time to pinch myself

so, i sat down last night to watch the Dayton Flyers. typical first half. up and down play, allowing the opposing team to go on a 10-0 run, too many turnovers, etc, etc. amazingly, in the second half, the team i thought they were going to be all season showed up. made 9 of their first 10 shots, played great defense, forcing the other team into turnovers. made their free throws, won the rebound battle and literally drove the other team fucking nuts. and mind you, this was on the road. their first road win in the conference this season. and honestly, winning by 21 only gets better when you get to see a posterizing dunk like this one

that dunk was top play #6 on Sportscenter last night on ESPN. hopefully this is the start of a winning streak that just might save their season. next game is at home on Saturday. another must win.

i wrote 3 poems last night and typed them up earlier today. i think one of them may be the best thing i've written in some time. i suppose time will tell on that one. they will probably be sent out sometime in the next few weeks. as March Madness approaches, i have roughly 10 basketball games i will be seeing in person in a 6 day stretch. after that chaos, i should have plenty of time to get back to the poems.

the snow has melted and it's just another dreary day out here on the farm. although it's amazing what an unexpected victory beer and a good poem does for my disposition. i completely understand why i'm a loner. i have no doubt it actually makes the world a better place.

an oh by the way news flash, my poem "many more miles down this road" appears on page 19 in Potters Wheel Anthology Vol. 1.

hopefully my good mood continues tonight as the New York Rangers play another home game. they are getting some injured players back i believe, so maybe it will. i had another injury on my fantasy hockey team, unexpected of course, but shockingly, i am ok with the player i got to replace him with.

i just know this positive vibe can't last forever. just hoping to stay on the wave as long as i can.

music:

John Coltrane - The Very Best Of John Coltrane
Beth Orton - Sugaring Season

"I am a hopeless romantic. And I won't stop till I get it right." - Halle Berry

many more miles down this road

my poem "many more miles down this road" has been published today in Potters Wheel Anthology Vol. 1. you can find out more info on this free e-book by going here:
http://jeremy-benson.com/issues/PWissue2.html

or download it directly by going directly here:
http://www.jeremy-benson.com/downloads/PWAnthologyVol1.zip

feel free to pass this on. thanks.

and then the rain changed to snow

i didn't post anything yesterday as i needed a mental day off. seeing that it was the anniversary of my stepfather's death, yesterday was appropriate. so, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

quick flashback to Monday Night Raw... the match between CM Punk and John Cena was a classic. it should be a match people are talking about for years. i simply think the wrong guy won. hopefully, they have something big in mind for CM Punk at Wrestlemania, but i fear they don't. hopefully, i'm wrong. i urge you if you haven't seen the match, go on YouTube and find it. it's worth it.

as for the New York Rangers last night, the effort was better but i'm a little too old now to believe in moral victories. they don't exist. hopefully the injured players come back soon or this could be a lost season of what could have been. and judging from experience, those seasons fucking suck.

and speaking of suck, the Dayton Flyers play tonight. i guess out of watching them for nearly 37 years, i will do so again tonight. hell, maybe they will shock me and win. thankfully, i wasn't drinking as i was typing that or my screen would be wet as hell right now.

i'd like to thank the person who emailed me yesterday and we have had an actual genuine exchange of emails in the last 2 days. i really do appreciate it. more than you even know.

i haven't seen the sun in the last 2 days. the rain has changed to a wet snow now. no accumulation so far. and not nearly as much rain as they expected, so i don't know if the drainage problems on the farm are solved yet or not. it does look about 10000000000000000000% better though.

here's hoping i will have something positive to talk about tomorrow. i do have a sad poem bouncing around in my mind. so, i do believe a little writing will get done sometime soon.

lastly, i did watch the Real Madrid destruction of Barcelona yesterday. shit, i really hope that is not the Madrid team Manchester United ends up facing in Champions League play.

music:

Charlie Parker - Jazz 'Round Midnight
Kristy Lee - In This Room
Escondido - Escondido EP
The Lighthouse & The Whaler - Pioneers EP
Saints Apollo - Saints Apollo EP
Nina Simone - Anthology
Eminem - Recovery

"I'm not satisfied with the explanations I get from tv or from school." - Erykah Badu

one forgettable Sunday

so i woke up Sunday still pissed off from the New York Rangers loss and more injuries from the night before. let alone even more injuries to my fantasy hockey team which i have no doubt help give me a 6-4 loss for the week. i started to watch the Chelsea vs. Manchester City match hoping for the best. but, as soon as Chelsea didn't score on a penalty kick, i didn't bother to pay much attention to the game. i know how this shit turns out with the gods of sports. so, i started to pick up the trash and get ready to go feed the animals. City won 2-0 by the way. i still feel confident that Manchester United will win the title this year, but after last year's debacle, i'm not ready to pound on my chest just yet.

so, started to watch the Daytona 500 but the first crash of the race took out 3 of my 5 drivers. amazingly, my other 2 drivers finished first and second. what could have been.

turned on the New York Yankees spring training game just in time to watch Curtis Granderson break his right forearm getting hit by a pitch. he's out for the next 10 weeks. i did watch bits and pieces of the rest of the game. more shit from last year it looked like. no damn ability to get a hit when it mattered. boy, i really can't wait for another 162 games of that shit again. of course, if they somehow win the division again, that will help temper the misery.

i might have only watched 10 minutes or so of the Academy Awards last night. i laughed a few times but mostly, just couldn't give a shit.

the Sunday night shows i normally watch did salvage the day for me. all of them, Girls, Shameless, House of Lies, and Californication were excellent last night. that put me in a little better mood before i went to sleep. a little.

but, today the sun is out and it's a tad bit warmer. of course, judging from the radar, we have a monsoon coming later tonight and tomorrow. that should get interesting. the guy who farms out here finally got all the brush and trees out from the creek in front. i couldn't believe how much was in there. i guess we'll see quickly if it helps with the drainage or not.

looking forward to Monday Night Raw tonight. the Undertaker returned this past weekend at a house show, so maybe he makes a return tonight. plus, i'm sure some screwy ending to the Cena vs. Punk match is coming to set up a triple threat match at Wrestlemania. when you've been watching pro wrestling for 35 of your 37 years on this planet, you can damn near write the shit yourself. i'd really just like 3 hours of being entertained and not having to think. that should do me some good.

in other news, found some small deer antlers behind one of the barns today. not sure what i'm going to do with them. i imagine i'll think of something. also, a new cat showed up at the farm in the last 2 days. it's pretty big so i'm imagining that either it's a runaway or someone dumped it out here as it got too big to care for. it seems pretty friendly, so i'm guessing it was a pet. i gave it a little food but didn't check to see if it still had claws or not. if it doesn't, it won't last long out here.

mom ordered her hearing aid today. i had no idea they could be so expensive. at the price she got it at, i'm not sure it's worth it given what sounds she's been missing out on. of course, i'm one cynical fucker...

music today:

Buddy Guy - Slippin' In
Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Don't Explain

"A true champion can adapt to anything." - Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

only the fools believe in love

my poem "only the fools believe in love" was published today in the Feb. 2013 edition of My Favorite Bullet. you can find the poem by going here: http://www.interiornoisepress.com/00-00_0213_Campbell-OnlyTheFoolsBelieveInLove.html

others with work in this issue include: James Babbs, G. Tod Slone, Doug Draime, Jonathan Hayes, Alan Catlin, Nathan Graziano, Mather Schneider, Justin Hyde, James D. Quinton and many more. you can find the issue by going here: http://www.interiornoisepress.com/00-00_2013_1_Main.html

my start to the weekend

so after getting to bed later than i wanted to i was so fucking thrilled to wake up to 40! comments on this blog that i needed to remove. a few quick pointers. 1) if you are going to use a fake name, your comment will not be published. 2) if that fake name isn't that far off from the other fake name you tried to comment on this blog, not only is it sad and pathetic, but totally pissing me off. 3) and this is really only for the person involved in this, what part of you telling me you would never contact me again did you not comprehend? 4) i'm stubborn enough to keep up these bullshit games longer than even you would care for. 5) get the fuck over it already.

with that said, Manchester United quickly changed my mood this morning. a 2-0 win over QPR. Rafael with maybe the goal of the year or possibly his life and Ryan Giggs with a beauty in the second half. 15 points clear going into the massive game tomorrow of Manchester City vs. Chelsea. i'll be up to watch that one and hopefully see 2 teams struggle with the reality that all there is for them now is second place.

and of course, the good feelings only lasted so long. i listened to the Dayton Flyers run out of gas against UMass and lose by 10. a game they probably could have won if they would have remembered to rebound the ball. oh well, this season is more or less lost by now. i figure if i drop any expectations of them maybe they'll actually do something good. or maybe not.

not exactly looking forward to the New York Rangers game tonight. first, no Rick Nash (again). second, the injuries and the flu are catching up with them. lastly, Montreal is a house of fucking horrors for them. i will be interested to see if Christian Thomas makes his debut tonight. the kid has an unbelievable shot. might be the only bright spot if this game goes like the last few up there have gone.

hopefully i will be wrong.

tomorrow will be doing whatever i can to forget the Academy Awards are on. i didn't see one movie that is nominated. truly a matter of i couldn't care less who wins. i think i'll be a little more interested in what is going on with my fantasy hockey team. let alone the Daytona 500 and all that bullshit. and yes, i have a fantasy NASCAR team as well.

i heard from my publisher yesterday. Sofisticated White Trash should be hitting the streets in March. you have been warned.

music today:

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

"A classic is a book that doesn't have to be written again." - W.E.B. Du Bois

response from The Camel Saloon

i heard back from Russell at The Camel Saloon on my poetry submission from the other day. my poems "hope slowly bleeds" and "sunday fortune cookie" have been accepted for publication.

my 2 poems at Dead Snakes

my poems "temptation slowly taking the stage" and "pure evil" were published this morning at Dead Snakes. you can find the poems here: http://deadsnakes.blogspot.com/2013/02/jj-campbell-two-poems_22.html

up before dawn for some reason or another

was a rare morning i was up before the sun was. for what reason, i'm still not completely sure about. but, it did give me plenty of time to get some poems out, feed the cats, get the mail and paper and eat breakfast all before noon.

i sent out 11 poems today. 5 to Nerve Cowboy and 3 each to The Camel Saloon and Dead Snakes. when i hear back from these places i'll be sure to post the responses here on the blog.

the guy who farms out here has been here all morning cutting down trees and digging new ditches in hopes of curing our drainage problem out here. what i'm really hoping to do one day is plant 10 trees in one of the pastures and create another wooded area for the animals. that number of trees would equal the number that have been cut down since i moved out here in 1997. of course, finding the money to do all this is another story. but, hopefully one day.

sounds like we have a big fucking storm coming this way. judging from the radar, looks like we may have more ice than anything. that always makes it tricky out here with the power lines and the number of trees we have close to the house. last thing i want is a huge branch coming through the roof. so, i really hope some snow cuts into the ice and hold the total down some.and in continuing with crazy weather, by tomorrow afternoon it will be in the upper 40's. makes no damn sense anymore.

i think the rest of my day will be devoted to porn, napping, catching up on some reading, and maybe some sports as well. i know the New York Rangers play tonight but i don't have any good feelings about it. plus, yet another injury to my fantasy hockey team last night. thinking about it, i imagine the rest of my day will be spent reading hockey insiders and trying to figure out what moves i need to make. fun.

hope this finds everyone well. and i hope the weather isn't shitty in your neck of the woods.

music today:

The Steel Wheels - Live @ Ignition Garage
Bruno Mars - Unorthodox Jukebox
The Commodores - The Ultimate Collection

"I will not take "but" for an answer." - Langston Hughes

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

and now i can breathe again...

some good news to report. when my mother called me this morning after her visit to the doctor and started off with humor, i found it a little weird. was she using it to deflect from bad news or just using it to break the ice? turns out the results from her brain MRI was that they found a brain. not a tumor like both of us had feared. both her and her doctor believe that her headaches and hearing loss in her left ear could very well be due to her father beating her on that side of her head when she was a child. so, my mom will be getting a hearing aid in the next few weeks. my sister wants to bedazzle it. and people think i'm just being silly when i say we put the "fun" in dysfunctional.

always nice when the temps drop nearly 30 degrees in less than 24 hours. blowing snow all day long it seems. no real accumulation, but enough to give the back a few pains.

got a check in the mail i have been waiting for finally, so tomorrow i battle the elements and hit the bank. it doesn't look like it will be too bad out.

other than that, just watching some Champions League soccer and doing the usual farm shit i have to do every few weeks. the beauty of having well water.

big game tonight for the New York Rangers. should be interesting to see how it goes as Brandon Prust makes his return to MSG. a personal favorite of mine, i really hope his emotions get the best of him and he isn't the pest i know he can be.

found some great music today over at NoiseTrade.com. check out the music section for more info.

i did like the fact they introduced a new heavyweight championship belt last night on Monday Night Raw. and i really hope CM Punk wins next week so i won't have to sit through John Cena vs. The Rock again at Wrestlemania. i thought the show was a little better than i expected last night. any show that ends with Cena knocked out at the end will get a thumbs up from me.

since the Dan Patrick Show is going to be reruns for the rest of the week, i believe i might actually get some work done in the mornings coming up. i know tomorrow i really want to tackle the poems that have recently become available again and find the right homes for those. especially since a few of them i haven't even looked at in over a year.

hope everyone is well. peace and chicken grease.

music today:

The Steel Wheels - Live @ Ignition Garage
TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light

"My way of joking is to tell the truth. That's the funniest joke in the world." - Muhammad Ali

a recap of the weekend

first off, the huge game the Dayton Flyers had on Saturday against Xavier. former Flyer and NBA rookie Chris Johnson made a surprise appearance before the game and got the crowd going. the students were in ape shit mode and loud from 30 minutes before the game started. and thankfully, the players decided they wanted to play like they actually had some balls. they only trailed once in the game and won it pretty easy by 11. always nice to start off the weekend that way.

next, off to meet my sister at the favorite sports bar. we had the same waitress we had the week before, someone i find incredibly attractive. (i've already written one poem about her) so, it figures i would be with my mother and sister. a good time, especially listening to my sister whine about having to pay taxes. god forbid someone with a six figure salary has to pay a little back.

didn't watch much of the NBA All-Star Saturday night as most of that shit doesn't interest me anymore. i watched the Beyonce documentary instead and my sister was shocked that i never changed the channel. i told her i was tempted when Beyonce was talking about her miscarriage but decided against it. i'd like to think i've matured a little in 37 years.

Sunday was hockey day in America. so, after getting the cats fed and the trash picked up, it was time for a nice triple-header of hockey. the night ended with the third game being the New York Rangers vs. Washington. a nice rematch from last year's playoffs. and holy shit, when a power play goal leads to a 2-1 win for the Rangers, i'm beyond ecstatic. that was a nice victory beer.

i didn't watch much of the NBA All-Star game at all. i decided i was much more interested in my Sunday night shows. and judging from the highlights i watched this morning, i think i made the right call.

today was about Manchester United in FA Cup action. a nice 2-1 win over Reading. the good Nani showed up today as did Chicharito. now there's about a 99.9% chance their next game in the FA Cup will be against Chelsea (hopefully not). but, that game will be at home and i like their chances against just about any team in the world at home.

on the poetry front, i finally heard back from killpoet.com on my poetry submission from April 2012. they have decided to pass.

i've got a shitload of poems to go through and maybe i will find some poems to send out either this week or next.

on the fantasy hockey front, i squeaked out a narrow victory last week but am now 3 games out of first in the division. i play the first place team this week. so, this morning i picked up one of my old favorites, Mike Richards. hopefully his little hot streak from Sunday will keep going for me this week. i'm going to need it.

on the fantasy Nascar front, somewhere i do believe Danica Patrick winning the pole for the Daytona 500 is surely one of the signs of the apocalypse.

crazy weather ahead this week, so i imagine plenty of back pain as well. plus, mom gets the results from her tests tomorrow. needless to say, i'm not expecting to sleep well tonight.

and it won't have anything to due with an underwhelming Monday Night Raw i'm expecting tonight.

hope this finds everyone well. hopefully, i will have some good news to report sometime this week. hopefully.

music today:

Charles Bradley - No Time For Dreaming
Bettye LaVette - The Scene of the Crime

"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." - Toni Morrison

a downtown revival

my poem "a downtown revival" was published today at Carcinogenic Poetry. you can find the poem by going here: http://www.carcinogenicpoetry.com/2013/02/jj-campbell-one-poem.html

response from Gutter Eloquence Magazine

i heard back from Jack T. Marlowe, editor of Gutter Eloquence Magazine, on my poetry submission from earlier in the month. my poem "even the imaginary friends have moved on" has been accepted for publication in issue #26. the issue should appear online between April 1st and 5th.

picture day

the sun was out and i was bored, so i got out the camera and went outside. below are the results.

hope you enjoyed. other than the wind, it was pretty nice outside. hopefully i will take some more shots in the coming months.

music today:

Rage Against The Machine - Renegades

"As you grow older, you learn to understand life a little better." - Solomon Burke

oh so close yet so damn far away

let me start with last night. i was feeling pretty damn good about myself until i watched the New York Rangers blow a 3 goal lead. now, they did come back to win the game 4-3 in a shootout. but, no lead like that should be given up with just 11 minutes to go in the game. but, i decided to try to focus on the positive. the win. the 2 points. beating Boston 2 out of 3 games.

now, for today. i did my best to keep my expectations and my emotions level while waiting for the Manchester United game against Real Madrid. of course, once the game started i was my usual loud, obnoxious self. a great goal from Danny Welbeck 20 minutes in and i'm feeling great. then, of course, CR7 ties it 10 minutes later. Real Madrid controlled most of the rest of the game. Manchester United's goalkeeper played the best game i have ever seen him play for the team. RVP had a few chances late to steal the game, but, all in all, a draw is not that bad actually. away goals are huge in these events. so, now just win the home leg in March and the team advances. as for Gus Johnson, not a bad job announcing for that big of a stage. a few mistakes but nothing awful. i was worried the Gus effect was going to take place in the game. thankfully it didn't happen. if you want some fun go here:
http://www.gusjohnsongetsbuckets.com/ and play around. or, if you happen to be at work, piss off a co-worker with it. as for the referee, who the fuck blows the final whistle when a team is getting ready to take a corner kick? there's 20 minutes of screaming i'll never get back. leave it to the Germans to try and ruin everything.

that brings me to the Dayton Flyers. for some fucking reason, they can't beat Rhode Island. a team that has fucking sucked for as long as i can remember and Dayton plays them like they are a UCLA team under John Wooden. so, as usual given the scenario i just laid out, Dayton loses on the road by 3 to a team that now has 7 wins on the season. thank god i didn't have a chance to watch this debacle. the biggest game of the season comes up this weekend (noon Saturday on ESPN2) and i am absolutely not looking forward to it. not sure if i can stomach watching those assholes from down south celebrate on our floor once again.

found out today (or yesterday as it now past midnight here) that my sister won't be here until the weekend. not sure what to expect but hopefully it will be a nice diversion in case Dayton loses again.

also, heard back from Five 2 One Magazine on my poetry submission from back in November. they have decided to pass.

hope everyone has a good valentine's day or at the very least, a better than you expected one. i'm not a big fan of the hallmark holidays, of course, i'm single. i imagine if i wasn't i'd be singing a different tune.

music today:

a random mix of bullshit from my Amazon.com cloud player

go check out the Sam Roberts Show Online #43 if you need a good laugh. look for it at iTunes, Stitcher, and at notsam.com.

"The only thing that comes to a sleeping man is dreams." - Tupac Shakur

insert your title here please

just typed up the 4 new poems i wrote over the last few days. i think i might have a couple of winners here. not sure where i will send them as i'm waiting to hear back on a few submissions still.

i noticed gas prices shot up today. the day i needed to get gas of course. oh well, luckily i only fill up maybe once a month or so. helps when you have a truck that you are so unsure of that you really don't drive any farther than into town.

i watched a little of Champions League play today. just to get the juices flowing for Manchester United tomorrow.

good test for the New York Rangers tonight up in Boston. get this win and i'll start to think they really have found their groove. and hopefully the game goes a little longer than normal so i miss most of the political theater tonight.

not sure when or if i'll be blogging tomorrow. between Manchester United and the Dayton Flyers later in the day and i believe my sister is coming down, not exactly sure when i'll find the time. but, if something comes up i just need to share, i imagine i'll find a way.

hope this finds everyone well.

be sure to check out my latest poems published at The Camel Saloon
perfectly imperfect
the once dearly departed

music today:

Fine Young Cannibals - The Raw & The Cooked
LL Cool J - Bigger And Deffer

"Where there is no vision, there is no hope." - George Washington Carver

perfectly imperfect

my poem "perfectly imperfect" was published this morning at The Camel Saloon. you can find the poem by going here: http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2013/02/perfectly-imperfect.html

and here comes the wind

but first, about my Sunday. a pretty damn good one considering how my life has been for the last 2 weeks or so. first off, a nice and tidy 2-0 win by Manchester United. Ryan Giggs and Robin van Persie with the goals. they have a huge match in a few days against Real Madrid in Champions League play. i'm really looking forward to this one. if they can win in Spain it might have me thinking about... fuck, i'm not going to say it and jinx anything.

next up, a nice 5-1 win for the New York Rangers. i think they have found the right combinations this year finally. hopefully i am correct. not much time to make up for the early season stumbles.

i'm now 1/2 game out of first place in fantasy hockey. not sure how i have done it with the number of changes i have already had to make. of course, i will take luck as long as it is working for me.

i enjoyed the Grammys last night for the most part. i actually knew most of the people in it this year. not sure if that's my musical tastes are changing or i'm simply just more aware.

as for the Sunday night shows i normally watch, Shameless takes the prize for last night. i totally didn't see the little girl with a penis coming at all. as for House of Lies, why does part of me think that's more like how Matt Damon really is like in real life? Girls was a bit odd and Californication always makes me laugh.

as for today, the wind has been wicked today. most of the buildings here on the farm were built in the 1800's. so, i'm just waiting for the one big gust to blow something down. i've been out here since 1997 and so far, only pieces of a roof have been victim to the wind.

i did manage to write 3 more poems today and get the trash cans before they blew down the road. add on getting the dishes done and i'd like to think i've been somewhat productive today. i'll probably type up the poems tomorrow, unless wrestling bores me to death tonight.

i truly enjoy when people try to comment on this blog with fake names and whatnot. it truly amuses me. like i'm going to become frustrated or something. please.

music today:

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
B.B. King - Blues Summit

"Be careful what you set your heart upon - for it will surely be yours." - James A. Baldwin

the once dearly departed

my poem "the once dearly departed" was published this morning at The Camel Saloon. you can find it by going here: http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-once-dearly-departed.html