none of this explains why i was up before 6 a.m.

i didn't watch much of the NBA finals last night as i was too busy flipping channels between Deadliest Catch and the Yankees.

congrats to A-Rod on finally coming through with the bases loaded this year. incredible comeback by the Yankees. i didn't expect it at all. a very nice surprise. would be nice to see this train peel off another 10 wins or so and welcome reality back to baseball.

wrote a funny little poem yesterday about a woman in a video chat room. i'll be sending that one out soon.

trying to rest up today as i have a nice 6 hours of mowing grass tomorrow. hopefully there are some clouds and a nice breeze. if not, expect plenty of bitching and moaning come Friday's blog.

morning music

Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses - Roadhouse Sun
Shooter Jennings - Put the O Back in Country

"All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward." - Ellen Glasgow

the morning after

i actually got some decent sleep last night. most likely because Fatso and the Devils lost the stanley cup last night. if my Rangers couldn't win it, i sure as hell didn't want the Devils to win it.

was a foggy start to this morning. was kind of funny watching the kittens explore the barn for the first time. will be interesting to see how many of them make it to 2013.

i feel a lazy day coming on. not too hot today, so i may open up the house and just nap. unless, of course, i get something in the po box that changes everything. money, poetry, pussy, whatever...

a little jolt to wake me this morning

Metallica - ...And Justice For All

"Cleverness is not wisdom." - Euripides

poetry news

typed up the poems i wrote last night. 2 of them are going to be pretty easy to find a home for. the third one, more of a romantic theme, those are really about finding someone on the right day. i'm glad patience is something i'm blessed with.

heard from my publisher on my upcoming book, "Sofisticated White Trash". a lot of cool ideas floating around. i really think this thing will be spectacular.

i also will have broadsides for sale very soon. i have 3 poems (2 broadsides) involved in the 48th Street Press Broadsides 2012 Project. stay tuned for more info. a really incredible list in this project, including John M. Bennett, Leonard Cirino, Mike Daily, Kevin M. Hibshman, Gerald Nicosia, Ben Smith and a slew of others.

thanks for reading. feel free to pass the info along to anyone who may be interested.

typing music
Anthrax - Worship Muisc

"Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance." - Carl Sandburg

monday morning in the rain

even the rain can't dampen my joy of the Yankees sweeping the Mets on a walk off home run. always nice to stick it to those fuckers.

watched the conclusion of the French Open this morning. really wish it wouldn't have rained in Paris yesterday. nothing against Nadal or anything, just think it would have been a better match without the rain delays.

the holy war of France vs. England starts off EURO 2012 today. i'll be paying close attention since the coach of France is rumored to be the next coach of Manchester United whenever Sir Alex comes down from the mountain.

wrote 3 poems last night. might be a few keepers in the batch. i'll have a better sense when i type them up. sometime today i imagine.

a very happy birthday to the longest crush of my life. damn near a quarter century now. hope you have a great day.

morning music

Hayes Carll - Trouble In Mind

"Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't." - Pete Seeger

insert Beth Orton lyric here

a good sunday morning to anyone who stumbles upon this blog. i hope you are doing well. better than i am at the very least. a night of shitty sleep after helping the muse deal with a shitty day. got 5 poems rejected from Gloom Cupboard on top of everything as well. you win some, you lose more times than not. welcome to life as a poet.

a nice sports day for me. Yankees going for the sweep. French Open finals. a little Nascar, EURO 2012 as well and i have a nice, well rounded, sophisticated white trash day ahead of me.

nice to see my favorite anti-hero make the NBA finals. maybe LeBron will win it for a change and give the entire world the middle finger. enjoy being the heel. embrace it. you'll never have more fun in your life.

i'm hoping the storms they are calling for tonight are just rain and not much else. i don't need a light show or the power going out. masturbating by candle light can get tricky, if you know what i mean.

happy birthday to the first real love of my life. i hope you are doing well and have a wonderful day with your family and friends.

went a little soft and pretentious for music this morning

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow

"All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come."
   - Victor Hugo

reflections

always nice when the Yankees turn a game against the Mets into a beer league softball home run derby contest. was enjoyable for the most part.

i was underwhelmed by team USA in World Cup qualifying. but, i wonder how much was it the monsoon they were playing in and how much was it a lack of energy once again. if they play like that against Guatemala, they will have their asses handed to them.

getting the notion i may bust out some poems this weekend. maybe a nice 3 in the morning/sunday night writing explosion while listening to old Van Morrison.

and since, once again, i was unable to make it to Bonnaroo, my musical selection for the morning:

Warren Haynes - Live at Bonnaroo

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him." - David Brinkley

a friday in june, stuck indoors

by choice. the sun tends to be my enemy these type of days.

great game from LeBron last night. as Dan Patrick said this morning, if they win game 7, it's historic, if they lose, it's a footnote.

not surprised the Yankees couldn't pull off the sweep. much easier to revert back to the old bullshit that sadly this season is being built upon. no shutdown innings, no key hits, no timely hits, blah blah blah. maybe the series against the Mets will get my juices going, but i doubt it.

watched the start of EURO 2012 today. i suppose my afternoons of music listening are going to be replaced for the next month or so.

i sent 5 poems to Underground Voices today. fingers are crossed.

other than the usual back pain and apathy, taking cat naps while watching soccer on tv in the air conditioning today wasn't that bad.

and it's always good to hear from a friend. hello.

not as much music today, but 2 of my favorites snuck their way into my ears

Jamey Johnson - That Lonesome Song
Cowboy Junkies - Studio: Selected Studio Recordings 1986-1995

"A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love." - Max Muller

ramblings

my internet today has gone from out, to fast as hell, to slow. at least i got my porn viewing done during the fast as hell time. and a hello to Jada Fire.

would be nice to see the Yankees get the sweep tonight. fingers are crossed.

and in the it's all LeBron's fault eastern conference finals, i couldn't really give 2 shits what happens. as long as the last 5 minutes are entertaining, i'm good.

a nice odd mix of music today

Beck - Guero
N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
The Breeders - Last Splash
Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols

"As long as people believe in absurdities they will continue to commit atrocities." - Voltaire

rest in peace

"Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things." - Ray Bradbury

i saw this great man speak at the University of Dayton in the late 90's. gave the best advice i ever heard, STOP WATCHING YOUR LOCAL NEWS, IT'S ALL BULLSHIT.

you will be missed.

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

home alone

when i was in my teens and 20's home alone meant party, drugs, alcohol, strange women, beer runs, drug runs, avoiding the police, loud music and wondering how the hell you got there come morning. now in my 30's, home alone means laundry day, weird music, and way too much time spent thinking. of course, my internet has been out for most of today, so...

what truly sucks is given that that fucker Jerry Sandusky and Penn State are back in the news i get to relive being sexually abused as a child again and again. not fun. these are the times when i laugh when some dumb ass says i have an easy life. try living with demons from 32 years ago and see how long until you find a gun in your mouth.

and when the paints fail, the words no longer come around, all the books have been read and the word bleak is on the tip of my tongue, you will know and i will know what time it really is.

as you may imagine, some tears and some paralysis by analysis today.

and, as you may imagine, a shit load of music.

Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs - God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise
John Prine - In Person & On Stage
Cat Power - The Greatest
Leonard Cohen - Various Positions
Tom Waits - Alice
Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer
Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind

"Death most resembles a prophet who is without honor in his own land or a poet who is a stranger among his people." - Khalil Gibran

where did the sun go?

the sun is out and it is beautiful. a nice cool breeze, hardly any humidity, damn near perfect. i take a quick shower and poof, where did the sun go? dark clouds but no rain. talk about a good day ruined.

took a trip to the bank. glad to see my hometown is still on the downward spiral it started 25 years ago. after a trip to the old house, it was back home to feed the birds.

i really only feed the birds to keep the cats entertained. once in a blue moon they catch one.

i sent 5 poems off to Black-Listed Magazine. hopefully something will stick.

a night of the Yankees, Deadliest Catch, some bullshit with the queen, a little NBA, then Letterman and Jimmy Fallon await me.

selections of music today:

Pixies - Death to the Pixies
Warren Haynes Band - Live at the Moody Theater

"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" - John Wooden

a lovely day of...

waking up to the smell of a skunk, doing the dishes, back pains, a bleeding asshole, worrying about my friend who went under the knife this morning, thoughts of death, flipping off a cop who used his lights just to get around traffic and wondering what the fuck this guy in a suit is doing giving me the evil eye at the post office.

needless to say my choice in music was a bit angry today.

Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
Rage Against the Machine - Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Alice in Chains - Dirt

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow

sun shines on a dog's ass every once in a while

always nice to see Derek Jeter put the first pitch of the game in the seats. and whoever gave A-Rod some juice (wink, wink), a huge thank you. or maybe it's all to shut up Michael Kay. and kudos to Phil Hughes for popping his cherry and pitching a complete game. always nice to see Verlander look human from time to time.

tried to watch team USA vs. Canada tonight but man, what a bore. Canada totally got fucking hosed on a shit call that cost them a goal. the boys looked tired and disinterested, a deadly combination. hope they find some energy real fucking quick, as World Cup qualifying starts very soon.

watched the end of the Heat and Celtics tonight. glad to see the officiating still sucks. Dr. Evil Stern must love that both series are 2-2 now.

didn't get to see Tiger's comeback win, as a children's telethon was on instead. but from what i hear, he must have found some good pussy this weekend.

be sure to check out my new poem "a crisp spring day" at The Camel Saloon. it's a good one. last post for links.

spent part of the day putting together box furniture with my mother. i don't wish this on my worst enemy.

not much music today, but what i did listen to came from the soul.

Otis Redding - Otis Blue
Charles Bradley - No Time for Dreaming


"He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious." - Sun Tzu

new poem at The Camel Saloon

my poem "a crisp spring day" has been published at The Camel Saloon. you can find it by going here http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2012/06/crisp-spring-day.html. a public thank you to the muse for this one. may it be the first of many.

if you do happen to take the time to read it, i hope you enjoy it.

the i'm really pissed off for no reason blog post

i tried to watch some boxing tonight, mostly because Gus Johnson was calling it. Gus is one of my favorite broadcasters of all time. he could make reading the phone book interesting. though, he couldn't keep me from falling asleep. but, i did see something i don't i had ever seen before. a boxer with a farmer's tan. and he wasn't even white. man, how far that sport has fallen. so sad.

saw the Yankees lost tonight. not that i actually saw the game. thanks to FOX/MLB's bullshit blackout rules. way to make sure the sport continues to grow in this country. stupid fucks. as for the post game highlights i saw, same shit different day. can't get big hits. can't hit with runners in scoring position. can't win when they don't hit home runs. fuck, i'm stuck watching the Yankees of my youth all over again. fuck me runnin'.

was nice to see Fatso and the Devils lost in overtime again to the Kings. half way to watching that fucker cry again. i'm so happy my dick is almost hard. would be nice to see Quick and Richards win it all though. they've brought me some fantasy hockey championships over the years.

a little NASCAR tomorrow, flip to see if the Yankees can slap Verlander around again (i'm not holding my breath) and then the big decision. Sunday night programming on Showtime and HBO or the Heat vs. Celtics. thank god only the last 5 minutes of a NBA game is must see.

and now a quote to bid all of you a fond farewell

"Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret." - Ambrose Bierce

someone told me i'd be a lousy junkie

a rather odd day. not very warm, not very much sun, but not cold. just dreary enough that i can feel impending rain in my lower back and in my head. i'm going with either old or insane.

found a new kitten today. not sure where A Boy Named Sue was hiding that one, but oh well.

got plenty of feeders out for the birds now. so, i imagine the squirrel population will of course rise. damn thieves.

i'm in a very weird head space at the moment. content yet bordering on depression. not sure which side of the fence my fat ass will fall on. i'm not feeling very creative yet something is saying i should be doing something. i always wonder about my friends on the mind drugs. do i want to go down that road? would i enjoy it? could i convince myself that the "drugged" one is the real me? would they work at all? for the first 36 years i haven't really wanted to know the answer. perhaps a good bottle of wine and Beethoven will solve all the problems i have. that has worked in the past.

oh yeah, so i guess i did wake up to a world after all. that sucks. hopefully the Yankees get healthy and i might actually enjoy my summer. or, maybe my new book comes out and people like it and buy it. that would be a nice change of pace.

or perhaps these zines that have rejected me for years will finally give in and say yes. you know who you are. fuckers.

a nice odd mix of music today. kind of fitting if you ask me.

Radiohead - Kid A
Lou Reed - Rock N Roll Animal
Johnny Cash - Unchained
The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand
Nina Simone - Anthology

"A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew." - Herb Caen

a sure sign of an impending apocalypse

no, it's not that the Yankees have won 2 games in a row. and no, it's not that Rafael Soriano was able to get the final 2 outs on just 2 pitches. no, it's not that A-Rod hit another meaningless home run just as that fat head asshole Michael Kay was bitching and moaning about A-Rod's lack of power.

no, it's not that the Celtics looked like they had life tonight against the Heat.

Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in New York Mets history tonight. all those years, over 8,000 some games...

nothing disgusts me more than Mets fans happy. except maybe Red Sox fans.

if i wake up to a world tomorrow i'll be stunned.

may we all rest in peace. and perhaps, stop eating each other. what the fuck is up with all the cannibals in the news. are these fucking zombie shows that fucking good?

and now a quote from out in the blue somewhere

"An intellectual is a person who's found one thing that's more interesting than sex." - Aldous Huxley

random thoughts on a cloudy day

it rained all night and most of the morning. a light drizzle for the most part. a good soaking for the crops.

as i drove into town to get the mail, i thought about how i somehow still get a rush when i get published. same rush at 36 that i got at 19. i guess i really am doing what i was meant to be doing. though, i suppose the money comes after i die.

check out my new poem "the promised land" in the June issue of Underground Voices. check out the previous post for links.

i'll soon be off to the thriving hillbilly metropolis of Richmond, Indiana to do some shopping. and no, not for fireworks and liquor like most of the people from Ohio crossing the border. though, that's not a bad idea. all i'm really hoping for is a poem or two.

wanted to start the month off proper and i think i did just that. today's musical selections:

Butch Walker & The Black Widows - The Spade
The Black Keys - El Camino
Barenaked Ladies - Rock Spectacle
Outkast - Stankonia

"Ambition is so powerful a passion in the human breast, that however high we reach we are never satisfied."  - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

new poem at Underground Voices

my poem "the promised land" has been published at Underground Voices. You can find the poem by going here http://www.undergroundvoices.com/UVCampbellJJJUNE2012.htm i would love to know what you think of it.