The Church of Rock & Roll. Rev. Bass at the helm. For many people, their Jesus was a Cross Maker... my Jesus plays electric guitar in a rock 'n' roll band. Any style you like it. Just as long as it's loud. Make them listen. And those that don't, fuck 'em. What good are they going to be to the future. Our future.
-cpb 9/28 {link}

The Race To Two-Hundy is still in effect. B. Early said he voted for me, but he's the only one so far. So we have at least 2 votes. I don't know if it's gonna happen, but git in there. Cos you know how i am. When i ask for a glass of water & someone hands me a cup of sand, i turn it over, make a sand castle & pretend that i'm the King. You Can't Hold It Back, as Kevin Madison once wrote, with help from moi.
-cpb 9/26 {link}

Filibustering Congressmen, too afraid to cross the plough line. Heavy Horses having Sweet Dreams of schoolgirls & their Flyingdale Flyers. Black Sunday, falling one day too soon... so sayeth the Salamander. Quizz Kids living the old rocker dream, trouser cuffs too tight. All drinking their ale too light. One hundred miles an hour flying off Death's Head Bridge, twenty years before it's completed. "I Don't Wanna Be Me," he blusters, too far gone in the grip to notice his Locomotive Breath. You're never Too Old To Rock & Roll, right?
-cpb, later that same evening, 9/21 {link}

Influenza is back? That's a damn shame... for good or ill.
The band was in the studio, did their thing. Right on! Good play, old chap. Good write, good play, indeed. Aftermath is a thing of the past. Whittle away.
-cpb 9/21 {link}

A pirate walks into a bar with a Captain's wheel in his pants & the bartender asks, "Why do you have a Captain's wheel in your pants?"
The pirate replies, "Aaaaarrr, it's drivin' me nuts."
Listening to the radio today, i was reminded that today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day.
(Thanks to C. Boyle for originally bringing this to me attention... aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr.)
-cpb 9/19 {link}

I guess today is not a good day to get into my screed about how the Ramones are overrated. It can wait. Never-the-less, we have lost another good one. Goodbye, Johnny Ramone
-cpb 9/16 {link}

It is that time of year, once again, to get out & vote. So DO IT! This year it's the Digital Music Awards (i think they change the name every year), but i'm hoping to yet again move up the ranks - we were #397 in the People's Choice last year & this year i want to crack the top two hundy.

-cpb 9/14 {link}

How the hell about that? After only 3 years, the Lions finally won a football game on the road. Good for you... now go on out there & have another 6-10 season. And while i've still got foosball on the brain, thank shit that Michigan got their asses stomped by the Golden Domers yesterday. Not that i really give a shit (i am originally from Ohio, & i do root for the Buckeyes when they get together with UM, but i'm not hardcore), i'm just glad that i don't have to listen to jagoff Wolverine fan talk about how great the team is going to be this year anymore.
Prediction for the rest of the Big 11 season: Ohio State will squeak out win after win this year & will be undefeated going into the Michigan game, then they'll get their asses handed to them.
-cpb 9/12 {link}

Well, it's that time of year once again. Football season is upon us. College Football is just about in full swing & tomorrow is the 1st Sunday of the NFL season. This is a good thing, cos i like football - but i have to admit, i don't quite have the huge hard-on about f'ball that most sports fans do. I guess my non-over exuberance stems a bit from the teams i'm affiliated with. I've been an Eastern Michigan University student on & off for the past 3 decades or so & they've sucked a dead donkey's dick ever since i started there. I also have lived full time in Michigan for the past 6 years &, of course, the Lions are sucking that same donkey's balls. I think the 2 teams combined have about 6 wins the past 4 years. So, there's that, plus the fact that i didn't get into a Fantasy Football league this year. But, even though i've not grabbed on to almighty Football's nutsac & started swinging quite yet, i'll still, given the chance, will sit around & watch football all day.
Go Lions?
-cpb 9/11 {link}

Quick tip for anyone wanting to go canoeing in or around the southeast Michigan area - don't do it. And if you do, don't go down the Grand River. At least not in September.

Anyway, i have nothing else of note to say, so i'm gonna throw out a playlist of shit i've been listening to lately, cos i haven't done it in a while & i freegin' want to.

New:
1) Take Me Out & 40' - Franz Ferdinand
2) Float On, Ocean Breathes Salty & The Good Times Are Killing Me - Modest Mouse (just for Fresh & Bronso)
3) Get Your Hands Off My Woman - Ben Folds (yes, the Darkness song)
Old:
4) Kiss Me On The Bus - The Replacements
5) Picking Up After You - Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle
6) Someone's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight - Fleetwood Mac
7) The Village Green Preservation Society, Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains & Death Of A Clown - The Kinks
Really old:
8) Kidney Stew Blues - Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (screw you B. Early)
And then, lately, i've been chasing the squonk:
9) Any Major Dude Will Tell You - Steely Dan
10) Squonk - Genesis
-cpb 9/10 {link}

It's been a while & i've had a lot on my mind. Unfortunately, i've had little or no time (mostly no) to update. The word of the day for the past couple weeks has been STRESS. That, & Bill. No, not Fatty Spill, but Bill, as in Skillz To Pay The ____z. Here, in a nutshell, are a few of the things that i've been thinking/doing/saying, but haven't had the time to let you in on.

Like a moth to the flame... The Olympics reign me in.:
For some reason or another, i was into the Summer Olympics this year. Not that i really went out of my way to see or follow any particular sport or event, but whenever i had a free second, or was doing something that i could sit in front of the tube & do, i had them on. Not that coverage was hard to find, but i found myself transfixed until 3 or 4 in the morning a few nights. Track & field, swimming, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, shooting, rowing, team handball... what-the-hell-ever - i was sucked in. One night my wife came downstairs & asked me, "Why are you watching gymnastics?" I didn't really have an answer, but i couldn't tear myself away. Even though i didn't know any of the gymnasts, or care, for that matter. I guess once every four years i need to get my gymnastics fix. Hell, now i can tell you how many minutes apart Paul & Morgan Hamm were born, for shit's sake.

"Ah... home, crap home.":
The new house is coming together... slowly, but persistently. The boxes are all in, paint is on in some spots, some carpet is up, floors in the middle of sanding. Blah, blah, blah. I'm sick of talking about it, so i'll end this here.
"So i crashed into 'im!":
Last week, our trusty '96 Taurus got a rude awakening from some dolt trying to sneak a left hand turn in front of someone (namely, me) trying to go straight through an intersection. Damn you, man! Fortunately, i guess, i was ok (with the exception of a nasty bruise on my elbow), but the car wasn't so lucky. Total loss. But hey, shit happens. In the meantime, the wife & i have purchased a 2004 Honda Civic. Manual. Weeeeeeee!

Visitors cometh, we send them away... happy?:
With the new house come friends who want to check it out. And family. Peter B. & his soon (a year or so...) to be wife, Jennifer started it out last week with a weekend visit. Then, the man, the myth, the legend... Shan-O, back in "state" for a week or so, stopped in for a night & a couple days. And finally, the sister-in-law & brother-in-law-in-law dropped by over the holiday weekend to approve of the surroundings. It was hard having everyone in with all this crazy shit going on, but it was fun none-the-less. Staying in or going out, it's always good to have friends around, especially when you're ready to snap under the pressure. The only thing i regret is not getting to see &/or hang with Mr. Fresh. This, of course, was my fault... or circumstance... but we go on, accordingly. It will happen eventually, or not. But another time, it must be.

"Obsess much?":
I can't get enough of Bubb Rubb.

Politics make me sick sometimes, but not as much as the politicians.:
Of course, Election 2004 is in full swing. I have various opinions about this & that (more of that, actually), but i'm not going to get into any of it except this: various "Get out & vote" campaigns. The one that comes to mind immediately is MTV, but anywhere you look there seems to be an organization trying to get people to the polls, especially the younger crowds. It's good, in theory, but i think a better approach would be to urge people to do a little research & find some shit out & form their own opinions & then go out & vote. Now, i know wading through the shit that is out there isn't an easy thing, but i think telling people to just go out & vote is missing the point. Uneducated people voting isn't necesarily a good thing. I have further thoughts on this, but i left them upstairs & i'm down here listening to the new Franz Ferdinand album & don't feel like going to get them.
-cpb 9/7 {link}

So, i got to spin the Wheel of Fish today & i came up short. Silas Stingy & the Miser of the Fiord Helfeshness. Yes... i've been feeling a bit odd.
-cpb 8/22 {link}

Note to self: Never decide to tear up carpet & refinish hardwood floors... ever... again.
What the hell were we thinking? We must've been smoking marijuana cigarettes... but i doubt it. Selah. At least it's half way done. Plus, Cousin Kevin should be done with the bathroom on Thursday. Then, plan is to move in on Sunday. Who knows, we might even live in this house one day.

Anyway... enough about me. Well, maybe not, but something for you. A new edition of Random Thoughts, just for you.
-cpb 8/12 {link}

As i've been going on about, i've been fairly busy... but i had to mention the passing of the Superfreak this past weekend. I guess it's a good thing he died when he did, being that thanks to Dave Chappelle, people actually took note of his passing. I was going to make the obvious jab about the fact that a man who's done blow & smack for 20 years apparently dropped dead in his mid-50's of "natural causes", but i won't. I'm just wondering now who is going to produce Eddie Murphy's comeback album.
-cpb 8/10 {link}

"It was a pleasure to burn."

If i may steal a line from Mr. Bradbury, it seems fairly appropriate for the week that was, in many different ways. Is it the weekend already?
Anyway, the house is progressing, although, i have to admit, i'm already sick of painting. Especially cabinets. I think the wife is spent as well. Damn you, Trading Spaces! But it'll be worth it in the hiney. A pre/post-emptive "sorry" to all those who we've already ditched/will ditch in the past/next 2 weeks. It's just the price you have to pay to live this Glamour Profession.

In other news, ex-Everybody Loves Polio star J. Polio has changed the name of his blog. And in case you've never read his blog, i'd do it NOW! It's good. There's some interesting stuff there. Do it. Do it.
-cpb 8/7 {link}

Holy schmoley... what a weekend. I'll try to sum it up in my own roundabout way, like the Yes song, but we'll "git'r done," so to speak.
Starting Thursday at about 4:30 in the P.M., the wife & i were looking at a week off from our respective workplaces. The original plan, at some point, was to go down to North Kakalaka with the in-laws & sis & Ed, but that plan was tossed off because of this "house" thing that we bought. We agreed that this week would be, more or less, "get shit done on the house" time. That was, of course, before the wife's cousin, Kevin, was added to the mix. The week (or at least the weekend) then became "get shit done on the house whilst mixing in getting drunk & doing stupid shit" time. And this begat a four day orgy of paint, sandpaper, demolishing a bathtub, beer, booze, ripping up carpet, trips to Lowe's, bonfires, burning tires (on & off of cars), fireworks, bonfires, cabinet stripping... sex, drugs & rock & roll. I think that about covers it. It was intense, to say the least. And it sure as hell confirms the fact that i am AN OLD MAN. Selah, i guess.

There's actually been quite a bit on my mind of late & i'm having a hard time keeping it all straight. Between work & school & the new house; trying to find time to write & update this site; deciding whether we have the time &/or mullah to go camping or rafting or to N.C.; figuring out what to do about Shan-O's upcoming visit stateside & whether or not D-Nice & i can put aside this supposed blood feud going on between the two of us (that i think neither of us understand); plus trying to figure out when & how to move completely into the new house & why the hell Day-Z has been so irregular of late.
I have some shit cooking, but all we can do is hope i get to it before it gets burnt.
"It's a tightrope, Spud. It's a fucking tightrope."
-cpb 8/2 {link}

So, the wife & i are now home-owners. Weeeeee!
Although that last "Weeeeee!" was laced with a tad of sarcasm, it actually is pretty exciting. Being in the house when it's completely empty is a bit scary, however. We've now realized just how much work we're in for. But, we're up to the challenge.
The house/home bug has bitten all around me in the past year & a half or so. My parents & my in-laws. My sister & my sister-in-law (hello Chris & Ed). Keith & Jess, Pete & Jenny, Brad & Chrissy. All with new homes. Even B. Early now has a sex-bungalow set up for he & his harem just outside of Lexington. I guess we're growing up Timmy. Lassie will be proud.
-cpb 7/26 {link}

This is what work has been like for the past week & a half:

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"Oh, don't worry... it's just the fire alarm system malfunctioning."
-cpb 7/21 {link}

Just needed to get "on air", so to speak, with a birthday wish to my wife. So...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Honey!
She turned the big two-five on Sunday. And no, i didn't forget her birthday... i just haven't had the opportunity to sit down in front of this here band-box in a while. The wife & i have been keeping a pretty hectic pace the past couple weeks trying to finalize the purchase of our first house. We're not quite there yet, but hopefully by the end of the week we'll be the proud owners of a house in the fair city of Tecumseh, Michigan. Or, as our realtor says, Tee-cumsee.
We can only hope that everything goes smoothly..... heavy cloud but no rain... screw Danny Eberline hard in the ass & i'll gently say, "Good night, good night."
-cpb 7/20 {link}

Quote of the Day:
"If they were the Mario Brothers, then their names would be Luigi Mario & Mario Mario."
-failed horticulturist

Personally, i was always a Luigi guy. "I'mma Luigi, numbear won!" As opposed to Mario... or even Wario. "I'mma Wario, I'mma gonna ween." Maybe it's cos i like green... or a good change-up.
-cpb 7/11 {link}

I feel like a failed bohemian. A nose pick in the eye of a needle. Don't ask, don't tell, don't concern you anyhoo. My ears itch, as does the space behind them. I scratched my eyelid only to make my toes bleed. Blisters explode like cherries dropped from the 13th floor of the dormitories at the University of Cincinnati. I held the spot... where did everyone go? It's a mystery, but nothing you'll see on T.V. They've got that space filled already.
-cpb 7/9 {link}

So, apparently Bronson has a new website & i gotta hear about it through my site counter. Screw you Bronson! Just kidding. I don't even really know E.B. all that well. Pretty much just traded a few butt jokes here & there. Oh... & the time i slipped him my tube steak while he was passed out & then blamed it on the dog. I guess he never did figure out the dog was a female. I don't even know whose goddamn dog that was. Maybe he did know & just didn't care. Or maybe he thought that the strap-on belonged to the dog. That was my mom's, fool.
-cpb 7/8 {link}

Just a quick note... i forgot to give The United States of America a "happy birthday" yesterday. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY U.S. o' A. I forgot to get you a card, also, but i did get you this foam coozy that says, "SHIT HAPPENS" on it. 228 years old... almost legal. And god help Canada when that happens.

It was an interesting weekend for the wife & i. On the 3rd we were down in Greenville/Piqua, Ohio, for the wedding of one of the two coolest people ever, one Jeffrey Knitt. Good times were had by all, & Jeff & Kami looked great. Then, on the 4th, the wife & i bought $90 worth of explosives & took turns trying to blow each other's fingers off shooting flaming balls with report. And now today, the 5th, it seems as though half the country is on holiday. It seems odd to me that lots of people have the 5th off, especially for a holiday like Independence Day, which is usually referred to as The 4th of July. Anything for a day off, i guess. And god bless the continental 48... fuck Alaska & double-fuck Hawaii. And actually, screw the South, too. And out West. And New England. Actually, fuck everybody now that i think of it... & fuck you very kindly & have a nice day.
-cpb 7/5 {link}