to a slice of utopia as i can get

it's really hard to have a bad day when you get 2 poems published in the morning. then, spend a good chunk of your afternoon watching CR7 and Messi play while Ray Hudson provides the verbal gymnastics. (if you want a good laugh, look him up on YouTube calling some goals from Barcelona, fucking priceless.) now, if the Yankees can win tonight i will have a little cherry to go on top of my day. fingers are crossed.

thankfully, the horrible feeling i had yesterday evening was nothing. the horrible feeling was that my friend in California had died, but thankfully she called about an hour or so after the feeling started. of course there's plenty of back story that i'm leaving out. i will put that in the book one day. here's hoping you can have a relaxing evening my friend. you need it.

between my baseball this evening i will sneak in a little Big Brother, The Newsroom, Weeds and Episodes. if i truly get fucking bored for some reason, preseason NFL. if it comes to that, my night has turned to shit. you have been warned.

music today:

Leonard Cohen - Various Positions

"Temptation is a woman's weapon and man's excuse." - H.L. Mencken

sports nuggets

watched the Yankees try their hardest to blow a 7 run lead but somehow they eventually won 12-8. at least my constant bitching turned into a win. this team drives me fucking nuts.

watched Manchester United lose to Barcelona on penalty kicks. the boys defended well, but they can't score to save their lives. how the fuck do you miss 3 penalty kicks? i never thought i'd utter these words, but fuck, go get Robin Van Persie.

hopefully team USA in men's basketball continues to understand, great defense makes offense so much easier. fitting that LeBron would get the first triple double in Olympic history.

watched a little of the soccer action from Yankee Stadium. AC Milan and Real Madrid. makes me wish CR7 was still playing for Manchester United. maybe one day. please.

the Yankees have a day game on Thursday, so i'll be watching that but most of my time will be spent watching women's soccer. hopefully the USA women can get a little revenge on Japan.

"The trouble with jogging is that the ice falls out of your glass." - Martin Mull

insert something witty here

i got a decent amount of sleep last night yet somehow still managed to wake up at 6 a.m. not exactly what i was hoping for. but oh well.

sent out 8 poems today. 5 poems to 5AM (Spring Church, PA) and 3 poems to The Camel Saloon. hopefully i will get some good news back from them both.

kind of interested to see how Manchester United looks here in a little while against Barcelona. not that a friendly is a good marker of how they will do, but playing against that team is a significant step up in competition.

other than that, i'll catch some of the Olympics, got some dishes to do and i will see if the Yankees can somehow not find a way to lose their third straight to the fucking Tigers.

music today:

Social Distortion - Live At The Roxy
Warren Haynes - Live At Bonnaroo
Ministry - Sphinctour

"Everything has been figured out, except how to live." - Jean-Paul Sartre