Yep, I'm back from the Bermuda Triangle to amaze and amuse young and old alike!

I'm stealing this from Alex, who in turn stole it from Sheila.

Lucky Sevens

Seven Things to Do Before I Die

1. Live

2. Reconstitute my long-dormant photography skills

3. Get back to reading as voraciously as I did in my youth

4. Find a girl who sends my heart straight to my throat every time I see her

5. Travel through Europe via rail

6. Clear up the whole "fundamental nature of the space-time continuum debate"

7. Enter a race car in the Chili Bowl



Seven Things I Cannot Do

1. Speak a foreign language fluently

2. Understand why anyone would buy a computer-generated music record by the Lindsay Lohans and Hilary Duffs of the world

3. Force myself to read The Lord Of The Rings

4. Eat sushi

5. Maintain an uncluttered house

6. Swim (there's still hope for this one to get off the list)

7. Pass up a chance to see a great race or a great rock & roll show



Seven Things I Am Looking For In A Prospective Mate

1. She makes me laugh - a wicked sense of humor is non-negotiable

2. Intellect - doesn't have to be an exact match, but I think it works out best if two people are in the same ballpark

3. A good heart - another pre-requisite, there is no substitute for this

4. Hotness - Sexual attraction is a good thing - ignoring that aspect is a bad idea. However, it's also true that I tend to be more attracted to someone who rates highly on the first three parameters.

5. The ability to just have fun in a wide variety of situations

6. Complementary traits - I don't think it tends to work well when two VERY similar people get together. A good mixture of similarities and differences is best...

7. If she's willing and able to finance a USAC Silver Crown team for me, throw those other six silly criteria out the window!



Seven Things I Say Most Often

1. Holy Crap!

2. Fuckin' idiots

3. Well...

4. Back in my day... (just kidding)

5. Unfortunately...

6. Wanna do lunch?

7. Catch ya later...



Seven Books That I Love

1. The Rainbow - D.H. Lawrence

2. Ada - Vladimir Nabokov

3. The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky

4. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

5. The Ambassadors - Henry James

6. Fear Of Flying - Erica Jong

7. The Last Picture Show - Larry McMurtry



Seven Movies I Watch Over and Over Again

1. The Last Picture Show

2. My Man Godfrey

3. Blade Runner

4. Stranger Than Paradise

5. Amelie

6. His Girl Friday

7. Broadway Danny Rose



Seven People I'm Curious About

1. Kim Shattuck

2. Peter Falk

3. Peter Bogdanovich

4. Claire Danes

5. Thora Birch

6. Rachel Flotard

7. Joe King

Albert Friggin' Pujols!
Mood:  incredulous
Now Playing: Thirteen Stars - These Places
Topic: Sports (Non-Racing)
The Cardinals were down to their last strike but these guys refuse to give up, even in the face of bad luck, bad umpiring and great play by their opponent over the past few days. David Eckstein is as tough as they come - in the 9th inning, down to his last strike, that kid fought and fought and somehow got a ball through the infield to extend the inning. Jim Edmonds is a fine hitter, but he realized that even if he managed to hit a homerun, it would only tie the game. He also realized who would come up to bat if he got on base. Jim showed patience and worked a walk, and that was the downfall of The Astros. With runners on 1st and 3rd, to walk Albert Pujols would have meant putting the winning run in scoring position - a primary baseball taboo.

However, pitching to Pujols was a fateful choice. Brad Lidge left a slider over the middle of the plate, and Albert hit the thing so hard you have to wonder if there's structural damage to the back wall of the stadium! Albert Pujols IS the best player in baseball - if he stays healthy, he's bound to become one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Houston has great pitching and they may still end up going to the World Series, but if that happens they WILL know they were in a battle to get there. They're warming up the wrecking ball for old Busch Stadium, but the place isn't finished just yet.
;-)

How Can Kids POSSIBLY Have Fun Without Drinking Cristal Champagne at a House in the Hamptons?
Now Playing: Kathy Valentine - Light Years
It looks like I'm back, at least for today. I'm sure my one or two readers gave up long ago but I couldn't resist responding to the article below, even if I am only talking to myself...

Principal: School 'willing to sponsor a prom, but not an orgy'

Stories like this have been all over the news lately. I get the definite sense that this principal is no martinet - he's just giving in to the common-sense realization that there HAS to be some limit for acceptable excess. It's like a whole generation of parents seem to think there's no middle ground between being a stern, emotionally crippled disciplinarian and an ultra-permissive hipster who sponsors gaudy festivals of conspicuously consumptive teenage bacchanalia.

Kids want and need limits. They're bound to rebel and flaunt them sometimes, but that doesn't mean they're not important. Why does it seem so difficult for so many folks these days to comprehend that BOTH extremes insufficient tolerance AND excessive tolerance are very bad for a child? Why do so many seem unable to resist the temptation to live through their children?

Refusing to set and enforce reasonable limits isn't a sign of love - it's an egregious abdication of parental responsibility.

Hiatus
Mood:  quizzical
Now Playing: The Groovie Ghoulies - Berry'd Alive
Topic: Personal
I've been neglecting this blog. There are a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that I have a MySpace page which has an attached blog. At this point I'm trying to figure out whether this Tripod page has a real reason to exist. When I come up with an answer, I'll let ya know...

Letting Go
Mood:  cool
Now Playing: Teenage Bottlerocket: Total
Topic: Personal
A realization has been slowly growing that I spend altogether too much time worrying about things. There's just no profit in it, no good that ultimately comes from all the fretting and thinking. There are some things in life that I enjoy very much that are not currently available to me. There are many other things I greatly enjoy that are available to me. Worrying about the former won't bring those things any closer - all it can do is reduce the amount of time I spend taking pleasure in the latter.

I'm making a stand in favor of fun. Worry is the enemy of fun, so it's now my enemy as well. Everyone knows that life is short, but most of us find ways to fool ourselves into failing to act on that knowledge. I want to experience as much joy as possible, and to hopefully help others experience it as well. Anyone want to join me?

Ghoulies Are Go!
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Groovie Ghoulies - Berry'd Alive
Topic: Music
Groovie Ghoulies tore the house down once again Saturday night in OKC. One of the many great things about the Ghoulies is that if it's humanly possible to coax a crowd into having fun, they WILL do it. Saturdays crowd was moderate in size, but they didn't need all that much encouragement in terms of showing enthusiasm. The kids were slam-dancing up front and loud cheers were going up after every song. The set started off a little slow, but kept gradually building to the now-familiar crescendo of inspired rock & roll mayhem that the Ghoulies bring on a nightly basis.

Teenage Bottlerocket turned in an excellent supporting show, and then joined in with the Ghoulies in various configurations for several songs near the end of the evening. My personal highlights of the show were a brilliant rendition of Sleeping Beauty in which Roach absolutely ripped that spectacular solo to shreds, and a wild version of The highwayman that included a harmonica solo and backing vocal work from various Bottlerocket members.

One delightful surprise for the evening was learning that Berry'd Alive - the Ghoulies new EP of Chuck berry covers - has been completed and is now for sale at the shows. This thing sounds fantastic! There's a minor issue to be fixed with track listing and the band hasn't had time to put it up on the www.gogreendoor.com website yet, but they will have them for sale at the shows so be sure to scarf this puppy up as soon as you get the chance.

All three Ghoulies looked absolutely fabulous - I don't know how they do it with their often brutal touring schedule! That's about all I can think to say for now. Please, please do not miss this band whenever you get the chance to see them. They've been spreading the gospel of rock & roll worldwide for two decades now - whether or not the general public ever catches on, the Ghoulies truly are a national treasure.

Independence
Mood:  party time!
Now Playing: The Kowalskis - All Hopped Up On Goofballs
Topic: Personal
Hope everyone has a delightful, magical, safe holiday. I've always loved the Fourth of July, but for someone who also loves summer, there's a slight sense of sadness to the knowledge that the days are already becoming shorter. For now, though, it's grilling and homemade ice cream. See you on the other side!

Warped 2005
Mood:  crushed out
Now Playing: Chixdiggit: Pink Razors
Topic: Music
Reposting from myspace.

Dallas was fun - just about as much fun as you could have being outside all day in blistering, suffocating heat.

There were some pleasant surprises, a disappointment or two, and of course The Eyeliners and Dropkick Murphys were their usual spectacular selves. Of the bands I had never seen live before, Same Day Service, D.O.R.K. and The Twenty Twos were standouts. MXPX and No Use For A Name were also better than expected.

I hafta tell ya, though, the best part of the whole trip may have been picking up a copy of the new Chixdiggit album - Pink Razors - from the Fat Wreck Chords booth. This is a GREAT record, and I urge anyone who reads this to get your hands on a copy asap. I admit I haven't really listened to Chixdiggit closely enough in the past. For a while there it seemed like they might have broken up, and there's only so much time in the day. But I'll now be making up for lost time in a big way, doing my best to wear out Pink Razors. This thing rocks...

Happiness
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: The Ergs - Dork Rock Cork Rod
Topic: Personal
Some recent setbacks in my personal life prompted me to start thinking about how I came to be so frustrated and worried in recent years. After a brief period of time, it dawned on me that my life is really no worse than it used to be - back when I was much more at ease with myself and far less distressed than I have been lately. The only real difference is that I gradually became more and more aware of the time passing by and the aging process, and I allowed concern over those issues to color all of my thinking.

It's just a fact that in our culture, males are expected to do most of the initiating in social situations. And it's also a fact that I've always found that role stressful and unpleasant. So, I've decided to just relax and enjoy my life and stop with all the fretting about whether I'll end up alone. It is true that my horizon isn't as distant as it once was, but worrying about it and wearing myself out chasing mirages isn't going to accomplish anything. I know how to be content being by myself. I hope that's not the way it ends up, but regardless, I'm going to get back to doing things that are fun and enjoying all the individual moments of my life. I'm also going to avoid forcing myself to do stuff that makes me uncomfortable and unhappy.

It's corny as hell, but I really do feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. If failing to find a significant other makes me a freak, then I'm damn well gonna enjoy being a freak. ;-)

Father's Day
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Family
My dad has been a tower of strength - of body and character - his entire life. In recent years problems with his legs have slowed him down, and now the past few months he's been fighting a debilitating case of shingles.

Whatever I am today, whatever good I've done in this world, I owe to my parents. They provided me with a foundation firm enough to absord the terrible losses and disappointments I've encountered in my life. It hurts me to see my dad in a weakened state, because he will always represent that tower of strength and courage to me. Hopefully he'll continue to recover his lost vitality, and will someday soon be back to his old self.

Dad will probably never see this - none of my efforts to get him near a computer are likely to ever succeed. But even so, Happy Father's Day to the best dad a kid could possibly have...