I only go for the coffee bar. Honest.

"Hustler Hollywood is an adult superstore that includes a coffee bar with high-end gourmet foods and pastries." - from www.bizjournals.com

Opening today in my fair city. Free pastries with the purchase of pasties maybe?

Paige and Joshua at the park

For Kate's Sake

A coworker and valued friend of mine sent me this link. Join me in wishing her nieces well.

Strange Fruit

Senate apologizes for lynchings: article

Here is a better article, with the story of James Cameron, who is the only known survivor of any lynching.

"Strange Fruit" refers to a moving Nina Simone song on the subject.

Piper At The G8s Of Dawn

It doesn't thrill me like it would have ten or fifteen years ago, but I was happy to read that Roger Waters and Pink Floyd have briefly reunited to perform at Live 8 "to persuade the G8 leaders to make huge commitments to the relief of poverty." It's nice that cross boys can shrug a grudge aside from time to time to the benefit of those less fortunate.

The related news from this weekend is that the G8 has agreed to write off 55 billion US dollars owed to it by 38 poverty stricken countries. And the concert hasn't yet begun. My friend, Sam Davidson, wrote about this with more eloquence and links at his blog. Read up and learn more.

Bonnaroom At The Inn

At my hotel this weekend, we had three different types of travelers. Country music fans for CMT's Fan Fest, racing fans for the race at Nashville Speedway, and many a fan and artist for Manchester's Bonnaroo. What do all of these people have in common? They all think that all it does here is rain.

I'm not a racing fan, nor do I really care for country music all that much. Bonnaroo however...how cool it would have been to have gone. I really miss going to shows, but I'm all grown up now (and it helps that I am generally broke). I still fill my head with music; I just do so via the computer. I listen to famous eclectic radio stations on the web and stream tunes with Rhapsody. Currently, thanks to the Garden State soundtrack, The Shins are getting strong airplay in my automobile, and I'm always looking for the next cool thing.

Back at the hotel, I was happy to meet Adam Topol (pictured), drummer for Jack Johnson. An exceptionally nice and cool guy, and he really sounds great on Jack's CDs. He seems to be considering a move to Nashville. I gave him a Nashville Scene, told him about Grimey's, and gave him a glowing review of my fair city. Come on over, Adam. It's sunny today.

Thank you, Hard Rock Poolcam

Hard Rock Hotel Poolcam - For those hot days around the house, in the summer, with no AC, and no money. A warm respite indeed!

This Playlist Is So Money

1. Fever - Peggy Lee
2. Jack, You're Dead - Louis Jordan
3. Take Five - The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4. Reefer Man - Cab Calloway
5. Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini
6. But I Was Cool - Oscar Brown Jr.
7. Walk On The Wild Side - Jimmy Smith
8. Twisted - Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
9. Beat Girl - John Barry
10. (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 - Nat King Cole
11. Manteca - Dizzy Gillespie
12. The Ballad Of All The Sad Young Man - Anita O'Day

Our Flaming Thumbtack in USA Today

Nice to see what we have known for years in the national media.

It's My Bliss And I'll Complain If I Want To

I'm a nice guy with a loving family. I have a mortgage, two cars, a lovely wife, 3 healthy and good children, and a dog who greets me when I come home each night. I have a wonderful job with great coworkers who I call my friends. I have so much more than millions will ever have. Yes, I am blessed. That said...I'm hot and I'm cranky. My AC is out and I come home to discomfort. My haven is not hospitable. It's too hot. No longer under warranty for labor, it turns out that my unit is the eyesore of its industry. Great. My choice: Save up for the $600 it'll cost to fix an unreliable unit? Or save up for 6 or 7 times that amount and get a better brand put in? (Warning: I feel a rant coming up.)

• I wake up this morning to my cherub falling off of my bed. He's fine but screaming from the shock and fear of falling.
• Then my wife informs me that my work check had an error on it. $40 for a week's worth of work? I don't think so.
• Did I mention it's hot in the house? My general crankiness is well on its way now.
• My hero/father comes over but I have no time to visit b/c I have to go to work.
• I go to work. We are not busy so I am at peace with not making a lot of money today, but I get drama anyway. Someone has told a petty lie about me and now my integrity is questioned by someone whose friendship I value.
• I come home at midnight to a loving home which is, as previously mentioned, hot, hot, hot. My poor family had to deal with this all day? Maybe I had the good day instead. At least I was in a cool, comfortable hotel all day.

In truth, one factor to my discontent might be that I spent a portion of my morning watching booktv on cspan. (Yes, ladies. I am a hot date.) General envy seemed to find its way into my subconscious, watching authors and editors discussing writing and the marketing of writing. I could have watched them talk all day long. I have gone through my day, stressed about money and pissy about something I can't quite put my finger on. I realize now that I know I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing. I like it, it is serving its purpose, and I am dedicated to doing it well each day, but it shouldn't be my life's work.

I'm good, but I could be so much better.

Who Am I?

So, I was made privy to a couple of people's opinions of who I am today. I don't think either opinion is correct. One opinion might be correct. And I'm pretty sure that it is impossible for both to be correct.

My boss asked me if I was going to the Skynyrd concert tonight, and I told him that I just wasn't really all that into them. He gave me a strange look and said that he was surprised to hear that. "I really took you for the kind of guy that likes Skynyrd," he mentioned.

The kind of guy who is into Lynyrd Skynyrd? Me? I spend my breaks reading The New Yorker magazine. I would describe myself as quiet, introspective, a bit shy. One of the coolest things I did in recent memory was to see David Sedaris read from his books at Langford Auditorium. (Thanks for the tickets, Dad.) No disrespect to the fans, but I feel that the proud self description of the average fan at Starwood Amphitheatre would be "redneck."

And I am left to think, my boss thinks I am a redneck? Music lover, yes. Someone who can appreciate that Lynyrd Skynyrd has some really well written songs? Absolutely. If I had free tickets and nothing better to do? Sure, I'd go and people watch and have a good time. But my boss's look told me that he thought I was a big time fan. The guy waiting in line to get the best seats. Cooler in my trunk full of Coors Light. A value pack of beef jerky in the glove compartment. Um...nope.

Later the same day. I hear from a coworker that a new girl has been chatting with him and asking questions about all of the others who work here. She's been asking some funny questions. "Why does Jim walk like that?" "Debbie has a weird laugh, doesn't she?" My first thought is that this new girl needs to be a bit more respectful and not ask questions about people that are maybe a bit rude. My second thought is "I wonder what she has been saying about me?"

My friend says, "Do you really want to know?"

You don't say no to that.

He hesitates and says with a tight smile, "She said that she first thought that you were kind of geeky, but now she's thinking that maybe you're kind of cool."

Hmmm. I'm a redneck? Or a geek? Or a geeky redneck? Either people don't know me at all, or it's time to call one of those reality makeover shows.

Everything's gonna be just fine.

Self and #1 son. All I do in life is worry. "Why can't I make more money? I'm a nice guy. That should be enough, right?" "What if we don't have the warranty on the van that we thought and it breaks down?" "What if the compressor on the house AC unit goes out and it costs $600 to fix?" OK, those two just happened. But overall, I worry about more than any man should.

All of my lessons learned in life seem to come down to one thing. I've got a great family who loves me. That's what the people with the money seek. That's what the people for whom all goes right seem to long for. The lesson remains that I have what I need and the smiles that hide a world of anxiety should be replaced by relaxed smiles that indicate the peace I have within.

This guy in the picture has improved my life in ways as yet unrecognized. Great wit, a way with people of all places in this world, an overall great guy. His friends and familiy are lucky beyond measure to know him and have him in their lives. Everywhere I take him, people later compliment me on him. The two cherubs I am raising who are his younger siblings, I can only hope that they exhibit the same character as he does. I'll do my best to help that happen. And maybe I can relax and worry a bit less in the process.

Revenge Of The Sith

The only movie reviewer I know of to have won a pulitzer has reviewed Revenge Of The Sith and he loves it. Expertly written, of course.

Bobby Thompson, Rest In Peace

Bobby Thompson passed away this morning. He is my stepfather. He came into my life when I was a teenager, sometime in the mid-eighties. He is known as one of the greatest banjo players ever. He seemed to play on just about every record to come out of Nashville for a period of time. Today marks the end of his long, long struggle with MS. He was a loving man who was loved very much. I'm lucky to have been a part of his life. A better tribute than this will follow in the comng days. (In the above photo, he's the man on the left.)

"Put 'em up! Put 'em up!"