and here comes another month of...

i was up pretty late last night fucking around with my fantasy football teams. i figure since i have had no luck at all with waivers this year, i would just wait until afterwards and just pick through what was left. so i have new kickers and defenses. hopefully that makes a difference in the next few weeks. i need to get on a nice long winning streak if i want this season to be something other than pure failure.

and to tempt insanity some more, i picked a league for fantasy hockey. that will be interesting since i will actually be attending some NHL games this year and i don't have a smart phone to make some last second changes with the team. i'll have to find out all the good sources for this upcoming season.

speaking of hockey, the Rangers lost last night. i do love that Anthony Duclair scored yet again. this 19 year old is basically forcing himself on the team. they would be crazy to send him back to juniors. hopefully they realize that by now. the kids in this system are amazing so far. i really feel like the time is right for the Rangers to win it all again. hopefully sometime before i die.

i did catch some of the baseball game last night. the playoffs just aren't the same without the Yankees. but, what a fucking choke job by the A's last night. i would congratulate the Royals on the win but i'm old enough to remember the wars between the Royals and Yankees, so that's not going to happen. i doubt i watch much of the game tonight.

mom wants to go out to dinner and to the store. so i'm assuming that is what is going to make up most of my Wednesday night. good times.

The Voice was pretty good last night. i did like the last guy that went to Adam's team. i told mom that was going to happen so all the coaches would have two spots left for next week. i've watched too many damn reality shows. i'm producing the damn things in my head now.

i did a little poetry work today. i think i know where i'm sending my next round of submissions. if all goes well, that will happen sometime tomorrow.

i had to change the water filter down in the cellar today. first time i had changed it since they fixed everything. it was a little different but not that bad. of course, when mom saw dark water in the toilet i figured i fucked something up. so far, so good on that account. i think the well pump is so much better than our last one that we're getting everything to come up. and i mean everything. i figure as long as the water coming out of the faucet isn't dark, we're fine.

i heard back from the doctor's office today about my blood tests. everything is good. i laughed and told my mother that i'm once again proving the odds wrong. i'm a healthy fat person. a throwback to the old days. sadly, i'm poor like the old days as well.

now that i've got my shower out of the way, i guess i could go into town and get the mail and paper. the only time either one of us have been out of the house today was to feed the cats. we had a damn fog here this morning that didn't burn off until noon. it was like some creepy horror movie. fuck it, i'll just wait until we go to the store.

i was shocked when i saw i was well over 2,000 LinkedIn followers today. now if all of them would just buy something...

that's all for me today. i'll be on here sometime tomorrow. thanks again for allowing me to waste a few minutes of your precious time.

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:

Eddie Vedder - Imagine (Live)
Paloma Faith - Never Tear Us Apart
Aimee Mann - The Scientist (Live)
My Morning Jacket - Rocket Man

"I'm more interested in being good than famous." - Annie Leibovitz

sometimes you just get oblivious to the cold

thankfully, this latest holy shit storm went more to the south than the jackasses on tv thought it would, so we only got like 3 inches of snow. now, it did get cold again, as the windchill this morning was around -15. that's always fun. honestly, i've been dealing with the winter for so damn long now, i'm oblivious to it. shit, i expect it now.

i did watch the last 30 minutes or so of The Oscars last night. i'm really happy i did as it inspired 3 poems i wrote in like 10 minutes. i typed those up this afternoon and they are oh so good. at least i think so. i'll be sending those out soon.

seeing that the New York Rangers disappointed the living shit out of me last night (6-3 loss to Boston), i decided to stop watching the game and just flip on HBO. True Detective was fucking brilliant once again. i have no clue how they are going to tie up all the loose ends in next week's finale. if you aren't watching this show, you truly are missing out. Girls made me laugh really hard as i truly enjoy the topic of death and how uncomfortable it makes others.

as for television tonight, it is my usual Monday war between The Voice and Monday Night Raw. Raw is in Chicago tonight, the home of CM Punk. the fans are plotting a riot if Punk, who left the company last month, doesn't show up. i'd love to see him back but, i'd also love to see the crowd go berserk. whatever happens, it should be great train wreck tv. as for The Voice, i see me catching up on that on YouTube at 4 in the morning or so.

i was happy to see some spring training baseball on this afternoon. that gave me what i needed to nap for a few hours. good times.

hopefully, nothing i melted today on the sidewalks will refreeze come morning. i got a check in the mail today, so there is a trip to the bank coming up soon. also, got my new credit card from Capital One. i'll finally be getting some cash back on my purchases. not that i buy anything more than music, books, gas, and booze.

i took another step into the digital world last night and got on iTunes. i figured i might as well put the gift card i got to use. of course, i haven't used it yet. baby steps.

that is all for me today. i hope everyone is well, warm, pissed off and ready to do something about it. or curious why you still waste your time each day to read this horseshit i call writing.

be well my enemies...

music:

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
The xx - Coexist
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights

"To label me an intellectual is a misunderstanding of what that is." - Dick Cavett

surprisingly happy

i got a check in the mail today that i wasn't expecting until next week. good times. got my shit together and made it to the bank before 2 PM. made a nice deposit, nice enough that i will be able to pay for some shit i bought recently without any problems.

i was hoping the New York Rangers were going to play better last night. coming off a 9-2 ass whipping, i figured they would be chomping at the bit to get back out there. i was wrong. the effort may have been marginally better than the previous game, but nothing else was. a 6-0 loss in Anaheim. needless to say, this shit is getting frustrating and the season is only a week old. fuck me.

The Big Bang Theory was hilarious as always last night. funny at how dirty the show really is, especially for 8 PM.

Chicago won last night which keeps me alive for another week in the NFL knockout pools. this is the longest i've survived ever.

i plan on watching team USA play Jamaica here in a few hours in World Cup Qualifying. i'm hoping they win as i haven't had a victory beer in quite some time.

other than that, i imagine this evening will be spent flipping through shows on the Food Network and the zillion music channels i have. and if i get really bored, i might turn on some baseball or catch some high school football somewhere in the country. or, watch a movie. i'm putting my money on just sleeping.

that's all for today. i got the sweeping done early and will soon be in my chair, getting the voice ready. i hope everyone has a great weekend. hopefully the weather cooperates and the drinks are flowing freely.

music:

Matthew Sweet - Acoustic & Live Noise Trade Sampler
Counting Crows - August and Everything After

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

moments of happiness

the sun came out today. most of the snow has melted. i have noticed as i have grown older it's the little things that tend to bring me the most joy. and somewhere the evil side of me is now making a penis joke.

last night the New York Rangers looked like the team i absolutely loved last season, destroying Philly 5-2. very fun to watch, as most of the goals were scored by guys on my fantasy team.

i was even happier about team USA's 0-0 draw against Mexico. a HUGE point to get on the road in World Cup Qualifying. the nightmare start of the qualifying round is over and i do believe this team has found an identity. hopefully the good play continues.

podcast goodness to share: check out The Sam Roberts Show Online, episode 48.  it's an absolute must listen, especially if you want to laugh your ass off. it can be found at iTunes, Stitcher, and by going to http://notsam.com/podcast.html. and if you are doing some shopping at Amazon.com, use the link on the podcast page to help Sam out.

made my picks for the Sweet 16 this morning. i have been so off this tournament, i will be shocked if the 8 teams i picked will win.

not sure what i'll be watching on tv tonight. i suppose i should be getting myself ready for baseball season and the nightly ritual that becomes.

i did enjoy night two of The Voice. looks like this season will be just as good or better than the previous three.

flirting with the idea of breaking out the watercolors one of these days and letting my imagination out to play. not that i'm any good at painting or anything, i just find it's helpful to keep the creative juices flowing. and here we go finishing off with yet another place for a penis joke.

music today:

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

"Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it." - Salvador Dali

your arms are too short to box with god

this blog post is brought to you by The Sam Roberts Show Online, episode #40. you can find this episode on iTunes, Stitcher, and on http://notsam.com/podcast.html. give it a listen and enjoy.

the title line of this blog post is a line that CM Punk said to the Rock on this past Monday Night Raw. has to be one of the best lines i have heard from a heel in years. had me laughing my ass off. can't wait for 2 of the greatest talkers of all-time to go at it.

wasn't exactly shocked that no one was elected to the baseball hall of fame. figures i would have the joy of loving the sport and collecting baseball cards in an era that is now considered completely poisoned and worthless. over 50,000 pieces of cardboard and memories, or, how i look at them now, dust collectors. one of these days i'll find some fool that will want them.

also saw today that the NBA team i have rooted for since i was a child (Sacramento Kings) is close to being sold and moved to Seattle. if that happens, my NBA loyalty will be a free agent. i've got my eyes on a few spots, but i'll hold out hope that the team doesn't leave.

i've decided that for 2013 i'm going to try to listen to the oddest mix of music each day. check out today's music for an example.

huge game tonight for the Dayton Flyers. one the road at VCU. a tough way to start conference play. i'd love to see them win but to be honest, i fully expect a loss. and it doesn't get any easier as the home conference opener is against Butler. 2 ranked teams in a week. 2 wins would be huge for any chance at the big dance. 2 losses wouldn't be death, but it would be a huge rock to move from in front of the tomb. 1-1 is what i'm really hoping for.

my back is aching today. not nearly as bad as a few days ago, but i can definitely feel some rain coming.

music today:

Joe Bonamassa - Driving Towards The Daylight
Outkast - Aquemini

and now from the birthday boy

"I may not believe in myself, but I believe in what I'm doing." - Jimmy Page

frustration

so i flipped over to the Yankees game yesterday and saw that Kuroda was dealing (perfect through 6 innings). then i flip back to see Cano fuck up a double play which gave the Tigers their first run. i had the bad fortune of flipping back the next time to see a blown call at second base. and given that i have watched baseball my entire life, i know how the baseball gods work when an umpire fucks up the third out of an inning. sure enough, the Tigers score 2 more runs and eventually win 3-0. given that the offense is more or less dead, i'm not sure if he would have got the call right it would have meant much. but a little note to baseball, given the technology of today when everyone with any kind of device could see within 30 seconds that the call was wrong, wake the fuck up. if you wonder why the sport is becoming obsolete... god forbid you actually have a playoff game where the calls are correct. who the fuck would want that.

and another note, this one to Nick Swisher, who is hurt that Yankee fans are booing him. newsflash, you fucking suck in the playoffs. you've had 4 years of good to great regular seasons and 4 playoff years of complete fucking ineptitude. if you don't want to play in a place where the second season means everything, enjoy collecting a check in some other town next year.

if the getting out of Yankee Stadium excuse doesn't work for the offense, i'm hoping they just lose the next 2 games and get this fucking tease of a season over with. that way i can decide which minor league hockey team i'm going to follow (thank you NHL, you dumb asses) or god forbid, have to watch the NBA season from start to finish.

as for football, had my worst week of picking games in a long, long time. under 50% is absolutely shitty. i am winning my 3 fantasy football games, but i can sill lose 2 of them. that leaves me with no choice but to pay attention to the game tonight. great, 4 hours of Gruden blowing Peyton Manning. lovely.

now, it's to the outdoors to assess wind damage from yesterday. welcome to a farm with buildings from the 1800's on it.

music today:

Brooke Annibale - Silence Worth Breaking
Allison Ann - The Introduction of Allison Ann
Ivan & Alyosha - The Cabin Sessions

"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything." - Friedrich Nietzsche

a matter of free speech

was having a pretty good day. another cool morning, so i opened up the house to air it out. rare when i can do that in August. watched a few teams i hate (Liverpool, Arsenal) struggle in their openers over in England, which brought an even wider smile to my face. and then came a little email from Russell over at The Camel Saloon.

the email was about G. Tod Slone, publisher of The American Dissident, and his bizarre bullshit situation going on with the Sturgis Library in Barnstable, MA. for the complete story, i urge you to go here http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-library-defender-of-freedom-of.html and if you so desire, you can email the library here sturgislibrary@comcast.net.

i know i try not to get political on this blog but free speech is one of those topics as a poet that gets my blood boiling. between this and the whole Pussy Riot fiasco, hopefully everyone wakes the fuck up already. enough is enough.

i now step off the soapbox and return this blog to regularly scheduled programming...

thanks to MLB and their asshole blackout rules, looks like i will be following the Yankee game today online. hopefully another win after the home run derby display of last night. the foot is on the throat of the Red Sox, now apply pressure.

music today:

The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." - Alice Walker

enjoying sports drama 101

if anyone happened to watch the USA vs. Canada in women's soccer earlier today you now understand why Manchester United's stadium is called The Theater of Dreams. what an amazing match. and seeing a late goal at the Stretford end of the stadium brings back some warm memories for sure. not long until Alex Morgan is the best female player in the world.

actually got some poetry work done today. opened up the files and picked out 8 poems that i will send out later this week. i would do it tomorrow but that day appears to be fully devoted to mowing the grass/weeds for the first time in over a month. fun fun fun.

also sent back my rough copy of Sofisticated White Trash so it won't be long now until that monster is on the streets. absolutely the best collection of my poems you will find anywhere. and each of my personal "holy shit i wrote that" poems are included. i will provide further details as they become available.

a little baseball, pro wrestling, maybe some Olympics and who knows what else is on tap for tonight. i will hopefully be resting my voice as i watch the USA men's basketball team play. ask anyone that knows me, when Alex Morgan scored that goal, the roar could probably be heard down the street. that's saying something when you live in the sticks.

music today:

Ana Tijoux - 1977
Outkast - southernplayalisticcadillacmuzik

"If a tie is like kissing your sister, losing is like kissing your grandmother with her teeth out." - George Brett

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.

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.

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'...

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

what a concept

get great starting pitching

get timely hits

tack on runs late

win baseball games

glad the Yankees have rediscovered baseball 101

1/2 game out of first