The Veil Dropped a Long Time Ago

I just sent this off to a Mister John Edwards for President, 2008, on his myspace page.

Dear Mr. Edwards 2008 Campaign Volunteer,

Even though I think our country would be better run by a candidate from the Democratic side of this bi-partisan system we have clumsily manipulating this great nation of ours, I can't help but wonder what sort of qualifications a politician has in making any of these decisions.

If Mr. John Edwards were to sit down and have a one-to-one chat with me, explaining what he expects to do if elected, I would consider giving him my support, but that's not going to happen. I'm not a corporation like Globo-Chem or Conglomo-O looking for ways to raise the bottom line, by padding pocketbooks in the disgraceful popularity contest that used to be a serious affair.

In 2008, I think I'll vote for the candidate I disagree with the least.

Sincerely,
Z


Ahh... Grandma Betsy's Biscuit Powder.

Fueled by stimulation

The last post I put up was a hint as to what the future could hold.

I didn't take the time to work on the new idea over the weekend. I went to see films at the Wisconsin Film Festival.

Chalk
Linda, Linda, Linda
Climates

Good movies. Good times. I'm not going to comment on them, other than this. Chalk is akin to NBC's the Office. Climates is a really slow moving story but still advisable to see. Linda, Linda, Linda wasn't entirely what I expected but still a fun movie.

Back to realtime. I sat down today to start on this new project, and I'm quickly learning that I have a highly unrestrainable writing style. I would talk about it more but I'm trying to keep it under wraps until it's close to being completed. (Who knows how long that will take.)

A moment of Silent Staring

I spent a good 15 minutes last night just sitting on my bed, staring at nothing. Listening to nothing. Thinking. About what? I don't remember.

I've had a lot to do as of late. Work is busy as usual. I'm pretty much off the photocopy job, which is a good thing. I make more money at the other job now and I end up having a few more hours in the day to work on writing. Writing what? I don't know... nonsense poetry, esoterics, banal tripe.

Today was a good day for writing.

I came up with a few lines. "There are stars in these skies. There are 13 points to an object." which I quickly followed up with "Bushido Blade blister parade." I decided that the first two had something and then then third one was just crap. I boxed that one off, quarntined it if you will, and then kept working with those ideas. There's something in those two lines that needs to be expanded on. I'm going to give myself some sort of outline and work from there.

And as much as I would like to say that this blog is dead, I just posted another post... so figure that one out.

(Zombie Post)

How is it possible?

When a moment grabs you, it's really hard to say no.

I wrote something about it today without really knowing what specifically I was actually trying to say. It's one of those things where everything has to be right and yet when I try to make it right, it just looks like a bunch of cut up magazine articles, glue, streamers and glitter.

Here it is...

Oh my dear sweet savior's nose gay on the rolling hills. Folding chairs. Blankets on the lawn. Dispirited by a screwdriver and a lighter.
Bring Hope down the line.
That you've known this before. Divine Splinter-vention at the turtle convention... and the snails feel left behind yet content with the glowing eyesockets picture lockets dangling off the cable pipeline snoring to keep you awake while you sleep, drool, frolic in the gray.
Bishop of Eggs. Evaporate. Quick tabulate.
ROBOTS!

... that it.

Or I could sum it up in a pilfered line. "Look at me and tell me if you've known me before."

Haleas flasdj fk-w0rnv

Yeah... That's about all I got.

I"m taking a fucking break from Access '07. Brain is fried from trying to get a new database up and running for the office. It'll be great on the resume. It'll be great once I get it done. I dunno.

I put in my notice at the photocopy job. I had a long day on Monday and decided that I'm very, very, very unhappy with where I am and what I'm doing and need to kick my ass out of this stupid rut. I can't justify making the kind of money I make when I am capable of earning so much more for doing more challenging work. And stuff and things.

Where the i Divides has a show on Saturday in Kenosha, WI. What a trip!!! I haven't thought much about it. I finished off another new song that I've been kicking around since last fall. Then a new idea. Sure. The first album ain't done with the mixing process and we're already working on the next album. It's just a reference for the new material. It may be a while before that stuff get anywhere near a studio. The Quisling material, on the other hand, may be done over the next few months...

What's Quisling? It's the Nirvana-esque band I started last week after Joe gave me the impression he may be quitting the band. I put together two songs so far, musically. I still need to record them and kick out some lyrics for singin'. Eventuall we'll play shows around town and sell garage demos on burned CDs made with my computer and a few microphones. Rock and roll through and through. People will say, "Why does this sound like you recorded it in a barn?" and I'll relpy, "because it was."

What I'm most iimpressed with about all of this is that if someone had told me two years ago that I would be able to write a song in a matter of hours, and then bust out another one in the same night, I would have not believed them. Yet, now here I sit on a pile of songs and music that I've put together and there's always ideas for more. I think it was an interview with the New Pornographers that I read about that time that I realized that I wanted to 'crank' out more songs. Good songs. Bad songs. Filler. It didn't matter. The good would move on and the bad would fall away but they'd be done.

And special b-day wishes to my sis.

Just a thought

Why is it that people who use "religion" to their advantage to get elected lack the conscience or understanding that their conduct should reflect those values?

What the hell ever happened to honesty, compassion, and concern for your fellow man or woman regardless of who they are or their profession. (See the story of Jesus and the Woman at the Well.)

I'd much rather have those things than any religious affiliation or religious endorsement for someone I would potentially vote for.

Personal news update

Last post was me on a misery Monday. I've been ground down by the constant recording sessions debacles that seem to be cropping up. (Crapping up?) Over the weekend, I finished guitar tracks and some organ tracks. Travis has this super awesome vintage GE organ that has a fan in it. You plug it in and press a key and it opens a valve that lets air through to create a sound. It's pitched different than a true 440 so we're going to have to shift the entire track but thank god for protools (sometimes).

Saturday went well. Stuff was accomplished. I'm still not happy with the solo I recorded for the song "Jerkwater". It's not quite right. It's there, it's okay, but it lacks the power and flow that I need it to have. I listened to some Tool yesterday and am thinking I'm going to use that as a point of reference for that song. Acoustic guitar tracks on the song "Stepped Oustide" need to be re-recorded since we used Travis' Kingston and it's next to impossible to tune and my acoustic tuner needs new batteries. I'll have to drag my Oscar Schmidt acoustic in. The strings are probably rusted to hell and will break when I start playing but that'll just add to the overall effect I was going for with the Kingston. And then we got to Sunday...

Joe was late due to the time shift. We hammered away at one song for three point five hours with retakes and punches but it just wasn't coming out quite right. Then we switched songs and that wasn't working to well either. Compounded with the fact that Joe has changed most of the lyrics that he's had for the last year, it wasn't a good session. By the end, he was sprawled out on the floor, destitute and forlorn. So we listened to all of the songs, what we have so far and that just shot his confidence till the clip was empty. Stupid singers and their esteem issues. He said that "Plastic Head" needs to be retracked. All of it. The song was too slow. That'll take a day to do the instruments. He said that the solo on "One Day" needs to be the one I recorded for the demo. He wants to redo all vocal tracks. (roll eyes.)

So I had this haunting sensation on Monday that everything I was doing was wrong. Working on music is just a pipe dream that's going to go nowhere and I'm just living in Madison right now pretty much for the music. If it weren't for the band, I'd probably be living in Montana right now. I almost moved on Tuesday. Packed up and left. Figure out the situation after the deed was done.

Tuesday came and went with me pushing through the day. I filled out my application for paralegal school and sent it in. I've had it for almost a month now and it took me five minutes to fill out. No commitment, just the idea of doing something that I'm not apeshit hogwash crazy about, and going to school for it. But it travels, like turning wrenches or pouring drinks. You can do it anywhere.

So that's it. I'm in a funk... the rickety funk of springtime doldrums. Pushing myself past the easy road to depression and keeping focused on getting myself out from under the opression of the B.O.A Constrictor so I can finally tell them to fuck off for good.

Gotta get some work done now. These services don't enter themselves into the computer.

Self-indlugent crap post

"Don't fret precious I'm here, step away from the window and go back to sleep.

Lay your head down child. I won't let the boogeymen come. Count their bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums. Pay no mind to the rabble. Pay no mind to the rabble.

Head down, go to sleep to the rhythm of the war drums.

Pay no mind what other voices say. They don't care about you, like I do, (like I do.) Safe from pain, and truth, and choice, and other poison devils, see, they don't give a fuck about you, like I do.

Just stay with me, safe and ignorant. Go back to sleep. Go back to sleep. I'll be the one to protect you from your enemies and all your demons. I'll be the one to protect you from a will to survive and a voice of reason. I'll be the one to protect you from your enemies and your choices son. They're one and the same.

I must isolate you. Isolate and save you from yourself.

Stay with me, safe and ignorant. Just stay with me. I'll hold you and protect you from the other ones.

The evil ones, don't love you son. Go back to sleep."


* * * * *

I miss the tall green grass turned brown full of grasshoppers as mule deer stare silently stoic on the rise above the gravel road for running in the middle of nowhere soon too soon turned into "Suburbia" with fake trees and sod lawns meticulously watered each night like robbers-stealing-gold-from-the-only-stagecoach-through-these-parts out of the river that pulls all the silt from the fires of last summer down to the ocean if not for the hydroelectric dams.

I miss sitting in one spot for hours and moving the world beneath wheels while the dreams of sessions in isolation booths spill their woven magic into my state of staring and moon craters and sand blasting and cigarette smoke for miles.

I miss lack of hope.

I miss that the most.

Meow Meow

This is almost as good as Chamberlain auditioning for Danny J's Metal Project. Hailing a taxi from Trav's, rollin' out to Mt. Horeb.

But it comes nowhere close to Travis putting on his own production of A Streetcar Named Desire with his cats. That would be worth a website. Not to mention totally worth seeing, even with the nip floatin' around.

(rather than mention anything about the Libby verdict. It's just unfortunate that nothing is going to be done about the rest of them. Hit the scapegoat with a few years in minimum security and then let him out and no one will remember it. It'll be forgotten by '08 anyway unless Cheney decides he has a chance at being president.)

Recording up-to-date

The band has been left out of the discussion mix for a while. We've been recording through the month of February, pretty much every Saturday and Sunday.

Yesterday was the first day of vocal tracking. Joe was spot on for some songs and sounded good all around. He had been practicing. I noticed one song that was "finished" has either a guitar or a bass track that out of tune. I'm hoping that it's not the bass. If it is, I have to re-rent the amp we used, and I don't really want to do that.

There are guitar parts that need to be retooled. Several solos that still need to be worked out. It's been a long process of weekends spent listening actively. And that's the part that really wears you out.

We (the band) are hoping to have all twelve tracks "in the can" in three to four more sessions. That's including acoustic guitar parts, the remaining electric guitar parts, keyboard parts, vocals on half the songs (roughly) and several re-records of bass tracks. I'm tired of being optimistic about this process ever being over. It'll end, eventually.

And then you can buy it. But why would you want to?

More from the land of milk an' honey

This seems to keep showing up.

Enough to make me wonder.

Then, there's this article from yesterday. It was about stuff and I can't find it now. Whatever.

So I did find this one.

I'm just a little bummed out by this information. When I was in high school, tracking students to college was the thing to do. Everyone was going to college to get a degree and a good paying job. No one ever took the time to say, "Hey, these assholes from the credit card companies want to turn you into their slave. They'll do their darndest, more so than the armed forces recruiters. You would be better served by staying away from them at all costs." Instead, they educated us to not use drugs.

So now, I abuse drugs to escape from the predicament. I still believe I can do anything. But I don't think that I'm good enough for anyone to really notice. Just an average Thimble-thumper pushing the shopping cart down the street picking up cans to recycle for change.

B.O.A. Constrictor

I received this e-mail from one of my slavemasters today.

******

Extend your 6.99% Promotional APR until October 2007*

It's time for a balance transfer.

Dear Z,
RE: Your account number ending in XXXX

Need extra cash this winter? Enjoy the warmth of a balance transfer. With a click, you can transfer balances, and use your promotional 6.99% APR through your statement closing date in April 2007. If a transfer is completed by your statement closing date in April 2007, then the promotional APR will be extended until October 2007. With just one monthly payment it's the perfect opportunity to:

Create extra cash flow when you transfer balances from higher-rate credit cards.
-Arrange for your dream vacation.
-Simplify your life by paying monthly bills with your credit card.
-Handle your finances conveniently on one statement.

Why not? Just click to open up a world of new possibilities for yourself. Go to exoticrapefantasies.com to transfer balances.

******
Here's my reply. (I did send this to customer support.)

******

Dear Bank of America

I really appreciate it when you encourage me to continue my apprenticeship in your indentured servant program, but I feel that I'm really not the person you're looking for. This position you have offered me has kept me in one place for far too long and there are other things I really have to do.

You see, I'm not a consumer anymore. I'm a creator, and a creator doesn't need things like televisions, extravagant dinners, leather sofas, or ipods that cost too much and take far too much of my energy. This energy is better spent creating and I have all the tools I will ever need to create.

So, continue raping the souls of the masses. I see no harm, if fucking people with no Vaseline till they bleed a horrible, soulless death is in fact, the moral thing to do... as long as your vacations are paid for, your ugly, waste-of-space houses stand over your heads, and your pampered children grow up with overpriced gadgets made from petrochemicals paid for in blood. Where's the foul?

Sincerely,

Z


******

I doubt I'll get a response.

(AG, you know what I'm talking about.)

Blah blah blah

I spent the entire day thinking about balloons filled with hydrogen at a birthday party at some elementary school.

Couldn't stop laughing about that. I know, it's sick, but still it's funny.

That got me thinking about consumption. Cycles of consumption. Then I got depressed, until I started thinking about the balloons filled with hydrogen and started laughing again.

Daily make due

Today, like most days, I pondered what I'm doing. And what is it I do? Make love to the machines.

I swear, when the world from the Matrix becomes reality, I'll be the one working for the machines, outside the matrix.

The dead speak... and they say, "I'm not dead yet."

I have been incredibly busy! Sorry to my friends who check in here. Life is demanding all of my attention. I’m lucky if I can find time to respond to the few e-mails I get everyday.

Things will slow down again. I don’t know when but within a months time, hopefully.

Work is merry work, and it’s exploding on all fronts. Too many 8am to 8pm days these last two weeks. Have you seen those Hupy and Abraham commercials? We do work for them. They keep us as busy as Ab-ra-ca-blab-ra.

The band is in full force recording mode, which means I’m in full force recording mode. Twelve songs. Bass and Drum tracks are in the can. Guitar and misc. ambient, etc. tracks are up to bat and I’ve been spending my time rifling through the last years worth of demo recording archives of these songs trying to remember the good layering ideas I came up with.

I’ve also had to do “tone mapping” and I’m not quite done with that. (My deadline is Saturday morning. I use an effects processor live and each song has its own distinct preamp simulator sound that I use. Different gain levels, different delay decay times, choruses and reverbs, compression, vibrato, tremolo… the list goes on. Anyway, for some merry reason, I thought it would be a good idea to use a borrowed amp for a purer tone and now I have to craft the shifting sounds of my guitar through an array of tones in a piece of equipment I am unfamiliar with. (Kinda like puberty, or an internment camp.)

Twelve color-coded spread sheets, with copious notes attached to each, are on my list of things to finish either tonight or Friday, seeing as how Wednesday and Thursday are already planned till the later hours. Beh… I’ll get it done. I always do.

It makes me think with all of this labouring that I could have a better-paying job.

Speaking of jobs!

Joe had a “Reference” phone interview last week. I think the last job I applied for with him as a reference was mid December. A Cheerie two months ago!!! I need to research this. I seem to recall it was a job I was VERY interested in. (Re-apply?)

I gotta get some sleep. Affidavits do draft in the morning. They’re piling up on me faster than I can say, “What the Gas?”

I’ll do my best to stay up on things here, but no promises. Maybe even some more pictures!!! I got software to move pictures off my olde tyme digital camera but haven't had the time to set it up. Pooh!

Cloud Cultist Reporting

I got my copy of Cloud Cult's new album. Amazing piece of work it is, indeed.

Listen to Take Your Medicine on their site. You have to click on the listen to song link. I'm not going to upload my copy. You should just buy the damn thing if you like what you hear.

The song Your 8th Birthday is beautiful. I can't explain it but if you know the story of the songwriter, it'll move you.

Beantown?

I was at the gym tonight and I saw Keith Olbermann talking about the Aqua Teen Hunger Force that the kids seem to be into these days.

It's sad that we live in a day and age where marketing agencies are co-opting DIY tactics. It seems to me that it was a terrorist ploy, but since there was no "real" threat to anyone, no one cares.

Let 'em take your dreams, ideas, your creativity, and stuff it into their conduits. Go listen to your Cleanchannel Censorship. Watch your filtered cable.

May as well... the underground died with... nevermind.

Down and out.

I've been swamped with work. A 'ghost' from the past is pleasantly haunting the windows. "The funds" situation is keeping me blue. New line of work seems to be the only answer. I've been saying that since July. Talked to a person about a part-time job lead at a law firm. I doubt I'll hear back about that. Had a job offer at a fucking call center. Hell no! I don't talk on the phone for eight hours a day. I also learned that Boyne Resorts apparently bought all of the chain lodgings in Big Sky and turned them into satellite places to hole up more guests. No more, "Comfort Inn at Big Sky, this is Zach."

I did finally pick up Fullmetal Alchemist volume 9 this weekend. I have 1 - 8 and I received 10 and 11 for that holiday where you get gifts and it isn't even your birthday. I almost want to say that Fullmetal is getting to the point that all manga get to after the initial story takes off. Soap Opera City. It's a nice town to visit but around volume 17, I know I'm going to get bored. Same thing happened in Boys Over Flowers. Don't get me wrong, I love reading Boys Over Flowers, but I've fallen off on that whole story. Not enough time and not enough interest. (that and reading about Tsukushi and Tsukasa was like Jim and Pam on the office, american version, but with all out fighting.)

Okay? I'm not... for now.

Instead of posting more of nothing, I'll just put my reply to adorable girlfriend's comment on the last post (the one about my tattoo pictures) here to fill up space.

Well then, your expectations, AG, are far higher than I could ever aspire to reach.

These symbols are not for the "alterna-freak"-1995-fetish-fest I attend every third saturday down at the swap meet behind the Holiday Inn next to the Circle K.

The calves are a personal map. Much like the twin phoenix on my arms are reminders, the bars on my neck are a definition, and the Circle on my back is me.

Tattoos are not pictures in magazines in my world. To stroll into a shop and get something off of a flash sheet, "just because," is not in my vocabulary. Neither is quasi-nasi-neo-plasm.

And if you wanted to discuss this blogs new look, you didn't really specify the new look. The only thing that's changed is the bio pic. Did you want to discuss that? Does the fact that you can see the whites of my eyes disturb you? I know it kinda disturbs me.

And I think Dean should encourage me not only to waste time in my class... that I teach... at the rec center... with the raccoons... and the cheese curds, but also make more suggestions like the one about "squirrel fishing."

6 months later...

Okay, here's the pictures of the new tattoos. One of 'em needs to be fixed. The other is waiting on some color work once I have some money to waste. Kid Rock and the fourth of July.

Good times...

Grilled By the Sun

Paid my taxes last night. The beauty of the situation is this. I decided that I would put a new transfer case in my truck, again, in November, because the one that they put in for me in Mitchell, SD wasn't as good as they wanted me to believe. It was a tough decision to not sell it and sink more money into it but DAMN do I love that truck.

So I have an open balance that I still owe on it because it cost quite a bit of scratch. I've been dumping 400 quarters every so often on it and it's been slowly dimishing but I was counting on taking my "Sizeable" tax return and getting rid of the extra debt cloud hanging over me. Ha, HA! (emphasis on the second "ha")

Gets tricky here. Working two part-time jobs affords its benefits in many ways. I have flexible scheduling. I have time during the day to go and sit at a coffee shop in the middle of the day if I feel like working is for suckers and I want to read a book on Canadian westward expansion or the philosphical problems of Time and Space. (Which doesn't include my lunch break, also whenever I want it to be.) I also have next to no real responsibilty which means my pay isn't as much as it could, or should, be.

One thing that is a problem is knowing how much $$$ to withhold to get a good return, which this year I learned is about $40.00 a month more than I had anticipated. Needless to say, (is needless to say,) because I work less and make less at one job, per pay period, my employer keeps less of my money from me because it looks like I'm not going to break a certain tax bracket. Fortunately, the other job pays enough to bump me into the bracket I'm really in and each paycheck withholds more.

So I was expecting roughly a cool grand or so and ended up paying $18.00. Not bad, but I didn't want to spend the next few months re-paying off my truck. And!!! the truck is at the shop again getting E-brake cables replaced, oil change, tire rotation, and a new seal on the transfer case that these guys put in in November. (They're putting the new seal in no charge.) They're not bad guys and the family has been taking the cars to this same place for over 20 years now.

All in all, the bill went up, not down. I walked from downtown to Monona and stopped at the thrift store on the way. I bought two classy dress shirts and a nice pair of slacks that worked well with the shirts. I also scheduled my meeting/interview with the temp agency today. Time to grow up, again. But this time, I think I'm more than ready. I've tailored my lifestyle and routine to fit into the mold. I drink on Friday or Saturday. I don't stay up till three a.m. writing new material or recording second and third guitar tracks in search of the right part for that passage of the song. I go to the gym, I go to bed. I get up and do it all over again. Wishing for the day that I won't feel like I'm going to puke on the drive in.

Magic.

Puncuation question

Is the puncuation in this next sentence correct?

Are you saying, "Hell no! Tokyo here we come,"?

Or, is this correct?

Are you saying, "Hell no! Tokyo here we come?"

It seems cold outside today

Walking to work this morning (for the five minutes I was outside) was a challenge. I was carrying my cup o' coffee and a cigarette with no gloves on. I don't wear gloves, for the most part, due to the fact that I'm usually not outside for any extended period of time. It also interferes with my ability to smoke on my walk. (I have oversized gloves used for snowboarding.)

In short, I had a difficult time using my hands for the first twenty minutes I was at work.

But... the point of the post is this.

Greenland is melting!

I'm not happy to read this. 10K of ice seems like a lot to me. I will admit that I don't know how much is "a lot", but this is alarming.

And the 17% of US citizens that support the war want to be able to get their fossil fuels for cheap, guaranteed. Things have changed since the election last November. We'll see if things continue to change in the coming months. Maybe get warmer too. (We--Meaning the people who dislike winter, cold, and snow (myself not included)--can only hope.)

MLK

It would be a perfect day to be listening to "The Unforgettable Fire" but instead I'm jamming on Michelle Shocked's "Dub Natural."

I sat through the President's interview on 60 Minutes last night and found myself asking questions to the television and T-Rex (since he was there.) I don't understand how our Executive branch administration defines success in Iraq. I really don't get what he was saying. He kept being asked about his decision to send more troops and why and all he could say was that he wanted success. He didn't define success. He didn't explain why more troops would take us closer to "success."

I feel like he's either not a very good businessman or a very good businessman. Businessmen don't give up their secrets. Businessmen also know what their plan of action is. They don't show up to work and say, "What the hell am I going to do today?" They have plans laid out for their goals of where they want to be in the future. They're more likely to say, "What needs to get done so that our six month goal is met?"

Is he unable to tell the citizens of this country what his goals are? Does he have a plan for his "Success?" Or are we just doing this by the seat of our pants?

do nothing and remain

You would think with all the free time I've had today I would have something good to post about. Nope. Nothing.

Not going to play a drinking game with the state of the union going on tonight. Probably not going to watch it. (What kind of citizen am I? I just get tired of buzz-speak. Tired of people blowing like the wind cross the empty mind.)

I did read this today. Kinda made me laugh, on the inside. There's a line that compares salaries of Teachers to Janitors. So wonderfully amazing and true is our appreciation of both professions. The real reason why I can't afford a house has less to do with anything on that list. But at least I'm just one of the herd. I also overheard a conversation on a radio program yesterday with a comment about when Henry Ford raised the wages for his workers. His critics said that he was crazy to pay them more but he countered with the reply, "How can they buy my cars if they don't have any money?" This was from a phone interview. Here's essentially the topic that was discussed.

This just makes me sad.

"In other words, my conservative friends understand that mistreating your workers and ignoring the environment give you a competitive advantage. They just don't want us to do anything about it."

I keep feeling like I'm a stupid version of the guy that Russell Crowe played in A Beautiful Mind. I keep seeing things working in a big web of interconnected demise. Much like a worldview of perpetual decline.

"And it is true that the increase in inequality recently has not been somebody's conscious decision to do it. It's been a result of natural forces, including globalization, information technology. "

"-- people say to me, "Well, look -- look at what Wal-Mart does. I mean, look what it does for the consumer.
Well, if you can't afford health care for your kid, a cheap T- shirt is not much of a consolation. "

That takes the cake. And eats it too. That cheap T-shirt, Mr. Frank, could at some point be used as a tourniquet. (I saw these guys once in '97. Man that was a funny show.)

This is not a guitar.

I am at home today. Didn't have time to post at work. I did have time to catch up on RodAnon and then I got distracted by the Greek Mythology link he had. I couldn't figure the explanation of where the second divinity came from and what happened to the first or what have you... i.e. Kromdor 2 was worshiped by children in order to win the favor of the candycane hole fairies.

What?

So I'm pretty much just pulling this one out of thin air with Antiques Roadshow boring me to death. Mmmm... Maker's Mark... Oh wait, not the fine malt beverage to be enjoyed but an actual mark of a maker put on an object that could be cashed in.

I think I should expand on the last post, point 1. I went to a fund raiser on Saturday night for a guy I went to high school with. He has bone marrow cancer and he is going to have a hell of a time scraping together funds to pay for the operations. Some of the people who showed up were people from high school who I didn't have much to do with during our time together in forced institutional learning facility bondage but I have this ideal in my head that just because we didn't have much to do with each other then, maybe we might share something now. I'm open to what life has to offer. That said, I later found out that they were only there because several of them had donated items to be auctioned off and it was more about promoting their respective businesses over and above their concern for raising money for the man the event was for. That made me kinda mad.

I also talked to some people about Andy, my friend who passed away last year. He was good friends with the guy who has cancer. I was expecting more of Andy's (my) friends to show up but they didn't. I guess they had better things to do.

3. I don't really remember what that was about. I kinda just went off. I did have some fun learning what Krumpin' is. And then proceeding to "Krump" my two friends, Charity, and Alison who couldn't Krump me back. Sure I looked like a freak, but when do I not.

I also learned this great story to drop on people who don't know me or haven't seen me for a few weeks. It goes a little like this,

Me: Man, I've been so tired and sick these last few weeks.
Person I'm Telling the Story To: Oh really, what's wrong?
Me: I was feeling awful a few weeks ago, not eating and what I could eat was shooting right through me.
Person I'm Telling the Story To: That's disgusting.
Me: Yeah but then I ended up in the hospital because I was starting to get dehydrated and it turned out that I had an Inflamed Colon.
Person I'm Telling the Story To: Should you be drinking with that?
Me: My doctor says I shouldn't, but I do anyway.

Um. You Suck!

Alright. Now that I've tackled the problem of putting a title on this post, I'll proceed to the topics that have been bouncing around in my head for the last thirty minutes.

1. Life is about awareness. If you don't know this, you need to learn it. Once you learn it, you'll understand what I say when I mean, "Life is for living."

2. I apologize to the daily reads (DASC, AG, DB (your package has been mailed)), I've been busy with things, i.e. life, and I'll get to it when I get to it.

3. The Band has a manager. Do we need one, you ask? Sure as shit we need one (who wants to work with us as a partner rather than someone who wants us to pay her lots of money.) I don't have the fucking time to do all of that shit. I don't have the time to work on new material right now. 2007 is the year. I've got a life to live. And Fuck You for watching me dance my ass off tonight and thinking in your small, pathetic, afraid of a spiritual experience affiliated with music and movement mind that I'm the one who's crazy, weird, bizzare, something you'll never want to be. (This is aimed at people who don't read this blog (most likely) because I'm sure that most of my casual readers were at Barnes & Noble tonight and the HARDCORE readers were all watching B Movies with either Martha Quinn or Nic Harcourt depending on which side of the nation you live on (Flyover states excluded. If you live there, you were at the local Y and/or BPOE playing bingo and winning because those damn seniors are too slow.)

Tangent over!

Life is for living. (or sleeping it off)

There seems to be a flow in the atmosphere that's making me a bit angry.

I've been noticing things like the fact that the lakes in Madison have yet to freeze over.

I've been noticing that there's no snow.

I've been noticing that plants that should be brown and dormant are not.

I've been noticing that the rust spots on my truck aren't getting exponentially bigger this "winter" due to the lack of salt all over the roads.

I saw some kite surfers out yesterday. They were getting ready to climb into lake Monona. It was 47 F out. They had wetsuits.

Last year Kites On Ice was canceled due to funding, I think it might have been brought back by people who just decided to do it without all the money, but this year, if it's even planned, it'll be kites on water, with people in fucking pontoon boats.

“We created Polar Jam as a replacement for Kites on Ice,” says Keith Peterson, Madison Festival’s event manager. “Kites was a very popular event, but in recent years the weather situation in Wisconsin became too iffy. It was anybody’s guess whether or not there was even going to be any ice for the kiters to fly on.”

There's a big X-country ski race that's going to happen in the next few weeks on the capitol square. Last year, they had to truck in an ungodly amount of artifical snow. This year, it'll be the same story. Thank god the trucks they are using to haul all of that fake snow run on eco-friendly fuels like hydrogen or water.

Fuck Global Climate Change!

Nay, End of the year, Naught

This is it.

I had a post that I was going to work on before the end of the year and I've got a draft saved but it'll have to wait till the weekend, next weekend.

Till then, get drunk and vomit and forget the fact that you're only celebrating an arbitrary mile-stone. I'll be rocking out on stage. Clearing the room with my feedback and noise!

Back at work... yech.

So I have to work today. First day of the raise. Not a bad raise either... it's aparent that the other job would give me a raise if there wasn't as many employees working there. Since I'm toeing the line at both jobs and not taking time off, we're understaffed there and they don't have their usual cronies to do all of the work. Inevitably, the work falls onto my shoulders. (Not just the heavy lifting but also the bulk of the copying, CD/DVD reproduction, and the usual office janitor crap I do as well. I can do pretty much everything at that job but I don't have to nor do they want me to.) It's just a bad situation. They would appreciate me more if I had more responsibility given to me, and I can only steal so much from the other employees before it would turn into a cat fight. (I work with catty people at that job.)

It's just more encouragement for me to keep my nose in the want ads. I'm not desperate for a new job, but I'm not happy with the lack of opportunity in my current roles.

I also stumbled onto this today in my online readings. Funny, I always thought the point of the game Monopoly was to drive everyone else into bankruptcy.

Just one more thing to make me angry. Intellectual property is an absolute HS scheme. It's a scheme that's in desperate need of change, "updation" (update-tion), & improvement. I get how a person, an individual, can own the rights or patent for an idea they came up with but I don't understand how a corporation can own a patent. Most copyrights last for a certain time period after the death of the owner to protect the estate, but I don't know when a corporation dies? Dissolution? I can't get a solid answer out of my boss but I haven't pressed him in a while. Maybe I'll do that again, soon.

Peace on earth. War in the heavens. Isn't it Boxing Day?

Petty upselling.

I told AG she should read my myspace blog for some kicks.
I also posted a poem there last night/this morning. (Don't you just love poems posted on blogs Dean?)

It's been a banner week for online activity for me. I think I'll take some time tonight to think it over.

Going to go watch the Gusto tonight with some friends. If you like punk rock, you might like them. I'm not a big punk rock fan myself but I think Pat is a stellar guitar player.

(check it, they have a show TBA on their site in Boston on Jan. 10th.)

What the crap... this is great!!!

The namesake of this blog created this on taxdollars!!!!

This was just too funny. I'm sorry if you don't get it. No, Really. I'm sorry for you on so many levels.

They're dancing.

Two-fer Monday

A while back I mentioned this.

Went yesterday. It was a good time/it was a terrible time. I was stunned by the beauty of the marionette scene. Wow. They don't grow mushrooms that good.

The young girls sitting next to me seemed to think that the movie was like attending a high school football game where they could just hang out, get snacks, and run out of the theater every ten minutes (which meant that I had to move to let them out into the aisle.) I hate children! I am a child.

Check this Sausage

Okay. Sheeple.

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." (found here)

Where in this oath does it list the things he's doing? I'm not saying that this is the first president to do this but come on. Save the constitution.

Save it for the weekend.

* * * * *

How's that for a post? Lots of links and political and shit. Keep the oxygen tanks on this week 'cause it's the only way I'm going to get through it. I have a list of songs to finish for my sister before she fly's in from Colorado. I've got to clean up my act. Defecate a bunch of paintings for the Video Project. Get my present for everyone on my damn list completed and in the frickin mail. Make excuses for not blogging more. Ride the Dragon.

So much to do.

With that, here's a nice christmas story for you:

Cybernetic Ghost: I'm not finished. You should have gotten a snack. A war-like race of elves from the Red Planet landed on the ice-encased Earth and they were immediately enslaved by the unevolved Santa Ape to make his confused toys using galactic elfin technology. Toys were made into recognizable shapes and given names like "train," but these toys were also thrown at predators and defecated upon because they were so stupid. Christmas still sucked, in a big way.

Just a seed

I know that these are a little long-winded.

Non-renewable seeds.

Globalization

I keep feeling like I wake up from a nightmare and I want to go back to sleep because the nightmare is not as scary.

Been asleep at the wheel

"Just a thought"

No two sets of similar forces are in balance; in the individual world the forces of destruction always prevail at last, and in the universe at large the forces of preservation prevail at all times.


* * * * *

That was the thought.

As of late I've been teaching myself how to play "New Years Day" for our upcoming show. It's actually a really simple song and it's more a matter of deciding which subtle part in the recording I want to play. I've also been listening to live versions of the song to get a better feel for it.

Joe said he didn't want to cover a U2 song ever and then Danny J. drops that song as an idea and Joe's like, "Okay." I don't know what's going on anymore.

I also have to try to put some more time into the project I started with my sister last spring. Five songs that I haven't finished yet. Been busy not working on them. It takes time to not work on stuff. Maybe later this week. Maybe later this year. Maybe later next year. Ugh.

Recording is work

I have the mixed tracks of the demos and they sound okay. Could be better.

It's been fun trying to explain to the engineer that I want the replacement guitar track to drop out at the end and the original one to come back in. I recorded it last Saturday night without the bass and there's no drums in that section so I just did it willy nilly and now it's out of sync with the bass line. I haven't listened to the new version of it yet but I'll do that this evening.

Joe is in charge of putting the songs up on the myspace page. I don't know if he's got them up yet. I'll put an offical announcement up when they're there. They're aren't Great tracks. They're demos to get us local gigs and that's about it. Our next goal is to prep for our New Years Eve show and get squared away on recording the songs. That will be the nightmare of nitpicking and paining over a wrong note here, a flat note there, a drum hit that's a few milliseconds off. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not looking forward to it.

I also have to go see Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny tonight! Of course, it wasn't going to stay around long in theaters and I've been procrastinating in seeing it and tonight's the last night in town so it'll have to be done.

I do suggest seeing Jesus Camp. It's not a bad film, as far as the horror genre goes. I love the fact that the camp session is called, "Kids on Fire." Classic Irony.

Science? No frickin' way!

So yeah. I can't resist being stupid to do this.

Sheesh... Do what they tell you and don't ask why.

In the name of SCIENTIFIC exploration, How quickly does news travel in the Blah-go-shpere?

It's sad to see it go... but what fun it'll be!!!

Devotchka is going to be in town tomorrow. I'm interested to see the changes to their frontman's appearance. From what I've heard, he's let himself go.

Got the guitar tracks done last night. Stayed up till 2 am recording. That stupid solo actually kinda came together at then end. Sounds good to my ears, especially the rhythmic change in the rhythm guitar and the interplay of the solo with that in the second half of what I played. (Doesn't mean it's any good.) With any luck we should have this all wrapped up on Saturday(fixing bass tracks and recording Vocals.) Then it's just a matter of getting the songs mixed and my faithful readers will get to experience the expanded world of Where the i Divides. (it's getting down to the wire for us if we are going to try to secure an opening gig before the end of the year.)

and Diligenz can stop sending me work. Seriously! I never know what they want me to find for them and I never have enough time to do their big projects.

Big Red Pool

I got home last night and spent some time recording guitar tracks for Do the Math. This project is totally sucking in a good way. I think I'm almost done with that song and there's one track on Universal Quantifier that I need to re-record and then there's only One Day left to start on and finish by Friday night. I think I can get it done but I'm going to have to skip the gym tonight, or maybe I won't. When I get in a funk about going to the gym, I read about some different exercises to try and vary my routines and then get all excited about making some progress. Uh... what was I talking about?

Oh yeah. So I made myself go to the gym at about 8:30 and went out to my truck and started to back out of the drive way and had to go back inside to grab my phone and I noticed a big slick on the driveway. A big, fresh slick of red, oily fluid just sitting there right below where my truck's transfer case sits. The new transfer case I had put in last week. The one that cost me a lot of money to replace. Leaking red, oily transmission fluid.

Not happy.

So. I took it in this morning and apparently it's all ready for me to pick up. I've yet to find out if they're going to try to charge me for the work they did.

Another EPA library closed. I just love the last line of this article. And I heard something yesterday about how it's easier to control the masses if they ain't educated. So lets make sure no child gets left behind, no school is left standing, and no library remains open.

Wowee Zowee

Went out and bought something today. Actually two somethings today.

Wowee Zowee!!!

Sounds not so much like Slanted & Enchanted. Still think that Kannburg should have kicked Malkus in the balls a few times.

Saturday Night Wrists is good as well. Hole in the Earth! Oh my god!!! How many more times will I listen to it? Not enough.

Went out and sang Karaoke tonight. Part of my whole expectations for the evening was to go to Sparta/Tomah and get drunk and then have Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow (er... today) while watching the Broncos whoop up on the Chiefs (or vice versa.) (Stupid NFL Network. Make it for the rich. The poor have their drugs to entertain themselves.) So I ended up singing songs to drunk hicks in "fair Verona" because I couldn't sit still at home.

and the conclusion I came to is that there are certain songs that should not be allowed to be performed at Karaoke--NO EXCEPTIONS!

1. Come to My Window
2. I Touch Myself
3. Love Shack
4. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
5. Copacabana
6. Anything by Jewel (even replacing the all of the pronouns in the song with the word "Jewel" has lost it's charm)

Ugh.

I need to go to bed.

Mas Booty. Man-ya-na.

Newz alert

Walking around yesterday, USA Today caught my eye. Sitting on the front page was this article.

Its just a fact of life.

Best answer... I would say, go to a trade school. Spend two years getting an Associates degree and get out into the workforce sooner. The fact that so many kids are going to college in the first place devalues the four year degree. What good is a liberal arts degree when %65 percent of people your age have one?

Personally: I was born right in the middle of the genX genY cusp. I've got my foot in both camps. I hate living at home. I can't afford to live anywhere else unless I find a job that'll pay more than $28,000 a year thanks to my debt. Most of that debt is my own damn fault though. I kept convincing myself that I'd pay off my cards once I graduated. I never looked at the situation I'd be in once I graduated and I wasn't getting the leftovers from my loans to pay rent. Having "My Car" as your address on a resume doesn't make a good first impression, but I'm learning now. It's painful and I wish that I could make a little more money a year to whack away at my situation rather than just whittle. I never was much for whittlin'. It was always too boring.

Thank God I have my band.

We recorded drums on Saturday for several songs. I have the rough mix for "Do the Math." Since I worked late last night, I didn't have the time to download it and start working on the guitar tracks. Hopefully, now that my truck is back from a week at the shop, I'll be able to get some more things done, and get back to the gym. I feel like I'm getting fat again.

so, excuse me please, I've got to go make a bulimia joke now.

Man am I boring. This blog has gotten seriously boring.

I was doing some research tonight and it seems that I've got some of these side effect things listed for the minocycline that I'm on. Not too pleasant to say the least but only one more day left of this crap and then I hope to god I won't feel like I do tonight.

Got some recording to do to get geared up for Saturday's "Jam 'Fest" and it just doesn't feel like fun tonight. Take after take after take of screwing up a part that's not hard to play at all.

Good Gravy

Where am I now that I wasn't five years ago? Found a copy of that Incubus album with all of their radio hits on in from the early '00's, like Stellar, and The Warmth, and that other one, Drive... Yeah.

Felt like it was 2000 November, driving to work at the Bread Barn.

Don't have any fucking time. "Hey Zach, can you work on Sunday?" Sure. Fuck the fackt that it's my day off. Fuck the shit that I'm not also working two other jobs.

Pisssssseedddd offfff as hell tonight. Can't even get drunk cuz of the antibiotics.

Not even gunna say sorry for not posting as of late. (just did though)

It's been a long long while since I've been this worked up. I did finish the solo for One Day. It ends with me banging my fist on the strings.


Sounds like music to me.

(this is the kind of mood that spawned the song, I Hate My Friends)

Slowed down to the speed of progress

It's been a crappy time in Zach-ville. My ear finally turned into an ear infection and it's been oozing gunk out the outside which I think means my ear drum ruptured on Monday night while I was lifting at the gym. I took Tuesday off from work and went to the doctor. My favorite part of the day was when four different people asked me if I had health insurance. Okay, well, actually my favorite part of my day on Tuesday was either sleeping in till eleven or the election results.

I will say that the "roommates" distaste for Democrats has made being at home a little unbearable. Oh well, at least I don't want to belong to any party that doesn't know how to party!

Um...

Yeah. I don't want to talk about it that much, really. I've been listening to Al Franken and Ed Schultz for the last week at work and I've been politicked out.

The band is rolling along like square toast. I finally got a callback from the recording school about getting us signed up for "free" studio time. The hours for recording there are difficult for everyone in the band except for me. Danny's buddy finally came through and we might actually be recording with him this weekend. That means that I've got to get my guitar tracks cued up and dialed in this week (which I haven't done since I've been sick and trying to get over six hours of sleep a night... ugh. Enough whining, just getting it done!!! I made myself record the tracks for One Day tonight before I went to the gym. There's a few parts that need to be punched in over and there's the whole issue of recording the solo that I've not worked out yet. I haven't heard what it's supposed to sound like yet. I really want to hear it but I don't know yet. Still searching. (I'll explain what that means if you really want to know (but you have to ask))) (alright already with the parenthesises)

So now.

Have had a few moments lately where I've been kinda scaring myself. Not fun right now.

Oh boy, Spaghetti! Now that's Italian!!!

Yuck!

okay, okay, okay.

This is so just like listening to Cosmo Radio in the morning (Sirius 111) but I can't help myself.


This guy just looks creepy.

What I can't figure out is why so many people belong to his church? Super creepy and not trustworthy at all.

All in all it'll just get more people riled up right before the election. That article says that he came to the station three months ago and they wait till now to 'break' the story?

E-mail to Joe (Scavenger hunt version)

Joe.

That's pretty dang sweet. What do you think he's going to do to help us out? Huh? Overstep our dependence on Danny's "buddy" for recording some tunes? (Hopefully.) Thank you for taking the time to do that Joe. My forte does not include 'Making New Friends' (in a business sense,) and it's nice that there's someone else in the band who will do more work than just show up at practice and write their part of the music. We would stagnate if I was in charge of everything.

Did you get my message about the demo? I talked to Dave and he said that if we are looking to play shows at local music venues as openers than we don't really need to have a super professional demo. With that said and a few days time since then, I still think you're right. Best foot forward. When we contace someone, we should look/sound like we know what we are doing even if we don't.

I finished that book of interviews from Punk Planet. It had some very thought provoking interviews. Some made me want to not work with "the big guns" at all and others made me think that it's not bad to work for a record company. What I do think is that there is change blowing in the wind and the record companies are behind the ball right now. Lots of small timers can do it themselves and network their way to notoriety but I don't know... I don't know.

The Barn is capable of being warmer this winter. I feel like shit from breathing in all of that dust last night (even with a dust mask on.) There are a few tweakings that need to be done to make the place work more effectively, but it was midnight when I left and I was feeling tired and sick and wanted to go to bed. I'll get the rest of it done sometime later this week (probably Friday.) Speaking of later this week. Rachel said that we don't need to worry about moving hay on Saturday. Her brother is doing something that she has to go and watch or something and the following week, her other brother is in town so she won't need our help at all.

I did find the book in my truck. Thanks dude. I'll read it when I want to get depressed and miserable about how my band is a failure in comparision. I haven't taken the time to crack the spine because I want to read it at home in the evenings and haven't had time to do that yet.

Love the hair.

Zach

Panhand-ellerou

There's this guy who panhandles outside the Walgreens next to where I work. He's there most mornings asking for change and cigarettes. He's got a weird accent and speaks fluent spanish to some people that know him. I assume that those other people are panhandlers as well cuz I'm prejudiced like that. Or maybe it's because I see some of them taking the afterknoon shift when I go and get lunch from there.

There was something that I wanted to say about that but that was like, four hours ago and I don't remember. So yeah... that's my post on panhandlers.

I also discovered that YoVee has their albums for sale on Rhapsody. Ten bucks for Too Far Gone and you don't even have to wait for Dylan at Manaloft to send it to you.

Which brings me to the point that I've been pondering as of late in regards to the potential for recording Where the i Divides and the end product that we will poop out. What's to be done with the market of selling music these days? It's not like it was ten years ago where it was super expensive to buy a CD burner and make copies of CDs and downloading was something that hackers did on Warez and Crackz pages.

What got me thinking was the fact that I didn't have to purchase the most recent album by a certain artist because I got a copy from a friend. He purchased it but I didn't and I still have a working copy, which I've put on my computer and can potentially make copies and "steal" even more from that artist. Selling music is not where we are going to make our money. Our money will be made by stealing cars and stripping them for parts sales.

I'm bothered by the fact that there's no easy path to the future of selling what may be called "Manifest Destiny" the first release from Where the i Divides outside of doing it myself. I have no qualms about running my own Label (so to speak) but it's a lot o work for one busy and required by circumstances known as spent-too-much-in-college-and-now-must-pay-that-all-back to work for a living person such as myself to do. "But what about the other guys in the band?" Is that your question? Yeah. I do the work in this band. Sure, I don't write the lyrics, melodys, bass, and drum parts (but I could if the other members of the band decided that they were to damn busy with whatever they hell they're doing.) So, I'm going to be the one getting some shows in the greater Madison/Milwaukee area lined up once I get this three song demo finished and generate a press kit. I'm going to be the on calling people and handing out information to get in as an opening band.

...

Okay, don't whining. I just didn't have much of a post about the panhadler.

Danny J. air guitar rockin' out to Mastedon.

Did it snow?

Saturday night was fun.

Per Kevin Wolf's endorsement, I went and saw Little Miss (Can't Be Wrong) Sunshine with some friends. It was a super-de-duper movie... first and foremost because Devotchka was responsible for the soundtrack. Oh man. Needless to say, I really enjoyed hearing the variations on the songs, How It Ends and the other song... um... the Bullets one. I saw them in Boulder, CO two years ago at the Fox Theater and it was a really good show. Then they were supposed to play a show in Madison with M. Ward and Norfolk & Western June of '05 but their van broke down and that's where I learned about Norfolk & Western. Coincidently, N&W has a new album out. Haven't picked it up yet but they're coming through Madison in a few weeks. It should be a good show at a crappy venue. Anyway. Devotchka played another show later in the year sometime (I forget the month... it was after I quit working for the Home Despot.) but the venue was a more intimate setting and it was a really fun show to attend (even with the weak showing of wannabe hippies that Madison can't seem to get rid of. "Keep the dream alive and Jerry will return!" Whatever.) So yeah. The movie was good, music-wise. Story was good. It made me feel something.

After the movie, I went out to the barn and started setting up for our recording session that Travis and I had talked about on Wedensday night. I have been getting increasingly impatient with the lack of progress on the recording front cuz I'm still waiting to hear from the instructor from the class at the school for the free recording and I hadn't heard anything about Danny's friend (until Saturday.) I decided that we really needed to get a 3-song demo cut for our press kit to obtain shows in the Madison/Milwaukee area and decided that we would get the music done on Saturday if it meant staying in the barn till six A.M. on Sunday. Things went smoothly as far as recording Drums, Bass, and Guitar with two microphones. There's volume discrepancies in the drums that I can't do much about. The Bass sounds decent and the guitar can be fixed with overdubs at home over this coming week. Then I just have to make Joe K. do his thing all over a microphone for three measly songs and we'll be on our way to making $25.00 for an hour of hard rockin'! (less driving time and gas money... I think we come out $15 in the hole.)

The barn was cold, again. Despite the fact that I purchased a propain heater at the Farm and Barn, (Their Toyland opened up on Saturday and it was full of INSANE Christmas shoppers. Christmas isn't for two months... eight weeks... 63 days!) it was still super cold in the barn. The fact that there was wind and temps were hitting the low 30's made it worse and it had been raining most of the day on Saturday. Well, once it got dark, the snow started to fall and it was thick, wet snow. Suitable for making rock-hard snowballs and throwing them at the Lead Vocals, but he was at a wedding so he lucked out... this time. UM... story... yeah. We finished recording at about 12 am and I had a birthday paryt to go to a few miles away. I didn't even try to get out of the drive without dropping it into 4 low, (rain all day coupled with an inch or less of snow... slippery mud) and when I got to the top of the drive, I stopped to see if Danny would be able to get out, which he wasn't. So, fortunately, I have a tow strap and we got him out and on his way.

The snow is still lingering in places, and it's snowed a little today as well. Driving home on Saturday night reminded me of going from Bozeman to Livingston on a snowy winter evening (without the trip over a mountain pass) and made me really homesick (for the mountain pass).

Just thinking about it shuts me down. Packers won. yay...(goodbye first pick, first round) Broncos won. Yay. Chargers Lost. Boooo. Bears had the week off. Raiders won..... What?

Enough for today.

We got snow. We'll be getting more. Snow makes me happy.

behold, the photo!!!

As you can clearly see, the back of Travis' bass says, "Nothing's ever good enough for you." He stole that from me, I stole it from Thom Yorke.

Joe got some new pictures from last Saturday and e-mailed them to me! I can't get my pictures off my camera without a lot of hoopala... stupid HP.

I can't really think of anything else to talk about. I've been trying to get myself back on track for the band and it's been nothing but lazing about. I went to the gym and did some laundry and watched the football game last night. I didn't pull out my paints. Didn't sit down and clean off a space to work on the desk. Didn't get any ideas out of my head and into the world. I don't even have any good ideas for this stupid blog thing either. Nothing to complain about. Nothing worth noting. (Maybe that's what I'm complaining about.)

I talked to a girl yesterday evening. ..about recording at her school. She is taking classes at MMI and has a recording class that is looking for bands to record. It's a bunch of students in a rather nice studio learning how to be studio bitches but it's a bunch of students. If they want us to come in and record, it'd be nice to get a song or two done without having to pay for it. She could actually do a bunch of work for us on the side if she really wanted to, but I doubt that.

I toured the school last spring as a possible thing for me to do instead of continuing to work in the legal field. They wanted a lot of money and wouldn't be able to offer me much in the way financial aid except for unsubsidized student loans. No thank you. I already have enough of those.

I really wanted to post last night on my drive home from dinner/reading session. It was about 11 pm and I was leaving the Denny's in Monona and it felt like eight years ago when I was going to MATC. Snow was blowing like mad! I love the snow. I love the cold.

Some "dude" flew his plane into a building yesterday. I don't feel like making snide comments about it. People died in an accident and now it's all over the "news."

I've been isolating myself this week in my room working on the guitar tracks for "America the Beautiful Monster." My final decision is that I need to probably get a new hard drive. I can't figure it out but when I record, I get these electric bursts that end up in the wave and generally there's a static distortion of the wave right before the pop. It's unbelievably irritating. So... I came up with a new way to record the guitar parts on my drive home. Instead of just recording two guitar takes and mixing the two, I decided I'd try to play the song with no delay straight and then a second take with delay where I only hit the chords on the accents of the part. It sounds a lot cleaner. Now I just need to get my computer to cooperate.

There's more to talk about. It's keeping me from lunch though.

My friends had their baby!

That'll do... for now. I need to post in the evenings when I'm not as pressed for time and can actually focus.

I've also been reading Fear and Trembling. It's quite interesting. I doubt that our president could understand what Soren Kierkegaard is talking about (translated or untranslated.)

Morrow beckons.

This searching for the future. The happiness oft referred to in the illusions flashed on the television, in the skies, on each passing face, is something that needs to be found in the future. God bless this american and his misunderstanding that happiness is something in the future.

If I try hard enough, I'll eventually get to the future. Right? That's what I've always been taught.

I'm slogging through this depression thing right now. Let me get some more ducks in rows and then... then what? I don't know.

I really just want to shoot a huge salute to everyone and disappear for a while.

North Korea is probably not the place to visit right now. My friend Anne said that they blamed the Nuke tests on N. Korea instead of her because they don't want to start a war with her. Not yet. We do need more wars though. It's good money for everyone... (eyes roll in sarcastic aplomb.)

I'm grumpy today!

The BIG 100!

I stayed up way too late last night. I feel like sitting on a street corner, smoking cigarettes and staring off into space before going home and taking a long, long nap.

That's not going to happen. I just have to ride out today and tomorrow and then I'll have the weekend to... Oh yeah, the weekend is when I put all of my pent up energy into music.

Last night, Travis and I worked on the new song that we started last Wedensday. It's current working title is either "Wild Mountain Meyhem" or "Hambone Solo." We have a few arranging issues left for it and then I have the tone of the guitar to establish and then we'll introduce it to Danny and Joe and tell Joe that we're not waiting for his bullshit, nor are we going to put up with his lame excuses for not having lyrics. For the love of Crumb Cake, it's his job in the band!

The kicker, and the reason why I stayed up so late, is that I worked out a new idea after Travis left. See, lately, or more appropriately, this week has been one big downer, or more accurately, I've been in a fog of depression. Sunday through the present (even as you read this) has sucked, royally sucked and it's my own fault and I dug up my copy of the deftones self-titled album "Tune out everyone in the crowd because now it's just me and you. Come fall in love with the sound. Make a pact to each other. When no one's around, put the cross between me and you. Who wants to fuck with us now?" and my copy of Nico's Chelsea Girl. "Now that I smile, now that I'm laughing even deeper inside. Now that I see, now that I finally found the one thing I denied. It's now I know, 'do I stay or do I go?' and it is finally I decide that I'll be leavingIn the fairest of the seasons."
and then finally took the time to work, really work, on this damn band yesterday. Get my head out of my ass and pull the threads together again. Travis and I discussed the importance of having a meeting this Saturday to go over more important things that we need to focus on, such as recording and then something else, which may have been the next album (ha! next album, we talk about it like we've already got the first one done.) Our first album will essentially be about the working sap who hates his or her job/life and wants to do more (whatever the fuck that may be.) This second album has a theme already and Travis has put some sketch work into the direction of some of the songs. We talked about that last night and after he left, I stayed and put one of the themes into a song. There's nothing quite like trying to say something using music without saying anywords. It's a, Can you feel it? thing. So I kept working on that. And I have a good start on a new idea.

News stuff happend too. I didn't read or hear about it.

Word.

Sunday

So last night I got home and watched either the history channel or pbs. Every time there was a commercial I'd switch to the other for two different programs. One on Super Volcano and the other on How Illegal Drugs Became Illegal. That was going just fine until I fell asleep.

So when I awoke this morning, I made some toast and grabbed a Dr. Pepper and sat down to watch some boring Sunday morning drivel before football starts.

So the problem arises that the digital cable isn't working properly. Why? I don't know, haven't taken the time to call the company and say. "Hey, are you going to comp me my bar tab on the cable bill because I have to go to a bar to watch football today?"

So I think that when they I do make that call and I do say those words, the answer will be, "No, I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do for you, sir."

So you all are probably wondering why I'm writing about this instead of yesterday evening's action. And all I can say is that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Trav almost fainted before the show. Danny had some pretty bad nerves and sped up the tempo on some of the songs. I was worried about looking professional and forgot to have fun. I didn't really get a chance to talk to Joe about what he thought of the whole thing but we did have a good time. The first show jitters are out of the way. We actually took the stage again to replay some of our songs for the people who showed up late. That second performance was a lot looser, more relaxed, and way more fun. The "crowd" was shouting stuff at us and it was a lot easier to not be worried about missing a chord by a fret or hitting A major instead of A minor.

So, there is a video. There are lots of pictures, I don't know where any of them are (specifically.) I took one picture of myself at around noon as I was walking into the barn for our run through before we set up the stage. I was waaayyy hung over and thought I would like to remember that moment. (Which was only probably a scant 15 minutes before I puked while playing the solo in 'Mt. Hindsight.' Thought I could make it through the song before running outside. Nope. Just popped on the floor in the barn. Rock and roll. Rock and roll. Still recovering from Friday night's binge.)

So there. Charter Sucks and the Show was a good first show.

Where have I been?

Okay, two more days till the "big show." The stage is constructed out of ripped off pallets and 7/16" OSB. I still have to make a wedged prop for our guitar "monitor" so Danny can hear my guitar. I still have to make some boxes to set the PA speakers on. I still have to purchase my supplies (stuff that got assigned for me to bring. BRATS! Lots o Brats! Dis is Wisconsin don't 'cha know.)

Travis and I started working on a new song last night. We also went over Sasquatch by Tenacious D. We're gunna bust that out for a cover.

There are things to report but my time is too sparse right now to run a list here.

(Translation: We've had too much work to do at work and I haven't had any free time to sit and blog at work so I haven't been keeping up, that and my Dad's birthday this week and getting prepared for the show. Searching for insurance rates and debt consolidation. Reading a book about pure land buddhism.)

Check it.

I've got to get some pictures of the show. Shannon's going to film it.

Gotta run (over some broken bottles)

I would post, but there's nothing worth saying right now.
No new ideas today. Today is a good day.

Suck post

1. The Decay of the Age occurs when an era has grown long and old. It is characterized by war, natural disasters, pestilence, and famine.

2. Decay through Delusion is marked by hedonism and decadence. It occurs when people have no control over their baser instincts.

3. Decay through Egocentricism is a state in which society has become excessively complex, and people work only for their own selfish ends, neglecting the rights and needs of others.

4. Decay of Views results from the spread of heretical or evil ideologies, such as the idea that man is but an economic animal, or that history is entirely materialistic.

5. Decay of the Lifespan is marked by the shortening of people's individual lives and by their resulting tendency to become shortsighted and utilitarian in attitude.

-- Masahiro Mori

watching dave

This is by far one of the best movies of all time. It's so heartwarming and lovey-dovey and how they get together at the end. It just makes me want to cry every time I watch that movie.

Or... Steve and James were watching it. They didn't even have the sound up enough for my deaf ears to hear it over the fan in their living room. I asked them if they could hear it and they both, I repeat, both said that they really didn't need it because they pretty much knew the movie by heart.

I only watched it because I was depressed. I only do things that other people have issues with because I'm depressed. It's not my fault!

Or... Guilty pleasure? No. Crossroads, now that's a guilty pleasure. Unfortunately it's not. The DVD does have some fun extras on it. "I'm not a girl" karaoke. Oh man! It was so worth the dollar on dollar movie rental night.

I had a real post today but it's mostly out the window.

Hmmm.....

Today is a good day.

That was it. Today is a good day.

Why you ask? Well, let me tell you then. Each day is spent worrying about what I'm going to be doing tomorrow or the next day. Scheduling and planning and never keeping up with everything. Fuck it! Today is good. Standing at a copy machine is good. Feeling tired is good. Driving to Staples for supplies at work is good. Sitting in traffic is good. I can't explain it very well right now. I probably won't ever explain it here. X=X'. Real = Unreal. Apple = Not Apple.

1+1=1.

Basics. Good day today is.

Friday couldn't come sooner or later

Iris DeMent is playing at the Barrymore this evening. $27.00 at the door. It'll be a good show. I'm not going. Cloud Cult is in town. Playing at the Orpheum for $8.00. It'll be a good show.

Just down the street from the Orpheum, The Irish is having a halfway to St. Patties Day celebration. The "Black Irish Beer" Grrls will be there pushing their alcoholic products on the roaring throng of drunks.

I have been making excuses all week to not get things done. I discovered a website with a gem of a game on it. I'm not going to disclose that site's location here. I also discovered that MSN games has badges! I can accomplish somthing during the day by winning a few badges. I'm so moving on up.

In other news front. I talked to a friend about working for her dad's construction company in the office. She said she'd get back to me on Saturday about it. I may also have found a place to live other than the place I live now. We'll see.








I really could use a good game of Quidditch.

Astromagic Daily!!!

I'm at work (as usual) and there's nothing to do (as usual)

So here's my weekly Chinese Horror-scope

Week of September 11, 2006
You will be feeling more expansive and emotionally positive this week, Satan. You will find great satisfaction immersing yourself in creative projects. Friends support your efforts. If you have wanted to break free and do something new at home or at work, the time is right to take action. Someone may give you the strength to stand up for your needs at week's end. It's a wonderful weekend for a house party or going off with friends. Let other responsibilities wait.

and then it gets even better with the monthly Chinese Horror-scope

September
Just when you think you know where you are going, plans can change. Relationships can be stressful in the Month of the Rooster. Despite your differences, you are affectionate. Still, arguments over silly things spoil the mood. Resentment bubbles under the surface, especially if you do not feel appreciated. You have to say what you feel. Look for ways to have fun with friends mid-month. A couple of relaxed weekends could make a big difference in your attitude. New friends may not be as you first assumed. Disorganization at home and work can be upsetting. Toss out what you do not use. Keep things as simple as possible. Learn to appreciate detail but not to harp on it. Quality of life is more important. At month's end, if you have not been able to bring people around to recognize and meet your needs, then it is time to act.

I totally swear that this must be talking about me personally, I just know it. Where the i Divides is planning this bonfire show on the 30th. AT MONTH'S END!!!

Seriously, AG asked how fall in Madison is going. (er, Wisconsin. Don't mean to misquote but I'm in Madison, specifically; Wisconsin, generally) I was out last night on State Street with a few friends sitting outside the Irish watching for people to step in a pile of Sake Vomit on their way into Sal's, which some college student girl decided she didn't want in her stomach anymore after eating at Takara (in between the Irish and Pizza de Roma (I still call it Sal's)) It was a chilly evening with the temp dropping into the high 40's while we sat and enjoyed James' newfound unemployment.

Fall in Madison is always a fun time with the college crowd invading the downtown and making int their own. Now that I'm no longer a part of this group, it's more fun to watch them and laugh. The leaves are starting to change. It's okay to wear pants all day and all week (as opposed to no pants which is what most people do during the entire month of August, except the prudes! Stupid Prudes!) (Sorry gotta say it: "Don't you hate pants?" - Homer S.) My favorite thing is when the soybean fields start to turn. They go from this verdant green to a aspen yellow. Sometimes in the afterknoon, if I'm lucky enough to be driving home at that time, the sun will be shining and the temp will be rather cool and the soybean fields will just shine with the radiance of kingdom come.

Fall is also the second time each year when I start to get back into reading more buddhist philosophy. It seems that each spring and fall I read a few books on the subject. I finished a collection of essays by Alan Watts called, This Is It, and I am also currently reading The Buddha in the Robot by some Japanese dude (Masahiro Mori.) I've got some ideas I'm kicking around from reading that stuff but it's all a secret and I'm not going to tell anyone what I've learned from reading it.

Back to last night. James and Joe and I stood on State St. for a good two hours 12am to 2am talking about the state of this great nation of ours. Economics and the Dependency Index (I will inform you that this is the Heritage Foundation's Website, read with caution!), the Zionists and the Bolshevik Revolution, Labor Movements in the mid 20th century in America and why we don't have a nationalized health care system (this is almost infuriating to read, read at your own risk,) and Nazis and cancer.

It's fun to sit and talk with James and Co. about things of self-educating nature (or, stuff we will never be taught in school or after school) but the downside is that my personal continuing education isn't in the same fields as those friends. While I can listen to them and participate in the discussion, I also have to do research after the discussion in order to make a better educated decision as to the validity of the proposed arguments. (Philosohpy training at work.)

Well, I've spent way to much time on this post. I was paid $9.00 to write this! Hooray for America! (Anyone remember Mr. show)

First Football weekend almost over

Okay. I know that people don't wanna hear about football.

Here's the deal. I'll talk about it here whenever I want.

Today's football rant is short. Jake Plummer, you are not Brett Farve. Don't try to be like him.

Other than that, I'm learning about Buddhism from a book that was written by a guy who learned it from robots.

Robo-buddah!

(Buddah Stalin is Chronic!)

Title: Title: Title:

This is not what I really want to say. I live my life through filters.

I whine and moan about everything. I never say what's got to be said.

My foul mood may be brought on by the decline in toxins surging through my blood stream today. I only had 3 yesterday. None on Monday. None today.

Hit the gym last night. Put in the first of what may be many miles on the treadmill. I learned Monday night that I have until November to decide if I want to participate in the Birkebeiner. Everyone who's going next year will be in the Birke rather than the Kortelopet. I was thinking that I could be one of the participants that dresses up in some bizzarr-o costume. I also thought that it would be great just to go and bring my guitar and play guitar in the lodge while everyone else skis all day.

But that would seem a bit on the "I fear adventure/challenges" side of things.

In other news:
I did record a newer version of the song "Believe" last night. I think it's the best version to date. There's some ambience synth parts and a super chees-mo-riffic new age-y pan flute sounding part that just makes me laugh. It sounds like those street performers who set up a P.A. and play recorders and pan flutes into mics with so much reverb it's syrup-y and there's a recorded accompaniment that they're playing with. Frickin' Hilarious!

If we ever get some time to do more Bass and Vocal recording sessions, it may end up on the myspace page.

That and for all ya'll myspace haters, we did register a domain for a real website as well. It'll be along in a little while.

That and MC Chris want's everyone to help him break into the top 10 of iTunes hip hop list... whatever that means. Screw iTunes!

Yes, You Can't

I played a bit of an episode of strangers with candy for my sis on saturday. It's the one where Mr. Noblet asks Jerri what she wants to do in the future. "Go to my locker!" "No Jerri, think far into the future." "Uh....... OPEN IT!" "Good luck at the artificial flower factory Jerri."

Then she looks at the camera and says, "Dreams."

It's not Monday. Feels like Monday.

Played guitar for roughly 16 hours on Saturday and Sunday. Band Practice went spectacular. If an object can "go" rather than "be" an adjective.

I really want to be on an extended vacation. Drifting on clouds.

i division completed the two new songs late Sunday evening. Cinnamon Magic is set, except for maybe the transition from the bridge/solo back into the chorus, and Cicada City is dialed in, complete with pre-fab solo that lasts a guaranteed amount of measures before going back to the verse for a one through.

I think that Danny really likes the bridge on that song. It's got a 4/4, 5/4, riff that we repeat a few times before going back to the" jungle" drumming. All drummers love to play "jungle drums" because it's a lot more engaging to play a pattern on multiple drums than to play it on just a bass/snare/hi hat deal. (Yawn city)