the Weather Channel

Is it just me, or does anyone else watch the weather channel for the hec of it. Yeah, I'll turn it on to see my "Local On The 8's" but after that, I don't turn it off... I just keep watching. And the music they play during the "Local On The 8's" will be stuck in my head all day long. Sometimes thats not a bad thing. Smooth Jazz is so bad, but sometimes is so bad it's good!

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coming over the mighty Ohio River in Cincinnati, OH

Solitude and Silence

This is something I've tried over the past few years with very little success. I've read most of the classic on the disciplines and have found a lot of my growth having come from there practice. But for some reason, being silent just hasn’t produced any notable changes. I've tried all the different techniques noted in these great books but with little success. Then one Sunday night not too long ago, Daniel at Sojourn mentioned something in his sermon that sparked my interest in giving it another try. He referenced the Ultimate Fighting Championships that were very popular with my friends and I about 10 years ago. The UFCs televised cage matches, pitting opponents of different fighting styles together in an octagon with no limits. You fight until you can’t fight any longer, or you simply tap the floor and the ref will stop the fight. Daniel recalled two different approaches the majority of the fighters would take. One called for a lot of hype before the fight, with loud music, jumping and hitting of the chest and arms to get pumped up. Once in the fight, the fighter would stay true to the form he was taught and follow the rigid technique he was taught. What it boiled down to was nothing more than walking around in circles for a while with the other fighter until one made the first move or threw the first punch. The second approach called for a raw and, as Daniel pointed out, more effective approach. This fighter would enter the octagon focused with very little hype, face their opponent and once the bell rings, it was like saying “sick em” to a dog. They’d come out swinging, putting their opponent on the floor in some sort of submission hold or having them in a sort of defensive position. No technique involved, just get in there and go to work. This was the approach I was to take towards silence and solitude. Don’t wait around for something to happen, just go in there and do it. I was recently given a book with the title "Silence and Solitude" by Ruth Hailey Barton that has said basically the same thing, minus the fighting stuff. She also states that it's not the length of the period of silence, but the regularity and consistency of it. So, Mr/Ms/Mrs Reader, I encourage you to try this with me.

Smokey Bars, Good & Bad Music

Last night after Sojourn I headed to a show to benefit the completion of Aaron's film. It was foxhole (very good friends of mine), a band called "the October" (yeah, they the name says it all) and the Photographic. Foxhole has had drummer problems for a while now. Problems which I have fixed by playing with them on various occasions and they still haven't fixed them. They thought they found the right guy, but I found out last night that that was his last show with them... I don't understand. He played very timid like, as if he was afraid to hit the drums too hard. When he 'got into it' he'd do just fine, but he'd forget about it and then he'd quiet back down... I was disappointed. Not so much in the set but in the mix. I still love it... they are my home boys. After they finished up, "the October" graced us with their presence. One of the funniest sets I've watched. I've never had so much fun making fun of a band before. The venue said "local show" and their egos screamed "arena". I knew it was going funny when the guitar player stepped out from behind the mic to do his guitar solo, placing the body of the guitar between his legs and making funny faces with every note played. I told a friend that I wouldn't be surprised to see them on MTV2 with in the next year. I'd say they are the latest installment in the super reverb bands. Cure influenced rock, trying to be the next Interpol. They played the same song (not really) for what seemed like 2 hours. By the time they finished, everyone who stuck around through the 'just woke up hair' and "metro sexual' fashion of 'the October' had ears that were bleeding, sore jaws and a belly that hurt from smiling and laughing so hard. Last but not least the Photographic began to set up. When I saw the film projector I knew things would finally get creative again. Their opening riff took more creative thought than 'the Octobers' complete set... and I was impressed. I've talked with those guys quite a bit about play a show with of Asaph, and I've listened to their recorded stuff but never live. The set wasn't that tight and the film wasn't that interesting (basically slow motion footage of driving around Louisville), but the effort they put into it encouraged me that there are still some creative folks out there playing music because they love to.

Very Happy Birthdays

The railroad is a beast. I learned early on that there are few things that I'll try to miss work for. The hoops you have to jump through to get an unscheduled day off are ridiculous. It's because the nature of the job is slow weekdays and super busy weekends, so it's highly frowned upon by the folks in charge to miss work on the weekends. In fact, most of the time they won't even let you take a weekend day off unless you are sick (or tell them you are sick) and even then it's like pulling teeth. I work 2nd shift starting at 3pm and usually not back in the car on the way home until 10pm or later so making events on time, or at all, is a challenge. But for some reason when I called the railroad to tell them I'd like the day (Saturday) off, they said "ok... " and that was that. My great friend was throwing a celebration for his wife's 30th birthday and I knew that it was going to be very special and something I'd regret missing or evening being late to... and boy was I right. I arrived early to help park cars (which went from a good plan to a good plan and not good execution to a bad plan an still no execution to a total disaster to working out just fine in the end) and as I pulled in so did the jazz band. And it wasn't any jazz band either. It was the Dick Sisto Trio. Tyrone Wheeler on upright bass, Jason Tiemann on drums and the amazing Dick Sisto on the piano. I've listened to these guys for years and last night they were amazing. Hanging out with some of the most special people to me in the world and having the background music not only be live jazz, but the amazing live jazz of the Dick Sisto 3 is something I'll never forget. The house where the party was is a super awesome huge house and everyone came dressed super nice. The dinner was fantastic as well. The band played for about 2 hours, and as they left we went down the stairs into the basement for a time of admonishment of the birthday girl and some fun and games. We did that for quite a while and everyone seemed to be just having a great time. WHAT A NIGHT! I must not get out that much, because I was amazed. Well, I don't get out that much but still... it was a lovely night.

of Asaph show

Please keep this in mind.

Thursday February 3rd @ Uncle Pleasents in Louisville
to benefit the Aaron Marrs Memorial Fund
of Asaph (my heart and my band) w/ Your Highness (what was Christiansen), Squarewell, Consume Consumer

I'm not sure of the time just yet.

Did you ever think your long johns could make decisions for you?

Last night at work was cold. Really cold. Usually when it is that cold, the only thing on my mind is warming up next to the iMac. While at work, I was invited via cell phone to a round of bowling with some very new friends after I got off work. They planned on being there at 8pm and I knew I wouldn't leave work any earlier than 9-9:15pm. Being late for the game at a crowded bowling alley kind of made the iMac sound like the better idea for tonight. As I went back and forth with it in my head I remembered I had my long johns on and for some reason that did it. That was the deciding factor. Count me out. So as I drove the usual route planning on going home after work I found myself exiting sooner of the interstate than normal. I had an urge, a need for hot liquid. Hot tea to be exact. This is not a common practice for me by any means. Probably the first time ever after work. But, again, it was cold and I was outside most of the day so instead of the iMac warming me up it was going to be Sunergos. I ordered up a hot chai tea and started to talked with Brian the owner. We talked for a while. As I finished my drink we naturally ended our conversation. No sooner had that happened as the door opens and some folks start to pile into the store. I didn't pay much attention at first and then I noticed some faces and that it was the bowling crew! I guess I was supposed to be with those folks after all. The bowling alley was packed and they too felt the urge for hot liquid and came to Sunergos. We spent the evening talking and playing some cards and I it warmed me up even more that we ended up hanging out together. I really enjoyed their company... very much.

I just uploaded about a million photographs from the past three years to camerapocket.net - please take a look.

In the words of White Snake, "Here I go again..."

So, I used to do this. Back when I was in school I'd keep an online journal just for fun. Some friends of mine got into it so I thought why not . I didn't think anyone else would read it, so most of the time I'd be painfully honest. Then I get word from my dad that a long lost cousin in DC had been reading it for a while and passed it on to other cousins that lived around the country. Not that I minded it by any means, but for some reason after that I stopped.

But, for reasons I won't disclose... here I go again.