OK, I was planning on writing my year end VENT but decided against it. Why? Just not in the mood. I've been too busy listening to the ghosts of the past.
Now before you start thinking that I'm a schizophrenic in dire need of his meds, allow me to clarify. I love music of all kinds. A friend put music in a different perspective to me last night. As a non musician, she perceives it thusly: Music is what makes all of us move. To the song writer, its what we create. To the musician, its what we learn. To the dancer, its what we listen to and then translate into physical movement. If we're depressed, music lifts us up. If we're feeling good, music takes us to an even higher ground. Music is all around us and it runs through us...at all times.
That said, I've been indulging my love of old 1920s-30s blues lately. Damn there's some great stuff out there. These are the ghosts of today's 'popular' music. Without these geniuses, caught somewhere, somehow on tape, would music really be what it is today?
I'm listening to long dead musicians. Men and women from a different place and time. No frills, just thrills. These weren't intensely schooled musicians...they didn't spent hours alone in a room practicing scales and modes. They learned to play what those around them shared with them. The music was passed on person to person. You weren't likely to turn on a radio and hear Robert Wilkins singing "I'll Go With Her" but if you were in the right place at the right time, you might hear the man himself singing it. If you were a musician, you listened intently and watched his fingers and caught his idea...and then you would recreate it yourself. Or if you were truly lucky, he would sit you down and teach you.
I'm pretty sure that these cats had no idea that what they were laying down would last so long. They were living in the moment. They were making their own music. Most of them got ripped off financially but they weren't in it for the big money. They were in it for the music. These musicians, if they made a living from it at all, made their money doing live performances. Juke joints, house parties, fish fries, dances, street corners...where ever they could. For the real musicians out there...not much has changed.
These cats were playing mostly cheap instruments...whatever they could afford. And yet, here I am, 80-90 years later, listening as intently as those early audiences did...maybe more so. To hear Blind Willie McTell playing on an old 12-string Stella, decades upon decades after his demise, there's a magical quality to it. I get to hear the ghosts of the past. If Blind Willie's ghost appeared right now in this very room, I would expect to hear exactly what I hear on this ancient old recordings. Luckily, there were a handful of people who knew how special this music was...and they found ways to record it.
Take for example, Blind Willie McTell's "last session". He was old, sick and drunk and playing for loose change on a street corner. A shop owner recognized him, gave him some money and brought him in to play for him. Thankfully, he had the foresight to record it...on whatever big old bulky recorder he had. He recorded not only the man's musical genius but he also recorded the conversation with him. More ghosts! We are treated to a long forgotten conversation between 2 men about the one thing they loved...music.
As this year ends and we head into the New Year, I'll be listening to the ghosts. We have a lot to learn from them. The man who refuses to learn from history is doomed to repeat it.
Happy New Year y'all!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tis The Season
I'm not very good at holidays...never have been. I always become extremely introspective and melancholy. However, I do tend to sweep that mess under my karmic carpet and at least make an attempt to make the holidays special for those I care about.
This year is no different. Sure, I'm still broke (thanks in no small part to the ongoing legal battle) but I've found that money doesn't necessarily buy the best gifts. (don't worry...if you're on my gift list, you're still getting a present! HAHA)
But the past few days, I've been giving thought to the things that are truly precious. Just the other night, my neighbor's house burned down. While there is no good time for that to happen, I think that the holidays has got to be the worst time for such a tragedy. My heart just goes out to them. Everyday as I pass the burnt out shell of a house, I think of all the times I saw this family in and around their home. Their noisy little yip yip dog would bark at me and everyone/everything else that passed the house. It was a houseful of life. Now it just sits there, staring at the world through blind eyes...the yellow tape around the perimeter keeping out the uninvited. I see the scorch marks on the brickwork. I see the shattered, boarded up windows. It's a darkness that eludes even the sunshine of winter.
Seeing this has made me question things in my own life. Have I failed in some aspects? Has my damnable pride kept me from realizing my own potential and my potential for helping others? Has my innate need to go my own way cost me a "normal" life? I think of that poor family that lost their home but still have each other and I have to ask myself, what do I really have?
While many of my questions are still without answers, I have reminded myself of this: I have much. I have many friends. I have people who love me, in spite of my being me, and most importantly, I have tomorrow.
Take a moment and look at your own life. Think of all of the things that you really do have. So many of us are truly blessed. Sure, we are all imperfect and live imperfect lives...but that is what differentiates the good times from the bad. Absolute bliss would be a bore.
To those I love and to those I will one day come to know and love, I wish you all a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Have A Good One Regardless! If you're reading this, you're alive. There's time to shorten your chain Ebenezer!
This year is no different. Sure, I'm still broke (thanks in no small part to the ongoing legal battle) but I've found that money doesn't necessarily buy the best gifts. (don't worry...if you're on my gift list, you're still getting a present! HAHA)
But the past few days, I've been giving thought to the things that are truly precious. Just the other night, my neighbor's house burned down. While there is no good time for that to happen, I think that the holidays has got to be the worst time for such a tragedy. My heart just goes out to them. Everyday as I pass the burnt out shell of a house, I think of all the times I saw this family in and around their home. Their noisy little yip yip dog would bark at me and everyone/everything else that passed the house. It was a houseful of life. Now it just sits there, staring at the world through blind eyes...the yellow tape around the perimeter keeping out the uninvited. I see the scorch marks on the brickwork. I see the shattered, boarded up windows. It's a darkness that eludes even the sunshine of winter.Seeing this has made me question things in my own life. Have I failed in some aspects? Has my damnable pride kept me from realizing my own potential and my potential for helping others? Has my innate need to go my own way cost me a "normal" life? I think of that poor family that lost their home but still have each other and I have to ask myself, what do I really have?
While many of my questions are still without answers, I have reminded myself of this: I have much. I have many friends. I have people who love me, in spite of my being me, and most importantly, I have tomorrow.
Take a moment and look at your own life. Think of all of the things that you really do have. So many of us are truly blessed. Sure, we are all imperfect and live imperfect lives...but that is what differentiates the good times from the bad. Absolute bliss would be a bore.
To those I love and to those I will one day come to know and love, I wish you all a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Have A Good One Regardless! If you're reading this, you're alive. There's time to shorten your chain Ebenezer!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thanksgivus
This is the 4th year in a row that I've posted this blog. I hope y'all enjoy it! A lot has changed in my life since the 1st time I posted it but all in all, life is good! Cheers!
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!!!!! 4th YEAR!!!!!!
Thanksgivus
Thanksgivus: that's what she called it. The 'she' in question would be a very short, loud, middle aged black woman with retardation who I supervised for years. Her name is Omega...fitting because she truly is THE END!
Omega didn't exactly have a speech problem but I think her hearing wasn't 100% on the mark, as certain words would get slurred together such as "Thanksgivus". Another fave was her version of Social Security, which often sounded more like "sociable secretary" (of which I've known a few).
Thanksgivus (which is what I now prefer to call the US holiday Thanksgiving) is the last Thursday of November (this is for my overseas friends who may not be fully knowledgeable of the subject). It is the holiday where we Americans give Thanks to God for giving us BIG tasty birds, punkin pie & cranberry sauce...all courtesy of a tribe that we soon took great pains to wipe out. In short, when those Pilgrims (essentially English religious nuts) 1st landed at Plymouth Rock, they didn't have a CLUE what they were doing or what they were in for!
After that 1st winter (what do you mean "No Central Heating"???), most of the Pilgrims had died off. A few hearty ones remained (probably by eating the others...but that story seems to have vanished in the annals of history) and it was looking bleak for them, as they didn't know SQUAT about farming North American soil. Luckily, the Indians (bite me, I will NOT be PC) took pity on them, showed them what to do and the Pilgrims survived. They did sooo well, in fact, they had a big feast and invited the Indians. When the Indians showed up, they realized that white folks are either really bad at planning feasts or are just stingy, so they sent some braves to go kill a half dozen or so deer....gotta make sure ya don't leave the table unless yer ready to burst....STILL an American Thanksgivus tradition. NOWHERE on the menu was green bean casserole....PLEASE make note of that! (the Americans reading this will get the humor)
Finally, sometime in the 19th century, after decades of confusion as to what this "New England" holiday was and when it was supposed to be observed, some mad woman wrote everyone in the colonies suggesting the last Thursday in November...just in time to mark the start of Xmas shopping season!
Now, contrary to what some of my English colleagues have been lead to believe, Thanksgivus is NOT the American Xmas. Trust me, NO ONE on this planet overdoes Xmas like the Americans! Here it is, the Sunday BEFORE Thanksgivus and I'm looking out my front door at my neighbor's Xmas lights! 1 month 5 days before we celebrate the Man's b-day (even though we have the date wrong)...1 month 5 days of looking at those damned lights! Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays as much if not more than most people...but I like things to be done for the right reasons...not just to be the 1st, best or brashest.
For the holidays, I wish you all peace, happiness and a full belly. May your homes be filled with laughter (and not just the canned version coming from your TV). May your pockets never be empty, maybe your fridge always be full (with at least 1 6pack of decent beer...in case I should stop by lol) and may your troubles be few & far between.
In fact, I don't just wish you these things for the holidays...I wish them for you all EVERYDAY.
I'm having a few friends over (as usual) this year for Thanksgivus. It might not be the fanciest dinner but I hope to guarantee all a good meal, a full belly and someplace to sit and digest and enjoy some good company after (and before...as long as they stay OUTTA MY WAY in the kitchen...Chris...take note).
We will revel in the death of a turkey. We shall take delight in the taters, which will be mashed. The rolls will hopefully not be slightly burned on the bottoms...but if they are, that's what butter, gravy & butter knives are for! The veggies will be plentiful and not overcooked. The pie will be chocolate cream...NOT PUNKIN! (my tradition...not yours, OK? ) And yes Virginia...there will most likely be cranberries of some sort...JUST NO DAMNED GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE...PLEASE!
NOTE: I'm actually going to visit my parents this year for the holiday
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!!!!! 4th YEAR!!!!!!
Thanksgivus
Thanksgivus: that's what she called it. The 'she' in question would be a very short, loud, middle aged black woman with retardation who I supervised for years. Her name is Omega...fitting because she truly is THE END!
Omega didn't exactly have a speech problem but I think her hearing wasn't 100% on the mark, as certain words would get slurred together such as "Thanksgivus". Another fave was her version of Social Security, which often sounded more like "sociable secretary" (of which I've known a few).
Thanksgivus (which is what I now prefer to call the US holiday Thanksgiving) is the last Thursday of November (this is for my overseas friends who may not be fully knowledgeable of the subject). It is the holiday where we Americans give Thanks to God for giving us BIG tasty birds, punkin pie & cranberry sauce...all courtesy of a tribe that we soon took great pains to wipe out. In short, when those Pilgrims (essentially English religious nuts) 1st landed at Plymouth Rock, they didn't have a CLUE what they were doing or what they were in for!
After that 1st winter (what do you mean "No Central Heating"???), most of the Pilgrims had died off. A few hearty ones remained (probably by eating the others...but that story seems to have vanished in the annals of history) and it was looking bleak for them, as they didn't know SQUAT about farming North American soil. Luckily, the Indians (bite me, I will NOT be PC) took pity on them, showed them what to do and the Pilgrims survived. They did sooo well, in fact, they had a big feast and invited the Indians. When the Indians showed up, they realized that white folks are either really bad at planning feasts or are just stingy, so they sent some braves to go kill a half dozen or so deer....gotta make sure ya don't leave the table unless yer ready to burst....STILL an American Thanksgivus tradition. NOWHERE on the menu was green bean casserole....PLEASE make note of that! (the Americans reading this will get the humor)
Finally, sometime in the 19th century, after decades of confusion as to what this "New England" holiday was and when it was supposed to be observed, some mad woman wrote everyone in the colonies suggesting the last Thursday in November...just in time to mark the start of Xmas shopping season!
Now, contrary to what some of my English colleagues have been lead to believe, Thanksgivus is NOT the American Xmas. Trust me, NO ONE on this planet overdoes Xmas like the Americans! Here it is, the Sunday BEFORE Thanksgivus and I'm looking out my front door at my neighbor's Xmas lights! 1 month 5 days before we celebrate the Man's b-day (even though we have the date wrong)...1 month 5 days of looking at those damned lights! Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays as much if not more than most people...but I like things to be done for the right reasons...not just to be the 1st, best or brashest.
For the holidays, I wish you all peace, happiness and a full belly. May your homes be filled with laughter (and not just the canned version coming from your TV). May your pockets never be empty, maybe your fridge always be full (with at least 1 6pack of decent beer...in case I should stop by lol) and may your troubles be few & far between.
In fact, I don't just wish you these things for the holidays...I wish them for you all EVERYDAY.
I'm having a few friends over (as usual) this year for Thanksgivus. It might not be the fanciest dinner but I hope to guarantee all a good meal, a full belly and someplace to sit and digest and enjoy some good company after (and before...as long as they stay OUTTA MY WAY in the kitchen...Chris...take note).
We will revel in the death of a turkey. We shall take delight in the taters, which will be mashed. The rolls will hopefully not be slightly burned on the bottoms...but if they are, that's what butter, gravy & butter knives are for! The veggies will be plentiful and not overcooked. The pie will be chocolate cream...NOT PUNKIN! (my tradition...not yours, OK? ) And yes Virginia...there will most likely be cranberries of some sort...JUST NO DAMNED GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE...PLEASE!
NOTE: I'm actually going to visit my parents this year for the holiday
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Last Few Days...
In the last few days, life has shown me some things about myself. I can honestly say that I like who Ive become. Being in my 40s is nowhere near as dreary as I thought it would be! It's definitely never boring!
Friday, I debated all day whether or not to go see SUN Records legend, Sonny Burgess and his band The Pacers. Normally you'd think that I'd jump at the chance to see one of the originators of the music I love...but I've seen Sonny a bunch of times over the past 14 years and I can honestly say, he was best the 1st time. I was also reticent to spend $15 to see him...but as my friends Wes & Mike's new band was also on the bill, and I'd come into some extra cash, I decided what the hell.
My friends' band ARR, were really good. Just good old fashioned rockin' hillbilly boogie kinda stuff. No showboating, just good music. Then Sonny and Co. came on and I knew life was about to get weird.
When Sonny put The Pacers back together in 2001 or so, I shared billing with them on a few festivals down south. I was not impressed. Down there, they did their 'casino' show...lots of "oldies" and only a few ventures into Sonny's own great repetoire. Alas, this gig was much the same...although thankfully they left out the Charlie Daniels covers. But to see a musician of Sonny's reknown opening with "Wooly Bully"...and then sleazing into one predicatable cover after another was just disappointing. Granted, Sonny & Co. are all in their 70s...so I wasn't expecting psychobilly or anything...but did we really need to hear his bass player warble his way through "Okie From Muskogee" (a personal fave song of mine BTW)? The guys looked like they'd rather be watching Matlock than putting on a R&R show (which they did in name only). Much to my chagrin, they opted to NOT play "Red Headed Woman" (if they did, I musta missed it!) or "Sadie's Back In Town". All in all, it was a good night though. I got to see a bunch of good friends, was entertained by at least the 1st band, and got to have a few frothy cold ones. I was even slightly embarrassed by my friend Lisa's repeatedly bragging up my voice to her friend as "the sexiest she's ever heard". I highly recommend she broaden her listening pleasures. LOL I most often think I sound like a hog caller who's gargled broken glass...but I digress...
Saturday...always a good day to sleep in. Which is exactly what I did. Made a few phone calls when I got up and started making plans to purchase a new gee-tar (but more about that later). The SO was heading outta town to visit the fam, so I had a night to myself. I'd already made plans to go see my friend Andrew's 2nd show after his return to the world of drag performing. (drag as in men dressed as women, not hot rods at high speeds) I view drag as performance art. Nothing more. Most of it is just AWFUL but every now and then, ya see a good show. Andrew does such a show. The lil redneck really should become a professional dancer! I don't know anyone, male-female-or otherwise undecided, who can move like he does...and in 4-5" platform heels to boot! The other performers on the bill, knowing full well there was no way to really compare to Andrew, opted for "grotesque" rather than talent. But they did it with humor and a certain amount of flair (which one would expect at a drag show LOL). With Thanksgiving upon us, food was the theme of the show. And food was everywhere. From the one queen throwing sugar every where to another dry humping a box of Stove Stop stuffing, to another pouring milk all over himself...it was a mess! LOL Cake and pie was added to the mix and I'm sure you can guess the outcome. Stage sludge EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!! It was like Rocky Horror meets Animal House! The queens did a finale where they had a food fight onstage and wound up slipping all over themselves and landing in a heap (unplanned). While odd, it was an entertaining show. And I'm glad that I'm secure enough in who I am to be able to go out and enjoy that kind of whackiness! Mind you, its not for everyone.
Sunday...up around 10:30 and looking out at a beautiful day. Low 60s and sunny. Who says we never have good weather in Pittsburgh?! The deal was made to go pick up my new guitar (Gibson-made Epiphone dobro...now dubbed the Dobrophone. Had to drive to Washington, PA to make the transaction. I was A-OK with that as I got the guy to drop $75 off of his asking price! WOOOOOOOOT!!!!!!! The drive to Washington was smooth sailing...nary a cop in sight! The sun was out, I had the windows down and I really enjoyed the ride. I don't know why, but I always catch myself doing 75+ mph on this particular stretch of I-79! Sunday was no exception. I made it there and back in under an hour. No sooner was I home with The Dobrophone than I planted myself out on the porch and played old country blues for an hour or so. As the sun was working it's way down, I moved my impromptu performance indoors and kept on playing until the phone rang.
My jubilant mood was depressed a bit by the phone call. A dear friend, and some would say "ex" of mine, was calling from the county jail. Long story short, she has some issues. Those issues are why we're just friends now. If you've ever received a collect call from the Allegheny county jail, you know that you get 30 seconds of talk time, followed by a prompt to set up an account so the inmate can call you. The prompt, however, didn't work and I was never able to set up the account. My friend had to keep getting back in line to call over and over again. She wanted me to call her mum and see if she could post bail. (NO, I will not go into detail about the alleged crime here...that's far too private) I tried repeatedly to ring her mum, but never got an answer. My friend kept calling and I could tell she was upset and worried (as one should be in jail). Finally, around 1:00am or so, my friend calls to see that she's out of jail and explained the situation to me. It was obvious that she was crying as she told me that she loves me and thanked me for all the help. I feel good knowing that I'm someone a friend can turn to when they need help.
Monday morning. 5 hours sleep is just not enough...so I beat the snooze button mercilessly for an hour. So much for my morning walk. Work was uneventful, thankfully, as after last night's mayhem, I wasn't in the mood to be there. After a blissfully short day, I'm driving home and I see this church sign which reads: "Even in the bleakest time, Christians have the brightest hope". Sounds very positive, right? Well I took it differently. I still, at age 43, don't understand the whole "our church/faith" is better than yours mentality. Just seems decidedly un-Christian.
OK...almost 2 miles from home, I pass a cemetery. I pass this daily. Hell, half of my family is buried there. But what got me this time is this: when the hell did BALLOONS become standard grave decorations????? I noticed a number of graves visible from the road adorned with festive, brightly colored mylar balloons! THAT'S JUST TACKY!!!!!!!! Do the people that do this think that their dearly departed is going to be pleased with this? Maturity seems to have become a thing of the past. But I've been saying that for years....
Made it home (no balloons there! LOL) and played The Dobrophone for a good 2 hours. Ahhhhhhh....life is good.
What? You expected there to a be a point to all of this? LOL
Friday, I debated all day whether or not to go see SUN Records legend, Sonny Burgess and his band The Pacers. Normally you'd think that I'd jump at the chance to see one of the originators of the music I love...but I've seen Sonny a bunch of times over the past 14 years and I can honestly say, he was best the 1st time. I was also reticent to spend $15 to see him...but as my friends Wes & Mike's new band was also on the bill, and I'd come into some extra cash, I decided what the hell.
My friends' band ARR, were really good. Just good old fashioned rockin' hillbilly boogie kinda stuff. No showboating, just good music. Then Sonny and Co. came on and I knew life was about to get weird.
When Sonny put The Pacers back together in 2001 or so, I shared billing with them on a few festivals down south. I was not impressed. Down there, they did their 'casino' show...lots of "oldies" and only a few ventures into Sonny's own great repetoire. Alas, this gig was much the same...although thankfully they left out the Charlie Daniels covers. But to see a musician of Sonny's reknown opening with "Wooly Bully"...and then sleazing into one predicatable cover after another was just disappointing. Granted, Sonny & Co. are all in their 70s...so I wasn't expecting psychobilly or anything...but did we really need to hear his bass player warble his way through "Okie From Muskogee" (a personal fave song of mine BTW)? The guys looked like they'd rather be watching Matlock than putting on a R&R show (which they did in name only). Much to my chagrin, they opted to NOT play "Red Headed Woman" (if they did, I musta missed it!) or "Sadie's Back In Town". All in all, it was a good night though. I got to see a bunch of good friends, was entertained by at least the 1st band, and got to have a few frothy cold ones. I was even slightly embarrassed by my friend Lisa's repeatedly bragging up my voice to her friend as "the sexiest she's ever heard". I highly recommend she broaden her listening pleasures. LOL I most often think I sound like a hog caller who's gargled broken glass...but I digress...
Saturday...always a good day to sleep in. Which is exactly what I did. Made a few phone calls when I got up and started making plans to purchase a new gee-tar (but more about that later). The SO was heading outta town to visit the fam, so I had a night to myself. I'd already made plans to go see my friend Andrew's 2nd show after his return to the world of drag performing. (drag as in men dressed as women, not hot rods at high speeds) I view drag as performance art. Nothing more. Most of it is just AWFUL but every now and then, ya see a good show. Andrew does such a show. The lil redneck really should become a professional dancer! I don't know anyone, male-female-or otherwise undecided, who can move like he does...and in 4-5" platform heels to boot! The other performers on the bill, knowing full well there was no way to really compare to Andrew, opted for "grotesque" rather than talent. But they did it with humor and a certain amount of flair (which one would expect at a drag show LOL). With Thanksgiving upon us, food was the theme of the show. And food was everywhere. From the one queen throwing sugar every where to another dry humping a box of Stove Stop stuffing, to another pouring milk all over himself...it was a mess! LOL Cake and pie was added to the mix and I'm sure you can guess the outcome. Stage sludge EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!! It was like Rocky Horror meets Animal House! The queens did a finale where they had a food fight onstage and wound up slipping all over themselves and landing in a heap (unplanned). While odd, it was an entertaining show. And I'm glad that I'm secure enough in who I am to be able to go out and enjoy that kind of whackiness! Mind you, its not for everyone.
Sunday...up around 10:30 and looking out at a beautiful day. Low 60s and sunny. Who says we never have good weather in Pittsburgh?! The deal was made to go pick up my new guitar (Gibson-made Epiphone dobro...now dubbed the Dobrophone. Had to drive to Washington, PA to make the transaction. I was A-OK with that as I got the guy to drop $75 off of his asking price! WOOOOOOOOT!!!!!!! The drive to Washington was smooth sailing...nary a cop in sight! The sun was out, I had the windows down and I really enjoyed the ride. I don't know why, but I always catch myself doing 75+ mph on this particular stretch of I-79! Sunday was no exception. I made it there and back in under an hour. No sooner was I home with The Dobrophone than I planted myself out on the porch and played old country blues for an hour or so. As the sun was working it's way down, I moved my impromptu performance indoors and kept on playing until the phone rang.
My jubilant mood was depressed a bit by the phone call. A dear friend, and some would say "ex" of mine, was calling from the county jail. Long story short, she has some issues. Those issues are why we're just friends now. If you've ever received a collect call from the Allegheny county jail, you know that you get 30 seconds of talk time, followed by a prompt to set up an account so the inmate can call you. The prompt, however, didn't work and I was never able to set up the account. My friend had to keep getting back in line to call over and over again. She wanted me to call her mum and see if she could post bail. (NO, I will not go into detail about the alleged crime here...that's far too private) I tried repeatedly to ring her mum, but never got an answer. My friend kept calling and I could tell she was upset and worried (as one should be in jail). Finally, around 1:00am or so, my friend calls to see that she's out of jail and explained the situation to me. It was obvious that she was crying as she told me that she loves me and thanked me for all the help. I feel good knowing that I'm someone a friend can turn to when they need help.
Monday morning. 5 hours sleep is just not enough...so I beat the snooze button mercilessly for an hour. So much for my morning walk. Work was uneventful, thankfully, as after last night's mayhem, I wasn't in the mood to be there. After a blissfully short day, I'm driving home and I see this church sign which reads: "Even in the bleakest time, Christians have the brightest hope". Sounds very positive, right? Well I took it differently. I still, at age 43, don't understand the whole "our church/faith" is better than yours mentality. Just seems decidedly un-Christian.
OK...almost 2 miles from home, I pass a cemetery. I pass this daily. Hell, half of my family is buried there. But what got me this time is this: when the hell did BALLOONS become standard grave decorations????? I noticed a number of graves visible from the road adorned with festive, brightly colored mylar balloons! THAT'S JUST TACKY!!!!!!!! Do the people that do this think that their dearly departed is going to be pleased with this? Maturity seems to have become a thing of the past. But I've been saying that for years....
Made it home (no balloons there! LOL) and played The Dobrophone for a good 2 hours. Ahhhhhhh....life is good.
What? You expected there to a be a point to all of this? LOL
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Welcome to the Dark Side
Welcome to my dark side. We all have one. You can lie to yourself and everyone you know and say that you don't but you do. I know I do.
My dark side is simple enough though. Those closest to me already know all about it. It may come as a surprise to everyone else though, that I have lived with/suffered with chronic depression pretty much my entire life. As it turns out, its a genetic trait passed down on my mother's side of the family. My mother quietly battled depression. Her twin sister did the same. Their mother eventually committed suicide due to hers. My first suicidal impulses started at age four. They've continued for 39 years. Sometimes they're frequent, sometimes not so frequent. The most important thing I learned about them is that they are impulses, nothing more. They're like a nagging itch in my brain. If I ignore it, it gets worse. I had to find my own way to "scratch that itch" though. I learned to talk myself through it. I remind myself that its an impulse...most likely caused by some chemical misfire in my brain. After a while it goes away again.
Strangely enough, that's not the worst part of my depression. The worst is what I call "the dark moods". When they come on, they can last anywhere from minutes to months. I've learned to live through them, again reminding myself that its probably a chemical misfire.
Allow me to clarify something: being depressed and feeling a little down is one thing. It happens to everybody. Having chronic depression is, and I fully admit this, a disease. Unfortunately, a disease with mostly useless treatments and no cure. There are days when it quite literally takes every bit of strength I have just to get out of bed. Factor in my chronic obstructive sleep apnea, and you get some idea of what waking up is like for me! It makes sleeping hell. Once I'm up and moving, I'm usually OK. I force myself to think positively and to use some cognitive therapy tools I've learned over the years. I force myself to face reality in ways that are a little scary. I have to be brutally honest with myself about my feelings about everyone and everything. Fun way to start the day eh? Luckily, this isn't an everyday occurrence. I usually only have to go through this during the "dark moods".
People, like myself, with depression can and do function. Maybe not to our fullest capacities but we do. We're able to laugh and joke as well. Our laughs might not be as hearty but they're there...and for me, those moments keep my life from being a living hell. (that, dear friends, is why I make jokes about everything...regardless of how inappropriate it may seem) We're able to carry on relationships too...but those often suffer from the side effects of depression. Denial plays a major part in this. The most important thing for a person with depression to do is to find someone they can communicate with. We (the depressed) often lie to ourselves, and worse, those in our lives, about our condition. We say things like "No, I'm okay" or "I'm just a little blue today" when often we're thinking "I just want it all to end".
Depression is a thief. It robs it's victims of the joys that most people take for granted. It sometimes robs us of the few joys we actually do have. My love of music is often the victim of my depression. There are periods when I've gone months without even touching a guitar because the joy has been (at least temporarily) taken away. Those moments hurt. Deeply. Depression also robs it's victims of intimacy. My heart breaks for my girlfriend (and the significant others of anyone with depression). There are times when I'm just too deep in depression to be able to accept her attempts to comfort me. It's like being in a hole with someone reaching down to you and you're just not able to reach their hand.
You may be asking "Why aren't you in therapy?" or "Why aren't you taking antidepressants?". The answers are simple. I spent enough time in therapy to learn the skills I need to cope. It doesn't cure the disease but if one is able to maintain the use of these skills, one can survive. Antidepressants scare the hell out of me. The side effects are often as bad if not worse than the disease. The last time I was on them, I developed tremors in my right arm, which my doctor informed me was my body getting ready to go into seizures. He had me stop taking them immediately. Sadly, those six weeks that I was on it was the best I have ever slept.
So why am I writing all this? Because I am and will continue to live my life, regardless of this disease. I care deeply about those in my life and I feel the need for them to understand. I feel for those like me who live with this. If just one person reads this who has never had someone to turn to and has wondered what's wrong with them reads this and comes away realizing that they're not alone, then I write this for them as well.
I'm also writing this because I woke up Monday in one of my darkest moods. No warning. The beast was just there. It was all I could do to beat the beast back down...but I did. Within a few hours I felt OK again. Not great but OK. And I can live with that. I now look forward to the day when I feel great again! I know its coming. If I've learned nothing else from a lifetime with depression; I've learned that sometimes we all have to wait. And the reward is good. REAL good!
Take care my friends! I'm not going anywhere. I'm not hurting myself. I have no plans to. Life, I realize, is far too special to permanently solve a temporary problem.
My dark side is simple enough though. Those closest to me already know all about it. It may come as a surprise to everyone else though, that I have lived with/suffered with chronic depression pretty much my entire life. As it turns out, its a genetic trait passed down on my mother's side of the family. My mother quietly battled depression. Her twin sister did the same. Their mother eventually committed suicide due to hers. My first suicidal impulses started at age four. They've continued for 39 years. Sometimes they're frequent, sometimes not so frequent. The most important thing I learned about them is that they are impulses, nothing more. They're like a nagging itch in my brain. If I ignore it, it gets worse. I had to find my own way to "scratch that itch" though. I learned to talk myself through it. I remind myself that its an impulse...most likely caused by some chemical misfire in my brain. After a while it goes away again.
Strangely enough, that's not the worst part of my depression. The worst is what I call "the dark moods". When they come on, they can last anywhere from minutes to months. I've learned to live through them, again reminding myself that its probably a chemical misfire.
Allow me to clarify something: being depressed and feeling a little down is one thing. It happens to everybody. Having chronic depression is, and I fully admit this, a disease. Unfortunately, a disease with mostly useless treatments and no cure. There are days when it quite literally takes every bit of strength I have just to get out of bed. Factor in my chronic obstructive sleep apnea, and you get some idea of what waking up is like for me! It makes sleeping hell. Once I'm up and moving, I'm usually OK. I force myself to think positively and to use some cognitive therapy tools I've learned over the years. I force myself to face reality in ways that are a little scary. I have to be brutally honest with myself about my feelings about everyone and everything. Fun way to start the day eh? Luckily, this isn't an everyday occurrence. I usually only have to go through this during the "dark moods".
People, like myself, with depression can and do function. Maybe not to our fullest capacities but we do. We're able to laugh and joke as well. Our laughs might not be as hearty but they're there...and for me, those moments keep my life from being a living hell. (that, dear friends, is why I make jokes about everything...regardless of how inappropriate it may seem) We're able to carry on relationships too...but those often suffer from the side effects of depression. Denial plays a major part in this. The most important thing for a person with depression to do is to find someone they can communicate with. We (the depressed) often lie to ourselves, and worse, those in our lives, about our condition. We say things like "No, I'm okay" or "I'm just a little blue today" when often we're thinking "I just want it all to end".
Depression is a thief. It robs it's victims of the joys that most people take for granted. It sometimes robs us of the few joys we actually do have. My love of music is often the victim of my depression. There are periods when I've gone months without even touching a guitar because the joy has been (at least temporarily) taken away. Those moments hurt. Deeply. Depression also robs it's victims of intimacy. My heart breaks for my girlfriend (and the significant others of anyone with depression). There are times when I'm just too deep in depression to be able to accept her attempts to comfort me. It's like being in a hole with someone reaching down to you and you're just not able to reach their hand.
You may be asking "Why aren't you in therapy?" or "Why aren't you taking antidepressants?". The answers are simple. I spent enough time in therapy to learn the skills I need to cope. It doesn't cure the disease but if one is able to maintain the use of these skills, one can survive. Antidepressants scare the hell out of me. The side effects are often as bad if not worse than the disease. The last time I was on them, I developed tremors in my right arm, which my doctor informed me was my body getting ready to go into seizures. He had me stop taking them immediately. Sadly, those six weeks that I was on it was the best I have ever slept.
So why am I writing all this? Because I am and will continue to live my life, regardless of this disease. I care deeply about those in my life and I feel the need for them to understand. I feel for those like me who live with this. If just one person reads this who has never had someone to turn to and has wondered what's wrong with them reads this and comes away realizing that they're not alone, then I write this for them as well.
I'm also writing this because I woke up Monday in one of my darkest moods. No warning. The beast was just there. It was all I could do to beat the beast back down...but I did. Within a few hours I felt OK again. Not great but OK. And I can live with that. I now look forward to the day when I feel great again! I know its coming. If I've learned nothing else from a lifetime with depression; I've learned that sometimes we all have to wait. And the reward is good. REAL good!
Take care my friends! I'm not going anywhere. I'm not hurting myself. I have no plans to. Life, I realize, is far too special to permanently solve a temporary problem.
Monday, November 2, 2009
My Charlie Brown Life
I can sympathize with Charlie Brown. He tries to be a good kid and do the right thing but life often, like Lucy Van Pelt, pulls the football away at the last second. So, Charlie Brown was just a good kid with odd luck and an unabiding love for his dog.
Went to court today in hopes of finally ending my nearly 2 year legal ordeal. For those of you unfamiliar, look back through these blogs and you'll be caught up. You know you've been in court too many times when you're on a 1st name basis with the clerks and bailiffs! LOL
After 2 and a half hours of sitting doing nothing, the court proceedings finally get under way. 2 cases ahead of me; a drug addict pleading guilty to forging scripts to get probabtion and a simple assault case being postponed...and then me. But then I see my lawyer talking with the prosecution...I've learned this never goes well for me.
My lawyer takes me out into the hallway to inform me that the case is being postponed. Again. Until February 2010! While I understand that this works in my favor, it nonetheless is a pain in the butt. I just want this mess OVER so I can get on with my life.
It seems that the madwoman who is making the accusations against me has become such a pest to the DA's office that the ADA who was handling the case now refuses to have anything more to do with it. Sooooooo...new ADA has been assigned and she's unfamiliar with the case.
Common sense would dictate that this case is moot. Its already been thrown out twice. It's on it's 3rd ADA. There's no evidence (basically because I didn't do anything wrong). I know this. My lawyer knows this. The judge knows this. But as its election time, the legal machine has to put on a good show. But at what cost?
This has taken one helluva toll on me but let's forget me for a minute. The tax payers are footing the bill for all of this. As I lost my 20 year career due to this mess, I have a public defender...paid for by the tax payers. I have been in court about 15 days over the past 2 years because of this. That's a lot of tax payer funded man hours. Factor in the time my attorney has spent collecting data and evidence and preparing for this mess and you have even more tax payer money being pissed away. All because a woman who is angry at the world because she chose to have her son's brain cut in half rather than learn to handle her son's seizures. He is now effectively seizure free but seriously developmentally delayed and very violent. That's why he was my client in the 1st place! Her feelings of guilt and angst as well as her own emotional instability have manifested into a rampage against yours truly. And the tax payers get to pay the bill.
Me? I've lost my career (which I absolutely loved). I'm broke and constantly looking for a decent paying job. At 43 years old, I'm just not used to living like this. Factor in my health problems (which have no doubt been exacerbated by all of this) and you can see the toll it's taken on me. Wah wah wah...I know.
This latest turn of events has also forced me to postpone an exam for a great career opportunity. Hopefully this won't ruin the chance for me. While not a litigious man, I'm starting to give serious thoughts to filing a lawsuit against this crazy person. Should it come to that, I'll seek nothing short of enough monetary damages to allow me to retire in comfort.
But like I said, I have odd luck. I received a call this evening for a new job. Nothing exciting or particularly well paying but interesting enough and with enough money/hours to keep me from starving or losing my mind. Who knew gourmet popcorn was such a big business? LOL
OK...just thought I'd keep y'all up to date on my neverending whackiness. I REALLY want/need a vacation...and soon! I'll be looking into whether or not I'm allowed to travel at least in the US, and if I am, some of you just may be seeing me sooner than you think!
Alrighty...I'm outtahere!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, October 26, 2009
I Wish I Was An Okie From Muskogee
I wish I was an Okie from Muskogee...you know, that place where even squares can have a ball.
It seems like too many people have lost the ability to just have FUN anymore. These days, it seems like folks can't have a good time without drinking, smoking pot, snorting something, popping a pill or belittling someone else (usually someone not present). What happened?
I thought that we, as a species, were evolving. Instead, it seems that we've stunted...and as 8th graders to boot! I remember when I was a kid, I couldn't wait to be 'grown up' so that I wouldn't have to deal with childishness anymore. Alas, it seems that the grown ups have all gone off and died and left the brats in charge.
Everywhere I look these days, I see rampant immaturity. No one wants to take responsibility for anything anymore. Guess what, part of taking responsibility means facing up to the mistakes we make. These days, it seems that most folks would rather sweep their follies under the proverbial carpet rather than admit a mistake. Worse yet is the immature attitudes people carry these days. I could point out case upon case to quantify this but what's the use? We all know it.
I remember when we waved Old Glory down at the courthouse and we even had Christmas decorations up. But nowadays, we might offend someone. What the hell????You may be asking "what's the point Metzger?" but the point is, all of us, whether it be politics, the media, entertainment or just your average working folk, we're all too busy acting childish to accept the responsibilites we have to face.
Yes, this country is in a mess and would you like to know who's to blame? We ALL are! For too long, we all sat idly by waiting for someone else to take responsibility. When the credit, housing and mortgage crises were starting, did any of us ask "What the heck's going on here?". No. We didn't. And if any of us did, we didn't ask loud enough.Now we're a country in crisis. The numbers we hear on the news are way off. It's a lot worse than we're led to believe. I know. I'm one of the numbers not being counted. Why not? Because I'm not a statistic. Yet.
So here's an idea: why don't we ALL take responsibility? Let's teach our children to do the same. Yes, we're in a mess...but WE can fix it! We can make this country, and this entire planet, a great place again! Let's get our priorities straight. Let's be responsible. Let's make those in authority accountable for the powers we grant them. If they can't be, then its up to us to take it back from them and give to someone who will be accountable.
Common sense is no longer common. Wisdom is becoming a myth. What say we fix the problem before it's too late.
I wish I was an Okie from Muskogee...but CNN, Fox News and the internet have probably ruined that place too....
It seems like too many people have lost the ability to just have FUN anymore. These days, it seems like folks can't have a good time without drinking, smoking pot, snorting something, popping a pill or belittling someone else (usually someone not present). What happened?
I thought that we, as a species, were evolving. Instead, it seems that we've stunted...and as 8th graders to boot! I remember when I was a kid, I couldn't wait to be 'grown up' so that I wouldn't have to deal with childishness anymore. Alas, it seems that the grown ups have all gone off and died and left the brats in charge.
Everywhere I look these days, I see rampant immaturity. No one wants to take responsibility for anything anymore. Guess what, part of taking responsibility means facing up to the mistakes we make. These days, it seems that most folks would rather sweep their follies under the proverbial carpet rather than admit a mistake. Worse yet is the immature attitudes people carry these days. I could point out case upon case to quantify this but what's the use? We all know it.
I remember when we waved Old Glory down at the courthouse and we even had Christmas decorations up. But nowadays, we might offend someone. What the hell????You may be asking "what's the point Metzger?" but the point is, all of us, whether it be politics, the media, entertainment or just your average working folk, we're all too busy acting childish to accept the responsibilites we have to face.
Yes, this country is in a mess and would you like to know who's to blame? We ALL are! For too long, we all sat idly by waiting for someone else to take responsibility. When the credit, housing and mortgage crises were starting, did any of us ask "What the heck's going on here?". No. We didn't. And if any of us did, we didn't ask loud enough.Now we're a country in crisis. The numbers we hear on the news are way off. It's a lot worse than we're led to believe. I know. I'm one of the numbers not being counted. Why not? Because I'm not a statistic. Yet.
So here's an idea: why don't we ALL take responsibility? Let's teach our children to do the same. Yes, we're in a mess...but WE can fix it! We can make this country, and this entire planet, a great place again! Let's get our priorities straight. Let's be responsible. Let's make those in authority accountable for the powers we grant them. If they can't be, then its up to us to take it back from them and give to someone who will be accountable.
Common sense is no longer common. Wisdom is becoming a myth. What say we fix the problem before it's too late.
I wish I was an Okie from Muskogee...but CNN, Fox News and the internet have probably ruined that place too....
Friday, October 9, 2009
Haunted Pittsburgh #2: A Ghost Close to Home
You could almost say I have a ghost in my own backyard! Well, not quite my back yard but at least close to home. You'd think that living close to a cemetary, I'd be telling of ghosts there but you'd be wrong! This is the story of Peter, a little boy ghost. I've heard this story for years! My family has lived in this area since the early 20th century. Up until recently, the oldest house in Allegheny county was our family homestead, but after the death of my great aunt Alberta, the house was sold.
My grandmother and great aunts used to tell me stories of prohibition and all the crazy times. I wish my great aunt Ann was alive so I could get more information on this alleged 'bordello'. (she lived right up the street...but WAS NOT a working girl! LOL)Anyhoo, on with the story...
BLAHA FLOWER SHOP (Etna, Allegheny County) Shop owner David Kornely relocated his flower and gift shop to Bridge Street in Etna in 1991. He had heard the building was haunted but had no second thoughts about the making the move. He even kept the shop's former name, Michael Blaha Flowers. Then he got to meet Peter. The tale goes that the the building was a bordello in the roaring 20's and that Peter was the illegitimate son of one of the working ladies. He was playing with fireworks in the attic when a fire started, losing his life at the tender age of 8. He's still playing in the building. When the landlord was remodeling the shop, lights flickered and tools were unplugged. Once the shop was up and running, stuffed animals disappeared only to show up months later. He enjoys fiddling with electronics, deprogramming the cash register and scrambling the answering machine. The shop is often found in complete disarray when it's opened and one girl that worked there claimed her hair was pulled by Peter. Psychics say Peter likes the owner, thank God, and is just being playful. He disappeared for a couple of years, when a furnace was removed - spirits attach themselves to metal objects, according to the psychics – but he returned. Peter's current status is uncertain. The shop's been closed and boarded up for years. There's a chapter on Peter and Blaha's shop in Ghost Stories of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County by Beth Trapani & Charles Adams III. (Pittsburgh Tribune Review “Steel City Haunts Require Nerves of Steel,” October 31, 1998)
Peter: An update (Oct. 8, 2009)
After work today, I stopped by the flower shop (Always In Bloom), where Peter the ghost resides. Technically, he resides in the back building, where he died on the 3rd floor, which at the time was supposed to be the attic.
Susan, who now runs the flower shop, is a pleasant, attractive and decidedly NOT crazy person. She just happens to have the ghost of an 8 year old boy on her hands. She was more than happy to discuss Peter but stressed that she doesn't go out of her way to use him for publicity.
It seems that the previous owners, 2 sisters, did...and not to Peter's liking. They tried seances, etc. which seemed to 'upset Peter'. Susan's 1st encounter with the boy ghost was when some scribbling in crayon appeared on her desk. Her partner, Kevin, assured her that he had nothing to do with it.
In the years that Susan has run the flower shop, she's had little more than mischievous pranks from Peter. Last Christmas, a voice/touch activated decoration would start playing "Jingle Bells" for no reason. Neither Susan, her partner, employees or dogs were anywhere near it. Susan chalked it up to Peter and told me so with a pleasant chuckle.
Peter has a fascination with plush toys. In the basement of the building is an old crib filled with plush toys. At the bottom of the heap was a plush gingerbread man. To activate it, one needs to squeeze the foot, and as it's an older toy, one needs to squeeze with some effort. For nearly a week, the toy kept being activated, presumably by Peter. Mind you, it was at the bottom of the pile.
There was a family living on the 3rd floor of the back building and they had small children and pets, which Peter seemed to enjoy. Susan had nothing but positive remarks to make about the family's encounters with Peter.
Peter is, however, still quite the prankster. When Susan's partner Kevin was doing some renovations on the building, tools would go missing and extension cords would unplug themselves with some frequency.
Only one person known to Susan has had a physical encounter with Peter. A few years back, they had the steps to the basement rebuilt and the workman, a friend of Kevin's, met the boy ghost face to face. The workman, a large burly man by Susan's description, was so unnerved that to this day, he refuses to return to the building. He and Kevin are still friends...but the man still refuses.
In discussing Peter with Susan, I must say that she had nothing but positive things to say about Peter and she feels that he doesn't give her any trouble because she speaks positively of him. There are currently two brothers living on the 3rd floor of the back building and they seem to get on well with Peter and Peter seems to enjoy them. Peter, like any 8 year old boy, seems to prefer the company of children, older guys and family pets. Susan keeps her two rather large dogs in the flower shop with her when she's there and the dogs seemed rather non-plussed by Peter. They were far more interested in sniffing me...perhaps to make sure that I'm flesh & blood and not ectoplasm.
An interesting side note would be that the flower shop still has it's original hardwood floors. The building was built in the late 19th century and has been at various times a hotel, restaurant, bordello, florist shop, etc. It has also survived a the fire which killed Peter, a major flood....and a ghost. Now that's craftsmanship!
Believe it or not....more to come!
My grandmother and great aunts used to tell me stories of prohibition and all the crazy times. I wish my great aunt Ann was alive so I could get more information on this alleged 'bordello'. (she lived right up the street...but WAS NOT a working girl! LOL)Anyhoo, on with the story...
BLAHA FLOWER SHOP (Etna, Allegheny County) Shop owner David Kornely relocated his flower and gift shop to Bridge Street in Etna in 1991. He had heard the building was haunted but had no second thoughts about the making the move. He even kept the shop's former name, Michael Blaha Flowers. Then he got to meet Peter. The tale goes that the the building was a bordello in the roaring 20's and that Peter was the illegitimate son of one of the working ladies. He was playing with fireworks in the attic when a fire started, losing his life at the tender age of 8. He's still playing in the building. When the landlord was remodeling the shop, lights flickered and tools were unplugged. Once the shop was up and running, stuffed animals disappeared only to show up months later. He enjoys fiddling with electronics, deprogramming the cash register and scrambling the answering machine. The shop is often found in complete disarray when it's opened and one girl that worked there claimed her hair was pulled by Peter. Psychics say Peter likes the owner, thank God, and is just being playful. He disappeared for a couple of years, when a furnace was removed - spirits attach themselves to metal objects, according to the psychics – but he returned. Peter's current status is uncertain. The shop's been closed and boarded up for years. There's a chapter on Peter and Blaha's shop in Ghost Stories of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County by Beth Trapani & Charles Adams III. (Pittsburgh Tribune Review “Steel City Haunts Require Nerves of Steel,” October 31, 1998)
Peter: An update (Oct. 8, 2009)
After work today, I stopped by the flower shop (Always In Bloom), where Peter the ghost resides. Technically, he resides in the back building, where he died on the 3rd floor, which at the time was supposed to be the attic.
Susan, who now runs the flower shop, is a pleasant, attractive and decidedly NOT crazy person. She just happens to have the ghost of an 8 year old boy on her hands. She was more than happy to discuss Peter but stressed that she doesn't go out of her way to use him for publicity.
It seems that the previous owners, 2 sisters, did...and not to Peter's liking. They tried seances, etc. which seemed to 'upset Peter'. Susan's 1st encounter with the boy ghost was when some scribbling in crayon appeared on her desk. Her partner, Kevin, assured her that he had nothing to do with it.
In the years that Susan has run the flower shop, she's had little more than mischievous pranks from Peter. Last Christmas, a voice/touch activated decoration would start playing "Jingle Bells" for no reason. Neither Susan, her partner, employees or dogs were anywhere near it. Susan chalked it up to Peter and told me so with a pleasant chuckle.
Peter has a fascination with plush toys. In the basement of the building is an old crib filled with plush toys. At the bottom of the heap was a plush gingerbread man. To activate it, one needs to squeeze the foot, and as it's an older toy, one needs to squeeze with some effort. For nearly a week, the toy kept being activated, presumably by Peter. Mind you, it was at the bottom of the pile.
There was a family living on the 3rd floor of the back building and they had small children and pets, which Peter seemed to enjoy. Susan had nothing but positive remarks to make about the family's encounters with Peter.
Peter is, however, still quite the prankster. When Susan's partner Kevin was doing some renovations on the building, tools would go missing and extension cords would unplug themselves with some frequency.
Only one person known to Susan has had a physical encounter with Peter. A few years back, they had the steps to the basement rebuilt and the workman, a friend of Kevin's, met the boy ghost face to face. The workman, a large burly man by Susan's description, was so unnerved that to this day, he refuses to return to the building. He and Kevin are still friends...but the man still refuses.
In discussing Peter with Susan, I must say that she had nothing but positive things to say about Peter and she feels that he doesn't give her any trouble because she speaks positively of him. There are currently two brothers living on the 3rd floor of the back building and they seem to get on well with Peter and Peter seems to enjoy them. Peter, like any 8 year old boy, seems to prefer the company of children, older guys and family pets. Susan keeps her two rather large dogs in the flower shop with her when she's there and the dogs seemed rather non-plussed by Peter. They were far more interested in sniffing me...perhaps to make sure that I'm flesh & blood and not ectoplasm.
An interesting side note would be that the flower shop still has it's original hardwood floors. The building was built in the late 19th century and has been at various times a hotel, restaurant, bordello, florist shop, etc. It has also survived a the fire which killed Peter, a major flood....and a ghost. Now that's craftsmanship!
Believe it or not....more to come!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Haunted Pittsburgh #1
Grrrrrrrrreetings and welcome to my 1st Halloween-inspired blog!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHA
OK, everyone loves ghost stories and such...well, at least most of the people I know do! I know I love them...and as I'm also a bit of a history geek, I thought I'd mix the two! So here goes nothing! A bit of 'haunted local history'. If you know of some scary local history, please fill me in! It doesn't have to be Pittsburgh, it can be from anywhere!
NOTE: I didn't write the following. I took it from a web site. As a bit of a Halloween prank, I'll let YOU figure out which one! MWAHAHAHAHAHA Enjoy.......
The Original Most Haunted House in AmericaCongelier Mansion, 1129 Ridge Avenue
Formerly known as the Most Haunted House in America, the home of carpetbagger Charles Wright Congelier, his Mexican wife Lyda, and a young servant girl, Essie, was located at 1129 Ridge Avenue, in the Manchester, North Side, neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The story of its life as a haunted house* begins in the winter of 1871, with Lyda's discovery of Charles having an affair with the maid. Lyda was so enraged, that she fatally stabbed Charles and chopped off Essie's head. For the next 20 years the house remained vacant. It was remodeled to accommodate railroad workers in 1892, but they soon moved out, claiming to hear the sobbing and screaming of a woman. The Most Haunted House in America once again stood vacant
Around 1900, Dr. Adolph C. Brunrichter bought the home. "Keeping to himself, the doctor was rarely seen by his neighbors. Then on August 12, 1901, the family next door heard a terrifying scream from the Brunrichter residence," wrote Richard Winer and Nancy Osborn in their book, Haunted Houses. "When they ran outside to investigate, the neighbors saw a red explosion-like flash shooting through the house. The earth under them trembled, and the sidewalls cracked. Every window in the doctor's home was shattered."
When officials entered the house to investigate, they found a decomposed female body strapped to the bed and five headless young women in basement graves. "Dr. Brunrichter had been experimenting with severed heads," wrote Winer and Osborn. "Apparently he had been able to keep some alive for short periods after decapitation." Dr. Brunrichter, meanwhile, had disappeared, and the house once again stood vacant.
As a result of its reputation for being haunted, the house stood empty for several years before undergoing its second remodeling to ready it for housing emigrant Equitable Gas Company workers. These workers experienced many strange occurrences but wrote them off as pranks by the American workers they had replaced (for lower wages). One night things took a tragic turn, however, and two of the workers were found dead in the basement. One had a board driven like a stake through his chest, and the other was hanging from a rafter. These men had both been seen alive just minutes earlier.
In 1920, the famous scientist and inventor, Thomas Edison, came to study the house. Edison spoke of a machine that he was building to allow communication with the dead. Edison died before the mechanism was perfected. Winer and Osborn wrote that Thomas Edison's visit to the house at 1129 Ridge Avenue apparently influenced his strong belief in the afterlife.
In September of 1927, a drunk was arrested who claimed to be Dr. Adolph Brunrichter. He told police gruesome stories of sex orgies, demonic possession, torture and murder that had occurred in the house. The authorities could not determine if the man they had in custody was indeed Dr. Brunrichter. The man was released after a month and was never seen again.
Days were numbered for the haunted house which everyone was convinced was evil. Nearby, on the site that is now the Carnegie Science Center, stood the largest natural gas storage facility in the world. On the morning of November 15, 1927, the giant gas storage tank owned by the Equitable Gas Company exploded with an awesome force which was felt across the county. The Story of Old Allegheny City, compiled by workers of the Writers' Program of the Works Projects Administration, describes the destruction. "As houses collapsed and chimneys toppled, brick, broken glass, twisted pieces of steel and other debris rained on the heads of the dazed and shaken residents who had rushed into the streets from their wrecked homes, believing that an earthquake had visited the city." The force was so strong it reportedly blew out windows throughout downtown, Mt. Washington, and as far away as East Liberty. Dozens of manufacturing plants and hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed within a 20-mile radius.
The Most Haunted House in America, which once stood at the present day site of the Route 65/I279 interchange, was obliterated in the explosion. According to Winer and Osborn, it was the only structure destroyed in the blast for which no trace was ever found.
* The above ghost story is just that - most likely a story. Born partially of truth, but the vast majority appears to be fictional in nature. Perhaps the house really was evil, however. While the house was damaged, not completely obliterated, in that Equitable Gas explosion, Marie Congelier, age 28, died that day according to newspaper reports. She was hit by flying glass and bled to death on the way to the hospital. Even if the rest of the Original Most Haunted House in America tale isn't true, I wouldn't blame her for haunting the area!
more to come..... MM
OK, everyone loves ghost stories and such...well, at least most of the people I know do! I know I love them...and as I'm also a bit of a history geek, I thought I'd mix the two! So here goes nothing! A bit of 'haunted local history'. If you know of some scary local history, please fill me in! It doesn't have to be Pittsburgh, it can be from anywhere!
NOTE: I didn't write the following. I took it from a web site. As a bit of a Halloween prank, I'll let YOU figure out which one! MWAHAHAHAHAHA Enjoy.......
The Original Most Haunted House in AmericaCongelier Mansion, 1129 Ridge Avenue
Formerly known as the Most Haunted House in America, the home of carpetbagger Charles Wright Congelier, his Mexican wife Lyda, and a young servant girl, Essie, was located at 1129 Ridge Avenue, in the Manchester, North Side, neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The story of its life as a haunted house* begins in the winter of 1871, with Lyda's discovery of Charles having an affair with the maid. Lyda was so enraged, that she fatally stabbed Charles and chopped off Essie's head. For the next 20 years the house remained vacant. It was remodeled to accommodate railroad workers in 1892, but they soon moved out, claiming to hear the sobbing and screaming of a woman. The Most Haunted House in America once again stood vacantAround 1900, Dr. Adolph C. Brunrichter bought the home. "Keeping to himself, the doctor was rarely seen by his neighbors. Then on August 12, 1901, the family next door heard a terrifying scream from the Brunrichter residence," wrote Richard Winer and Nancy Osborn in their book, Haunted Houses. "When they ran outside to investigate, the neighbors saw a red explosion-like flash shooting through the house. The earth under them trembled, and the sidewalls cracked. Every window in the doctor's home was shattered."
When officials entered the house to investigate, they found a decomposed female body strapped to the bed and five headless young women in basement graves. "Dr. Brunrichter had been experimenting with severed heads," wrote Winer and Osborn. "Apparently he had been able to keep some alive for short periods after decapitation." Dr. Brunrichter, meanwhile, had disappeared, and the house once again stood vacant.
As a result of its reputation for being haunted, the house stood empty for several years before undergoing its second remodeling to ready it for housing emigrant Equitable Gas Company workers. These workers experienced many strange occurrences but wrote them off as pranks by the American workers they had replaced (for lower wages). One night things took a tragic turn, however, and two of the workers were found dead in the basement. One had a board driven like a stake through his chest, and the other was hanging from a rafter. These men had both been seen alive just minutes earlier.
In 1920, the famous scientist and inventor, Thomas Edison, came to study the house. Edison spoke of a machine that he was building to allow communication with the dead. Edison died before the mechanism was perfected. Winer and Osborn wrote that Thomas Edison's visit to the house at 1129 Ridge Avenue apparently influenced his strong belief in the afterlife.
In September of 1927, a drunk was arrested who claimed to be Dr. Adolph Brunrichter. He told police gruesome stories of sex orgies, demonic possession, torture and murder that had occurred in the house. The authorities could not determine if the man they had in custody was indeed Dr. Brunrichter. The man was released after a month and was never seen again.
Days were numbered for the haunted house which everyone was convinced was evil. Nearby, on the site that is now the Carnegie Science Center, stood the largest natural gas storage facility in the world. On the morning of November 15, 1927, the giant gas storage tank owned by the Equitable Gas Company exploded with an awesome force which was felt across the county. The Story of Old Allegheny City, compiled by workers of the Writers' Program of the Works Projects Administration, describes the destruction. "As houses collapsed and chimneys toppled, brick, broken glass, twisted pieces of steel and other debris rained on the heads of the dazed and shaken residents who had rushed into the streets from their wrecked homes, believing that an earthquake had visited the city." The force was so strong it reportedly blew out windows throughout downtown, Mt. Washington, and as far away as East Liberty. Dozens of manufacturing plants and hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed within a 20-mile radius.
The Most Haunted House in America, which once stood at the present day site of the Route 65/I279 interchange, was obliterated in the explosion. According to Winer and Osborn, it was the only structure destroyed in the blast for which no trace was ever found.
* The above ghost story is just that - most likely a story. Born partially of truth, but the vast majority appears to be fictional in nature. Perhaps the house really was evil, however. While the house was damaged, not completely obliterated, in that Equitable Gas explosion, Marie Congelier, age 28, died that day according to newspaper reports. She was hit by flying glass and bled to death on the way to the hospital. Even if the rest of the Original Most Haunted House in America tale isn't true, I wouldn't blame her for haunting the area!
more to come..... MM
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Creative Process
I've long said that I liken creativity to psychosis...and if you really think about it, it's probably not far from the truth. The creative mind sees/hears/smells/tastes things that don't exist until we create them.
As a musician, writer and photographer, I view the world with my own weird set of senses. I hear music that no one else can hear. I see images that while visible to others, are probably not perceived the way I perceive them. I have stories running through my head at all times. It can be quite a frightening mess at times! LOL But every now and then, I can get these ideas OUT of my head and transform them into something that others can (hopefully) enjoy or at least recognize.
I, for years, played in rockabilly bands almost exclusivley. During the past few years, along with some serious personal issues, I found this to be severely stifling. My photography suffered from it as did my writing and composing. I found myself becoming a caricature of myself. I did NOT enjoy this one bit! So I did the only thing I could: I backed away from all of it. I bought a new guitar and started playing different styles for my own amusement. I fought the urges to incorporate this "into the act". I turned down more shows and tours than most cats my age ever get offered. I continued to suffer through my own personal issues without my outlet for my creativity. But I perservered and dug deeper into myself and within the past year, I've been getting the old magic back. The creative process, as in decades past, was back with a vengeance!
I produced a CD for an old friend and got to approach music from all sides. I got to takes the songs and rebuild them my way. It was a truly interesting and fun process. I'd listen to the basic tracks over and over...listening for the smallest weeds of sonic ideas to grow. My girlfriend was most likely sick to death of hearing these songs, but as she's a very supportive type, she perservered...and kept to headphones close by so she could escape my noise! LOL
Around this time, I'd been writing freelance. I took whatever writing gig I could get...and let me tell you, there's some real crap writing gigs out there! But something unique happened...I took whatever assignment I was given and let the creative process take it over. I figured that I could take even the most dry assignment (writing copy for a tech school was one of the gigs I had) and make it at least SEEM interesting. I played with words. I made the mundane seem magical. I eventually lost the gig because I got a bit too wordy. LOL They wanted Jack Webb ('just the facts ma'am') not Jack Kerouac! LOL But it brought it all back to a head. I could still write!
Then I started digging deep into my musical library...I went for the most stripped down old blues records I could find. I didn't want 'bands', I wanted cats who let their souls ooze out of their pores and onto the microphone! I started delving into old Mississippi country blues and found what I was looking for. These guys didn't necessarily follow the standard blues patterns. No, they went for something more natural...more primitive, something that flowed in their blood. A lot of the music just droned on and around one chord. But it has a beauty that floored me! I started to experiment with this style...could I really find the magic trapped inside a single chord? Needless to say, I think I have. I'm not comparing myself to these legends by any stretch of the imagination...but their influence has unleashed the creative process again!!!!! AND I'm having FUN again!
I'm doing something that I haven't done in ages...I'm making plans! I'm multitasking! I'm all over the place! God...please don't just let this be a manic episode to be followed by a big crash! That's the downside of the creative process. Sometimes...there's a crash....
To be continued.....
As a musician, writer and photographer, I view the world with my own weird set of senses. I hear music that no one else can hear. I see images that while visible to others, are probably not perceived the way I perceive them. I have stories running through my head at all times. It can be quite a frightening mess at times! LOL But every now and then, I can get these ideas OUT of my head and transform them into something that others can (hopefully) enjoy or at least recognize.
I, for years, played in rockabilly bands almost exclusivley. During the past few years, along with some serious personal issues, I found this to be severely stifling. My photography suffered from it as did my writing and composing. I found myself becoming a caricature of myself. I did NOT enjoy this one bit! So I did the only thing I could: I backed away from all of it. I bought a new guitar and started playing different styles for my own amusement. I fought the urges to incorporate this "into the act". I turned down more shows and tours than most cats my age ever get offered. I continued to suffer through my own personal issues without my outlet for my creativity. But I perservered and dug deeper into myself and within the past year, I've been getting the old magic back. The creative process, as in decades past, was back with a vengeance!
I produced a CD for an old friend and got to approach music from all sides. I got to takes the songs and rebuild them my way. It was a truly interesting and fun process. I'd listen to the basic tracks over and over...listening for the smallest weeds of sonic ideas to grow. My girlfriend was most likely sick to death of hearing these songs, but as she's a very supportive type, she perservered...and kept to headphones close by so she could escape my noise! LOL
Around this time, I'd been writing freelance. I took whatever writing gig I could get...and let me tell you, there's some real crap writing gigs out there! But something unique happened...I took whatever assignment I was given and let the creative process take it over. I figured that I could take even the most dry assignment (writing copy for a tech school was one of the gigs I had) and make it at least SEEM interesting. I played with words. I made the mundane seem magical. I eventually lost the gig because I got a bit too wordy. LOL They wanted Jack Webb ('just the facts ma'am') not Jack Kerouac! LOL But it brought it all back to a head. I could still write!
Then I started digging deep into my musical library...I went for the most stripped down old blues records I could find. I didn't want 'bands', I wanted cats who let their souls ooze out of their pores and onto the microphone! I started delving into old Mississippi country blues and found what I was looking for. These guys didn't necessarily follow the standard blues patterns. No, they went for something more natural...more primitive, something that flowed in their blood. A lot of the music just droned on and around one chord. But it has a beauty that floored me! I started to experiment with this style...could I really find the magic trapped inside a single chord? Needless to say, I think I have. I'm not comparing myself to these legends by any stretch of the imagination...but their influence has unleashed the creative process again!!!!! AND I'm having FUN again!
I'm doing something that I haven't done in ages...I'm making plans! I'm multitasking! I'm all over the place! God...please don't just let this be a manic episode to be followed by a big crash! That's the downside of the creative process. Sometimes...there's a crash....
To be continued.....
Friday, October 2, 2009
When the music was still playing....
30 years in the music biz and damn, alot has changed...except for the money. Musicians make LESS now than 30 years ago! LOL
But I was just thinking about all the places I've played over the years...and how many of them are gone. Just here in Pittsburgh, the list goes kinda like this...
But I was just thinking about all the places I've played over the years...and how many of them are gone. Just here in Pittsburgh, the list goes kinda like this...
The Decade (and its many later incarnations, The Next Decade, Tobacco Roadhouse, Ribbits, etc...)
The Upstage
The Attic
Zelda's
Thirsty's
Kangaroo's
Anthony's
Nick's Fat City
Jack's on 18th
Dolly B's
Boo Boo's
Luciano's
Skelly's
Del Frati's
The Jukebox
The Electric Banana
Club Ed
The Riverside
Penn Cafe/Nooner's
3 River's Brewery
Rosebud
Metropol
Graffitti
and the list goes on & on....(these are just places that I used to play regularly
See kids, THIS is what happens when you don't support LIVE music. Businesses go under. That means that YOU have to pick up the tab for those lost tax dollars! LOL
Man...it's just sad.......
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
We Were Cool Before YOU! LOL
One of the nice things about being comfortably in my 40s is that I get to look back with no regrets. I also get to look at kids today and bitch! LOL The kids today just seem to NOT GET rock & roll. The occasional young bands I see pretty much suck (oh sure, there ARE exceptions) and the crowds just don't know how to party. Its not just me saying that, I know a lot of bartenders, club owners, etc., who share in that same thought. Seems most of the kids today want to be in bed at a reasonable hour. WTF???
All of this brings me to thinking about the regional music scene. 25 years ago, it was HOPPING! 15 years ago, it was HOPPING! In the past 5-10 years, its been a serious downhill slide. Whats WRONG with the kids today????
Hey, we didn't have money but we still managed to create some great music. Did we have the greatest gear known to man? No! But we used what we had and used our own creativity to make it happen.
While I've always loved all kinds of music; punk, blues, country, rockabilly, jazz, funk, ska...heck, I even used to dig reggae back in the day...but its admittedly a bit slow for my tastes these days; I'll stick with the rootsy/rockabilly stuff for this post.
Back in the early 80s, there was a short-lived rockabilly revival. It seemed that half the bands were the _____ Cats. Ya had your Stray Cats, Rockcats, This Cats, That Cats, everywhere a CAT CAT! LOL And alot of the bands were cool. Regionally, there were 2 that come to mind. The 8Balls from Pittsburgh, PA and The Swingin' Caddilacs from Ohio (originally based in Steubenville but later moved to the NE Ohio area). These bands were balls out rockabilly! The 8 Balls were probably the better band but the Caddies just never stopped. I should know, I played in that band for the better part of 8 years! LOL Sure there were other bands like The Walking Clampetts (one of the finest combos EVER) and I remember seeing other bands pop up and disappear but the 8 Balls and Caddies kept it rolling. On lead guitar for the 8 Balls was Mark Anderson. You'll see in a bit where this is going. Like I said, I was in the Swingin' Caddilacs.
Come the 1990s, the Caddies and 8Balls were long gone daddios...but the rock had to keep on rolling! I'd moved to Pittsburgh and was half looking to gig and half trying to leave music. I met James Morrow one night at The Upstage and after noticing the pompadour and the almost frightening fact that we were both sporting the SAME SHOES (Berlin Wall Western style black leather creepers; buckled not laced), we discovered musical kindred spirits. This meeting led to the band Pittsburgh and the east coast came to know as The Rowdy Bovines.
For 4-5 loooooong years, we went through almost every bassist & drummer in town and gigged relentlessly. We always had a gig and most importantly, we always made money! The local music scene at the time was mostly acts like The Clarks (rumor has it that their song "Cigarette" was written for the Bovines) and Rusted Root (aka Dirty Scummy Hippy Fucks or Crusted Fruit). The Bovines kept it loud, drunk and nasty...the way REAL rock & roll is SUPPOSED to be! We were NEVER a pretty band. Probably why the record companies avoided us like the plague! LOL But looming in the darkest shadows was an even cooler, nastier, more rockin' band....THE LUG NUTS!
The Bovines and The Lug Nuts often shared bills. For something that probably shouldn't have worked, it did. While the Bovines were more "rockabillyish", the Lug Nuts were their own thing. The closest comparison I could give would be The Cramps...but less camp and a helluva lot scarier! These guys drank more, did more drugs, and were just generally more out there than anyone else. It was always a gamble whether or not they'd even show up, let alone be sober enough to play. But play they did and with a mighty thunder!
The Lug Nuts weren't the best musicians but they played with a raw passion that any band should be envious of. Fronted by Tim Frank on vocals and the maniac stylings of (the late, great) John Motto on guitar, these cats thumped, pumped and oozed! They had a chick pounding drums (Marsha) and either had Jamie Saunders or Berkely (this crazy black guy who told everyone he was from Australia but was really from N. Carolina! LOL) on bass. They released one cassette with 7 songs and it to this day remains, in my not-so-humble opinion, the greatest slice of R&R to ever come out of the steel city!
But all bands (with the exception of the Rolling Stone and The Numbers Band) eventually break up. By the mid 90s, The 8Balls were gone. The Swingin' Caddilacs were gone. The Rowdy Bovines were gone. The Lug Nuts were way long gone! But here's where it gets interesting...
From these 4 bands came a whole new crop of bands. James from the Bovines started a side band called The Udder CATS (theres that damned cat name again!) with Mark Anderson of The 8Balls on guitar. Sean Chambers (of the Bovines) and I took turns as bassist. I started The Tremblers (later know as Memphis Mike and the Legendary Tremblers). Sean Chambers, Blair Powell, and Jim Bleyer, all former Rowdy Bovines, along with Scotty Quay and Woody Bond started Highway 13. And John Motto of The Lugnuts, went about starting band after band...the 2 best being Monkey On A Stick and the alt country band, The Polish Hillbillies. James and Mark, some years after The Udder Cats, formed The Bessemers and are keeping their neo-billy sound going. Jimmy Robinson (ne Vegas) of the Swingin' Caddilacs started Psycho Rodeo and later Vegas 66. These bands kept the rock-a-rolling into the 21st century!
What started out 25+ years ago as a collection of young kids playing real rock & roll for shits & giggles, in bands that no one ever thought would last more than 6 months, has over the years become the regional dynasty that is The Rust Belt Rockabilly sound. No, we're not the only ones and there may have even been others...but none left the mark that these bands did.
There are a few younger bands that pop up now & then...but they just don't seem to get it. When the hell did Motorhead begin to be considered a rockabilly staple? (I know...The Twistin' Tarantulas from Deeeeeeetroit started that mess LOL) Hey now, I dig psychobilly as much as the next guy...but it seems the younger generation has run out of ideas. Sure, there will probably always be rockabilly/roots bands but lately, I've noticed the local/regional scene drying up a good bit. Us older cats & kittens...well, a lot of us are parents now and can't necessarily go out 7 nights a week. Hell, I'm kid-free and I still don't go out that often! LOL There's just not much going on. The few clubs left that have LIVE MUSIC, aren't booking the old school R&R as much...simply because it doesn't pay the bills. Why pay 1-2 good rockabilly bands who might attract 30 people when you can book 5 crappy bands who will bring in 100 people? But it's funny, these young kids look up to us. They know about the bands (at least some do) and I've had lots of them come up to me at shows and want to ask about the old days. I'm proud of my legacy and I hope that my fellow musicians are as well. We created something that has lasted over a quarter of a century...and thats nothing to take lightly. I just hope that its a long time before it completely fades away. And I really hope that some young punk out there will want to grab a guitar, learn some old licks and then put his/her own spin on it, find a bunch of likeminded idiots and start the next great band. I'm waiting to see them. And waiting...and waiting...
-MM
post script:
This isn't meant to be any kind of definitive history, its merely the ramblings of a proud musician. If you remember these bands, or have memories of your own, make some noise! And please, feel free to click the links in this post. I've added links to mp3s of the bands mentioned and I hope you'll enjoy them!
All of this brings me to thinking about the regional music scene. 25 years ago, it was HOPPING! 15 years ago, it was HOPPING! In the past 5-10 years, its been a serious downhill slide. Whats WRONG with the kids today????
Hey, we didn't have money but we still managed to create some great music. Did we have the greatest gear known to man? No! But we used what we had and used our own creativity to make it happen.
While I've always loved all kinds of music; punk, blues, country, rockabilly, jazz, funk, ska...heck, I even used to dig reggae back in the day...but its admittedly a bit slow for my tastes these days; I'll stick with the rootsy/rockabilly stuff for this post.
Back in the early 80s, there was a short-lived rockabilly revival. It seemed that half the bands were the _____ Cats. Ya had your Stray Cats, Rockcats, This Cats, That Cats, everywhere a CAT CAT! LOL And alot of the bands were cool. Regionally, there were 2 that come to mind. The 8Balls from Pittsburgh, PA and The Swingin' Caddilacs from Ohio (originally based in Steubenville but later moved to the NE Ohio area). These bands were balls out rockabilly! The 8 Balls were probably the better band but the Caddies just never stopped. I should know, I played in that band for the better part of 8 years! LOL Sure there were other bands like The Walking Clampetts (one of the finest combos EVER) and I remember seeing other bands pop up and disappear but the 8 Balls and Caddies kept it rolling. On lead guitar for the 8 Balls was Mark Anderson. You'll see in a bit where this is going. Like I said, I was in the Swingin' Caddilacs.
Come the 1990s, the Caddies and 8Balls were long gone daddios...but the rock had to keep on rolling! I'd moved to Pittsburgh and was half looking to gig and half trying to leave music. I met James Morrow one night at The Upstage and after noticing the pompadour and the almost frightening fact that we were both sporting the SAME SHOES (Berlin Wall Western style black leather creepers; buckled not laced), we discovered musical kindred spirits. This meeting led to the band Pittsburgh and the east coast came to know as The Rowdy Bovines.
For 4-5 loooooong years, we went through almost every bassist & drummer in town and gigged relentlessly. We always had a gig and most importantly, we always made money! The local music scene at the time was mostly acts like The Clarks (rumor has it that their song "Cigarette" was written for the Bovines) and Rusted Root (aka Dirty Scummy Hippy Fucks or Crusted Fruit). The Bovines kept it loud, drunk and nasty...the way REAL rock & roll is SUPPOSED to be! We were NEVER a pretty band. Probably why the record companies avoided us like the plague! LOL But looming in the darkest shadows was an even cooler, nastier, more rockin' band....THE LUG NUTS!
The Bovines and The Lug Nuts often shared bills. For something that probably shouldn't have worked, it did. While the Bovines were more "rockabillyish", the Lug Nuts were their own thing. The closest comparison I could give would be The Cramps...but less camp and a helluva lot scarier! These guys drank more, did more drugs, and were just generally more out there than anyone else. It was always a gamble whether or not they'd even show up, let alone be sober enough to play. But play they did and with a mighty thunder!
The Lug Nuts weren't the best musicians but they played with a raw passion that any band should be envious of. Fronted by Tim Frank on vocals and the maniac stylings of (the late, great) John Motto on guitar, these cats thumped, pumped and oozed! They had a chick pounding drums (Marsha) and either had Jamie Saunders or Berkely (this crazy black guy who told everyone he was from Australia but was really from N. Carolina! LOL) on bass. They released one cassette with 7 songs and it to this day remains, in my not-so-humble opinion, the greatest slice of R&R to ever come out of the steel city!
But all bands (with the exception of the Rolling Stone and The Numbers Band) eventually break up. By the mid 90s, The 8Balls were gone. The Swingin' Caddilacs were gone. The Rowdy Bovines were gone. The Lug Nuts were way long gone! But here's where it gets interesting...
From these 4 bands came a whole new crop of bands. James from the Bovines started a side band called The Udder CATS (theres that damned cat name again!) with Mark Anderson of The 8Balls on guitar. Sean Chambers (of the Bovines) and I took turns as bassist. I started The Tremblers (later know as Memphis Mike and the Legendary Tremblers). Sean Chambers, Blair Powell, and Jim Bleyer, all former Rowdy Bovines, along with Scotty Quay and Woody Bond started Highway 13. And John Motto of The Lugnuts, went about starting band after band...the 2 best being Monkey On A Stick and the alt country band, The Polish Hillbillies. James and Mark, some years after The Udder Cats, formed The Bessemers and are keeping their neo-billy sound going. Jimmy Robinson (ne Vegas) of the Swingin' Caddilacs started Psycho Rodeo and later Vegas 66. These bands kept the rock-a-rolling into the 21st century!
What started out 25+ years ago as a collection of young kids playing real rock & roll for shits & giggles, in bands that no one ever thought would last more than 6 months, has over the years become the regional dynasty that is The Rust Belt Rockabilly sound. No, we're not the only ones and there may have even been others...but none left the mark that these bands did.
There are a few younger bands that pop up now & then...but they just don't seem to get it. When the hell did Motorhead begin to be considered a rockabilly staple? (I know...The Twistin' Tarantulas from Deeeeeeetroit started that mess LOL) Hey now, I dig psychobilly as much as the next guy...but it seems the younger generation has run out of ideas. Sure, there will probably always be rockabilly/roots bands but lately, I've noticed the local/regional scene drying up a good bit. Us older cats & kittens...well, a lot of us are parents now and can't necessarily go out 7 nights a week. Hell, I'm kid-free and I still don't go out that often! LOL There's just not much going on. The few clubs left that have LIVE MUSIC, aren't booking the old school R&R as much...simply because it doesn't pay the bills. Why pay 1-2 good rockabilly bands who might attract 30 people when you can book 5 crappy bands who will bring in 100 people? But it's funny, these young kids look up to us. They know about the bands (at least some do) and I've had lots of them come up to me at shows and want to ask about the old days. I'm proud of my legacy and I hope that my fellow musicians are as well. We created something that has lasted over a quarter of a century...and thats nothing to take lightly. I just hope that its a long time before it completely fades away. And I really hope that some young punk out there will want to grab a guitar, learn some old licks and then put his/her own spin on it, find a bunch of likeminded idiots and start the next great band. I'm waiting to see them. And waiting...and waiting...
-MM
post script:
This isn't meant to be any kind of definitive history, its merely the ramblings of a proud musician. If you remember these bands, or have memories of your own, make some noise! And please, feel free to click the links in this post. I've added links to mp3s of the bands mentioned and I hope you'll enjoy them!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
8 years on...
8 years on and I still miss you.
8 years on and I still think about you.
8 years on and I still think of all the good times and bad.
8 years on and I still laugh at your jokes.
8 years on and I still tell people funny stories about us.
8 years on and I'm still mad as hell that you were taken from us.
8 years on and I still cry and get depressed.
8 years on and I still think of you on your birthday.
8 years on and I can still see your face.
8 years on and I can still hear your voice.
8 years on and I'm still trying to move on.
8 years on and you're still the annoying little bird on my ass.
8 years on and I still feel the terror.
8 years on and I still miss you.
8 years on and I still think about you.
8 years on and I still think of all the good times and bad.
8 years on and I still laugh at your jokes.
8 years on and I still tell people funny stories about us.
8 years on and I'm still mad as hell that you were taken from us.
8 years on and I still cry and get depressed.
8 years on and I still think of you on your birthday.
8 years on and I can still see your face.
8 years on and I can still hear your voice.
8 years on and I'm still trying to move on.
8 years on and you're still the annoying little bird on my ass.
8 years on and I still feel the terror.
8 years on and I still miss you.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Would you call Him a socialist?
If Jesus were here today (and who knows, He could well be!) would He be a socialist? I can already hear the religious right screaming for my crucifixion and calling me a heretic but I'm just posing a question.
As Jesus said to the Apostle Peter, “What do you say I am?”
Take a look at this list and see what YOU think:
As Jesus said to the Apostle Peter, “What do you say I am?”
Take a look at this list and see what YOU think:
- Jesus owned nothing.
- Jesus loved all people regardless of ethnicity or class.
- Jesus revolted against the imperial government, established religion and finance capitalism.
- Jesus taught that we should act as one body, one blood.
- Jesus taught that his kingdom is in the heart and not below the feet.
- Jesus taught that we should fight for Justice and 'turn the other cheek' to petty morality.
- Jesus was a laborer and a teacher.
- Jesus practiced healing and forgiveness.
Sure sounds like a pinko socialist type to me! Heck, we all know that the poor CHOOSE to be poor because they're too lazy and shiftless to work. And those sick people, heck, they're all just faking it to get on disability! Right????
Sorry for my religious right impersonation...just couldn't resist. LOL Sounds to me like Jesus was an alright kinda guy! And to paraphrase Ray Wylie Hubbard, any cat who can turn water into wine should be a friend of mine!
And before I go, here's Orozco's "Jesus Destroying His Cross"...a personal fave painting.
The End of the GOP?
The GOP, once known as the Grand Old Party has become, in essence, the Great Obsolete Party. (Greedy Old People perhaps?) Let's face it, Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin (who I still think is hot as all git out, but I digress) are their most 
recognizable faces. That alone should be enough to realize that the party's days are numbered.
So, when backed into a corner, they do like any wild beast will: they come out foaming at the mouth and essentially scaring off anyone or anything that would want to try to help. Case in point; the Great Obama State of the Student Union Address (my term for it thankyouverymuch LOL). Soooooo, it seems that our prez wants to address school students and tell them positive things like stay in school, get an education and don't be a putz. But the GOP and its cronies have decided that this is some form of secret indoctrination to Socialism.
FACT: Obama is a Democrat, NOT a socialist! I AM a socialist and I can tell you that he's not one of us! LOL Oh we like him all right, seems like a good guy with a good head on his shoulders but he's still not a Socialist. Just saying he is doesn't make it so. OK, the man thinks that ALL Americans should have affordable health care coverage. And this is a BAD idea how????? No folks, its NOT socialism. Those of you who THINK it is, don't understand what socialism is. Go to the library, pull out the Encyclopedia and look it up. No Googling or Wiki-ing; we know how unreliable that crap is! LOL WHat Obama wants to do is make health insurance affordable and available to EVERYONE. That does NOT mean that the all-powerful and all-knowing health insurers and HMOs are going to go away. It DOES however mean that they will have to become competitive and not the evil machinations that they currently are. Try having a chronic health issue (as I do) and just try to get health insurance today. The last number thrown at me, for just myself, was almost $2000/month. IF I had an extra 2 grand a month sitting around, I'd just pay the doc in cash and be done with it! SHEEEEEEEEESH!!!!!!!!!
The GOP is basically a bunch of greedy old prunes who want the good old days of Reaganomics (remember the Trickle Down Theory kids?) and the Bush eras back. They want a clear division of "us vs. them"...meaning more for the rich, less for the poor, get rid of that pesky middle class. It seems like the Republicans want a return to late 19th century America. Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh, a simpler time. 12 hour work days, 7 day work weeks...and even the kids got to be involved! No need for schooling for the young worker drones...they won't need it. Its better to keep your slaves stupid and happy. And health care? Bah! That's just Mother Nature weeding out the weak, right? Ask yourself kids, is this really progress?
The GOP is evidently anti-progress...unless is benefits them first and foremost. While they're all for $300 iPhones (with a $150/month bill) to keep the stockholder's wallets fat, they're against anything that will benefit the public at large. They fail to realize that in our current global market, all goods and commodities must be viewed as a volume business. The days of 80% profit margins are long gone. You have to sell more at a smaller profit to make the huge bucks these days. But guess what? You STILL get to make a nice profit! Even a Socialist will never begrudge anyone earning an honest buck!
But the GOP, the masters of mud-slinging, have resorted to fear tactics and pure-D bullshit propaganda. They've even compared Obama to Hitler! Now that one, I just DO NOT UNDERSTAND! Obama isn't even attempting genocide against Republicans! LOL I actually saw a Facebook page alluding to an Obama Youth corps, akin to the Hitler Youth, complete with Nazi-looking fonts and graphics. Yessirree kids, there's your Grand Obsolete Party hard at work. Fill the uneducated's minds with lies and their hearts with fear and you'll win every time, right? Wrong. We're lucky to live in a day and age where anyone can get educate him/her self. Mind you, one has to weed through a few miles of crap to do it but its worth it in the long run. I'm also thankful that I live in a country where, at least for now, I can speak my mind without fear of reprisal. But if the GOP has its way, those days too could end. Just yesterday, a friend informed me that a relative of hers (a Palin supporter I might add) suggested that she not be so vocal about her political views in public forums such as Facebook. In essence, her relative was attempting to CENSOR my friend. Luckily my friend, a real Tough Guy, knows better and will continue to voice her opinions. And GOOD FOR HER!!!!!!!!!
Let's face it, the days of the bipartisan system are coming to an end. 2 parties results in Us VS. Them. That's never good. As a Socialist, I'll make a suggestion. How about we ALL work TOGETHER for the common good of the nation. The best candidate for the job was elected. Hell, I even voted for him! Let's all be good & patriotic Americans and SUPPORT OUR PRESIDENT! Remember these words kids: United we stand, divided we fall.
recognizable faces. That alone should be enough to realize that the party's days are numbered.So, when backed into a corner, they do like any wild beast will: they come out foaming at the mouth and essentially scaring off anyone or anything that would want to try to help. Case in point; the Great Obama State of the Student Union Address (my term for it thankyouverymuch LOL). Soooooo, it seems that our prez wants to address school students and tell them positive things like stay in school, get an education and don't be a putz. But the GOP and its cronies have decided that this is some form of secret indoctrination to Socialism.
FACT: Obama is a Democrat, NOT a socialist! I AM a socialist and I can tell you that he's not one of us! LOL Oh we like him all right, seems like a good guy with a good head on his shoulders but he's still not a Socialist. Just saying he is doesn't make it so. OK, the man thinks that ALL Americans should have affordable health care coverage. And this is a BAD idea how????? No folks, its NOT socialism. Those of you who THINK it is, don't understand what socialism is. Go to the library, pull out the Encyclopedia and look it up. No Googling or Wiki-ing; we know how unreliable that crap is! LOL WHat Obama wants to do is make health insurance affordable and available to EVERYONE. That does NOT mean that the all-powerful and all-knowing health insurers and HMOs are going to go away. It DOES however mean that they will have to become competitive and not the evil machinations that they currently are. Try having a chronic health issue (as I do) and just try to get health insurance today. The last number thrown at me, for just myself, was almost $2000/month. IF I had an extra 2 grand a month sitting around, I'd just pay the doc in cash and be done with it! SHEEEEEEEEESH!!!!!!!!!
The GOP is basically a bunch of greedy old prunes who want the good old days of Reaganomics (remember the Trickle Down Theory kids?) and the Bush eras back. They want a clear division of "us vs. them"...meaning more for the rich, less for the poor, get rid of that pesky middle class. It seems like the Republicans want a return to late 19th century America. Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh, a simpler time. 12 hour work days, 7 day work weeks...and even the kids got to be involved! No need for schooling for the young worker drones...they won't need it. Its better to keep your slaves stupid and happy. And health care? Bah! That's just Mother Nature weeding out the weak, right? Ask yourself kids, is this really progress?
The GOP is evidently anti-progress...unless is benefits them first and foremost. While they're all for $300 iPhones (with a $150/month bill) to keep the stockholder's wallets fat, they're against anything that will benefit the public at large. They fail to realize that in our current global market, all goods and commodities must be viewed as a volume business. The days of 80% profit margins are long gone. You have to sell more at a smaller profit to make the huge bucks these days. But guess what? You STILL get to make a nice profit! Even a Socialist will never begrudge anyone earning an honest buck!
But the GOP, the masters of mud-slinging, have resorted to fear tactics and pure-D bullshit propaganda. They've even compared Obama to Hitler! Now that one, I just DO NOT UNDERSTAND! Obama isn't even attempting genocide against Republicans! LOL I actually saw a Facebook page alluding to an Obama Youth corps, akin to the Hitler Youth, complete with Nazi-looking fonts and graphics. Yessirree kids, there's your Grand Obsolete Party hard at work. Fill the uneducated's minds with lies and their hearts with fear and you'll win every time, right? Wrong. We're lucky to live in a day and age where anyone can get educate him/her self. Mind you, one has to weed through a few miles of crap to do it but its worth it in the long run. I'm also thankful that I live in a country where, at least for now, I can speak my mind without fear of reprisal. But if the GOP has its way, those days too could end. Just yesterday, a friend informed me that a relative of hers (a Palin supporter I might add) suggested that she not be so vocal about her political views in public forums such as Facebook. In essence, her relative was attempting to CENSOR my friend. Luckily my friend, a real Tough Guy, knows better and will continue to voice her opinions. And GOOD FOR HER!!!!!!!!!Let's face it, the days of the bipartisan system are coming to an end. 2 parties results in Us VS. Them. That's never good. As a Socialist, I'll make a suggestion. How about we ALL work TOGETHER for the common good of the nation. The best candidate for the job was elected. Hell, I even voted for him! Let's all be good & patriotic Americans and SUPPORT OUR PRESIDENT! Remember these words kids: United we stand, divided we fall.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
I Am Primitive...
I am primitive. I live in the jungle. Race, colour, creed, gender...are all unimportant. I ignore them. I hunger for my own. I thirst for knowledge. I hunt the uninformed. I have things to tell them. I am neither right nor wrong. I just am.
I am primitive. I live in the jungle. I step with purpose. The only laws are those of nature. I learned long ago from my ancestors that we do right because it is right. I do not search for the creator. I accept it's existence. I teach the younger and respect the elders.
I am primitive. I live in the jungle. I live among the civilised and watch them mistreat each other. I do not understand it. I live without greed. My needs are simple and few. Wanting is a drug. The civilised use it. I watch the civilised kill their own merely to gain the material. I am content in the jungle. Are they?
I am primitive. I live in the jungle. My jungle is neither trees nor caves. It is concrete, steel and suburbs. Farms are a memory. The civilised follow the machine. I follow my heart. I learned long ago to be myself.
I am primitive. I live in the jungle. I am made to feel like a monster; an aberration.
Are you primitive like me?
I am primitive. I live in the jungle. I step with purpose. The only laws are those of nature. I learned long ago from my ancestors that we do right because it is right. I do not search for the creator. I accept it's existence. I teach the younger and respect the elders.
I am primitive. I live in the jungle. I live among the civilised and watch them mistreat each other. I do not understand it. I live without greed. My needs are simple and few. Wanting is a drug. The civilised use it. I watch the civilised kill their own merely to gain the material. I am content in the jungle. Are they?
I am primitive. I live in the jungle. My jungle is neither trees nor caves. It is concrete, steel and suburbs. Farms are a memory. The civilised follow the machine. I follow my heart. I learned long ago to be myself.
I am primitive. I live in the jungle. I am made to feel like a monster; an aberration.
Are you primitive like me?
Friday, August 21, 2009
Mistrial? Here we go again! LOL
So my sentencing date was pretty much 'much ado about nothing'. I got there @ 8:20am for my 8:30am sentencing...and of course, it was a typo on my form. No one else was there til 9:00am! LOL
Another hour goes by, pretty much everyone piddling about...the one clerk was on the phone checking into purchasing a car for her daughter, the other clerk was doing some filing and the court reporter didn't even show til about 9:30!
The judge then asked to see both lawyers in chambers...WTF? I knew then that something was up. My lawyer came out about 10-15 minutes later with an odd look on her face and the ADA pretty much bolted. My lawyer then informed me that my trial had been declared a mistrial!
So as it stands, to my knowledge and understanding, the last trial pretty much has been rendered moot. So, a date has been tentatively set for a retrial (here we go again!)...but I have to wonder IF the DA will even continue to attempt to prosecute me. It seems to me that it would be a stupid move politically and economically.
Let's face facts; trials cost a lot of money. The man hours involved are pretty high. To waste that kind of money, in this current economic and political atmosphere, is just stupid. I could see if I was considered a threat to society (which I'm not) but the reality remains that this is a low level misdemeanor and as I've no prior convictions, the worst they can really do (unless they really want to be dicks about it LOL) is probation...which will cost more money. Jail would be even less economically feasable. I don't see the county picking up the tab for my medical costs, as well as providing me 3 heart healthy meals a day. Last I checked, bologna on white bread & Kool Aid doesn't qualify as "heart healthy". LOL
So....I'm still stuck in the legal grey area...but I'm still a FREE MAN! And still an INNOCENT MAN to boot! As I've always said, an honest and innocent man has nothing to fear...unfortunately, lawyers lie like the devil to twist things around to fit their motives. Ethical? I think not. Just look at the facts and weigh them.
Speaking of facts, allow me to reiterate. I've never said that an incident DID NOT occur. It did. I was attacked by a client (punched in the eye, without provocation) and reacted by knocking him down, thus getting him off of me. No one was injured (OK, I had a very small bruise under my eye...no biggy) and the incident ended. Unfortunately, so did my 20+ year career....
Stay tuned kids!
Another hour goes by, pretty much everyone piddling about...the one clerk was on the phone checking into purchasing a car for her daughter, the other clerk was doing some filing and the court reporter didn't even show til about 9:30!
The judge then asked to see both lawyers in chambers...WTF? I knew then that something was up. My lawyer came out about 10-15 minutes later with an odd look on her face and the ADA pretty much bolted. My lawyer then informed me that my trial had been declared a mistrial!
So as it stands, to my knowledge and understanding, the last trial pretty much has been rendered moot. So, a date has been tentatively set for a retrial (here we go again!)...but I have to wonder IF the DA will even continue to attempt to prosecute me. It seems to me that it would be a stupid move politically and economically.
Let's face facts; trials cost a lot of money. The man hours involved are pretty high. To waste that kind of money, in this current economic and political atmosphere, is just stupid. I could see if I was considered a threat to society (which I'm not) but the reality remains that this is a low level misdemeanor and as I've no prior convictions, the worst they can really do (unless they really want to be dicks about it LOL) is probation...which will cost more money. Jail would be even less economically feasable. I don't see the county picking up the tab for my medical costs, as well as providing me 3 heart healthy meals a day. Last I checked, bologna on white bread & Kool Aid doesn't qualify as "heart healthy". LOL
So....I'm still stuck in the legal grey area...but I'm still a FREE MAN! And still an INNOCENT MAN to boot! As I've always said, an honest and innocent man has nothing to fear...unfortunately, lawyers lie like the devil to twist things around to fit their motives. Ethical? I think not. Just look at the facts and weigh them.
Speaking of facts, allow me to reiterate. I've never said that an incident DID NOT occur. It did. I was attacked by a client (punched in the eye, without provocation) and reacted by knocking him down, thus getting him off of me. No one was injured (OK, I had a very small bruise under my eye...no biggy) and the incident ended. Unfortunately, so did my 20+ year career....
Stay tuned kids!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Countdown Starts Today...
OK, it's Sunday. Countdown to Friday begins NOW!
What's the importance of this Friday, aside from it being the start of a new weekend? Well, in case you're unfamiliar with my legal mess, let me put it in a nut shell for ya.
Back in November 2007, I had a heart attack. Life had been a bitch for some months personally and financially but everything was finally coming together...and then the heart attack. Being a generally resilient guy, I bounced back pretty quickly and was ready to get back on my feet...along with my new $80k hospital bill dogging me. I'd been working in the MH/MR field (mental health/mental retardation) for over 20 years and had spent the last 3 years self-employed (using an employer of record, as per the state's regs). I was ready to get back to work and sort out my finances. Things were coming together.
Well, on my 2nd day back to work, I was attacked by a teenage client. He landed a really good punch to my right eye and as my back was against the wall (literally, a kitchen counter) I instinctively reached out and knocked him down. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. Along with the ensuing mountains of paperwork and investigations that I knew would be involved, as well as most likely losing my employer of record, the client's family decided to file assault charges against me! Mind you, I had been attacked and simply tried to get the client off of me. I was literally sick due to this mess. I'm really surprised I didn't have a 2nd heart attack. I voluntarily met with the police to make a statement. An honest man has nothing to hide.
My 1st court date (of many) was in February of 2008. By this time, the county's CYF (Children, Youth & Families) division had completed their investigation and had ruled the allegations to be UNFOUNDED. I thought that this would put an end to the mess....boy was I wrong! Childline, the state and county all declared the allegations UNFOUNDED but I was still being dragged to court. The magistrate sent my case on to the grand jury for criminal indictment. I knew then that things were going to get ugly.
Over the course of the next 18 or so months, I worked with my attorney at trying to solve this mess. I even agreed to plea to a summary charge and do community service and seek whatever therapies the judge might order...but no, the client's family had it in their collective head that I should receive no less than the death penalty for this! They actually told the district attorney that they wanted to see me go to the electric chair over this! FYI: simple assault (what I was being charged with) is a misdemeanor...not a capital crime. But nevertheless, I was pretty upset by this. I just wanted it all over so that everyone could just get on with our lives.
Allow me to clarify something: the client was NOT in any way, shape or form injured when I knocked him off of me. Not so much as a mark on him. And...he was the one who attacked me. I could have lied and said that nothing happened and it all probably would have ended. Sometimes, honesty opens a can of worms.
During all of this, I was doing whatever freelance work I could get, as well as playing in my band. A 40-something guy with a heart condition and a pending criminal case usually isn't what most potential employers are looking for. I got by...but just barely. My medical bills were racking up, and my other bills were too. I had started classes for an associates degree in surgical technology, as I knew it was time to get into another line of work. My professional reputation, which had been stellar before all of this, was now in ruins...as were my finances. Due to having to miss a ton of classes due to my legal mess, I was forced to drop out of school. (I still plan to return once this mess finally ends) I was getting all A's (except for a B in Physiology). My mood was pretty low...but I still managed to carry on.
I was averaging at least 1 court date every six weeks throughout 2008-09. Each time this meant losing a day of work (if I had it) or a day of looking for work. This put my finances even farther in the hole. It was also putting a heavy strain on me personally. I tend to internalize a lot of my feelings and found myself becoming very agitated whenever another court date was coming...especially as these court dates always ended up in yet another continuance. The mess just seemed never ending.
Finally, in the spring of 2009, it was decided (and not by me I might add) that the case would go to a jury trial. 2 different judges refused to hear the case as it was considered stupid and had become somewhat of a joke in the court house. Finally, in June a jury was picked and a court date set. The jury pool was, in my opinion, poisoned by a potential juror screaming at me during questioning. He had made up his mind, without benefit of facts or evidence, that I was guilty.
I had to contact some of my friends to appear as character witnesses. Luckily, I have some great friends and I can tell you, it's a very humbling experience to hear what people really think of you...especially under oath!
My trial was a joke. I was considered guilty from the start thanks to the poisoned jury. My lawyer caught the client's mother in lie after lie. The police officer who responded to the call (also the same one that I gave my statement to) clearly stated that no injury was present and that the family refused to have the client seen by a doctor...that day or any other. The judge refused to allow the findings of CYF's investigation...so it was pretty clear to me that his motives were less than judicial.
The jury deliberated the rest of the day and we were told to report back in the morning. The jury was still out but finally around 10:00am they had a verdict. I, along with my lawyer, reported back to the court room. The verdict was GUILTY of simple assault. FYI: in the state of PA, to prove simple assault, 2 things must be proven: intent and bodily injury. IF I had any intent whatsoever, it was to end my being attacked. There were no injuries (aside from me having a small bruise where I was punched). Upon interviewing the jury, my attorney was informed that I was found guilty because I "should have known better". WTF????? The jury completely ignored the facts of the case as well as the judge's 7 pages of instructions. The client's mother reacted as if her favorite sports team had just won the big game! I was stunned to say the least.
The judge decided to postpone sentencing for 2 months. Since then, I've been working regularly at my boring job and trying to make plans for the future...but those plans are limited as I don't know whether or not I'll be in jail. I normally wouldn't think so but this case has been anything but normal! Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave me the electric chair at this point!
My lawyer has been filing motions and appeals. I've met with the Adult Probation Department for a pre-sentencing report. I've had all of these people snooping into my private life. For some reason, they needed to know the details of my previous marriage and divorce (I was divorced in 1994!). It all still goes on.
My sentencing date is this Friday, August 21st. I'll find out then just what is going to happen to me. If you don't hear from me for a while...I'm probably in jail. My lawyer and I plan to appeal this all the way. This has been a travesty of justice and while I'm not usually a paranoid person, I can't help but feel that somebody in high places has it out for me! All I want is a normal life again.
My professional career has been destroyed...and I really loved the work that I did. My finances are well past repair (unless I happen to win the Powerball!). Yet I still muddle through.
OK...this should bring everyone up to speed. I'm still the same old me. Silly, goofy, etc. I still try to maintain an optimistic outlook on life. I still hold my faith dear. I WILL clear my name. And then it's my turn at bat.
Thanks to my friends and family for all of the love, support and friendship through this mess. Karma will no doubt reward you. -MM
What's the importance of this Friday, aside from it being the start of a new weekend? Well, in case you're unfamiliar with my legal mess, let me put it in a nut shell for ya.
Back in November 2007, I had a heart attack. Life had been a bitch for some months personally and financially but everything was finally coming together...and then the heart attack. Being a generally resilient guy, I bounced back pretty quickly and was ready to get back on my feet...along with my new $80k hospital bill dogging me. I'd been working in the MH/MR field (mental health/mental retardation) for over 20 years and had spent the last 3 years self-employed (using an employer of record, as per the state's regs). I was ready to get back to work and sort out my finances. Things were coming together.
Well, on my 2nd day back to work, I was attacked by a teenage client. He landed a really good punch to my right eye and as my back was against the wall (literally, a kitchen counter) I instinctively reached out and knocked him down. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. Along with the ensuing mountains of paperwork and investigations that I knew would be involved, as well as most likely losing my employer of record, the client's family decided to file assault charges against me! Mind you, I had been attacked and simply tried to get the client off of me. I was literally sick due to this mess. I'm really surprised I didn't have a 2nd heart attack. I voluntarily met with the police to make a statement. An honest man has nothing to hide.
My 1st court date (of many) was in February of 2008. By this time, the county's CYF (Children, Youth & Families) division had completed their investigation and had ruled the allegations to be UNFOUNDED. I thought that this would put an end to the mess....boy was I wrong! Childline, the state and county all declared the allegations UNFOUNDED but I was still being dragged to court. The magistrate sent my case on to the grand jury for criminal indictment. I knew then that things were going to get ugly.
Over the course of the next 18 or so months, I worked with my attorney at trying to solve this mess. I even agreed to plea to a summary charge and do community service and seek whatever therapies the judge might order...but no, the client's family had it in their collective head that I should receive no less than the death penalty for this! They actually told the district attorney that they wanted to see me go to the electric chair over this! FYI: simple assault (what I was being charged with) is a misdemeanor...not a capital crime. But nevertheless, I was pretty upset by this. I just wanted it all over so that everyone could just get on with our lives.
Allow me to clarify something: the client was NOT in any way, shape or form injured when I knocked him off of me. Not so much as a mark on him. And...he was the one who attacked me. I could have lied and said that nothing happened and it all probably would have ended. Sometimes, honesty opens a can of worms.
During all of this, I was doing whatever freelance work I could get, as well as playing in my band. A 40-something guy with a heart condition and a pending criminal case usually isn't what most potential employers are looking for. I got by...but just barely. My medical bills were racking up, and my other bills were too. I had started classes for an associates degree in surgical technology, as I knew it was time to get into another line of work. My professional reputation, which had been stellar before all of this, was now in ruins...as were my finances. Due to having to miss a ton of classes due to my legal mess, I was forced to drop out of school. (I still plan to return once this mess finally ends) I was getting all A's (except for a B in Physiology). My mood was pretty low...but I still managed to carry on.
I was averaging at least 1 court date every six weeks throughout 2008-09. Each time this meant losing a day of work (if I had it) or a day of looking for work. This put my finances even farther in the hole. It was also putting a heavy strain on me personally. I tend to internalize a lot of my feelings and found myself becoming very agitated whenever another court date was coming...especially as these court dates always ended up in yet another continuance. The mess just seemed never ending.
Finally, in the spring of 2009, it was decided (and not by me I might add) that the case would go to a jury trial. 2 different judges refused to hear the case as it was considered stupid and had become somewhat of a joke in the court house. Finally, in June a jury was picked and a court date set. The jury pool was, in my opinion, poisoned by a potential juror screaming at me during questioning. He had made up his mind, without benefit of facts or evidence, that I was guilty.
I had to contact some of my friends to appear as character witnesses. Luckily, I have some great friends and I can tell you, it's a very humbling experience to hear what people really think of you...especially under oath!
My trial was a joke. I was considered guilty from the start thanks to the poisoned jury. My lawyer caught the client's mother in lie after lie. The police officer who responded to the call (also the same one that I gave my statement to) clearly stated that no injury was present and that the family refused to have the client seen by a doctor...that day or any other. The judge refused to allow the findings of CYF's investigation...so it was pretty clear to me that his motives were less than judicial.
The jury deliberated the rest of the day and we were told to report back in the morning. The jury was still out but finally around 10:00am they had a verdict. I, along with my lawyer, reported back to the court room. The verdict was GUILTY of simple assault. FYI: in the state of PA, to prove simple assault, 2 things must be proven: intent and bodily injury. IF I had any intent whatsoever, it was to end my being attacked. There were no injuries (aside from me having a small bruise where I was punched). Upon interviewing the jury, my attorney was informed that I was found guilty because I "should have known better". WTF????? The jury completely ignored the facts of the case as well as the judge's 7 pages of instructions. The client's mother reacted as if her favorite sports team had just won the big game! I was stunned to say the least.
The judge decided to postpone sentencing for 2 months. Since then, I've been working regularly at my boring job and trying to make plans for the future...but those plans are limited as I don't know whether or not I'll be in jail. I normally wouldn't think so but this case has been anything but normal! Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave me the electric chair at this point!
My lawyer has been filing motions and appeals. I've met with the Adult Probation Department for a pre-sentencing report. I've had all of these people snooping into my private life. For some reason, they needed to know the details of my previous marriage and divorce (I was divorced in 1994!). It all still goes on.
My sentencing date is this Friday, August 21st. I'll find out then just what is going to happen to me. If you don't hear from me for a while...I'm probably in jail. My lawyer and I plan to appeal this all the way. This has been a travesty of justice and while I'm not usually a paranoid person, I can't help but feel that somebody in high places has it out for me! All I want is a normal life again.
My professional career has been destroyed...and I really loved the work that I did. My finances are well past repair (unless I happen to win the Powerball!). Yet I still muddle through.
OK...this should bring everyone up to speed. I'm still the same old me. Silly, goofy, etc. I still try to maintain an optimistic outlook on life. I still hold my faith dear. I WILL clear my name. And then it's my turn at bat.
Thanks to my friends and family for all of the love, support and friendship through this mess. Karma will no doubt reward you. -MM
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The Greatest is gone...
Les Paul died today at age 94.
For those of you who have lived under a rock in a cave your entire lives, Les Paul was possibly the greatest guitarist who ever lived. He was also responsible in part for almost every bit of music you've ever listened to. How you may ask? He pretty much invented multitrack recording. Without Les Paul and his whacky, wizardous, ideas, music would not be what it is today.
Last night, I dreamt that a friend and I were dueting on Les Paul/Mary Ford songs. All morning long, I was humming old Les Paul songs. Mind you, this itself isn't unheard of...but its not where my mind has been lately. At work, around 1:00pm EST, while humming one of the guitar parts to "Waiting For The Sunrise", I received a text message that Les Paul had died of complications from pneumonia. I was greatly saddened by this. Not so much because he passed away...the man had a long, rich, meaningful life. He'll be remembered for thousands of years. No, I was saddened because I only got to see him play live once, and was too damned young to fully appreciate his amazing talents.
Just a few months ago, my friend Sean offered to put me up in a hotel room in NYC and pay for my ticket to see Les Paul at the Iridium Club. God how I wanted to go! But finances and legal troubles prevented me from getting there. Hell, I was ready to hitchhike if necessary! but I had to make one of those grown up decisions. Sean had a great time and even got to meet Les for a bit. Sean informed me that although Les was slowed a bit by arthritis, his playing was still as amazing as ever.While I was admittedly envious, I was glad that my good friend got to see Les Paul. When I look at these photos from the show, I can see a familiar look in Les Paul's eyes. Its the look every guitarist I know shares. A look of wonderment and awe at the magical instrument we hold and play. It was heartwarming to see Les, in his 90s. a man who was considered a god among men by his peers, sharing that same look that we pickers all do.
Muhammed Ali used to say that he was "The Greatest". That statement, coming from most men, would be pure boasting. But Les Paul never needed to...everyone already knew he was the best and Les just took it all in stride. I've read many times how he was still continually amazed at the many different styles of guitar playing there are and the many ways that musicians communicate with the guitar. In most cases, we wouldn't be communicating the way we do with them if it hadn't been for Les Paul. As if being the greatest guitarist and inventing multi-track recording wasn't enough, he essentially, if not invented, at least perfected the solid body electric guitar. His is the name on one of the most popular models ever.
If you've never listened to the man, do yourself the favor...listen. Whether he was playing hillbilly in the 20s, blues in the 30s, jazz in the 40s, pop in the 50s or country in the 70s (with the legendary Chet Atkins), his playing was just simply amazing. He would throw in licks that would just stop you in your tracks. In the old days, you'd lift the needle and play that spot again. Tapes made rewinding to those spots even easier and digital even easier still...but no one has yet to master Les Paul's style or sound. The closest was my late friend Danny Gatton. And he always wanted to impress Les with his ability to copy him...but Les was unimpressed. His reaction was, "so what? I did that 40 years ago!" and he'd give Danny a good natured laugh.
The greatest there ever was is gone...but he's not likely to ever be forgotten. Rest in peace Mr. Polfus. You inspired so many. And really, what more can a man hope to achieve?
-MM
photos courtesy of Sean Chambers
Sunday, August 2, 2009
My Cure for Health Care Reform
OK, this has long been an issue that I care strongly about. Health Care should not be an "issue", it should be a basic human right. Anyone that wants to argue THAT with me, please feel free. If you've ever suffered a major health issue, or had a loved one with a life long disorder, then you already know how expensive it is. Healthy people, while the majority, have no idea how lucky they are...nor do they realize how quickly all that can change.
Sooooo...
According to the 2008 US Census, there are 304,059,724 people living in the US. That's just over 304 million. I'm using that figure as the basis for my equation. If the government were to institute a fractional sales tax, across the board, it would add up like this:
At 50 cents per day (minimum), that would add up to $152,029,862 raised per day or $55,490,899,630.00 per year. Yes, that's in excess of $55 billion. And thats a very minimum number. With a fractional, NATIONAL sales tax included in the price of everything we purchase, the number would be greater still. And it wouldn't be effecting any one group differently than another.
Rich people spend money. Middle class people spend money. Poor people spend money. Hell, even the homeless spend money! With a fractional sales tax (something as feasably low as .025%) this money could be raised...and none of us would "feel the pinch". So the price of something goes up anywhere from a penny to a few dollars (for really pricey items). Are you really going to notice it? And then, should the time come that YOU or a loved one needs to see a doctor, have tests run, spend time in the hospital, take medicine, etc...YOU WILL BE COVERED!!!!!!!! The insurance companies would be forced to offer "private insurance" to those who want it. And I can tell you, their premiums wouldn't be as insanely high as they are now! AND they would be more inclined to actually PAY OUT!
Sure, let some economists crunch my numbers. They'll see that it works. But Congress will most likely fight it...why? Because it makes sense and they don't get to give handouts to their pet lobbyists or special interest groups.
Well guess what people...the only special interest group that I give a damn about, especiialy on this issue, is my fellow Americans! This is good for ALL of us!
Sure, Congress will have to do something to keep the corporate world in check...and that might be a good thing too! It could bring about the end of the daily rip offs, frauds and scandals. (Oh who am I kidding! LOL)
But seriously, this works out to $182.50 per person per day that could be spent on health care...and guess what, most of it WON'T be used unless it's necessary! This won't create a nation of hypochondriacs...anymore than we already are! Most of you will go years without needing to spend a dime on health care...but wouldn't you feel better knowing that you're covered when/if you do?
Think about it.
MM
Sooooo...
According to the 2008 US Census, there are 304,059,724 people living in the US. That's just over 304 million. I'm using that figure as the basis for my equation. If the government were to institute a fractional sales tax, across the board, it would add up like this:
At 50 cents per day (minimum), that would add up to $152,029,862 raised per day or $55,490,899,630.00 per year. Yes, that's in excess of $55 billion. And thats a very minimum number. With a fractional, NATIONAL sales tax included in the price of everything we purchase, the number would be greater still. And it wouldn't be effecting any one group differently than another.
Rich people spend money. Middle class people spend money. Poor people spend money. Hell, even the homeless spend money! With a fractional sales tax (something as feasably low as .025%) this money could be raised...and none of us would "feel the pinch". So the price of something goes up anywhere from a penny to a few dollars (for really pricey items). Are you really going to notice it? And then, should the time come that YOU or a loved one needs to see a doctor, have tests run, spend time in the hospital, take medicine, etc...YOU WILL BE COVERED!!!!!!!! The insurance companies would be forced to offer "private insurance" to those who want it. And I can tell you, their premiums wouldn't be as insanely high as they are now! AND they would be more inclined to actually PAY OUT!
Sure, let some economists crunch my numbers. They'll see that it works. But Congress will most likely fight it...why? Because it makes sense and they don't get to give handouts to their pet lobbyists or special interest groups.
Well guess what people...the only special interest group that I give a damn about, especiialy on this issue, is my fellow Americans! This is good for ALL of us!
Sure, Congress will have to do something to keep the corporate world in check...and that might be a good thing too! It could bring about the end of the daily rip offs, frauds and scandals. (Oh who am I kidding! LOL)
But seriously, this works out to $182.50 per person per day that could be spent on health care...and guess what, most of it WON'T be used unless it's necessary! This won't create a nation of hypochondriacs...anymore than we already are! Most of you will go years without needing to spend a dime on health care...but wouldn't you feel better knowing that you're covered when/if you do?
Think about it.
MM
It's just me again....
Yeah, like I really needed yet another web presence! LOL But as I've always got something on my mind, something to say and a love for writing, I figured it was time to create a blog...why? Because I like the word blog, OK? LOL
So, as this blogscape grows, you'll find me rambling on about the sorts of things I care about...or just happen to catch my fancy that day.
Stick around kids...it's about to get interesting! LOL
So, as this blogscape grows, you'll find me rambling on about the sorts of things I care about...or just happen to catch my fancy that day.
Stick around kids...it's about to get interesting! LOL
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)