Fiction 3

The old music, reconnection with an old childhood friend, has made me a little nostalgic.  Here's an old scene I wrote in that vein about my old elementary school, Mount View:

The crumbling blacktop in the afternoon sun, the blackberries we picked and ate until our fingers turned purple, the names carved in the silvery birch trees, the sand on the infield, the salamanders in the stream that runs through a giant storm pipe, the gently rocking swings where Paula Sager endlessly chased Steven Smith for a kiss, the rusted basketball backboards with rusted half-hanging chains that annually defied paint, the rain water trapped on the kindergarten side roof of the school.  Forty years of children.

There were hills of green and yellow crinkly-dry crabgrass; grass that fought back when you stepped on it. Silver bars of play equipment worn smooth, glistened in the sun while the torn fabric seats of the swings gently swayed in a ground hugging breeze that came down the hill and stretched out around the school; swirling the sand of the ball field before hitting the woods and shattering into hundreds of tiny streams that rustled the leaves of the trees.

A  patched asphalt path wound its way around to the back of the school where it joined itself then shot off in the opposite direction cutting through a small thicket of trees, forking and ending at perpendicular dead end streets.  At the center of the thicket was a small clearing with a large dead tree that never seemed to rot and  was polished smooth with use.  A  timid stream, its banks thick with skunk cabbage, trickled into a tiny storm pipe underneath one end of the school property and came out through a giant pipe at the other.  There were two basketball courts (or blacktops as we called them).  The oldest for the first, second and third graders; the other, which sloped in one corner by the blackberry bushes and pooled water, was for the fourth and fifth graders.

The echoes of children at play screamed silence when school was out.   A peacefulness that was filled with the sounds of nature: bushes, trees, insects and the stillness of approaching dusk.  A stillness so thick you could touch it and eat it until it filled you and with every step you would enter deeper into it until there was nothing left of yourself but the movement of your body through air.

I knew a girl who only made it half way through.  She died in a plane crash and whatever her name was it’s been absorbed by the stillness and will remain there forever.  Her face a blur like trying to peer through a filthy classroom window with the sun at your back.  

I stand on the ball field and shout the names of childhood friends and listen as they are carried off;  absorbed into the bricks of the school and scatter among the top branches of the trees. And they answer me back, each and every one, from the stillness, where no child is ever forgotten.

Music: 51st Grammys

Rant. I'll now admit I'm getting old and crotchety about my music.  I made it into the 90s with Pearl Jam/Soundgarden et al...  However, the 00s haven't been very fruitful.

So, in my cruise through iTunes looking for new music (as I received an iTunes card for xmas), I came across the nominee list for the 51st Grammys.  The male/female pop category has always sucked.  But take a look at the other categories; does this just confirm my view that there's nothing new worth listening to?  Look at all the old timers, good God, even Motley Crue.  Even that crappy Eagles album has been nominated.

Now, in my defense, in my trolling for new music, I did come across a few bands who had a handful of decent songs: Shinedown, Egypt Central, Deepfield, Thriving Ivory, Pop Evil, Midnight to Twelve.  Not that I'd buy their entire CDs but a song here and there. So, I'd like to think I'm somewhat open minded to what's happening in today's music.

But this one thing I must be said, compelled yet again am I; Coldplay SUCKS.  I don't understand it; how is it anyone thinks that crap is any good?  They just plain suck.  I know I'll catch hell but...it must be stated.

The only solace I have in all this is that an old friend, along with his brother, have educated his son in music the likes of Led Zep and Gov't Mule.

Computer Passwords

I'm not in IT. I was an English Major who went to a computer votech school in order to change careers and leveraged that into what amounts to basically liaison positions between sales/marketing and IT.

I've worked in SFA (Sales Force Automation--providing computerized solutions to field sales forces) since 1999. So for this commentary, I've worked with remote users and have, obviously, used a office based computer for the same amount of time.

Currently, our field users log into our corporate portal but they are not a part of our domain through MS Active Directory. Meaning, they aren't recognized on our network, they log on using a product called OnDemand from Aventail. For those non-techies, don't worry about all this. My point will come soon enough. As such, we set our remote users with their log on password when we first give them their computer and then we never ask them to change it again.

[There are a number of reasons why we at the home office want to control the passwords and know it at any given time--anyone involved in SFA support will know why.]

At the home office, IT requires me to change my password every 90 days. This appears to be a standard IT password security process. However, anyone that works on-site Help Desk support knows exactly what happens when you ask the end user to change passwords so many times: they write the new password down and stick it under their keyboard. And of course, anyone wanting to inappropriately access another's computer, knows where to look for the password. (At least our IT dept allows us to choose our own password with few restrictions, but I have accessed other company websites where our password had to include one digit and one symbol-who the hell is going to remember that as they change it every 60 days? Of course I'm going to write it down and leave it in an easily accessible area.)

2009, it appears, will require us to have the remote field users become part of the domain. This has benefits (we won't go into), however, we are trying to negotiate with IT to not force the field into the 90 password change. Aside from the headaches it causes our support efforts, you know exactly what the field (primarily sales people) will do: write down the new password on a sticky note and leave it in the computer case (as these are mobile computers, small laptops, PDAs, etc...) for easy access to anyone wishing to access the network.

So, my point here is, that the standard industry practice of changing passwords every X days for security purposes is unrealistic and, in fact, less secure. It's a standard practice that is followed simply because it has become a standard practice. It's a check box on the list of things "to follow."

Think about all the passwords you have to have on the Internet, then having to change one at work every X days and remember that as well?

Not going to happen.

Music: The Eagles Long Road Out of Eden

I only now had a chance to checkout the songs on the Eagles' new album, Long Road Out of Eden.  There's a reason the cover shows a desert--because the creative well has dried up and gone barren.  It was so bad I felt compelled to post my first iTunes review: one star only because you don't have a "no star" choice and my headline simply read; This album blows...  

Xmas Day

Well, the presents have all been opened and raviolis consumed (though more broke this year than usual--I guess we really weren't up to snuff yesterday as we made them--the dough was too thin on too many.) Though, we did have a pan left over for freezing since we changed to the larger size glass.  Couldn't fit them all in the pot of water.

All the while the TX temp has been in the low 60s--not exactly white stuff weather, but par for course here.

Now, it's time to sit back and enjoy some wine.  Dessert will be along shortly and we'll all take dumps and fall asleep fat and happy...except those of us who suffer from heartburn and other lovely sleep problems from eating too much.

Hope everyone has had a lovely time this day.  And my sympathies to those who have to work tomorrow...day after Xmas should be exactly like Thanksgiving, everyone should be off.  One good thing about working for a pharma company, we're closed until 1/05/09.  Yes, it's ok to envy me.

Christmas Dinner

Well, the raviolis are in the garage drying out for tomorrow. Worst part, my back went yesterday and was in severe pain.  A couple of trips to Chiro and all is better.  

Last year, my daughter did the bulk of the work, this year, eh, at 15 not so much in the mood.  I try to get my son involved, after all, one hopes it passes on down the male line as well as the female but he's just too Irish.  Doesn't like sauce and has generally bland taste.  I'm the only one of the 4 kids who continues this tradition that my father had, so I hope at least one of my kids will take it on as well for themselves and their family.  We'll see.

In the end, in order to get them done, feeling kinda crappy, we just increased the size of the glass. [You'll note from the recipe, we don't use a pasta machine, we use the old glass and fork method--truly made by hand.]

Malcolm Gladwell

Don't know if any of you have read Malcolm Gladwell.  His two books, Tipping Point and Blink were very enjoyable and insightful.  His new book, Outliers is also very interesting. Here's a link to an article related to the subject matter. Football fans will find the article very interesting.

Ravioli Recipe

Every Christmas, we make home made raviolis--something I grew up with and continue with my own family. For those who would like to try and make their own at any time, here is the recipe--leave any questions in the comment section:

SAUCE (if you double ravioli recipe you may need more sauce)

However you typically prepare your sauce otherwise: .

Lightly brown chopped garlic (amount to taste) in olive oil in the bottom of a pot—just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pot

Once brown pour in the cartons/cans (whatever) of tomatoes

Add Italian spices—however you prefer to do so….fresh herbs (just oregano or oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, sage) or store bought bottle. Either way, crush the dried herbs before adding to sauce—add as much to taste.

Simmer for at least two hours—(you can also add cooked meatballs and Italian sausage to the sauce for flavor if you like and eat those separately later)

Sauce always tastes better after sitting for a day

CHEESE FILING

(DOUBLE RECIPE or REPEAT IF NEED MORE RAVIOLIS)

1 1/2 pounds good Ricotta cheese (it's all about the cheese, so get good ricotta cheese)-if you use 3 pounds, this is more than enough for 4 batches of raviolis--4 batches can make upwards of 90 raviolis--depends on the size of the glass you use

1 - 2 Eggs (humidity in the air can affect the consistency of the cheese--if very dry you can add a third egg but no more if you are doing 3 pounds of ricotta)

1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (it's all about the cheese, so get good romano cheese) add more if needed—to taste-you'll probably need more than a 1/4 cup...especially if you are using 3lbs of cheese.

Handful of chopped parsley

Drain ricotta cheese—either with cheese cloth or punch holes in bottom or top of container and turn so holes face down and let water drain out—shouldn’t take long—if you have good ricotta then no need

Mix all ingredients together

RAVIOLI RECIPE

(below is what's needed for 1 batch--you should get between 20 and 30 raviolis per batch--again, size of glass matters as well)

3 CUPS SIFTED FLOUR (ALL PURPOSE)

1/2 TEASPOON SALT

2 EGGS

1 CUP WARM WATER (not all, only as needed)

MIX SIFTED FLOUR AND SALT TOGETHER IN BOWL

DROP EGGS INTO CENTER OF MIX---MIX WELL WITH HAND

SLOWLY ADD WATER (depending upon humidity in the air you may use the whole cup or not)

KNEAD UNTIL READY

CUT DOUGH INTO TWO BALLS

LET STAND 15 MINUTES

Roll out one of the balls of dough very thin but not too thin, mark a line in the dough that divides the flat piece into two sides.

Using a glass the size you want the raviolis to be, gently impress the mouth onto one side of the dough until you fill one side completely w/ circles.

Plop some of the cheese filling down into the center of each circle—not too much.

Using knife cut the dough in half along the line you already drew to separate the two sides.

Carefully peel the side w/ no cheese up and carefully fold it over onto the cheese side to cover the entire other side.

Use the glass again to firmly push down and twist around the cheese lumps to form separate raviolis.

Use a fork to seem together each ravioli. Re-rollout left over dough and repeat process until all dough is used and then repeat for second ball of dough.

Place the raviolis on a lightly floured and corn meal-ed cookie sheet or pizza pan.

Let raviolis dry over night covered in cool place—next day, place in pot of boiling water until done.

25th HS Reunion

I didn't make it but did get a copy of those who did attend:

Class of 1983 Whippany Park High School, Whippany, NJ

Music: What the hell happened to Rod Stewart?

Two of the greatest rock voices of all time are: Paul Rodgers (of Bad Co. fame) and Rod Stewart.

But what the hell happened to Rod Stewart?  Rodgers at least continues to make bluesy rock 'n' roll music or works with Queen.  Stewart on the other hand took off to record "standards".

While they may have sold well (since he had more than one volume of standards), they are a complete waste of this man's great raspy rock voice.  Even his latest batch of cover tunes leaves so much to be desired (Great Rock Classics of Our Time-sorry, just can't link to this let down)--which includes a Bread softy, 80s Jon Waite...even Fooled Around and Fell in Love, while a great Elvin Bishop song, it's a song for Mickey Thomas not Rod Stewart.  Great rock classics?--Rod what have you been smoking?

Alas, we are faced with our rock legends growing old. Unfortunately, I can't say all with grace.  The blues legends could keep doing what they did until they died, but I'm sorry, it's just sad watching Mick Jagger try to still sexually slink his way across the stage when he's only several years younger than my father.  This past summer's Rolling Stone's cover of Led Zep was just plain sad to look at.  Jimmy Paige looks like someone's grandfather--at least Robert Plant went off with Alison Krause rather than continue to squeal "ooooh, yeah, yeah" at his age.

Truth

When younger, I pursued what I thought had to be the "truth" of a subject.  If we were arguing politics, religion or Macs vs. PCs I always figured there had to be one answer that was better, closer to the truth than any other.

I was very political in my youth...still am to some degree, just not as engulfed by it all.  And, to be honest, I liked to argue...not to prove I was right but to prove that what I believed is right, otherwise, if I was wrong, well, how are we to define our lives if what we believe is wrong?

I used to try and equate it to plotting degrees on a map or some destination in space; if off by even one degree, the farther out you went the farther from your destination you would be off course.

At some point, I learned, that to just argue a point, was, in fact, pointless unless you did your homework.  We all tend to express our opinions based on what we think we know or we think is common sense or common belief--opinions held by our peers, on the nightly news or is in the mainstream.

Side note: my belief in the main stream media I'll simply sum up by referring to Noam Chomsky (and his excellent book Manufacturing Consent).

A perfect example is the belief, often expressed in main stream media, that Unions are out of date, or are a cause of whatever problem being discussed.  The auto bailout is an example of this--the first thing everyone typically attacks is unions as being a major cause of the problem.

I believe in unions and used to frequently argue the topic in my youth until one day, in my pursuit of the truth, I decided to actually do some research.  One side or the other had to be right. However, if you think merely doing the research was a simple solution, you'd be surprised.  You really have to be aware that there is good research and bad research and just because someone has done research doesn't make it legitimate.

Without being too arrogant, I think I learned to do good research and to have good judgement when in college and from experience in researching other topics.  I typically look at the sources and notes before buying or reading a book to see if it meets my personal criteria for fair/decent research.  This is one of the reasons I have such a high opinion of Judith Rich Harris' book mentioned in my earlier post on parenting.

So, I did the research on unions and learned that a lot of what we hold as common beliefs are just wrong.

In the end, what I've learned is that some people, most people never want to let go of the common beliefs no matter what you present them with and you end up with an Us vs Them mentality where the truth just doesn't matter.

BTW-I don't necessarily believe that there is a single truth to anything anymore-at 44, I'm not sure what I believe...

Parallel Universes

I've only just gotten into reading on this, but one has to admit, it gets your brain churning.  More thoughts on this later.

Fate

The infamous "they" say, "everything happens for a reason" and "if it's meant to be, it's meant to be".

I know many people prescribe to these two "philosophies".  

Here's what I think:

First the "reason" idea: As long as we are using the word reason to mean "cause" then, yes, everything does happen for a reason--everything is caused by something, even if we do not know the root.  Thus, to sate that "everything happens for a reason" is merely stating the obvious.  For those who think that there is often no known possible causes beyond some "other-ly power"--I refer you to the chaos theory (or for those less inclined you can watch Ashton Kutcher in The Butterfly Effect).

Then the "meant to be": I guess since my first marriage did not last, it wasn't "meant to be" but if it had, it "was meant to be".  It's what we tell ourselves when things don't go the way we thought or wanted--it's a consolation.

For those who may feel I'm being too rational or taking away the mystery, I don't feel my views of these "sayings" by any means takes away the awe, wonder and mystery of life.

Quotes

When I was changing careers and going part-time to Chubb Institute for computers I kept with me a small copy of a Monet print: Girl With Parasol. I also kept several quotes and literary passages. Both helped me get through all the technical stuff by balancing the left side of my brain with the right.

As a reminder, I was an English major in college and not completely technical. I've add several quotes and passages since. Below are the words I still have hanging in my cubical at work.

You do all you can to humanize and familiarize the world, and suddenly it becomes more strange than ever. The living are not what they were, the dead die again and again, and at last for good.

Saul Bellow (The Adventures of Augie March)

How strange to think there was a time when all those first times were yet to come. The first time we kissed...the first time she shed her clothes for me; the first time my bare palms pressed her bare breasts; the first time...Then suddenly all these first times were passed through, like a dizzy mist; there was this woman who had stepped out of the possibility into actuality, as if I had validated her existence. To put your arms around another. To say, be mine, be here, always be here. And then one day, she was gone; where she had been there was air.

Graham Swift (Ever After)

We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end.

Benjamin Disraeli

We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from it.

William Osler

You're only out when you stay out and you stay out when you don't believe.

David + David (Swallowed by the Cracks)

The clouds above us join and separate,

The breeze in the courtyard leaves and returns.

Life is like that, so why not relax?

Who can stop us from celebrating?

Lu Yu

His death was quiet; rain on the sea.

I know only fragments of what Athos' death contained: no less than all the elements and their powers, ten thousand names for things, the humility of lichen. The instincts of migration: stars, magnetism, angles of light. The energy of time that alters mass. The element that reminded him most of his country, salt: olives, cheese, vine leaves, sea foam, sweat. Fifty years of intimacy with Kostas and Daphne, his memory of their bodies at twenty; his own body, as a child, at fifteen, at twenty-five and fifty, the selves that remain as we age, just as words remain on the page though darkness erases them. Two wars, which are both the rotten part of the fruit that can't be cut away and the fruit; that there's nothing a man will not do to another, nothing a man will not do for another. But who was the woman who first unbuttoned for him the two birds of her breasts in a night garden? Did he remember Helen's hands holding his or were they in his hair or were her arms outstreched when his head rested on her thighs? Did they imagine children, what words did they regret? Who as the first woman whose hair he washed, what song could have been his own voice singing of love when he first heard it?

When a man dies, his secrets bond like crystals, like frost on a window. His last breath obscures the glass.

Anne Michaels (Fugitive Pieces)

There was a wall in him that no one reached. Not even Clara, though she assumed it had deformed him. A tiny stone swallowed years back, that had grown with him and which he carried around because he could not shed it. His motive for hiding it had probably extinguished itself years earlier...Patrick and his small unimportant stone. It had entered him at the wrong time in his life. Then it had been a flint of terror. He could have easily turned aside at the age of seven or twenty, and just spat it out and kept on walking, and forgotten it by the next street corner.

So we are built.

Now there is a moat around her he will never cross again. He will not even cup his hands to drink its waters. As if, having travelled all that distance to enter the castle in order to learn its wisdom for the grand cause, he now turns and walks away.

Michael Ondaatje (In the Skin of a Lion)

Hindi

Let me share a little bit.

There are plenty of places on the web to translate European languages.  Here's one that will translate Hindi languages.  If you like aesthetics you'll love the way these languages look.  I'm particularly fond of Sanskrit.

Share a little more.

I have a tattoo.  On my arm, that I got when I turned 30.  Not because I had a problem turning 30 but it was an emotional/mental need as my first marriage was falling apart.  We happen to take a ride out to a Connecticut state park on Long Island Sound and I saw this one guy with a bear paw tattoo on his back and it just hit me that I could do that.  Maybe it was doing something I wouldn't normally do.  Don't know.

In the end, I got a cougar paw print on my left upper arm.  I'd like to get just one more--my kids' names written in...yup, Sanskrit.

Dreams

I found my old dream log from the early '80s--covering the years 1980/81 (I was 15/16 yrs old).  I've recently tried to resurrect writing my dreams into a log.  But now, I'm just about 44 yrs old and the dreams fade so fast and I'm so tired I just can't get anything written down.

Looking over the old journal, I was able to capture as many as 3 or 4 dreams in one night.  Despite what some of you may think, not all of the dreams was sexually oriented.  Though I won't deny...some where.

The challenge with a dream log is, "a picture is worth a thousand words."  You're basically trying to capture a mini movie in words.  Not only are you trying to capture the story line but all feelings and meanings.  A very short simple dream can easily fill a whole page of writing.

To top it all off, you're trying to get it all down as fast as possible before the vision and the feelings fade.

Dream interpretation is a whole other matter.

Music: Retrospection 2

OK...I just looked on Rolling Stone's site for the top albums of 2008.  #1: TV on the Radio--this is the best of 2008?  And #2 is an album of "out takes and orphaned songs" by Bob Dylan.  Then Evil Urges is the "mightiest rock band of the year".

All I can say is, 2008 must've sucked for music.

Fiction 2

Another fiction snippet:

His thoughts were blank.  He finished installing a dishwasher and didn’t know what to do next.  Moving from room to room he picked up small things and moved them around.  Maybe his wife was having an affair or maybe she wasn’t.  Maybe his teenage daughter hated him or maybe she didn’t.  Maybe his son didn’t care one way or the other...or maybe he did.  He just didn’t seem to have a grasp on his world, he merely moved from one time consuming task to another.  Work was work, home was home and the drive between was merely radio time.  Every few months he’d sit in front of the computer and write...stuff like this...to try and prove to himself he was still alive.  Or he’d read on-line articles at Z Magazine, get himself all worked up and swear one day he’d do something about it all.  But in the end, the writing only lasted a couple of paragraphs, he’d log off the computer, pour himself another glass of wine, watch a movie and go to bed.

Auto Bailout

No matter what happens please don't let the current problems stop GM from releasing this in February.  I am NOT a car guy, never have been--they're just money pits on wheels.  The only car I ever really liked was the original Mustang but after seeing the new forthcoming Camaro nothing comes close to holding a candle to it.

Just a word about my fiction...

Just to be clear, any fiction I post here is only sections of writings I could never finish.  Mostly what you see posted is all there is--scraps of thoughts.  Nothing I'll probably ever finish and they're from all time periods over the last 8 or 10 years slapped down from my brain onto paper.  I guess you can say they are more like fuzzy glimpses through dirty windows.

Parenting

I don't usually say much about parenting--we all do things differently and I'm not one to tell anyone else how to raise their kid (exceptions being any kind of abuse).  But here's a fairly recent article I just read from the UK.  In the article, the author brings up a book by Judith Rich Harris I read when it came out 10 years ago.  I've read and re-read this book and I highly, highly recommend this book to everyone (not just parents).

Regardless of how you feel after reading the book, it will make you think, not just about your kids, if you have them, but about your parents and friends and how you were raised.

I buy into the premise of the book very much so.  My college minor was sociology and I've done a lot of reading in this subject as well as psychology and social psychology and Judith Rich Harris' book is the only book that both ties all the pieces together but explains the gaps and contradictions I've always encountered in both subject matters.

Here is her website.  There are lots of links and articles to read, lots of opinions. Again, I highly recommend her book above most all books I've ever read--and her writing is very accessible with a good sense of humor.  And that's all I've got to say about parenting.

Fiction 1

This is a first of a post based on my fictional writings.  In a nutshell, I can usually start a story, re-write it several times and then never get any further with it.  I thought I should just compile them like short stories and call it, "Unfinished Business".

Anyway, enjoy...or not...I never said my writing was any good:

...of all the things the way they were, the way they are and the way they will be...and all the things the way I wish they had been, wish they were, wish they would be…a swishing cauldron that too often spills over and seeps into my veins, into my bloodstream and...

What happened to us?

It rained.  It’s raining. At least I think so.

He lies in bed listening to what he thinks is rain but could be just the wind.

"What happened to us?" she asks.

"I don’t know." He answers, as he has a hundred times before.

He gets up and looks out the window, back at the bed; it’s empty. No rain.  It hasn’t rained in days.  There is only himself in a mirror.  He’s had this conversation too many times and she always says the same thing, though he knows if he ever ran into her it would be he who asks, "What happened to us?"

I don’t know where I am or what I’m doing.  "I don’t know what’s happening and I don’t know what I’m doing." He said it again aloud, as if expecting a response.

How do you keep from being a joke?

Sometimes I wish my father had just whacked off in the shower instead of having fucked my mother thirty years ago.

What happened to us?

___________________

Here's a one liner I always liked:

Sometimes...there’s nothing sweeter than a James Taylor song.

Music: Retrospection

Basically, I'm a 70s AOR (that's Album Oriented Rock for you kids) kind of guy when it comes to music.  Not to say I don't listen to other types of music or other "times" but as a generalization, this description works.  So, yes, I'll listen to everything from Pearl Jam to Enya, lots of classical or jazz when in the mood etc...I hated the 80s music, the 90s was better, but today, I don't know it all sounds the same to me.  Coldplay does nothing for me--and it all sounds like that.  

I also have a penchant for lesser known bands and songs of the day: Tarney Spencer Band, Diesel, Sniff 'n' the Tears, Animal Logic, the Babys, Manfred Mann's Earth Band et al...

It's because of this that I don't listen to the radio and now that I've an iPod shuffle (the kids get the good stuff, even though their taste in music sucks and they only have like 10 songs to load on 30 gigs), I just plug this into the car radio and never have to listen to anything I don't like.  [Back in Jersey, I'd listen mostly to WDHA, the Jersey rock station instead of the NY stations--I met Kathy Millar once--she was very good looking.]  Now, I rely on iTunes to find out about anything new.

But this all makes me wonder: have I reached musical arrested development?  Am I incapable of liking today's music?  Though I have noticed that women seem better than men at keeping up with the day's music as time goes on.  Ah, well I guess I'll just keep listening to Donnie Iris again...{future music posts: old guys, dead guys and what the hell happened to Rod Stewart--what a waist}

Genesis

While never a huge fan of Peter Gabriel; am very much a fan of Steve Hackett.  However, this is not why I labeled this entry Genesis--it's because this is my first blog entry and oddly enough, I'm a complete blank as to what I want to say.  I wonder if He had the same problem, ya know, like: "OK, let's do this....um....er..." before He finally hit upon let there be light and all.

"Then why blog, dumb ass?" I know you're saying to yourself.  Because I wanted to join in and say whatever the hell I wanted to say just like everyone else.  My brain droppings smell no worse than anyone else's...  If I want to say I think Sarah Palin is one of the most frightening people in the world and yet she's the perfect MILF (just like Madonna was the perfect slut back in the 80s)--I can.

So, what to expect moving forward? Some pictures, some ramblings, some fictional writings and whatever else I can think to throw in.