facebook for bulstrode

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bulstrode/165586833477966?v=app_2405167945&ref=sgm

I decided to call the band I'm bulstrode. That's the link up there for it.

Listen and feed back, say you like it... say it!

bumper sticker wisdom

Sometimes amazingly moronic, sometimes funny, bumper stickers are amazing.

Today's gem:
"Dudes sometimes marry other dudes, get over it"

Love it, it's in the same vein as one of my favorite protest chants... "we're here we're queer get used to it"

happy halloween

How metal is this pose?

Halloween officially rules.

in lighter news

Tired of having a flat ass? Well I have the thing for you! Go from FLAT to FAB in a "POP"!
You can buy this fantastic product at Walgreens, right at the check out line to save time!

the will of the people

So with the recent election there are claims being made from every media outlet that this was a resounding victory for the GOP. The accolades and fawning of the GOP is in print, web and television in a non-stop barrage today. One would get the impression the GOP has crushed the Democrats resoundingly and in every way possible. The people have spoken and they've voiced they're opinions.

Really? You mean to tell me that the resounding win of Scott over Sink... the one that was too close to call until this morning... was indicative of the crushing the Republicans put on the Democrats. The same races where 30% of the registered electorate vote overwhelmingly 51% to 49%?

50% of 30% is 15%.

So 15% of the registered electorate voted Scott into office. And that's the whole problem. People aren't voting because of apathy stemming from inability to get out and vote and worst of all, poor choices to vote for.

Firstly, we need to have money out of politics in every way shape and form. Having 4 billion spent on this election cycle only gives us more attack ads and signage. It doesn't make us more informed voters. There should be no ads what so ever for candidates. Debates between candidates should air on a scheduled basis on the networks that use the airwaves that our government has supplied to them. Along with news organizations doing diligence to research and report on the candidates which they're already doing now. Granted some of these reports may have bias as they do now but nothing like the attack ads we've seen this year. This would improve the quality of candidates in my opinion.

That's right, I'm saying you can't donate money to your candidate. At all. Period. The money that is donated to these candidates sways how they will govern.

I also feel that national election days such as this should be a national holiday. Meaning, more people have time off from work to vote. I don't see why we shouldn't have a voting day off every two years to support these elections (unless of course that makes it too easy for poor people to vote).

Ok, that's all for now. I'm too tired to continue but you get the idea. Of course I can't lay out a complete policy in a couple minute rant and there's a ton of variables to work out but I feel that two basic things, money out of the political system and a national voting holiday would dramatically reshape our process.

Hot Water Music

These are old... very very very old... at Jamalio's in Ybor City, FL. The venue was so rad, they did shows for like 6 months in the 90's. It was on the outskirts of Ybor where it starts to get sketchy fast. By rad I mean odd, the owners didn't know and didn't care anything about the bands. Not in a bad way, it just seemed so mismatched that it was amazing. I have no idea who started booking there and how they got in touch with the venue to make it all happen. Seems odd because I played my first real show there... good times.

LOL!

Seriously, do you need to put lol on everything? Seriously, do you need to put lol on anything? Or how about "i'm lol-ing at myself"

I know it's hard, but learn to type already people. Text speak should be used in texts at the most. If you have a key board get off your little fingers and try to sound like something other than a 12 year old.

Gainesville's one redeeming quality

That's what I'm talking about!

Lazy?

So I needed to air this out... I buy rice from the chinese restaurant across the street for my lunch. Sure I can make rice, but this is perfect rice for a buck. Am I a bad human?

Travel Blues

It just turned past 6 right now and I'm somewhere over the southern oklahoma. It wears on you, the drudgery of sitting on a plane while your wife and children are just getting home from preschool and work and getting set for dinner. Maybe they're going on a wagon ride or playing in the backyard with grandma. But here I am, sitting on a plane headed to southern california. People are complaining about the functionality of their printers and losing money and wanting to know what I'm going to do about it. Meanwhile I'm wishing I was at home, maybe watching waves come in while I play with the kids at the beach. Or maybe sitting at the edge of the water letting the atlantic run past me as I'm sitting in the shoreline. In an odd stroke of luck the Rays are playing the Angels tonight and I'll be landing at 6- just in time to make it to the game. That's the glint of hopefulness that I have as I'm looking past that and thinking of a few days I'll be spending in meetings and surrounded with people from work from the time that I get up till the time I go to bed. It's not that I dislike anyone really or there's going to be some really difficult task for me to accomplish. It's just a really long day to be eating breakfast lunch and dinner and everything in between with people from work. Because inherently we only really talk about work. We all live on separate parts of the country and have our own lives and interests, but we only know each other in this context.
But yeah, my son's favorite stuffed animal was left in my truck from when I dropped him off at school this morning. So now he's going to be without it for 3 days because it's at the airport, locked in the truck. I was going to fedex it to him but my wife was worried it would get lost. I probably should have fedex'd it. Just imagining him opening the box with grandma and seeing his missing stuffed best friend would really make my day. Nope, he's locked in the hot car on the top floor of the airport parking garage. Damn, I wish I had checked for it before I left the house. I'm going to be kicking myself this whole trip about that.

NOTE: I wrote this about a month ago and never posted it.

Splitting Difrences by san angelus

Splitting Difrences by san angelus

An update to the San Angelus page, Splitting Differences. Pretty nice track, I'm really looking forward to this new album coming out. I may actually have to buy it!

Photos

Harold Brian
Milton

More photos for your enjoyment.

One Hand On The Wheel by san angelus

One Hand On The Wheel by san angelus

San Angelus, the spawn of ex's of Sparkmaker, Shift, Pelican and Undertow. That said, you can hear the Sparkmarker influence over all and Larry from Pelican's drums are awesome. Can't wait for the full record to come out. Seems like there's a lot of cool stuff going on right now. A resurgence of eve bands making cool music, getting back to thier roots after seemingly caving in and giving up. Being beaten by life until there's no time to create or collaborate and the music lives "somewhere back then". Or maybe burnt out on the industry and commercialization of a once vibrant scene where bands were taking deals that were too good to be true from labels and ending up in contractual obligations and bullshit that made it just not that fun anymore.

Photos

Reversal Of Man

Promise Ring

Mineral

I used to fancy myself as a photographer. It's such a bullshit artform though, you just need to know a little about composition and you're in there. Regardless, I wasn't really good at it but thought you might like the bands in the photos. It's always fun seeing band photos you've never seen (for some reason).

I will say this, that mineral photo is probably my favorite photo I've ever taken.

NEW CHAMBERLAIN!

Sweet Hayzues Christo... At long last. Do you know what this means!? And they're touring with Gaslight Anthem, probably opening for them and being unappreciated by stupid fucks.

"No self deprecation" can easily turn into "No self defecation".

I've been battling sickness and travel for work the last few weeks, which is why the updates are few and far between. But here's a thought...

"No self deprecation" can easily turn into "No self defecation". But seriously, why is it that some of us are so hesitant to be proud of what we create or do? "Hey I made this song but it's not very good" is uttered with every new piece when the work is actually pretty good. To some it's modesty or trying not to seem like a boastful egocentric jerkoff (there's definitely merit in not being an egocentric jerkoff).

I know artists are most critical of their own work, it's easy for them to find the faults in them. But I think it's important to know your ability and where you're at in relation to others and be proud of what you've created. Be it music or surfing or whatever...
So here it is, I know my music and surfing can be sophomoric but I have fun and I'm damn proud of it.

Another thought, I got $250 ebay cash for my birthday from the in laws. Which is a super rad and generous gift. The problem is it's burning a hole in my pocket and I'm not sure what to do with it. I've bid on a 8" DW tom to add to my kit, I'm just hoping I can hold on for the duration with a $210 bid and the $40 shipping... ugh, shipping. Other than that, Line 6 guitar pod x3 with vocal effects because I can't sing worth a damn. No self deprecation there, just knowing my limitations. Or I could save it for my dream guitar. Or a vocal microphone for my limited vocals. Or various small items I'd never normally buy like t shirts from bands or new Rays jerseys. Wish me luck on the auction, if I don't get this drum I'm going to fall back into this malaise.

Bad Karma?

I'm not sure why this happens to me all the time, it seems like most of the flights I'm on I lose terribly at seat mate roulette. I'm sitting there watching the other people board and thinking, "you're ok, no please not you, you're ok, not you, ok, not you... no I said NOT YOU, NO!
They say "I'm on the inside there..."
I don't respond, I just get up and move and let them in.
My wife thinks that maybe I'm exaggerating this but my standards are pretty fair. My standard is: IF YOU CAN'T FIT IN YOUR SEAT AREA AS DETERMINED BY WHERE THE ARM REST IS, YOU'RE TOO FUCKING BIG TO SIT NEXT TO ME. All I ask for is that they stay contained within the parameters assigned by the seat rest.
There is not reason I should have to slump over the opposite direction just so that I can avoid touching you in 5 different places. So I end up slumped over, uncomfortable and they're still touching me somewhere somehow. But I've mitigated the damage, it's only 1 place now as opposed to 5 if I hadn't given up the arm rest and a couple inches toward my side of it.
I'm not sure how I can really explain how much this frustrates me. I hate people touching me that I don't know, call me crazy. Shit, I really don't like being touched by people that I know. (I've made touchy feely people upset with me for dissing their stupid hug attempts that were totally unjustified in my opinion). I just don't want someone I don't know touching me at all, brushing my arm or leg. Don't bother apologizing, I've done nothing wrong to deserve this, I'm bitter about it.
Maybe it's all of the wrongs I've committed coming back to get me manifesting in the way that is most annoying to me. Repaying my debts for whatever I've done which is now unbeknownst to me.
I could recount the worst one of all in detail for you but I'll give you this brief synopsis. Flight from Orange County CA to Atlanta. The overweight man sitting next to me was rocking front to back the entire trip while reading the bible. Just looking at this guy you knew he was a little off and probably not in innocent ways. "HEY!, the bible is annoying enough but do you really need to rock like that the entire fucking trip? It's like 3k miles, relax, we've got over 3 hours."
Good thing karma is made up bullshit to make people feel like there's some justice in this random chance, unsympathetic world. I have hope for the Atlanta to San Antonio flight...

bleed them dry

I've put the bleed them dry ep up for free download. I hope you enjoy it... let me know how you feel about it. Please share with anyone who might be interested.

Gospel's mighty return

This release is more progressive than 'the moon is a dead world' which was the first album but a lot of the themes are carried over to this record. Vinny's insane drumming is enough to keep me interested regardless of what is over top of it. Luckily for me the rest of the package is nice and doesn't make it a hard listen in any regard.

Hey look, a tele thinline!

Jawbreaker - Ache

This has been one of my favorite songs of all time. It's been a favorite since 24 hour revenge therapy came out back in 1994. There's so much history of a band like this for me and I'm sure many other people around my age. Things like friends leaving a message on my answering machine that said "We're having a party, please come, it won't be the same without you, please come" (Those are Jawbreaker lyrics for you who aren't schooled in the history of Jawbreaker), Or driving to Gainesville to see Jawbreaker on the tour for this record at the covered dish, or making mix tapes with Jawbreaker songs to get across your feelings through Blake's lyrics without being blatantly over the top and exposing yourself.

In a lot of ways mix tapes were like the text message of the mid 90's in that when your message arrives you're not around to deal with the consequences of it. You could put a couple dozen songs on a tape and include all of the things you'd like to say to someone but with the protection of the person not knowing exactly which lyrics were directed at them specifically. It allowed the person to separate themselves from what they wanted to say with an escape hatch of "No, that's just a cool riff!" if they were called out on it. The added bonus was getting to flex your music knowledge muscles and impress with the "cool bands" you know about (when you're 18 these things are important).

But back on topic:
It's the lyrics that really separates Jawbreaker from many of their contemporaries. This one is a particularly well written example. Read the opening lines and tell me it doesn't play into the feelings you have as an 18 year old punk rock, skater, surfer kid who's trying to figure things out:

I believe in desperate acts.
The kind that make me look stupid.
(Look like a fool)

Oh yes, I really liked the sound of that because... well, doesn't that sound like any 18 year old? But more than that this was a great record for so many reasons that I couldn't even begin to cover. It's just a great album worth listening to repeatedly, over and over and over and...

While getting the release date of 24 hour revenge therapy I happened to find a review of bivouac. The review stated that bivouac was a failure, falling short of expectations etc. I couldn't disagree more. Bivouac is still my favorite Jawbreaker record.

Been surfing long?

That was the question from the guy on the semi-battered long board who had caught a couple waves and worked speedily albeit awkwardly down the line. Keep in mind that I rarely initiate a conversation out surfing or anywhere for that matter. It's not that I'm not friendly, I am. I'm just not the type to initiate conversation usually.

"Today?" was my reply.

"In general" he said. Now I'm starting to wonder where this is going.

"About 20 years" I respond. As in, I've been surfing a damn long time, I'm not sure what you're getting at.

"You like fishing?" he asks. Ok, so you are being the friendly sort of chap in the water. That's cool.

"No, I don't fish" I say after paddling back out from taking a wave.

"You are with that watch" he says. Now I see where this is going. Thanks for bestowing your knowledge of the ocean on me, I had no idea that shiny objects can attract predators. Oh wait, I grew up on the gulf, been surfing for 20 years, interned at a marine science center... so thanks for the tip in your condescending manner.

"Yeah, I thought about getting a wrist band to put over it" I said as casually as I could. And I have actually thought about getting a wrist band to cover it up but just never got around to it because yes, predators are attracted to shiny objects in the waters.

"Barracudas man" he said and caught a wave.

BARRA-FUCKIN-CUDAS!!! Seriously? How about BULL SHARKS MAN? Or any kind of shark for that matter, especially juvenile blacktips? Of all the predators to worry about. Barracudas... We aren't reef diving here with speared fish strapped to my leg.

It's just funny that he would come up with barracuda. It's not the most feared predator by far and it surely isn't much of a problem in beach breaks around the world. It's like there was one 70's crappy horror movie based around the barracuda after the success of Jaws to hype up the aura around the fish. Unfortunately for the barracudas publicist, the fervor just never caught on.

And to think I talked to some guy about programming in C+ for GIS applications in the water yesterday. The line up is filled with all kinds I guess.

Memories light the corner of my mind

So I've started playing songs from my old band as a workout routine. Works me out physically and hopefully gets my drum playing back to the shape it used to be in. Being so busy these days makes it hard to believe that there was one time that I literally had over 3 band practices a week at several hours a piece. Now it's more like playing for a few minutes on "lunch" and for a few more minutes before the family comes home. Not to mention that I'm splitting time now between playing drums and guitar.

How good of a workout? http://bleedthemdry.bandcamp.com/album/freedom-is-our-most-profitable-export Yeah I made that face a lot because we played all the songs back to back without stopped between them. It was a brutal 20 something minutes.

I've also ditched the office chair for a drum stool so there's no back support. Now if only I could shake off the 3-4 Mountain Dews a day... Bring back the svelt and some fast chops!

I agree

the women throw bananas in the street
moments later they are gray and flat and lifeless
beyond all recognition
some say the most powerful force on earth is water
but from my second story window
it seems to be the cars

-Dan Bern

Pretty insightful look at how humanity has changed the planet for the worse.

This isn't funny...

Or is it? Losing an apex predator that was already on the decline is detrimental to the overal health of the ocean. The gulf is/was responsible for several record Hammerhead shark catches, over 18 feet if you're feeling like a swim. I hate to think about what is really going on out there.

Ok it's funny... but just the cartoon.

get pumped up

Need to get pumped up this morning?



"we keep our hands warm with the damn patriot act"
If there was more hip hop that had something to say the world would be a better place. P.O.S. good on yah my brother...

SIMS is one of my darkhorse favorites:


Come on, the dude uses "hegemony" in this track. Give credit where it's due, SIMS is the man.

Both of these artists are from the Doomtree collective. Get on it people, this is what hip hop should be.

Matt hates the world cup...

I have to disagree, I enjoy it. Do I set my clock by it or have any "Must see" matches? No, but I do appreciate a game that is played by the entire world which is largely misunderstood by the citizenry of the USA. Maybe it's because all the kids on the soccer team in high school were affluent douchery? There's got to be more to it than that, the football team was always filled with douchery of all sorts (and still is Rothlesberger, no I don't care if i misspelled it).

The main reason I think it's misunderstood is that way that it's shot for tv. Long lens from a distance, all the players look small and the action is hard to really discern. When you are able to watch the replays and the camera is zoomed in tight you can see how much action there really is. How physical the ball handling is and how brutal some of the challenges really are.

I was surprised when I first started playing soccer at around age 20 what a great game it is. I relied on physicality to make up for my lack of ball handling skills since I grew up playing baseball. The problem was the good players were just as physical and rough as well as being able to dribble circles around me. Don't tell me there isn't toughness in soccer, I had an incident after muscling in a goal on a player who was much better than I at the indoor facility in Tampa. Sure enough the next time that guy touched the ball he put it straight for my head as hard as he could. Luckily for both of us he missed but his point was made. "Don't come into my house and show me up, you got lucky"

Soccer remains misunderstood because of the way it's presented to us, with or without Hank Willams Jr doing crappy intro songs pregame.

Animal Kingdom

It's pretty hot in the summer on the train back from the petting zoo.

Just add ice creamEveryones happy!
Parenting ain't easy.

LSD NO NO

I'm starting to feel bad for ripping things off from my friend Matt's blog. He just keeps finding interesting stuff that I think my 4 followers that aren't Matt would like. It's baldwinsworld.com if you're interested in checking it out. (there's videos of waterboarding too)

But anyhow, Doc Ellis threw a no hitter in 1970 while presumably "catching trails". I knew the story but never heard this interview. It's so worth the few minutes to check it out even if you're not a baseball fan. A no hitter is so difficult to achieve as a pitcher and to do it while "trippin balls" is well... amazing. You've probably noticed that I love using high speak, you probably think it's annoying but I enjoy the irony.

From No Mas -In celebration of the greatest athletic achievement by a man on a psychedelic journey, No Mas and artist James Blagden proudly present the animated tale of Dock Ellis’ legendary LSD no-hitter. In the past few years we’ve heard all too much about performance enhancing drugs from greenies to tetrahydrogestrinone, and not enough about performance inhibiting drugs. If our evaluation of the records of athletes like Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Marion Jones, and Barry Bonds needs to be revised downwards with an asterisk, we submit that that Dock Ellis record deserves a giant exclamation point. Of the 263 no-hitters ever thrown in the Big Leagues, we can only guess how many were aided by steroids, but we can say without question that only one was ever thrown on acid.
Sadly, the great Dock Ellis died last December at 63. A year before, radio producers Donnell Alexander and Neille Ilel, had recorded an interview with Ellis in which the former Pirate right hander gave a moment by moment account of June 12, 1970, the day he no-hit the San Diego Padres. Alexander and Ilels original four minute piece appeared March 29, 2008 on NPRs Weekend America. When we stumbled across that piece this past June, Blagden and Isenberg were inspired to create a short animated film around the original audio.
www.nomas-nyc.com

it's too easy sometimes

I grew up in a small town so I can usually predict a small town mentaility a mile away. This time it came at the local gas station. I probably didn't need to mention that, it would probably be a given.
The guy had no shirt on and there were plenty of faded tatoos that included things like pot leaves and I'm sure a grim reaper somewhere (although I didn't see it there was probably a rebel flag too). He was complaining that there was no Sparks left and something about how the manager always saved a case for him. He was the gregarious kind of redneck which talks with everyone for no real reason which I guess comes with the territory of being gregarious.
The man behind the counter asked him if he was the guy who pushed Gary Coleman down the stairs. So you know what's coming right? Or did you not grow up in a small town... the countdown had already started in my head.
"that was the little guy in diff'rent strokes right?" I was surprised it didn't happen in this line but it didn't.
"yeah it sure was" said the man behind the counter as he was getting a brown bag for the can of Sparks. The guy grabbed his stuff and as he was turning to walk out the door he said "little nigger" with a smile.
You knew it would happen right? You had to... some people are that easy to read. It's times like that where I wish I was about 6" taller and built like a tank, because I would have said something. But I'm not, so I just stared blankly back. I guess it wouldn't have proved anything anyways, you can't change deep seated misunderstanding with fists, only life experience.
Although this guy probably has a black friend somewhere and refers to him as "the good kind" or "not like the others". Or not...

dessa is good company

Sometimes I listen to Dessa because I have a penchant for smooth easy going stuff during the work day. Maybe that balances out listening to people complain about printers like it's the end of the world.

Music videos are so funny, the masks and furries theme is just about as played out as referencing "whiskey" in a song. Tell me it's not! Like, if you really think about it man... (that phrase is high speak). But the whiskey thing, it's part of a checklist used in alt rock country southern rock. Funny how people feel the need to subscribe to a particular culture and fit into it perfectly. Shit, I play alt rock country folk, gotta talk about whiskey and the battles I constantly lose against it.

Oh yeah, Dessa has a song called "children's work" about growing up with her brother. This line really says a lot to me remembering my childhood and now with raising my own kids - "children aren't as simple as we'd like think". Someone made this video for it and it's really hard to focus on the song while watching it because, well, it's hilarious in a bad way. Try and get through it without laughing, if you can you have no soul.

the process

More specifically, the creative process. The other day Jerm came by and put down some bass tracks on some songs that I wrote. While he was here he mentioned something that was pretty interesting to me about what the point was of recording the music and/or playing shows. What's the end goal? It was striking to me because it wasn't something that I hadn't really given any thought to. I responded something about the mental exercise of it, which I believe to be true.
What I also believe to be true is they enjoyment of the process. The creative process, personally pushing myself to learn to play better and make music. The art form and the mathematical approach to creating music. Blending something so analytical as time and measures while making it interesting to listen to isn't really that easy for me. I can be so regimented in my 4 bars of this and then 4 or 8 bars or that. While trying to incorporate the same techniques that make the music I enjoy in my own music. I'm an amateur, a beginner. I try to ape the bands I enjoy stylistically. I might even try to rip them off more completely if I knew how. (Isn't it strange to bite your idols when the whole reason you liked them in the first place is their shit wasn't recycled? - Aesop Rock)
I don't live entirely in a vacuum when it comes to music, I want people to enjoy it. I do enjoy some validation for my creations, I'd be lying if I said any different. Although, I would still create music regardless if anyone was going to hear it. As it is now only a few of my friends have heard my music, I've yet to make a myspace page for it so the same half dozen friends could hear it, or otherwise promote it.
What you can count on is that I'll write a complete record within the next year. I'll make artwork for it and hopefully get some more collaboration from my friends.
Create something today my friends!

Jonah Keri is a funny guy

“Do Pat Burrell+David Ortiz slump into their beanbag chairs, devour Bugles + commiserate on their Hello Kitty phones over their pending DFAs?” - Jonah Keri tweet and the corresponding image. The idea of Burrell and Ortiz having Hello Kitty cell phones is awesome and not totally unbelieveable.

Morgan Ensbergs Blog

Is really pretty interesting for coming from a ex pro ball player. I know that sounds mean to say but listening to a lot of pros is bad enough, reading them is even worse.
Perfect example, color analysts from baseball telecasts that are ex players (AHEM Kevin Kennedy not everyone wants to hear your thoughts on catching every night). Or even worse, ESPN guys like Aaron Boone. I know you played the game and were good at it, that doesn't mean I want to hear your stupid bias.
So yeah, check out Morgan Ensbergs blog:
http://morganensberg.wordpress.com/

AL RESCATE!

Yesterday I went out of a little lunch surf. Waves were small but it was better than nothing. I grabbed the longboard and caught a couple. I saw something floating in the water but didn't think much of it. It didn't look to be anything interesting at all.
Apparently there was someone closer to it that saw it better than I and paddled over to check it out. It was a pigeon that was wrapped in fishing line and seaweed. The bird was so exhausted that it was just floating there with its head just out of the surface of the water and it let the surfer pick it up. He said "it's a bird!"
So I paddled over and the kid said "If you can get him in I can get something from the pier office to cut him free". I gladly scooped up the bird and put him on the front of my board and started paddling him in. The bird was so tired it just sat on the front of my board and didn't resist at all.
Once into shore I remembered that I had my tool kit in the truck from work. In the tool kit I have clippers that were perfect for removing fishing line from a pigeons foot.
One of the other surfers held my board down on the beach while I walked up the rocks with the bird and got out my tool kit. This poor bird was so wrapped in string that there is no way that it could have freed itself. I was able to cut it all off after about 5 minutes of work and I sat him down on the sand. He just sat down and rested.
Meanwhile one of the other surfers found another pigeon floating in the water. There was nothing tangled on him but we scooped him up and put him next to the other one. This one wasn't looking good at all. Completely weak and frail, I'm not sure he made it.
We found a shady covering of bushes and sat them both in there to rest, recover and dry out. I hope the birds felt better after a little rest and were able to take off again.
It was amazing to me that a couple random surfers have interest in saving the life of a pigeon at the beach. There were lots of onlookers and I had some comments from the old ladies passing by. "Someone has to help the birds, god put us here to help them". I'm not really sure that god put us here to help them and would let them get tangled and nearly drown at the same time. It's a good thing that there's people who have compassion to help out animals, helping because of other humans stupidity. (I am not a fan of fishing line for this reason)
If that kid hadn't noticed that was a bird floating there wrapped up in fishing line he would have drown for sure. Here's to you kid!

Drill two of deez...

Not too much I can really say but the thought of the oil spill in the gulf is killing me. Just knowing there are thousands of gallons of oil spilling out unchecked into the gulf right now with literally nothing we can do about it is a pretty powerless feeling.
Just consider how closely tied to the ocean or gulf any coastal city is and realize the impact of something like this. No beach, no fishing, no seafood, no tourism for years, it's literally debilitating for the humans. Sad.
Being that I grew up on the gulf and live close to the ocean now and am literally at the beach several times a week, or more. I've seen the beauty of the ocean and all of the animals in it. Just thinking of the turtles, the birds, the fish, the dolphins, the entire ecosystem being destroyed is awful. Every level of the food chain is effected causing every level that isn't directly being killed by oil to suffer and possibly die.
There's no price that can be put on this.
Of course we can argue about oil and how much it's needed and where it comes from and who we give our money to endlessly. The point is we are caught in this because of an infrastructure we didn't create and using products we didn't invent. The change will be slow and gradual but it needs to come from the top. Sure driving less would help and consuming less would help but really... our society is built around the automobile. My argument is that any city infrastructure that was set up after the invention of the automobile is tied to it and damned to it.
That and the country that supports and invents new and green technologies will remove itself from the ties of oil. This is the new industrial revolution and if our country can support the invention of these new technologies and refinement of the ones we have it will better position ourselves for the future.
Unfortunately there's too much money in oil to really have anything change right? Money out of politics now please...
Drill these two nuts in your teabagging mouth bitches.

Hey, long time...

I've been slacking, I'll admit it. It's called "life getting in the way". A couple things this morning.

First off, the whole don't tread on me thing is wearing me out. Not that I don't see any valid argument at all for it (just not very much argument). It's just that WHERE WERE ALL OF YOU WHEN THE PATRIOT ACT WAS GETTING PASSED? It would have made a hell of a lot more sense at that time. Second part of this question is how do you feel about the Patriot Act now? Is it still "keeping us safe from the bad brown people who believe in some crazy god (that also believes in Jesus)?"

The second thing: Florida is filled with mouth breathing rednecks. Mouth breathing rednecks love football, especially college football. Now you know why the Rays aren't getting more draw. Baseball doesn't have Taylor Swift or Hank Williams Jr singing some lame intro song to every game. Baseball starts unceremoniously and the intricacies of the sport are not understood by them (the intricacies of football aren't understood by them either but all the smashing of bodies together like a crash up school bus figure 8 derby is enough to keep them interested). Tampa Bay is a great baseball team which isn't understood by a large portion of Florida.

Note: Most sports fans are "mouth breathers" but football is far and away worse.

Rocky Votolato

If you were to go to my lastfm page (saint_a) you'd see this guy at the top of the list. Great driving, working and resting music. Pretty interesting video too.

What I envy most, the ability to sing. Rocky has a ton of emotion in his voice and it makes his music so full and memorable. Easily one of my favorite things to listen to these days.

Kinda makes you want to pick up the guitar and get strumming, doesn't it? It does for me, in fact...

Christie Front Drive

They say that by the time you're in your mid twenties your musical taste is set for life. After that point humans tend to be set in their ways and say things like "they just don't make em like this anymore". This band was so influential for me and for a lot of my friends at the time.

It could be argued that the recipe is a little sophomoric. Appealing to the least common denominator because of using simply volume dynamic to create power in the song. Or even it's a little repetitious and drawn out causing the melodies to be burnt in your brain because of the sheer repetition of them all.

I love it. It beats the shit out of what the kids are listening to these days! Shit like further seems forever's horrific vocal styling (before jon bunch made the music viable)or fall out boy or... or... or...

The song "Saturday" is one of my absolute favorites. Be sure to check the studio version, it's mo betta than a reunion show video.

Written at 27k feet

On the first flight today there was a pretty heavy scare. Once seated I was shortly joined by someone that probably checked in at around 300 pounds, typically this wouldn’t be so bad but this was a CRJ200 which is known as one of the “little planes” to the layperson. It’s the sort of plane where you have to board from the asphalt of the runway and not from the friendly confines of the jet way. It’s only at that moment you truly realize how large some of the other planes are while having that same realization about your new seat mate. A waiting 747 appears to be a goliath and it leaves you wondering why you got stuck with the CRJ200. Really, you know why, no one flies to Memphis from Jacksonville and if I could have had the CRJ200 as a seat mate I’d have been thrilled.
But I said this was a scare and not a real problem. It was only a scare because after about 10 minutes of having a roll creeping over the arm rest and touching my arm, all the while with anger building inside me, another waiting passenger took the seat from my 300 pound seat mate. So not only was this lady unable to resist the temptation of sprinkle donuts and eating whole pizzas with a 2 liter of diet soda, she was also unable to understand that 2A wasn’t actually an aisle seat. Certain size people shouldn’t be allowed on such small aircraft. I know that sounds weight-est but you try riding in a CRJ200 for 2 hours all the while being crammed into a smaller pocket of the already small space you were supposed to be allocated for $500. Whatever intellectual thought process and compassion you might normally have is over ridden with “GOD DAMN IT, STOP TOUCHING ME!”
Travelling for work is awful outside of the occasional upgrade to first class. Since the wheat is separated from the chaff you are allowed to drink from real glass cups and not be harassed to move your seat back up and turn off your ipod once the boarding door is closed (I heard a flight attendant once announce “our monitors are showing 3 electronic devices still on”- Total bullshit, total Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, Jesus Christ bullshit (are you reading this? I saw you had John something or other on your Kindle, mind your own shit fucker. Shit, pot – meet kettle)). The worst part about all of it is not being there to give my sons a bath, have dinner with my family, comfort of sleeping in your own bed, no possibility of a lunch time or after work surf or guitar playing, makes it damn near unbearable.
Having to leave your family for such bullshit as trivial as printers and their operation is awful falafel.

Fernando Perez is classic

All Certainty

I think one of my favorite pet peeves, if that's even possible, is when people say the following:

"Right, exactly"

It seems this phrase is only used when the person uttering it has absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Keep an eye out for it, it's real.

You know what else? I hate the phrase "pet peeves"

Surf today:

waist-ish - bumpy, but worth a go round. High tide made it a little flat at the lunch hour but much better than sitting here eating a sandwich and scanning craigslist for guitars I don't have the money to buy. Raw power SG is the dream guitar if anyone cares

There's a stray kitten that's decided it wants to live with our cats. This is not happening.

This is incredible. I took it from draysbay.com which is by far the most informed baseball blog in the realm of the Rays. I mean come on - Founded in 2005. DRaysBay is home to "Progressive statistical analysis and reasoned argument."

SABR is the atheist of baseball analysts in a world of religious talk of players being "clutch" "gritty" or other such nonsense.

4 game sweep, this is going to be a good season.

Copy Cats

I've been kicking around the idea of starting a blog for a little while. A friend of mine shared his blog with me and it prompted action.

As I am typing this I'm mentally preparing to give sub-q fluids to my cat who has kidney problems. A process worth looking into if you're into sticking cats with needles, getting scratched and ruining 20 minutes of your life. Those who are fond of this type of activity may also be interested in various other forms of torture.

I'll probably go downstairs to find hairballs coated generously with vomit which was once so eloquenlty described by someone as "the color of the sidewalk". (If you know where that quote came from you're doing pretty well and probably were friends with the odd kids in high school) Not to mention various things destroyed, more parts of our furniture dismembered and litter tracked all over. The last one is really the worst aspect. There's nothing worse than stepping on litter barefoot on tile.

The best part about all of this, I could have snuck in an afternoon surf before the wife and kids return from work and daycare if I didn't have to sub-q this cat and take the others to the vet.

GOD DAMN CATS .