Thanks to our great country, for finally getting one right! Maybe, just maybe, there's a light at the end of the tunnel! Even in these trying, scary and troubling times, there are things to give thanks for.
But old Bill Lee might feel otherwise!
And things coulda worked out better on this T-Day past.
"It's not the years honey, it's the mileage" ...Indiana Jones
For reasons that I will divulge soon, gentle reader, I made contact with an old friend last week.
I haven't talked to the guy since my wedding day; a score ago. But catching up, he's got a helluva book to write. It's funny what bits we had heard of each other over the last couple of decades, funnier that it's all the kind of stuff that would generally be dismissed as bizarre rumors, and yet in both of our cases, the information was true!
Unbelievably, the people he asked about on my side are all deceased, as are counterparts on his side. Suicide, jail and divorce abound as well. We're not old men either, I don't think either one of us is on the back nine of life expectancy.
I don't want this to sound like whistlin' past the graveyard, but the pressing thought I conveyed was how lucky the both of us are to still be walkin' this mortal coil. There but for the grace of the Grim Reaper (or the police) coulda been either one of us.
Growing up as an oblivious punk jerk-off, I always thought that the danger we put ourselves in wasn't as life threatin' as it really was. After all, we were immortal. Those that fell by the wayside were just unlucky, right? But looking back on the drunken driving, the chemical and agricultural products, the violence and the irresponsibility of the situations we placed ourselves in; well, it makes we shudder.
How I am able to communicate this to Nazz Jr. and Princess Nomad remains to be seen.
But, as we are still not A Diet For The Worms ... All the more reason to rock the fuck out whenever possible, I 'spose!
One of the advantages AND disadvantages of being Management is that you find out the magnitude and date of when the bomb is going to be dropped. While the names of most of the soon to be extinguished may not be divulged, the knowledge of what's soon to come makes one crawl into that bottle of whiskey without much haste.
My industry is in dire straits currently (and NO, I am not in the stock market). Serious cuts will have to be made for us to survive.
Everyday brings more horrible news about companies cutting hundreds and sometimes even thousands of jobs. The most current news is that 1.2 MILLION Americans have lost their jobs in this latest (don't call it a) depression. 240,000 lost their jobs last month! And 300,000 more are projected to lose their jobs in November.
This is a posting that I am terrified to write. This past weekend, I celebrated my birthday. I hate my birthday. I hate acknowledging that I am that much closer to the finish line than the starting gun. I hate thinking of mortality and celebrating myself. And I hate being the focal point of all of the above.
Years ago, I banned acknowledgment of my b-day in my office. Everyone respected my wishes. They probably all thought I was a dick (still probably do), but they still left me alone... in fact for many years, I just took the day off. This week, I actually brought doughnuts into my department... and sent out a "Happy Birthday to Me" e-mail inviting folks to partake.
Mrs. Nomad and the Nomad children are always stymied, as I tell them I want nothing. They always do OK by me... this year I got a neat Johan Santana Mets jersey, and some really cool homemade t-shirts --- mine says Hall Of Famer and the kids made ones for themselves that say "My Dad is a Hall Of Famer". And I got a really cool old school NY Giants baseball cap. And the missus made a kick ass cake (with banana pudding and vanilla frosting and NO chocolate!) mmmmmm.
Well, I also went to see these guys the other nite. Tasty show, too.
The bottom line is... I really don't need anything. I really have all the material stuff I need/want/desire.
As long as everyone is healthy and no one has any school/work/personal drama... what more could I want (aside from world peace, $30 million bucks, etc)?
These daze, I am pretty even keeled.
This is a pretty big departure in mindset for old Nazz, since before my chemical conversion of 11 weeks past, I was pretty damn miserable and on the edge for the preceding few months. In fact, the last 2 months have brought the well known horrors of the economy, bad tidings at work with regard to job cuts (I'm safe, but others will not be), and some deaths and illness's in the extended family.
I dare say, that if not for Nazz's little helper, I would have either been in the "laughing academy" by now, or thinking of jumping off a ledge everyday.
All of which is a long way of saying that maybe I've turned a corner. If so, the best birthday present I gave myself was coming to my senses and hitting old Dr. Benway back in the summer for a 'scrip. I am sure that they were holistically effective (I scared myself straight- if I have to take something for medication other than recreation, that's a powerful incentive!)
And Obama being elected was a great gift too!!!!!!!
Happy Birthday To Me indeed!
Now that I said that, I spit on the ground, knock wood and pray that the fates do not see this post as hubris and conspire to destroy me!!!!!!!!!
In fact, why is my back starting to ache big time?
Caterwaul Of Sound played in hipster Williamsburg in Brooklyn USA Wednesday nite. Our first show. In fact, the first show ever performed by our rhythm guitar player and our singer! As reported before, we were on a bill with a bunch of metal and goth type bands. We, of course, are neither.
But, dare I say we acquitted ourselves nicely. There may have never been a band anywhere that had as much fun playing as we did on Wednesday nite.
People even came to me after the show and told us we were really good! And they weren't even our friends! In fact, our friends even said we were good (and our friends would've definitely told us if we sucked!). And, we had the biggest crowd. It was sorta like a reunion of sorts for a bunch of us folks who have drifted apart. So it was nice to get everyone together again. Lots of photos taken and a pro (2 camera video) with sound from the board is being mixed and will be ready next week. Maybe I'll even post some up!
There were some very strange "surgically enhanced" gals walking around in bustiers and whatnot, they ended up doing back-up vocals for my friends' band Guns Religion And Money (they were the ones who set up the show).
Unfortunately, we were promised a 55 year old "Betty Page" type stripper; and that failed to materialize.
Highlites included our lead singer falling down and doing a faceplant on the steps leading to the stage, the lead guitar getting kicked in the head, and yours truly tripping over his cord several times.
The setlist: nervous breakdown (black flag) surfin bird (ramones) in and out of grace (mudhoney) too much junkie business (johnny thunders) celebrity skin (hole) the jeffersons theme song - movin on up (dedicated to obama) > interstellar overdrive (pink floyd) > highway to hell (the short dudes from australia) > the ballad of kurt cobain (stormtroopers of death)
We have hope. Last night, watching Obama's acceptance speech, I felt a surge of pride in being an American. We will change the direction of this country. This election was not about race. It was about change. 8 years of insanity and greed will soon be a grim memory.
I know that I get quite a few visitors on this blog from overseas. Please watch the above video. It's an exerpt from Obama's acceptance speech last nite.
It is inspiring stuff. The United States of America is back!
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world ? our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down ? we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security ? we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright ? tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius of America ? that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
--------- President Elect Barack Obama - November 4, 2008 --------
All files posted on this site are for educational, testing and entertainment purposes only.If you like what you hear, please buy recordings, t-shirts, dvds and other merch from these bands. This is a non profit site and is here to give some publicity to deserving bands and artists. If you’re in a band whose music is found on this site and you want songs removed, please let me know. Songs and other media will be up for only a short time. After that, just like our hopes and dreams, they're gone.
Thanks to our great country, for finally getting one right!
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