Apparently i need to clarify something about a post i made a couple days ago. I got an email - not coincidently, i guess, from someone with the address "glamrock72" - attacking me for dissing (yes, i just used the word dissing) T. Rex. That wasn't a shot at T. Rex, i was just making the point that i think it's hard to cover T. Rex and that i happen to like The Power Station's version of Bang A Gong (not as much as the original, mind you, but still). Hey, T. Rex is great & they happen to be one of my favorite bands. So eat it, you Glam Rock-loving pussy.

You'll have to excuse the volatile nature of that last sentence. I'm in a bad mood cos i missed a chance to hang out with P.K. Morgan, an old roomey, due to the fact that my time-management skills are about as good as Polio's taste in music.

And one more quick note, i heard on NPR yesterday that Donald O'Connor had died. Props (yes, i just said props) to O'Connor for one of the greatest performances in cinematic history in the "Make 'Em Laugh" scene in my favorite musical (actually, the only musical i really like) Singin' In The Rain.
-cpb 9/29 {link}

Sorry about the lack of updates lately, but i was trying to help Shane-O out with this turtle problem he was having & landed myself in goddamn therapy. Sorry, i'll explain later. On another goddamn sad note, however, Robert Palmer keeled over. The world of schmaltzy, 80's pop mourns. Don't get me wrong, though, i have much respect for Palmer. Anyone who can cover T. Rex and have it not suck should be applauded.
-cpb 9/26 {link}

Maybe it really does come in three's. Goodbye to The Man In Black & Jack Tripper.

But enough of that dire crap, anyway. In other (good) news, my very good friend Jeffrey Knitt has finally popped the question to his girlfriend Kami. And she said... you know what she said. So, one of the 4 coolest people i know is getting married. Congrats, Jeff.
-cpb 9/14 {link}

Enjoy every sandwich.
Sad but expected news in the music world. One of the greats, & one of my favorite artists, Warren Zevon died on Sunday after a long bout with lung cancer. I'm glad he had a chance to make one more album & say his goodbyes before he went. We should all be so lucky.
-cpb 9/9 {link}

Time to play a little catch up on a busy & crazy August, so here we go:

Maw & Paw Kettle pull up stakes:
My parents, after a combined 100 plus years living in Ohio, up & moved to New Mexico. In the middle of July, out of the blue, my Mom says to me, "Oh yeah, by the way, we're moving to Albuquerque." Well, alright then! My wife was pretty bummed, due to the fact that they won't really be around much to see their grandkids if and/or when we procreate, to which i agree. On the other hand, however, i know how much my Mom hates the cold & snow & shitty Ohio weather. Plus it gives my Dad more opportunities to ride his new Harley, so i'm happy for them.

Shan-O's in town:
The man, the myth, the legend - Shane Patrick McGee - was in town, along with his special lady friend, Natsumi, & holed up in my apartment for about a week and a half. As is per usual when Shane is "back in town" (this year, as last, from "p"Okinawa), it was pretty low-key. Lotta hangin' out, smokin' the Beesh, drinkin' some beers. Played some Super Tennis & some Dr. Mario. Tried to explain, unsuccessfully, to Shane how it was that i could lose to Natsumi in head-to-head Tetris & still be the greatest ever. Went to the Toledo Zoo. Hung out in Ann Arbor with Polio. Tried to solve the mystery of the "Drama of Ms. Communication", to no avail. Sang a little Mr. Roboto. Got drunk & took a dip in the pool. Yada, yada, yada. It was fun, i think everyone involved had a pretty good time. And if this story seems to be rambling & boring, here is a very important American expression that Polio taught to Natsumi - "Eat a dick."

Wedding bells chimed & i didn't hear them:
One Mr. Bradley Boyle (who one day yet may write something for THE Experience) was wed to the former Ms. Christine Fletcher, in beautiful Toledo, Ohio, on the 23rd of August (which was, in fact, the day before Erin & i's one-year anniversary). Erin & i, unfortunately, did not make it to the ceremony, which is a long story that can be summed up in three words: all my fault. I felt really bad, cos (i think) they were at our wedding & i know how boring weddings are & that the reciprocity thing is what makes them bearable... so Brad - i owe you one. The reception was fun, though, & i wish the Boyles the best, cos they deserve it. Brad's a good guy &, although i don't get to see him much now that he's at Haaaaaaaaaaavaaaaard, a good friend. So, "best", y'all.

They should just call this ride Bacteria Dunk:
And to top the month off, over Labor Day weekend, the wife & i, along with our friends Keith & Jessica, went whitewater rafting on the New River down in Fayetteville, West Virginny. Please, before i go on, get all the Deliverance jokes out of your system, cos i haven't heard enough of them already. Anyway, we did a little camping, a little rafting, then a little more camping. Good times. This was my first time rafting &, with maybe the exception of drinking about a gallon of river water, it was pretty damn fun. To my surprise, i didn't fall out of the boat once. This is pretty good, considering the first time i tried to canoe i dumped Erin & myself into the murky depths of the Huron River after about a minute and a half. I've got the whole canoeing thing licked now, however, & despite the fact that i got douched a few times, i think i got the rafting thing pretty quickly. Good times, indeed.

So that was all the excitement for the past month. Now it's back to school & some substitute teaching & all that fun stuff. Yee-haw, y'all.
-cpb 9/8 {link}

The last week has been pretty interesting, to say the least (which i usually do). BLACKOUT 2003 in a-figgity-fect. Personally, even though it was mildy annoying not having power for about 15 hours, i thought it was pretty fun. I guess the pleasure lies in the break from the norm. I was at Meijer, which was about the only place here in Ypsilanti that was open, and there was just a weird sense of everyone being on the cusp of losing it. I had an incredible urge to run up & down the aisles screaming, just to see how many people i could get to join me in flipping out. Either that, or i wanted to go down the cereal aisle & just pop a squat & take a huge dump right in front of the Frosted Flakes. Instead, however, i did neither. I bought some beers, came home, lit some candles and played Pass The Pigs with my wife & Schmorgan till about 5 in the morning. Selah, i guess.
Other than that, however, there's this: Shan-O is "in town", as they say, with his special lady friend, Natsumi. And you know what that means, of course. Well, maybe you don't. But don't worry, it'll come to you eventually.
-cpb 8/19 {link}


The hottest girl in town, mine or yours.
-cpb 8/5 {link}

Well, the year is half over. What the hell have you done so far? Me? Well, not too friggin' much, i'll tell ya that.
-cpb 8/3 {link}

In case you didn't know... or care (and damn you if you don't), yesterday was the one-year anniversary of the first edition of Shane's Dynamic Contingencies. Myself, i sat in my robe, drinking Jim Beam� & smoking a sheesha. Of course i do that every Wednesday, but what the hell.
Anyway, in honor, or something like that, a new edition. Shane plays therapist for me, analyzing a crazy dream i had a while back.
-cpb 7/30 {link}

So i got a phone call from Phil Lynott the other day, who is actually dead, so maybe it was a dream... anyway, he was pissed about this playlist cos i left off Dancing In The Moonlight & Whiskey In The Jar by Thin Lizzy. Sorry Philsy.
-cpb 7/25 {link}

See... damnit!

Anyway, what the hell is going on in this world? Did you hear about that shit that went down in NYC yesterday? Holy crizap. This seems like shit straight out of the movies. Surreal, to say the least. And what the hell is wrong with Deion Sanders. I've always thought this jagoff was, well, a jagoff, but after reading this i almost wanted to go out and kick a dog. And i like dogs.

But back to me...

Lately i've been stuck in phase where i keep listening to the same few songs over & over again, which is kind of aggravating for someone who owns almost 1700 albums. But i just can't help it. Here's my play list for the past week & a half:

1) Right Down The Line - Gerry Rafferty
2) The Devil Made Me Do It - Golden Earring
3) Jeepster - T. Rex (actually, pretty much all of Electric Warrior)
4) Sinsemilla - Black Uhuru
5) Mr. Brown - Bob Marley & The Wailers
6) I Wanna Be A Cowboy - Boys Don't Cry
7) Bitch, I'm Broke - Cody ChestnuTT
8) Mondo Bongo - Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
And then i'd probably play Right Down The Line again.
-cpb 7/24 {link}

To both adoring fans of THE Experience, sorry for the lack of updates lately. There are quite a few things in the queue, but i've been busy lately. And for those of you holding your breath for the next AOM review, go ahead & breathe out, it may be awhile. I may, however, be adding some less-detailed reviews soon. Then again, i may not... we'll see how it goes.
-cpb 7/3 {link}

There have been a lot of famous people dying lately. I was starting to worry about my own well-being for a second, but then i realized that all these people were, as they say, OLD MAN/WOMAN RIVER. Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn, David Brinkley and now, Thurm the Perm. Now, i'm not celebrating anyone's death, but i still stand behind this statement.
-cpb 7/1 {link}