I come old friend from Hell tonight across the rotting sea

elvis9 Comments

I’ve talked a few times about stupid, meaningless holidays, and we’ve just passed another. Oh, i imagine to those of irish descent and catholic faith this day may actually mean something; and in fact I am of irish descent somewhere back in the family tree (somewhere in the stew along with scottish, french, german, dutch, […]

I’ve talked a few times about stupid, meaningless holidays, and we’ve just passed another.

Oh, i imagine to those of irish descent and catholic faith this day may actually mean something; and in fact I am of irish descent somewhere back in the family tree (somewhere in the stew along with scottish, french, german, dutch, scandinavian, and even claims of cherokee).

But a any day named for a dubious catholic saint is a hard thing for this life-long atheist to to get worked up over. And a day celebrating the irish that has more to do with green beer and leprechauns strikes me as one of america’a sillier occasions to get stupid drunk.

Still – for some reason this day always leaves me feeling vaguely sad; thoughts of days past and celebrations of various sorts drift vaguely through my mind.

Maybe it’s the irish in me; maybe I’m more irish than I thought. Or maybe it’s the Jameson and the Pogues I’ve been listening to for the last few days – I’ll be fucked if I know. But I walked around all day yesterday in a funny state of mind, trying to get a billion things done, driving around, running errands; and all day I went from a vague under-current of the desire to cry, to the desire to hit someone.

Plus, the store was sold out of guiness last night. So it was that kind of holiday.

But in any case – Lets say it with song. NOt the most irish of songs, but a song that sorta speaks to me. And it’s the fuckin’ Pogues, man.

I come old friend from Hell tonight
Across the rotting sea
Nor the nails of the cross
Nor the blood of Christ
Can bring you help this eve
The dead have come to claim a debt from thee
They stand outside your door
Four score and three

Listen.

Sinners Ace

elvis6 Comments

My buddy and co-worker Carlos from Sinners Inc just laid a new ring on me. Carlos rocks. Here’s a quick snap from photobooth; I’ll do a better one later.

My buddy and co-worker Carlos from Sinners Inc just laid a new ring on me. Carlos rocks.

Here’s a quick snap from photobooth; I’ll do a better one later.

Photo 33-2

what the fuck time is it?

elvis11 Comments

Well, the dreaded DST bug was about as big a deal as the Y2K bug – ie, not, but mainly because IT pros like myself put in a lotta hours in advance testing, checking and uprading. Of course that still meant a lot of hours at work on sunday re-checking everything to make really-damned-sure before […]

Well, the dreaded DST bug was about as big a deal as the Y2K bug – ie, not, but mainly because IT pros like myself put in a lotta hours in advance testing, checking and uprading. Of course that still meant a lot of hours at work on sunday re-checking everything to make really-damned-sure before users (ie, riff-raf, ie, you people) got on line and starting finding things broken.

Cause there’s nothing worse, for a support person, than when the users find the bugs we should have found.

Thus, today, all is well, but i need a day off.

I must say, I don’t know that i groove on this early DST thing. While I bet I like it later when it’s still light at 7pm, right now, the sun is burning in my east-facing window and searing my corneas. I’m sitting at my desk in sunglasses and squinting; I look like I have a monday morning hangover (or, you know, if I move my head right, I can pretend I look like Ray Charles, baby.)

What the fuck time is it, anyway?

Shiny little things

elvis14 Comments

Seems I’ve pretty much given up blogging. I could claim it’s for lent, but I’ve given religion up for lent. In fact though, it has more to do with time than with anything else. Work has become a fuckin’ whore, a new project starting up, a new team in lower-middle-upper-management and a re-org, bringing with […]

Seems I’ve pretty much given up blogging.

I could claim it’s for lent, but I’ve given religion up for lent.

In fact though, it has more to do with time than with anything else. Work has become a fuckin’ whore, a new project starting up, a new team in lower-middle-upper-management and a re-org, bringing with it a sea-change in priorities that switches direction as often as a witched-up wind.

We’re short of hands and long on tasks, and the hoped-for new staffing is still a dream, not even a hope.

I’ve tried to work up the energy to be creative, or even communicative; it’s not coming, aside from a burst of inspiration in a blog comment or other. In truth only minor moments of joy are getting me through the day without my head exploding.

Little things, like the ipod jack that came stock in my truck, finally letting me choose my own music and getting me playing several bands I hadn’t listened to in a while.

Little things like the ring I’m due to get any day from my pal Carlos at Sinners Inc.

Little things, like watching firefly with my daughter; she’s old enough to get the sci fi now, and old enough to handle the more adult moments, without understanding jokes like I’ll be in my bunk. Plus, no one else appreciated the fact that I own the exact same bowie knife Jayne carries (including a replica of the sheath) quite as much as Olivia did.

Little things like looking out my east-facing window and seeing winter turning into spring, and knowing that way lies better things and better times.

Little things that make the day better. Shiny, as they say on firefly. Shiny little things.

Marquee Moon

elvis2 Comments

Because it’s time for songs when we can’t actually blog. Ray made mention of this the other day, which made me realize I only owned in on vinyl, which made me go order the 2003 remastered version. I remember how the darkness doubled I recall lightning struck itself. I was listenin listenin’ to the rain […]

Because it’s time for songs when we can’t actually blog.

Ray made mention of this the other day, which made me realize I only owned in on vinyl, which made me go order the 2003 remastered version.

I remember
how the darkness doubled
I recall
lightning struck itself.
I was listenin
listenin’ to the rain
I was hearin’
hearin’ something else.

Life in the hive puckered up my night,
the kiss of death, the embrace of life
there I stand neath the Marquee Moon, just
waiting…
Hesitating..
I ain’t waiting

I spoke to a man
down at the tracks.
And I asked him
how he don’t go mad.
He said: “Look here, junior, don’t you be so happy.
And for Heaven’s sake, don’t you be so sad.”

Life in the hive puckered up my night
the kiss of death, the embrace of life
there I stand neath the Marquee Moon, just waiting…
Hesitating..
I ain’t waiting

Well, a Cadillac
it pulled out of the graveyard,
Pulled up to me,
oh they said get in.
Then the Cadillac
it puttered back into that graveyard
Me, I got out again.

Life in the hive puckered up my night
the kiss of death, the embrace of life
there I stand neath the Marquee Moon, just waiting…
Hesitating..
I ain’t waiting – Uh-uh!

—Television, Marquee Moon
(I’m not completely sure these lyrics are right, I found about three diff. versions but this is closest to the ones in the CD)

Listen here. It’s 10:47, but listen to the whole fuckin’ thing, the guitar solo is brilliant. I’d forgotten how great this album is.

Ain’t he Funky

elvis6 Comments

i just figured out how to make ring tones for my phone in iTunes, and xfer them via bluetooth. Here’s my current ringtone. Now I just need to find a good (free) app for OSX or Linux that lets me clean up the audio, boost volume, and do fades.

i just figured out how to make ring tones for my phone in iTunes, and xfer them via bluetooth.

Here’s my current ringtone.

Now I just need to find a good (free) app for OSX or Linux that lets me clean up the audio, boost volume, and do fades.

hyperdrive

elvis3 Comments

Between work and real life issues, I’m completely failed as a blogger lately. I’d say I’m taking a break from blogging only that’s far more organized than i feel right now. I don’t even have time or bandwidth to think. My world’s gone into hyperdrive – and I’m not seeing anything to slow that down […]

Between work and real life issues, I’m completely failed as a blogger lately. I’d say I’m taking a break from blogging only that’s far more organized than i feel right now. I don’t even have time or bandwidth to think.

My world’s gone into hyperdrive – and I’m not seeing anything to slow that down for a while.

I think I’m only updating because I’m tired of seeing the same post sitting here day after day.

Titanic

elvis25 Comments

I pulled the trigger. That ain’t mine – mine’s an 06 and it’s a darker color (they call it granite, I call it gun-metal gray). But it’s close enough. Pix of the real one to be posted as soon as I get time. Edit: I found a better pic that’s closer in color. Still not […]

23 Titan Crew Gal-1

I pulled the trigger.

That ain’t mine – mine’s an 06 and it’s a darker color (they call it granite, I call it gun-metal gray). But it’s close enough.

Pix of the real one to be posted as soon as I get time.

Edit: I found a better pic that’s closer in color. Still not mine but you get the idea.

400Px-Nissan-Titan-Crewcab

Be My Guru

elvis3 Comments

One of my fave bands of all time, the Hoodoo Gurus, are (for now at least) back together and touring. This is it for US dates as far as I know: March 16, 2007 Austin, TX SXSW – Aussie Bar B Q show March 17, 2007 Dallas, TX Club Dada March 20, 2007 New York, […]

One of my fave bands of all time, the Hoodoo Gurus, are (for now at least) back together and touring.

This is it for US dates as far as I know:

Machschau-Thumb-1-2

March 16, 2007 Austin, TX SXSW – Aussie Bar B Q show
March 17, 2007 Dallas, TX Club Dada
March 20, 2007 New York, NY B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill
March 21, 2007 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe
March 23, 2007 Toronto, ON The Horseshoe Taven
March 25, 2007 Chicago, IL The Abbey
March 26, 2007 Aspen, CO Belly UP
March 27, 2007 San Diego, CA Belly up
March 28, 2007 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
March 30, 2007 Anaheim, CA House of Blues Anaheim
March 31, 2007 San Francisco, CA Cafe de Nord

I just bought my tickets to that last one in SF.

Last time I saw this band, i left with my ears almost bleeding, cigarette burns on my arm, and a strange woman’s lipstick on my mouth. It was a fabulous show. They absolutely rocked. I wish I could fly down south to seem another show.

Celebrating love

elvis2 Comments

I always wish, on this day of the year, that I had something to say; something pithy or eloquent, something philosophical or carnal. I feel I should talk about love; love of the heart, love of the body. About the celebration – both in a universal sense, LOVE in capital letters, and in the small-scale, […]

I always wish, on this day of the year, that I had something to say; something pithy or eloquent, something philosophical or carnal.

I feel I should talk about love; love of the heart, love of the body. About the celebration – both in a universal sense, LOVE in capital letters, and in the small-scale, personal sense, to celebrate one’s love, or loves, as people, as minds, as bodies.

I get lost in it; i wind up ranting about the inherent wrongness of a holiday where we mix up the love of child or parent or friend, with love, love in the filthy, sweaty, carnal, animal sense. We give our kids paper to pass out to classmates, and buy gifts that buy favor. We celebrate, not love, not romance, but commerce and acquisition. We celebrate love by buying things.

And there you see, i’ve done it again. When I want to talk about love – love in it’s purest, most profoundly human, physical, biochemical sense, I wind up angry with our language’s failure in words that mean love, and our culture’s schizophrenic confusion about what love is, and how it’s celebrated.

Celebrate love where you find it. There is nowhere near enough. If you love someone, tell them. If someone you love is with you, do not let them get away. And do not scoff at the word love; it’s nowhere near enough, as words go, to define something so huge, important, and varied. Yet it’s the word we have. Celebrate it.