Earthly Possessions

Here is what I left the house with when it was on fire, on 4-2-09:

My shoes.

My jacket.

My long johns.

My MP3 player.

My 4-track recorder.

I didn't realize, at the time, that our house was going to burn to the ground, or else I would've tried to save some other things... Our computer, our CDs, our camera, our camcorder, our *BRAND NEW* big-screen TV!!! I didn't know what was going on, though. I tried to call 9-1-1, and tell them that *SOMETHING* just happened, but the phone was dead. When I laid the phone down I saw my MP3 player, and my 4-track recorder laying nearby, so I grabbed them. This was everything I owned as we watched our house burn... As I walked away with Baby Girl it hit me, for the first time, exactly how unimportant all of our earthly possessions really were. The only thing that mattered was that we were okay. I didn't care about anything else, almost immediately.

Mood Swings

How 'Bout A Survey?

Hi, my name is:
Lucas York Black, of "Sling Blade" fame.

My eyes are:
One is purple, and the other one is light gray.

I want to have kids:
That are born with the ability to automatically know how to use ear muffs.

I wish I was:
The man on the flying trapese.

Currently I am:
Sleepy, and (somewhat) watching "Sling Blade" again.

I love::
God and Baby Girl, and that God rescued me and Baby Girl from the fire. Side note: I also love how good everyone has been to us.

Never in my life have:
I been a rodeo clown.

My favorite animals are:
Cats and birds.

Right now, I am listening to.
"Sling Blade," kinda.

If your gonna talk smack about me:
I'll make fun of you for using the improper version of "your."

The one person who can drive me nuts:
This dude, James, at work. He thinks he's some kind of boss, or something, but he's just a flunky like me.

When I'm nervous:
I laugh uncontrollably.

The last song I listened to was:
Nirvana's "Ain't It A Shame," from their boxed set.

My hair is:
Almost gone.

When I was 4:
I was totally spoiled by all of my relatives.

My mom:.
Is my hero.

My dad:
Looks like Walter Mathou, and he, too, is a "Grumpy Old Man." He's my hero, too, though.

Last Christmas:
We didn't know that it was going to be our last Christmas at View Avenue.

I should be:
Sleeping, or pooping, or something other than this!

When I look down:
My neck hurts.

My current annoyance is:
A spider bite on my right arm.

The thing I want to buy is:
Lots of stuff, but mostly guitars.

If you visited the place I grew up:
You'd laugh, because it's a part of someone's yard now.

Most recent thing I've bought myself was:
A bottle of Mountain Dew Throwback. It tastes just like today's Mountain Dew! What a rip off!

Most recent thing someone else bought me was:
Juby gave me some shoes. :D They didn't fit his son, so he didn't technically buy them for me. My cousin, Chris, bought me some shoes, though. Heh. He bought some clothes for me, too. That was really nice of him. I feel bad now for not being closer to him over the years. I've just got so many cousins, though! It's hard to love them all!

If I was an animal i would be.
Some kind of bird, because it'd be neat to fly.

Yesterday I:
Worked, of course.

Last night I was:
Ummm... Oh yeah, we watched "The Omen II."

Tomorrow I am:
Doing absolutely nothing. It's going to be awesome!

Tonight I am:
Going to the mall.

My favorite piece of jewelery is:
Baby Girl's necklace, and my wedding ring.

I am looking forward to:
Nothing really. I like to live each day as it comes.

The one that knows the most about me is:
Dead.

If I could tell my friends one thing it would be:
Thanks, man!

If my special someone were to bring me flowers I would want them to be:
Phlox are cool.

Now it’s your turn to tell me YOUR story....

Current Status

Things just keep getting better for Cruel Music (insert sarcasm here). I just read the news that Geocities is shutting down. Geocities has hosted the Cruel Music web page for over 11 years now. They're going to call it quits sometime this summer. So what is going to happen to the Cruel Music page? What is going to happen to Cruel Music period? The last Cruel Music CD was a compilation entitled "The End." Well, as I hinted in my last post, Cruel Music is not dead by a long shot. Just because I lost everything I owned I'm not going to quit playing, or recording music. I am going to re-build the Cruel Music legacy. It might take some time, but this phoenix is going to rise from the ashes! So, it kinda all goes hand-in-hand. Geocities is closing, which forces the Cruel Music web page to close. So, I'm going to re-build the Cruel Music site elsewhere. Perhaps... Hmm... I wonder... My Space??? I'm getting pretty excited about the possibilities of taking Cruel Music to My Space. The Geocities page was fun, and all, but I could do so much more with My Space. Most importantly -- Sound clips! It's only fitting that I take the page to My Space, since that's where I met Denise. But, first things first... It's time to start salvaging the remaining Cruel Music recordings.

What Next?

Most of the 250 Cruel Music releases were lost in the fire. Cruel Music is, obviously, going to be going away for a while now, until we can re-group, and try to make sense of everything. I did manage to pull a few of the tapes out of the ashes. Some of them are, remarkably, in pretty good condition. Some others can be re-built. Most are gone, though. A lot was accomplished during the 28 months that we lived there. I recorded something every month. It was pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. Now the majority of those 28 months of work is gone. I do have a handful of songs left on my Zoom PS-04. Some were things that I was working on for the 29th release, and some were still stored on there from the 28th release. I'm going to do a compilation-type CD of that material within the next few days. Like a "Best Of The 28 Months..." Then, my 29 months of work will be done.

What next? I'm going to delicately sift through the remaining Cruel Music releases, and salvage everything I can from the recordings we've done over the last 21 years, and digitally remaster all of it to CD and/or DVD format... That's something that I've been meaning to do for a while now, but never got around to it. Now I have an excuse to get started.

We lost all of our clothes, almost all of my guitars, over 600 audio CDs, nearly 100 video games, the car, old pictures, etc. Of all the things we lost in the fire all the creativity of Cruel Music was one of the most painful things for me to lose. I've been meaning to put all of the Cruel Music stuff out in the studio for a few months, but I just left them in the closet. If I would've put everything in the studio I'd have all 250 releases today. But, because I put them in the closet I have *SOME* of it left, at least. Oddly enough, that closet was the only part of our house that was still standing after the fire. If they would have been anywhere else in the house I wouldn't have any of them left.

What Happened?

The irony of the newly-redesigned (in February) Cruel Music homepage is ridiculous... The news stories are never accurate... The rumors are hilarious...

This whole thing still feels like some kind of nightmare, and that this has been one really long, horrible day. It's just too unreal. It was 1:45am. I was going to take a bath before we went to bed. I was reading the Bible while I was waiting for my water to get full. The last thing I read was Deuteronomy, Chapter 4. It was saying don't be afraid of the fire, and talking about moving on to a new land. It was a little freaky, in hindsight. Heh heh. I turned my bath water off, but I kept reading till the end of the page, so I could mark where I left off. I laid the Bible down on the washing machine, and then, almost immediately, BOOOOOOOM!!!! That huge, awful explosion... It was a really bad feeling. I knew something was very wrong, because the explosion kinda knocked the wind right out of me. The lights went out... It was pitch black, but I could see, somehow. The walls and ceiling were caving in all around me. I looked over toward the bath tub, and that wall fell. It kinda brushed me on my right shoulder. It would've fell right on top of me, if I'd got in the tub, and if I would've quit reading the Bible sooner. I didn't know what was going on. A million things crossed my mind, but a fire was the furthest thing from my mind. I thought, "Maybe it was a drunk driver hitting the house." "Maybe the termites around the bath tub wall were finally taking over." "Maybe an asteroid landed in our yard." Then, I yelled for Denise to see if she was alright, and if she knew what the crap had just happened. Then, she started screaming. I ran out of the bathroom to be with her. The hallway was twisted and mangled. I could see the stars through our ceiling. That's when I first smelled the smoke. Denise was in our bedroom. Every door in the house was blown off the hinges, and laying around in `the house. Every window was busted. There was glass everywhere. I grabbed Denise, and just held her, making sure she was okay. Then, I saw a flickering light coming from our garage... The fire was coming. It still didn't dawn on me, though, how bad the fire was. I knew that our house was ruined, and would never be liveable again, but I still didn't know what was going on. Denise threw my shoes to me, and I went out in the yard for a better look. The house next door was *GONE.* There was nothing there, but a field of lumber. It looked like a bulldozer just flattened the house. I saw that half of our garage was blown off in the blast, and that my car was buried in the rubble. I still didn't really see any fire. I went back in the bedroom, and tried to call 911, but the phone was dead. I got my MP3 player off the table next to our bed, and got my 4-track portable studio recorder, and held on to them. I didn't even think about anything else in the bedroom... Not my red Fender guitar, not the external backup hard drive on the computer, not the camcorder, or the digital camera, not even my super-secret stash of money (which was pictured in this very blog a couple posts ago, and which had grown to $2,100). I knew we were going to have to leave, but I guess I thought I would have more time to come back for that other stuff. I gave Denise a garbage bag, so she could get some things. Then, I just kinda went into shock, and stood there for a minute, not knowing what to do. One of the birds that lived on our porch was in the bedroom, flapping its wings in the corner, and freaking out. I chased it back toward the door... Denise got the fire extinguisher in the kitchen, and I started to go out to the garage with it, but then I saw huge blazes of fire in the garage. I laid the fire extinguisher down on top of our microwave, and said, "No fire extinguisher is going to take care of that." Then, we went outside. Neighbors were standing all around. Some of them were motioning for us to come toward them, but we just stayed in the yard. I went back in the house again, and tried to get to Denise's closet... It was in the other bathroom, which was right beside the garage, which was where the fire was coming from in the first place. As soon as I went in the bathroom door the wall to my right fell down, and fire was blazing right at my face. Then, I ran back outside to be with Denise. I took her to the safety of our side yard, by my studio, and told her to stay there, and I went back inside again, trying to make it to my closet at the other end of the house. As soon as I walked in the door the black smoke started gagging me. For some reason I walked through the house one last time, through all the smoke, and went out the back door, instead of just turning around, and going back out the front door. That's when we finally gave up, and went to a neighbor's house. We definitely had a few angels in there with us. We "just happened" to be in all the right places at the right times. If we would've been asleep, we probably would've died. If I would've been in the bath tub, I probably would've been crushed under that wall. If Denise would've been in the other bathroom, she would've been trapped. That was the first part of the house to go, really. The fire hit our garage first, but that bathroom was right beside of the garage. She had just left that bathroom, and went into our bedroom, like, 2 minutes earlier. We lost everything we owned, but we got out without a scratch on us.

The End

Before...

After!

I'm A Rich Monkey!

Our income tax refund came in yesterday. $1,700!!! Woo hoo!

This is the most money I've had in a long time! I can finally start saving money again. Life just keeps getting better!

There was one item of business that I had to take care of, though... The TV in our bedroom has been ready to blow up for, like, a year now. So, I couldn't wait to buy a new TV. It's a Sanyo 32" flatscreen, and it's great!

It's really, really skinny!

And, it's really clear!

So, that was my mom and dad's anniversary present that I got for us. Heh heh. Happy 35th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

The Joys Of Bronchitis

I mentioned in a previous post that I was sick... It's more than sick! It's bronchitis, and I'm almost in my fourth week of having it now. 25 days I've had this, man! I've never had bronchitis before, and I hope I never get it again! For some reason it won't leave me. It's grown quite fond of me. It's sucking my will to live! Well, not really, but I can't figure it out. Jonathan had it first. Then, Debra got it. One, or the other, of them gave it to me. One of us gave it to Dad. I gave it to Baby Girl. Jonathan got better. Dad got better. Debra got better. Jonathan caught it again. Baby Girl got better. Debra caught it again. Dad caught it again. Then, Mom caught it. Jonathan got over it. Debra, Mom, and Dad got over it... Are you noticing a theme here? I'VE NEVER GOT RID OF IT THE WHOLE TIME!!! I'm still hacking and gagging my lungs out! It's kinda putting a damper on things for me. I recorded the last Cruel Music piece being sick. I don't want to record another sick album! It's been done before! Actually it was done before last month. You die-hard Cruel Music fans out there will recall that I recorded an album called "Sick" back in 2002, and it dealt with me being sick. I'm so sick of being sick!

Missing

Our buddy, Ozzy, disappeared on January 29. We miss him a lot. Kenny especially misses him. He's been in shock these last few days. We've lost two cats outside now, so we've decided to make Kenny an inside cat. He'll be safe in here. And, he seems really happy being with Daisy now. They've been playing nonstop for, like, 3 hours.

Super Sunday!!!

I'm beginning to think that me and Baby Girl are the only ones on the planet who could care less about football. That's all I've heard today, man, "Are you going to watch the Superbowl?" And, "Woo hoo, tonight's the Superbowl!" Well, whooptie freakin' do! Football is lame, and the Superbowl is nothing but a bunch of over-paid little boys promoting the spread of mass consumerism.

Sick, Sick, Sick!

Me and Baby Girl have our first, and hopefully ONLY, cold of the year. It's pretty nasty. I got it from Debra (thank you so much for that, by the way!) last Friday. I'm just starting to get over it. Baby Girl got it from me 2 or 3 days ago. It sucks. I don't think it's the flu, but it's bad enough. It makes you just keep coughing, and nothing ever comes up. It gags you to death, man! I lost my voice. It's the first time I've lost my voice since I was, like, 12, or something... Of course I captured the moment forever on the brand new Cruel Music release (248) "Famous People (The Soundtrack)." Currently working on the new web site layout. It's exciting!

My First Photo Shoot Of 2009!

My Thoughts On Nostradamus And 2012

The History Channel is right in the middle of its "Armageddon Week." They've been playing a lot of shows about Nostradamus, and the end of time, and whatnot. The thing I've noticed about Nostradamus is that people seem to interpret his quatrains to fit whatever they want them to be. Nostradamus will say, "The great tiger will fall in the month of the full moon," and people are like, "Well, he's, obviously, saying that there's going to be a nuclear fallout in early March." I mean, COME ON, MAN!!! I'm not saying that Nostradamus didn't know what he was talking about, or anything... I used to eat that type of stuff up, but now I'm "older and wiser," and 90% of Nostradamus's predictions just seem like total CRAP to me. Sorry.

2012... That's a different story. I WANT something to happen so bad I can hardly stand it. I want to see things change. I want to shake things up. I want to see a comet hit Earth, or the economy to fail, or aliens to land, or SOMETHING. I want to see something HUGE just totally change all of society's rules, and screw everything up for them.

WDN Chatters 1005

How many girls would you just love to shoot?
Approximately seven. I don't know why, exactly, but it seems like I'd get some kind of good luck or something from it, being seven, and all.

Do you have any feelings for somebody?
I have some sort of feelings for everyone. Were you implying any certain kinds of feelings? Love, hate, or just any random feelings?

Who was the last person to actually pick you up in the air?
Santa. He tried to kidnap me a couple years ago. I got away.

The last time you screamed?
When I was doing my impression of Debra screaming that time I scared her at Mom's.

Does any part of your body hurt?
No, oddly enough. Something is *ALWAYS* hurting me, but not right at this moment. Weird...

Are you getting mad right now?
I'm absolutely furious! I can't believe the nerve of you, Survey! How could you?!

Is there anybody you just wish would fall off the planet?
Is that even possible? Wouldn't they just float off into space, or something?

Last person you had a deep and meaningful conversation with?
The Tooth Fairy.

Can you keep a secret?
It's according to how screwed up, and funny, it is.

Have you ever played naked twister?
No, and I've never played unnaked twister, either.

Is there someone you will never forget?
Frohike.

How is your hair?
It's approaching mid-back territory.

Are you typically a jealous person?
No.

Do you bite on straws?
Never.

What are you dreading right now?
February. It's, like, 15 degrees out now, and it's only the beginning of January.

Do you get the full 8 hours of sleep a night?
LOL!

Last time you saw your best friend?
I see her every day.

Are you in high school?
No, thank God. That was painful.

Is anyone on your bad side now?
Daisy.

When was the last time you left your house?
Like, 15 minutes ago when I checked the mail, and got a CD out of the car.

Who is the youngest in your family?
I don't even know at this point.

Does the last person of the opposite sex who put their arms around you mean anything to you?
So, like, random people run up to you, and put their arms around you? Man, you have an interesting life, Survey!

Last person you texted?
No comprendo del "text."

What were you doing at 1:00 AM saturday?
Good Lord, like I can remember that far back!?

Are you ticklish?
I don't feel like answering that just yet. Sorry.

Where were you last night?
Work, as usual. Then, later, in my baby's arms.

Do you have plans for today?
Yeah, going to get groceries. What fun!

How many people do you talk to everyday?
At least 42. Possibly even 45.

Do you like who you are, as a person?
Apparently. It doesn't make any sense to me either...

Has someone disappointed you recently?
Daisy.

Have you made any mistakes recently?
You mean, like, wet the bed, or poop in my pants, or something like that? No.

What was the last beverage that was spilled on yourself?
It's personal.

How many hours did you sleep last night?
15 minutes.

Who was the last person to whom you spoke on the phone for over an hour?
Baby Girl, back when we first started talking... About 3 years ago... I'm not much of a phone person.

Is there someone you know you should hate but you can't?
Heh heh. Some of these questions are really dumb, man... Like, "Ewwww... I'm so frustrated with you right now! I want to hate you sooo much! But, cooler heads prevail, so I decide to not hate you at the moment."

Is there anyone you trust who you shouldn't?
I pretend to trust my boss, but I really despise him.

Do you fold your underwear?
No. And, to answer your earlier question, yes, I'm ticklish

Do you like to drink the juice out of freeze pops?
Of course. I guess you're saying that you eat the whole thing, and when you get to the melted, juicy part you say, "Eww, gross!!! I can't drink that!" You're kinda strange, Survey. I'm beginning to worry about you...

Who is the last person you wrote a letter to on paper?
Paper!? They still use that stuff!?

Aside from Driver's Ed, who really taught you how to drive?
Mom.

What color is your favorite hoodie?
Those things are illegal.

What's your typical ice cream order at Dairy Queen?
Oreo Blizzard.

What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
Patch Kids.

What did you do today?
Nothing at all so far.

Do you have a cell-phone?
Why would I do that!?

Are you emotional?
Yeah.

Have you ever had the same dream more than once?
Most of my dreams are recurring.

Do you use chapstick?
I'm addicted to it.

If you were in an emergency situation and you had to deliver a baby, could you?
Like deliver it to someone's house, or something? Sure, as long as they don't live too far away.

What was the most recent thing you bought?
Who knows? I'm constantly buying something stupid.

What is on your fridge door?
Hinges.

Name something you have to do tomorrow.
Take Mom to Huntington... In the snow... In the cold... And spend most of the day there...

What was the last movie you watched?
"The Salem Witch Trials."

Do any of your friends have children?
My friends *ARE* children, Silly!

When was the last time you had Starbucks?
I'm not all that much into consumerism, and weird fads like that.

Can you whistle?
Yeah, but not for you.

What movie do you know every line to?
"Tombstone."
"Young Guns."
"Back To The Future."
"Batman."

Would you ever want to swim with the sharks?
As long as they're not hungry.

Do you know how to do a cart-wheel?
A who?!

What are you wearing?
Jelly.

What was the last thing you ate?
Pancake. I'm starving now!

Where are you right now?
On the moon.

When was the last time you slept on the floor?
1942.

Would you chew gum that's already been chewed?
If it's mine.

Who have you talked to today
Baby Girl and Mom. Telemarketers have been calling all day, but I never talk to them.

Friend that lives closest to you?
Elmo.

Color of your shirt?
Which one? I'm wearing 2. A black one and a gray one.

How old are you?
33, they say.

What is your background on your computer?
Snuffleupagus.

what color are your eyes?
Cherry.

Hi

Hello. How is your year going so far? I'm currently having withdraw symptoms. I haven't ate any chocolate for 5 days now.

Did you have a nice New Year's Eve? I filled up my gas tank on New Year's Day for the last time at $1.69. Hey, it was good while it lasted, eh? It'll be $3 a gallon again by April. Greedy arses! Oh well...

Not working on any music at the moment. Kinda taking a break, but still kicking ideas around.

2008 Year-End Review

Hey. How are you? How was your year?

2008 was a pretty impressive (albeit dumb) year for Cruel Music. We managed to release 15 new albums this year -- the most new releases since 2001 (when we, somehow, pulled out a whopping 35 albums!). Two of those 15 albums were boxed sets (and, if you want to REALLY get technical with it, one set was 10 CDs and the other was 6, which would kinda bring the number of releases in 2008 to 30. Kinda.). Busy, busy year! So, for all of you naysayers out there that say Cruel Music's better years are behind them, then I'd have to disagree with you, I guess. This is only the beginning!

Also of note in 2008:
I finally married my soulmate.
We welcomed 2 new cats to the family.

Dumb Card 1.0

An actual Christmas card.

(Hint: That's not "Happy New Year.")

And, yes, I said *CHRIST*mas.

My Stroll Down Memory Lane

Here's my old high school.

The brick building next to it is the Junior High School, where I also went.

This is the track where we had to go for gym class.

This door is a side entrance to the Junior High School. To the left of the door is a vending area, where we'd buy chips and pop at break time.

We had this old, nerdy science teacher, named Mr. Tingler in the 7th grade. We named this place after him, "Tingler Alley."

Way before we started calling ourselves "The Slackers," me, Nathan H., Jefff C., Jimmy R., and Lee W. called ourselves "The Four Horsemen. (Yes, there were five of us. Heh heh.) This used to be the main entrance that we'd go into the alley by...

...And, we'd walk down this alley every day before school started, and / or at lunch time.

Here's the second half of the alley, on the other side of the street.

We'd come here, and just laugh, and make fun of Mr. Tingler for hours.

...And, we'd later use the alley's peacefulness to get away from the kids who made fun of us.

Even though the alley kept stretching on, we'd usually turn around here at this church...

...By this time it was getting about time for the bell to ring.

This is the fruit market, where we'd also go at lunch time, and buy tons of candy, gum, chips, and chocolate milk.

This window to the Fruit Market had a sign on it, 16 years ago, that said, "No Loafing Under The Shed." We thought that was funny, too. We were easily amused back then.

This tunnel (underpassing the railroad tracks) leads into town, where we'd walk to every day at lunch, while eating our pizza turnovers and drinking RC. Going downtown at lunch was more of a passtime for "The Slackers" (me, Nathan H., Jeff C., Peanut P., Peanut V., Wally V., Chad E., Ed S., John B., and Brian S.) than with the "Four Horsemen."

I didn't take any pictures of town that day. I just turned around, and took this picture of the view on the way back to school.

This is by the Fruit Market, on the way back to school.

This sign is fairly new... It's on the phone company building now, where I'd always go with my mom to pay the phone bill when I was little. I wonder if it had asbestos in it back then?

...And, I also had to take that picture, because that was the name of our coolest, most favorite, and most popular band in the early days of Cruel Music, ASBESTOS!

WDN Chatters 1004

1. I've come to realize that my boobs...
Are kinda flat.

2. I've come to realize that my job...
Sucks oh so hard.

3. I've come to realize that when i'm driving...
I get lost in my own little world. It's a happier world than the real world.

4. I've come to realize that i need...
Jelly.

5. I've come to realize that I have lost...
My marbles.

6. I've come to realize that I hate it when...
People tell me what to do.

7. I've come to realize that if I'm drunk...
It'd be a mighty freaky thing, because I don't drink.

8. I've come to realize that money...
Sucks even harder than my job.

9. I've come to realize that certain people...
Will always try to turn into rabbits. Try as they may, they rarely succeed.

10. I've come to realize that I'll always be...
Complaining about something.

11. I've come to realize that I have a crush on..
Denise.

12. I've come to realize that my mom..
Gets pushed around way too much.

13. I've come to realize that my cell phone is...
Nonexistent.

14. I've come to realize that when I woke up this morning...
I had to pee really bad, and it made my toes tingle.

15. I've come to realize that last night before i went to sleep...
I was wore out, and I fell asleep in, like, 5 minutes.

16. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking about...
Remodeling the house.

17. I've come to realize that my dad...
Will never be the same.

18. I've come to realize that when I get on Myspace...
I like to check out band's bulletins.

19. I've come to realize that today...
Was yesterday.

20. I've come to realize that tonight...
I'm not going to be getting much sleep.

21. I've come to realize that tomorrow I will...
Be working, as usual.

22. I've come to realize that I really want to....
Spend more time at home... I bought a house that I hardly ever see!

23. I've come to realize that the person who is most likely to repost...
Will probably think better of it, and just go to sleep.

Hey, Hey, Hey, What's Going On?

Glad you asked!

I've been keeping busy, as usual, lately. Consuming my mind with as much creativity as humanly possible... In the form of creating stuff myself, as well as utilizing other people's creativity. Trying to keep my thoughts off the fact that my family is crumbling at its foundation (Mom's declining health, Dad's declining sanity, and Debra's... Well, Debra!). So, ignoring all that stuff, and that little matter of my lack of patience with my job, and money situation in general, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL and PERFECT! Me and Baby Girl are holding up just fine, oblivious to the goings-on in the outside world. We are happy, and even more in love than ever.

~FUN~

The Blues CD is done.
The 2nd Christmas album is coming along nicely.
Digging "Chinese Democracy (been waiting 14 years to do so)."
Turkey.
Birthday cake.
"Mystery Science Theater 3000."
We put up our Christmas tree tonight (in the bedroom, so it can be safe from Daisy).
The Fireman (I'm listening to that right now...).
Snow.
Early snow!
Scott Weiland.
Ms. Pac-Man with Baby Girl.
An alan wrench gave me a flat. Seriously. Not exactly fun, but amusing.
Life Magazine's "Strange But True."
"UFO Hunters."
"Ghost Hunters."
"The Universe."
"Smallville."
"Supernatural."
"Ghost Whisperer."
"South Park."
"King Of The Hill."
Nickelback "Dark Horse."
"Ta Ta Ta."
New Pepsi can.
Bush is on his way out, so gas is cheap again.
"Let The Right One In (a lovely Swedish vampire film. Watch it. Now.)"

It's Over!

Finally, after what seems like at least 2 years of debating, we have a new president! Bush is finally done with his reign of terror! Woo hoo!!! Did I vote? No. What difference does it make? Our vote doesn't matter anyway. They're just going to put who they want in anyway, with their "electoral votes." I didn't follow the election at all. I was just excited that it's finally over, and that we won't have to put up with any more of those stupid "I approved this message" commercials, and, of course, the end of Bush. I didn't know the first thing about McCain or Obama. If I would've voted, it would've been for Obama, because at least he's a Democrat, and such a huge change from Bush. But, in my opinion, one is as bad as the other, with their empty promises, and kissing babies, and whatnot. But, nobody could possibly be as bad as Bush was. Instead of the "land of the free," America should be called "just another prison." With all the government's rules, and the way they control everything we do, we are definitely not free... But, hey, that's another argument for another day. The good news here is NO MORE BUSH!!! Well, after January, at least... It's neat that Obama got it, though. Maybe racism will finally start coming to an end now. Maybe?

Happy Halloween!

From all of us at Cruel Music, have a healthy Halloween!

Dumb Email -- Part 2

That dude wrote back to me today! Look at this load of crap:



Dear Jimmy,


I have made up my mind to do this business with you and you should know that this is not a joke but real. I really appreciate your interest and willingness to assist me realize this very transaction and as well share the benefits together with me.I want to re-assure you that you have made a very wise and profitable decision by accepting to help me carry out this transaction because we have a lot to benefit and many more bigger things to handle together once after this very business.


I am a staff of the same bank , where this claim is (B.O.A) Bank Of Africa I am in charge of making this payment of claim to all applicants of next of kin at our bank (B.O.A ) i am also among member of the board of payment committee .


Frankly speaking , i have been following up with the file of the deceased for the past seven years (7 years ) and have seen that it is 100% possible for me to use my seat / office at my place of work (B.O.A) to claim this money through the cooperation of a foreign partner since i cannot come out openly for the claim because i am a staff of the same bank.



Actually , i have the possibility of filing your name as the next of kin to the deceased as to enable the claim . This becomes 100% possible since the deceased did not / failed to fill the space of his next of kin with any name before and after his death , this and more gives room for me to fill the space with your own name as the next of kin to the deceased since we both have the same interest / goal .



According to the bank payment code of 1970 , amended in 1997 , section 24, paragraph 6 stated that any payment of claim which is not concluded for a period of eight years (8yrs ) , the total amount will be called back into the bank reserve account as unclaimed money and the beneficiary will automatically loose the money .



Since it is only remaining few weeks for this claim to end , i don't want this huge amount to be called into the bank reserve account as unclaimed, money since i can divert the fund into your account with the cooperation of both parties .This is why i decided in contacting you immediately i came across your e-mail address during the process of my navigation . l guarantee you 100% risk free of this claim since the deceased died a long side with all his immediate family leaving no one for the claim . this is our life time opportunity .



In view of the above , it becomes very necessary that i corporate with a foreign partner for the claim since i cannot come out openly for the claim personally . and as the need be , i decided to fast and pray , asking God for a helper , the person / foreign partner that can corporate with me for the claim .


Immediately and after my fasting and praying for seven days , during the process of navigation at internet , i can across your e-mail address which just appeared on the computer , based from the fact that i have been asking god of the same i decided in contacting as to explain my problem / need to you as to see if you will be willing to come in as my partner forthe claim before i receive your letter of acceptance .


Please don't be afraid , as a staffs of the same bank i guarantee you that all arrangement for the smooth claim of this money has been finalized locally here in Burkina Faso before even contacting you . I am from Burkina-faso in West Africa, Meanwhile , the best and only way you can work with me is to follow all my instruction very carefully .


1. You should call me on my private telephone number ++++ ++ ++ +++. After our discussion, i am going to send to you the text of application on how to apply and all the necessary informations you need to know.The bank on the receipt of your application of claim as the next of kin to the deceased will forward you with the bank official questionnaire , this official questionnaire contains all question relating to the deceased this questions will be drawn from his file which is with the bank.


Immediately the bank forwards you with their official questions. You should not fail to send the same questions to me as to enable me pick out the correct answers from the deceased personal file which is with the bank as this will enable you answer all the questions very correctly since your ability to answer the bank official questionnaire guarantees/ confirm you as the original next of kin to the deceased.


Immediately we are able to answer all the bank questions very correct the board of payment will forward you with an acceptance letter , accepting your claim as the next of kin and immediately you sign the originals of your fund release order form , payment will be effected into any nominated bank account of our choice (T/T transfer ) within 48hrs . Please , i am very serious , i know it may sound like a joke to you but it is real as a trial may convince you . it is a life time opportunity, i decided to trust you since that the only root to any international business and i believe you will not fail me.


Immediately and after we Might have received this money , we are going to bring out all related documents of claim so that there will be no trace of claim . You should also know that all the necessary Legal documents will be obtain from the various ministry of health and high court of justice to back up the fund from been question by any Government or Enforcement Agent, that means the transaction is Legal and risk free.


I have decided the sharing as following:

1. 50% for me

2. 40% for you

3. 10% will be out for all expenses that the both parties will spendin the course of transfering the fund after the fund have been transfered into your account.


Best Regards

Mr. Kumar Kedia.
Call Me ++++ ++ ++ +++

WDN Chatters 1003

You know those weird, dumb, annoying spammers that just won't go away? From time to time I like to open some of their messages, just to see how dumb they can be. Here's one I just got:

Dear Friend,

I know that this message will come to you as asurprise. I am the manager of Auditing and Accounting department of Bank Of Africa here in Ouagadougou , BF. In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of US$20.5m dollars in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer from Munich, Germany who died along with his entire family in July 2000 in a plane crash. You can visit this site:(http://news.bbc.co.uk/ )

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless some body applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidlings and laws but unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim.

Mr. Kumar Kedia
Yours Faithfully,MANAGER.

I don't know, exactly, what they're trying to sell, but I couldn't resist sending them a reply:

Hello Mr. Kumar,

I am very excited about these things! It's too bad that feller, alongside of him all of his kinfolk, done got kilt in that wreck. Since it happened in 2000 you should be entitled to all that money, you'd think. May I suggest that you release these funds into the failing global economy, as a gesture of goodwill? That'd be really nice, I think.

Truthfully yours,
Jim Joe Paco

My Game Plan

I've got to work tomorrow, and then I start Vacation #2 Saturday. I'm going to be doing the usual vacation stuff: staining the deck, recording some goofy crap (a blues album this time), and holding Baby Girl in my arms as tight, and as often, as possible. And, I'll be doing something new this year -- Looking for (and hopefully) digging ginseng. We're going to check out some "haunted houses (the fake Halloween kinds, that is)." Watch a lot of scary movies. It's going to be awesome! Oh, and I'll finally get to rest my poor back!