The Church of Lost Souls

Papa's got a brand new bag

And a brand new bass.  I bought a new amp last week and while I was in the store saw a B.C. Rich Warlock, a bass I've wanted since I first started playing in the early 80s.  I'm not getting any younger so I decided to indulge myself -- after all, I've earned it.  So I stopped at Guitar Center on the way home tonight and picked her up:

 

Today it ain't too bad to be me (or a bachelor, so you can do what you like with your disposable income).  Now it's Miller Time.  I'm gonna drink beer and jam along to some CDs.  Let there be rock. 

One-night stand anyone?

British women apparently frown upon them.  How do you American ladies feel?  And fellas, how do you feel about women who engage in them?  (Remember, you can always leave a comment as 'anonymous'...)

Bipedal dog

You have to see this to believe it...

Give those cows some goddamned shade

Just got back from lunch with the guys.  According to weather.com, right now it's 81 degrees here in Miami Lakes.  I thought we just entered spring, not summer.  While leaving the restaurant we passed one of the several cow pastures oddly residing in the middle of town.  This may sound crazy, but would it kill them to put some trees in the pasture to provide those bovine beauties some shade?  It's fucking south Florida -- brutal heat and ruthless humidity.  Co-worker Shrek said "they don't seem to mind."  "Why," I replied, "because they're not carrying signs and protesting?  They're fucking cows."  If I'm sweating wouldn't they be?  Unless they have no sweat glands, but they would need some internal mechanism to regulate their temperature, no?  Or maybe a nice little pond for them to wade in, like hippos do to escape the heat.  I'm gonna look into this and see if I can't get those cows some damn shade and put an end to this animal cruelty.  Stay tuned...

Thanks to cousin Bruce (and friend Greg) the Reverend is going fishing Sunday.  I turned down an offer last weekend due to rough seas -- you can get bounced around all you want, I'll pass.  Naturally the fellas all call you a "pussy" when you decline to go out in high seas, but it ain't no fun being out there when you're constantly holding onto something so you don't fall or get thrown overboard, getting banged up, maybe puking, etc.  At least to me it's not.  And at this point in my life I'm not spending 6 hours or so not having fun.  I read the fishing report and the dolphin bite seems to be on.  Mmmm, fresh mahi mahi...

Something only I may find interesting: the most attractive female at my company is married to a fella (who also happens to work here) who is handicapped after breaking his neck in a car accident years ago (before meeting her).  And he's nowhere near handsome either.  I'm not exactly sure what his limitations are, but he walks with one of those crutches and I think he can only use one side of his body.  As a result, she has to do all of the work in their family: grocery shopping, putting up hurricane shutters, taking out the trash, cleaning, etc.  I find that admirable, that a woman who could pretty much choose any guy she wanted chose a fella who wouldn't be able to carry her across the threshold, mow the lawn, or walk the dog.  Not to mention knowing she'd have to do all the work in bed, as she's gotta play cowgirl any time they make whoopee.  This woman should be up for sainthood...

My co-worker Solly was telling me today that after last year's hurricanes his homeowners insurance went up $200 a month -- it's now at $1,700 a month.  Just for homeowners insurance.  Not including his mortgage.  That's twice what I pay a month in rent, which it looks like I'll be doing the rest of my life.  At least if I remain in south Florida...

Ordered my Mom a TIVO for her birthday, which is want she insisted on.  My folks are constantly calling me over to fix the TVs after the power goes out, ask me how to use the DVD player, and put batteries in things.  Shit, Dad still can't operate the burglary alarm after all these years.  This thing has disaster written all over it.  What happened between their generation and ours?  Are my folks the only ones who are technologically handicapped?

While it's one of my favorite TV shows of all time, something I can (and do) watch over and over, the 1st season of 'Seinfeld' is brutal.  Unwatchable.  They run the show in syndication on the local UPN station down here in chronological order.  Last week they played the end of the series (I caught the 2-part last episode) and started over this week with the 1st season.  Boy, that show sure came a long way from it's early days...

Dear god

Largest Study of Prayer to Date Finds It Has No Power to Heal

Quote of the day

“Being an atheist is a matter not of moral choice, but of human obligation.”

-- John Fowles, author

Enjoy a good conspiracy?

Try this one on for size: Masonic Symbolism in the Assassination of John F. Kennedy

Bad parenting(?), Sadistic Shrek and pet euthanasia

Watched this fucked up show last night called 'My Skin Could Kill Me', about 4 kids suffering from a life-threatening and incurable skin condition called Harlequin Ichthyosis (HI), which causes the body to produce too much skin.  They have to constantly scrub and apply cream to their skin (even waking up in the middle of the night to do so) -- they walk around looking like you do after lathering yourself up with sunblock and not rubbing it all in.  They seemed happy enough, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for them.  As far as the parents, I I couldn't help feeling anger towards them (at least one set).  Their first daughter was born with the condition, and they admitted to waiting 7 years before having another child so in the event the second child was also born afflicted with HI (which it was) the older one would be able to care for herself and they wouldn't have to care for 2 children with this condition (what with all the scrubbing and lotioning).  Here's my beef: if you already had a child born that way and knew there was a good chance a second one would be born that way as well, why have another kid?  Why have a kid who in all likelihood is going to have to suffer from this potentially fatal condition and never have a chance of living a normal life?  Why not adopt?

Fucking Shrek.  I'm living like a monk over here despite not having taken a vow of celibacy and he delights in sharing the details of his sex life with me.  Here I am having to restrain myself from jumping on top of people bending over to pick up loose change and he's boasting about Fiona (his wife) waking him up for sex.  Sadistic bastard.  And the worst part of it is he's a Jehovah's Witness so it's like listening to your Dad tell you about Mom going 'reverse cowgirl' on his ass the night before.  I can handle explicit details, but from a 'door knocker' it just doesn't seem right.  You kinda want to believe they don't do it, being so pious and all.  However, I did get him to call me a "sodomite" after telling him that my last roll in the hay was of the backdoor variety, if you know what I mean (and I think you do)...

My sister had to put down her dog yesterday.  Bummer.  Speckles the Dalmatian was 12 1/2, severely overweight, could barely walk anymore and was relieving herself where ever she happened to be rather than get up and go outside.  The vet recommended they euthanize her so she took his advice.  That's not an easy pill to swallow.  Not that any death in the family is easy, but making the decision for someone, especially someone who can't express their desire to live or die, is really tough.  Fortunately, I've only had to do it once, with my first dog, Sheeba.  Sheeba was around 12, suffering from arthritis, hip dysplasia and degenerative hip condition, and not happy.  The vet and everyone around me suggested I spare her any more suffering but it's hard not to be selfish in those situations.  You want your pet's company, and you think they want yours as well, but that's not in their best interest.  After all, who wants to suffer? 

I finally decided to do it but thankfully Mom offered to take her as I would have never been able to hand over the leash.  I was working the morning show in radio at the time and being the youngest member of the team I was always the most exuberant and energetic at 5:00 in the morning.  When I showed up for work that morning the producer noticed I wasn't myself asked me what was wrong so I explained that my dog was being put down.  He told me he was sorry and we went about preparing for the show.  When the show started one of the co-hosts, who sat facing me through a pane of glass, told me he had heard what was up and expressed his condolences.  He then tried to go about doing the show but couldn't do it staring at the tears streaming down my face from across the glass -- how are you supposed to get people upbeat to start their day when you're watching someone cry?  During the first commercial break they sent me home for the good of the show.  Knowing that my dog, my buddy, was no longer suffering dulled the pain but that's a tough position to be in.  Twelve years later I still wear her original ID tag around my neck...

 

Neat pic

The Golden Gate Bridge seen through a raindrop covered windshield:

 

**click on image to enlarge**

Copyright AP/Paul Sakuma

Quote of the day

"The intolerance that flows from organized religion is the most dangerous thing on the planet.”

-- Jane Rule, author