CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  productive

A couple of days ago, I reported that the world was ending because Christina Ricci is engaged.  And truly, I was about ready to write us all off, when out of nowhere, a life-affirming miracle occurred: Spandau Ballet announced they’re getting back together.  It doesn’t take all the sting out of the Ricci news, but it just might be enough to keep me going.

So I’m in the process of cleaning my place.  That doesn’t happen often, so it’s nice to see the progress and how drastic a change it can be.  There’s been a growing feeling in me lately that I am somehow weighed down by my possessions.  I’ve had an urge to drastically simplify my life, including the shedding of material objects that are more a burden to me than a source of happiness.  I want to get lean and efficient and focus on just the things I really enjoy.  I was clearing out DVDs the other night.  I don’t have many, but honestly, I can’t remember the last time I watched a DVD at my place.  I don’t even rent them.  I almost never watch movies anymore.  It feels like such a waste of space, money, and time to have procured and retained them.

And believe it or not, yes folks, this extends to my beloved guitar collection.  Hold on to your hats.  There was a time in my life (the last 5+ years really) where I took a lot of pride in that collection.  It felt good to have a bunch of guitars.  Like I was somehow complete… or maybe prepared for anything?  Or maybe it was just a way to show off my good taste?  I don’t know entirely where that impulse came from, but I think that time has passed for me.  Now I figure, anybody could have a guitar collection if they made it a priority like I did.  It’s nothing special.  Just most people spend their discretionary income on a flashy car, or clothes, or travel, or home theater equipment, or whatever their passion happens to be.  Mine happens to be the guitar.  But I don’t have anything to prove anymore in that arena.  I realize now that owning a nice instrument (or several) doesn’t say anything special about me.  It’s nothing that any other person couldn’t buy with that same money.  And hell, there are plenty of rich folks who could build a house out of guitars if they wanted to, so who cares?  Status symbols like that seem ridiculous and shallow to me now.  In the end, there are better things to do with my money (and floor space) that will bring me more lasting happiness.

Holy fuck… I think I’m like… growing up.

I’m in no rush.  I don’t need to sell them this second.  I just don’t need them in my life anymore, and it would be nice if they could go to people who’ll really appreciate them rather than let them gather dust.  It’s wasteful.  Guitars are made to be played, not collected.  I have too many to give sufficient attention and love to them all.  What used to be my pride and joy now feels like a burden.  A man does not need 20 guitars.  It’s a waste of my life to deal with them… or to even think about them.  I don’t even want them in my consciousness anymore!  Be gone!  I’ve got a life to live here!

So with all that in mind, I’m going to start off-loading those instruments that I’m not getting real use out of.  These here will probably be the first to go.  You may notice one of the famous “Twins” in there.  You may also notice I don’t like warm colors.  Anyway, if you see anything you’re interested in, let me know… some rare stuff here.

Even if you aren’t selling off your prized possessions, you can still find ways to cope with this tough economy by saving money.  For instance, if you drive much in the city, you’ll want to check out this parking ticket map showing areas of San Francisco with high concentrations of tickets issued.  Good to know!

The quote of the week comes from me, describing someone else whose thought process does not always map to reality:

“His logic… uh… defies logic.”

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  sore

Folks… Christina Ricci is engaged, and not to me.  And his name is Owen Benjamin.  And that fucker is 6’6″, a full two inches taller than I am.  So… many… reasons… to hate… him…

But if I really think about it, the fact is that the days of me lusting after a Hollywood actress, or worse, just her public image (and admittedly, privately thinking that hey, maybe someday, you never know)… well those days are long over.  Which is to say, I’m over it.  I know enough to know that your dreams rarely turn out the way you expected, and that even when you actually get exactly what you wanted, most times you find out it’s not what you thought it was going to be.  And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about life, it’s that what you want changes.  Most of the time this is a good thing, because at least for me, it often matches what’s available.  For instance, if I still wanted from life what I wanted when I was say 20, then I think I’d be less-than-thrilled with my life today.  But if I think about my life when I was 20 now, it doesn’t appeal to me anymore.  (OK, that’s not totally true… the 20-year-old me would have envied the 29-year-old me’s city life and bank account… and the 29-year-old me does somewhat envy the 20-year-old me’s sex life and eating habits.)

Anyway, my point is just that I’m beginning to think (or realize?) that there’s no silver bullet for happiness.  There’s no one thing that you can achieve or procure that’s going to allow you to finally relax and say, “I did it.  I’m a success.  It’s all beer and Skittles from here on out.”  There is no being complete.  What you want from life, how you define success, it all changes over time.  The things that made you happy 10 years ago… 10 days ago… are not necessarily the same as the things that will make you happy 10 days from now.  Not that it’s meaningless to plan long term, nor is setting goals a waste of time… but finding a way to be happy in the moment, regardless of your circumstance, is the only real guarantee.  You can spend weeks… years… of your life working towards something only to find out that when you get there, it wasn’t what you expected.  But it was only a waste if you sacrificed your own happiness along the way.  Holy shit, did I just accidentally derive the syrupy theorem of “Life is a journey, not a destination?”  What is happening to me?

In lighter news, I will almost definitely end up with a pink couch from Ikea, but that hasn’t stopped me from checking out some alternatives.  And my, are there alternatives.  How about couches made from coffins?  Also, aside from the gaudy Chevy couch I mentioned here once before, I think that someday, if and when I share a kitchen with someone, we’ll be decorating it with stuff from American Retro Furniture.  I want a restaurant booth instead of a dining room table!

The Blank show on Friday was a hoot.  The rockabilly theme went over well, and it was so nice to be able to get some public use out of a Gretsch.  It felt natural.  The crowd (maybe our biggest there yet) was sufficiently drunk and loud by the second half of the night, and we played until the club manager made us stop for closing time.  Big thanks to all the usual suspects who came out for the show, as well as some folks that don’t make it out too often.  Hope y’all had as much fun as we did!

“I started something,
And I forced you to a zone,
And you were clearly
Never meant to go.
Hair brushed and parted,
Typical me, typical me, typical me,
I started something…
And now I’m not too sure.”

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  uncomfortable

Anyone else see Jim Cramer get nailed to the wall by Jon Stewart the other night?  Dear God, it was horrifying.  I’m trying to cling to the signs of hope here and there.  A short run of positive Dow days.  Experts predicting the beginning of the turn around before the end of 2009.  But holy shit, folks.  The economy’s sucking air, in case you didn’t know.

And on the subject of other things that you probably already knew, I’m apparently a raging liberal, according to this test Aaroncito sent me.  I scored a 281… well off the chart of averages for all the demographics I belong to, based on the summary of results at the end.

It’s been a busy few weeks.  The shows in Sacramento and Fresno were a lot of fun.  Some old friends showed up each night, and we even made some new friends.  That first Smiths album has a few tunes that aren’t so live-show-friendly.  Let me tell you, nothing grinds the evening’s momentum to a screeching halt quite like a trudge through something like “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.”  So if you ever had an interest in hearing us do that one… well, I hope you were at one of those shows.  I made it through both shows relatively peacefully, but by the time I got home, my voice was gone, and I was well on my way to being sick.  Even missed a few days of work over it.  But fret not, I’m right as rain now.  Let’s see, what else?  Cliff Notes: Louder Than Bombs was good this last weekend.  I’ve been guitar shopping lately, against my better judgment.  I went into a Good Vibrations for the first time maybe ever.  I managed to finally break (in half) my old Ikea couch from the Jared/Mission days, so I’m in the market for a new one if anyone’s got suggestions.

And this Friday, TCB is having yet another specially themed show.  We’ll be in San Jose at the Blank, playing two sets of classics as usual… but the first set will be unusual in that it will cover all of the rockabilly songs in the Smiths and Morrissey’s respective canons.  Really… all of them, you ask?  Yes.  We considered every song they recorded and picked up everything that was remotely rockabilly in nature.  Rusholme Ruffians?  Of course.  Sing Your Life?  Duh.  Pregnant For The Last Time?  You’ll hear it for the first time… this Friday at the Blank.  Don’t miss it!

Some random entertainment for you… if you’re looking for a way to kill 15 minutes, check out this list of one-hit wonders of the 1990’s.  There were so many I’d forgotten, and talk about bringing back memories.  They say that smell is our oldest sense and the most closely tied to memory.  You know how a scent you haven’t come across in years can instantly bring you back to a time and place, right?  Well, I’m convinced our pop music sense must be the next in line.  Reading through this list, it was like middle school all over again.

In a conversation with Jamie the other day, I managed to work the word “homonymous” in, as there was some confusion about if we were talking about Mac makeup or Mac computers.  But since I can’t remember the exact phrasing of my stunning display of lexical majesty, the quote of the week instead goes to her, who said this regarding me walking out the door without my wallet for the first time in years:

“You must have forgotten to take your memory pills.”

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  anxious

You’ll have to excuse my somber mood.  I’ve just lost something very near and dear to me, namely my $400.  Well, not exactly.  Something went wrong with the heater in my car, and the shop quoted me $420 to fix it.  Unfortunately, the defroster was disabled too, and with the weather we’ve had lately, that’s not going to fly.  When the work was finally done, it ended up being close to $350, but still.  From now on, if you’re in my car, you can expect the heater to be on full blast at all times.  We’re gonna get our money’s worth, damn it.

This upcoming weekend, we have a pair of very special TCB shows where we’ll be playing the entire first album, as well as unleashing some other new songs.  This will be an unusual set list for us, but you’re guaranteed to hear many songs you’ve never heard us do, and some you may well never hear us do again.  Sacramento is always a fun gig, and Fresno has been a sell out the past two times we’ve been there.  It sounds very likely that it will be again, so don’t miss out!

Speaking to Fresno specifically now… Fresno, I know you’ve recently had to endure the clumsy advances of someone else.  I know you’re probably hurt and confused.  You may be wondering how anyone could murder those songs so mercilessly right before your eyes (and ears).  But don’t worry, Fresno.  We’re not all like that.  There are bands that care as much about these songs as you do, and we would never hurt you like that.  And we’re coming.  Just sit tight.

Oh, and speaking of Kermit the frog, here’s an interesting read on the background of the Muppets we all know and love.

I hope I’m not “outing” anyone here (for some reason McCarthy-era communist blacklisting comes to mind), but my BFF Jared just turned 30 last week.  I can’t believe this shit.  Over the next few months, too many of my friends to name will be hitting this same milestone, and I’d be lying if I said I am not — at times — petrified.  I’m anticipating a depression and will be actively looking for some new perspectives to ease the transition.  My suspicion is that it’s going to require a radical shift in self-concept that incorporates being older, slower, having fewer life options, and being closer to death… but may also include positive things like being wiser, and… well that’s all I can think of.  Anyone?  Input please?

The quote of the week comes from a conversation I had with a foreign fellow on BART the other day:

Guy: How do you get your hair to do that?
Me: Will power.

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  tired

Finally a break in the rain… hallelujah!  My umbrella(-ella-ella) has been working overtime, but at least my car’s clean now.

Hope you all had a nice Valentine’s (a.k.a. “Singles Awareness Day”).  The Reverend show was great… he played a few new songs that I guess will be on the next album.  Some stuff with a slide, with kind of a “Sleepwalk” vibe.  We ran into some friends there, and ended up in a tiki bar down the street with them afterwards.  I have to mention too that the John Cameron Mitchell event on Sunday was amazing.  I knew basically zero about him outside of the Hedwig movie, but it turns out he’s really funny.  And hearing some live acoustic renditions of some of the Hedwig songs was really moving.

The big news of the week, however, is that the new Moz album “Years Of Refusal” was released.  If I can nerd out for a moment, the album’s got some impressive credits.  Guest guitar by Jeff Beck on “Black Cloud.”  Guest vocals by Kristeen Young and Chrissie Hynde (on one of the b-sides, but still).  Mastering by Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch, basically the godfathers of digital remastering, having done a ton of such work for Rhino Records.  Five songs by Alain, four by Boz, three by Jesse.  On paper, everything looks good.  So how’s the finished product?

I must say that I’m on the fence.  As a big fan, that’s an uncomfortable thing to be.  The stand-out tracks are all great.  My far-and-away favorite is “Something Is Squeezing My Skull,” and he’s crazy if he doesn’t release that as the next single.  After my first couple listens, I was concerned.  The band is at 10 the whole time, and the drums are at 11.  Lots of plain power chords and the sounds of somebody beating the hell out of their drum kit.  There’s some pastiche, and some questionable moments to be sure, but after having listened to it for the better part of this evening, I’m pleased to report that it’s growing on me.  Some of the vocal melodies took some time to appreciate, but I’m getting there.  I had much more to say about it earlier… my less-than-stellar first impressions of many of the songs… but after sitting with it a while, I think I ought keep my mouth shut until I’ve really had a chance to let it sink in.

On a side note, I swear that a few weeks back, I was reading a Moz interview from a few years back, and the unusual phrase “… after years of refusal…” appeared.  I instantly thought this must be where he got the album title from.  Now I can’t find the interview to save my life.  Oh well.  Moz was on BBC One recently, and thus so were Sus and I!  Look at the blue faces in the top left corner at about 1:51 – 1:53.

OK, it’s late.  From nerding out, to oinking out, I’ll leave you with some news on snack moratoriums.  Do you guys know/like Kettle Chips?  They had a flavor once upon a time called “Cheddar Beer” which tasted exactly like it sounds, and it was fucking delicious.  I guess it wasn’t that popular, because they did away with it last year.  Kettle is still the brand as far as I’m concerned, but another in a long line of foods I loved that have gone the way of the dinosaur.  But I told you that story to set the stage for this one… are you sitting down?  Kellogg’s has purchased the bankrupt Mother’s Cookie brand and all its recipes!  And they expect to be back in stores by June of this year!  And with the backing of the same folks responsible for Keebler, I think we’re in good hands.  Hallelujah, indeed!

“Something is squeezing my skull!
Something I can barely describe.
There is no hope in modern life.”

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  full

It’s been miserably cold and rainy here in the city.  My nemesis (lotion) has been a necessity due to the dry air of this cold snap.  But it didn’t stop me from making it out to Louder Than Bombs last night.  I can’t say I like going all the way out to the FiDi the same way I liked it in the Mish, but a night of Smiths is a night of Smiths, and LTB is like the Bat-signal in that it brings together disparate friends from all over the area that I rarely see otherwise.  I saw the usual suspects and all, but I ran into Jonee of all people, who I haven’t seen in a couple of years!  The magic of LTB I guess.  And then tomorrow night is that John Cameron Mitchell event.  A screening of Hedwig, some Q&A, and apparently some live singing.  Should be a hoot!

But then what about tonight?  It is Valentine’s Day after all.  Each year, it seems more and more like a big nothing.  Is that happening in general, or is that just me getting older?  I remember perforated cardstock Valentines with this or that cartoon character… making “mailboxes” in class and giving Valentines to all your little classmates.  And I remember buying gifts and going out to nice dinners in my teens.  But every year I get the impression a little more that most people don’t even like this holiday.  That even when you do something romantic for your partner, it’s viewed as expected and cliché… or it could be that I’m just a bitter and jaded old man.

Now, if only I had game like Jesus…

As of 2023, the video I had embedded here has been blocked globally. It was an episode of a short comedy web series called “Modern Day Jesus.” This episode was called “Makin’ Out” on YouTube and “The Date” on FunnyOrDie.com. It featured Jesus trying to pressure his date (played by Dexter’s Jamie Silberhartz) into inviting him inside at the end of an evening together. I believe it was directed by Oren Kaplan. Oddly, this series seems to have been largely erased from the internet, which obviously isn’t easy to do. Maybe it was problematic? Too bad. I did manage to find one screenshot, which I’m putting here in lieu of the actual video.

OK, so what am I doing tonight, you ask?  Well, the Reverend Horton Heat is in town, and that’s where I’ll be.  Maybe I’ll see some of you there?  Gossip’s going on later too… if I’m not totally wiped.

Cheers, my dears…

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  blah

Well, I was unable to rally for New Wave City this weekend.  Seems like everyone was sick or otherwise not into it.  Ended up being a pretty quiet weekend, all things considered.  I did catch the Eagles Of Death Metal at the Fillmore last week though.  Sold out!  The place was as packed as I’ve ever seen it; in fact, I was barely able to squeeze into the main hall!  People were singing along!  Somewhere along the way, these guys got huge I guess.  I still remember the first time I saw them years ago (opening for The Cramps, actually).  I think I was the only one in my party that liked them.  How times have changed…

That reminds me of something else.  I think the EODM did some work with the Bikini Bandits once upon a time.  Back before YouTube, I remember the Atom Films website was the place to go for all sorts of independent film and animation shorts.  Back in those years, the Bikini Bandits were huge, and that shit was hilarious.  Since then, I don’t know what direction that franchise has gone in, but if you’ve never seen them, go check out the site.  (I recommend the Magic Lamp episode.)  I think I even got introduced to a few bands through them… including the now-defunct clown band Greasepaint.  OK, enough reminiscing.

The new Moz album is out soon, and I’m looking forward to it (duh!).  I’ve so far resisted the urge to listen to the leaked album, as I’d rather savor the moments of buying the disc, unwrapping it, and hearing those tracks for the first time in full CD-quality sound.  Now paradoxically, this won’t be news to anyone who’ll care… but Moz was on Jimmy Kimmel the other night.  Some friends (including Booty Lou) were there to see the taping live, including some songs that didn’t air on the show.  Among those was a version of “This Charming Man!”  This would be, I believe, the first time his solo band has ever attempted it.  I wondered if they would ever take that one on… not because I don’t think they could do it but because it’s one of those few Smiths songs that seems so quintessentially Johnny that it would almost be in poor taste for them to cover it.  Does that sound ridiculous?  I mean shit, Moz wrote the words to that song, he ought to be able to play it whenever he wants.  And the irony that I myself play that song live all the time does not escape me.  I don’t know… I’m trying to imagine Johnny playing that tune in particular with anyone other than the Smiths and it just seems like… well, he wouldn’t right?  Oh well, don’t listen to me.  I’m sure it was great, though I hear they put a very different kind of punk rock spin on it.  Hopefully we’ll get to hear it soon.  If you did watch Kimmel the other night, you would have heard Moz give a quick shout out to The Cramps’ Lux Interior, who sadly passed away this week.

Speaking of me playing This Charming Man, don’t forget it’s just a few short weeks until our 25th anniversary weekend when we’ll be playing the whole first Smiths album live in Sacramental and FresYES.  And with a certain other tribute band having followed our lead in Fresno and tried their hand there, it seems like the locals smell a rivalry.  I’ve seen mentions now here, here, and here.  Ridiculous!

I’m about to get tickets to this… anyone else planning on going to see Blue Öyster Cult at Slim’s next month?  They hold a special place in my heart, and they were actually the first band I ever saw at Slim’s.  I’ll happily go alone, but I’d be interested to know who else this interests.

“All I’m selling is these sacks o’ sand.  And this magic lamp.  Up in this mutha…”

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  quiet

A little after midnight tonight will mark the 50th anniversary of the tragic Iowa plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper.  Talk about some amazing careers cut short.  There was a lot of music left in those fellas, no doubt.

But to add a little levity here, did you all see the new Moz single sleeve?  Totally unexpected, and yet somehow it fits.  I guess he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve yet.  But before you even ask, don’t expect that pose from TCB on any upcoming flyers.  (Send your complaints via comment to the TCB MySpace.)

I actually had a pretty good weekend, myself.  Saturday night I dropped by that benefit show in Brisbane.  The music was alright, got to see some friends I don’t see too often, and meet some new ones.  Nick, Charlene, and Amy have all documented the night in pictures.  I liked the place too, so hopefully there’ll be an opportunity to go back sometime.  And then as much as I uh… wanted to catch the Superbowl… somehow I managed to skip it completely, and spend the afternoon comparing Smiths riffs with Peter.  It was one of the more rewarding Superbowl Sundays I can remember having, frankly.

Can I just make a quick mention of what is admittedly an easy target?  WTF is with Rod Blagojevich’s hair?  It’s somewhere between Anton Chigurh and Dan White, and that’s not cool even in an ironically hip way (though I’m waiting for this haircut trend to hit the Mission).  Why is it guys like that — and Donald Trump comes to mind too — who have the most ridiculous hair are also the ones who are so protective and fussy about it?  In all seriousness, I don’t trust anyone whose perception is that far off of reality.  If you are that defiantly guarded in the face of overwhelming evidence that you look absurd, well then… I don’t know what to do with you.  Kind of sounds a bit like some of Blagojevich’s other problems recently, eh?

“You’re so square — baby, I don’t care.”

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  contemplative

I didn’t even think to check it until today, but you all remember that depressing site “Sorry Everybody” where people would post pics of themselves apologizing to the world on behalf of the U.S. for electing Bush?  Twice?  Well now that “change” has come, I think you’ll find the mood of that site a little changed too…

It’s been a quiet week.  I did a little shopping (finally got a cap I’m reasonably happy with… two actually).  Did I mention before that I finally went to this “Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe?”  This was Jamie’s idea, a famous place in the East Bay.  The food was good, and the décor was kitschy.  I can see why it’s a big hipster hangout.  Other than that, yeah it’s been quiet.  I tried to dig into my ~3,000 line “to do” list, and I got into some chunks of it that I jotted down while on the road back in like 2003.  It’s funny to see what notes I was making to myself back then.  And also depressing.  All those great ideas and plans that I’ve done nothing with in all this time.  Again, I’m forced to face the likely reality that I will never get through that list.

A combination of factors and experiences this weekend led me into another existential… breakthrough I guess?  More heavy stuff having to do with mortality.  More on that to come once I get my head around it, but I’m on to a new book in the same vein as Staring At The Sun, which I had gotten so much out of a couple months back.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

And in other makes-you-feel-old news, did you hear there’s a completely unnecessary remake of The Karate Kid in the works?

When I got home tonight, the guitar parts I ordered from the U.K. last week were already here!  This was some hard-to-find shit (hence having to get it from the U.K.), and it’ll all be installed on my Rickenbacker in time for next month’s TCB shows.  I want that Ric in tip-top shape for when I take on the Smiths’ debut album at the Blue Lamp and Club Fred.  Speaking of which, I ran across these kind words about TCB’s last Fresno show, and our fans in general.  I also heard from a few other people who saw a certain rival tribute band at Club Fred over the weekend.  Let’s just say that after both bands playing there a few times each, the jury’s in, and all the evidence points to Fresno being a TCB kinda town.  Which is good, because it also happens to be one of my favorite places to play.  It seems like everybody in the place always has such a good time, and I know I do.  Looking forward to another sold out show there in February!

“Never explain — your friends do not need it, and your enemies will not believe you anyway.”

— Elbert Hubbard

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  sore

Well actually it’s Obama’s United States of Whatever now.  It’s hard to believe that the last eight years are finally over.  I think it’ll take some time to sink in, but wow… it’s a whole different feeling when you’re proud of your government.  I had forgotten what that feels like.

You’ll have to forgive me that I’m not doing cartwheels, however.  As I type this, I’m achy and suspecting that I’m getting sick again.  WTF?  I just got over a cold.  Now what is it?  This whole day has been weird though.  I fell asleep way early last night, then woke this morning from one of the most horrible nightmares I can ever remember having (which we will not be discussing), and then rolled out of bed and directly onto the phone with a guitar shop in the U.K.  I don’t know how many of you have woken up to an Englishman speaking into your ear, but… well, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

The weekend was pretty lax, aside from a packed house at the Cash’d Out show at the Blank.  They were pretty good, but it’s never fun to be in a club crowd that dense.  People were putting their hands on me left and right, squeezing by to and from the bar.  Not generally my idea of fun.  But Nick and Charlene were there though, along with some of their fairer friends.  Never a dull moment, and well worth the trip out to SJ.

And now, for no reason whatsoever…

This last weekend was also the winter NAMM show in Anaheim, which I believe is the largest tradeshow of instrument makers in the U.S., maybe the world?  It’s basically the time when Gibson, Gretsch, Boss, Fender, and all my other favorite companies unveil their latest products and some of their plans for the upcoming year.  Booths set up with all the latest and greatest, on display for the first time.  Usually this means I see a bunch of new toys to drool over, but this year nothing really rocked my socks.  This is based on what I’m seeing online of course.  I wasn’t there.  It’s not open to the public (and even if it were… it’s in Anaheim).  However a certain girl I know was able to get in.  And she owes me pictures!  As it always does, the start of the year means price hikes for all the big manufacturers, which puts a fire under me to make an irresponsible purchase.  But the last thing I need is another guitar, right?  (Right???)  The economy’s in the shitter, and I might need that money this year to, you know, eat and stuff.

Anyway, it’s time to down some NyQuil and hit the hay.  The quote of the week comes from this shirt:

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself… and spiders.”