the genius in Sweden has done it again

i absolutely love when my good friend, Janne Karlsson, takes a snippet of this blog and turns it into art. and better yet, i love it when it actually gets published. you can see what i'm talking about by going here: http://www.horrorsleazetrash.com/poetry/janne-karlsson-j-j-campbell/

do i watch the NBA Finals or do i go grocery shopping?

and before you think of my answer to that question, keep in mind that i am running on something like 4 hours of sleep, if i dare call it that. and given the fact that i tend to enjoy putting myself in uncomfortable situations (better poems), i will be going grocery shopping. now, i will be a kind soul and actually put on some deodorant and cologne. but, i refuse to do anything to my hair. now, the true dilemma is will i wear my purple Macho Man shirt or have another shirt over it? decisions, decisions...

the heating and air guy showed up today to do the normal maintenance on the air conditioner. of course they would show up on a day where it is cool enough that i have all the windows open. life.

i think it was late this morning that i finally, at least a little bit, got over the Game 1 loss by the New York Rangers. when i remembered that the 94 team lost Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final by the same score, i was able to take a breath. of course, i'm not sure if there is another Messier on this team.

the Yankees ended their losing streak today, winning 2-1. Tanaka and the bullpen pitched well enough and the offense did just enough. maybe getting out of New York will wake up the bats. they play tomorrow night in Kansas City.

i went back and checked the submissions i sent out early this morning/late last night. not as many mistakes as i feared. other than getting one email address wrong 3 different times. that was fun.

sent a book out to Sweden today. not nearly as painful as i feared it would be. amazing how simple the post office experience can be when the workers that actually know what the fuck they are doing are working. and, as an added bonus, the amazon.com shipment that i was supposed to get tomorrow was actually ready today. that takes a load off of my mind. that shipment has my mom's birthday gifts in it.

sometime tonight i need to work in a long shower and get some sleep. but not before i do a little reading. i finally have given in to my obsession/fandom with Batman. so i will be reading The Killing Joke (The Deluxe Edition) tonight. i can't wait to see where my life goes now that i have opened that door.

that's pretty much all for today. unless something crazy happens at the grocery store, i will be on here sometime tomorrow. late afternoon most likely. it's supposed to be another beautiful, no humidity kind of day here. perfect for napping.

hope this finds everyone well. don't worry, the weekend is near.

until we meet again my enemies... peace and chicken grease

music:

Pearl Jam - Live on Two Legs
Neil Young - Greatest Hits

"Paradise is exactly like where you are right now... only much, much better." - Laurie Anderson

a cool and cloudy friday

it felt so good to be able to open up the house today and let a cool breeze air it out. i know in a few weeks i won't be able to do that with the upcoming harvest. unless of course, i don't mind a ton of dust and dirt and god knows what else coming in.

the Yankees managed to hold on last night, sort of, and win 6-5. i was flipping between that and the NFL game. i left the Yankee game with 2 outs in the 8th and the Yankees up by 3. i turn back and the score is tied and the bullpen is up warming. needless to say, i was not happy. but to see the winning score come in on a wild pitch was pretty damn funny. sadly, Boston lost last night so the Yankees are still 1 game back in the wildcard. 3 huge games up in Boston this weekend. they MUST find a way to win 2 out of 3 at the very least. if last weekend was any indication, time for an act of god again.

the NFL game last night was bowling shoe ugly. nothing to really write about.

Big Brother went as i feared. i know who won the first part of the final HOH. i'm not rooting for any of them now, so i really don't give a shit who wins it.

the plan is to get to bed at a decent hour tonight as Manchester United plays in the morning. hopefully they can get their shit together and win comfortably.

i got 4 more illustrations in the email today from my favorite artist in Sweden. i hope to find some time to write the poems for those this weekend. i have a nice lull between ManU and when Ohio State plays in the evening. hopefully i'll be writing with a victory beer.

a special thank you to Natascha Hoover for all the positive vibes she's been sending today. hope you have a wonderful weekend my friend.

looks like all my fantasy football shit is in order for the weekend. hopefully i have no injuries pop up out of nowhere. nothing derails the best laid plans like a damn injury.

now it's time for me to go back to YouTube and start finding more obscure shit. i hope everyone has a great weekend. may all your sports teams win, unless you live in Boston and Tampa. may the beverages be cold and refreshing and may the music be something that blows you the fuck away.

music:

Black Sabbath - 13
Shrug - Everything's Blowing Up Roses
Nirvana - Incesticide

"Nothing that you do will ever feel good if you let people convince you that you have no choice." - Fiona Apple

it must be near the end of summer...

i was sitting in here on the computer this morning and happened to look out the window. much to my surprise, there was probably 15 or so wild turkeys walking in the side yard. i got my camera to try to get a picture and of course, by the time i got out there they were already in the corn field. but, that's obviously a sign summer is coming to a close soon. and when fall hits out here, this place truly becomes a fucking zoo.

so i did all that stuff yesterday morning to make sure i had everything done for the Yankees game. of course, that Yankees game started 3 1/2 hours late because of rain. just lovely. but, the Yankees did complete the sweep of the Blue Jays, winning 5-3. they are now 3 1/2 games out of a playoff spot. with 35 games left, that is absolutely doable. they start a huge series tonight in Tampa. i never like watching games in that dump. i will keep close tabs on the game though.

a big thank you to the fan that sent me 2 random photos of her in lingerie. what a great way to kill time in a rain delay.

i got 2 of my 3 wishes answered last night on Big Brother. Helen is out of the house. Judd is back in the house. unfortunately, that cunt Elissa is the new HOH. cue the Meatloaf song now. this will truly be a week where production will be calling the shots.

Wilfred was hilarious as ever last night. when you start off an episode with a dog at a glory hole, you really can't go wrong from there.

as for tv viewing tonight, maybe a little wrestling, perhaps some Food Network programming, a little baseball, and perhaps some football.

another weekend of the Premier League is coming up. Manchester United doesn't play until Monday afternoon. so, i'll be keeping my nerves under wraps until then. or, at least trying to do so.

i believe my first fantasy football draft is this weekend. that should be interesting.

also, got a fucking hilarious cartoon this morning from the artist in Sweden based on an email conversation we had the day before. i would show it but i'm hoping to include it in the book. hopefully i'll hear back from the first publisher i sent the proposal to. if it gets picked up, there are already some YouTube videos in the works. i'm really excited to spring this upon the world.

i guess the internet nearly exploded when the news came out that Ben Affleck is the new Batman. that surely has to be a sign of the coming apocalypse right?

i suppose that is all for today. i do hope everyone has a great weekend. enjoy some good times, better weather, etc. unless of course you're near a wildfire... may some rain be coming your way.

music:

David Bowie - Best Of Bowie
Northern State - Dying In Stereo
Sia - Some People Have Real Problems
Walk The Moon - Walk The Moon
Local H - As Good As Dead

"I don't want to die in a car accident. When I die it'll be a glorious day. It'll probably be a waterfall." - River Phoenix (August 23, 1970 - October 31, 1993)

I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, I felt like being a lazy bastard today.

I'm doing a morning post today as I envision myself being busier than nine cats covering up shit in a windstorm this afternoon.

The Yankees had another great win last night, 4-2. Ichiro got his 4,000th professional hit, Alfonso Soriano hit the go-ahead HR to snap a 0-17 hitless streak, but I thought the best performance of the night came from David Huff. Absolutely tremendous work from him out of the bullpen. I really like how this team is playing right now. Of course, there was yet another injury last night. Hopefully they call up someone that can be useful immediately. If any of those players exist in AAA.

The Bridge last night was excellent. It had just about everything you could ask for in a show. At least everything I would ask for; sex, violence, a gruesome shot of a face getting blown off, and more twists and turns. I absolutely can not wait to see where the show goes next week.

Big Brother made me laugh last night. I can not believe Helen would think she would be safe. I will actually get to see the show this evening as there is no pre-season NFL game. I'm pretty sure Helen will be evicted, but I would love to see the look on Amanda's face if Helen walks right back in with the twist tonight.

As for Duck Dynasty, even when I was a bachelor living by myself, my place never looked that bad. And who has that much mustard in the refrigerator?

I sat down this morning and wrote out the out the three poems I needed to for the artist in Sweden. Hopefully he likes them. I'll be dusting off the old unpublished poems this weekend, hoping I find a gem or two to send him.

That is pretty much it for today. The Yankees play this afternoon, and I have more cleaning to do. Also, I'd love to get in a nap before I watch Big Brother and Wilfred this evening.

I do hope this finds everyone well and excitedly looking forward to the weekend.

Music:

M83. - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

"I have so many different personalities in me and I still feel lonely." - Tori Amos

Make sure you check out Grammarly. I recommend it for any grammar check. Go to  http://www.grammarly.com.

the dog days of summer are finally here

nothing like walking out this morning and it's in the mid 80's with the humidity so thick you could wear it. finally, the summer in Ohio i always remember. a thunderstorm is possible every other 10 minutes and the patience of everyone is absolutely gone.

and speaking of rain, it hasn't rained here in 11 days or so. the crops still look amazing, but i wouldn't mind a few sprinkles here soon.

the Yankees got a well pitched game from Phil Hughes last night (shockingly) and got a walk off single from Jayson Nix (first of his career) to sweep the doubleheader 3-2. they are getting a spot start from Adam Warren tonight so i'm hoping the bats decide to help the kid out and score more than 5 runs.

i watched most of the Chelsea game this afternoon. i would have loved to see them stumble, but of course they didn't. it sets up a huge game Monday afternoon at Manchester United. that will be a juicy one for a home opener.

Hard Knocks last night was great. the highlight of the rookie show was from a guy who went to the high school i went to. i laughed my ass off. they definitely are going to have some tough cuts to make this season.

the usual Wednesday night television is on tap for tonight. a little Big Brother, even though i pretty much know everything that is going to happen. Duck Dynasty is quickly becoming my guilty little pleasure. and of course, the best show on tv, The Bridge. i really hope it's as great as the last 15 minutes were last week.

got a few ideas for the 3 poems i need to write for the artist in Sweden. he also wants me to look for some unpublished short poems. that ought to be a fun journey into failure. might be a late night coming one of these next few days.

i had this song blasting in my head while i was cleaning the toilets this afternoon. i don't know why.

that's all for today.

music:

Rage Against The Machine - Live at The Grand Olympic Auditorium
The Steel Wheels - Live @ Ignition Garage

"To experience life you have to kind of face a lot of fears." - Carrie-Anne Moss

beer, cartoons, ragweed, poems, and whatever else i can think of before i go insane

where do i begin?

i was supposed to write a poem yesterday for the artist in Sweden. but, the ragweed kicked my ass yesterday as the guy that farms out here decided to mow the fields for the first time in 2 months. the headache i had basically rendered me useless. but, i did manage to write that poem today and email it out. Janne likes it and of course, emailed me more. so, i have 3 more to write later this week. he also sent me a cartoon he did over one of the posts in this blog. i laughed my ass off when i saw it and thought i would have to share it with all of you.

just got done watching game one of the Yankees doubleheader. Nova had a shit 2nd inning and the Yankees fell behind 4-0. then, Cano decided to get his 200th HR and Chris "let me just close my eyes and swing and holy shit i hit something" Stewart hit a go ahead HR. a few more tack on runs and the Yankees win 8-4. hopefully this takes the pressure off of Hughes this evening and he gets the job done. i'm making sure i enjoy my victory beer now rather than waiting.

also this afternoon i watched a little Champions League soccer between PSV and AC Milan. 1-1 draw. PSV is so young but so good as well, i wouldn't be shocked if the big clubs come sniffing for some of that young talent before too long.

Monday Night Raw last night was excellent and took a decent step in setting up the story lines for the next PPV. it's obvious that Randy Orton is playing the role of The Rock, when he was the corporation champ for Vince and company, while Daniel Bryan is playing the role of Stone Cold. they might have to tweak it a bit along the way as Daniel can't do what Stone Cold could, but he's one of the best workers in the world. pair him with some good guys and watch the money flow in. as for my favorite CM Punk, the highlight last night was him ripping a fan in the first row a new asshole for interrupting him. he is one of the best talkers ever and when you combine that with his in ring ability and the ability to sell, top 5 of all time.

tonight will be a little baseball before i flip over to HBO to watch Hard Knocks. and i would love to fit in a shower somewhere and a long one at that. maybe that will get me out of this funk, literally.

that's all for today. i do hope this finds everyone well, drunk, fucking something pretty or at the very least, dreaming about it.

music:

Hayes Carll - KMAG YOYO (& other American stories)
Massive Attack - Mezzanine

"I try to leave out the parts readers skip." - Elmore Leonard (October 11, 1925 - August 20, 2013)

just another Monday

let me peel back the onion a bit and give you a glimpse into my day. i'm out feeding the cats and i suddenly have the need to shit. do i go in the kitty litter? do i hold it and get back inside? i'm not an animal, so i made it back inside. and after a huge movement, just as i'm getting up from the bowl, i sneeze. and the sure force of the sneeze produces more shit falling right out of me. do you laugh? do you wonder how you can make this a poem? both? if you chose C, you are correct. why am i still single?

i did catch bits and pieces of the Yankees game last night. i'd like to thank those dumb asses in Boston for hitting A-Rod and waking up his teammates. hopefully this is the light bulb for the rest of the season. 9-6 win after being down 6-3 before A-Rod's response to getting hit. off today and then a doubleheader tomorrow. i'd love to sweep that doubleheader, but Phil Hughes is starting one of those games. my fingers are crossed for a split.

the shows last night were excellent. The Newsroom was brilliant. i can't wait to see what happens in the next episode. Ray Donovan was really good as well. Total Divas was probably the funniest episode of the season so far.

i did see the results of Summerslam last night. i'm a little disappointed but not dismayed. if the payoff to what happened last night is more CM Punk A+ matches and a huge feud between Orton, HHH, and Daniel Bryan... i'm all for it. i will definitely be tuned in to Monday Night Raw tonight to see what happens next.

i got 3 more cartoons and another illustration i need to write a poem for from my artist friend in Sweden today. i'm holding off on putting out the 3 cartoons until i hear back from the publisher i've contacted. i'd love for a book to come out with a ton of material that no one has seen before.

i did watch a little bit of Manchester City this afternoon. once their opponent got down to 10 men, i didn't bother to watch anymore. i hate to say it, but they looked good.

that's pretty much all for today... until tomorrow.

music:

The Civil Wars - Live at Eddie's Attic

"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different." - Coco Chanel

how a skunk can ruin life in general

was watching Duck Dynasty last night, laughing my ass of like usual, when i looked over to my mother and asked her if she smelled a skunk. she said yes and went to turn on the outside lights. sure enough, as i'm looking out the bay window, there is a skunk sniffing around the room one of the cats stays in. needless to say, that fucking smell lasted for the rest of the night. it doesn't bother me at all, i suppose because i have lived out here since 1997. as for my mother, she usually gags anytime she smells it. good fun.

i enjoyed most of the Sunday night shows. Big Brother was more of a catch up for me as i missed the show on Thursday. The Newsroom was excellent once again. i think it probably does a better job than most people believe about showing the inner workings of the behind the scenes aspects of a news show. Ray Donovan was great. anytime you can add James Woods to a cast, the show is going to be better. as for Total Divas, maybe i was tired or maybe the show just sucked, but i wasn't feeling it. i did enjoy the in ring conversation near the end of the show, as for the other 55 minutes, blah blah blah. a waste.

the Yankees start up a series with the Angels tonight. i would love to see a sweep or take 3 out of 4. they definitely need to win the series to have any chance of making the playoffs this season. i'll start off with that tonight.

but most of the evening will be spent on Monday Night Raw. given that it's the last live show before the upcoming PPV, i expect 3 hours of goodness. and considering CM Punk is going to be featured tonight, i should be happy.

i got some more illustrations from the artist in Sweden this morning. looks like i have 14 poems to come up with in the next week or so. i guess he took me at my word when i said i don't mind a challenge. so, if you don't see me much this week, you'll know where i am. writing and sending out feelers to publishers.

and, if you happen to understand my creative process, this music list below will explain most things.

hope this finds everyone drunk and stupid.

music:

Father John Misty - Fear Fun
Ivan & Alyosha - The Cabin Sessions 
Houndmouth - From The Hills Below The City
George Jones - Super Hits
ZZ Ward - Til The Casket Drops
Nirvana - In Utero

"The number one secret of being a successful writer is this: marry an English major." - Stephen Ambrose

all is right in the world (for at least a day)

i got up this morning after maybe 4 decent hours of sleep. i got through my email as fast as possible as i wanted to make sure i watched all the of the pre-game Community Shield stuff. then, i watched the game. RvP does what he has done since the day he came to the club, score BIG goals. i would have loved to not see Rafael get injured (he's out for a month) but shit happens. RvP scores in the second half as well as Manchester United wins the Community Shield 2-0. hopefully this isn't the only hardware Moyes wins this season. they need a midfielder badly and i wouldn't mind some more defensive depth. all in all though, a damn good start to the day.

then the Yankees came on. they got to Verlander early, getting home runs from A-Rod and Soriano. but, in part with the earth soon coming to an end, Mo blows the save for the third straight game. first time in his career he's done that. but, Brett Gardner saves the day with a walk off home run with 2 outs in the 9th. there's a victory beer i really wasn't expecting. the Yankees win their first series in a month. hopefully that becomes a trend if they truly want to make the playoffs.

ROH last night was great. i love a 6 man tag match that is all chaos and great wrestling. a spot fest for sure. next week will be great as it is the 100th episode and will have highlights from all the great television matches from the past.

i got the toilets cleaned and the trash down the lane a little later than normal. it's humid as hell here today. this weather is supposed to break in the next day or so. hopefully it goes as they are expecting as i will be able to turn off the a/c and open up the house again.

tonight will be my usual Sunday tv viewing; Big Brother, The Newsroom, Ray Donovan, and Total Divas. and then hopefully some sleep.

i got some more illustrations from the artist in Sweden today. BRILLIANT is an understatement. i'm really looking forward to see where this project goes.

that's pretty much it for today. i hope this finds all of you well.

music:

Red Wanting Blue - Live at City Winery
http://noisetrade.com/redwantingblue/live-at-city-winery

"Parents are the last people on earth who ought to have children." - Samuel Butler

a good start to the weekend

as i bounced around tv shows last night, i couldn't help but notice the Yankees were winning. so, i once again fell into the trap of watching the game. Nova pitched great once AGAIN. but, when Mo blew the save for the second game in a row, i wasn't upset with him. i was upset with who the fuck ever put the CF in the wrong damn spot when Austin Jackson was up. besides, Mo gives up a home run to the best hitter on the planet, shit happens. in the 10th, i was pissed off enough to wake my mother up basically screaming why the fuck wouldn't Girardi pinch hit for Chris "i couldn't hit a 300 feet window with a bulldozer" Stewart. thankfully, the CF i was pissed off with in the 9th got the winning hit on the next play. it was a pissed off victory beer, but i enjoyed it.

after that, i sat down at the computer to study the 3 illustrations the artist from Sweden sent me that weren't related to any poems i had written. he asked if i could come up with something for them. 30 minutes later and i'm emailing him what i came up with. i woke up this morning to an email from him saying that he loved them. that makes 7 so far in our little collaboration. he said he's going to send some more soon. i figure once we get to 10 or so, i'll start looking for a publisher. if anyone reading this may be interested, feel free to contact me.

the Yankees play here in a few hours. Hughes is on the mound so my expectations are about as low as possible. other than that and some ROH late tonight, i have no clue what i will be watching today. i might break out the camera if the weather is decent enough and take some pictures. if i do, i'll post them sometime tomorrow.

saw news this morning that Wayne Rooney told his teammates he's going to Chelsea. i refuse to believe any of this shit until it happens. but if he does go there, i sadly believe that those pieces of shit will win the title this year. i would so love to be wrong about that.

i did watch a good portion of Smackdown last night. hard to believe that RVD can still wrestle they way he did 10 years ago. maybe even better. i'm so tempted to get the next PPV, but i won't. that's one of the upsides of being poor. you can always be tempted but reality has a foot on your neck. so the decision has already been made for you.

until tomorrow or later tonight (in case i need to vent or amaze myself with some photo action)

music:

The xx - Coexist
The Allman Brothers Band - The Allman Brothers Band
Emeli Sande - Our Version Of Events
Buddy Guy - Living Proof
Ray LaMontagne - Till the Sun Turns Black

"Less is only more where more is no good." - Frank Lloyd Wright

the sky opened up and...

we had a quick thunderstorm move through today right as i was getting ready to feed the cats. needless to say, i waited. and waited. we might have got close to an inch in less than 30 minutes. thankfully, the changes we made out here have worked. the drainage is light years better than what it was.

as for the cats, Whitey showed up today. i didn't see any visual signs of a fight or anything, so i have no clue where she was. but, she was really nice today, so i figure she was off doing some evil shit. my cat Tolstoy was a no show once again. i've got a bad feeling about that one, which would suck, as Tolstoy was definitely a cat that wasn't scared of anything. that probably was the downfall as well.

i sent out 13 poems today; 3 to Dead Snakes and 5 each to BoySlut and Gutter Eloquence Magazine. when i hear back from these places i'll pass along the news here on the blog.

i got the first batch of illustrations from the artist in Sweden. let's just say i haven't been this excited for a project in some time. they are fucking amazing. i will hopefully get to share them soon. in the meantime, check out Janne Karlsson at his site:
http://www.svenskapache.se/

The Bridge last night was a slow burn. but the last 10 minutes got me really interested to see what happens next week.

after that ended, i turned over just in time to watch Mo blow the save for the Yankees. i then tortured myself and watched the rest of the game. Cano homered in the top of the 12th but these are the 2013 Yankees, a team that has snatched defeat from the clutches of victory more times than i can remember. so, of course, with only needing 1 out to win once again, the Yankees give up 3 straight hits to lose 6-5. as a die-hard, i'm not allowed to utter that the season is over. but...

i was hoping to watch the double eviction on Big Brother tonight but the assholes here in Dayton will be showing the Cleveland Browns preseason game. and i'm not waiting up until 2 am to see what happens. so, for a good portion of tonight, i'll be on the computer looking at twitter.

Wilfred looks like another great one tonight. hopefully it will make me laugh as it always does.

i had the pleasure of stumbling upon the LinkedIn profile of the friend that got me into this whole poetry world back when i was 16 today. we haven't had the opportunity to speak to each other in over a decade. so, i really hope to hear from him soon.

that's all for today. i need to get a shower in and get the brain buzzing about 3 poems i need to write this weekend.

music:

Ministry - Psalm 69
Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell
Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
Korn - Issues

"Common sense is instinct, and enough of it is genius." - Josh Billings

a rather productive day

considering the internet has been slower than shit once AGAIN, i'm pretty happy i was able to get done what i did.

i did go through some poems today and came up with 10 to send out. i want to write 3 more in the next day or so and then i will be able to send to 3 places that i really want to send to.

had a really good email exchange with an artist in Sweden, Janne Karlsson. he enjoys my poetry, i enjoy his illustrations, so naturally we are going to collaborate on some things. hopefully, we're going to blow some minds with this. you can check out his website here: http://www.svenskapache.se/

Monday Night Raw was pretty good last night. when most of the show is focused on 2 of my favorites, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, i'm going to be happy. i did have to laugh at John Cena's remarks last night that he respects the WWE too much to work anywhere else. please. no one else would want you. hopefully someone goes away to make bad movies SOON.

judging from the reports i've seen, i didn't miss much by not watching the Manchester United 1-1 draw in Sweden today. looks like Nani and Evans picked up knocks, no surprise. Zaha was great again, no surprise either. i'm really looking forward to the Community Shield on Sunday.

i might have watched 10 minutes or so of the Yankees game last night. i did catch A-Rod's first at bat, but the Yankees were already losing by then. and each time i checked back it was worse. i believe the final was 8-1. oh, did i mention that their opponent had lost 10 games in a row before last night. i just love that the Yankees are now every shitty team's cure to a bad streak. this season can't end fast enough.

Hard Knocks comes back on HBO this evening. i'll definitely watch that. and it will remind me i need to get cracking on some fantasy football shit.

a speedy recovery to Tony Stewart. first time i had to change my fantasy NASCAR lineup all season. and figures you'd break your leg a few days before a race at a track where you have won 5 times.

that's pretty much it for today. as you'll see from what i was listening to today, i was sitting around waiting for my laundry to get done while playing spider solitaire on the computer because the internet was too damn slow to do ANYTHING online for most of the day.

and mom hinted last night that Frontier Communications fucked up the bill as well. talk about a company that is wishing for some EVIL shit to come their way...

music:

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
Tom Waits - Glitter & Doom Live (Deluxe Edition)
Johnny Paycheck - The Soul & The Edge: The Best Of
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Guided By Voices & Airport 5 - Selective Service
U2 - Achtung Baby

"An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have." - Andy Warhol

a rare moment indeed

i normally pride myself on being right. being right as close to 100% of the time as much as i can. so, it truly is a rare moment when i'm very happy to be wrong.

woke up early this morning/still night to me after a nap. what i witnessed was something i did not expect to see.

team USA absolutely destroyed Canada today at the World Juniors 5-1. i didn't see that one coming at all. not even imagined it could happen. i'm so happy to have been wrong about this team. they play Sweden in the gold medal game on Saturday. thankfully, at 8 am, so i'll actually be able to sleep decently before the game. what makes me even more happy is that the New York Rangers draft pick, J.T. Miller, looks like he's going to be a player. and sooner rather than later. music to my ears.

the wind has picked up here a little today, so now it really feels cold. between the furnace and the heaters, still around 70 inside the farmhouse. barely.

got a little editing work done today and i believe tomorrow will be the first poetry hunt of the new year. dust off the unpublished file and see if i can find any gems. if not, tomorrow will be a writing day.

music today:

Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer
Garth Brooks - No Fences
Cypress Hill - Live at The Fillmore

"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." - Ernest Hemingway

find the pleasure in the pain

got a little too much sun yesterday in my 5 hours of mowing grass on the farm. woke up with the shits this morning. the joy of being fair-skinned. my left leg got it real good. combine the heat, sweatpants and where the exhaust comes out on my riding lawn mower and you can imagine all the different colors my left leg is today. fun.

a big thank you to those who have inquired about the broadsides. they will be arriving shortly.

really enjoyed England vs. Sweden today in EURO 2012 action. a spectacular goal from Danny Welbeck to win it for England. certainly makes all of us Man U fans proud.

looking forward to the Yankees and Nationals tonight. should be an interesting test for both teams. hopefully the train keeps charging along.

an early happy birthday to my mother. you don't look your age.

i will spend the weekend writing, staying away from the sun, hopefully posting pictures of my paintings on here and praying for rain. we're more than 5 inches behind where we should be. and the soybeans are certainly showing it.

"Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know." - Ernest Hemingway