Christmas 2024

 For several reasons Christmas this year is going to be the bleakest I've ever had. If there's ever a year to have the so-called "Christmas spirit" and not much else, this is it. 

 I did a lot of music therapy things in nursing homes over the years and I always felt for the elderly people, of which I now find myself one of, who were alone at Christmas. Although I'm not in a nursing home I'm pretty much by myself this year.

 Maybe I'll find the meaning of Christmas and maybe I won't, but I'm grateful that I can be happy for others. I'm not trying to say I'm some great guy because I suck right now more than at any point in my stupid life, but at least I can feel something for others. 

 I never had kids but I can imagine reliving the joy of Christmas through your children's eyes. That's so cool. I hope the kids get a bit more out of it than just the idea of getting presents. 

 I'm beyond thrilled for my mom, that is if my belief system is true. Although the 25th is almost assuredly not the actual birth of Jesus, it's still when it's celebrated. Heck I guess every day is Christmas in Heaven. 

 I can relate to people who are old and mostly alone, and I can be happy for people who have family and friends and have get-togethers and such. BTW if you do celebrate and haven't done so already, fire up A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guarldi Trio. That music is Christmas. 

 I can think back on Christmases that were happy, and to those who'll be having a great Christmas this year I say Cheers! Merry Christmas, if applicable. Enjoy responsibly. 

More Idiot Arrows

 Here our attention is drawn to a white Honda. Even though it takes up most of the screen, I guess we need a big red arrow to show us where to look. Gosh I might've missed it otherwise. 

Quote of the Day

"[The music industry] is darker than most people could imagine. If you look at the lyrical content of songs being played on the radio, it's incredibly dark, immoral and anti-Jesus. When I saw the number of songs and videos that lean in that direction I knew it couldn't be an accident." - Kira Fontana, former vocal coach turned Christian 

Things My Mom Said

 Like most people who believe in God and the afterlife, the last few years of her life my mom started talking about the people she was looking forward to seeing again in Heaven, if indeed it exists. 

She'd go down the list of departed family and friends. But the thing she mentioned way more often was that she couldn't wait to see our Chow Frakka again. I certainty can't blame her. Frakka was a great dog. 

 The story of how mom and Frakka bonded is touching, and they became big buddies. When we got her we were her 4th or 5th owners. She'd been shuffled around from New York to Florida to Georgia or wherever, but she settled with us in the end. We loved her and gave her a good home.

 I have to mention that some people think Chows are inherently mean but that's bullshit. There's no such thing as a bad dog, only a bad owner. Frakka was a sweetheart, and some of the sweetest dogs I've ever met have been Pitbulls. 

 Having said that, she was the baddest dog on the block, which she reluctantly proved. She never once started a fight with another dog or even growled first, but all the male dogs on the block apparently felt that it was their duty to try to take her down. 

 About every couple-dozen times I'd take her for a walk, one of the neighborhood dogs would approach her from behind with their ears pinned back. Just for kicks I'd tell them they were making a big mistake, but of course they couldn't understand me and probably wouldn't have stopped if they could've. Can't say I didn't try to warn them.

 Within thirty seconds she'd have them on their back with their throat in her mouth, knowing she could snap it if she wanted. She never did of course but she'd hold them down long enough for them to get the message, and then release her grip. 

 It only took one lesson per dog and they never messed with her again. It reminded me of Kwai Chang Caine in the Kung Fu TV series. People felt compelled to try to kick his ass too but he'd have them on the floor in seconds without breaking a sweat.

 I really hope mom got her wish. She must've said it 250 times. It says that in Heaven the lion will lie down with the lamb, so I doubt she'll be scuffling. Mom and Frakka...together for all of eternity...that's a supremely beautiful thought. Give her a pat for me. 

 

 

The Last Thing Doug Did on Planet Earth

My buddy Doug unexpectedly passed away this past Summer. We're still processing it and months later I still automatically start to call him about something almost every day. Doug was loved. 

 Doug was a force of Nature. He came up with some of the dangdest and funniest shit I ever heard anywhere. The hardest I ever laughed in my entire life was one night when he told me the story about a crazy ex. 

 We were laughing and crying and hugging each other, pretty much holding each other up, and I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe, and I was literally thinking that I might die laughing. 

 I remember thinking what a way to go, and thinking why not. I should've died years before that when I came up on a pack of wild dogs out in the woods. Getting eaten by wild dogs would've been brutal but epic, and so would dying laughing. They say laughter is the best medicine. I'm still feeling the side-effects...I get a smile every time I think about it. 

 He went quickly. He had a mild heart attack and it turns out he had heart problems. He was in the hospital waiting on more tests. He was on morphine so he wasn't feeling any pain. He didn't have to go through a long illness or anything. It's really not a bad way to go. 

 If the belief system we shared is true then right now Doug is in paradise. He and my mom were big buddies and I know they've enjoyed catching up, when he's not spending time with his own mom. Hopefully his dog Tea is there too, with the rest of our animals. 

 In the perfect closing to Doug's life, the last thing he did in this world was to make a joke about his penis. I couldn't have scripted it any better. 

 A friend was with him at the hospital and that was good. Doug had slid the curtain closed to use the urinal. After a minute or two his friend asked if he was okay. He replied: "I'm fine. Nothing to see here." He was of course referring to his penis. A second later he was gone.

 Doug had an interesting but challenging life. He enjoyed himself to the fullest, and I know that because I was with him for a good chunk of time, but like most of us he struggled to make ends meet. I can say for certain that he enjoyed penis jokes until the very end. 

 If our belief system holds true then his struggles are over, for all of eternity. How great is that? Douggie Dang has made the grade. Good for him. I'm still here. He's the lucky one. Hopefully we'll catch you on the flip side. Thanks for the laughs buddy. 

 

Drumming and Health

 Over the years I've talked about how good drumming is for health. I'll start telling someone about it and they'll usually say: "Well, it's good exercise." That's true, and it's one of the most fun ways to exercise that I know of, but it's more than just exercise.

 Drumming is great exercise and although there are more strenuous forms, they don't have the same level of benefits as drumming does, especially when it comes to the immune system. It's a mind/body connection in my opinion. It's primal and it's hardwired in our brains, again in my opinion.

 I've told this story before but it still blows my mind. About a year after my dad had a stroke and I'd been keeping an eye on him, I was at Sam's getting a script filled for him. I decided to test my BP while I was waiting. It was 270/190, which is five points away from where they quit measuring. 

 I thought it was the machine so I took it again with the same results. The pharmacist noticed and took it manually and got the same numbers. He told me that I was about to fall over to the right with a heart attack or to the left with a stroke. 

 He wanted to call an ambulance but I got someone to come pick me up. My dad was taking a low-dose BP med, and I took 1/4 of a tablet, but that's all I did med-wise. 

 I got some organic dark chocolate, some Hibiscus, went and patted some animals and stared at aquariums, all of which lower BP.  I hadn't been playing drums much, and I knew that drumming lowers BP, so I got on eBay and found a guy who could ship an e-kit overnight. 

 I set up the kit the next day and played 7-8 hours. Six days later my BP was 112/68. Except for that tiny bit of a pill I took plus the chocolate and stuff, all I did differently was play drums. My BP was textbook, and I still had a cig in one hand and a salt shaker in the other. 

 About a week ago a friend of mine decided to get a drum kit. I was really glad to hear that. I told her she'd have a blast and I sent her a link to an article about the health benefits of drumming. She was impressed. 

 I'm going to give her lessons, but in the meantime I told her to start paying more attention to the drums when she's listening to music. She said that the first time she sat down to play she was grinning from ear to ear. She's been tapping around for a couple hours each day for almost a week.

 This morning she sent me a photo of her BP reading. She's been having problems with her BP creeping up over the last few months and she didn't want to take meds. She was blown away but it's been proven many times by actual science (SCIENCE).

 The great thing about it is that no talent is required. As long as you're moving your hands in somewhat of a rhythmic manner, you'll get the same benefits as a professional drummer. Isn't that cool? 

 Studies have shown that even if you just bang on a cardboard box for an hour or.more, two to three days a week it increases your T-cell count (immune system) more than anything they know of. How about that? 

 You can lower BP by taking meds, which can have very bad side-effects, or you can try diet and exercise, and specifically drumming. 

 The side-effects of drumming are that it causes uncontrollable grins, lowers BP, anxiety and stress, can cause an increase in popularity, is great exercise and who knows...you might like it so much that you join a band and see the world. You might even get laid. Them's some good side-effects. Grab some sticks and get swingin'. You're welcome. 

Hey Siri...You Listenin'?

It's amazing how so many people believe the bullshit without thinking for themselves...even asking simple questions we ALL should ask, like "Does this make any sense?" It's a major obstacle to waking up, but I won't give up. 

 I'm helping a friend move and I was at his house the other day. He asked Siri to look something up for him. He was talking about how great Siri is. "As long as you don't mind Siri listening in on your life" I said. "Naw, man" he replied. "It only monitors when you speak to it." Is there anything flawed with that thinking? 

 "If Siri's not listening all the time then how does it know when you address it?" I asked. Should I have used "she" and "her" pronouns? "Well, somehow they have it figured out" he said. "Think so?" I asked.

 I told him that it wasn't that big of a deal since all our devices are listening in on us, even our TVs. He didn't believe it. "It's in the fine print" I said. "We give them permission when we agree to the terms." He didn't believe that either. So often we tend to think that if we don't believe it then it can't be true, but of course that isn't the case.

 A few minutes later something happened that if it didn't change his mind it hopefully got him thinking for himself instead of automatically accepting the "Official Narrative" as gospel, and that's the first step to waking up. 

 His wife and I were discussing meatloaf variations, and within two minutes she started getting ads for meatloaf recipes, featuring ingredients like Heinz ketchup and Stove Top breadcrumbs or whatever it was.

 Her mouth fell open. "I think you're right" she said. "I think so too" I replied. "I never get meatloaf ads. I haven't made it in ten years" she said. "And there you have it" I smugly replied. 

 Hubby was still not convinced, and said that it could just be a coincidence, which is true, but which I don't believe. He did get quiet for a moment and tilted his head in thought. It's a start. Who knows...he might just find himself waking up one day. He's on his way. 

Funny Football Player Placement

A friend was telling me about an Arkansas game he was watching some years ago. There were three players named Moore, Goode and Dick. They were standing next to each other on the sideline with their names on their jerseys. Together their jerseys read "Moore Goode Dick." That's funny. 

Term of the Day: Weaponized Stupidity

 I heard someone say that stupidity has been weaponized. I can't say I've never done any really, really stupid things in my day but I couldn't agree more. Look around. It's true.

Millstone Reminder

 I've been saying for years that about 99% of the people in power...and I mean those with true power...the ones who call the shots in this world...they're all a bunch of sick-ass pedos. For the new censorship that would be "pet-oh-file." Now we're seeing all these "stars" getting busted for it, and we ain't seen nothing yet.

 Most of them know what their eternal fate will be, and I can assure you that they know the Bible better than most preachers do, but here's a gentle reminder. 

 The Good Book says that t'would be better to have a millstone hung around one's neck and dropped in the ocean than to harm a child. Give me the deep ocean any day over eternity in Hell. I'm glad I'm not y'all. 

Dressing for Drumming

 Bill Bruford is the only drummer I know of who dressed to match his drum kit. Here we see that it's almost hard to tell where Bill leaves off and his drum kit begins. He's done the same thing with a couple of his other kits. Homo.

 Just kidding. I love Bill and I wouldn't care if he dressed like Cinderella and wore glass drumming shoes. 

Pardon Me

 President Biden has pardoned his boy Elroy. There's a shocker. It's got Republicans jumping his case and even Dems are divided over it, as well they should be. It's not like every other prez hasn't pardoned people who shouldn't have been, but when people defend it by bringing that up, it still doesn't make it right. As we know, three rights make a left, but two wrongs don't make a right.

 To a large extent the Dems are upset because he lied. You mean a politician would lie? Nahhh. He said a few months back that he wouldn't pardon Hunter. I remember hearing that and calling bullshit. I'd have bet my drum kit he'd go back on his word. 

 It's not what you do, it's whom you know. It's how it is. There's a club, and we ain't in it. If you or I passed out with a crack pipe in our mouth, dropped off a laptop with questionable content to be fixed and then forgot about it, much less having deals with China, we'd never see the light of day again. Hunter's a free man. C'est la vie.

 What didn't help the situation in my opinion is Joe trying to defend his decision by talking about how they've been attacked by this and that group, and how Hunter has been sober, allegedly, for five years, and so on. That's great, but so what?

 That's classic victim mentality and pure deflection of the issue. For the record it's in the narcissist's handbook. It's childlike, and has absolutely nothing to do with the issues. I'd expect better from the prez, but as always what do I know?

 The thing I have an issue with is the foreign deal. What about all the things done in the name of national security? Does that not qualify? I might think there'd be a clause or something that would exempt things like that from being pardoned. What was on that laptop? I suppose it's classified. 

 Anyway, surprise surprise. It's how they roll. It's whom you know, Joe, and that's a fact, Jack.

Real Life Drummer Joke

 I heard a funny story about a drummer. I was trading band stories with a friend who plays guitar. He was telling me about the time he learned the value of a good drummer to a band. Hear hear. 

One night they were trying out a new drummer whose meter was all over the place. He sped up and slowed down every song and it drove the guys berserk. My friend can't remember his name, but it's best forgotten. I'll call him Joe.

 They'd used several drummers, all of whom I know, and none of them had any major tempo issues. I'm sure having the songs speed up and slow down all night made them feel seasick. 

 It's okay if a song speeds up a tad on the chorus or whatever because we're human and we get excited, so the tempo can speed up a peg, but it shouldn't be a rollercoaster ride. And don't even get me started on guys trying to play drunk or high...but that's a different story.

 My meter is anything but perfect although I can usually keep it in the ballpark. I always say that the day I stop speeding up a touch here and there is the day I quit playing, because that'll be the day I'm no longer excited by music. That's really just my excuse for not having great meter, but it sounds good on paper.

 We had a band director in high school who called tempo fluctuations "Russian Dragon" music, meaning that the music was rushin' and draggin.' That's classic. RIP R. Wayne. You were loved and appreciated.

 So the Russian Dragon guy's girlfriend came out to the gig and everybody met her. About a year later my friend ran into her somewhere and struck up a conversation.

 He'd lost weight and she commented on it. Then she said: "I lost 175 pounds...I got rid of Joe." Sorry Joe but that's funny. She went on to say that he wasn't really a good drummer. Ouch. She added: "Come to think of it...he wasn't all that good at much of anything." Double-ouch.

 That's very unusual. I've never once heard a musician's girlfriend, or a drummer's girlfriend either for that matter, say anything negative about their Rock Star honey, at least when it comes to music. Usually they talk them up whether they're good or not so good. 

 It's a shame Joe lost his girlfriend but the bigger issue is his meter. There's no excuse for Russian Dragon music. I hope Joe got a new girlfriend and a metronome, or took up guitar. It's bad when even your girlfriend thinks you're a lame drummer...really bad. Tough loss Joe man. She had a sense of humor too. 

 Good luck Joe. There's plenty of fish in the sea, and lots of good metronome apps available. And a 1...and a 2...

Trump and the D33p St@te

 Trump says he's going to get rid of the Deep State. Good luck. He nominated Kash Patel for FBI director. Kash says that if he gets in the first thing he's going to do is close the FBI building in D.C. and turn it into a Deep State museum. 

 It's amazing to hear him say that and I'd love to see it happen but I wouldn't bet on it. It was just a tad tongue-in-cheek I reckon, but it was great. The Deep State Museum...I love it. I'd buy a t-shirt.

 Seriously though, I was surprised and thrilled to hear two major public figures bring up the Deep State. No matter what their party affiliation, I hope at least some people paid attention.

 The last president who talked openly about exposing the Deep State was "unalived." Did you know that the term "Conspiracy Theorist" was coined during the Warren Commission days, to discredit people simply doing research and trying to find the truth? That's right.

 The president-elect has miraculously survived one active "ass-ass-in-nation" attempt and at least one other that was stopped earlier. He's still in the game and you have to give him that. 

 I don't get emotionally involved in politics like so many people. One reason is that I've been looking into these things since high school, and I believe that there are many levels above presidents, congresses, dictators, queen mums, parliaments and such. These heads of state are basically puppets. 

 The main thing is that two people brought up the Deep State, and they're as official as you can get. Do you think the the prez-elect is going to talk about the Deep State with a serious tone if it's just a "Conspiracy Theory?" Same for Kash? I doubt it. The Deep State is real. 

 True to form though, the "Official Narrative" people are trying to deny it to the end. I saw a thing on MSLSD...umm, I mean MSNBC, that was talking about Patel and they said he brought up the Deep State "conspiracy." It's a joke. Don't believe the bullshit. 

 It'll never happen but I'd be overjoyed to see a Deep State museum. Back in ancient times I flew to DC to buy some cymbals, and I had a true adventure. I'd fly up to visit the Deep State Museum for sure. Never say never. 

 I'm surprised to.hear two people talking about this. I hope it wakes some people up. We can continue to keep on taking the "Official Narrative" as gospel or we can actually think for ourselves, and run it through the filters we were born with...is this a good thing or a bad thing? Does it benefit we the people or the interests of megacorporations and the elite banking families? Does it make any sense? Would they lie to us? 

 I try to stay on the fence as much as possible, and I don't care if they're Republican or Democrat, or beaurocrat, autocrat, laundromat or river rat...if they're going to take on el estado profundo, I'm on their side.

 If these guys are really serious then God help them. They'll need it. Just the fact that they're mentioning it at all, much less in a serious tone, is huge. Deep State is very real. You'll see.

Test for Narcissism #38

We all know people with whom having a conversation is basically a one-way deal. With people who are pathological about it it gets tiresome and it's really not worth even trying to say much of anything. They don't care what you have to say anyway. They couldn't care if they wanted to. Their brains aren't wired for that.

These people are almost guaranteed to be narcissists. They have no empathy, so they're truly unable to care about anyone or anything unless it can be of some benefit to them, or worse something to exploit or harm. It's sick but they get off on it. 

If you say something they do pay attention because they're looking for a way to use what you say to feel better about themselves. They analyze what you say, and if they can't come up with a way to top your story or completely shoot down your ideas to make themselves feel superior, which they truly believe they are, they'll completely ignore you, although they heard what you said. 

They won't even look at you. It's so incredibly rude and disrespectful but with no empathy they can't put themselves in anyone else's shoes, so they don't understand how others see them and how bad they look. 

If they don't give you the silent treatment and can't find a way to imply that you're stupid, they'll just interrupt you. That really gets old. Their stories are crazier and their jokes are funnier and their everything else is better than yours. Okay then. 

It's really a pain but to some degree you have to feel a little sorry for them, since people who treat others like that are miserable inside, but you can't feel too bad since they know right from wrong and they know exactly what they're doing. 

You might as well save your breath for someone who actually cares what you have to say, and isn't constantly trying to top you or shoot you down, or ignores you or over-talks you.

 I know it's sometimes impossible to avoid these people altogether but limit your exposure. They're toxic people. They're energy vampires. All these symptoms should raise red flags. Guard your health. Stay away from narcissists. 

THIS HAS BEEN A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. Have a nice day.

Kindness?

 This "influencer" Jeffrey Marsh is a perfect example of the "woke" agenda. Jeff-Bob has put out several videos telling people that they should disown family members if they voted for Trump. Say what?

 The very idea should be insane by anyone's definition but that's exactly what people are doing as we speak. Is much of the world losing its collective mind? I think so.

 He and Dylan Mulvaney are making millions talking this shit. If you disagree with ANYTHING they say, it's "hate speech." Bullshit. Telling people that they're "obligated" to disown their own famn damilies because their loved ones voted for a different clown than they did? In what world is that not hate speech? Oh yeah...Clown World (insert calliope music here).

 In the same paragraph he, or she said that his, or her people treat others with kindness, and a vote for Trump was a vote against kindness. That's utter horseshit. Is disowning one's family members an act of kindness in any way?

 And BTW, I'll happily respect and use whichever pronouns they choose. I've never had a problem in my whole life calling anyone what they want to be called. I guess I was "woke" before woke was cool. Ha-ha...HA-HA-HA. Sorry, I needed a laugh.

 Can you not see the blatant hypocrisy here? Where's the acceptance they want from everyone else...where's the tolerance? Hmm? Whom do these people think they're fooling? 

 They preach inclusivity, but it only applies to those who subscribe to their woke bullshit. They want us to accept their idea that there's 187 genders, or however many we're supposedly up to by now, but they sure don't want to Include people who say there's only two. More blatant hypocrisy? You bet. 

 Yet again anyone who calls this "hate speech" is a complete moron. I don't hate ANYONE, and that includes Jeffrey. I pray for these people every day. And no, I'm not a Trumper or a right-wing conservative or a gun-toting "Christian" or any of that. Don't blame me...I voted for Zappa.

 I believe in good and evil, right and wrong, light and darkness and God and the Devil. Although it's self-mutilation at best, I believe that people should be able to lop off or augment any body part they choose, but when they think they can change the very laws of Biology by how they "identify" on a given day...well, they can believe what they wish but it's a mystery to me. 

 Have the Biology books been rewritten to include all 187 genders? I doubt it but in Clown World I guess I wouldn't be surprised. Grab some popcorn...things are about to get really interesting.

 We've heard the phrase "Practice what you preach." These woke folks don't do that at all. It's more of a "Do as I say, not as I do" thing, and Jeffrey here proves it in his or her own words. Kindness? My white ass. Wake up, people. Don't buy into the bullshit just because it's trending. Woke is a joke.

Saint B

 I love this photo of B. With the coverlet around him it looks like he has a halo or an aura, or sort of like a painting of one of the saints. I showed this to a friend who's gotten to know him, and she's going to print a copy. She has a nice rig. Her printer isn't bad either, ark ark ark. 

 She commented on how photogenic he is. Lots of people have said that. He is a looker. It really is mind-blowing to think what a chick magnet he'd be if I were 40 years younger. 

 My friend who lives in Wilsonville where I was staying and has also gotten to know him calls him "Maybelline dog" because of his natural eyeliner. In his case it's guyliner.

 He makes friends easily. When we go to the vet he's anxious like the other dogs but he's so friendly that he goes around the waiting room and greets everybody. They love him and say he's one of their best patients. They said he looks happy. That's awesome.

 People who get to know him know that he's a special animal. Several people have completely fallen in love with him. They all think he has something extra going on, and some have called it angelic. 

 I agree. I could be wrong but I think God sent him to me to show His love for me. He's the only dog I've ever gotten from a breeder. It was about a 40-minute drive each way. I called to tell them I was on the way. They said that they had two male puppies left. 

 I didn't want to have to choose and I'd have wanted to get both of them, but by the time I got there someone had gotten the other one. I think he was meant to be my dog, no matter who may or may not have had a hand in it. 

 He was eight weeks old and cute as a button. I was the first human he'd ever seen besides the couple who raised him, and when he saw me he hid. He was small enough to hide behind a 10" throw pillow. I just sat down and waited for him to come out. A minute or two later he came out and just sat there looking at me like "We're cool." "You're coming with me" I said. As Hardy would say, "It was meeyent to be." 

These pics are from his first night with me. When I saw him sitting there with that look on his face I knew immediately knew he had Buddha Nature. Within an hour he'd become master of all he could survey. 

 He was getting sleepy by 9:00 so I went to bed early. At around 3am we were both awakened by a truly rank and pungent aroma that was powerful enough to wake us both up. We both farted in our sleep at the same time. It was pretty rugged. 

 I had some unusually heinous gas, and while puppy breath is one of the greatest aromas on the planet, puppy farts are a different story. The combination of the two farts was like chemical warfare or something. I woke up with a stankface and he woke up sneezing. That was funny. We bonded over poots.

 For the record his registered name is Doctor Octafer's Herbert Sherbert. His mother's name is Delilah and his father's name is Digger. He has a million nicknames. With the exception of nicknames like "Asswipe" and such, nicknames are terms of endearment. 

 He wags his tail so much that if I could harness that energy I could go off the grid. He's a goodwill ambassador. If he wasn't such a hellion and a life-support system for a nose, I might not even think he's a dog.

 He's a sweetheart, and that's an angelic quality. I don't suppose I can nominate him for sainthood but I can add another nickname to the list- Saint Bertram. He's a goodun. Bless his heart. 

'Bye Flies

I can't believe that these two flies have been here nearly the whole time we have. I mean I couldn't pick them out of a fly lineup or anything but I've never seen any more and they're always hanging out together.

 Steely Dan once sang: "Bold...daring...no flies on me." That hasn't exactly been the case with these guys. Occasionally they take turns divebombing B and me and they work as a team. In fact one of them just buzzed my ear, and the other one landed on my thumb. They don't push their luck with B too much because he's quick, but they're quicker.

 For reference purposes I'm going to call them Betty and Bro, after two black cats my gf Kelly and I had, and who were in turn named after two other black cats, a guy and his wife who worked at the crazy restaurant. 

 They made one final appearance right before we left. The door was open for twenty minutes and they didn't try to leave. This one didn't fly away even when I got a foot away to take this photo. They've gotten used to us and who knows...maybe they'll miss us. 

 I left them a piece of cheese and some chips, which should hold them until Spring anyway. Godspeed Betty and Bro, and Happy Trails 2U! Y'all are quick. 

 

One More from the Lake

 I've calmed down a little about leaving this place. I know it has to happen for now, but I'll be back. Someone put up some nice lights across the highway. This image came out a bit blurry but it looks a lot cooler than the one that wasn't. 'Tis the season. 

B is taking full advantage of the place for as long as he can. He one by one pulled things out of the garbage if they had one molecule of food in them. Finally he got tired of being systematic and so he knocked over the whole dang thing. He's a hellion. 

 I hope that wherever the wheel turns it drops us somewhere where we can put down roots for a while. I may be wrong but I do believe God has opened doors for me, and hopefully He'll open a few more. A tolerant woman would be okay too.

 God helps those who help themselves, and I'm willing to work very hard to help those doors open. I've certainly done it before. God is good. Happy Holidays!

Nature Boys

 I'm leaving the lake place in the morning and I'm packing up. I feel awful right now...almost physically sick. I'm feeling so many different things that I guess my brain doesn't know which chemicals to release so it just released them all. It's very uncomfortable.

 Part of it is not knowing what's next, but something feels wrong about leaving. There were a few other disadvantages to this place that I didn't mention. I never could get my drums down here, which would've totally changed things. We couldn't get much exercise because we were surrounded by water on two sides, a large fence and a highway on the other two. 

 I thought I'd be mobile three months ago but it didn't happen. Mostly I sat in the place all day long. Thank God for my dog. Speaking of B, I've mentioned it already but it's amazing how guilty I feel taking him away from here. He'll be fine but he loves it here way more than in the city. 

 I also had to go through losing my mom while I was here, and alone to boot. Again I thank God for my dog. For about three weeks after she passed I couldn't get more than two hours of sleep a night. I just stared at the walls all night long, and I was so ready to get out of here I couldn't stand it. Now I feel bad about leaving. 

 I think it's the thought of leaving Nature. I hate leaving the fresh air too. It's been very healing for both of us. I can easily feel the difference and so can B. We're both Nature boys. 

 I've mentioned this many times but it's been scientifically proven that our brains need some sort of a connection to Nature in order to function properly. I could've told you that without any scientific studies. It literally recharges our batteries. 

 My instinct is to stay right where I am, but I can't. I've got to get my shit together and for now that requires being near civilization. I do wish I could fill up a bunch of scuba tanks with the air out here, and breathe it when I get back to the city. 

 I hope I can shake this feeling. If I do get my shit together I'll definitely be getting back into Nature as often as I possibly can. I'll be apologizing to my dog the whole way back into town. Sorry dude! We'll be back.

Goodbye Sky

 B and I just went for our last good nighttime walk here at the lake. Tomorrow night will be cloudy and we're leaving Thursday morning. We had a good time. It's getting chilly at night but we love this weather. 

The neighbors had just put up Christmas lights. When B saw them he started barking like crazy. He's only barked at night here once or twice, like the night we got buzzed by a heron. I couldn't imagine what he was barking at until I got closer and saw the lighted deer. That was funny.

 Like I said he loves it here so much that I hate taking him back to the city, but I need to be around people again, at least occasionally. As long as B has me close by he's fine no matter where we are, but he likes being around people too. 

I'm going to Jumpstart my return to society Thursday night. A good friend of mine invited me to a party, and it's going to be a good one. These people are my true BFFs...people I went to school with or worked with at the crazy restaurant, and all of them fans of the bands I was in. They're good people.

  Next month I'm going to a fundraiser in memory of a friend of mine. Her best friend is a girl I dated many Moons ago, and she'll be there. It should be interesting. I think I still remember how to talk to other people. I've kept in practice by talking to my dog. He's a good listener. 

 At some point I'll be picking up the odd gig, if just filling in. I need to start making money again immediately but I'd probably be playing mostly for fun, although you never know what may come along. I'd have to whip myself back into shape in a hurry. If anything I'd play more simply, and I'm simple anyway. Simple is good. 

The cross I put over the door will be a nice souvenir of this place. It's appropriate because I believe that God likely had a hand in our being here. A dozen unlikely things came together for us to be here. I could've never imagined it, and God having something to do with it literally makes as much sense as anything else. 

 

 I'll miss the sky, the lake,  the clean air, the peace and quiet, all the creatures out here and the sounds they make, the kindness of the people here, the sister at the gas station and lots of other things, but like most people who make a living by interacting with other people, it makes more sense to be in or at least closer to the city. 

 

 I know I'll have some very interesting dreams because of staying here. I do know that it won't be as long before I get out into Nature again as it was before I came out here. I'm a Nature boy. So is my dog. Goodbye beautiful sky...for now. It's been good to see you.

Tattoo of the Day

This is badass. He'll never go gray.

 

Transfixed and Transported

My first experience with Steely Dan set the tone for my love affair with them, and explains why I'm such a fanatic. I think certain things absolutely were meant to be, and me being a Dan fan is one of them. I've told this story before but who cares? 

 When my friend Doug passed away unexpectedly a few months ago I lost half the readership of this blog as far as I know, so I'm taking to myself. It's good therapy for free. I think Doug would've liked this post. 

 The year was 1975, my senior year in high school and the year this record came out. It was the last few weeks of school and our church group had planned a trip to the beach as a last get-together before we all took off to college. 

 We'd just gotten a converted school bus, a Blue Bird I believe, and the church graciously allowed a decent budget for a stereo system. Since I was a music guy and knew a bit about stereo systems, I went to the stereo shop with my friend Jeff.

 We picked out a nice system that had a cassette player. Jeff was talking to someone he knew in the store so I walked around looking at land-based stereo systems. At the time stereo stores were big, and back then people actually got together to listen to music and nothing else. I miss those days. 

 They had various demo systems at different places in the store, and whatever LP was playing was leaned up in front of it. I was bopping around in general, checking specs and such, when I walked by one system and froze dead in my tracks. 

 

 The music literally captured me. I found myself staring at the jacket from the legendary LP Katy Lied, which is to this day one of my favorite record covers of all time. With its depth-of-field and subject matter,  presumably a Katydid, the cover photo draws you in, unless maybe you have a fear of insects. 

 But it was the music that grabbed me. It was Pop/Rock, but with the exception of artists like the Beatles, Police, Prince, Bowie and a few others, it had a level of sophistication and kickassness rarely heard in most of Pop music. It was love at first listen.

 The song Doctor Wu was playing. I was amazed by the unusual chord changes, the cool jazzy feel, making the complex sound simple and whatnot. It was so interesting and the musicianship just jumped out of the speakers.

 The vocals were incredible. The drummer was going apeshit on the outro, which was also unusual for a Pop tune. The drummer was Jeff Porcaro, and he instantly became my new favorite drummer. 

 The band was Steely Dan. I knew of them through the song on the radio about Jack going back and doing it again but that was all I'd heard. I liked the song but it hadn't hit me like Katy Lied. 

 I was effectively hypnotized. I was somewhere else, and not aware of where I was and probably who I was. I guess I was in Danland. It was wild how powerfully that music grabbed me. I was basically comatose. 

 I was brought back to reality by Jeff's hand waving in front of my face. He'd seen me standing there like a frozen dummy and he thought I was having a seizure. That wasn't the case but I was definitely seized by the music. 

 "I thought you might need medical attention" said Jeff. "I'm good man. Just listen to this stuff!" Jeff stood there listening, and a smile came across his face. He became a fan that day too. 

 I left the store with speakers in one hand and a copy of Katy Lied in the other. I couldn't wait to get home and listen to it. Thus began a beautiful friendship with the Dan that continues to this day. 

 I have to again mention another thing about them that always amazed me to the fullest. Whenever we went to a big party, we'd take turns playing DJ, and we'd spin vinyl of our favorite bands.

 I was a huge Prog head but I knew most people weren't. I'd occasionally sneak in a Prog rocker like Mountain Time by Gentle Giant, which wasn't really Prog, but mostly I'd stick to the stuff that people had at least heard of.

 The problem was that everyone wanted to hear what they liked, and alcohol made them all the more insistent. This group wanted heavy Rock; that group wanted singer/songwriter stuff; the other group wanted Top-40 and so on, and things could get heated at times.

 There was no way to please everyone...that is until I'd excuse myself and put on some Steely Dan. Those were some of the greatest Kumbaya moments I've ever witnessed...everybody there instantly became happy. 

 I felt like I was doing a great public service. I've always been a devout peacemaker if possible. Who'd have thought that you could instantly pacify 250 people just by putting on a record? No other band could do that. It was amazing.

 I can't say exactly what the mojo was but it happened every time. Maybe it was due to the fact that their music contained so many styles, like Rock, Jazz and Funk, it had something for everyone. Unknowingly the Dan were certified peacemakers. That's true power. It qualifies as a phenomenon. 

 It was like this peaceful cloud settled on the room. It changed the vibe of the toom instantly. Except for the times I went with my mom to nursing homes, where she'd sing and play guitar, and people who were total vegetables would snap to life and start singing and clapping and were even able to speak normally like nothing was wrong, I've never seen a better example of the power of music than when Steely Dan was played.

 Those are standout events, and to me, things like that are why we get involved with music to begin with. It's humbling. As Frank Zappa once said, "Music is the best!" Right on, Frank.

 I'd have gotten into Steely eventually but being instantly and totally bamboozled was a wild experience. Katy Lied has withstood the test of time and it could've been written yesterday. Some things were meant to be, and having the Dan's music in my life is one of those things. I'm very grateful.

Image of the Day

This was posted by one of my YouTube friends. YT has a community page where you can post photos, links and such. She says that it looks like a cowboy at a bar. My level of pareidolia is off the charts but I saw it immediately. It looks like he's slumped over drunk. That's awesome. Good one Michele. 

 

Syd's Synesthesia

You learn something new every day, and I'm a fool for a Rock doc. I'll watch a documentary about any band, even ones I never listened to. I'd watch a doc about the Banana Splits if they'd made one. Heck, for all I know maybe they did. I'll have to search. If they did I'll watch it.

 I was watching a thing about Syd Barrett, original guitarist and songwriter of Pink Floyd. People into "Classic Rock" history have likely heard about Syd and his misadventures.

 He was very reluctantly released from the band after he basically flew over the Cuckoo's nest. Syd was gifted but he blew a chip and only recorded one album with the band plus several singles and a few songs that were released on the next record.

 Syd fried his brain with acid, but according to several accounts by close friends who are still pissed off like I am, it wasn't his fault. He did take acid willingly, but apparently he was so entertaining when he was tripping that some of his "friends" helped him along by spiking his drinks with even more acid, to see how "out" he could get. That's uncool. That's so very uncool. 

 Like any powerful drug, exceeding the usual dose to a large degree can be extremely dangerous if not fatal. Lots of people took too much acid all at once and never completely returned from the trip. I've known a few myself. It's a very sad thing. 

 After a couple of post-Floyd solo albums that are brilliant, and a half-hearted attempt at a comeback, Syd retired from the music biz and moved in with his parents, gardening and having nothing to do with music ever again.

 He tried to live an ordinary life but the damage was done and he never recovered from his acid journeys. It's a horrible shame. He's gone now. I hope he eventually found peace. 

There's an incredible story about the time he just showed up out of the blue at the studio where Pink Floyd was recording Wish You Were Here. He wandered in and sat down without saying a word, and no one recognized him. I guess security was a bit lax in those days.

 He'd brought along a toothbrush and spent the whole time brushing his teeth in silence. I don't know if that's Rock & Roll but it's pretty out there. As if that weren't crazy enough, they happened to be recording the song Shine On You Crazy Diamond, which was a song about Syd. What are the odds?

 You can call it a coincidence all day of the week but I think that with things on that level of specificity there may be a bit more to it. That's heavy. Needless to say the band was shocked when they realized it was Syd, and most of them burst into tears.

 The doc said that when he wrote charts for songs he used colors instead of musical notes. I'd never heard that. How interesting. Syd had Synesthesia. I'm not surprised because acid can cause it, or at least enhance it.

 I've been to Dead shows tripping, and I could "see" the music coming out of the speakers. It seemed totally real and it made perfect sense. I think it's already there and acid just brings it out, but as always what do I know? I'm not a doctor. 

 Toward the end of his time with Floyd he was famous, or infamous, for doing things like going out onstage and playing a single guitar note for the entire show. Now that's Rock & Roll. 

 There's also an incident where he allegedly went onstage with a whole jar of hair cream in his hair, along with a bottle of crushed-up Mandrax tablets. Mandrax (methaqualone) was the British equivalent of Quaaludes. 

 I always thought that story was sus, and some years ago I read an interview by a member of the band who shot the story down. He said: "Syd would never waste good Mandies." I love that. 

 I'd love to see some of the charts Syd wrote and I wish I knew what chord went with what color. The doc said that to Syd, a C- Major chord was "obviously" yellow. Who am I to say that a C-Major chord isn't yellow?

 I hate that those evil assholes dosed Syd when he was already tripping heavily enough. Not only did they deprive the world of the unique music he'd have made more of, but they caused him to lose his beloved band, one that he formed. They should've been severely punished, but who knows...maybe they will be in the afterlife. Syd didn't deserve that. Rest in peace.

Lifelong Friends

 Friends come and go but lifelong friends are a different story- you can't replace them. I've bragged on my friends a million times and I treasure them, especially lifelong friends. Sometimes though we lose them too, and it can hurt.

 People have lives and families and work and all, but sometimes you're the problem. Maybe you don't have anything going on or you aren't any fun to be around any more or whatever, and slowly your friendship dissolves. 

 

 The way you know it's pretty much a done deal is that you realize that if you don't call them, you'll never hear from them because they've quit calling you. It sucks but it happens. 

 There's nothing you can do except to wish them well, know that you'll always love them and be grateful for the times you had. You have to let them go. It is what it is. 

Comment of the Day

I was talking to a friend the other day about some of our favorite singers, and Dan Fogelberg came up. He had a gorgeous voice and I thought he was a gifted songwriter. Longer is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, and some people think it's the greatest love song ever written. 

 Way back in the Dark Ages when it first came out I played it for my mom and she loved it. She said: "God wrote that song." Although it was credited to Fogelberg I really couldn't disagree. 

 I've been thinking about my mom all day and her comment about the song popped into my head so I thought I'd give it a spin for old time's sake. 

 The first comment under the song was "The Lord wrote these lyrics." That was interesting and it brought it home for me. Maybe mom was right. Heck, maybe she and Dan are doing a duet right now. I do hope so. I love you mom. RIP Dan.

Quote of the Day

 "When exposing a crime is treated as committing a crime, we're being ruled by criminals." - Edward Snowden

ROFL/Johnny O/Fear of Reptiles/Goodbye Ed's

 My friend Bruce called last night after he'd sent me a link about a landmark pet store, Ed's Pet World, that's closing after half a century or more in business. It's a shame and it's the end of an era. I probably went there at least 350 times. Ed's a character to say the least. So was our friend Johnny Odess. 

 Bruce reminded me of a story I'd forgotten but was thrilled to hear again. I've been needing a good laugh. 

 He started telling me about one day when we all paid a visit to Ed's. As with any visit to a pet shop we were as stoned as possible. Ed didn't care. He probably was too. Ed was older and had been a real hippy. He was the last of his kind.

 I still remember the dank funkiness of the place...the aroma of fish water, sawdust and cedar shavings, animal dookie and the humidity.

 Bruce started telling me the story but he barely got past the part where we walked in before he started laughing. There was a room off to the side that served as a mini zoo, with snakes and all manner of exotic reptiles. 

 Bruce was trying to tell me the story but he couldn't talk from laughing. I heard him laugh but then he got quiet except for some squeaks and sounds as if he couldn't catch his breath. 

 He has MS and I thought for a minute that he was having some sort of attack or something. "Talk to me man" I said, but he couldn't reply. Finally I realized that he was literally helpless with laughter, so I started laughing too. We were both cracking up before he even told the story. It was great.

 We'd gone into the zoo section. There was a sweet older black women who was basically in there against her will. She had a fear of snakes but her daughter had dragged her in. 

 Johnny was wide open, and if he saw an opportunity to make merriment or cause a laugh he wouldn't hesitate. Johnny was a total hoot. We never knew what he was going to do, and that day he outdid himself.

 After several minutes of coaxing and cajoling, the daughter finally convinced her mom, bless her heart, to get closer to an aquarium which held a large green tree snake.

 Mom gingerly poked her head down toward the snake, which didn't move. "See?" her daughter said. "He won't hurt you." She hadn't figured on Johnny O. 

 Johnny got a look on his face...his trademark grin that let us know he was up to something. We braced for impact. As she inched closer to the snake, Johnny casually reached over and lightly brushed her hair with a fingertip. 

 She let out a scream that could wake the dead. She took off and ran straight out the front door. Johnny had a satisfied smile on his face and we were howling with laughter. That was classic. I'm glad she didn't have a coronary event. 

 Johnny went out and apologized to the poor woman. She laughed and playfully punched him in the chest. "Oh, YOU!" she said. Her daughter was still cracking up and she gave Johnny a high-five. 

 I doubt it did much to cure the woman's fear of snakes, but it made our day, and it made my night to hear the story again. For an older lady she could really move. Again, bless her heart. Johnny's too. 

The Lake Loon Adventure is Almost Over

 The Sun is about to set on my Lake Loon adventure. I've been living on Lay Lake out in the boonies for the last four months. It's had its ups and downs but having been cut off from Nature for years and then to be totally immersed in it was exactly what I needed. 

 The people here are genuine. They may not have all the money and the trappings that people in the city have, but they have something that money can't buy- peace and contentment.

 Many of them left B'ham, Alabam, where I grew up, to move out here to get away from that stuff, which is meaningless. They know the things in life that are truly important. 

 It may have something to do with the air out here. It's way cleaner than in the city and it's like medicine. My dog loves it here. There are totally different sights and scents and places for him to explore, but he loves the air out here too. He likes to just sit outside and breathe it all in. I can hardly get him to come back inside.

 What sold me on this place was that I can see the whole sky, which I was also mostly cut off from. I hadn't seen any meteors in over two years, which for me is nuts, but I've seen over a hundred, including the Perseid meteor shower, complete with beautiful choruses of frogs, crickets, coyotes, herons and all manor of other birds. 

We moved in in August and this was our first day. It was hot and when B saw the lake he jumped right in. He really seems at home here. The first night we sat out on the dock and listened to Nature. 

B sat there perfectly still, sniffing the air and occasionally tilting his head when he heard a new sound. He just sat there for two hours taking it all in. I've never seen him so contemplative for that long. It was funny.

We went into town, such as it is. The supermarket is old school and it's like going back in time. It's funny...the first time I went I was going out with a cart full of groceries, and I was standing in front of the exit door like a dummy, waiting for it to open, but they don't have automatic doors. 

 

 The neighbors and I have had some really nice chats and they invited me in for coffee and such. Who does that any more? I also have to say that they have some serious firepower out here. It's too far away to know who's shooting but they have lots of various calibers. I'd love to shoot some targets out here. I've heard several explosions that had to be at least half-sticks. Dang.

Here's a few images from our adventure. This is the view of the sunrise from the porch. Not bad. Here's a shot of the Moon from the porch. Not bad either.

Except for an occasional car on the highway, an occasional dog barking and all the Nature sounds, it's so quiet out here that it took my brain a few nights to recalibrate. The lack of general background city noise, plus where we were living, the occasional sound of gunfire, that wasn't target practice, the quiet was almost noisy. I loved it immediately but it was strange at first. 

The first night B basically froze in place and took in all the new sights, sounds and smells. I've never seen him stay still for so long. He was mesmerized. 

The sky was amazing. This was the "first star I see tonight." Actually it's Venus. 

The sunsets are beautiful and we've seen lots of them. 

Nights on the lake are nice too. Along with the distinctive disgruntled honk of herons flying by and many other bird sounds, fish jumping, etc., there's a chorus of frogs. Sometimes they croak in a polyrhythm of 2 against 3. I recorded it and if I had access to a studio I could add other instruments and make a song. I wish Doug was still here.

B developed a serious Chai tea habit.

Wildlife was everywhere. This is the male of a pair of herons. I've enjoyed them. 

B is into Nature too. If you look closely at the top right corner you can see the baby heron that he was looking at. Tap or click the image and you can see it.

Here he's looking intently at Daphne the duck. The first day here he was barking at her but after that he was fascinated by her. He'd probably have made friends with her if he could've. 

He never tried to go after her but he did steal some of the bread her people left out for her. I made up for it by buying a big bag of duck treats, which they actually make, consisting of oats, seeds and bugs. Heck I'd have eaten it myself. My dog sure would've if he could've.

Sadly Daphne passed away about a month ago. She lived for at least 14 years, which is longer than I might have thought a duck lives, and she lived as good a life as a duck can live. The couple who adopted her moved here 14 years ago and she was here when they moved in, so we know she was at least that old. 

She'd take off and swim across the lake like it was nothing, and among other things the lake is populated by 5' Alligator Gars. The couple who adopted her were too old to swim across the lake but they're two of the sweetest people I've ever met. They're animal lovers and sky watchers just like me.

 The first day Mr. B had never seen a duck up close and he felt like he needed to give her what for. It didn't even ruffle her feathers. The next day he quit barking at Daphne and he was cool with her, although he remained curious.

 I can't say 100% that he wouldn't have gone after her if he'd been off his leash but I doubt it. He'll see a squirrel and sometimes he'll try to take off. His intention is to catch it and possibly eat it. 

 

 It wasn't like that with Daphne. He never made a move toward her. Even when he was barking it wasn't his alarm bark or his let's go bark. It was his high pitched voice that's as much singing as barking, and it's hilarious. It's his wtf bark. 

To me some animals seem to have a little extra mojo or something...a vibe or an energy or an aura that's bigger than they are, and Daphne was one such creature. She was all over the place and in a different spot every day so she kept things interesting. She was a badass duck.

Godspeed, Daphne, and Happy Trails!

 

I put up a temporary cross with a tiny piece of Alien Tape, just because. That stuff works, for holding up little crosses anyway. God is good. 

I made about 350 Moongazers and I should've made more. These will be the Lake Loon edition. I hope I can find a new place to fire them. 

I love this photo. He's a sky-watcher like me. It's amazing how much he loves it here. I knew he would because he's always loved getting out into Nature, but he's in his element. I hate to take him back to the city. Kinda me too. 

The downside was cabin fever and being by myself for the first time. I had some visitors including a surprise visit that floored me, but mostly it's been just B and me. Aside from us these two flies have been here nearly the whole time. 

 It's just the two of them and no others. I've tried to shoo them out many times but they fly back in. Bert has tried to catch them a hundred times and he's quick but they get away. I guess I sound like some fool in prison who is so bored that he trains cockroaches, but I've gotten used to them. 

It was rough and still is losing my mom almost a month ago, being by myself. My dog knew I was sad and he paid a lot of extra attention to me. He's made friends with everyone out here. He's a jewel. 

Overall it's been an enjoyable time for me and my dog too. The clean air has done us good. We've seen and heard so many different creatures out here it's like Nature Bingo or something. 

 I'll always remember this place and I might rent it for a night or two in the future, maybe to watch a meteor shower. I'd like to be able to split the difference between the sticks and the city, and if possible I will. 

We've enjoyed our time, made some new friends, humans and animals both, 

and gotten some much needed r&r. Again I say God is good. The End.