Plums are awesome!

 

I don't know why this is such a recent discovery. I mean, I used to eat plums every once in a while, way back when I was a kid. When my family was living in northern New Mexico, we had peach trees, and plum trees, and apple trees, and grape vines, and strawberry patches...but all I remember about it today, is what a huge pain in the ass it was to have to rake the leaves and pick up the shriveled wormed out fruit that they left behind. It took DAYS, and dozens of bags. I practically HATED those trees.

 

But about a month ago, as I decided to try and clean up my daily menu, I decided to pick up some fresh fruit. And BOOM, I hit the jackpot. The most unbelievably delicious plums I have ever had I my life. And I thought to myself, "Hey, who the hell has been hiding these things from me all these years?! Gimme! Gimme More Plums!!"

 

I Have Tasted Heaven, And Heaven Tastes Like A Plum.

 

So, now, I can't get enough of them. I buy them 5 at a time, and when I run out I go down to the store and buy more. They're just so damn good. Easy to eat. Not too messy. Bitter skin with sweet insides. Plums are now tied with Pineapple, as my favorite fruit.

 

Yes Sir. Head first, I've plummeted into plump plums, and I'm plumb head over heels.

 

Hey, know what I love? Plums.

Houses are big, and I like non sequiturs 

Yeah, I haven't posted in a while.
Mostly, because I just lost my job last week.

I hated it anyway, and I had been looking for something else already, so I don't miss going in there everyday. However, not having an income does suck. Worse than anything, is that I have to put my CD on hold, now. I just can't in clear conscience put any more money into it, until I get some more work.

Anyway, roll with the punches, is what I always say. Actually, I never say that, but I'm kinda have to Do it.

By: Sammy Beazer

So, guess what sports fans. The Olympics are coming up. That’s right, The 2004 Summer Olympic Games will be kicking off next month. OoooWEEEE, am I excited.

This year, the games will be taking place in the original setting, and birthplace of the first Olympic games, Rome.

Even though I really enjoyed last year’s games in Seoul, Korea, I think this is an excellent idea.

I have heard, though, that the Roman government is very concerned about national safety and security during the games. And I have to admit, it is not entirely unfounded. In this day and age, no country is really safe from a US invasion.

Anyway, the athletes are confident & pumped, which really is the most important thing, right? I can’t wait to see the track and field events. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to see the triumphant return of my hero, Mary Becker-Slaney. She’s still pretty pissed off at that barefoot Zola Bud. But of course, she has to understand that there are different rules that apply to South Africans once they take their shoes off. And now, the Olympic rulebook completely sanctions tripping one’s competitors.

Then of course, there’s the swimming, too! Who can forget the 1984 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, when the water was dominated by the ‘Albatross’ himself, Greg Louganis.
Man, he was like a little adopted Samoan jet-boat, covered in human flesh.

Another set of events I’m really looking forward to, is of course, Gymnastics. Why, it seems like only yesterday, when tiny Kerri Strug, in spite of her amputated foot, nailed the dismount from her balance-beam routine to win the gold medal for the Americans. I swear, for me, it was the highlight of that year’s Olympics in Seoul, Korea.

Well, there is so much awesome action that’ll be going on, it will be hard to choose what to watch. Beach Volleyball, Steeple Chase, Badminton…

If, and I do mean IF, I can manage to tear myself away from the Trampoline Gymnastics, (Yes folks, I’m with you. It’s about damn time they added this event.), if I can tear myself away, I’m sure that I won’t allow myself to miss the Basketball tournament. This is always so satisfying to watch, because it’s really the greatest opportunity for our humble, modest, ‘Dream Team’ to represent our country and display to the world the honor and sportsmanship that American basketball is known for.

Well, as you can see, I really have Olympic Scarlet Fever. But, I’m sorry, I just can’t help it. Although it has become quite frivolous with all of it’s hooplah about athletes using cocaine and horse steroids, (oh, puuulease. Just let them play!) it is still the greatest sporting event on the planet, and the greatest stage to Show the planet just who is the best people ON that planet. Us.

Or should I say, Us…A!!!

USA! USA! USA!…

I wanted to announce the debut of my NEW photo-blog, K-PHLOG.
TextAmercia got worse & worse, and by chance, Blogger introduced their new photo capabilites. So, I switched over completely.

Go ahead and click on the 'photo-blog' button to the right, to check it out. I'll be adding new photos there, as often as I can get around to it. And also, if you happen to have a photoblog, please let me know. I'd love to take a look.

Well, Si, I'll touch on it briefly. Briefly, because I'm embarrassed by it. I'm quite timid about saying anything, because the truth is that my blog is not exactly TOTALLY anonymous.

But...apparently... I'm an asshole.
Why? I think it's because when I go out with a girl, and it becomes clear that we're not really a love connection, I don't have a 'talk' with them.
This is now clearly a HUGE jerk move on my part. Even though I do my best, I give off signals, I keep things friendly, the fact that nature might step in, and we talk to each other less & less, seems to be the absolute wrong way to go about things.
It appears that I'm supposed to actually TELL them, "I thought we would be good together, but it turns out that we're not". (assuming that I'm even conscious of feeling that way at the time)

I wasn't really seeing this, until I had dinner & drinks with a friend of mine (someone who knows the friend of someone I dated), and he got drunk enough to clue me.
He said that this friend of the girl I went out with, was 'not impressed' by me and how I handled things.

Believe it or not, this KILLS me. I work very hard at being a good person. I care a lot about people's feelings. But I never knew that I was breaking some kind of rule, and building a reputation for being a black sinister force in the process.

I mean, I went out a few times with a girl recently. We got along great. One day, I left her a message about getting together. She never responded. A day or two later, I sent an e-mail. Again, no response. Now, I'll admit, I might have been a little confused, but I definitely got the message. We didn't work out for one reason or another. I don't like her any less because of it. 
In fact, there was someone that I was with for over a month, and I TRIED do have a 'talk' with her. But she stopped returning my calls. I never thought of her as cold-hearted, or immature.

I also think that I need to clarify that I am not talking about A LOT of women, here. I'm not going out with a different girl every week or anything like that. These anecdotes reference 2 or 3 girls over the last 4 years or so. And these are not lengthy relationships by any means, either.

Anyway, I guess I'm writing this partly to see if there's any advice willing to drop my way, and partly because I feel so bad about it.
I'm not a bad guy, honest. (and definitely not a womanizing gigolo)

So, am I unmotivated? Uninspired? Too busy to think? Flat out tired?

You got ME. (oh, and did you like how I rhymed that, up above?)

Anyway, I'm annoyed. Why can't I post. What the hell is keeping me from sharing my inner most thoughts with complete strangers? I used to do it everyday. Now, it's like once a week, because I feel guilty if I go any longer than that.
What's THAT all about? Why should I feel guilty?
Actually, I think it's because so many strangers aren't all that 'strange' anymore. CB, Bruno, & Si, are some of people out there that actually seem slightly interested in what I've got to say. And what have I got to say? Not Much. But that's where the charm of the circumstances lies. People from all over the world stop by, and then stop by the places that I stop by at, and it grows and grows. All because I hate the smell of nursing homes, and choose to type a paragraph about it.

Anybody know what a 'click-track' is?

Basically, it's a metronome that's played through your headphones when you're recording in a studio. You listen to the tempo of the clicks, and play along with it. Nowadays, most people use them (especially if the recording is for commercial use), but many musicians still choose to do it the old-fashioned way, with their gut. Clearly, click-tracks are not totally necessary, but with current technology, if everything is in perfect rhythm, you have many more options to add, take out, or improve anything previously recorded. You can say, 'hey, you know that drum beat in the middle there? I want to have a roll there' and then you just cue up that moment, play it again, and insert it. If you DON'T use a click, then timing any new part is basically a guessing game.

Is it as romantic & organic an experience? No.
Is it impressive & valuable technology? Yes.

It's simply the way things are done these days. There's really no reason to debate it's existence.
But what the issue is.. is this:
it's Fucking HARD to play with a click-track.