Sunday, December 31, 2006

Blessed Art Thou Future



'Blessed Art Thou', 2006
Oil & acrylic on linen, painted by Kate Kretz
Featuring Angelina Jolie as the Virgin Mary and Wal*Mart as Hell.

•••

Leonard Cohen: The Future
(Buy: Leonard Cohen: The Future)

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Groovin' Jersey



Long Beach Island, New Jersey
Summer 1986

I don't know. It's threatening to start up Winter out there — so I figured I'd totally ignore it and think about something else — the Jersey Shore.

•••

The Chordblenders: I'm From New Jersey
(Download from WFMU: Beware the Blog)

John Pizzarelli, Jr.: I Like Jersey Best
(Buy: The Best of John Pizzarelli: I Like Jersey Best)
(WARNING: He is that singing Foxwoods Casino guy. But this was recorded in 1983 — before casinos were even a glint in the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation's eye.)

Friday, December 29, 2006

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Let It Snow (Already)



Snowflakes
Photographed by Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley
Jericho, Vermont

"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind."Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, 1925

I've had it up to here with global warming. I'm ready for snow. How about you?

•••

Joe Williams: Let It Snow!
(Buy: Joe Williams: That Holiday Feelin')

Monday, December 25, 2006

Too Many Bodies, And Not Enough Grass (Snow, or Wreaths)



Christmas at the Arlington National Cemetery
December 2005
U.S. Air Force photograph by Master Sgt. Jim Varhegyi

Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo,
Shovel them under and let me work--
I am the grass; I cover all.

And pile them high at Gettysburg
And pile them high at Ypres and Verdun.
Shovel them under and let me work.
Two years, ten years, and passengers ask the conductor:
What place is this?
Where are we now?

I am the grass.
Let me work.

Grass, Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)

The Department of Defense has identified 2,915 American service members who have died since the start of the Iraq war. It confirmed the deaths of the following Americans over the weekend:

Jesse J. J.Castro, 22, Sgt., Army; Chalan Pago, Guam
Kristofer R.Ciraso, 26, Staff Sgt., Army; Bangor, Maine
Micah S.Gifford, 27, Specialist, Army; Redding, California
Jason I.Huffman, 23, Cpl., Army; Conover, North Carolina
Travis C.Krege, 24, Pfc., Army; Cheektowaga, New York
Henry W. Linck, 23, Staff Sgt., Army; Manhattan, Kansas
Joshua B. Madden, 21, Specialist, Army; Sibley, Louisiana
Yari Mokri, 26, Specialist, Army; Pflugerville, Texas
Travis L. Patriquin, 32, Capt., Army; Texas
Vincent J. Pomante, III, 22, Specialist, Army; Westerville, Ohio

•••

Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra: Big Man
(Buy: Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra: Who Is This America)

Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble: Star Wars
(Buy: Akoya: Introducing The Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble)

Linton Kwesi Johnson: Reality Poem
(Buy: Linton Kwesi Johnson: Forces of Victory)

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes: Wake Up Everybody
(Buy: Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes: Wake Up Everybody)

Aretha Franklin: Someday We'll All Be Free
(Buy: Malcolm X: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Friday, December 22, 2006

Ruth Bernhard, Photographer, R.I.P.



Classic Torso, 1952, Gelatin silver print, 1976
Ruth Bernhard (October 14, 1905 - December 18, 2007)

"I allowed life to give me presents. And everything just sort of happened the way it was supposed to happen. I did not pursue anything. It more or less pursued me."

•••

Ursula 1000: Kinda' Kinky
(Buy: Ursula 1000: Kinda' Kinky)

(You can read about, and see more of, this wonderfully inspired (and inspirational) womans' photography — from a 2004 exhibition — at the John Stevenson Gallery — as well as her obituary from The New York Times.)

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Let There Be (More Day) Light



Winter Solstice
December 21, 2006

Tomorrow, the daylight begins its return.

Tristeza
The deep sadness a heart feels
Let it leave mine forever,
Let my lips sing again.

From this day on my days are days of sun and roses.
My life's a carnival of song.
From this day on my dear the door to sorrow closes.
This day when you came along.


•••

Jethro Tull: Ring Out, Solstice Bells
(Buy: The Jethro Tull Christmas Album)

Astrud Gilberto & Walter Wanderley: Goodbye Sadness: Tristeza
(Buy: A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness)

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

It Ain't Nothing But A Tree Thing, Baby



Brown's Head Light House
The Rock
February, 2005

•••

With a house full of little critters (Babette, Maneki Neko, and the newly welcomed Marcel Duchamp) — a tiny little tabletop tree seemed the appropriate decor this season. We figured that it would be easier then yelling — "Get out of there! Get down!" — at the 'kids' every 10 minutes. We put the leash on Marcel, hopped in the car, and drove out to the woods in search of the perfect specimen.

After a long walk through the wilderness (of The Rock) and a little beach-combing, we stumbled upon the little tree — about waist high, and ideally conical. With my trusty, rusty bowsaw in hand — I bent down and took care of business. A minute later, we were walking back to the car, tree perched over my shoulder.

When we returned home, I opened the trunk of the car to the unpleasant smell of, what can only be described as, cat urine. If you have never had the smell visit your olfactory receptors, consider yourself very fortunate — if you have, however, you know the smell I was smelling. The tree did not make it's way into the house.

I conveyed this story to a friend who, at the end of my telling, said, "Oh, you must have gotten a skunk spruce." Indeed, I had.

A little research, please, and yes, Picea glauca or, the White Spruce (also known as Canadian Spruce, Eastern Spruce, Black Hills Spruce, Skunk Spruce and, oh, yeah, the Cat Spruce) — it was the last two caught my interest (and attention). Apparently, the white spruce, as a defense mechanism has, not only, stiff and sharp needles — but when young and immature, a distinctive odor; foul (when young) — but pleasant when older. How very interesting. How very foul.

We will be out looking for a new (kinder, gentler, sweeter smelling) tree this weekend — or making one out of an old Readers Digest.

•••

The Klezmatics: Hanukah Tree (Hanukkah)
(Buy: The Klezmatics: Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah)

Vince Guaraldi Trio: O Tannenbaum
(Buy: Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas)

Radiohead: Fake Plastic Trees
(Buy: Radiohead: The Bends)

Brenda Lee: Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
(Buy: Brenda Lee: Jingle Bell Rock)

Belly: Feed The Tree
(Buy: Belly: Star)

Dr. Dre w/ Snoop (Doggy) Dogg: Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang
(Buy: The Chronic)

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

What You Want And What You Get


What you want is Magic. What you get is a Madison Avenue shill.

Shammy Claus
Coca Cola ad
December 1951

Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree,
For me.
been an awful good girl,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Santa baby, a 54 convertible too,
Light blue.
I'll wait up for you dear,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Think of all the fun I've missed,
Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed,
Next year I could be just as good,
If you'll check off my Christmas list,

Santa baby, I wanna yacht,
And really that's not a lot,
Been an angel all year,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Santa honey, there's one thing I really do need,
The deed
To a platinum mine,
Santa honey, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with a duplex,
And checks.
Sign your 'X' on the line,
Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight.

Come and trim my Christmas tree,
With some decorations bought at Tiffany's,
I really do believe in you,
Let's see if you believe in me,

Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing,
A ring.
I don't mean on the phone,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight,
Hurry down the chimney tonight,
Hurry, tonight.

•••

The Harmony Grits: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
(Buy: The Harmony Grits: The Best of Cool Yule)

Eartha Kitt: Santa Baby
(Buy: She's So Good: The Best of Eartha Kitt)

Elvis Presley: Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)
(Buy: Elvis Presley: Christmas Album)

Go Home Productions: Girl Wants (To Say Goodbye To) Rock And Roll
(Buy: Mark Vidler/Go Home Productions releases)

Joe Jackson: It's Different for Girls
(Buy: Joe Jackson: I'm The Man)

Les Paul and Johnny Rzeznik: All I Want Is You (U2 Cover)
(Buy: Les Paul & Friends: American Made, World Played)

Michel Polnareff: La Poupee Qui Fait Non
(Buy: Michel Polnareff: Le Meilleur de M. Polnareff)

Miles Davis: Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern)
(Buy: Jingle Bell Jazz)

Buzzcocks: What Do I Get?
(Buy: Buzzcocks: Inventory)

Tommy Guerrero: Getting It Together (Featuring Lyrics Born)
(Buy: Tommy Guerrero: Soul Food Taqueria)

Saturday, December 16, 2006

This Is The Worst Christmas Ever (or, You're So Vain, You Probably Think This Season's About You)



'Sad Jesus'
Paint-by-Number Art
Artist Unknown

I leave for my morning commute in the dark these days — because of the ever depressing Daylight Savings Time — with an ever growing number of people leaving The Rock for the mainland to do their holiday shopping. On the last ferry of the day (which at 3:15 PM, is also in the dark), the same people are back aboard — arms and carts overflowing with the days booty.

"Mushi, have you started your shopping yet?" someone will often ask.

I smile, carrying the same bag — holding my laptop, camera, a book, notepads, shuffle, thermos, and any other things I think I might need during the day — and answer, "We really don't celebrate the holidays with all the gifts and presents."

There is often not much to say after that. Some just smile awkwardly and walk a little faster ahead. Some understand and will say that they too, wish that they didn't have to do so much — but the kids wouldn't understand. One parent told me that every Christmas – regardless of how much was under the tree on the final day — after the final present will have been opened, his child will stand up and say, "This was the worst Christmas ever."

I think the holidays were meant for something else. Give it a shot.

•••

De La Soul: Me Myself And I
(Buy: De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising)

Lene Lovich: Lucky Number
(Buy: Lene Lovich: The Best of Lene Lovich)

Al Green: Love and Happiness
(Buy: Al Green's Greatest Hits)

Friday, December 08, 2006

Monsieur Marcel Duchamp Deutsche Hunde



Monsieur Marcel Duchamp Deutsche Hunde aka 'The Dude'
In the kitchen, at his new home on The Rock
December 8, 2006

•••

Ramones: I Don't Want to Grow Up
(Buy: Everything Ramones!)

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

What The Devil Was That For?



Deerhoof (with leg attached)
The Basin on The Rock
December 3, 2006

•••

Poaching and dumping.

With the official end of hunting season — except for the next two weeks of blackpowder play — the hunters put their guns away until next year. Now, just the true killers leave their trail of destruction.

Deerhoof: L'Amour Stories
(Buy: Deerhoof: Apple O')

Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra: Dirt and Blood
(Buy: Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra: Liberation Afrobeat)

Saturday, December 02, 2006

CHOOSE LIFE


Still photograph from 'Mr. Dreamer' ©Eric Lerner

Mr. Dreamer (From The CityMen, created by Eric Lerner)
Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jeruselem
2002 - 2006

Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family.
Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars,
compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good
health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed
interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your
friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a
three-piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics.
Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning.
Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing
game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose
rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable
home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up
brats you spawned to replace yourself.

Choose your future.

Choose Life.

Mark Renton, 'Trainspotting'

•••

Wham!: Wake Me Up (Before You Go-Go)
(Buy: Wham!: Make It Big)

(Could this post have been more all over the place? Probably, but what do you want for nothin'? Give me some recommendations, and I'll see what I can do.)

Friday, December 01, 2006

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Fun's Fun, But That's Not Fun!



Red Squirrel
Rockport, Maine
December 2004

"Fun's Fun, But That's Not Fun!"

You know what, I don't even know what that's supposed to mean, but Bernard tells me his Moms always used to say that to him when he did something he wasn't supposed to be doing. I guess if you can attach a mother voice it, it starts to make some sense. Any way, this post has little to do with that.

I hit a squirrel today — with the car.

I don't know if you've ever hit anything with a car before, but there's this sick feeling you (I) get in the pit of my stomach when something like this happens. (Although, this has happened only one other time before. But I remember that feeling. I do not like it.) I'm not one of those people who sees squirrels (or seagulls, or pigeons, for that matter) and has one of those little 'I wish I could kill those little effers! Rats with tails (or wings — in the case of seagulls and pigeons)! That's what they are!' moments — freaking the person, that thought they knew who you were — out just a little more then maybe you ever wanted. (Or they wanted to be, by somebody they thought they knew.) You know what I mean?

The squirrel lived. I think. I saw it run off to the side of the road and into the woods before I turned the next corner. I want to belief that I just grazed the little thing. I hope I'm right.

Drive carefully, and love the little animals. Outie!

•••

Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers: Roadrunner
(Buy: Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers: Roadrunner, Roadrunner: The Beserkley Collection)
Joan Jett: Roadrunner
(Buy: Fit To Be Tied: Great Hits of Joan Jett and The Blackhearts)

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Let It Snow (No, Really, I'm Ready)



Roadside Snow Angel
Rockport, Maine
March 22, 2001

It snowed on The Rock today! It didn't stick, and if you weren't looking out the window for the 10 or 12 minutes it was coming down, then you probably wouldn't even have believed it (although it looked like snow all day — So why wouldn't you believe it?)

It's time to 'Wax the Board', if you know what I mean. No, literally, I mean it's really time to wax the board. Before you know it, the hills will be covered in some fluffy (read: icy), white snow — and it will be time to ride. Get ready!

•••

Robbie Williams: Angels
(Buy: Robbie Williams: Life Thru a Lens)

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Working At Home


Rosamond Wolff Purcell, Teeth Pulled by Peter the Great. From 'Finders, Keepers: Eight Collectors', 1992.

The home dentistry of Peter the Great
Date Unknown

I'll just stick to doing some layout work on the computer today — but, hey, does that tooth feel loose?

(See more of Rosamond Purcell's work as it appears in the current issue of National Geographic illustrating Carl Zimmer's article on evolution, titled "A Fin Is A Limb Is A Wing.")

•••

Dust Brothers: Homework
Dust Brothers: Medula Oblongata
(Buy: The Dust Brothers: 'Fight Club' Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Little Boxes



Squirrel Shack
The Rock
November 2006

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.


Words and music by Malvina Reynolds.
©1962 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1990.

•••

Malvina Reynolds: Little Boxes
(Buy: Malvina Reynolds: Ear To The Ground)

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Dance! Chicken Dance!



Haiku! Chicken Haiku!

Orange feet in soil,
Scratching and pecking for grit.
Chickens in the sun.
Chicken!


As the annual 'Feast of Overindulgence' approaches, the turkeys that will have made it through the first massacre can rest a little easier (until the Christmas slaughter, that is. Get your orders in now.)

But that reminded me of a story our neighbor, the little child in this picture, told us the other night. She said that when her parents went 'out to haul', they would put her in the pen with the chickens until they'd return. She said they would peck at her feet until she danced — all day long. It was this experience that made her want to become a professional dancer.

(Please, don't tell me that you believed any of that. That is just wrong.)

•••

Brave Combo: The Chicken Dance
(Buy: Brave Combo: Group Dance Epidemic)

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Baby, You Can Drive My Car



Tuesday Morning
The Rock
November 21, 2006

A friend lent me her mainland car (everybody's got one here, and yet another reason why you have to love this island) as I enjoyed another day in lost key ignorance. Plugged into my week of escapist 80's music, all was right with the world.

Another friend keeps telling me his Mother always said 'Look where they are, not where they aren't.' I keep telling him to shut up. When I got back to The Rock tonight, G was holding the keys in her hand.

They were where they were, not where they weren't.

Shut up.

•••

Black Box: Everybody, Everybody
(Buy: Black Box: Dreamland)

(And, oh yeah, after weeks of frustrating file posting — my EZArchive files are finally back on board! Enjoy!)

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

F.T.W. Monday's



Bitchin' Chevy
Owls Head, Maine
March 2001

I woke up pretty easy this morning. Made coffee. Ate breakfast. Caught the weather, and jumped in the shower. And then all hell broke loose.

Couldn't find my car keys (for the mainland ride to work), although I looked until the last minute before I thought I could before I would miss the ferry. Got to the terminal with less then a minute to spare — hair wet. It's 20 effin'-something degrees this morning. Fortunately, Big K (and his car) are on the boat, too. He drives me down to work when we get to the other side.

The end of my work day comes too quick with the new winter ferry schedule (which sucks, by the way!) — and I call a cab to get me to the boat.

The taxi shows up at 3:05 — the ferry leaves at 3:15. We are 15 minutes away from the terminal (without traffic). The driver is a slacker. Gum-smacking, cell phone chatting it up with his girlfriend/wife while I watch the digital clock on the dashboard countdown. At 3:12, we are farther away then is comfortable for me and I start to figure out who I am going to call — after paying this shitehead 10 dollars for getting me to the boat after it leaves — for a place to stay tonight.

Surprisingly, he hangs up on his gf/w and calls a fellow worker at the terminal. "Hey, I got a guy that needs to get the ferry. Will you tell them we'll be right there." And we get there two minutes later. And the boat is still there. I jump out, give my slacker friend 15 bucks, and then go sit in the cabin, until I fall asleep — trying not to think about where the hell my keys are.

Which, at this writing, I have still not found. (But I am not mad — because I have this music in my head — and it won't let me go there. Go figure.)

•••

ABBA: S.O.S
(Buy: ABBA)

David Byrne: I Wanna Dance With Somebody
(Buy: Anything by David Byrne: It's all good!)

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Riders In Rapture



Friday Evening Ferry
November 17, 2006

Red sky at night, blah, blah, blah.

My cold is (mostly) gone and I'm just glad it stopped raining. By the look of the clouds above — tomorrow looks like it might be a psychelectrodelica type of day. But, I'd just settle for a little sun.

•••

Go Home Productions: Psychelectrodelica(2003)
(Download: Go Home Productions: Psychelectrodelica(2003))

Go Home Productions: Rapture Riders (Blondie vs. The Doors)
(Buy: Go Home Productions: Rapture Riders)

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Sick and Tired



Important meeting doodle.
January 2000

I'm too sick and tired today to even find a picture. So, here's a 7 year old doodle and an even older tune. Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.

•••

Butthole Surfers: Who Was In My Room Last Night?
(Buy: Music from the Motion Picture: Love & A .45)

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Music To Watch Birds By



Babette and Maneki Neko, birdwatching.
September 2006

Let me make one thing clear — I do not, in any way, condone the use of any type of illegal substances, but — I love the cats.

•••

Brazilian Girls: Pussy
(Buy: Brazilian Girls)

James Taylor Quartet: Music to Watch Girls By
(Buy: Lounge-A-Palooza)

Boat Friends



November 2006

•••

Black Moth Super Rainbow: Boatfriend
(Buy: Black Moth Super Rainbow: Falling Through A Field)

Monday, November 13, 2006

Big Blue



Big Blue Truck
The Rock
November 2006

Word on the street (equals 'News', on The Rock) has it that a group of men calling themselves "The 4 Fossils" are in the process of working out a plan to cut granite out here (once again). If the four 'fossils' names I heard are same ones who think that they're going to be throwing the big stones around the quarry, they'll need a big strong man to give them a hand.

I suggest, my brother Sylvest.

•••

The Groggers: Big Strong Man
(Buy: The Groggers)

Sunday, November 12, 2006

The Ghost of Spendings Past



Poole's Hill Cemetery
Ebenezer Arey: Died April 28, 1874
November 1, 2006

'Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, "Thus far the LORD has helped us." So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel; the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.' (1 Samuel 7:12-14 NRSV)

The site was not named Ebenezer until after the Israelites finally defeated the Philistines, and took back the Ark of the Covenant. To commemorate the victorious battle, Samuel set up a marker-stone, named it 'Stone of Help,' and thereby the site became identified with the stone and with the place where God’s miraculous help aided them in their victory over the Philistines. The stone, standing up-right, was called 'Ebenezer,' and the site naturally took on that name as well.

The word 'Ebenezer' comes from Hebrew, and is actually two words pronounced together: 'Even Ezer.' Its literal meaning is 'Stone of Help.'

The Ebenezer, or 'stone of help,' is a reminder of God’s Holy Presence and Divine aid. Spiritually and theologically speaking. An 'Ebenezer' can be nearly anything that reminds us of God’s presence and help: the Bible, the Sacramental Elements, a cross, a picture – those things which serve as reminders of God’s love, assistance, and Real Presence.

The 'Ebenezer' we have all come to identify with as the querulous miser of the holiday season really doesn't fit the mold as a "Stone of Help.' No, that would be me. Within less then 24 hours before the last trick-or-treater left my doorstep, the Xmas holiday commercials started up on the tube.

That cantankerous naysayer of the overblown commercialization of the impending pseudo-secular holidaze? Let's call that person 'Mushi.'

•••

Desmond Dekker: The Israelites
(Buy: Desmond Dekker: Rude Boy Ska)

Friday, November 10, 2006

Two, No. One, Maybe.



Boat Thinking (Isn't Always Constructive)
The end of a day.
November 2006

I'm sitting two seats behind the next random county officer to come out to The Rock for an evening of law enforcement fun, and I stare at the back of his head. It has been a pretty long day — one of those days that takes more out of you then you were willing to give. I have my music plugged to my ears and I'm trying not to think.

And then I notice that the hair at the center of his head is patterned in a clockwise direction. Now I'm starting to think. This will do nobody any good. And I think: Does the hair of people born below the Equator grow in a counterclockwise pattern? Do I care enough to really wonder? Will I ever look it up? The answer to two of the three questions, for sure, is no. But I (think I will) take my camera out and take the picture anyway.

•••

Brian Eno: And Then So Clear
(Buy: Brian Eno: Another Day On Earth)

The Divine Comedy: Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World
(Buy: The Divine Comedy: Victory For The Comic Muse)

Thursday, November 09, 2006

You Are A Winner



Our (if you live on a rock-like island in Maine, that is) 2006 Winners!
The day after Election Day
November 8, 2006

I was in the local store the other day when someone stepped up to the counter and handed the clerk one of their lottery tickets. 'You are a winner', the machine spoke out, in its best Steven Hawking imitation computer voice. I thought that maybe everybody should hear that same response as they walked through the door. I know I'd dig it.

Well, these fine people (above, from left to right) can dig it. They are, US Senate, United States Senator, Olympia J. Snowe (R); Governor John E. Baldacci (D); US Representative, 1st District, Thomas H. Allen (D); US Representative, 2ND District, Michael H. Michaud (D); and House District 36, Hannah M. Pingree (D).

Now, I was thinking that, with the new influx of (D)'s in the win category this year, that maybe the first thing they could do is to take a vote and take the elephant for their mascot. I mean, it is a lot cooler then that donkey (or if you have a better idea, you just let me know). After that — do what you do people — I voted for you. I trust you.

•••

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble: The House Is Rockin'
(Buy: Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble: Greatest Hits)

U2: Elevation (Tomb Raider Mix)
(Buy: U2: Elevation EP

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Know Your Rights (and Vote!)



friedman and yapalater
Ohio State University
Student Senate President and Vice-President
1971

If you do nothing else today — vote!

It'll work for you (at least that's what they tell me) today, just like it did for my cousin Jeff, 35 years ago (letting his freak flag fly, baby).

•••

Talking Heads: Don't Worry About The Government
(Buy: Talking Heads: 77)

The Clash: Know Your Rights
(Buy: The Clash: Combat Rock)

Mike Watt: Against The 70's
(Buy: Mike Watt: Ball-Hog Or Tugboat?)

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Sometimes A Horn, Is Not Just A Horn



Bowcraft Amusement Park
Route 22, Scotch Plains, NJ
1998

Pastor Ted Haggard is the president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), the largest evangelical group in America. He is also founder and senior pastor of the 14,000-member
New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He formed and serves as the president of both the Association of Life-Giving Churches, a network of local churches, and World Prayer Team, the only real-time global prayer
network.

'This is it
It's time for u to go to the wire
U will hit
Cuz u got the burnin' desire'


He graduated from Oral Roberts University in 1978 and has received two honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees. He served as the American Vice-President for World Missions for Jesus, a German missions organization, and served as an Associate Pastor at Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which helped him plant New Life Church in 1985. Haggard and his wife, Gayle, have five children.

'U got the horn so why don't u blow it
U are fine (Fine)
U're filthy cute and baby u know it'


Ted Haggard (whose name is now starting to ironically starting to mirror his private life), one of the nation’s most influential Christian leaders, also admitted today that he had purchased methamphetamine from a gay escort in Denver — but denied that he ever had sex with the man.

'Cream
Get on top
Cream
U will cop
Cream
Don't u stop
Cream
Sh-boogie bop'


'Cream' lyrics ©Prince

•••

Prince: Cream
(Buy: Prince: Diamonds And Pearls)

Grace Jones: Private Life
(Buy: Grace Jones: Warm Leatherette)

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

A Good Day To Die



Ferry Terminal Ramp
The Other Side
March 10, 2003

No, really, this was the day that I thought it was over. Just for a second — but even for a second, it's not a good thought to have in your head.

On the island side, the guy in the photo walked into the cabin with his shotgun (or whatever kind of gun it is — I don't know guns from nothin') and, without saying anything to anyone, sat in the front seat with his back to all. I wasn't even supposed to be on this ferry. I missed the first boat and caught the second to get in a few hours. And now I was on the boat with five other passengers — one, bearing arms.

Short story shorter — I lived to tell the tale — but had to get a picture to show my friends and family or they would not have believed it. When the ferry docked, everybody let the 'Rifleman' exit first, keeping their distance (and I'm sure, like me, breathing a bit easier). I took out my camera and snapped this shot like I was Michael Moore hound-dogging Charlton Heston.

L7: Stuck Here Again
(Buy: L7: Hungry For Stink)

L7: Riding With A Movie Star
(Buy: L7: Hungry For Stink)

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Bunny The Vampire Slayer



All Hallows Eve
October 1960

Parents, if you're going to do this to your children, consider leaving the camera at home. Isn't the fact that you're going to eat all of their candy (I mean c'mon, it's a 1 year old!), and get a real good laugh, enough?

Breeders: Theme from Buffy The Vampire Slayer
(Buy: Breeders: Son of Three)

Bruce Lenkei: Moonlight Zombie Dance
(Download Free: Two Zombies Later: Volume 2)

Diablo Swing Orchestra: Balrog Boogie
(Buy: Diablo Swing Orchestra: The Butcher's Ballroom)

Monday, October 30, 2006

Well, Blow Me Down



Windy Old Weather
The Rock
October 29, 2006

At least it's not raining (like it was last night). Windy old weather aside, today could not have been a more beautiful day. I hope tomorrow is just as sunny — the last boat to run off The Rock left at 8:45 yesterday morning — and from the looks of it, tomorrow may be a (gale) forced (wind) holiday. At least that's what the marine forecast says.

COASTAL WATERS FROM EASTPORT ME TO STONINGTON ME OUT 25 NM-
835 PM EST SUN OCT 29 2006

... GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON ...

OVERNIGHT... W WINDS 30 TO 35 KT WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 45 KT...DECREASING TO 25 TO 35 KT LATE. SEAS 17 TO 22 FT...SUBSIDING TO 12 TO 17 FT BY DAYBREAK. VSBY LOCALLY 1 TO 3 NM IN BLOWING SPRAY.

MON... W WINDS 25 TO 35 KT WITH A FEW GUSTS UP TO 45 KT. SEAS 10 TO 15 FT...SUBSIDING TO 7 TO 10 FT IN THE AFTERNOON.

MON NIGHT... NW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT...DECREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT.

(Information via MaineHarbors.com)

Oh, well, hopefully Tuesday's seas will still have a little punch to them too — because, quite honestly, it adds a little more excitement to the morning commute.

Dan Zanes: Windy Old Weather (Buy Dan Zanes: Sea Music)

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Down On The Farm



Fall Fowl
Aldermere Farm
October 23, 2006

The geese are getting ready for the 'Big Dance', and Goose has got the goods to send them off. Turn it on and dance around the room (or the field).

Goose: Black Gloves (Buy It!)

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Deerhoof Season



'World Premiere' of Deerhoof's Milk Man: A Ballet
Waterman's Community Center, North Haven, Maine
October 23, 2006

'I'll take you to my dream land
Now you're mine
I'll take you to our dream land'

'Milk Man' lyrics, ©Deerhoof

The final performance of 'Milk Man: A Ballet' takes place tonight (October 24 at 7:30 PM) at Waterman's Community Center. Tickets are $5 adults/$3 students and seniors, and can be reserved by calling 207.867.2100 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The event is sponsored by North Haven Community School and North Haven Arts & Enrichment. The last ferry for North Haven leaves the Rockland Ferry Terminal at 5:15 PM. Be on it. You will never again be so entertained and awestruck for 5 dollars. (And, I'm telling you, you'll regret it if you miss it.)

Deerhoof: Milking (Buy It!)

Monday, October 23, 2006

Down With O.B.P*

\

*Old Back Porch (R.I.P)
October 21, 2005

The porch and the following song have little in common (other than the fact that a Rock Island friend of ours has been on Spruce's European Tour for about 20 days now). Oh, yeah, and our porch is now 'blown away' (hopefully to return, new and improved, next Spring!).

Bruce Springsteen: My Oklahoma Home (Buy It!)

Thursday, October 19, 2006

The Answer, My Friend, Is Littered In The Sand



State (of Confusion) Beach, The Rock
Columbus Day Weekend, 2006

The Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup is an annual event 'all over the world to remove trash and debris—on land and under the water.' Each year, the children and, (almost no) volunteers of The Rock take a day (off from school) to head out around the island, clearing trash from the coastline, roads and trails—recording every piece of trash collected. This year, Cleanup was held on September 16, 2006.

Three weeks later, on a walk along the beach, I picked up 3 Clorox bottles, 4 Twisted Tea cardboard packages, 1 Miller High Life (nobody said people that throw their trash to the wind ain't got no class) package, 6 blue plastic cups, and 1 plastic ring holder (do they still make those effin' things?), along with an armload full of other choice left-behinds.

I was once told, a few years ago, that there were a few mothers on the island that would throw their blue glass into the ocean, so that their children would be able to find more of it in the future (Mothers of Inventiveness. Freak Out!). Our weekend drinkers, as you can see from the photograph above, helped support that cause, too.

Thank You, to all the students, volunteers, and coordinators who worked hard and helped to really make this year's clean-up on The Rock a success. And, to those that followed behind them to do their part—making sure that next year's International Coastal Cleanup will still be needed—Fuck You.

Nouvelle Vague: Too Drunk To Fuck (Buy It!)
Dead Kennedys: Too Drunk To Fuck (Buy It!)

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Thanks Dawg!



DQ Napkin
October 2006

We watch out for our own. This Dairy Queen napkin was tucked into the seat of my motorcycle when I got off the ferry one day. No tickets. No hassle. And still, no registration. (I work on the mainland. The town offices are closed by the time I get back. I've got more excuses, but even I don't want to hear them any more.) And DQ Dawgy Dawg's just keepin' it real.

Richard Thompson: 1952 Vincent Black Lightning (Buy It!)

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Blowin' A Gale



And the weather of Fall approaches.
October 1, 2006

First two boats got cancelled today due to gusting winds. That would be another advantage to the morning commute—working at home, by surprise.

EasyStar All*Stars: Exit Music (For A Film) (Buy It!)

Polly Is A Crackhead



Lutino (Buttercup yellow) Indian Ringneck Parakeet (Really, a parrot.)
Psittacula krameri manillensis
September 24, 2006

This bird should not be here, but, sat in the maple tree out in the front yard for over an hour, with something to say.

Coldplay: Yellow (Buy It!)
They Might Be Giants: Birdhouse In Your Soul (Buy It!)

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Happiness Is A Warm Day. Bang, Bang. Shoot, Shoot.



Hunting Season
October 9, 2006

A Rock, Tuesday and Thursday night law enforcement, and guns.

Something's gotta' give.

The Matadors: Shotgun (Buy It!)
The Breeders: Happiness Is A Warm Gun (Buy It!)

Sunday, October 08, 2006

It's A Bluebird Day!



The Harbor. The Rock.
October 2006

As much as I enjoy writing and posting, it's too nice to do more than this today. Get outside, while the gettin's good!

Emiliana Torrini: Sunny Road (Buy It!)
Talking Heads: This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) (Buy It!)

Saturday, October 07, 2006

When The Moon Is In The Sixth House



Harvest Moon
October 6, 2006

Need I say anything else? I think not.

But The Old Farmer's Almanac does:

'This is the year's worst month for planets. Mars finally reaches conjunction and slips behind the Sun on the 23rd. By month's end, Jupiter will be difficult to view as it vanishes into the Sun's glare, as does Venus. Mercury is barely visible above the horizon, making its meeting with Venus from the 20th through the 31st challenging to view. The Moon is so far south that, when one day old on the 23rd, it sets before the Sun; the two-day-old Moon is equally impossible to see. These are the lowest, hardest-to-see crescent Moons in 18 years. Only Saturn is easily visible, but it doesn't rise until 2:30 a.m. The medium-intensity Orionid meteors add some sparkle to the sky on the 21st. Moon phase times are based on Eastern Time.'

(What the hell? The 6th wasn't too shabby.)

Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto : Fly Me To The Moon (Buy It!)

Friday, October 06, 2006

Bullie, For Me



Bullie.
Part of my life since 1961.

Bullie (if you can picture a little heart over the 'i' here) is perfect. This black fur beauty has a molded plastic face, pair of button-up high heels, lipstick, utters and horns. You wonder what kind of relative would give such a gift to a child. Whoever it was—I love them—and Bullie.

Her tag reads: 'A Jewel of a Toy by Bijou. Bijou Toys, New York, N.Y.' I can't find anything about them anywhere. If you have any information, drop me a line.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Good Luck (With Your Future)



Uncle Gordon's Barn
Westport, NY
September 2004

September has flown by me with little consistancy in keeping up with my daily posting duties. I'm hoping that I'll have better luck in the future (it's coming on). Or at least in October.

Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood (Buy It!)
Leonard Cohen: The Future (Buy It!)

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Monarch(y) in the USA



Danaus plexippus (which, literally, translated in Greek means 'sleepy transformation').
September 27, 2006

Ahhh, the lovely Danaus plexippus. I don't know what it's like in your neck of the woods, but here, the monarchs are wide awake and have transformed the woods and gardens of the Rock into a magical place.

"Adult Monarchs possess two pair of brilliant orange-reddish wings, featuring black veins and white spots along the edges. Their wingspan is about four inches, and they weigh less than half an ounce. Males, who possess distinguishing black dot (stigmata) along the veins of their wings, are slightly bigger than the females.

Each adult butterfly lives only about four to five weeks. But one of the many wonders of the Monarchs is the annual creation of a unique "Methuselah generation." As autumn approaches in their sites of migratory origin, a very special generation of butterflies is born. Unlike their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents -- all of whom had ephemeral lives measured only in weeks -- these migratory butterflies survive seven or eight months. In human terms, given our average life span of 75 years, this would be like having children who lived to be 525 years old!

This generation performs the incredible feat of flying from Canada and the United States to the center of Mexico -- after which they begin the northward journey again. Once they reach the United States, a kind of relay race begins: their short-lived offspring, with only four or five weeks to live, continue making the trek northward over several generations."


Enjoy 'em why you got 'em, for these beauties are on their way to a sweet little vacation spot down south.

And, if you dig the bugs, you have to get up to Montreal and check into the Insectarium. You will not be disappointed.

Booth and the Bad Angel: Butterfly Dreams (Buy It!)