John

NIN

2005-11-10T04:08:27Z

I was in a horrible mood when I left work...horrible...

The Garden now seemingly has enhanced security. I had to empty my pockets and account for everything. They even checked inside my breath strips...and found...breath strips!

I ran into Lisa Dows. An old friend and ex band mate. She said she had a feeling I would be there. I had to chuckle about that. Then she mentioned something about Khary getting weird looks on a bus. I had to chuckle about that too.

OK so..bottom line...QOTSA SUCKED...the last time I saw them they were amazing but other than Josh the band sounded horrible. Too much reverb on the drums and everything was muddy. I almost fell asleep. Despite the lunatic screaming behind me.

In between bands I ran into Molly AKA Short Girl trying to decide over the finer points of the merch booth.

The mens room had a line 4 deep for a stall and some man was peeking underneath at the guy on the toilet. How...mortifying...

By the time NIN was ready the screaming lunatic mentioned above had become ill and almost passed out. But next to Scott and I was this weird Kristen doppleganger. And it was ready to dance...oh was it ready to dance...

For a long time I've been saying I need a show to come along and just totally blow me away. This was that show. And Scott and Joe agreed.

NIN WAS MIND BLOWING!

The band was very tight and sounded much better than QOTSA. The set list very well crafted. The stage sets and lighting rigs and effects a very cool sight to behold.

They had this curtain in front of them and giant projectors. When they weren't playing songs in shadows and lots of backlighting there were some songs where you didn't see the band at all. It was just watching the images cast on this giant screen in sync with the music.

It was like every arena rock cliche, combined with a big fuck you to every arena rock cliche. An amazing spectacle. And Trent even apologized for the fact that we had seats and swore to never do that again.

I left actually awake and in a decent mood. It's amazing what a good show will do to you.

Beyond that, we rode the train home with Jerry, Billy and an assortment of other freaks. Not to mention this one...well...never mind...

On the way to drop Joe off we interrupted a girl giving some guy a blowjob in a car in the Stop N' Shop lot. Sorry.

So anyway...suck day... that led into a few hours of sleep and another suck day. But for that 90 mins...wow...

Some people just give us metal fans a bad name...

2005-10-28T14:48:12Z

Manowar › Metal Warriors

Every one of us has heard the call
Brothers of true metal proud and standing tall
We know the power within us has brought us to this hall
There’s magic in the metal there’s magic is us all

Heavy metal or no metal at all whimps and posers leave the hall
Heavy metal or no metal at all whimps and posers go on get out
Leave the hall

Now the world must listen to our decree
We don’t turn down for anyone we do just what we please
Got to make it louder, all men play on ten
If you’re not into metal, you are not my friend

Heavy metal or no metal at all whimps and posers leave the hall
Heavy metal or no metal at all whimps and posers I said
Leave the hall

Now the world must listen to our decree
We don’t turn down for anyone we do just what we please
Got to make it louder, all men play on ten
If you’re not into metal, you are not my friend

There’s metal in the air tonite, can you hear it call
If you ain’t got the balls, to take it you can
Leave the hall

Heavy metal or no metal at all whimps and posers leave the hall
Heavy metal or no metal at all whimps and posers leave the hall

Symbolism...

2005-10-28T02:50:16Z

If any of you think you know me at all (And some of you are not allowed to comment. SHUT UP! DON'T EVEN THINK IT!) then this will describe my life and current state of mind...on a lot of levels...

Cummings Properties is doing work on our lot. Mostly paving, but other assorted things too.

So today they randomly dug a hole right near my truck. So I came out of work to find this...

Now, since I know how most of you think, how many of you do I have to explain this to?

Now that the floods have...paused?

2005-10-26T15:06:29Z

The phone rang the second I woke up this morning. My aunt and grandmother were in line for water. A half mine of backed up cars waiting to get water...I really hope for a speedy end to all this, but for right now I'm just happy they are reasonably OK. But I'm still worried about my grandmother.

Joe, Jerry, Jerry's brother, Kenny and I went to BLS last night. And ran into Adam there. Although it wasn't the Avenged show it was pretty good. Zakk has so many guitars I want, and even though horribly drunk he was soloing like a mad man. They have a new bassist who is Berklee trained. So inbetween drunken stories from Zakk that had absolutely NO point there was more of a jam band feel. I would say a good quarter of the set wasn't stuff off of any CD but just them jamming. And yes, Zakk did jump off the stage again.

In This River, Stillborn, and Suicide Messiah were highlights. But so was Zakk's drunken babble about Ozzy and Axl and a bunch of other things.

At one point Zakk got up with a Guild Double Neck and proceeded to "tell a story 'bout dis heah fiddle..." The result was something about Jimmy Page, driving a motorcycle into a building, something about a photoshoot and he can piss where he wants to because he's Zakk Wylde and that's the Black Label way...and I think Ashlee Simpson was in there somewhere too.

Security was tight. I got searched 4 times and they took the writing utensils in my pocket with the stern warning "YOU CAN NOT HAVE THESE!" and they seemed quite intent on getting people to stay still and low to the ground. Every time a girl got picked up or raised in the slightest they got very nervous.

But on the other side of things...they sold us a beer after the house lights came up. So I just don't know. I guess if it's a liability then no but if I want to give you $...

Speaking of which...my high class wardrobe needed expanding so I bought a couple shirts. Ah...more skulls and such...but one of them is red...the shirt...not the skull...

Anyway...This whole week I've been kicking ass on my calendar but no one is spending a red cent...So back to that...or something...

evolve0jab @ 2005-10-25T17:52:00

2005-10-25T21:54:21Z

Your aura shines Red!

What Color Is Your Aura?
brought to you by Quizilla

Sometimes it hits a little too close to home...

2005-10-25T18:16:57Z

My mother just called.

Apparently my grandmother and aunt, who are right in the middle of Hurricane Wilma right now, are without power.

Additionally...they are without food or water. Or my grandmothers medications past the supply they have in the house.

The airport is closed, and they probably couldn't drive out if they wanted. Supposedly debris is everywhere and a state of emergency has been declared.

My aunt is off trying to get supplies. There is the small solace that apparently the neighbors are all trying to help each other out.

I feel completely powerless. All I can do is sit and wait. And hope everything is going to be OK.

Today...

2005-10-25T17:32:55Z

Marks 6 years here...who would of known?

It appears there might be another musician in the family...

2005-10-25T01:33:11Z

With all the things stressing me out right now this gives me a reason to smile for a minute whenever I think of it...

My little cousin Hannah just turned 2.

This is the little girl who previously threw down dolls and such that relatives had given her to carry around the little toy guitar I gave her for Christmas last year.

Well for her 2nd birthday I gave her another toy guitar. It's technically for ages 4 and up but she's no usual 2 year old.

Anyway, we just talked to her mom and apparently she takes itthe guitar everywhere and makes it play Old McDonald and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star over and over since those are her favorite songs.

If I end up there for Thanksgiving maybe we'll jam!

How do you think I'd look in a bowler hat?

2005-10-24T13:56:47Z

Anyway...

I've been neglecting this a bit I guess.

I should of told you that with the exception of Scott Ian and Charlie Benante the Anthrax/Priest show sucked. Rob Halford was sick, the crowd was stupid and even through certain people (Charlie and Scott) will always be musical influences this was a lack luster attempt at reliving past glory. Although it was sort of humerous seeing an aging gay man leading a crowd of adolescent boys through the chorus of Turbo Lover.

The highlight of Anthrax was when Scott screamed about how crazy the crowd was going. Scott, I don't know what you were looking at but I saw a bunch of morons staring off into space.

Gwar was better. But I think I like the old Gor Gor. Tons of pics. Bush died. Cheney died. Micheal Jackson has breast implants...the usual. Lots of pics though. But nowhere near as fun as the first time. Maybe because I wasn't down in the pit this time.

I need to give Joe those BLS tickets and I need to get tickets to Avenged for Rich and I. Maybe this show will help my mood.

Also, my computer got a virus. Trojan.Vundo.B. Nasty little fucker. The IT person at my fathers company was insistant I would have to wipe my hard drive and lose everything. Too bad he was wrong. But I did have to research, scan, see what services this one dll was tied to, write a dat file to delete said offending dll on startup, reload XP on top of itself, and replace multiple audio and video drivers and such. This guy I work with said it took him half a weekend to fix one worm that was on his system. 5 hours later this was fixed. For free.What if you had to pay a tech to do the same? I'm just a hack masquerading as a sales guy.

My media player wouldn't play DVD's anymore though. I'm a little confused though because I have an Intel Desktop Board D865GBF and installed the drivers off that CD. But my device manager said there were no video drivers selected and kept calling for an Intell 82865G Graphics Controller driver. Got a hold of one of those and now everything's back in working order.

Speaking of work, I don't know. Like I said in a bulletin, I didn't do a bunch of stuff on my calendar but I did sell 4 programs and 2 upgrades. So is that a good day or a bad day?

Other than all that the only other thing to mention is that out of nothing interesting to do Steve, John, Kenny and I went to King Arthur's Motel and Lounge Friday. Picture a recessed strippers stage so it sort of resembles a t shaped pit with dollar bills strewn around. The back wall is made of glass and has 2 suits of armor on each side. In the middle is a neon silohuette of a womans torso laying down, which a pulsating red light for the nipple. The girls were sub par, drinks were too expensive and there was vomit in the sink. You can however buy a package for 50 cents.

My personal highlight however was the one stripper who's signature hot move was to hop up and down on one leg 3 times and then spank her own ass. Then hop again. Now THAT'S hot!

Now then...the headache I've had off and on all weekend is back. And I think I've messed up my neck and shoulder. Goodnight.

9 years gone and I still got silver on my arm...

2005-10-14T13:03:09Z

Albert Cardello

1915-1996

R.I.P. always Gramp...I love you!

You were never one for waiting
Still I always thought you`d wait for me
And have you from your dreams awakened
And from where you are what do you see

Which of us is now in exile
Which in need of amnesty
Are you now but an illusion
In my mind alone you breathe

You believed in things that I will never know
You were out there drowning but it never showed
Till inside a rainswept night you just let go

You`ve thrown it all away
And now we`ll never see the ending to the play
The grand design, the final line
And what was meant to be

In the dark a distant runner
Now has disappeared into the night
Leaving us to stand and wonder
Staring from this end into your life

You believed in things that I will never know
You were out there drowning but it never showed
`Til inside a rainswept night you just let go

You`ve thrown it all away
And now we`ll never see the ending to the play
The grand design, the final line
And what was meant to be

And if this is all illusion
Nothing more than pure delusion
Clinging to a fading fantasy
Like Icarus who heeds the calling
Of a sun but now is falling
As the feathers of his life fall free
Can you see
See

Tomorrow and after
You tell me what am I to do
I stand here believing
That in the dark there is a clue

Perhaps inside this midnight sky
Perhaps tomorrow`s newborn eyes
Or could it be, we`ll never know
And after all this was the show

What am I to do
Gotta get back
Gotta get back
Gotta get back
What am I to do
Gotta get back
Gotta get back
Gotta get back
What am I to do

Standing on a dream isn`t what it seems
Could we then reclaim a dream refused
Knowing what we know could we let it go
Realizing that all the years are used

Tomorrow and after
You tell me what am I to do
I stand here believing
That in the dark there is a clue
I am the way, I am the light
I am the dark inside the night
I hear your hopes, I feel your dreams
And in the dark I hear your screams

Tomorrow and after
You tell me what am I to do
I stand here believing
That in the dark there is a clue

- Savatage - Alone You Breathe

Happy Birthday To Me...

2005-09-28T14:02:37Z

So I'm now 31...

This time around was a stark contrast to last one.

The day started with birthday wishes from Mom.

I went into work and Joanne, the woman who sits next to me wished me a happy birthday.

I then spent the next few hours dealing with calls that weren't my responsibility and the like. And getting yelled at and criticized. Oh how I love my job...remember kiddies...there is no I in team. But there is an F and a U.

To their credit, Stephen, Andi and Jurrell got in touch to extend birthday wishes. And Captain Vegtable gave me a Happy Birthday Tomato! And some sort of sentiment from Steph a day late.

Around lunch time I went out and got gas...and then it started...

For no specific reason I became nauseous and dizzy. The room was spinning and I felt like I was going to be sick. Usually I only feel like this after overdoing it on the alcohol or having food poisoning or some such so needless to say it was my preferred way to spend my birthday.

I tried to shrug it off. I tried to medicate myself. Finally around 4:30 I left work. I just couldn't deal anymore. Added to my previous symptoms was a horrible headache.

Thank you to Jurrell for keeping me awake and coherant on the ride home while I got him caught up on the events he missed while he was sick. Although I still don't understand the whole gay-straight alliance thing.

Anyway, I went home and sat in the dark and the quiet with the AC going full blast since I felt like I had a temperature and couldn't breathe out of my nose. I took something for that too. I turned on XM but Dio was playing so forget that...

After forcing down chicken and noodles my cake and ice cream was called off until tonight and I went back to bed.

I talked to Steve who wanted me to come out for a few celebratory beers until his phone died. Then I stretched and there was a loud pop in my shoulder which released the strange uncomfortableness I was feeling all day and then I let out a long, loud burp and I felt much better.

I talked to my grandmother in Florida a bit. She wished me a happy birthday despite going to the dentist earlier in the day and getting 4 needles.

And Castro, the guy who sold me my truck, called to wish me a happy birthday as well.

I then decided I was going to try and catch Steve at the bar. So I shot down to O'Neills. I kind of threw Steve off when I walked in since I was infirm not half an hour before but that's where the fun began.

Not only did Steve and I have a few of our interesting chats but I also need to extend thanks to my old compatriots Khary and Joe for the birthday wishes and humerous chit chat. It was nice catching up. And Chon-Ti, thanks for the conversation and showing me your tattoos. And to Carla for picking up my beer tab.

It was interesting that I spent my 30th birthday with the "new" gang and my 31st with a bunch of people who were part of "the old crew". It felt oddly comfortable. But considering the stuff we all lived through together...

So...I think I've made a promise I'll drop into O'Neills every now and again to see assorted vagrants from my past.

I suppose I should work now...

I post this every year....my own 9/11 page...

2005-09-11T19:54:14Z

http://www.angelfire.com/in2/mydepot/WTC.html

The day of Gigantour...

2005-08-28T05:19:38Z

I fell asleep earlier and woke too late to do anything productive so I figured I'd write this down...I'm kind of surprised my phone didn't ring.

I went to court early and fought my speeding ticket. Got it dropped to $100.

I had taken the day off from work but I was going to go in for a few hours. Then I realised I have 180 hours of vacation time and 140 hours of sick time accrued and after spending some time driving around and getting 4 great new cds at Strawberries I just wasn't feeling it.

I got Megadeth's Greatest Hits with the new DVD. The newest Kittie CD which is really surprisingly good. Tony Iommi. And this very odd extreme metal tribute to GN'R.

So anyway...the picking up of people was nothing big, which surprised me. Everything went smooth. And everyone seemed to get along. And the venue had ZIP in the way of security.

Wendi and I ran into Brian and his wife (I'm not sure which popularised spelling of her name she uses). Talked a little bit about our respective careers, the state of metal, etc.

We all did some people watching and random things through the first 3 bands. Dillenger and Nevermore didn't do a lot for me the last time and honestly Fear Factory wasn't as good as I remembered.

Dream Theatre was just mind boggling. It's amazing just how much really is going on up on that stage when they play. However, what was more mind boggling was this weird bearded yuppieish 60 year old man who took out a row of chairs near me and began screaming "Fuck Fear Factor" His wife walked away disgusted by him.

After about half a dozen drinks.And running into some guy who saw me in court and some other random local metal heads it was time...

MEGADETH...time number 14.

As always, they've never disappointed me. Pyro. Lights. This hammer down setlist played to flawless execution. I really can't offer any objective view point but the set was just...wow...

It was so good that Andi started getting into it. And she doesn't even like Megadeth. But she did put up with me poking and prodding her very well.
I ever grabbed her arm and thrust it to the sky perfectly timed with the pyro. I don't think she was expecting that.

Another plus was having a 6'9" friend who was basically a camera crane. Rich got some great pictures. So much so that Megadeth's tour manager asked to see us. And I guess we're sending them to the webmaster of Megadeth.com along with our names. Total Gigantour pic count? 225.

There was one last thing that I wanted to do, but didn't. And I'm not sure how it would of gone over so...

Afterwards was miscommunication about who was going where, but I guess that shouldn't surprise me.

We ended up at the bar, and the night just got more interesting. Wendi added to her fan club and Steve and I caught up some more. Beth kept insisting that I pick her up off the ground so I had to oblidge. Then a 54 year old woman named Annie came up and introduced herself. Apparently she is the server at Spuds in Woburn and she had been stood up. Mister Leblanc...I just don't know...

Great conversation continued through out the night to Bickfords and the drive home.. Topics included music (of course), Ignorance vs. Enlightenment, Physics. Religion....and so on and so on...

All in all I had a very pleasing time. I was hoping to add to things tonight but it just didn't work out that way.

OK...yeah...so D.C.

2005-08-23T15:15:47Z

It was actually really good. I liked it.

The trip started with my home computer getting a virus 2 hours before the flight. So I had to fix that.

Then a 90 min plane ride and a taxi to a 5 star hotel. Really cool rooms. The bathroom had a glass chamber for a shower and a separate bath. And it even came with candles and stuff. The bed was just made for sex. Too bad there was no one I was motivated enough by to take on this trip. But more on that later.

Off to the convention center. Our shipment wasn't there. After some resulting confusion with the office we went out to dinner.

This trip was marked with amazing food. I had sweet and sour pork with a Hoppin John which is black eyed peas and white rice. I ate this thing that looked like a potato but turned out to be a cooked apple. I drank something called a Muddy Waters. Sort of like a spiked rasberry lemonade with parsley in it. Later on I also ate this amazing bbq bacon burger thing and these chicken strips with a tangy sauce the name of which I forget. I tried a variety of cheeses and rolls. And alfredo with chicken that was really good. And some pork dumplings. Etc. I think that covers most of the meals on the trip.

Another hallmark of the trip was the fact that I averaged about 6 Jack and Cokes a night in assorted resturaunts and bars. Not the least of which being in the bar in the hotel lobby, which was named...Le Bar. My last night at Le Bar Le New Waitress spilled Le Beer on Le Face...she freaked...I explained this wasn't the first or last time I have had beer spilled on me and tipped her big because her boss is as ass who swats your feet down from the chairs and she was clearly having a bad night. Le Asshole he was. But I haven't gotten drunk with a boss since 1998. Interesting.

So anyway...the convention...

It was very interesting. I was on top of my game and the people were pleasant and receptive. I was learning programs on the fly. The exhibits were interesting. I got lots of samples and info and what have you. Cancer info. Info on all kinds of therapies and drugs and programs that might actually help things. It's amazing what's out there and what hit a sympathetic vibration with me.

Now outside of the convention center...the hotel was about 2 blocks from The White House. It's amazing what's around there. Most of it closes after 6pm and on weekends. And there's homeless people everywhere. I wonder what Dubya thinks.

Speaking of which, the first night we walked right into a protest in front of The White House. That one you saw on TV? Yup. I was there. And I got pics.

I got some great pics of The Washington Monument and full moon at night.

We also went to one of the Smithsonian museums which was fascinating. Lots of pop culture stuff and war stuff. Old presidents and an actual part of The World Trade Center. And this one red Paul Reed Smith with dragon inlay that I wanted to steal.

We also went to all the war memorials and the Lincoln memorial and such. Real heavy emotional stuff.

There were religious zelots giving away water and free bibles on the hottest days. I took both. I'm curious about their concept of effective marketing for religion.

The last night I watched Revenge Of The Sith again. I've been dying to. It was like scratching an itch. When the hell does the DVD come out again?

After 5 eventful days the airline promptly shipped me to Boston and my suitcase to Nashville. I tried to ask why but the staff could only order me to sit down and declare that the people would be off the plane shortly, ask me if I was from London and repeat "carosel 3" over and over...

I should of stayed in DC and gone to Summer Slam. But I did get a cool silver dragon ring at the airport.

I filed a claim. And when the voice recognition software asked I gave my info. It worked a few times. Then it told me I was Mr. Dominguez and I was in Austin Texas and my bag was black...which surprisingly it's not. But it should be. Note to self. Buy carry on suitcase. By the way...I want to take another trip soon. Anyone in?

The suitcase showed up at 8:30 this morning. Making me late for work, but not losing anything. I need to write them an email about this. Fuckups. There was 1 really helpful person though. She will get her credit.

SO now I have been catching up on accounts and sorting through 500 pics. I'm happy to get back around a guitar and I've been riffing around.

And this Friday is Gigantour which better tear my head off. METUHL!

Now then...lately I've been hyper sensitive to some stuff. Changes in perspective if you will. I'm going to try dealing with some things and some people different ways. And not dealing with certain things and certain people at all. I have an odd confidence in a few things.

I've realized feelings for people I didn't exactly expect to have these feelings for. And also certain people who should affect me and I just look at them and feel numb. It's funny how things turn out.

Hmmm...I'm almost 31. How about you?

Concert alert...

2005-08-11T02:05:59Z

Beck is coming to Bank America Pavillion or whatever it is on Sept 29th.

And Porpupine Tree and Robert Fripp are coming to the Berklee Performance Center Sept 30th.

Anyone? Anyone?

24 hours later...

2005-08-05T04:17:54Z

I'm listening to "Adouma" from this Santana CD and this guy seems to be scatting something about the KKK. I thought Carlos was against that shit. I'm not sure how I feel about this CD.

In any event, today was vastly different than yesterday...The thing I was working on yesterday turned into an emergant issue today. How did it get past development, product managers and testing? The damn program is in beta. I ran my fix on 4 different people's computers and spent the whole day teaching functionality rationales and useability to my department. When I wasn't helping techs with obsolete versions and configuring various software apps to all work in conjunction. I thought I was only a peon in sales. But today I didn't want to quit.

At one point my boss sent an email around to the whole company asking where the sales associate training manual disappeared to. He was going on about how someone has taken it from his office without telling him. Which prompted me to say, not so tactfully...

"You insisted to give it to Ona (new marketing person) when you called me up when you were doped up on perocets for your back."

And with that I rendered by boss speechless.

Oh...and apparently one of the managers jobs consists only of listening to calls and pinning peices of paper on walls.

I be practicing the nuances of demos too...We have to perform for the VP next week.

I also sold our program to a woman who confused us with something else she saw on another site. And she paid for it with her ex husbands credit card.

I saw a guy at Pizza Hut today with a goatee double the length of mine. Something to aspire to.

I also found out my grandmother in West Virginia apparently has a taste for whiskey. It sometimes helps her sleep. Hmmm...I guess that makes 3 generations.

I found out about this tour coming in the Fall with Mortiis and Danzig and a bunch of other bands. Anyone in?

And lastly...yes. I will be in DC the Sunday of Summer Slam. But I'll probably go from Logan right to Good Times.

And soon I'll go to bed...

2 Weeks Until DC...

2005-08-04T04:23:57Z

I sort of forgot about this thing for a bit. So sue me.

My goatee is now a full 2 inches off my chin. And I have every intention of keeping it for the convention, even though my boss thinks I look like a psycho and watching me comb it freaks him out. Maybe I will buzz my head completely and dye the goatee.

We have to do these demos for the new program and the convention and stuff. Now I know the program, but I've never done a demo like this before. Today was my first stab. And apparently I go into too much detail in one screen (me? NEVAH!) and not enough in another and do the steps out of sequence or something. But apparently I have to be in top form by the time I wear my little dress pants and tan and green polo shirt at the booth in DC. I NEED TO PRACTICE!

I think my boss has done too many of these demos or the pain meds for his back have gone to his head or something. He's been prone to mood swings and forgetfulness but today sort of took the cake. In the meeting he brought in a tech rep to answer questions that I already knew the answers to and then he told us we both don't know what we're talking about. We all got bitched at for not having the latest build and when one person tried to upgrade it didn't work right. So I was trying to tech it. He comes over and tells me to do everything I've already done, argues with me and then makes me stop what I was doing. Forget that I was in Technical Support for 3 years and I've been with the company 6. Forget that I've saved your ass zillions of times. I can't possibly have any idea what I'm talking about. 5pm came and it still wasn't resolved. So after everyone left I took the database and ran the fix. But how do I tell if I fixed it? The database is password protected. That's one of our big features. Simple...I reset the password files. The fix worked. And no, I have no idea why exactly I had that argument. But that is an example of how work has been.

I think I really need to re-evaulate some of this career stuff. Along with some other stuff that is sort of a by product of some of the changes in interactions I've had lately. This truly has been the worst year of my life (with a few small exceptions), but I'm learning tons. I think the next 6 months are going to bring a lot of changes and a lot of hard decisions. We'll see what happens. Just think about where things were about a year ago this time. Everything's changing and this weird convergence of past and present has led to some interesting perspective.

I get to see Jared and Hannah soon. Family BBQ. I need a pic of the 3 of us together.

If anyone cares, I think BLS tickets came in the mail today. And Gigantour is 3 weeks from this Friday. Anyone want to go see Madball in Revere in early Sept some time? At Club Lido wherever that is...

Speaking of Sept. I'm going to be 31 next month. And Hannah's going to be 2. Go us!

I had a another point but I forget that so I'll end here.

The return of Pepito...

2005-07-25T04:48:29Z

Can dead musicians listen to music?

2005-07-21T04:23:42Z

I was reading this article about the Mercury Music Prize (http://www.weebls-stuff.com/articles/438/mercury-music-prize-nominees-your-guide) which started off "Fourteen long, mournful years after Freddie Mercury's death, the music awards created in his memory just keep on rocking. As always, nominees are chosen based on one criterion: what would Freddie be listening to if he was alive today?"

And it started me thinking. Which of today's artists would our favorite dead musicians be listening to today if they were still alive?

So post a dead musician and then at least one artist from today that you think he/she would be into. I'll go first...

I think Randy Rhodes would love Buckethead.

John fights a speeding ticket?

2005-07-19T18:00:09Z

OK so...

I went to Somerville district court this morning to fight a speeding ticket. My boss called my cell before I left wondering where I was because nobody heard from me. He forgot the 2 times I reminded him verbally and the email I sent him last week.

The security guy was cool. When I dropped some change he asked if there was anything else under the X Ray machine. Yes there was...a used Q Tip.

And even though there were signs that you couldn't bring in cell phones and couldn't eat or drink in the building people were chowing down and talking it up.

There was also a guy walking back and forth in the lobby with a box full of Stop and Shop bags that had biohazard symbols on them.

I checked in with the lady at the desk (early I might add) and she told me to sit on a bench and she would call me when they were ready.

Never having done this before, I sat and waited...and waited...and waited.

Finally after an hour and a half of this woman and other people walking by, and overhearing people talking to their lawyers about all sorts of illegal shit and reading the docket on the wall showing how many herion addicts and violent criminals were visiting today I catch the woman walking by and ask if she normally makes people wait this long...

"FOR WHAT?" she says. She then takes my paperwork and vanishes.

She never called me. And the person I needed to talk to went home. So the best they can do is reschedule me for the same day as Gigantour (which I suppose is luck the show got pushed back and I already had the day off) and sort of say "Sorry..."

I went home and freshened up and changed. Now it's 1:30 and I just got to work. I'm still not caught up from taking time off last week so now I'll have to probably work late and then I have to take tomorrow off to go to Salem court at 8:30 am for that idiot who tried to stab us almost a year ago or else I go to jail.

The system truly has failed..

evolve0jab @ 2005-07-17T21:15:00

2005-07-18T01:21:32Z

JARED DALE MATHENY

Our Gigantour Date...

2005-05-16T13:08:13Z

Is August 26th at Bank Of America Pavilion.

Tickets aren't on sale yet. But Symphony X is confirmed for 2nd stage.

For more info...

http://www.gigantour.com/flash.html

Who are all you people?

2005-05-12T05:08:25Z

So I go through another proto typical work day. The day highlighted by the fact that my boss got an email forwarded from the corporate office by the woman I deemed a "lying bitch" and replied with a few sarcastic comments not to his corporate overlords but to the woman herself. Now she dislikes my boss as much as she dislikes me.

I had earlier in the day found out I don't have to go to court tomorrow so I figured I'd be all pro active and go for my tux fitting for Eric. I called him and he began to tell me this saga about his car troubles that rivals any issue with the Jimmy I ever had and I find I can't get a parking space at the tux place. So I head home.

TO FIND THE HOUSE ACCROSS THE STREET ON FIRE!

There were 5 engines on my street, 2 cop cars blocking off the street immediately after I pulled down it and an electrical truck. I had to call Eric back and say I couldn't go get sized because I couldn't get off the street anymore.

There are crowds of people. Smoke. Hydrants spilling water everywhere and totally not working correctly (nice to know). Windows being smashed etc. So of course instinctively I pull out my camera.

Yes I have pics. 30 of them to be exact. However, this got me stopped by Everett's finest. I don't blame them. Fire. A guy in a big black truck and black trench coat with buzzed head and semi long goatee (I'm growing it out) jumps out and starts taking pics. So I had to prove I live there. And he explained he gets suspicious of guys taking pics of fires.

After my photo shoot I start to look around. The resulting crowd made a very good case for Social Darwinism. WHO THE HELL ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE? And when did a fire become a social event?

I went and checked on the old woman who lived in the house. Clad only in a house dress I asked her if she was ok. "Don't I look ok?". You're a seemingly confused elderly woman clad only in a house dress who's house just burnt down. You look MAHVELOUS! She also told me she had diabetic feet. Thankfully I knew what she meant. Her whole family lives in New Hampshire and Maine. And they just sold the house. Weird huh?

Whole families were out in the street watching the house get destroyed. People were embracing like long lost comrades and speaking in several different languages. Several people were lighting smokes as they watched the house burn. The emergency responders kept laughing and joking. VERY surreal.

Apparently a dog who lived in the house ran away. They finally found in up the street, tied a rope around it and brought it back. Although the confused daze reminds me of the stray I picked up months ago this dog was too fat to run anywhere. It's handlers merely lost track of it wandering.

I checked on this 92 year neighbor I have. She lives alone and is like another grandmother to me. She was fine but seemed less interested in all the chaos as she was in my facial hair and the yogurt she was eating. But hell, I wish I was that together at her age. I won't even make 92.

So anyway...they decide they want to interview the inhabitants. Where do they do it? In my driveway. I couldn't hear a damn word over the engines but I did have a small mob, and this ladys dog, in my driveway. The dog seemed friendly enough, but the rest sort of un-nerved me. And I still couldn't put my truck in my driveway.

This saga went on until about 7:30. The American Red Cross is still outside. I must admit it must be horrible to be displaced by fire and lose everything, but I would be willing to bet all those weird people and circumstances didn't help any. Think about it. A crowd of people standing around as everything you have is destroyed.

I feel thankful it's not me. So good luck to them.

Human Nature...ain't it a bitch?

2005-05-06T15:50:22Z

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=36345

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=36341

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=36317

MEGADETH Mainman MUSTAINE Reveals GIGANTOUR Second-Stage Candidates:

2005-04-20T16:17:03Z

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=35689