I've got a bunch of music on the computer. I really havent done much with it for a while, but lately I've been bitten by the bug again. I've been creating new playlists in Winamp, and letting them play for hours on shuffle.

Here's the most recent playlist. - just in case you've been wondering what I've been listening to.

I realized that I havent updated much of ANYTHING on here in a while. So, I'm deleting old links, adding new ones. One of my favorites recently is Brewbakers on Main Street right here in Middletown. They have the best damn sandwiches.....

Also, seeing as I havent been updating much, I'm doing some posts WAAAAY after the fact. Check back a few entries so you dont miss anything.

It really hit me today- Summer is here! And to think that next weekend is July 4th. I cant believe how fast this year is flying by. I've allready passed my one-year anniversary at Starbucks.

Thinking of time passing so freaking quickly.... My 20th High School is coming up this year. Man, is time flying. What am I doing with my life? Aside from bringing up a beautiful child, what have I accomplished?? Have I fufilled my purpose in life? Or am I destined to some greater purpose.

When I started this blog, I thought I was on the verge of some sort of major spiritual turnaround in my life. What happened to that? Where'd my muse go?? I need some sort of new inspiration to get me really crancked up again.

Oh, well....they say that inspiration to do things comes at weird times. I just felt the need to get on the computer and write in my blog.....at 12:20 am. I really should be sleeping....

Mike and I went to see Robert Fripp at Toad's Place last night. Fripp is the guitarist for the Prog-Rock band King Crimson, and an amazing one at that.... He also experiments with electronic music and treatments of sound. Back in the '70's, he was a pioneer in electronic music and effects, inventing what he called "Frippertronics." He also collaborated with many other musicians, as a performer and producer. One of those collaborations with Brian Eno, "No Pussyfooting" is still one of my favorites.

Back then, all the effects and layering of sounds he did by utilizing tape loops. Of course, the tape has been replaced my digital samplers and whatnot.. He's calling is current solo tour "G3: Soundscapes- Words and Music." So, I was expecting some of his layered playing techniques and Spoken Word--cause that's what Toad's billed it as.

Fripp did play his layered-guitar technique....it mainly sounded like a keyboard. It was new-agey sounding material, and it was ok. But Fripp didn't kick it up a notch past that, and I had really wanted to see him "rip it up." That was a bit disappointing. At one point during the performance, a voice from the back of the house shouted "Play something, Fripp!"

The highlight of the evening was the "spoken word" portion of the night, which was really a question and answer session with the audience. He had a few ground rules- mainly "don't ask about what equipment i'm using" and "I get to ask you a question." He really showed his humor (I had heard he was pretty aloof) and shared some stories from his years as a musician.

Ironic note to the evening. The last time that I was at Toad's, it was to see Fripp's bandmate in King Crimson, Tony Levin!!!

NPR's Talk of the Nation this afternoon aired an interview with Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth on the mix tape. Now the mix tape (now replaced by the "mix CD" or "podcast" or whatever...) is a subject close to home. I have made dozens of them over the years. The Talk of the Nation web page even had a link to "Tiny Mixtapes.com"...a site that has been a link here for, like, forever.....

Link to NPR's Talk of the Nation Interview

Link to TinyMixtapes.Com

Sorry for the sporadic posting, I've been working some crazy hours lately, and the last thing I've felt like doing is blogging, let alone checking my email.....

I was having lunch at the Taco Bell in the same plaza at the Manchester Starbucks store, and this guy pulls up in a minivan next to me. A few minutes later, he returns with a tatooed, long haired musician-type guy ("dude")* and pulls out a guitar case. As he opened it, I noticed that the body of the guitar looks like a V-Twin motorcyle engine. "Pick it up by the headers" he tells the "dude"!!!

After the "dude" left and the other guy was putting away the guitar case, I yelled over to him "sick guitar, man." He comes over to me and extends a business card "I make these over in Glastonbury" he says. The card he handed me had a picture of the guitar and a website, www.chopperguitar.net . He also went on to tell me that Jessee James of West Coast Choppers, and the Discovery Channel show Monster Garage had ordered guitar number 3 from him. Cool!!

I've been thinking about people that have been in my life in the past. And how sometimes, people are in your life for a specific time, for a specific reason. And then they're gone. I've gotten used to having to let go to them. After a while every trace of them seems to disappear.

I used to find it very difficult, but it seems to have become easier over time. Some have been harder than others (especially people I've dated) and still there are traces of them that occasionally remind me of them. It's like cleaning the attic, sometimes you have to go through all your stuff and throw out the old stuff....and move on to the new...

I'm happy with they way things are now. I don't need to keep going back to the past....

A while back, Mike emailed me alink to an all female Led Zeppelin tribute band called Lez Zeppelin. I went to the web site and found that they were playing the Hungry Tiger Cafe in Manchester. We decided to check em out. One Word: WOW. An absolute must-see!! Even if you don't like the mighty Zep, you gotta see them!! And to boot, I picked up a Lez Zeppelin T-Shirt as well...

We walked in during one of the opening acts, Mac-Talla Mo'r, a Celtic/fusion/jazz band. Another amazing band. They sound like a combination of traditional Celtic music mixed in with Jethro Tull with a danceable rythym section thrown in for good measure. It seems they play the area rather frequently, and I'll likely be checking them out again soon.

These are 2 bands that I'll be permalinking on this page for sure.....

OK, I know. I don't write here nearly as much as I used to. Who really wants to hear my incessant whining anyway? But seriously, nothing much new going on here. Work, eat sleep, Delilah..it just keeps going on and on....

Oh, my dear little Del turned 7 last month, can you believe it?? It seems that just yesterday, she was this little infant. Time flies, I guess!!!!!

Not much new to report here. The Northeast is finally seeing some weather that is actually ABOVE freezing. That's good. I'm sick of winter, let's get on with Spring already.....

One link for you today- NewsFly.Org- a great news/info launch site. Enjoy!

Yes, this is just a post to let you all know that I'm still alive over here. I've been really busy with work, the holidays, and to top it off, my computer got attacked by a virus and I had to reload EVERYTHING on it. Hopefully, I'll post more in the near future...

I picked up the Ray Charles CD "Genius Loves Company" at work today. Aside from selling coffee related stuff, Starbucks also picked up the Hear Music catalog and features selections for sale at their stores.

Ray's CD of duets was recoorded in the last year of his life, and features excellent collaborations with a variety of artists. I had heard selections in the stores and on WEHM, and so far my favorites were "Here We Go Again" with Norah Jones and "Crazy Love" with Van Morrison. After hearing the CD, I don't think there's a single song that I don't like on it. This CD comes highly recommended by me!!!

Finally...a quiet weekend to myself!!

I got some serious house work done though....the apartment needed it bad.
But more than that, I need some me time to rejuvenate. So, between errands and grocery shopping, I made a stop at Pier One (one of my favorite little spots). Picked up some candles for the apartment. The only downfall was that annoying Holiday music. I mean, damn, I'll be sick of this stuff BEFORE Thanksgiving this year....

I went over Beth's last night, and we happened to catch Austin City Limits on PBS. They had a great show, featuring The Polyphonic Spree (they're taking a while to grow on me, I still think they're WAY over the top) and Ozomatli (who we both loved.) I'd heard Ozomatli's (Who Discovered)America on WRNX before and loved their live version. They closed their portion of the progam with a Drum Circle Jam. Right up my alley!!!

I picked up a great CD when I was working in Albany yeaterday. "World Groove" on Putumayo World Music. Great tunes, and it came with a bonus CD, "Putumayo Groove Sampler" I love listening to new and different music from all over, so these 2 CD's are a great addition to my collection. If you like this kind of music, I definately suggest giving it a listen.

Is it me, or has everytone started with the Holiday decorations and music WAY early this year. Starbucks started with their Holiday blitz this week. If I hear "Sleigh Ride" one more time.......It's only Novenber 12, and I'm sick of it allready.

I finally had to get out the Winter jacket last night. Yikes. Leaving the house at 5:10 this morning it was 24 degrees. Every year, I start to dread mid to late November more and more. Welcome to the dark time of the year, folks.

If you're wondering where all the pictures on my blog went, don't worry, it's not you. The site that I use to host the pictures (and my RadioBlog) seems to be either slow to respond lately, or as of today- down!

Why don't we just drag this fucking Iraq thing on a little longer? Bush is such a weenie, he dosent have to guts to commit to any military action in Fallujah before the election. Instead of saying what he intends to do with Iraq, he builds up a smokescreen with the fucking Gay Marriage thing. Asshole.

Four More Years. Oh shit....
George W. Bush is not MY President....