DeesKnees

Making the Connections

2007-07-30T14:45:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: There may be potential for this post to garner many a foot in my blogged mouth. As is always the case I bring up topics such as these because they are inherent thoughts that I cannot dispel. Help me to dispel them by commenting and putting me in my place. I also wish to offend no one, but realize that anything is possible.

We’ve all heard Dee talk about OCD and order and disorder and such and so forth. I am sorry about that. But realize that DeesKnees Blog is a form of therapy for my confused mind. That being said, I’ve often time wondered about other people and how they come to the conclusions that they do about normal daily life activities. I am amazed by the decisions that are made by some people. Am I being brash? Perhaps. I don’t really know. Let me begin with some examples.

The Seatbelt Phenomenon: I cannot even begin to name names here, because I have seen so many people do it. Please tell me if you have noticed this. There are 2 ways to achieve the seatbelt phenomenon. The first and most baffling to me is the guy or person who is about 3 or 4 blocks from home and has decided, hmm…now is a good time to take off my seatbelt. And what’s the thinking here? That, what, if you are close to your home you won’t get hit? Please I want to know. The second instance is the reverse. This is the guy who starts the car, pulls out onto the road, puts on the radio, rolls down the window, and then puts on the seatbelt. Both of these events can have the same result: injury, body damage to the vehicle, or better yet, death. Why do people think it’s okay to be unsafe when you are near your home? I am living proof of such an event. I was once T-boned by some guy speeding through a stop sign. I was in the passenger seat. I didn’t have on my belt because I thought, ‘hmm..I am only going about a mile away. It’s not going to matter.’ I was one block from my house. Maybe I learned my lesson. That’s perhaps what people need to do. But, really why do you take off your seatbelt when you are almost home. Just push on through, you’ll make it buddy. You’ll make it home, strapped in.

The Shoes on the Table Phenomenon: Come on, this is not OCD here. This is common sense. Why would you ever, ever in a million years put your sneakers, sole down, on the same space where you eat your eggs; where your daughter slops up her baby food right off the table? Where in your mind is that an okay thing? You sit back and think about all of the places where the bottom of your shoes have been. Is that a proper sentence? Whatever. Haven’t you made the connection?

The Full Glass on the Floor Phenomenon: Do I need to say anything? Why? Don’t do it. Make the connection.

The Entitlement Phenomenon: This one is particularly fascinating and alarming to me. This is the guy that thinks that he deserves, deserves, deserves. This can be anything from good service at Wendy’s to, gee, I don’t know thinking that you have your own stool at the bar and are entitled to it even if somebody else is sitting in it. Can you please help me, and tell me where in your mind have you decided that the world owes you something? Really, maybe you’ve got something on society that I just can’t figure out. To watch something like this is a pretty disgusting feat. Makes me quiver. I don’t think a connection is possible here. I mean, if you are doing this, than you are beyond help.

The Senior Citizen Phenomenon: Here’s where I may offend. And frankly these things really aren’t phenomena. That is just such a colorful word. Anywhoo, I was in the grocery store the other day, zoning out on produce and some old guy walks up to the cherries. He opens up the bag, mind you, takes a handful of cherries and pops them in his mouth. He looks at me and smiles with a guilty grin only a man of his age and stature can do. Lets me know with his eyes that he’s, ‘old, and confused and it’s okay, he’s not really doing any harm, is he?’ And I’m thinking, ‘sure why not buddy, you are old, go right ahead.’ I’m thinking this just as another woman (middle-aged) comes up to the cherries and looks at the same bag that he just put his paw into. She picks around and finds a bag that is more suitable. Maybe this is another example of entitlement. But seniors really take it into their own level, don’t they. Yes, this is like Uncle Leo and the batteries. I’m not trying to steal Jerry Seinfeld’s act or what not. But I saw it. I saw it in action, and it really made me think, ‘hasn’t this guy made the connection?’

There are, of course many others. Many that perhaps even I have committed. But the shoes thing-I mean come on Jay-Dogg.

Latro,

Dee

Amendments to the Joy of Lists

2007-05-03T10:48:00.000-04:00

Well after a few months I’ve thought about my musical lists and thought about some amendments and changes and some new ones.

Let’s get right to it.

TOP 5 ALBUMS PRODUCTIONWISE:
Note, when talking about production I’m not necessarily thinking of the material at hand, though song sequence plays a part. Mostly, when I listen to an album it has to have clarity and I need to hear the varying layers that went into place when the artist was mixing the album.

5. SMiLE (Brian Wilson)
4. The Soft Bulletin (The Flaming Lips)
3. Unorthodox Behaviour (Brand X)
2. A Trick of the Tail (Genesis)
1. Love over Gold (Dire Straits)

The strangest one on here is Unorthodox Behaviour as it is quite obscure. But the drums sound fantastic and the guitars are very crisp and in line with everything else. This is a great background album and headphone album. But The Soft Bulletin takes the cake for headphone albums. It is the quintessential headphone album. Lots of stuff going on coming at you in all directions. It’s like melting chocolate in your ears (that’s a good thing). SMiLE will always have a special place in my heart for various reasons, but what really struck me the first time I heard it was how much it sounded like it was in the 60’s the way it was meant to be. I think a lot of the instrumentation used on the Brian Wilson version were modern and digital and yet still retain the old school analog qualities of the by gone era. A Trick of the Tail has the best sequence of songs, and the best flow of any record I’ve ever heard. Again, the drums sound fantastic. And you can finally hear Steve Hackett’s guitar over Tony’s synth arsenal. So why is Love over Gold first? The only 80’s production on the list and it’s grand. It’s not even my favorite DS album, but Mark Knopfler had a few rootsy albums under his belt already by the time this weird thing came out. It had to be weird. Great atmosphere. That’s all I can really say. If a studio is capable of creating a mood, than Love over Gold is the result.

AMENDMENTS TO TOP 5 GUITARISTS:

Robert Fripp
Gary Louris

Fripp is god. He has a really messed up band—King Crimson does not make any sense to the modern world, and yet I need them in my life to get through those times. Some people have heavy metal when they are feeling some anger. I have Fripp. Everything he plays on the guitar has super tone. Super tone. Gary Louris of the Jayhawks is a subtle player. A lot the their music is overshadowed by the sweet harmonies, but take notice of his very tasty distorted minimalist solos on songs like Take Me With You (When you Go) or Miss Williams’ Guitar. Good stuff for sure.

DESERT ISLAND AMENDMANT

Pinkerton (Weezer)

Can’t believe I forgot this one. Pinkerton is a rare bird in the sense it’s from a band that is known by the masses as this huge ridiculous pop band. Pinkerton is filled with melodies and pop sensibilities and yet it retains a raw character that defined a particular time in my life (1996-1998). I know every word to this album. I play it loud and sing to it. There aren’t too many in my collection like Pinkerton, so it must be on the island with me.

Anyone else?

The Joy of Lists

2007-02-22T10:48:00.000-05:00

I love lists. Not only are they beneficial toward setting goals they also allow one to take stock in the various tangents within a situation. Listing out my events for the day allows for great satisfaction when achieving goals. The act of crossing an event off of a list is so cathartic to me that I find myself addicted.

That being said, it’s time for a few top 5 lists that have nothing to do with goals, or the act of crossing off events. I just needed a good way to start this one. So, I think I will begin with a musical version of my top 5’s. Why 5? Why not? It’s easy. The lists will all countdown to the number one and most special thing.

Here we go.

TOP 5 BANDS OF ALL TIME:
5. Pink Floyd/Wilco (Tie)
4. Dire Straits
3. Phish
2. Genesis
1. My Morning Jacket

It was very, very hard to put MMJ 1st. Genesis has been the leader of the pack since I remember hearing music as a young child. But, they have been inactive for so many years and MMJ are simply the best thing out there right now so they are Numero Uno for now at least. I think also important to note that Pink Floyd and Wilco are an even tie for me. I don’t want to put too many ties up on these lists, but I had to in this case. The Beatles aren’t up there either. It’s pretty obvious to pick them. The way I feel about that situation is thus: The Beatles will always float around my top 5, I can’t therefore put them on any list. Sometimes they are number 1. Sometimes 4 thru 2.

TOP 5 BANDS OF THE LAST 5 TO 10 YEARS (Noobies):
5. Snow Patrol
4. Death Cab for Cutie
3. Thirteen Senses
2. The Shins
1. My Morning Jacket

The Shins are closing in on number 1. Watch out Jim.

TOP 5 ALBUMS OF ALL TIME:
5. Animals (Pink Floyd)
4. Selling England by the Pound (Genesis)
3. OK Computer (Radiohead)
2. It Still Moves (MMJ)
1. A Trick of the Tail (Genesis)

A very tough one. 3 more Genesis albums could easily make this list (Duke, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Foxtrot). I’m also very much in love with Hollywood Town Hall by the Jayhawks.

TOP 5 SONGS OF ALL TIME:
5. The Long and Winding Road (The Beatles)
4. Echoes (Pink Floyd)
3. The Divided Sky (Phish)
2. Steam Engine (MMJ)
1. The Cinema Show (Genesis)

This was very hard. The top 3 I’ll stick by until Jim writes another Steam Engine. Honorable mentions should go to: Out of this World (Marillion), Crowded in the Wings (The Jayhawks), Entangled (Genesis), Ashes of American Flags (Wilco), Heart of the Sunrise (Yes), Saint Simon (The Shins).

TOP 5 GUITARISTS OF ALL TIME:
5. David Gilmour
4. Eric Clapton
3. Trey Anastasio
2. Mark Knopfler
1. Steve Howe

No brainers for me. Steve’s got the best tone I’ve ever heard. He’s also probably the most versatile in the group. And his guitar kicks anybody’s ass.

TOP 5 DRUMMERS OF ALL TIME:
5. Pick Withers
4. Patrick Hallahan
3. Jon Fishman
2. John Bonham
1. Phil Collins (duh right?)

Say what you want about Phil, go ahead I don’t care. A lot of drummers put Phil up there high on their lists. There’s a reason, he brought the drums out front as main instrument on stage and in the studio. Have you ever heard Brand X, his side project in the 70’s? Well go buy an album and listen to that tasty drumming. John Bonham is predictable, but he’s a monster and very influential on my list. Patrick is a lot like Bonham and I think I play a lot like Patrick myself. Pick is the softest tastiest drummer of all. He never crashes those cymbals, just a soft touch.

TOP 5 BASS PLAYERS OF ALL TIME:
5. Tina Weymouth
4. Paul McCartney
3. Mike Gordon
2. Chris Squire
1. Mike Rutherford

Mike Rutherford is the most underrated bass player of all time. He gets overshadowed by the drums and the keyboards. But if you can concentrate on some of his lines, they are pretty crazy. Even on a simple pop tune like Just a Job to Do, he plays very fat and funky. But go further back toward the Lamb, especially The Colony of Slippermen and you’ll really hear the master at work.

MY DESERT ISLAND PICKS:
5. Beethoven’s 5th Symphony
4. Ok Computer (Radiohead)
3. Afraid of Sunlight (Marillion)
2. On Every Street (Dire Straits)
1. A Trick of the Tail (Genesis)

If I had to pick 5, I pick these because they all retain their value after repeated listenings. That’s very important. They are also all very textured albums with several themes.

That’s what I have for now. I’m sure I’ll regret a lot of what I put up there. I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting things like, oh I don’t know, The Soft Bulletin by the Flaming Lips and a bunch more prog stuff. Oh well. Anybody got their top 5’s ready for public consumption? Bring it on.

We’ll do film next.

Love,
Dee

Judging Amy and Gordon Lightfoot-What Do They Have in Common?

2007-01-24T15:25:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling the old thing pretty tough lately. My bones are achy; my heart is still beating faster than it should be. But most of all, I've given up on the whole Anti-Television manifesto that I had running out of my head for the past 5 years or so. I don't know, maybe it's the age, or maybe it's suburbia. I try to stay away from what I would have called 'crap' so many years ago. But yeah, Judging Amy, that's pretty crappy. I'm going to tell you why I like her though. I am going to go on record and contradict myself. I'd like to catch my self in an act of self awareness. Here it goes.

Amy. Ah Amy. You're little show is sweet. Let me tell you how I came across this Soap--yeah it's soap. I had never seen the show when it was on primetime television. I heard of it like I had heard of many of the droves of pedestrian, pull at your heartstring dramas of the time. I thought they were all 'crap'. I still do. I don't care. I found Amy on a sick day from the jobby job.I remember when I was sick as a wee lad. Those days, it was Bob Barker who got the engines roaring. Man I loved Plinko. But what I found as I got older, out of school and into the working world was that daytime television was really set up for 3 demographics of which I didn't fit into. 1. Moms 2. Kids 3. Old People. So I came across Amy when I simply couldn't muddle through Days or Passions, or any of the talk shows or gameshows.

But let me just say some things about Amy. There is a real comfort level to that show. It's pretty melodramatic and over the top, but you know Maxine Gray. Well she's just the bees god damn knees. She takes Social Work to all kinds of levels. She's the anchor of that show. Her and Bruce. Bruce is the man. Cool and collected and guarded. When him and Amy got it on it was tender.That's all I really have to say about Amy for now. I'd welcome any comments on her. She's hott.

This leads of course to the next topic of convo. Gordon Lightfoot. I like him. I like him a lot. What does that mean? Am I getting old? The man has a voice that is smooth as butter. I don't know what else to say. I know that 'older' people like his music. At least that's what I used to say to myself. Well I like him too. I guess I'm 'older'.

Anybody have a show that they watch when they are home sick? Or better yet did it hook you?We want to know.

Dee

Drowning

2006-10-02T14:48:00.000-04:00

I don’t get sick often. When I do I end up drowning in a pool of lethargy and chills. Today I am sick. I have the common cold. This begs the question which probably doesn’t get asked enough by the masses: What the hell is the common cold?

Why do we call it a cold? And why do I get it so bad? They say it’s contagious, right? Like it comes from touching or sneezing. But how do we know the precise moment that this hits our blood stream? These are questions, lots of questions. And I don’t need answers. I just want to drown in this soupy mass of snot and tears and congestion. I want to feel sorry for myself and have others feel sorry for me. Probably the only time I actually care about what other people are thinking of me.

Oh man, my hands are clammy.

Oh wait, I just lost my sh*t. Wait, no it’s okay. Screw Human Resource Management. Fever blisters of joyous rapture.

Oh man, I’ve lost it. It’s all good though. I like it. Feel sorry for me. Buy me a soup. Why do we eat soup when we are sick? The common cold—it’s all so dumb.

Commie bastards. Die scum sucker.

Late,
Dee

Where Are They Now Revisited

2006-06-22T11:10:00.000-04:00

Remember when we were talking about our favorite Television characters and their fate? Well, I feel its time to revisit that topic. Now the rules are thus: we are not interested in the actors. We are to presuppose the fate of characters lives. So here we go.

Brian Hackett from Sandpiper Air; where is he? Do you think that he’s still living in Nantucket with his brother Joe? As I recall he ended up shagging Helen’s sister Casey. Man I hate Casey, I’d like to throw a brick at her skull. In my mind Brian has left Casey, left Joe and went off to the Caribbean. I don’t want to believe that he is in dire straits, but knowing Brian and his crazy antics I would have to say he may have picked up a nasty cocaine habit or some kind of addiction to amphetamines. Too many years chasing women and dealing with his brother Joe’s OCD would have driven him away. My guess is that he is strung out living in a hostel somewhere on a Caribbean island. But, maybe, just maybe Joe will bail him out once more.

Let’s get away from New England for a second and head to Alaska. Joel Fleischman; now this guy went nuts when he headed into the forest. I’d like to think he came to his senses and returned to Cicely and hooked up with Maggie. That’s what everyone wants to believe. I don’t blame them. But no, Joel went back to New York. That’s home for Joel. To tell you the truth, I didn’t watch the final season of NE, so maybe Joel did return. I’m going out on a limb here. But so what, he’s back in NYC now. He’s got a practice on the East Side and a nice pad right near Hunter College. His obsession with the television show St. Elsewhere has caused him great distress. As we all know the people at NBC have refused to even consider putting this classic show on DVD. There is nowhere for Joel to get his St. Elsewhere fix. And because of this, he’s been taken to court by NBC brass for various small crimes. Joel, stalking that receptionist isn’t going to get your show on DVD. Maybe you should try a petition.

Now there is the issue of Brenda Walsh. We cannot dismiss this powerhorse of a woman. Frankly, I think her best days are still ahead of her. Currently she is living in Hollywood landing a few minor roles on daytime television. She’s rekindled her friendship with Kelly and heck; she’s even let Steve Sanders come by for a few late night parties in the hot tub. But she knows not to give Steve too much attention; he always ends up biting the hand that feeds him. Can we say KEG house? As for Dylan and Brenda, well it’s just never going to happen. She knows it, he knows it. We all know it. Brenda is still seeking the right man for the job. That is why I’d say her best days are ahead of her. God love her.

Okay, so what your thoughts on others?

Latro,
Dee

Lament for My Beard

2006-05-11T15:53:00.000-04:00

Well, it’s that time of year again. Time to shave off my loveliest feature. I have great admiration for my beard. When it is with me I feel safe and warm. I feel confident and cool winded. When it is gone, I am naked and lost. It takes a few weeks to adjust. But I never fully adjust.

So why do I shave it? I ask myself that question every time the razor hits the skin. I don’t have a good answer. I have a stupid answer. I have two stupid answers actually. The first is that I don’t feel like I look normal wearing shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops while accompanied by facial hair. I don’t know why but I associate beard and shorts with dirty hippie. And by no means am I aiming to offend all the dirty hippies out there. I just don’t think I pull that look off very well. I wish I did, as I would like to keep the beard all year round.

The second reason is humidity. I have the kind of hair on my head and within my beard which gets a bit unruly, itchy and huge in humid weather. June is okay. But once July comes its itch-scratch central. It isn’t fun.

But I must say this, I am a beard person. The beard is me. I think it defines me. The guy without the beard (the summer guy) is a bit off centre. A bit lost, and a bit messed up. So with that I say to my friend, “Goodbye buddy, I’ll see you around September time. I love you and I’ll miss you very much.”

Latronic,
Dee

Obsessed with Sound

2006-04-27T13:52:00.000-04:00

Yeah I know I use the word obsess quite a bit. It’s in my nature I suppose. When it comes to sound though, I think I have something wrong with me. It’s a good wrong though. I mean it allows me to be thinking about structure and time without looking at watch. I don’t like watches, by the way. Time is evil. Time is not our friend. But it is always there, just spinning around and around. My brain likes to pick up little noises and turn them into loops. This becomes my inner clock. I’m always thinking of loops. Loops are everywhere.

I’m also fond of white noise. Fans, air conditioners, buzzing refrigerators—the gamut. After a while I don’t hear white noise anymore, I can start to hear choirs and chants. Hymns and Cellos. It’s all there sitting in the fan. Not sure why that is. But I hear it.

Mix this with a good loop of the drippy drop drip of the kitchen sink and I have myself a symphony in my head.

I read somewhere (I think it was in Saucerful of Secrets) about how after they had completed Atom Heart Mother Pink Floyd was going to make an album consisting of only kitchen appliances and utensils. I think they even made as far as recording some of it. But they scrapped the idea and decided to make Dark Side. Maybe I’m getting the chronology wrong, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that there are sources for entertainment that extend way farther than guitars, pianos and synthesizers. Though I am obsessed with that stuff too. Our Earth produces so many wonderful and pleasing sounds. Crickets and June bugs. Leaves blowing in the wind. The ocean. Woodpeckers pecking on a tree. It’s all usable. All sound is usable. Let’s use it.

Sound is everywhere, it’s inevitable. I love it. I think an album could be made with non-instruments and still sound musical and melodious. I’d like to try it one day. In the meantime I will keep my head busy with loops and noises from near and afar.

Latronic,
Dee

Caught Red Handed

2006-03-31T13:17:00.000-05:00

Well it finally happened. I got caught. It was only a matter of time. In fact I’m surprised it took this long. You see, I work at an institution where musical instruments are prevalent and ‘available’. In particular there is a lovely sounding baby grand piano sitting in a stuffy old building. I’ve been sneaking into the practice room that holds this fine specimen and honing in my ivory chops for the past 6 months.

It’s nice. It’s been a real nice treat to go out to lunch, come back and play a baby grand. But as of today, it’s over. I got caught red handed.

I feel ashamed but at the same time I feel pretty cool. Like I perfomed some kind of rebellion. Now if I were to lose my job over this, well that would just be the coolest story to emerge from my mediocre work-life. In fact, wouldn’t that just be about the best possible way to be terminated:

Man loses job for playing piano.

In all fairness the gentleman who spoke to me asked me if I was a student. I told him I was not and then asked him if it was okay if I was doing what I was doing. There was an interesting sensation in my stomach as that door opened--it wasn't lunch.

Butterflies, nerves, shame.

Anyway he said, “Its okay if you play, just not this piano and not if the other practice rooms are full with paying students.”

Now the question is whether or not I have the gumption to go back. If I do I will not play the glorious baby grand. Gee, I don’t really know what to do about it. I guess I just had to tell somebody about my sins.

Does it Really Matter?

2006-03-10T13:33:00.000-05:00

I have nothing to say today and yet my mind is speaking to itself in volumes. There’s a line of frustration that is easy to step over and nearly impossible to step back upon. What the hell does that mean? It means that it seems as if the harder I try to make a go at making a success of this whole mess the harder it seems to achieve any greatness. This of course is probably as common an occurrence to me as it is the rest of the human population.

What I wonder, and what I nag at in my head the most is the eternal question: What is happiness? There only 2 distinct events that occur in my own life where I feel I can answer that very question. I’m not going to indulge into those 2 events because I’d like to keep them as pure as possible. And frankly does it really matter?

Does it really matter? Let’s get all Camus and try to put our fingers on that one. Does it really fucking matter? Yes, let’s throw the ‘F-word’ there to emphasize a point. The question itself says nothing and yet speaks in volumes to the masses. Honestly, I don’t think it does matter. It doesn’t. Not to me. I don’t have a God. I don’t believe in the Heaven thing. I don’t believe in Christ or Noah. So what’s the point? Does it really fucking matter? Honestly, can somebody please tell me that it matters and how or why it matters for you?

I’m eternally curious. Though I don’t believe in the eternity of mankind I am still eternally curious. Let me in to the mystic secret. Please, I gotta put my finger on something solid.

Get it. Got it. Out!

Latron,
Dee

Stepping on the Lines

2006-02-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

There are some days when a sidewalk is just an elongated slab of concrete where it’s only purpose is to be walked upon. But then there are days or perhaps even a sequence of days where the lines which divide the sidewalk into squares are my enemy. These days of today are abound with panic glory.

Silly, so silly. I know these are truths. A line in concrete is just a line. But why do they have to be there? They are just in my way. If I step on a line how much will that affect the rest of my day? I’m not a sicko. It’s just that sometimes stepping on the lines can be detrimental to a man’s psyche.

I think tomorrow will be different. Back to normal again. For now though, today on the way to the car you better watch out lines, because I’m not fucking around. I will choke you with my vengeance.

Later,
Dee

Creating a Community

2006-02-20T14:00:00.000-05:00

You know folks the original idea behind this whole Blog thing was to get the dust out of my head. The dust that settles between memories. What happened though was something I had never envisioned or planned. I think I created sort of a weird community where all walks of life from my own life have gathered to offer comments to my brain-housecleaning. This has been wonderful for me. Comments were and are always welcome and encouraged.

By nature, I just really get off on conversation. If it has to happen in this medium; this internet medium than who cares? I’m glad you all have a voice and have some things to offer to the table. Special thanks to Brad for his long tangents. I think tangents are neat and groovy.

So this message here, that I am writing is just a thanks for all the comments. Thanks for all the conversations. Thanks for converging. And thanks for reading. I never thought it would amount to anything. I will do my best to continue with this. And please make as many comments as you’d like. They're free and you can be anonymous, if you want to be that guy.

Latronic,
Dee

Wow I Get It!

2006-02-10T14:32:00.000-05:00

In 1966 The Beach Boys were one of the top bands in America. They had just released Pet Sounds which knocked critics and musicians on their respective asses. Who was responsible for all this hubbub? Non other than California resident genius Brian Wilson.

What Brian did in response to Pet Sounds has become one of the most exciting stories in American history. Yes, it’s that big of a deal. He went into the studio, which at this point was his laboratory, and made a song called Good Vibrations. We all know the tune, because it became a huge hit. He called it a Pocket Symphony. Good Vibrations thus became the catalyst for what we now know as SMiLE. The Story has been told thousands of time by thousands of people, most of whom are way more qualified than I am. What I would like to do though, is express how the music of SMiLE along with the wonderful story of its demise and rebirth are the reasons why music is the most important thing in my life.

Here’s the quick short verbatim story of SMiLE. It was supposed to be a message to God. This was going to be the most complex and interwoven story ever put on record. Take in mind that in 1966 music was still all about the single and finding a hit. Brian wasn’t interested in doing things that way anymore. He wanted to write an entire piece of music in the vein of his hero, George Gershwin. But make no mistake, this was still to be a Beach Boys record and would still contain elements of popular music. He found himself a lyricist named Van Dyke Parks so that he could concentrate on writing the music. The 2 men sat in the sandbox and wrote the bulk of what would become SMiLE.

Everything was going fine until the Beach Boys showed up from their world tour and heard the new material that Brian was recording. They hated it. Mike Love in particular complained that Brian was, “messing with the formula”. Mike was right, but on so many other levels was he wrong. Since this is the short version of the story I will skip right to the tragic side of the picture. Brian eventually shelved the SMiLE project. He went a little cuckoo in the 70’s and the Beach Boys, for better or worse continued working on the “formula” that had made them so successful in the early 60’s. Some of the songs from SMiLE found their way onto various Beach Boys LPs over the next few years. But they were out of context, re-recorded and were lacking the magic sparked between Van Dyke and Brian.

It was over by 1967. SMiLE destroyed Brian’s soul. He would go on for the next 30 or so years never mentioning SMiLE in interviews or playing the songs from the sessions. Fans of course knew of this great lost album and created the SMiLE mythology. I became aware of the songs by seeing some kind of documentary on PBS in the 90’s. They were talking to fellow musicians and whatnot. I only have recollection of Sean Lennon talking about how important these songs were and how sad it was that this album was never released. The general thinking amongst the SMiLE fans was that we would never hear it the way it was intended.

I was able to download a few tracks that I had read about on the internet including Our Prayer, Heroes and Villains and Fire. Just those 3 were enough fodder for my ears. But they were muddy recordings and I knew that they were out of context.

I am a big fan of concept albums. Call it my progressive rock background or what not. So I knew the only true way to hear Brian’s songs would be to hear them together as one piece of a whole work. I knew it would never happen.

But it did happen. In 2004 he released the sucker. I was blindsided. I heard about him playing SMiLE live in London but I didn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. So I forgot about it. And then I just broke down and looked into it and thus found the truth to be that not only was he playing it live on tour but he was releasing an album. He was actually going to go back to that dark place and finish the great masterpiece.

And to me that is what SMiLE is: a masterpiece of work. One of the best stories in rock and roll. And the music, well it speaks for itself. There are certain times in life where a person can truly connect with art and say to themselves, “Wow, I get it!”

Surf’s Up is absolutely beautiful and the center and heart of the album. Wind Chimes, Cabin Essence: brilliant. Heroes and Villains kicks Good Vibrations’ ass. Vega-tables, Wonderful, etc… Come on you’re killing me with this stuff. How can something be so good? It really is that good!

Brain and Van Dyke, thanks guys. I get it. And I love it. And it means a hell of a lot to me that you guys finished it and that it is so good.

Little Heart Attacks

2006-02-07T10:26:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like you are having a little heart attack? I think I do every day. Is it possible to experience cosmic jolts to the ole’ red sucker every once in a while? I think so. I’m feelin’ it. I’m feelin’ it tough lately.

When I get older and further away from the days when it was easier to endure physical pain, I realize just how integral the heart really is to daily function. Because when that thing hurts, or pounds too hard, it’s a wake up call. I’m realizing that perhaps it isn’t the heart that is in control though--it’s the mind. The mind is talking to the heart because the mind knows the only way to wake up the dude inside the body is to give a jolt to the motor.

Isn’t that what the heart essentially is: a motor? It’s responsible for the flow of everything blood. I think my brain is giving me little heart attacks everyday. I think when the big one comes I will be ready.

I'm not 100% sure though. This could all just be un-real.

The Blurred Lines of Reality

2006-02-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

Why is it that whenever I decide to read One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest I myself feel like a patient on a mental ward? What is it about this narrative piece of fiction that connects with my brain ever-so-closely?

I have no resemblance to any of the characters as a whole. But I, like many I’m sure, have inherited an ensemble of mental deficiencies that seem to creep up at certain times of the year. Though I must say they have to be inherent the whole year round.

I’m sorry for the crazy talk but I’m about to turn 30 years old and for whatever reason I’ve been searching for more meaning out of every aspect of my core life that it has been driving me nuts. Perhaps I subconsciously gravitated toward Cuckoo because of this. What I do know for sure at this point is that I need some Shock Therapy. Not in the literal sense But I need something to short out these circuits.

You see when you have OCD, or any kind of self-diagnosed obsession disorder you tend to go way overboard on just about every tangent of your life. Where John Johnson might just slag off a word that he heard before bed as nothing but what it is, a word; I may very well try to find the numerical meaning behind the amount of letters in that word. I may ponder the origin of that word. Upon pondering origins I may begin to think about Latin. What is Latin? Why is it everywhere on American Documents like money and such? This leads to another tangent and then another until I find myself back at the word in question.

And so what does all that have to do with turning 30? And will these paragraphs hold relevance 1 day after 30? I don’t know the answer to that. And that is the answer to all the questions: I just don’t have the capacity to know all the answers.

Within this quagmire a person can lose a sense of what is real and what is a non-real. This feels non-real to tell you the truth. Writing this, talking about this. I feel insane. I feel like I should be playing poker with Harding and Cheswick. But I will read it later and be ashamed. I know this. I know me. I don’t know the answers to the stupidest questions but I know me. I know my guilt. And yet because I am feeling in a non-real state I will continue to write in this fashion. I will post this.

What is it to turn 30? And why make such a big deal of these things? It’s just a day after all. It’s just like the day before it and the day after it. But my brain thinks otherwise. Yup, it wants to re-cap events that took place years and years ago. I don’t know why. But a lot of these events were bad. Some were good. And some were non-real. Maybe they were all non-real.

Maybe this right now is non-real.

Coffee Culture

2005-09-14T19:54:00.000-04:00

Well after a brief hiatus it’s good for me to report that coffee is back in my daily routine. I’ve been meaning to touch upon coffee topics for a while now, but haven’t had the right words in my head. I think I do know.

Coffee is joy for me and a lot of people in my social circles. It is a substance that really bonds people together. Like beer or whiskey, coffee can make a stockbroker and a plumber exist on the same plane. Is it the aroma, or is it the caffeine? Is it the taste or is it the nature of the culture which surrounds it?

When I say culture I mean the language and the unheard dialog that bounces between two or three fellow drinkers. I may not know you, but if I walk down the street and you have a steaming Styrofoam cup in front of you, we have something in common. If we both have steaming Styrofoam cups then we are having an unheard conversation. I’m saying to you, “Oh yeah, you know what I’m talking about baby. We are really enjoying this moment aren’t we?” Perhaps that’s a bit psycho. Perhaps not. It remains to be seen. I don’t really care.

As far as I’m concerned if you like coffee and drink it up like a baby sucks on a baba-milk, then well we are buddies for that moment in time.

Now, I’m pretty hard-core when it comes to coffee. I like it strong and black. Please don’t put anything in there. I enjoy the initial punch I get when I take that first whiff and then open up the gullet. You just can’t escape the sense of joy that exudes from the pores.

Everybody has coffee stories. I must relate a time in my life when I went overboard for about a year. It was back in the trenches of the cubicles and I had my own coffee pot between me and my cube-mate, who shall remain nameless (CNR). It was a cheapie little Gevalia pot that held about 3 cups worth. But we’d brew that sucker non-stop from 9 till 11am and then hit it again for an afternoon soirée. What this does to your nervous system remains a mystery but let me tell you, my piss was brown and had a very quaffable aroma. I was pissing coffee. But it was fun. I certainly got my work done. Because when you are cracked out on caffeine you can’t just sit there and daddle. You must organize. You must put things in their places. OCD and caffeine go together nicely I might add.

So let’s go old school and do some surveys. Because I know most of you are coffee drinkers lets talk about it. I will put my answers below the questions. You do the same.

1.How do you drink it?
Black and strong baby.

2.How many do you drink per session?
At least 2. 1 won’t do.

3.What’s your poison?
My props without a doubt go to Dunkin Donuts coffee. Without question the best stuff on earth. A close second would be Café Bustelo, the yellow can. This is very strong stuff as is. I make it even stronger than it has to be.

4.Styrofoam, Porcelain, plastic, or metal?
I still have my Northeastern Porcelain mug and that’s the place my coffee should be.

5. Do you have a coffee story?
I already told one.

So that’s it.

I’m back baby.

Late,
Dee

Finding the Joy in Nothingness

2005-08-04T11:49:00.000-04:00

Life is full of voids in time. I prefer the word ‘void’ for various reasons. One, it is ambiguous and two, it resonates after you say it. But what is a ‘void’ really? After doing a quick Yahoo Dictionary search I came up with these key phrases and words:

Containing no matter; empty.
Not occupied; unfilled
Completely lacking; devoid
An empty space

True, a void can contain those sentiments. But it can also be an empty space filled with the joy of nothing. Because within nothing I get a chance to know myself a bit more. Voids are full of alone time. So what can I do to occupy the void besides trying to get out of it? Well, I could do something like write a few nonsensical words on an internet Blog. Or I could go for a walk and think about how the nothingness can overtake me. Or I could just do what the void wants to do and sit there in an empty space trying to contain no matter.

That is physically impossible of course. Nobody has the ability to contain no matter. We are, therefore we contain. But is it possible for a brain, or even deeper, our souls to contain no matter; to be unfilled and completely lacking?

No, I don’t think so. I think that just thinking about not thinking about it is in itself fulfilling the empty space. So what to do with such a quandary?

Well, what I have come up with is this. I must find joy in nothingness. If I were to douse myself with the predictability of pessimism I would enter dark voids. And voids don’t have to be dark. There is a joy in nothing. There is something to be said of time off from the reality of reality. I assume that those who seek transcendental mediation are on to the same thing. Within nothing I am providing my soul with the chance to see things that were once unseen. To hold onto those things and keep them for the period after the void is of utmost importance.

If I take nothing from nothing then it becomes dark. It’s not dark now. It can be. It has been before. I am not talking in code. I am sounding off. I am purging to an audience of one or none.

It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we all have something to say; even we see it as infantile or irrelevant. If it is in your brain, get it out of there. And if you want to stay in a void, go ahead. Just be conscious of the darkness and allow yourself to see the joy in nothingness.

The Buffalo Verdict

2005-06-06T13:52:00.000-04:00

So we jumped into the family truckster and headed westward toward the land of Buffalo. It was here where we would finally seek the mystical origin of the Buffalo Wing at a dumpy placed called the Anchor Bar.

The Anchor Bar is located in downtown Buffalo and it is probably the only source of revenue that the city is getting from the outside as the place is a ghost town. The bar itself is large and dingy and very touristy. They have jazz bands playing while you eat your wings. We weren’t there for the music; nope not even the Styrofoam chicken wing hats that they were selling at the door. We had a mission to taste the mythical, original wing.

We ordered a bucket of wings but they came on a pizza pan. They were steaming with Western New York love but were accompanied by plenty of bleu cheese to cool the engines.

The teeth cut through and then they passed by the taste buds as they made their journey through the gullet and to the belly. And the verdict?

Delectable. The wings were very big with meat galore on the bone. The sauce was not smothered on the wing, they were quite dry. Perhaps my only qualm, as I believe this is the reason why the flavor did not savor quite as much as I thought it would. They were very tasty, but I felt that there was something lacking. Something that should give that extra punch. Don’s wings had this.

For that reason I put Don’s wings at number one on my list of wing joints. And here is the rundown of that list:

1.Don’s Wings-Anywhere on Earth where there is oil and heat. Tangy, tasty and hot. Back in the day they were the reason why people came to Graduation Parties and BBQ’s. Even though he grills them now, the old way still holds up as the best of the bunch.
2.Anchor Bar-Buffalo, NY. These guys had a lot of meat and flavor but were missing something that I can’t figure out. Some kind of citrus perhaps. I was hoping they would be the best but Don still reigns supreme.
3.Nice Guy Eddie’s-Ave A & Houston. New York, NY. Big time dumpy sports bar that isn’t worth mentioning because they come a dime a dozen in New York. But the wings are fantastic. These suckers are just drenched with heat and served with carrots, celery and bleu cheese. A very robust wing which will clear your sinuses.
4.Herndon House-Herndon, PA. Located on the eastern side of the Susquehanna river, this little old restaurant has a big menu of wing choice. You go here for variety and flavor. They have everything from honey mustard to old bay and pizza. But mention must go out to a wing called the Cajun Funeral which is a version of the Buffalo persuasion with all kinds of extra punches. If I were to include the Cajun Funeral as an actual Buffalo I would have to move the Herndon House up on the list. But they aren’t. Look out and beware of the Death Wing. People only eat these things on stupid dares.
5.The Edison-Sunbury, Pa. In the flavor department Edison wings are pretty good. Not fantastic. But good enough to make the list. Now when it comes to the actual wing is where the problems begin. It’s always hit or miss with these guys, and usually miss is the winner as you will end up gnawing on a sliver of bone and meat. Sometimes overcooked as well. But when they are on, or when they hit, they can be grand. And are great for late night munchies.

So that’s the list. That’s the story of the Buffalo quest. Is there a moral? I don’t know. I just hope that this trip will spark some kind of resurgence in the Don’s recipe. Somebody in the family must step up to the plate and start cooking em up old school again.

Latro,
Dee

Observations and Good Byes

2005-05-17T14:17:00.000-04:00

As I prepare to make my dashing exit from New York City and all of it's lovely entanglements I have been making some observations lately about this place that I wanted to relate and ramble.

And ramble I will. Some of these things may very well be re-hashed and talked about ad-nausem (whatever that phrase means; is it even a phrase?).

When I was living downtown in the East Village there was a wave of peculiar electrocutions going on in the street. You see people were walking around on the street and on the sidewalk crossing over those protective metal covers that hide the network of lies beneath the ground and some folks were getting quite a shock. A few dogs have died. I'm not sure if any humans prevailed but I just found it to be, almost unreal; like out of some movie. I picture these men behind video monitors(cameras facing intersections all over the city) and pushing this magic button every time somebody crossed one of these "hot plates." it's pretty messed up stuff that you can walk down the street minding your business and then, Zap you're a goner.

Haven't heard too much about it recently. I think Con Edison got hit pretty hard with some lawsuits or something. I have no knowledge of these things. But it really fascinates me.

How bout these people with their dog poop? I can tell you right now, if you walk down East 2nd Street between 1st Ave and Ave A you are going to be dodging some landmines. For some reason that block is shit central. I've seen other blocks like it. But I know first hand what it's like there. And these are monster dumps. Like Great Dane dumps. I know it's a real bitch to get down with your plastic bag and pick it up, but for the sake of odor and your neighbors please get down there and pick it up you moron.

Speaking of morons. Hey you people that decide who gets go on the upper level and the lower level of the George Washington Bridge why are you such dick heads? Listen, I don't have EZPass. Okay, there I said it. I don't own it. I pay my tolls the old fashioned way with dirty dollars. So just because I don't have EZPass I am subjected to the upper level only. And the upper level only means one thing right? Right? No matter what time of day, it's going to be at least 45 minutes. Meanwhile the lower level is just cruising right on in. I know this, I listen to your reports on 1010 WYNS. Do I have to be punished because I do not want to pay the price of progress and get myself and EZPass? It facinates me. That bridge is a peice of garbage. Everybody, I urge you, please avoid it at all costs.

You know what else fascinates me? The idea of bringing the Olympics to New York City. Can I just tell you how stupid this is? I'm going to try.

I think if I never lived here I might say, "Oh, Olympics. New York. Great idea." But I do live here I ride the subway, take cabs, go in elevators, walk through Time Square (not on purpose). I bump into people, they bump into me. It's a zoo. Literally, it's a zoo and we are a bunch of caged animals. So do you know what kind of thing would happened if the zoo let in a few million more animals in along with their horses and curling sticks (wait, that's the Winter Olympics)? It would be madness. The Olympics would be an absolute disaster.

And now in the age of terror and fear that we all live in we must pull even more and more resources to protect us all. Let's just take the Republican National Convention that took place here last year as an example. That was a bad idea. Not because 99% of the people who live here are strongly opposed to GW. Not because it was hot. Not because we are living in an age of terror and fear. But because New York City does not have the infastructure for these kinds of events. This is the land of concrete. The city that never sleeps. We have garbage trucks all day and night long. Street Sweepers. People. People. People. And so now we are going to put forth this grand master plan to host the world's bese athletes and make them get around all that stuff. It's just stupid. It's so dumb that I feel smarter for thinking the way I do.

But lets just face the truth here. The idea is not about the athletes or the ideals and principles behind the Olympics. It's about Politics. There is an agenda behind the idea. If Bloomberg and Pataki and GW are able to host this thing under their guise they will go down has heroes and innovators. They will make it as if New York can overcome and be better than before the terror.

And to me, as a New Yorker I just think it's shenanigans. The fact that people went to work on 9/12/01, continue to go to work, raise children, play softball in central park is more of an overcoming factor than going out and trying to prove a theory. The theory being: If we host the Olympics we will be some Fly Mo Fo's and no homies will mess with us again.

Dumbasses.

These things I say, I say because I love New York. And I am going to miss the little bitch. She has been really good to me. And I think I've been good to her. I'm only looking out for her best interest. So with that I will bid her adieu and all that jazz.

Latron,
Dee

Talking About the New School

2005-04-29T14:45:00.000-04:00

Well, after many requests there has been interest in a topic of discussion amongst the various video game platforms since NES. So the table is open for discussion on any or all types of gaming at this point.

Let me start with Super NES. Not a bad little system if I do say so myself. I still play it to this day. The whole Mario Bros. Series really made a home with Super Mario World and it's sequels. Plus we were introduced to the wonderful Yoshi. Speaking of Yoshi remember the first SuperMario Kart? That game is the bomb.

The Megaman series continued onto SNES as well starting with Megaman X. I love this game but as of yet I haven't beaten it. It's just one of those games, like Zelda2 The Adventures of Link (NES) that I cannot beat. I keep trying though.

As for sports games Andrew and I used to wax it out tough on Madden College football. I Don't think I ever beat him, that stupid ass bastard. He was always Provo or College Station, and no matter what he would run circles around me . I suck. I should just end it.

I won't ever forget the moment the first time I saw the Play Station. This thing was leaps and bounds beyond anything I had ever seen. For me the first game to hit me was Resident Evil (another one I can't beat), and let me tell that game is pretty damn serious and scary. Running around that mansion and fighting off the rabid dogs or that huge spider down in basement. Oh man that was classic. Worst acting in a video game ever. Barry was such a deuche.

But the ultimate gaming experience for me as a collective venture would have to have been Twisted Metal 2. I was lucky to have 2 separate groups of friends with whom I could rip it up. The first was in college. The core being: Junkin, Terry, Clitter and Pistol Pete. Junkin was always Mr. Grimm or Spectre. Terry was Warthog or Axle. Clitter was Warthog, and Pistol Pete was whoever, probably Outlaw. I chose and still choose Shadow though I have a love affair for Thumper because it's pretty cool to burn people. I sucked, I never won.

The second group were a very experienced bunch of gamers that included: Andrew, Dave, Jeff, Jimmy D, and Matty T. They had their own thing going on way before I came on the scene. Apparently there was this mystical place called The Box where tires were shredded and Eiffel Towers were blown up. I never won with these guys either, I sucked. Noticing a trend in my video gaming history?

Twisted Metal was very communal. That's a good thing, but some games are very much about yourself. Case in point. Metal Gear Solid VR missions. I can play this game for months, and never beat it. But It's all about me, that controller, and Solid Snake. It's stupid too, there is no sense of accomplisment and yet when I start playing it I cannot let it go. Good times indeed.

Listen, these conversations can go on and on. People will want to talk about Xbox or Donkey Kong Country or Time for Teletubbies and whatnot, and why shouldn't they? It's all good fun. I'm not a junkie; as you can see I always lose, but I stil play as do you.

Anybody rememebr President Elect on Apple2e? Okay that was a stretch.

Now it is time for others to join in the discussion and state your gaming experiences. New School, Old School, High School, whatever.

Friday Joys to all.

Later,
Dee

Keeping the Legacy of Don's Wings Alive

2005-04-13T13:14:00.000-04:00

There used to be a Golden Age of cuisine at the Dobson household. Oh yes there was a time when Big Don would put on the Cowboy hat, strap on the apron and cook up his prized Buffalo wings. He usually needed an excuse. A graduation party here, a birthday party there, a superbowl party over yonder. And we loved it. And everybody who ate one of his wings loved it. From Chris Mach to Rob Adams people would flock around the bowl and chomp away. We'd all line up begging for more and preying that they would not run out. I still believe to this day that his recipe is the best, despite the fact that he has toned down the intensity lately. No other wing holds water to a Don Wing.

And then, one day the wing making dropped off a bit. The family grew older. We split up. Graduation parties became far and few between as we had all moved closer to adulthood. And of course the biggest cog in the machine was Mom's ultimatum that Dad could not fry the wings in the house anymore because the oil soot was ruining the kitchen (Sorry Mom, but that sucks). He began to make the wings by donning the grill technique. This usually meant that we could only grace the pleasure of his tasty treats during the summer time. Now, don't get me wrong any Don Wing is a good wing, but a grilled wing doesn't hold water to a fried wing. I'm sorry Mom, that is truth speaking. And I do believe that a legacy has been lost. I don't know If I or Pat, or perhaps even Shan can take the reigns and begin frying again under Dad's tutelage.

As this summer approaches I am looking forward to BBQ's, Macaroni Salad, and grilled goodies. Hell, Dad just started making his kick ass homeade ice cream again after a healthy hiatus. The man knows his cuisine when he works his magic.

When I think about Don's Wings, I am duly happy and sad.

Happy that there were so many great memories and stories. People from Schenectady, Marlboro, and Selinsgrove always ask if my Dad is still making his wings. When he came to my Fraternity back in the college days for Parent's day he cooked up a batch and my friends just kept coming up to me saying, "Yo dude, your dad's wings kick ass." Go find Chris Manucci and bring up the name Don Dobson, you know what he is going to say, "Man those wings were wicked awesome, Dobbie!"

I am sad because they aren't fried anymore. I was hoping perhaps he could find a new venue to cook them. But it hasn't happened yet. For the past 5 years all wings that I've eaten have been grilled or baked. That's okay, but it is not great.

In a few weeks the Dobsons are going Buffalo to attend a wedding. As many people know Buffalo is where the Buffalo wing was invented. Perhaps, oh yes perhaps, the Chicken Wing Gods of Buffalo will spark the fire for a new generation of Don's Wings. They cannot disappear. It is our duty as Dobsons to keep the legacy of Don's Wings alive.

Love ya Dad,
Latro folks,
Dee

Talking Bout' the Old School

2005-03-29T14:20:00.000-05:00

Shall we get interactive again? I say it's about time.

I want to go real old school here and talk about the wonderful invention that was brought forth to our living rooms, play dens, basement hang outs and the like. Yes I am talking about the video game console.

For my family the first unit was the Atari 2600. I would bet that the boys over in Japan were responsible for bringing joy to many an American family in the early 80's. Tank was a personal favorite of mine, especially the one where the bullets ricocheted. Frogger was a nice improvement, and it had classic music. And who can forget Kaboom? This was one of those games that required a paddle, taking us beyond the joystick realm. It was all good and fun until....

Nintendo invaded our waking hours. For me NES has always been the way to go. And there is one game in particular that I want to really dig into. But I'm going to make you wait. Because I wanted to talk about a few others first.

How about the best sports game ever: Tecmo Bowl? I was really cheesy and used the Raiders because they had Bo Jackson who would just run through everybody (am I thinking of Super Tecmo Bowl?), great game. Or another classic sports game was of course, Blades of Steel. "Fix your pad. Fix your pad." One of the first games where you could get into a fight and break from the actual game play.

And then there was the ultimate: Tetris and I'm not talking about the NES version. Oh no baby. I'm talking about the Tengen version. This was the one with the Russian music. It was based on the Arcade game. Frankly, no version of Tetris has matched the Tengen version. I used to dream of the puzzle pieces when I slept.

There was also Zelda, with the gold faced cartridge. Oh man that was fun. I could never beat it though. And those stupid blue knights just sucked to beat.

And now without further adieu, I'd like to take some time to talk about the best Video Game ever created. It's still the best today. Nothing can hold water to the beautiful, the wonderful, the fabulous: Megaman 2. This game just captured everything a small child could want in a Friday night. Great music (Bubbleman board in particular), and the whole concept of attaining the weapons of the boss that you destroy was just ingenious and of course the great story line of Megaman and his teacher/mentor/creator, Dr. Light. I have it emulated on my PC at home and I still play it like a little child. I've played the other incarnations of Megaman, and it is quite the series, right up there with the Final Fantasy and Mario Bros. sagas (I forgot to talk about the little Italian bros., oh well), but only Megaman 2 really captured the essence of true electronic entertainment. Love it.

Now, let's have a discussion about our fondest video games. Video game memories, sibling rivalries, joysticks, passwords, game genies. I want to know about all those extra lives you got by hitting the turtles head in Super Mario (I could never do it). I want to know about Zelda, Metroid, Bayou Billy, Duck Hunt. Throw us your stories, secrets, codes. But most importantly let's hear what was your favorite?

Oh yeah, let's try and stay away from current platforms like Playstation, XBox, Jaguar etc...
Keep it Old School.

Have fun with it.

Latron,
Dee

The Things We Take

2005-03-23T13:49:00.000-05:00

Don't fret, Dee is still alive. Blogging is something that requires a great deal of digging. Digging through my brain to find something worthy of spreading on the internet. Needless to say, I haven't done too much digging lately. There were a few topics that I wanted to discuss. But you never know how they will spill out of brain and into the typing fingers.

I must admit that is nice sometimes, to just let it all come out ala stream of consciousness. Is that what I shall talk about today? So far, yes. But no, there are some things that I wanted say. I wanted to talk about the things that we carry with us from the past. I'm talking about literal, tangible things and mental objects. Most of the things we take with us on our life journey serve the purpose of going back to a memory. For instance, a shoebox full of pictures. Everybody has pictures, and perhaps no other medium can capture a memory like a good old Polaroid of you and the family Truck.

Well, that just sounded like an advertisement. Let's get off of photos.

Sometimes we take things with us that remind us of pain. This is what I really want to talk about. I can't speak for anybody but myself on this one.

There have been some bad times in my life. It happens. Crap gets clogged up and sediment, well settles and you end up looking at what you have in front of you and, blam! you accept it. I'm not going to go into details about those bad times. But I will say that, I feel as I get older I am paying for those times in my present. I've kept something with me for a long time. Something nasty. Something that reminds me everyday of what I think I should deserve for being in those bad times. For being the person responsible for those bad times. I just realized this yesterday. I've kept this thing with me for so long. This painful, awful, ugly thing. Why? Because I inherently wanted to punish myself. But now I don't want to suffer anymore. I want to cleanse the pallet and create new times that are good.

Nothing was ever as bad as it was then. I don't think it can ever go back to that place. One of the good things about accepting growth is that you can really judge yourself by your previous actions. If there is one lesson to be learned over and over by myself, and taught by myself is that in no way can I settle. I don't want to take an easy path to some kind of make-believe void. I want tomorrow to be the opposite of today. I want to accept the accepting. I want to bore you'all with blah, blahs and popcorn.

What does that all mean? Not sure really. But this thing that I've kept with me for so long is leaving me soon. I am really excited about it.

Latron,
Dee

A Little Bit of Love for Punky, Steve and A.C.

2005-03-11T14:13:00.000-05:00

It is going to be on very rare occasions that I talk about television. I have a lot of anger toward that little devil box. But I can't negate the fact television is and was a part of our social fabric. More specifically for me, there is a nostalgia factor that comes to play whenever I think about the characters who passed through my life.

In today's edition I'd like to talk about some of those characters and ask the big, 'What if', or 'Where are they now?' I'm not talking about the actors who played the characters; no I am talking about the characters themselves. Where are they today?

Where is Punky Brewster? I'd guess she's about 30 years old now. My age in fact. Did Punky ever find her mother? Did she go to college and meet boys and get good grades? Or did life have a different path for her? Perhaps she found solace on the streets of Chicago and began turning tricks to support her meth addiction in the mid 90's. I don't want to believe this, but we will never know for sure. Maybe she went on to become a top notch Social worker striving for the justice of all downtrodden children everywhere. Was Henry at her graduation ceremony? I often wonder if she continued wearing her garb well into her teens and adulthood. If you crossed Punky's path today, would she be donning pigtails, mismatched shoes, a bandanna around her ankle, a heart on her purple jacket? If so, she might need some help, or she might simply be retarded. I'm sure in the streets of New York her appearance wouldn't cause any kind of a stir. But what if, just what if Punky, clad in aforementioned clothes was walking down Market Street in Lewisburg, PA. Would you walk up to her and ask her if she needed help finding her way back to the special bus? Or would you ignore her and then laugh as she skipped and galloped down the street. We will never know the answers for sure.

And what of Steve Sanders of 90210 fame. Now Steve would be a bit older than Punky today. I bet Steve would be in his mid 30's. We all know how troubled he was growing up in the drama of Beverly Hills. His mother was an actor. Kelly wouldn't take him back. He burned down the KEG house and almost killed Kelly in the process. He never really quite fit in with cool and suave kids: Dylan or Brandon. No, Steve was out on his own the whole time, making the best of the situations that were put forth in front of him. So where is Steve today? Is he a car salesman? Perhaps he got hooked on God and started preaching the gospel. No, I don't think so. I wish I knew though. There has got to be a way to find out. Steve, are you even alive? Did the hard core drinking just escalate into a world of pain and despair? Do you have children out of wedlock? Or did you inevitably become what everybody expected you to become: a corporate lacky? You are bringin' in the dough now, aren't you? You got yourself a new wife, a lovely house in the hills and a dog named, appropriately enough, Silver after your buddy David. Come on Silver, come on boy lets go for a walk, and I will call Kelly on my cell.

The biggest question mark for me is the fate of A.C. Slater. Now this boy was doomed for fashion failure the minute he stepped foot into the hallowed halls of Bayside High. From the stonewash jeans to the pink wife-beaters, to the awful curly-cue mullet, what has become of you today? Where is A.C.? Did he go back to Mexico to find his roots? Maybe, he went on to become a soldier just to make his daddy happy. I'd think not, because while A.C. is flawed in many areas of life most of them are materialistic and he's got a good heart. I'd like to think that he is working very hard to keep his family afloat. Perhaps he is working 2 jobs and going to school. He is really showing signs of a promotion from dishwasher to sous chef at Shoney's. And the second job is down at the Legion setting up poker night for the old boys club. The latter of course is only on Friday and Sunday nights. But because he has to sacrifice those 2 nights he is missing out on his family time. 8 little Slaters need to be fed though and A.C. will do what he can to keep the machine running. A.C. I wish you the best. When you finally told Zack to back off and get the hell out of your life, it really was the best thing you could have done. He was no good for you. His schemes just put you in so much trouble. Remember after college graduation when he convinced you to go back to Mr. Belding's house and sleep on his bedroom floor. Boy was Dick pissed off when he woke up at 3am to take a piss and tripped over you sitting there sound asleep. Oh A.C. good riddance to Zack and his lies. Good luck with the family though.

There are so many more characters that I often wonder about. Who else does this? We will never know, because once the show is cancelled or has run it's course the characters die. I don't want them to die. I want them to live on and on in my memory. And if I see Punky walking down Market Street I am going to take her out and buy her an 8 track tape. She will like that. I know she will. She likes music.

Latron,
Dee

Speading the Chili Fun

2005-03-09T14:00:00.000-05:00

Today for lunch I brought in my prized Chili. Not the best thing to eat in a small confined space surrounded by co-workers. Is it the beans or the peppers that does the trick?

Either way it's damn good stuff and I am really proud of it. My chili that is. There is a part of me that wants to be that guy. That guy that cooks for people. That creates dishes from experience and uses guess work to add texture. My Chili is a combination of those 2 things. Today's Blog is simple and easy. I am going to put out my recipe for all who wish to spread the Chili love.

I'd really love for people to throw me their recipes for anything that they are proud of. Now some are better cooks than others. But I don't know anybody that can't make a grilled cheese. So if you are that guy, tell us what kind of cheese you use. What kind of bread. Do you use butter, margarine, or some other animal by-product? (The grilled cheese is just an example) Please, please post anything. Any kind of recipe.

Without further adieu here is Dee's simple Chili.

Note: The hardest part is the prep. And all that is is cutting.

Dee's Fantastic Chili

Stuff you need:

2 Green Peppers

1 Red Pepper

1 Yellow or Orange Pepper

5 to 8 Jalapeno Peppers

3 to 8 Chili Peppers

1 1/2 (or 2 small) Red Onions (You can use regular onions but Red are better)

1 Can of Progresso Dark Kidney Beans

1 Large Can (the big daddy) of Tomato Juice (I prefer Sacramento)

1 Package of Ground Turkey (You can be lame and use ground beef, But Turkey has more flavor and it's better for you)

1 Heaping Tablespoon of Minced Garlic (the stuff in the fridge or 2 cloves of the real stuff)

Franks Red Hot Sauce (To use whenever you want to kick it up)

Spices: Cumin, Chili Powder, Cajun Seasoning, Salt, Black Pepper

Olive Oil

1 Frying Pan

1 Large Pot

Prepare:

Chop up all the vegetables (minus the garlic) as finely as possible, especially the hot peppers. Throw them in a large bowl. Mix them with about a tablespoon of olive oil, and some of the spices at your own leisure. If you have the time, let the veggies marinate in bowl with spices and

Olive Oil. This will help, trust me.

Throw the veggies into frying pan, add more Olive Oil if necessary. Saute very, slowly. You don't want to burn. And the idea here is to soften the vegetables before they go into the meat. This also brings more flavor into the veggies.

You can let the veggies go while you start the meat part. For the meat. Get out a Large pot. Spray the pot sides and bottom with some kind of cooking spray. Throw in meat. Season the meat with all spices and Franks Red Hot at your leisure. Cook slowly, but not too slowly. Chop up the meat as finely as you can. You don't want big chunks of meat on your spoon.

Meanwhile back at the frying pan. Things should really start smelling pretty good now. Once the veggies are pretty soft move them to the side and free up a circle in the middle of the pan. Put a dab of Olive Oil in circle. Turn heat down and then saute garlic in circle with Olive Oil. DON'T BURN THE GARLIC you will ruin everything. Once the garlic browns a bit (this takes no longer than 2 minutes) integrate it with the rest of the veggies.

Back at the meat. Once it is browned and cooked, reduce heat, throw in can of Kidney beans, but drain the kidney bean juice first. Mix it around. Throw the veggies into the meat/kidney bean mix. Mix that around a bit dashing a bit of salt around. Then throw in can of Tomato Juice. Mix well. Put on simmer at a medium low heat, without covering. Let it go for awhile. Once it starts to boil, add as many more spices as you want. I usually load in the Chili Powder here. Reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover and wait. The longer it simmers the better it tastes.

Note: If you want to add more intensity to the flavor add more hot peppers and cumin.

It makes quite a bit of a meal and a fun ride through your colon.

Have fun with that. It's a lot of words up there, but trust me, it's easy.

Okay,

Now it's your turn.

Latro,

Dee

Friday is a Day of the Week and a State of Mind

2005-03-04T11:03:00.000-05:00

Friday is for Fun. Let's have some fun today. The polls are full of GT's. I will get to 1 of them in a second. But let me first just ramble about music.

I used to make this rule for myself. Which was, on every Friday I would allow myself a treat and bring some Cd's to work so I can listen while I administer databases. Those days are gone as I pretty much bring my Cd's everyday. But I have to admit that by allowing myself only one day per week to listen; one day to relax while I work I was able to enjoy that day, oh so much more. There is beauty in deprivation. Music for me is like breathing, and to not listen to it or talk about it, or least have a song in my head is like going without sleep and or food. So in the past, when I deprived myself, it made those Fridays so much more exciting.

So, music is on the mind. And ironically I didn't bring any Cd's today because I am going to see a show tonight straight from work. Here in NYC you tend to lug around a lot of stuff. In order to bring the Cd's I would have to lug them to the show, which isn't desirable. So now I can only sit here and sing what's in my head. I gotta get this out.

Brad, you're going to appreciate this:
"There's a time and the time is Now and it's right for me, it's right for me and the time is Now."
There's a word and the word is Love and it's right for me, it's right for me and the word is Love"

Okay that is out. Can you guess the song?

Anyway, I'm going through kinda of a singer/songwriter phase in my listening lately. Obviously with the Beatles in the forefront. But the one album that I cannot put down these days is Hollywood Town Hall, by the Jayhawks. Did you ever get to a point where you just can't stop listening to something? It's just stagnating in your brain, saying, "Come on, play me. Please. I want you to hear me." Well the Jayhawks can do that to me. And this album which I've just discovered is full of glorious harmony vocals and melodies. Incidentally the show that I am attending tonight is Gary Louris and Mark Olson of the Jayhawks and they better play Crowded in the Wings.

If you haven't heard the Jayhawks before, may I please suggest them to you.

So this is leads me the poll.

I've always found the "What's in your CD player" poll as good old fun. I have many polls like these that I conduct in the confines of my brain. Today I'd like to ask these questions:

1. What song is in your head right now? If you don't have a song try to think of the last one that was there.

2. What album has been getting the most play in your CD player or Ipod or computer or whatever device these kids are using today?

3. Who do you want to see live right now?

4. What artist or what album would you suggest for friends and family to listen to?

My answers:
1. Well, obviously the one I sang above. But there is another one. And it is "Mellow Mood" by Bob Marley.

2. Besides Hollywood Town Hall, I will have to say Final Straw by Snow Patrol.

3. I'd love to see Marillion right now.

4. I keep pushing this one on people because I think it is absolutely beautiful. Brian Wilson's Smile. Please, I beg all to get this album. It is soooooo goood. The things that he does with the human voice are just incredible. Rock, Rock Roll....YA!!

That is all. Enjoy Fridays.

Latron,
Dee

A Few Words on Evolution and Corporate America

2005-03-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

I remember passing by some boutique a few years ago and seeing a t-shirt with the following picture: (Note I had to remove this link as it is dead and went to a porn site. It was a pic of man evolving to sitting at a computer. Sorry about the porn-dd 6/28/07) That image stayed in my head and I'm thinking of it right now. In fact I've been thinking about it quite a bit lately.

While, it is a comical take on the evolution theory. It is also very serious and true. Whether or not you believe in Adam and Eve or the Big Bang, or whatever the pundits are preaching these days, man has indeed evolved into a sitting position. We begin our lives in a warm, happy, safe bubble called a womb. Once we are out of the womb we are left to fend for ourselves. No umbilical cord can feed us automatically. Once our little eyes open to the brightness of the sun, there is no going back.

And so we go on and on, learning how to scream, crawl, walk, speak, poop, pee, hit, sleep and learn. And as humans we do nothing but learn everyday; hell every second. I do believe that. But as the picture demonstrates what does it all mean by the time we get to the chair and the computer?

We've learned to be slaves to technology. Slaves to progress. Slaves to the Corporate system. Corporate America folks. Yes that branch of the life tree that just sticks out and shades the living from the beauty of the world. Sure leaves fall off and naturally recycle themselves into the earth. But ultimately Corporate America aint going nowhere. And I have a problem with that.

I really have deep admiration for the guys that deliver Poland Spring Water, or the UPS guys with their brown shorts in the summer. The pizza guy that comes to your house at 1:45am in the middle of snowstorm. These folks aren't quite as caught up in the whole Corporate Scheme, because they are out there in the fields. They are actually in society.

I always thought, like a large portion of people in the world that you are supposed to go to college and get a good job in an office. Boy was I wrong. Let me tell what I've found since working in an Office environment.

It is stale: There is no air circulation. The walls in my office are painted in dull, slate-grey/blue colors. The cubicles are grey as well. Minimal windows. Fluorescent light, which is perhaps the most evil invention ever created. I truly believe that fluorescent light is harmful to your soul. It sucks your life force right out of you. People in the Corporate Scheme know this. They want to keep the situation stale and regimented.

It is damaging to your health: Were human beings really physiologically made to sit down all day looking at a computer screen? Is this really conducive to a healthy well being? As said before, there is no circulation, so when somebody comes in with a cold on Monday morning, by Friday 2/3 of the company has that same cold. Open a window goddammit. Better yet, put some more windows in the place.

It is mentally damaging to you and your family: I work in a cubicle. Walls are all around. It's just me and my little space for long periods of time. Don't they call that solitary confinement in prison? Stress comes in out of your cubicle like the tides. And you know what? You bring that stress home with you. You don't want to, but how can you not? You just spent 8 hours in that little space dealing with God knows what. Or worse, you have nothing to do and you have to make a job out of making it look like you have something to do. It's a bad scene man

It's a bad scene and it isn't meant for me. Going back to the evolution thing and the picture. I think it's funny. But think it's sad. Don't get me wrong, I love sitting here at the computer typing this stuff. But if I had my way I'd be outside with a lap top. I do believe that progress and technology is a good thing despite my aforementioned dabble with being a slave. I think it's a good thing in moderation. I think it's a good thing if you don't let it take over your life. I think it's a good thing if it isn't part of your job. I don't want to look at databases anymore. I know somebody has to do it. If there were no databases out there, things would move a lot slower and we'd still be in paper. But the point of this rant is that I just cannot do it anymore.

So how bout you?

Tell us.

1. Do you like your job?

2. Do you feel like a slave to progress?

3. If you don't like your job, what do you want to do for a living?

4. Would you be content if you never had to work again an all of your finances were taken care of?

My answers:
1. Hell no
2. Yes
3. I want to create. If I could earn a living creating something I would be a much happier human being.
4. No, I will need to feel like accomplished a goal. I have OCD remember.

By the way does anyone else think that Rachel Ray would be fun to go bowling with?

Latron,
Dee

A Blog Without a Theme is a Ramble

2005-03-01T14:26:00.000-05:00

Thus I shall go on today and say everything about nothing at all. I really only had 2 major things on my mind that I wasn't able to tie into one theme. So instead of trying I will just divulge into both.

1st Major Thing: The Joys of OCD

I have OCD.

For those not in the, "know"that stands for Obsessive Compulsive disorder. Now I've never been diagnosed or treated, but I know it's there in my brain. I don't call it a disorder either because for the most part my need to have some order is a good thing. I call what I have:

Obsessive Compulsive Desire

Why? Well, because I desire to be compulsive about Obsessively thinking. Look at this Blog. This is the purest form of thinking and then reiterating what is in thy brain. This is the main purpose of the Blog I think. Though let me state this now and forever that what I hope to get out of this experiment the most is to create a discourse for rational and irrational thinking. I'd like to spark some kind of conversation. If I didn't seek out that kind of situation then this would be quite lame and boring (Perhaps it already is).

So I am here now talking about this thing that I have; this need to have my thoughts gathered into their respective filing cabinets. And yet the funniest part of my OCD is that while I hate routines and repetitions I know that they must exist to satisfy the Compulsion. That doesn't make any sense. I'm not going to make a lot of sense sometimes. We will deal and move on.

Move on to why being Obsessive Compulsive can be a good thing. By waking up everyday and putting some kind of task in my brain I am able to reach a goal for that day. If the goal is accomplished then a surge of positive energy is sent throughout my brain. Some days are harder than others. Any goal will do. If woke up today and said, "You know what, I really have to clean up that cat poop before I retire to bed tonight," and did nothing about it, not only would I be disappointed with myself, I would also have to keep dealing with that cat poop. And trust me there is a lot of cat poop on my floor.

I like to clean. Cleaning is the best way to curb the OCD. Little projects here and there give me a sense of peace. And speaking of cleaning who here loves 409? That stuff is the best all purpose cleaner around. I can't lose with 409. Big fan of the Swiffer as well.

So that brings up the the first topic of discussion. Tell me about cleaning. Tell me if you like it, hate it. Tell me what products work for you. Tell me your favorite Tub scrubbing product. Tell me anything. It makes for good conversation.

The 2nd Major thing: The Beatles

Moving beyond the cat poop and floor cleaners I have to say a few things about the boys from Liverpool.

The Beatles as a topic can be so exhausting. I don't really care. I like to talk about them so I am going to. I got The Anthology DVD for my birthday last week. I've been watching every episode yearning for more and more like a crack addict. Why? Why do these guys hold such a high place in my life?

I guess because they were true artists. They did what they wanted to do and the outcome of that is absolutely fantastic. Everything we see and hear in Rock and Roll can be attributed to the Beatles. Not only were they around in the right place at the right time, they were so good. Songwriting, arranging, singing, playing, producing, showing (verbs, verbs, verbs).

This isn't really anything of substance, what I am saying. We all know this. But I've been in conversation with people who didn't know who George Harrison was. And I thought that was just absolutely astounding. I have to pull away from that and pretend I didn't hear it. Come one people. Get it together.

And with that I wanted to bring up topic number 2. A poll of sorts here. Love em or hate em, polls can be fun. This is a Beatles poll.

Tell me these things and please elaborate, don't just answer the question, expand baby:

1. Who is your favorite Beatle?

2. What is your favorite Beatle song?

3. What is your favorite Beatle Album?

4. What is up with Yoko (did she destroy them)?

Here are my answers:
1. Paul. I know he was pretty cheesy and corny. But I always seemed to enjoy his songs the most. In all the histories I've read he's been the guy that really got them going and going. I have a lot of admiration for that kind of push. He was and is an awesome bass player. Some of the lines he was playing early on were way out there. The first true "melodic" bass player. I don't know, I just love the guy.
2. The Long and Winding Road. I can't believe I still haven't heard this song on the Let it Be Naked album the way that Paul intended it to sound. The strings in the original never bothered me, I thought they added an element of melodrama to the melody. Melody is key with this song. And everytime I hear it I just melt.
3.Abbey Road. The last and the best, no question. I seem to like the latter period Beatles stuff anyway, but this album just has everything. Medleys, Harmonies, Ringo and George songs. And it just has the best ending ever. Man it's good.
4.Yoko is garbage. She really brought John down a road that wasn't part of his destiny. Is that bitter? But was she responsible? Nah, they couldn't have sustained anymore. Too many years together. Too many fights. And they just grew up and out out of each other. But Yoko didn't help. I really don't like her.

This was a long one. Perhaps a bit much. But I wanted to get that stuff out.

Latron,
Dee

Creating Warm, Fuzzy, awkward Moments

2005-02-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to come in here today and talk about the Oscars, the impending snow storm and other current events akin to our daily lives. There's enough people out there who can cover those topics, though I do have opinions.

No, today I'd like to talk about the creation of dissonance within a social setting. We've all been privy to somebody joining a conversation and just shooting something inane out of their mouth to the response of blank stares and or a throat clearing or 2. I think most human beings may find this to be quite awful and uncomfortable. But life, like art, like a morning sun ray is never completely steady and easy. Sure, we latch on to our routines like a baby needs his or her bottle of nutrients.

We get stuck in the mediocrity of the daily grind. And we embrace that feeling because it makes for sense of peace and understanding (to borrow a cheesy phrase). It's true though, come on. When everything works out with your shower and your bagel and your coffee and your lunch break and your commute. Or the mundane talking with your co-workers that doesn't amount to anything really in the grand scheme of the day. It all feels good. But underlying all of that is the sense that somebody at any point can and will crack from being so regimented and robotic. That is why I appreciate those rare moments in time when awkwardness peaks his little neck around the corner and says, "Hello, I am here now. I'm going to change this situation. I am going to make you really uncomfortable."

We need these people in our lives. We need to be taken aback. I know I do. How else can I progress to the next stage? The foundation of an awkward moment lies in the author's intention (author, writer, soothsayer, etc..). Is this person trying to be a dick? Or is he just not really saying what is on his mind? Does this person have a vendetta against me or my friends? Where the hell is he going with this? Blah, blah.

Is this making any sense? Probably not. It's early and the joyous effects of coffee haven't kicked in yet. But I still wanted to make a point. And I think that point is that it is okay to be weird. In fact I think it is fantastic to be the the weirdo that you are and to embrace all that is weird within yourself. Because weirdness is original. It's your own thing and it is what sets you apart from everyone else. And it in itself is what keeps you from cracking big time.

And the next time you are out about town, gallivanting through neighborhood pubs, Jewish Community Centers, Interstate Highways, Price Choppers and the like and somebody comes up to you and alters your scene by making it awkward, just tell yourself, "This is a good thing."

On that note I bid adieu. Thanks to all you have responded. I like it. I like it a lot.

The First Annual Dee's Knees Blogfest Extravaganza

2005-02-25T19:12:00.000-05:00

Well,
I wrote the very first blog here on this date 2/25/05 about 10 minutes ago and then I lost it. Note to self, don't use the back button when blogging, you will lose your thoughts.

And because I have lost all those thoughts, that weren't really impressive anyway I will write something shorter.

This is it. This is my first Blog. I am using Bloggage. Bloggage is a fun word. Let's all say it together, ready: 1....2.....3..................BLOGGAGE.

Yeah, that was fun.

Who the hell am I talking to?

Yes. This will prove to be an interesting experiment. I seem to have quite a bit to say these days. So the idea came to use the internet as a way to get these things out of my head. Now, I've been railing, boring and stupifying (is that a word?) my friends via email for quite awhile now. A lot of them don't write me back. I can understand why. I ask a lot of questions in emails. I also express a lot of opinions and talk about things I am not qualified to even have sitting in my brain. But I'm a human and I like interaction with other human beings especially through the written word. I'm not a phone guy. Never really have been a phone guy. But I love words. I love typing. The best part of my work day is checking my email and hoping that somebody has responded to one of my queries. With this Blog, perhaps I can leave some of them alone and now people that want to be bothered by me will come here to me.

I doubt that. You know I created this fake band website a few months ago. It has music on it; even a picture. But has anybody gone to the message board and left a message? Hell no. Nothing. Not even something like, "Hey, I listened to your songs and I think you should really kill yourself because you stink at what you are trying to do." I'd like that. But NO.....Okay so everybody go here now. Go to WoodRockIron:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/4/woodrockiron.htm
At the very least take a listen at Ya Ya. It's a song I wrote for my niece Abby.

I think that's about it. I'm bailing on this blog now. Have fun everybody. Who the hell am I talking to?

Latron,
Dee