She often asks her mom when we can get on a plane and go to Paris

Peace and Love

It's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm thankful for many things. Not the least of which, I'm thankful for everything my mom's ever given to me, starting with life and ongoing.

Glitter and Doom, purchased

I didn't know too much about it. I did know that it was a double CD and so I expected that I might have to pay upward of $24 for it. The second CD is comprised solely of Waits talking to various audiences and sharing his tall tales. Nice and somewhat funny, but mostly, eh. The perfect stuff is on the first CD. Live performances from his Glitter and Doom tour of 2008.

The good people at Grimey's are selling it for only $9.99 (yesterday's price anyway) and it is an absolute must-have for any Tom Waits fan.

Glitter and Doom

1. Lucinda / Ain't Goin Down (Birmingham 07/03/08)
2. Singapore (Edinburgh 07/28/08)
3. Get Behind The Mule (Tulsa 06/25/08)
4. Fannin Street (Knoxville 06/29/08)
5. Dirt In The Ground (Milan 07/19/08)
6. Such A Scream (Milan 07/18/08)
7. Live Circus (Jacksonville 07/01/08)
8. Goin' Out West (Tulsa 06/25/08)
9. Falling Down (Paris 07/25/08)
10. The Part You Throw Away (Edinburgh 07/28/08)
11. Trampled Rose (Dublin 08/01/08)
12. Metropolitan Glide (Knoxville 6/29/08)
13. I'll Shoot The Moon (Paris 07/24/08)
14. Green Grass (Edinburgh 07/27/08)
15. Make It Rain (Atlanta 07/05/08)
16. Story (Columbus 06/28/08)
17. Lucky Day (Atlanta 07/05/08)

I'm watching The Wrestler again tonight and remembering this

Bowling

"she needs lots of love"

Happier Things

I have yet to create a Pandora station that plays French pop music the way I want. No matter how much Serge I put in there, it keeps giving me back lots of '50s American tunes. AccuRadio, however, has a few stations devoted to various subgenres within French Pop: femmes, monsieurs, pre-1960s, and sixties and beyond. So far, the pre-1960s category is perfect for my weird ears.

I don't know how to blog anymore. We link, right? Well, here's the funniest thing I read all night: Makes The Dog Mad. Thanks to the always wonderful Newscoma for that little ditty. She was at this year's Artrageous and I wish I was, too. My only time attending was either in 2000 or 2001. A hotel guest gave me a couple of tickets and my girlfriend and I had a fantastic time supporting the cause and dancing (badly, in my case) to the music.

Thanks again (and again and again) to my mom for generously buying me a car so that I don't have to walk everywhere anymore. Now it's up to me to use this new "mobile device," as Nissan likes to call it, to acquire a second job and bring in a bit more bank for the family. I'm also looking at the Hands On Nashville site a lot more and thinking of ways that I might be able to be better involved in things that help the community. I'm no longer limited to what's in walking distance and that's a very good thing.

I just hope that I can figure out how to make a bit (read: a lot) more money in this world so that I can better provide for those so close to me. Speaking of close to me, here's a pic I like of a kid named Sam.

Shaniya

Forgive the melancholy. Forgive me coupling simple songs to sickening news stories. Usually I don't pay much mind to reports of missing children, but I clicked and read this story and, well, you know. The world can be beautiful and it can be ugly as hell.

Goofing with Picasa

Sibling Dynamic

Duck at Percy Priest

Holley Maher and Pol Buckingham at French Quarter Cafe

I took my hermit self to French Quarter Cafe on Wednesday night to hear the lovely Holley Maher and her band. Man, I miss doing stuff like that on a regular basis. I know her songs from her myspace page and think she's a terrific songwriter. Live, however, there is that magic of watching it all come out for just that one special room of music lovers that cannot be equaled by clicking play at home.

Playing the whole "sounds like" game, I was reminded of a sound somewhere between Aimee Mann and Lily Allen, but heavier on the Aimee Mann.(I just searched for Holley Maher on YouTube and the top clip is her own arrangement of Lily Allen's "Smile.") Give Holley Maher a listen and better yet, support her live shows when you can. Her songs are wonderful.

One delightful surprise from my night out was hearing earlier act Pol Buckingham. This is what I love about Nashville. On a night where the CMAs are being held just across the river with their big ticket artists and high production performances, it's a guy on stage with one guitar and no band around him playing for a $2 cover who absolutely knocks you out and makes it obvious that you're at the best gig in town if you're hearing him sing.

I found myself thinking of John Gorka while hearing his rich and warm voice. I also found myself asking someone for his name. Talent this good you want to learn more about. So I wrote "Pol Buckingham" on a bar napkin and ensured that I'd hear his "2000 Square Feet" and "Afraid" again as soon as I got home. It's great stuff.

My thanks to Holley and Pol for sharing their talent and to French Quarter Cafe for booking them for their awesome, weekly PB&JAM (every Wednesday). Listen to good music for only a $2 cover with two-for-one PBRs, and peanut butter sandwiches for cheap.

On Dirt

Chelsea Hotel

Enjoy a  nice 15-minute video about the Chelsea Hotel. Embedding disabled, but click here to watch.

Natural Habitat

beautiful here