FZ was a Saint compared to his family!

Here's a letter from Andre' Cholmondeley, who is the leader and founder of one of the original and most recognizable Zappa cover bands, Project/Object. The story you are about to read is disgustingly and horrifyingly true!
I've always said that Dweezil is his mother's son. Here's proof.
This is why I will never patronize a Zappa Plays Zappa show ever again (unless Frank himself comes back)!
__________________

hello Friends....

Sorry -- this became kind of a long letter, but it helped me exorcise some real negative shit. It took me two hours.



I was working for ADRIAN BELEW, opening for ZPZ at Ottawa Bluesfest, Canada (Sat 5 July 2008)

Stuff turned REAL ugly.....

Basically---- one of Dweezil Zappa's guys, under his direct orders - threatened, pushed and physically attacked me.... !

For the horrible act of walking onto the stage to watch and enjoy the show. Really.



I should consider legal action actually..it was ...real ugly. real scary. I was shaking like a leaf... They have sued me many times, tried to at least. Should I return the favor? I ask your advice -- should I seek legal action?? I have countless witnesses, I was at work in a professional capacity. Canada law on this is actually quite bad news for someone who would want to work here again....I could cripple the Zappa family financially, real bad news since they are losing their shirts trying to do these tours, pay cuts, playing smaller and smaller venues etc isn't helping from what I hear.



Their Monitor guy, Dave, almost shoved me off the stage, a 10 to 15ft drop, so scary. Scenes of "broken leg in London Orchestra pit" may dance through your head......

These people actually had a MEETING on THE BUS...Tour Manager, Dweezil, crew, etc. Wrap your mind around the level off dysfunction -- to have a fucking MEETING about a guy you hate --- a guy who has never really done anything but piss you off for some reason. Imagine being so unprofessional -- and self-important -- to think that a HUGE festival, should do your bidding and ban people from public areas. I know - Unreal. - But -- par for the course in Post-Mortem Zappa-land. No surprise. Bullying at every turn.



After a meeting on the bus --Dweezil then demanded from the Festival stage manager (ONE HOUR before their show!!) that I would NOT BE SEEN by him (Dweezil).....!! he asked that he NOT SEE ME AT ALL, EVER, throughout the night. I can't wait to see when he delivers to the shocked people at TODAY's festival the same pompous request.



The incredible, pro stage mgr guy, Wiggy, from the Ottawa Bluesfest, ensured cooler heads prevailed all night. I hope we work together again.



Ok, Now, this is a GIANT festival with about 230 bands...11 days.... we are on a fucking SIDE STAGE -- and Dweezil DEMANDS of the festival staff- ONE HOUR BEFORE HIS SHOW - to KEEP ME OFF THE STAGE (even the side stage, monitor area, backstage, etc!!) and make sure he (DWEEZIL) NEVER SEE ME!!!! Can you even wrap your mind around that??? he wanted to CONTROL the attendance - at a public event he is getting paid to be at - of someone he is soooo pissed at. Unreal.



The (very cool) stage manager , when I asked him -- said " Dude - no, I have NO PROBLEM with you going into the AUDIENCE and watching them, front row, whatever. I just have to respect these guys and ask you to stay off the stage.

I wanna run a smooth show - I am here for 11 days, I have no time for issues"

As you all know-- I'm a fucking PRO, and I of course honored the request -- I stayed off stage. But this is after FINDING OUT for the first time....with the prick monitor guy SCREAMING IN MY FACE AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS -- SPITTING IN MY GODDAMN FACE...and pushing me backwards to the edge.... it was terrifying and I've seen a lot of dark shit in this life, trust me on that.



It was unreal. Surreal. The best part is -- before ZPZ played - BELEW played--- and I had met this very same guy - Dave - monitor guy -- and he was COOL!! We were rapping, talking gear, he showed me a pic on his computer of his guitar-rig..which featured the same amp that Adrian uses (Johnson JM 150), like good nerds we chuckled about that as well as his computer gadget his laptop sat on...some device with 2 fans to cool it off, blah blah blah. We talked about him being new on the crew, after I said "Napoleon says hi" --"oh no -- that was the old guy, I am new since last year, etc etc"....We talked all kinds of stuff -- later he claimed "Well I thought you were just acting like nothing was going on". Wow.



So-- SAME GUY turn into a RAGING PSYCHO 2 hrs later!!!! He literally almost pushed me off the stage and down some steps. It was scary shit. I can't emphazise that enough. I am shaking still, almost 12 hrs later as i type this after 4 hrs sleep.



I'm not easily shaken, you know that. But I drive 5 hrs today -- to another fest where ZPZ again plays right after us --- and I dunno how it will turn out.

I went to the monitor guy after the show and said "Dude, do you have something to say to me"??

He copped TONS of attitude, but I actually got him to begrudgingly apologize, I accepted it, kinda, since he claimed he had been TOLD by up to 6 people that I was FULLY INFORMED of my "persona non grata" status. Well- I wasn't informed.

The FIRST TIME I knew about ANY of this crap was when he violently accosted me!!

I think I will call the next P/O tour by that title. --- PERSONA NON GRATA.

how do you like it??

I feel extra let down that I wasn't warned, wasn't told. Joe Travers, the bass player Pete and other crew/band members said hi, some shook my hand, we rapped. I - as I always try to -- will give the benefit of the doubt that each person thought "Oh - I thought Someone ELSE told him". I feel sorry for these people -- including my hero Thomas Nordegg -- thee greatest guitar tech in the Solar System, who I had a lovely time hanging with all afternoon before I loaded in.



I feel sorry that they are all caught between the horrible pressure of being told to DISS ME as part of their job....and knowing me for years and knowing who and what I really am. Terrible - to put people in that position. But that's how tyrants operate. Pitting people against each other. It's worked for centuries. Check the history books.



OK. whatever. But does the 'adult' monitor guy need to have dealt with it that way??? Screaming at the TOP of his lungs, spitting his filthy fucking spit in my face, pushing me backwards in shock?? Later he even justified the screaming (!!) --- "hey my in-ear monitors were on". Yeah right. Any pro engineer knows how loud they are talking!! Ridiculous. Dude has major issues and I will make sure I deal with him today with lost of witnesses around.




Thank You,
André

Now -- I'm not gloating here but.......I'm The guy who, Unlike Dweezil Zappa, has shared the stage with more Zappa alumni and family than almost ANYONE BUT FRANK ZAPPA ..people like Ike Willis, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Candy Zappa, Ed Mann, Roy Estrada, Mike Keneally, Adrian Belew, Denny Walley, Don Preston, Bunk Gardner, Bob Harris, Thana Harris, Jimmy Carl Black, Billy Mundi, Ray White, Al Malkin, Arthur Barrow, Bruce Bickford and more.

Actually only someone like the amazing Ed Mann, Ike Willis, Scott Thunes or Chad Wackerman has been onstage with more people -- due to their LONG tenure in the band (over 21 years for Ed and about 7-10 years for Chad/Scott/Ike)

I'm not gloating. It's called PRIDE. I am proud I have dedicated a part of my musical life, just one part -- to paying back to a man who changed my life - Frank Zappa.

An amazing, genius man I was lucky enough to shake hands with several times, look in his eyes from 3 feet away, tell him a joke or two, walk up to at a concert and give a funny sign to (feb 1988 , wash DC) that made him laugh his ass off (cherished memory!! Making Zappa laugh!!! C'mon - can it get better??!!!)

A man who asked on his deathbed for people, musicians or not - to PLAY HIS MUSIC!! Frank asked for that -- I have always tried to honor that request. I am PROUD of engineering a SOLD OUT show at Irving Plaza, Halloween 2001, raising TEN GRAND for Prostate Cancer research (a show that owes much credit to my great management team at CEG Music in NYC and the great Matt Ross, now CEO of Paul Green School of Rock). I am PROUD of getting many , many alumni out of RETIREMENT and back onstage. I am PROUD of paying my way, losing money to go all the way to my beloved Germany, to play music and hang out with THOUSANDS of Freaks...at the Zappanale festival -now being SUED by Gail Zappa as well.



I'm proud of my work in this area. No one can or will ever take that away from me. Frank Zappa changed my WORLD at age 16.....and I am very very proud to have had the chance to meet most of his players, to call them all my friends to this day. I am proud to have his original family members as cherished friends. I say this not to impress anyone but to add perspective. No one reading this is unaware of the dark energy that has emanated from Zappa central in recent years. It's a thing of real concern.



PS: This is the core of what pisses them off. They have BURNT EVERY BRIDGE with most of the Zappa alumni and family -- and they hate themselves for it. They know they've BLOWN IT and insulted Frank's Legacy. They know they can NEVER turn back -- can never celebrate his deep kinship with so, so many people.



They know that Musicians they have sued, dissed in the press, not paid, ignored as they stood in the audience at ZPZ shows...won't take that crap and will not ever work with them. I have kept silent about THAT part of things for YEARS...but being physically threatened by Dweezil's crew CROSSES A LINE that I can never go back over. Sorry, Dweezil. You should have thought about your actions. Right now they are in court with the ZAPPANALE...they have sent cease and desist letters to Bogus Pomp and other bands, they keep going after the Grandmothers...suing TV stations....it doesn't end with me -- and that's how I sleep at night -- IT'S NOT JUST ME!!!

As peaceful as a person as I am----I cannot sit by with this crap - It's been OVER TEN YEARS of attacks, insulting emails from Gail, LAWSUIT THREATS, threats to some alumni who play with us, falsified, libelous letters from ASCAP/, and watching the SAME happen to many friends and colleagues WORLDWIDE. It's scary, downright scary. The "Zappa" "Family" feels it can just go around suing, attacking, and trying to squash the truth -- but reality and truth have a way of bubbling up.



Why has EVERY SINGLE LAWSUIT filed against me by Gail Zappa been thrown out ?? Why did i win in NY State Court AGAINST Gail Zappa and ASCAP? because their claims are baseless. My band stays within acceptable US and international law where applicable -- performing the music of a composer in certified venues. End of Story.



I write this to all of you -- in case some dark shit goes down today (Sun, 6 July 2008) at the 2nd festival, in Quebec City QC. I will go there - do my job -- and stay out of the way. I haven't decided yet if I will watch the music --some of my favorite music ever -- from the audience, up front, as I deserve. But we'll see.



My boss--my amazing friend actually -- Mr. Adrian Belew -- has not decided if he will perform on one song today with them. I can;'t speak for him but he is upset -- and feels caught between some painful stuff. Again-- the method of pitting people against each other is in play.



I Urged Adrian to do whatever he feels is right -- and to forget about this (I know- impossible). But he knows that I will not at all be upset if he gets onstage with them, well, with Dweezil. You know why?? Because from BEGINNING TO END -- I have always been about one goddamned thing - FRANK and HIS MUSIC...and about YOU -- the fans and alumni! that's all!!! Every last one of you on here, many who have celebrated Frank's amazing music with me and my band....KNOW THAT. And I thank you again -- and hope we meet again in music.



I also thank, deeply, a blood relative of Frank's who will remain nameless -- who related to me 2 days ago, before all this - in email an old saying:

"They .....will get you sick before you get them well.

"

(this person added the words........)

"I urge you to protect your beautiful mind from the psychic poison, of which there is a never ending supply.

"

Great stuff. This made my day. I am trying to do that, my friend. I am trying real hard. You got me through yesterday in many ways and your words will echo all day as I deal with another encounter with this dysfunctional camp.



This letter is public domain. Spread It to others if you feel the need. Post it on forums. Delete it if you don't care. But ponder it as another chapter in this crazy, post-mortem, mis-handling of Frank's legacy. Horrible.



I will get it on my blog soon at http://robotvomit. blogspot. com/

PS -Believe it or not --- when I heard about us opening for ZPZ -- after getting over the shock and apprehension, I decided that if I saw Dweezil, I would walk up to him and say "hey man... I know there's lots of water under the bridge..but it's GREAT what you have done and are doing...and just fantastic how you have celebrated your dad's music - Thank You.

"

Ike Willis, Napoleon Murphy Brock and others are my witness on that, I told them of my intent over a month ago. I was taking the high road -- I greeted every single one of Dweezil's crew with honor and respect -- I genuinely loved meeting the ones I didn't know -- I stayed and watched their show (missing most of Steely Dan, ouch!!) - even after all the crap. I watched, invisibly, from the backstage grounds near stage left. I kept myself unseen. I honored the festival stage manager's requests - great guy. I'm about the music and I want you to know that always. But this crap can't be allowed.



Help me-- should I be suing them?? Should I walk away and just keep living my life at as high a spiritual level as I can manage?? Don't worry -- will go into today's encounter peacefully -- a very , very difficult day lies ahead.



Yours,
André Cholmondeley
Tour Manager/Guitar Tech - Adrian Belew Power Trio
Founder/Guitarist/Grey Hairs - PROJECT/OBJECT - the longest running, internationally touring Zappa repertoire band. Actually Respecting the Alumni Who Made the Music Come Alive.



guitartour@earthlink.net
andre@adrianbelew.net

http://www.adrianbelew.net

The ride of your life

My mom sent me the following burble from George Carlin. I figured this day, my 45th birthday, would be a good day to share with you all this bit from one of the greatest comedians of our time.


The Ride of your life - George Carlin
Enjoy the ride; there is no return ticket.



George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life ! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YES!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and make it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!'
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!


Life's journey is not to
arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways,
totally worn out, shouting
"...holy shit ...what a ride!"

Nearfest X

Just a rundown of the 10th occurrence of Nearfest (North East Art Rock Festival), which I attended last weekend.

Please note: The following are my opinions alone and are not here for anyone's approval. Disagreements or arrogant criticism by any "prog snobs" named "anonymous" will not be posted.

Friday:

Larry Fast - I like Larry and his Synergy, and I found his set to be interesting only because of the visuals and especially because of his short lectures on the history of his equipment and how he creates what he does and why he could not perform live until recently. Otherwise, as a live show, it would have been less than spectacular. I did note that it would have been amazing "under the influence of a fantastic amount of trendy chemical amusement aid." ;-)

Fish - Other than having heard of him, and knowing that he used to be in Marillion, I knew little about Fish. I have yet to check out Marillion, and while I do have Bouillabaisse, I only listened to it a couple of times a long time ago. So basically this was new to me. I thought it was an awesome set. The music was strong and tight, and while Fish’s voice is strained a la Ian Anderson, he more than made up for it with his powerful stage presence.

All in all a great start to the weekend.

Saturday:

Koenji Hyakkei - A great start to Saturday. I loved the music...a very tight sort of jazz-fusion. I could have done without the sax and noise vocals (I’ll call this the RIO aspect...I’m not a fan of RIO), but the vocalist had a beautiful voice when she sang "normally", and like I said, the music was top-notch. I really enjoyed their set overall, but I wouldn’t buy their music and listen to it.

Discipline - Like Fish, I had no idea about this group. In fact, until Matthew Parmenter did a solo spotlight, I didn’t even know they existed. This was the first performance that *really* grabbed me, meaning that I knew that I need to check these guys out further. At the urging of Adam Perkowsky (he offered to finance the purchase), I picked up Unfolded Like Staircase, and it is my new favorite album (I paid for it myself btw). Great set from a great band. They gained a new fan for sure.

Peter Hamill - After hearing one song, I stayed for the whole thing just to take pictures. This should have been a 30 minute solo spotlight (had there been SS this year), not a 100 minute set.

Liquid Tension Experiment - A fantastic finish to a mostly fantastic day. I have had their two albums (Spontaneous Combustion doesn’t really count) since they came out and have always liked these guys. They are the band I was most familiar with all weekend. They did not disappoint. They were loud, tight, heavy, energetic, and highly entertaining. I commented to my festival mates (Mike Montfort and Scott Montgomery) that Mike Portnoy a) made playing the drums look easy, and b) looked like he was having a blast doing it.



Sunday:

Mörglbl - The Sunday prog church slot did not disappoint. This high energy band was a lot of fun and highly entertaining. Christophe Godin and Ivan Rougny are quite the animated showmen, which made getting interesting photos easy. Oh, and the music was pretty good too. :-)



Radio Massacre International - This music would have been perfect if I had been on my couch or easy chair, or even a hammock on a breezy summer day, but watching guys tinker with knobs doesn’t make for the most ideal live visual. From an audio standpoint, I liked it, and I did like it better when they played full band stuff and also when they had Cyndee Lee Rule and Premik Russell Tubbs out on stage with them. The best part of the show was the very last song (full band with a great guitar solo). If the entire set had been like that, I would have enjoyed it much more.

Echolyn - The only album of theirs that I have and have heard is As The World. I remember liking it somewhat, but not enough to keep me hooked. They put on a great show, and I really liked the music, but it didn’t wow me like Discipline did. It was enjoyable enough to check them out further, but the jury is still out for me.

Banco - Again, was not familiar with this band at all. After Fish on Friday, we were thinking that LTE would have to really shine to top that. They did, and then we thought that Banco had a lot of pressure to top LTE. They certainly did. This really is an amazing band, and I felt this was easily the strongest closer of any Nearfest that I personally have been to (been going since 2004). A very powerful performance by a great band. A very apropos way to end this chapter of Nearfest.

Not too much in the way of purchases this year:

- NF program
- Official NF gray T-shirt
- Two NF pint glasses (one for Val)

- Pure Reason Revolution - Live At Nearfest 2007
- Discipline - Unfolded Like Staircase
- Mörglbl - Grötesk
- Fireballet - Promo Sampler and T-shirt (both free)
- Progday Encore? box set ($20 for 7 CDs is a no brainer)
- Echolyn - Mei ($0.99 MP3 from Amazon)
- Echolyn - The End Is Beautiful ($6.99 as above)

The galleries of photos I took can be seen by clicking the slideshows above, or by going here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/clark.m.s

Three years, two months, two weeks, 18 hours smober.
46871 cigarettes not smoked, saving $12,303.68.
Life saved: 23 weeks, 1 day.

Gee...he was just here a minute ago!

Porcupine Tree '08 Update on JamBase

BRITISH PROGRESSIVE ROCK DYNAMOS
PLOT BUSY SCHEDULE IN NEW YEAR

Porcupine Tree will spend a busy 2008 releasing or recording no less than 8 albums by the band and its members’ solo projects.

The first major event for Porcupine Tree is the re-release on April 29 of their seminal 2000 album, Lightbulb Sun (Snapper Music/ Peaceville), in a new 5.1 digital surround mix by Porcupine Tree band leader Steven Wilson. Wilson received praise for his surround mix of 2007’s Fear Of A Blank Planet. It nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Surround Sound Album" category, Sound & Vision named it the best surround sound album of 2007 and Classic Rock Magazine crowned it their album of the year.

Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison, named "best prog drummer" for the second consecutive year in the 2008 Modern Drummer reader’s poll, will join King Crimson for 10 U.S tour dates in New York, Chicago, Nashville and Philadelphia this August, with additional dates to be added in 2009.

Other 2008 projects for Porcupine Tree include:

-A double live album to be released in multiple formats in September

-Filming a new concert DVD in October for 2009 release

-The first ever Porcupine Tree tour dates in Australia and Russia this summer

-Steven Wilson’s debut solo album in late 2008

-The May release of Schoolyard Ghosts by Steven Wilson’s band No-Man with singer Tim Bowness, and a No-Man European mini-tour

-The release of British rockers Anathema’s new album, produced by Steven Wilson

-The release of Porcupine Tree keyboardist Richard Barbieri’s new solo album

-The release of Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin’s new album with Geoff Leigh as the band Ex-Wise Heads

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

Porcupine Tree news!

It's about time!

A brand new edition of the long out of print 2000 Porcupine Tree studio album "Lightbulb Sun" will be issued next month.

Along with "Recordings" (also due for reissue later this year) the album is the missing part of the PT discography. It contains the original studio versions of PT favorites such as Shesmovedon, Russia On Ice, Hatesong, and Feel So Low, and has been lavishly revamped into a definitive 2 disc set. Disc one is a CD containing a pristine remix / remaster of the album, while disc two is a DVDA (playable on any DVD player) containing the album remixed into 5.1 surround sound (in DVDA and DTS versions), as well as a 24 bit high resolution version of the stereo mix, and the original 2000 mix/master. Also included are 5.1 mixes of bonus tracks Disappear, Buying New Soul, and Cure for Optimism, which were recorded during the same sessions. This is the definitive version of one of the essential albums in the PT catalogue.

The album is officially released on 21st April through KScope / Snapper, but is available to pre-order now from the PT Store - these pre-orders will ship 2 weeks earlier. Please note that due to the very weak dollar we are unable to compete with prices at US retail outlets like Amazon, so to make savings on both the price and the shipping costs we do suggest that US customers wait until the album is officially released.


Two years, ten months, three weeks, 14 hours smober.
42303 cigarettes not smoked, saving $11,105.07.
Life saved: 20 weeks, 6 days, 21 hours.

Double Standard?

Heard about this on the radio the other day.

It's a video about a White guy getting beaten by several Black guys in a NYC deli. He was punched in the face, then kicked by another guy while being surrounded by a whole group of male AND female thugs. They also robbed the guy. Front page news, right? Nope. Try page 17. Meanwhile, make a noose at Columbia University and it's right on the cover of the paper.



Animals
This was a racial attack, but you hear nothing of it. Where is that asshole Al Sharpton now?
This is racism working the other way, so it's not important.


However, on the upside, a bit of poetic justice.
Larry Davis is dead.

Random thoughts and observations

I was on my way home tonight, and some dipshit in front of me in a Honda Civic came to a COMPLETE stop on an entrance ramp to a major highway. FYI, there were no cars coming to even warrant a slow yield. It often amazes me how many clueless people possess a driver's license.

Speaking of clueless drivers....do me a favor, if you live in Pennsylvania, or know anyone who lives in Pennsylvania, please help spread the word to all your friends and family that despite whatever the law is in PA, in NJ it is the LAW to KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS! If I had $1 for every PA douchebag cruising casually in the left lane and not passing the cars in the center lane in NJ, I could retire! Oh, and for my PA readers of this blog, if this applies to you, nothing personal I assure you. :-)
Don't get me wrong, we have plenty of our own "Left Lane Dick's" in NJ, but in my experience, the PA contingent far outnumbers the NJ; at least on Rt 78.

One last driving related comment. I noticed that they are going to be cracking down on non-handsfree cell phone use while driving starting March 1. I hope they mean it. I can't tell you how many times I see someone driving like they're stoned, only to pass them and see that it's some asshole talking away with their cell phone to their ear and paying no bit of attention to their surroundings. Frankly, I don't understand what is so difficult about using a headset in the car. Most phones these days come with bluetooth, and bluetooth headsets are not expensive anymore. Even if you don't have bluetooth, what phone does not come with a basic earpiece? No, it's just plain laziness and arrogance. And for those who say there is no difference between a headset or not, I beg to differ. I have talked on my cell both with and without a headset while driving, and there most certainly is a difference in your concentration. Holding a phone to your head with one of your hands adds an unnecessary distraction, not to mention tying up what should be a free hand.
I heard in the news last week that some teenage girl was killed in a car accident, and her cell phone showed that she was in the middle of a text message. Yup...people (mostly young) are now texting while they drive.
Everyone's invincible until they're dead.

Most of you by now have probably heard that Mrs. Obama stated that for the first time in her adult life, she is actually "proud to be an American." The FIRST time? Up until now this country has given you no sense of pride?
Of course, supporters are spinning it to say that it's not literally what she meant. You know what? It probably isn't, but you can bet that if Mrs. McCain said the same thing, the liberals would have been all over it. Point is, it's good to see the scrutiny and criticism go the other way for a change. Nobody's perfect...not even Democrats.
I have to say, I like Barack, but Michelle seems like a loose cannon, and I'm not sure I'd be thrilled with her as First Lady.

Finally, for those of you who wisely held off on buying a BlueRay/HD DVD player to go with your HDTV until a format winner was declared, looks like you can now start shopping. Toshiba announced earlier this week that they have officially withdrawn from the format wars and have conceded defeat. BlueRay is the winner as the last movie company holdout (Paramount I think) has joined BlueRay support. So, BlueRay is the new VHS, and poor HD is suddenly the new Betamax...obsolete in it's infancy.
Sorry HD...we hardly new ye.



Two years, ten months, six days, 15 hours smober.
41705 cigarettes not smoked, saving $10,948.15.
Life saved: 20 weeks, 4 days, 19 hours.

Nil Recurring and We Lost the Skyline released today!

Some Porcupine Tree news from their MySpace page:

Nil Recurring is finally given a full retail release today, and Peaceville have a micro site dedicated to the album which includes a new video by Lasse Hoile for the song "Normal". The retail edition of the album is identical to the original mail order version except that it comes in a super-jewel case with a card slipcase, instead of the digipack Transmission version. Both this and the We Lost the Skyline CD are now shipping from the PT Store.







Two years, ten months, four days smober.
41611 cigarettes not smoked, saving $10,923.43.
Life saved: 20 weeks, 4 days, 11 hours, 35 minutes.

Gail Zappa: C*nt extraordinare

I wrote an email a few days ago expressing my disappointment over the fact that the Zappa Plays Zappa DVD had not been available at any east coast shows since it was promised (back in the summer), especially since a friend of a friend already had it PRIOR to the Halloween show. He had gotten it as a birthday gift! So it WAS available somewhere! I didn't email anyone in particular, I just replied to the announcement about the DVD being ready for sale. Also, while the email did express my frustration, and I did suggest that free shipping should be offered at least for a limited time or at least to the regions that the tour had already passed, I did not resort to personal attacks (name calling, etc). I would post it here but I must have inadvertently deleted it (guess I didn't think I'd need it).
Also, it was the one and only time I've ever emailed the Zappas. In other words, I'm not a repeat or "regular PITA". While I didn't expect resolution, I did expect at least some professionalism or respect as a fan/customer.

So as it turned out, I got a response from Gail herself. I think this shows how much she really cares about the fans:

Mark,

I am perfectly willing to take responsibility for projects which we produce and over which we have control. That is not the case with the Zappa Plays Zappa DVD. It was shot and produced by a company (at great risk in terms of expense to themselves because they too are huge fans of FZ and felt compelled to take this on) in Canada. As yet they have no distribution deal so we are lucky to be able to get
it at all. Needless to say, Dweezil also worked very hard on this project and is very disappointed that it did not make tour dates as anticipated. We are very happy to be able to offer it now - and as usual, no matter what we do we receive the indiscriminate evidence that there are people who prefer misery unchecked and just want to vent and castigate us beyond reason, unfairly. Enjoy.

Music is the Best!

gz

Was that last part really necessary? As I said, this was the only time I've ever written!
If this was just some everyday merchant, I'd bet that no one would give another dime to these people.

And yes, I guess what pisses me off the most is the fact that I will continue to buy their output because of my love for FZ's music, and that I have to help put food on her plate and a roof over her head in the process. And I'm sure she knows this and it's why she can get away with being the way she is.


Two years, seven months, one week smober.
38049 cigarettes not smoked, saving $9,988.47.
Life saved: 18 weeks, 6 days.

New family member!

My cousin Ed and his wife Sara finally had their first child.
Andrew James Nichols (to be called Drew) was born at 3:00 AM this morning weighing in at a robust 9 lbs!
With Ed's sister Jenn having a 2 year old daughter Sophie, and brother Tom having a 17 month old daughter Grace, Drew becomes the first boy of the generation.




Congrats Ed & Sara!


Two years, six months, two weeks, one day, 18 hours smober.
37151 cigarettes not smoked, saving $9,752.17.

Porcupine Tree @ Beacon Theatre

Went to see Porcupine Tree again last night. I think it was my 5th or 6th time...not sure. What I do know is that after I see them this coming Saturday in Atlantic City, they will have passed the likes of Frank Zappa (5), Jethro Tull (4), and Kansas (4) as artists I have seen the most number of times live.
After a nice dinner at Gabrielle's in Piscataway, the four of us (Val, Megan, Stephen, and myself) started the trek to NYC. As expected, we sat in horrible traffic that started immediately after the 16E toll on the NJ Turnpike, and didn't end until we turned left onto 42nd St. What this did was eliminate the time I would have spent looking for street parking. Instead, we parked in one of the nearby garages for a mere $47.

We walked into the Beacon and first checked out the merch booth. I picked up the new "Tour of a Blank Planet" hoodie as well as the limited edition digipak of the Nil Recurring EP. I'll probably keep it sealed, since I already bought the download version as well as the DVD-A of Fear of a Blank Planet which includes the Nil Recurring tracks. You may wonder, "Why buy the CD only to keep it sealed?" Check Ebay for any Porcupine Tree CD that is currently out of print and get back to me on that. ;-) It was a $15 investment.
I bought Val a Lightbulb Sun t-shirt (she paid the parking), and she bought her kids a shirt each.

Then we went to find our seats. In doing so, I found my way over to Adam and Andy from the ProgCafe list and chatted with them for a bit. We were soon joined by Fred...another list member. While standing there with them, some guy noticed my Zappa shirt and started chatting about Frank and told me that the last time he was at the Beacon was to see Zappa in 1988. He said it was the show where someone spilled a drink on the soundboard (that would have been the 3rd night...Feb 6th, 1988). He was also at the Nassau Coliseum show...the last ever U.S. Frank Zappa concert. I was at that show as well. Small world, huh?
Then someone else got my attention and it was a couple of members of the Porcupine Tree forum "Residents of a Blank Planet". A young man and woman who were very nice. They had organized a preshow meet (for a Dream Theater fan board as well as PTree) at a local brewery which I had forgotten about. In any case, I was happy that they recognized me and came over to say hello. Then I went to my seat nearby since the seats where I was standing started filling up. No sooner did I sit down when yet another member of the PTree fan board saw me and said hello. Turns out he is also a Dolphin fan (although he keeps that on the DL lately).

The opening band was Head>>Fake, which is the bass player (Doug Wimbish) and drummer (Will Calhoun) from Living Colour. It was actually quite entertaining for what it was. I realized that you can actually do a lot with a bass and a laptop. They played about a 30 minute set.

Porcupine Tree came on just minutes before 9 PM and played until about 10:50 PM. They were in good form and seemed to be in good spirits. It was another great show and I'm looking forward to seeing them again in AC this Saturday. The setlist for tonight was a very good mix of old and new. They played 4 songs from Fear Of A Blank Planet, 3 songs each from the new Nil Recurring EP and Deadwing, 2 each from In Absentia and Stupid Dream, and 1 from Signify. It was great hearing Dark Matter for the first time, and while I heard A Smart Kid for the first time, I would have preferred Hatesong. I've never heard that one either, and I like it better. At most of the shows so far this month, they've been playing She's Moved On as one of the encores. While I do like that song and have never seen that performed live either, I was thrilled when they went into Even Less instead, which I much prefer over SMO. It was also the first time for me seeing that one done live.

Here's the set:

What Happens Now?
Fear of a Blank Planet
The Sound of Muzak
Lazarus
Cheating the Polygraph
Anesthetize
Open Car
Dark Matter
Nil Recurring
A Smart Kid
Way Out of Here
Sleep Together

Encore:

Blackest Eyes
Even Less
Halo

After the show, Val and I got out first and while we were waiting for the kids to come out (they were sitting in the middle while we were on the aisle), another guy came over and started chatting with me because of my Zappa shirt.

Then we decided to all wait outside the back door by the tourbus so Megan could try and get her setlist (which she got from a roadie after the show....I think it was Wes') signed by Steven Wilson.


While they were waiting, I had a nice chat with Jim Robinson and Robert "Bony" Marone from the NJ Proghouse and the Progressive Music Society. I told Jim I was dissapointed that I couldn't go to see Advent this Saturday and he discussed a lot of the upcoming shows coming to the proghouse, including a few "as of yet unofficial" ones. Funny, now that I think of it, I missed a pretty cool show in May because of seeing PTree at the Nokia the same night. I think it was when the Red Masque played. I should have told him to stop scheduling shows on the same night as a local PTree show. :-)

Then we saw a guy with a couple of pizzas go in the back door, and we figured it was going to be a while, so we left without waiting for the band.

So overall it was a really nice Saturday night out, with the only undesireable part of it being the traffic coming into the city.


Two years, six months, 17 hours smober.
31980 cigarettes not smoked, saving $8,394.90.

A weekend of entertainment

This past Saturday, I went (w/ Val, Megan, and Stephen) to see Opie & Anthony's Traveling Virus at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ. While it was not quite the day I had hoped for, it was a blast nonetheless. First off, I had hoped to get there by 1:00 to join in the O&A fan tailgate party. Unfortunately, there were too many question marks about whether or not it would be able to go off as planned in light of the recent ban on alcohol that the venue had just imposed only days earlier. Also, it was hotter than a motherfucker that day, and the thought of standing outside in the heat for 6 hours before showtime did not appeal to us. In hindsight, I regret not sticking to the original plan. The party went off as planned, and when we got there around 4:00, the party was in full swing...with alcohol. Keeping in mind that I had already posted my wimpy concerns on the message boards and telling them to remove my entries from the Guitar Hero contest, the first thing I did when I got there was introduce myself to Deb Wolfe (a.k.a. HappyTypingGirl), and when I told her my FBA username, she exclaimed, "You're the Pussy!". Yep, that's me!

They had two 5 foot grills going, more than enough food for the hundreds in attendance (at just that tailgate), including steaks, chicken, chili, burgers, dogs, brats, sausages, beans, corn on the cob, homemade salads, watermelon, beer, soda, water, sangria, wine coolers, etc, etc. They had Dru Boogie himself spinning tunes. Not a single cop gave anyone a hard time or even came over to us (that I saw), and I think that's a testament to the fact that the O&A fans are really a bunch of cool people who know when NOT to act like assholes and to draw a line of responsibility. It really was a great crowd of seemingly cool people, and there were no idiots at all that I noticed.
And of course, as planned, they had a Guitar Hero tournament going. Someone had brought a portable generator, and they had the game hooked up to 4 monitors on a pickup truck. One TV on the tailgate, one on the roof, and a flat screen monitor on either side for spectators to watch. Even though I had pulled us out of the contest earlier because I knew we weren't coming earlier, I managed to get Stephen in the Medium competition. Unfortunately, he let the other person pick the song, and it was one Stephen almost never played. He lost. No big deal though, because by that time it was time to go inside to check out the O&A Village, where they had Octane performing live for the crowd.

Some of the highlights of this "village" are the O&A Pest petting zoo, where you could meet the likes of Stalker Patti, No Filter Paul, Big A, and Pat From Moonachie. They also had a clown dunking booth sponsored by the Stress Factory. 92.3 KRock was there with assorted swag, and they had some sort of magician who got out of a straightjacket. Of course, they also had O&A fans brand of contests to participate in, sponsored by Mafialife.com. Valerie and Megan decided to take part in two of these challenges. The first one, which has become an annual tradition and is based on the wet t-shirt concept, was the Andrea Yates challenge. The idea here is to submerse 5 balls underwater in a tub and hold them there for 10 seconds. Val and Megan tied for the win and each got a t-shirt and towel for their efforts.

The other "challenge" they participated in was the O&A popsicle challenge, and it involved sucking on a popsicle to get down to the ice cream center...without biting.

Valerie would have won easily if she wasn't jawjacking to Megan so much. Her carefree attitude was especially disturbing to me because the prize for winning this contest was the opportunity to sit ONSTAGE for the first half of the show.

We could have sat either here:

or here:

The fact that we were 8th row near center made it so I didn't really get upset about it though.

While Val and Megan were getting their tits and snatches wet (the latter of which would be a discomfort for the rest of the night), I managed to get a picture with Rich Vos, who agreed on the condition that I didn't touch him with my sweaty fat hands. He really is a cool guy.

Speaking of Rich Vos, he would be the first comedian we'd see on stage as MC for the first half of the show.

Rich comes across as quite the moron on the radio show, but he's really funny as a stand up.

Mick Foley from the WWE provided the intro for the night.

The first comic was an amateur who was the winner of "Car Crash Comedy" (similar to the Gong Show) on Friday's O&A show. He didn't win because he was good, but rather because he was the only one who wasn't eliminated with 3 car crashes. He fared much worse on the stage on this night. He got booed off the stage after only 2 or 3 minutes. But hey, ask any comedian and they'll tell you it's part of the job.
The first "real" comedian up was Bob Kelly. He killed. He had us laughing hysterically for pretty much his entire set.

Next up was Otto & George. I'm not too crazy about them as a stand up act. They're pretty funny on the O&A show when they sit in and interject George's raunch at opportune times, but on their own they leave a lot to be desired. Next up was Patrice Oneal. Like Otto and George, he's much funnier on the radio show than as a stand up. He held his own mind you, but he's much better playing off others. After that came Bob Saget. I'm not a very big fan of his at all. He has the kind of dirty humor (yes, dirty) that gets old pretty quick. "Alright Bob, we get it! You're not the wholesome guy we knew from Full House and the stupid home video show! Enough already!" He's not bad when he has his guitar though, which is usually how he closes his set.

Then came about a half hour intermission with the DJ and the obligatory "dancers", which Stephen didn't seem to mind. For his sake, I was glad that while the stripper...umm...dancer closest to us couldn't dance very well, she did have the nicest body (IMO) and what appeared to be natural boobs...something you don't see much of these days.

After the intermission, out came Opie & Anthony to MC the rest of the show. Between acts, they showed video clips of memorable moments on the show (like the baby bird video....search that on youtube or break.com), as well as animated videos of Jimmy Norton telling stories on the show that are in his book, Happy Endings.
The last 3 comics were the reason I was here (although like I said, Bob Kelly was the man on this night). First was Louis C.K. (creator and star of the defunct HBO series Lucky Louie), he is a hilariously funny comic, but I must admit that tonight was not his best material. It was funny mind you, but he's been funnier.
Next up was Lewis Black. I was really looking forward to seeing him. He used to be a regular on the radio show back in the WNEW days, and he's just recently come back to the show after a long hiatus. He was one of my favorite comics of the night. He did not disappoint.

Last but not least, on came Li'l Jimmy Norton to close the show.
He killed as always. A great end to a great day.

On Sunday, Valerie, Lauren, and I went to see Wicked on Broadway (which was Val's present to Lauren this past Xmas). Wicked is "the untold story of the witches of Oz." It was an outstanding play; the best I've seen in a very long time. I enjoyed it more than Spamalot, which I saw last year. This had just enough singing to be called a musical, but not so much so that it appealed to someone like me who is not into non-stop singing and dancing. I prefer the type of plays that are more like a live movie (another favorite is The Producers). For anyone who enjoys a Broadway show, I highly recommend this one. It is entertaining from start to finish.

What a fun-filled weekend it was!


Two years, four months, two weeks, one day smober.
30370 cigarettes not smoked, saving $7,972.36.
Life saved: 15 weeks, 10 hours.

ZPZ Setlist

I didn't write down the setlist, and I've yet to find a detailed review of that particular show, but going from memory, here's a big chunk of the set (if not all of it...not necessarily in order):

Black Napkins (w/Frank guitar solo video)
Echidna's Arf
My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama
Suzy Creamcheese/Brown Shoes Don't Make It/America Drinks And Goes Home
City Of Tiny Lites (forgot about this one when mentioning original Ray White songs)
Pygmy Twylyte (a la YCDTOSA Vol 2...smokin' guitar solo by Dweezil!)
Advance Romance
Dumb All Over
Joe's Garage
Uncle Remus
Willie The Pimp
What's New In Baltimore?
Dupree's Paradise
Wind Up Workin' In A Gas Station
Cosmik Debris (w/ Frank singing and playing second guitar solo)
The Illinois Enema Bandit
G-Spot Tornado (this band smokes!)
Muffin Man (Dweezil kick starts the solo, but Frank takes over after a few bars)

They also sang Happy Birthday to Scheila, and announced that Ray's grandson was born that day too.

Oh, and they also did a very short improvised tune called "Suck a Horse", with said title being the "secret word for the night" and was coined by the two gentlemen sitting immediately to my left.

Zappa Plays Zappa

I just saw Zappa Plays Zappa for the 3rd and 1/2 time (saw them perform at the Jammy Awards in 2006) in Red Bank, NJ last night, and what a show it was!
First off, it was great to finally see Ray White perform live (I got into FZ just after the ’84 tour). To these ears, his vocal chords have not aged at all since his FZ days. He belted out the Illinois Enema Bandit just as well as ever. I was a bit disappointed, however, that they did not perform Doreen, another Ray White showcase tune.

They performed quite a mix of material, ranging from Absolutely Free to Jazz From Hell. Ironically, they only did two (or three) songs that were new when Ray White was in the band (Enema Bandit and What’s New In Baltimore...plus Joe’s Garage, even though Ray isn’t on that album).
Other highlights included more interaction with Frank on video. The ones I recall off the top of my head are Black Napkins (1981), Cosmik Debris (1974), and Muffin Man (1977). Needless to say, those were very emotional and moving moments for me....I’ll leave it at that.


I was sitting second row center, which had an upside and a downside. The downside was that the vocals were very hard to hear. The upside was that sitting that close enabled me to really observe two things. First, the musicians that Dweezil has assembled for this project are top-notch, and would easily qualify to play under Frank. They execute the music as well as any band Frank ever had, and they obviously have a lot of fun doing it. However, in my opinion, there is still something missing (besides Frank himself). Sitting here thinking about it, the only thing I can come up with is that they still have not learned how to put the "eyebrows" on it. I’m not even sure that it’s even possible without Frank himself.

The other thing I observed is that Dweezil has elevated his guitar playing to an awe-inspiring level. There were times last night where I could swear he was channeling Frank himself. His longest and most jaw-dropping solo was during Pygmy Twylite. It equaled any "air sculpture" Frank ever created, and dare I say possibly surpassed it. His elevated playing, coupled with him singing a LOT more, has made him a different performer than he was last year. He is definitely his father’s son. Granted, the one important element that separates him from his father is that he has yet to show that he has anything resembling Frank’s creative mind, but he certainly has the playing ability and the work ethic (he would have to, to accomplish what he has).

In any case, I would recommend that even the casual Zappa fan try and catch one of these shows (they’ll be back in the NYC area on Halloween), and at the very least get your hands on a RoIO from this tour.

Oh, and I was totally bummed that I did not bring my camera. I didn’t know what the policy was for either the band or the venue, but it turned out there was plenty of picture taking (no cameras that I noticed, but plenty of cell phones). Also, they were shaking hands from the stage at the end, so it might have been possible to get my YCDTOSA tour box signed by Dweezil and Ray...if I had brought it.
Maybe I’ll try again Halloween.

Two years, three months, three weeks, two days smober.
29565 cigarettes not smoked, saving $7,760.92.
Life saved: 14 weeks, 4 days

Pays to be illegal

This is classic!

Becoming Illegal: An actual letter from an Iowa resident and sent to his Senator



The Honorable Tom Harkin
731 Hart Senate Office Building
Phone (202) 224 3254
Washington DC , 20510

Dear Senator Harkin,

As a native Iowan and excellent customer of the Internal Revenue Service, I am writing to ask for your assistance. I have contacted the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to determine the process for becoming an illegal alien and they referred me to you.

My primary reason for wishing to change my status from U.S. Citizen to illegal alien stems from the bill which was recently passed by the Senate and for which you voted. If my understanding of this bill's provisions is accurate, as an illegal alien who has been in the United State s for five years, all I need to do to become a citizen is to pay a $2,000 fine and income taxes for three of the last five years. I know a good deal when I see one and I am anxious to get the process started before everyone figures it out.


Simply put, those of us who have been here legally have had to pay taxes every year so I'm excited about the prospect of avoiding two years of taxes in return for paying a $2,000 fine. Is there any way that I can apply to be illegal retroactively? This would yield an excellent result for me and my family because we paid heavy taxes in 2004 and 2005.

Additionally, as an illegal alien I could b egin using the local emergency room as my primary health care provider. Once I have stopped paying premiums for medical insurance, my accountant figures I could save almost $10,000 a year.

Another benefit in gaining illegal status would be that my daughter would receive preferential treatment relative to her law school applications, as well as "in-state" tuition rates for many colleges throughout the United State s for my son.

Lastly, I understand that illegal status would relieve me of the burden of renewing my driver's license and making those burdensome car insurance premiums. This is very important to me given that I still have college age children driving my car.

If you would provide me with an outline of the process to become illegal (retroactively if possible) and copies of the necessary forms, I would be most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance.

Your Loyal Constituent,
Donald Ruppert
Burlington , IA

Get your Forms (NOW)!
Call your Internal Revenue Service
1-800-289-1040

Good week for music

This past Saturday I went to see Frogg Café for the 4th (?) time at the Old Franklin Schoolhouse in Metuchen.



It was a really good show, and I thought the band was even more "together" than they have ever been. It should be noted that this is quite a statement considering the fact that one of the focal members of the band, Nick Lieto, was absent (along with his brother John). I don't know exactly why he wasn't there, just that the water cooler talk is that he's "taking a break." One gossiper opined that he is trying to work out marriage problems. What that would have to do with brother John is anyone's guess.
It was interesting to see how they were going to manage without Nick's vocals and horns. As it turned out, Steve Uh handled the vocals very well, with Andrew Sussman and Bill Ayasse backing him up. As for the horns, most of the main parts were picked up by Bill Ayasse on violin, with some slack being picked up by the keyboards (I forget the guy's name filling in).
Anyway, as I said, it was a good show, and it was especially enjoyable because of the very intimate setting of the venue. It may as well have been someone's large living room. I sat in the front row, which meant that if the guitar player dropped his pick, I could have picked it up and handed it to him without either of us really moving from our respective spots.
Despite the fact that the show started over an hour late, and my disappointment that they were actually the opening band (for a band called 3rd Degree , whom I'd never heard of before), they actually played a nice set, including Abyss of Dissension, Frank Zappa's 'King Kong' (with a Big Swifty tease), and a killer cover of King Crimson's 'Red.'
I took a few pictures of each band, which can be viewed by clicking the pictures above.

Elsewhere in music this week, today marked the U.S. release of Porcupine Tree's 'Fear Of A Blank Planet.' Despite already hearing it in it's entirety last October in concert, as well as on several "unofficial" live recordings, I was able to enjoy this material as if it was brand new. This is an amazing album, and in my opinion is one of their most cohesive albums to date. That the entire album flows flawlessly from one song to the next, with no song being out of place, only helps the fact that this is a concept album.
From a lyrical content standpoint, it's a rather depressing album. It focuses on modern teen angst ("Don't try engaging me. The vaguest of shrugs, the prescription drugs. You'll never find a person inside."), offering no hope for resolution and no happy ending.
So, while I listened to this album 3 times today (4th as I type this), I thoroughly enjoyed the music, while at the same time being grateful I am not a parent of a teen, and feeling sympathy for the people I know who are.

I do highly recommend the album though. It is truly a work of art.
For a much more detailed review, click here.
It should be noted that I found this review AFTER I typed this blog post. I add this disclaimer because there is a line or two that is almost verbatim to what I said.

Two years, one week, three days, 17 hours smober
25924 cigarettes not smoked, saving $6,805.30
Life saved: 12 weeks, 6 days

A milestone

I started smoking when I was 19, and over the next 22 years, I had quit at least 2 or 3 times. However, I was never able to stay off the smokes for more than a year.

So, I'm proud to say that as of yesterday, I have been "smober" for 2 years! Hopefully this means it's permanent.

Two years, one day, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 22 seconds.
25603 cigarettes not smoked, saving $6,720.94.
Life saved: 12 weeks, 4 days, 21 hours, 35 minutes.

Gotta love technology (Pt 2)

I was looking on the Cingular site and noticed that I was eligible for an upgrade on my phone. I was contemplating getting a Blackberry or something similar, but decided that I did not want to spend an additional $40 (over and above my calling plan) for a data plan. So I decided to get the brand new RAZR V3xx. On this I can still access my GMail on the internet, and the phonebook stores all the same info as Outlook.







There are 3 things this phone does that my Nokia didn't do, 2 of which I think are really cool. First, it plays MP3s, which I doubt I will ever use it for.
The two things that I really like are 1) It plays streaming video, so that I can check out news updates, sports, movie trailers, etc., whenever I want. But what I like most is 2) The voice dialing capability. Now, I've had voice dialing in many phones before, but the difference here is that I don't have to program the name in each individual contact. I just press a button (either on the phone or my bluetooth headset), and it asks for a command, which could be name dial, number dial, camera, voicemail, redial, or recent calls. If I say name dial, it asks the name of the person, and then asks which number (home, mobile, etc). Or I could just say "number dial" and then I just say the number. And yes, I realize that this technology has been around a while, but it's the first phone that I've had that does it, so I'm diggin' it. :-)

In America, since when...

....does political correctness trump free speech?

When is someone going to have the fucking balls to ask Al Sharpton when he's going to apologize to the individuals whose careers he ruined during the Tawana Brawley (sp?) case? When will people realize that making sure a line is drawn between black and white is what he does? Or that black "victims" are what keep him in "business?" Blacks who are successful and are able to actually make something of themselves in society are his worst enemy. He seems to fight for civil rights...as long as your not an "Uncle Tom."
That's ok though...it would seem that even many blacks do not support this hypocrite:



As Bill Maher alluded to at the start of his show this past Friday, this country needs to take a dose of "Getoveritall".

Rather than continue on a tirade about this, I'll just say that I pretty much agree with this angry dummy:



The thing that many people do not seem to realize is that we do NOT have the right to not be offended. There is nothing in the constitution that protects you from getting your feelings hurt!
And it's only going to get worse. Look at the news nowadays. It's not even news, it's a fuckin' variety show! Heaven forbid that the news doesn't pacify the viewers from hard hitting reality.
And what about the way parents are raising their kids these days. Mommies bringing their kids a juicy box between innings?
Also, I hear that many little leagues don't keep score anymore, so that there are no winners or losers. What the fuck is up with that? This country is fast becoming a nation of spoiled pussies.
Whatever happened to building character? With all the doting parents and those people who cowtow to anyone with a big mouth, this country is so doomed! It sometimes makes me wish I was born 20 years earlier.

Gotta love technology (Pt 1)

The one thing about electronics that you can pretty much always count on is that they will always go down in price. So as long as you don't have to be the first on your block with something, patience will save you money. I finally got myself a Pioneer Inno, which is a combination XM radio/MP3 player. This thing is awesome! It plays live XM at home, in the car, or on the go, and for those times where you just can't get a good signal, you can use half of it's 1GB of memory for your own MP3s. The other half is reserved for XM content which you can record as you listen. Not only can you schedule a recording, but because it keeps a buffer, you can record a song that you like, even if the song is half over (provided you had the radio on that channel since the beginning of the song). Oh, and it also supports Audible.com content, so you can also listen to audiobooks or any other audible content like Opie & Anthony archives. With the help of Napster software, you can organize all your music, including making playlists of all your music. You can even make a playlist combining XM recorded content with your own MP3s.
You can also save your favorite artists/songs so that you are alerted if an artist/song is playing on another channel. And unlike previous XM hardware, with the Inno you don't have to wait until a favorite artist comes on to capture it as a favorite, you can type your favorites in yourself. And unlike previous XM2go units, it doesn't have to be docked in a cradle to record (only scheduled recordings require this). If you're out walking and want to record the song you're listening to, you just simply record it. Oh, and the full color display is pretty cool too.
Anyway, I started this by mentioning dropping prices on electronics. Well, when the Inno came out little more than a year ago, it was $400 (and it doesn't come with a car kit). I bought mine plus a car kit (about $60 itself) for $200. That was a couple of months ago. Now, you can get a refurbished Inno for $119 here. Or, better yet, you can get a brand new Samsung Helix for only $109.95 at Amazon.
The Helix is identical to the Inno except for the outer shell. For a while, Amazon was selling the Helix for $89.95 w/free shipping, but I guess people cleaned them out because I don't see it anymore. I bought 2 at that price (one for Valerie and one for her daughter Megan). The one they have now for $109 is sold by an outside vendor.
So, if you like your MP3 player, but also like to hear something different once in a while, I highly recommend picking one of these up. Like the ads say, it'll change the way you listen to music. :-)

Medieval Times

So Valerie and I went to Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament last night. It was her Valentine's Day present to me (in addition to "The Departed" DVD...awesome movie).
Anyway, ever since this MT opened (about one score and three years ago) I had always thought I'd like to go there. This was my first time and it really was a lot of fun.
When you first enter, you get crowned with a lovely paper crown like kids get at Burger King, except the color of the crown signifies what section you're sitting in and what knight you are rooting for. As you proceed through the next door, you are stopped to pose for an obligatory picture with either the "King" or the "Princess", depending on which way you walk in. We got a picture with the Princess and then they took one of just the two of us. Next, it was off to the bar. Now, if you're the type that likes to take advantage of what could possibly be a once in a lifetime event, and you drink, here's where you could drop some serious cash. We each had a beer in a purchased beer stein (Yeungling for Val, Sam Adams Winter Ale for me), as well as a shot (double actually) of Southern Comfort in a mini-stein/shot glass (also purchased). The whole shebang was $50. Sounds like a lot, but considering the fact that a similar stein (empty) at Spamalot was $25, and that the SoCo was actually four shots worth, it really wasn't too bad. And the MT stein is actually bigger and nicer than the Spamalot one.
We found ourselves seated in the front row just inside the entrance in a four seat section next to a nice young couple.
The staff refer to you as M'lord/M'lady, and with the exception of the royalty and knights, they are referred to as wenches and serfs. So along came our serving wench to take our drink orders and get us set for dinner (there was a separate beer wench to get the beer). The menu consists of (in order) vegetable soup, garlic bread, a half roasted chicken, one spare rib, one half roasted potato, and an apple turnover. Oh, and this is all consumed without utensils. The food was okay. Not the greatest, not the worst. Certainly edible...all of it. You're really there for the show anyway. The show commences very shortly after you're seated, and continues right through coffee. Actually, the show and dinner seemed rigidly timed and synchronized. The show was entertaining. Nothing much different from any other "medieval" type attraction you may have seen elsewhere, except this was longer and had a storyline.
Valerie got chosen by our knight to fight for. This was done by him riding towards us and extending his lance out to Valerie so she could retrieve the flag from the lance (on the flag were the words "Queen of Beauty and Love"). This meant that he was fighting in her honor. Now, I did some quick research on this, and apparently, a knight would choose a woman, preferrably one who was married to a man of higher rank. If the knight won, he expected to receive his "reward", and it was downright treachery for the woman to refuse. Turns out that our knight did indeed win. Lucky for me, he was killed by a traitor before he could collect any such "reward." ;-)

It was hard to get decent pics with the lighting and all the fast movement, but here's a few (clicking the pic should open a new window/tab to the photo album):

Medieval Times

Other highlights of the show were the choreography of the beautiful white horses, and the falcon, of which I got about 12 seconds of video footage. It simply flew around too fast to get any more. Here it is:




One year, ten months, one week, four days, 11 hours smober.
27299 cigarettes not smoked, saving $7,166.45.

Catching Up

Been awhile since I posted anything (what else is new?).

Let's see if I can recall a couple of highlights of the last 2 months...

Back in late December, Val and I went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Meadowlands. It was pretty much what I expected based on what I had heard about them and seen on video. We probably would have appreciated the full experience more if we were sitting in front of the stage, but we were off to the side. It was a pleasant surprise seeing Alex Skolnick playing with them. I had no idea he was touring with them. Anyway, of course the show stopper was the appearance of Greg Lake to close the show.

Pretty much the only event in January was when I took Val's son Stephen to a Devils/Rangers game on the 16th (it was his Xmas gift from me). That was a lot of fun. I had never been to a pro hockey game before, and I really enjoyed it. Stephen seemed to as well.

The biggest thing to happen lately was that I sold my Subaru because it was just too small and uncomfortable for all the driving I do. I think I've developed sciatica from it. Anyway, I replaced it with what has been one of my "dream" cars for almost 20 years. I am now the delighted owner of a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder. It is so much more comfortable than the Subaru, and I love being able to see in front of most other cars because of the added height. Here's my new baby:




Finally, for Valentine's Day, Val bought us tickets to go to Medieval Times on Saturday. For those not in the know, this is a dinner theater of sorts. It's basically an etiquette-free dinner (no utensils) with a medieval show (jousting and such). I've never been there, and I'm really looking forward to it.

One year, ten months, four days, 16 hours smober.
27027 cigarettes not smoked, saving $7,095.14.

MOFO!

Got the new Zappa CD today that was ordered months and months ago. It's a 4 disc special edition available only through Barfko-Swill, and it arrived today. MOFO stands for "Making of Freak Out!", and this marks the 40th anniversary of that first Mothers of Invention album.
Anyway, haven't given the whole thing a listen yet, but thought I'd post pics of the cool packaging and the credits (of which I am included).

Here's the front of the closed package:


Here's the back:


The next four are of it opened, one disc at a time:


..>




And finally, here's the part of the credits with my name:



Anyone who preordered this early enough got their name in it. Also, notice the name in the upper left corner of the pic above.

Almost forgot!

One year, eight months, one day, 18 hours smober.
24430 cigarettes not smoked, saving $6,413.45.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Just wanted to wish you all (what...4 of you?) a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in case this is my last blog of 2006. Considering my usual posting frequency, that's very likely!
Here's an oldie but goody to get you in the spirit. Val and I are going to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra (the music behind the video) on Thursday. Should be an awesome show, and a great way to end a great year of concerts!

Happy Holidays!

Last weekend

I've been to quite a few shows this year, and I have to say that this past weekend was the most ass-kicking weekend of concerts to date. Friday night Val and I went to see Tool, whom I've never seen before. It was better than I had expected. It was little more than listening to the CDs on the ultimate sound system, but that's a good thing. Great performances and high energy.
Saturday, Val, her son Stephen, and I took a trip to Philly to visit her daughter Megan at Drexel U. After dinner with Megan's boyfriend, the 4 of us went to see Porcupine Tree at the Keswick Theatre. It was probably the best PT show I've seen (this being either my 3rd or 4th time seeing them). They played about an hour of brand new material, which was pretty good, but unfortunately it was at the expense of their older material (Buying New Soul being the oldest tune they played). Most of the second set was pulled from their latest albums, In Absentia and Deadwing.

Porcupine Tree | Keswick Theatre : Glenside, PA | 10.7.06
Photos ©2006 Joe del Tufo, Studio M Live


Another good thing was that the kids seemed to enjoy it...especially Megan.
All in all it was a great weekend of concerts...one that will likely not be topped for a while.

One year, five months, three weeks, five days
21770 cigarettes not smoked, saving $5,714.84

Random Thoughts

-- Listening to Frank Zappa I notice that no matter how many times I've heard any given album, I still manage to find something interesting that I had not consciously noticed prior.

-- The older I get, the pickier I get about my coffee.

-- For some reason, rainy days make me appreciate what I have.

-- I really need to lose some serious weight.

-- The only person you can truly depend on is in the mirror. Friends and family can let you down.

-- Why did Marcia, Jan, and Cindy take on the Brady name?

-- This is currently the longest stretch of time I have ever quit smoking for (One year, five months, two weeks, three days, 15 hours. 21,425 cigarettes not smoked, saving $5,624.15).

-- The Miami Dolphins suck.

-- Really looking forward to Tool on Friday and especially Porcupine Tree on Saturday (they are performing yet-to-be-released material).

-- My mom is a good egg.

Get rich quick! Ask me how!

Don't smoke cigarettes! That's how!
I was in Walmart the other day, and noticed that cigs were selling for $6.60/pack!!
Damn, am I glad I've stayed off them!

One year, four months, one week, four days, 17 hours
19949 cigarettes not smoked, saving $5,236.79

Active Summer

This has quite possibly been the most socially active summer of my adulthood. I don't recall ever having a stretch of time where I had something to do almost every weekend, and I don't think I've been to as many shows/concerts in one summer as this year. Of course, I have my significant other Valerie to thank, as the following text would not exist were it not for her.

The Spring/Summer season kicked off with a trip to Six Flags Great Adventure in April or May to get our first use of our season passes that Val bought for us and her kids. It was a little chilly, so the Hurricane Harbor part of the park was not an option (not even sure it was open yet). But having season passes takes the pressure off to try and do as much as possible in one day. It's much more relaxing knowing you can come back anytime for "free".

June 12th was our first concert, which was Zappa Plays Zappa in NYC. It didn't turn Val into a Zappa groupie, but I think it pretty well exceeded her expectations.
Two weeks later I went to Nearfest. See my other unfinished blog entry for details on that.
Somewhere in late June or early July was another trip to Six Flags, with Hurricane Harbor being included this time. Also sprinkled in there were a graduation party BBQ, two birthday BBQs, a "just friends hanging out" BBQ, and even a doggie birthday BBQ (apparently they exist).
July was capped off attending Ozzfest. It was an experience, I'll say that. I enjoyed the top 4 bands, but I also realized I'm way too old to do the entire day, to be a crowd surfing wave, and be a mosh pit boundary. I believe I've been to my first and last event at Randall's Island.

That brings us to the current month of August. Already we've been to another birthday BBQ, and went to Six Flags again yesterday. We're supposed to go peach picking today....weather permitting.
This Saturday we're going to the Opie & Anthony Traveling Virus Comedy show at the PNC Arts Center. That will wrap up August.

Labor Day weekend we have a BBQ to go to, and on 9/8 we're going to see Godsmack and Rob Zombie at PNC. So far that's it for September.

We kick off October with a Tool concert on Friday the 6th. The very next day, Val, her son Stephen, and myself will make a trek to Philly to visit Val's daughter Megan at Drexel University, then the 4 of us are going to see Porcupine Tree at the Keswick. We cap off the month on Halloween for another Zappa Plays Zappa performance at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden, which was formerly the Felt Forum where Frank played many legendary Halloween shows.
As a by the way, both Megan and Valerie have birthdays in that month.

November brings us Valerie's other daughter Lauren's 11th birthday on the 19th. For that, I bought tickets to see Disney on Ice on Friday the 24th. If Megan or Stephen is reading this (unlikely), this is meant to be a surprise for Lauren, so keep it zipped. ;-)

That's about it for now. A real social life....imagine that. :-)

One year, four months, six days, 5 hours
19728 cigarettes not smoked, saving $4,932.11

Syd Barrett dies aged 60

SYD Barrett, the founder of Pink Floyd has died aged 60.

The wayward genius passed away from cancer last Friday in the scruffy semi-detached Cambridge home to which he retreated as a recluse more than 30 years ago.

A spokeswoman for Pink Floyd music publishers said: "I can confirm that Syd Barrett has died.

He died peacefully and there will be a private family funeral.

"We would ask that the family be left alone and be given space at this time."

The singer's funeral will be for family and no members of Pink Floyd are expected to attend.

Syd, who created, named and powered the pied pipers of the psychedelic rock movement, shunned fans and rarely ventured outside his front door following a psychedelic drug induced breakdown at the peak of his career. He was later immortalised in Pink Floyd's song Shine On You Crazy Diamond.

On his death certificate, his occupation was given as "retired musician".

Born Roger Keith Barrett on January 6, 1946, in Cambridge, he was given the nickname Syd aged 15.

During the 1960s, when Syd came of age, Cambridge played a very special part in the spiritual birth of modern pop music across Britain and American.

The local music scene was thriving with bands such as Geof Mott and the Mottoes, the Sundowners, the Swinging Vibros and the Redcaps all vying for popularity.

The Victoria Ballroom - where Marks & Spencer now stands on the Market Square - was one of the most popular hangouts. Musicians including Toni Santi, Clive Welham, Willie Wilson and Nick Barraclough
* now a BBC Radio 2 presenter - were the names on everyone's lips.

But the two Cambridge men who were to have the most lasting effect on British music were Syd, guitarist with Geof Mott and Mottoes, and Dave Gilmour, singer and guitarist with the band Jokers Wild.

Syd formed Pink Floyd in 1965.

His controversial departure was in '68 after he had penned the hit singles Arnold Layneand See Emily Play along with the songs on the first album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.

While the band went on to achieve worldwide fame, he lived in the basement of his mother's semi in Cambridge, where he boarded up the windows to keep out of the eyes of the press and fans. He recorded two solo albums.

Syd's withdrawal from public life led him to enjoy cult status among some Pink Floyd fans, with many websites and books dedicated to him. He was often described as the first acid casualty.

Clive Welham said: "I only knew Syd before his breakdown. He was a wonderful man - a nice guy with a lovely sense of humour. He was very likeable and had no malice in him.

"He was a very talented painter as well as a musician. How on earth he got mixed up with such awful drugs, I don't know, but he liked to try things and clearly went too far.

"I have often seen him around Cambridge but never talk to him - he was always in a world of his own.

It would have felt wrong and I think it would've been a disastrous things to do - I doubt he would've known who I was."

Last year, in the run-up to Pink Floyd's reunion for Live 8 - in which Syd did not take part - neighbours said the former rock star never answered his door to callers and remained a recluse. They said he found it hard to make eye contact.

At this point, his sister Rosemary Breen, who lived a few miles from Syd in Cambridge, told the News he had not spoken to his former band mates - Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Rick Wright, or his replacement, Dave Gilmour - for nearly three decades.

She said: "That is another life for him, another world in another time.

He is not Syd anymore, he is Roger.

There is no contact (with the band members) and he does not want them to get in touch with him."

She added: "He does DIY, he listens to music and he goes out."

Mrs Breen helped care for Syd in the years following his breakdown.

She has declined to comment on his death.

Syd's brother Alan Barrett said from his home in Linton, near Cambridge: "Roger died on Friday.

There will be a small family funeral soon. We just wish to be left alone."

Syd's father died when he was still in his teens. It is believed this is one of the factors that led to his downfall.

The late Bernard Stubbings, who ran the city's main music shop with the legendary Cambridge jazz band leader Ken Stevens, remembered Syd in the early days as he played alongside him in Geof Mott and the Mottoes.

Bernard died in 2003. Before his death he recalled Syd: "Syd was a lovely bloke, pure and simple. We all loved him."

It is understood that Syd financed his modest lifestyle through royalties from his Pink Floyd and solo records.

Group's roots were laid in city's pubs and clubs

THE story of Pink Floyd is well- documented, but their roots lay firmly in the pubs, cafes and nightspots of Cambridge in the 1960s - a highpoint which the local music scene has never managed to live up to again.

Syd and Dave Gilmour dominated the Cambridge scene in the early 1960s.

Syd left Cambridge on receiving a scholarship to Camberwell Arts School in London in 1963 and joined a band with his old friend from Cambridge, Roger Waters.

Fellow Cantabrigian emigres Rick Wright and Nick Mason also joined the band and, after a succession of names including Sigma 6, The T Set, the Meggadeaths and The Screaming Abdabs, Syd eventually suggested taking the names of two Georgia bluesmen, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, and combining the names to create Pink Floyd.

Syd wrote the hit singles Arnold Layneand See Emily Playalong with the songs on the first album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.

Two years later, his brain frazzled by drugs, he left the group, his legacy already assured.

Pink Floyd went on to achieve worldwide recognition with epic albums such as Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall.

In the 1980s relationships among band members soured and Roger Waters left the band.

He started a legal battle with the remaining members for the rights to the name Pink Floyd, but he failed in his attempt and went on to record solo work instead.

The feud, one of the greatest in rock history, ended for the Live 8 concert in July 2005.

12 July 2006
First appeared in the Cambridge Evening News

R.I.P. Syd

NEARFest 2006 (Pt 1)

Attended NEARFest this past weekend, and I must say it was the best one yet of the three that I've attended. I'm thinking that having a front row orchestra seat helped my enjoyment of it. Of the three years I've been to, this was the first time I actually enjoyed every band. Some more than others obviously, but I stayed the duration for each and every performance, including the solo spotlights.
First was the Friday night "pre-show", now referred to as the "Progressive Legends Showcase".
The Tony Levin Band kicked things off with an outstanding energetic show. In addition to many tunes from his solo efforts, they performed great renditions of Genesis' 'Back In NYC', Gabriel's 'On The Air', and Crim's 'Sleepless' and 'Elephant Talk'.


Next up was Hatfield & The North.
I was only vaguely familiar with their material, but I like National Health, which is almost the same thing.
I did enjoy the set, but it tended to get boring at
times. I think part of it was that I was tired. All in all, I really enjoyed the Friday night showcase.

Saturday was kicked off with KBB, a band from Japan. I was a little apprehensive about this one because I didn't care much for Kenso last year.
I was pleasantly surprised. They are a good fusion band that played with a passion and energy that would rarely be rivaled the rest of the weekend.
I bought their 4 Corners Sky CD, as well as the exclusive to Nearfest live DVD. It was a great start to the weekend and I enjoyed them thoroughly.

Next up was Riverside. This was one of the bands I was really looking forward to. I was very disappointed last year when visa problems prevented them from making it to Nearfest 2005. I was especially disappointed at their replacement, Knight Area, which I felt was the most unoriginal band to take the Nearfest stage. Anyway, Riverside did not disappoint in the least. In fact, I think they were better live than they are on their studio albums.
I love their albums, but I enjoyed the live performance much more. I wish they could make it stateside more often...I would definitely see them again.

I'll comment on both solo spotlights together here. Both Richard Leo Johnson and Michael Manring were interesting to watch them at their craft, but I'm glad the spotlights are only 30 minutes. One individual noodling on his instrument of expertise is interesting for only so long.


I was a bit disappointed that Johnson used every one of his half-dozen or so guitars except for the electric. Manring played a very interesting "hyper-bass" which has all kinds of switches and levers on both ends of it which allows him to adjust pitch and tone while he's playing. Like I said, I like both of their playing, but I prefer seeing bands.

After RLJ came FM.
I had seen them once before back in 1981 or 1982, and I recall enjoying them enough to buy one or two of their records (yes, records... not CDs). I also recall being very disappointed in the albums. It would seem that my opinion has not changed in 24 years. I have their 'Black Noise' CD, and am unimpressed by it, but I enjoyed their live performance at Nearfest. Not my favorite band of the weekend, but not my least favorite either. Somewhere in the middle I'd say.


Finally, Ozric Tentacles closed out Day 1 of Nearfest 2006. I knew very little of this band. I have maybe a handful of live shows which I listened to once a long time ago. I enjoyed it only to the extent that I like guitar driven space rock. But I didn't feel that they were playing as a solid unit. The keyboard player was little more than a drug-induced giggling idiot for most of the performance. I don't think she did all that much on her boards. Ed Wynne (leader and guitar player) commented that he's not used to playing in front of a seated audience. "That's right Ed...we're sober and are actually listening to what you're doing." Nevertheless, I enjoyed the set, and felt it was a very entertaining first day.

I'm tired now, so I'll wrap up with part 2 later.

One year, two months, three weeks, one day
17951 cigarettes not smoked, saving $4,487.97