Play ball. Pause. Smell a flower. 

On Fire, Into Fire!

My new favorite rock band

While at work, I strike up a conversation with a girl whose boyfriend is in a band called the Burden Brothers. He used to be in Ministry and GWAR. My interest piqued (I love Ministry), I turn to Rhapsody later that night at home to check out what they sound like. Well, they rock indeed. And now, it is your turn to read up on them, tell your friends about them and go see them when they play in your town.

"We're travelin' down that lonesome road"

I am thirty-five years old and I think that the first rock song I really paid attention to was "Flirtin' With Disaster" by Molly Hatchet. Their lead singer, Danny Joe Brown, died today of diabetes complications.

From the mouths of salespeople...

So, in respect to familial growth, our Chrysler Cirrus will no longer do as a means of comfortably transporting the 5 Murfreesboro Béziats. And so it is that we search a bit and settle on buying a 2002 Honda Odyssey. It stresses me to no end to be making payments on a vehicle, something I have never done. But I agree with my beautiful wife that it is both necessary and in our budget.

Cutting to the chase, my favorite part of the story is after we have signed all of the paperwork and are just about to get into the Odyssey and drive home. My wife is strapping our young crumbsnatchers into their carseats and the saleslady and I are standing together watching. This is when she quietly says to me, "Michael, you are really blessed." There is a slight and steady pause, just enough for me to wonder where she is going with this. Will she say that I have a lovely family? Will she stay in sales mode and touch on the excellent safety features or the great deal I got? She finally nods her head while gazing at the van and finishes, "You got the one with leather seats."

Oh boy. Blessed indeed.

Because I'm a man...

...I could watch this all day long.

Music, photography, and free time

On this, a brisk Wednesday night, I have a rare night off from work. The plans are to take myself out to the Bunganut Pig and listen to some jazz that the Nashville Scene deems to be good. I put on my good shirt, gather my things, and at the last minute, change my mind. Instead, I put on some Warren Zevon and peruse some blogs I like. I am sure that I made the right decision.

Zevon, of course, died of lung cancer in 2003. A coworker of mine just lost his little brother also to cancer a few days ago. While listening to Warren's resonant voice, I am viewing pitcherlady's photoblog on the homeless in our fair city. Do I live a rich life or what? My problems are the dreams of others. Elsewhere on the web, I read the following story. What's the cost of homelessness?

In addition to my familial obligations and joys, I still search for my purpose. There are two truths that have been loud in my mind lately. One, I feel that my talents are being wasted. Two, I have no idea what those talents are.

I read an article in Psychology Today recently that explained why money was not indeed a true source of happiness, which is nice to know since I have very little of it. But then it went on to say that a good circle of friends and plenty of free time were the true sources. Hmmm...my circle is quite small because I have so very little free time. That said, I have no complaints. "I am what I am, and I ain't what I ain't." -John Prine

My Homework...

Get to know more about Andy Stern. The beautiful and bright Arianna Huffington is currently wowed by him, and that's enough to pique my interest.

Time for mindless diversions

Well, I don't recall if I heard someone else do this or if I thought it up all on my own, but translating lyrics to another language and then back to English is the new black.

I submit the following fun example:

Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" (English to French and then back to English)

I remember when the rock was young
I and Suzie had so much the recreation
to hold with the hands and the creaming of the stones
had an old gold Chevy and a place of my clean

but the largest blow-of-foot I ever obtained
made a thing called the rock of crocodile
while the other kids rocked around the clock
which we were hopping and bopping to be rocked of crocodile

of well of rock of crocodile is something which shocks
when your feet right cannot keep
me yet never knew that I a better time and me never guesses

mama OH Lawdy of will these Friday nights
when Suzie wore dresses strongly
and to rock of crocodile was out of sight

but the years were passed and the rock just died
Suzie disappeared and on the left hanging a few long nights of the foreign type
to us crying by the machine record
dreaming of my Chevy and my old jean
but they quivers will never kill which we have the
burn to the rock of quickly learning crocodile
as the weeks went to beyond
us really thought that the rock of crocodile would last