Viva Las Vegas

Heading out to Las Vegas this Halloween weekend with my buddy (who is also the drummer from my band). A boy's weekend of debauchery as the Caterwaul Of Sound rhythm section invades Sin City for the very first time. Additionally, we will be heading to the Fangoria Trinity Of Terrors convention. Why? Because, aside from whoring our band and the movie we just did the theme song to; we're gonna meet John Waters, George Romero (plus they are screening his new movie- Survival Of The Dead, Roger Corman, Bruce Campbell and a coffin load of Vampire-Stripper wannabees!

As I have never ventured to Lost Wages (the land of the silicon enhanced single mom's) before, the last couple of weeks have involved planning last seen during the Allied storming of Normandy during D-Day.

Because the success of this venture revolves around the 4 P's:
Planning
Preparation
Passion
and, of course...
Perversion!

And, as we don't gamble, our money can be spent in far more interesting ways. Like Big Elvis... a 300 lb Elvis impersonator.

Planning on a Hunter Thompson-esque expedition.... only without the grapefruit. I hate grapefruit!

Of course, my lovely bride has completely approved of the voyage... circumventing any potential disasters by granting me full access for the weekend. She knows, that since I am such a douchebag contrarian, that by telling me that I can do anything; that I will do nothing!
Had she warned me that she would John Wayne Bobbit me if I came home with even a strip club matchbook; than I would have went hog wild.

By telling me that I can do anything I want, I won't do anything!

She is MUCH smarter than me.

Toonage:
Dead Kennedy's - Viva Las Vegas
ZZ Top - Viva Las Vegas
Elvis Presley - Viva Las Vegas



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Now playing: George Harrison - Beware Of Darkness
via FoxyTunes

In The Ghetto (in the ghetto)

As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
'cause if there's one thing that she don't need
it's another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto

People, don't you understand
the child needs a helping hand
or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me,
are we too blind to see,
do we simply turn our heads
and look the other way

Well the world turns
and a hungry little boy with a runny nose
plays in the street as the cold wind blows
In the ghetto

And his hunger burns
so he starts to roam the streets at night
and he learns how to steal
and he learns how to fight
In the ghetto

Then one night in desperation
a young man breaks away
He buys a gun, steals a car,
tries to run, but he don't get far
And his mama cries

As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man
face down on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto

As her young man dies,
on a cold and gray Chicago mornin',
another little baby child is born
In the ghetto

Toonage:
C.I.A. - In The Ghetto (in German!)
The King - In The Ghetto

Law Of The Jungle

Nazz jr is a good natured kid. However, when provoked, he's got quite a temper.

As he is now in double digits, and starting a new school next year, I have been ruminating on teaching him how to fight.

While I do not advocate violence, I think it's important for a kid to know how to defend himself. I was a small kid and got picked on (at least till I hit puberty). Despite my dad's best attempts at sending me to Karate school and Boxing gyms, I never had it in my heart to fight back...unless I was really messed with. Than the eyeballs would roll back and I would go for the throat. But that wasn't very frequent. I would have been a happier kid had I the balls to respond violently before that "all of nothing" rage kicked in.

Once I hit 16, i was big enough that no one was messing with me. Over the years (largely thanks to Punk Rock and Alcohol), I've had my share of mosh pit hijinks and pre/post minor altercations; but only a few (thankfully) real knock down drag outs.
But the confidence that I don't have to go running from them should they present themselves has made me a lot more secure.

This mindset has possibly led to more trouble than if I would have remained more passive. But on the other hand, the aggressiveness might have helped me in business as well as personally.

So, my dilemma is whether I should teach the kid some martial arts so he is prepared for the inevitable schoolyard brouhaha, or to let him just work it out himself.


Toonage:
New York Dolls - Stranded In The Jungle
Bob Dylan w/ Tom Petty - It's Alright Ma (live 1986)
Martha and The Vandellas - Love (makes me do foolish things)
Elvis Costello - In The Ghetto








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Now playing: U2 - Moment Of Surrender
via FoxyTunes

America, Fuck Yeah!

Coming up on the Fourth of July. Despite all of our problems, America is still the greatest country on the planet.
Is that blatant nationalism? Fuck yeah!
This weekend, raise a glass to our founding fathers, who devised an experiment that has proved successful even 232 years later. We can differ on the direction of the country and other political matters. In fact, we should differ.
But, we should all be able to agree that the U.S.A. still kicks ass.
(Deity of your choice) Bless America!

Toonage:
Team America - America, Fuck Yeah
Elvis Presley - An American Trilogy (Live Madison Square Garden)
Simon & Garfunkel - America (live Hollywood Bowl 1968)
Bad Religion - American Jesus (Peel Sessions 1993)
John Wayne - The Good Things

America part 2

The unanimous Declaration

of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

— That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

— That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

— Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.

— And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Toonage:

Elvis Costello - Crawling To The USA

Team America - America, Fuck Yeah!

Merle Haggard - America First

Elvis Presley - An American Trilogy (live)

Circle Jerks - American Heavy Metal Weekend

Pennywise - God Save The USA