Sun is Shining in Cincinnati

My ol' Mother picked a pretty good day to check out of the planet. It's sunny and beautiful and today she'll be with my ol' Dad in a way that's private family stuff.

I can't do this viewing stuff, kids. You all do what you need but I can't be part of that. I don't need or want closure and I'm not even sure what it means except I'm sure I don't want it (laughs).

Yesterday, Mulan said to me, "Those who loved her were with her."

I didn't know what to make of it as that can be twisted in so many different ways. First strike off this as guilting as in if you loved her you would have been here. A more benign view is that she was surrounded by love when she died. The real view is even better than that and I didn't learn of it until a few minutes ago.

Barbi and Mulan usually can't be in the same room with each other but they were together with our ol' Mother at the end. When Mulan says that of Barbi it says a lot about both of them and that's the meaning I will keep. Both have shown extraordinary grace during a very difficult time.

I'm not only not upset, I'm not upset about being not upset. I'm thinking of how my sisters were so proud of it when they got her to say 'fuck' and writing about it won't do it justice. This was prime-time comedy. Imagine this supremely proper Brit lady wrenching up everything inside herself to get this word out and then letting that baby rip. This was falling-down funny stuff.

We'll miss her? Of course but so will a lot of people. She went to all of my ol' Dad's classes and she knew every one of those students by name, by year, by class. Alex couldn't keep track of that stuff at all so they'd work it as a tag team and the kids loved it. These were super Einstein brainiac med students but, yah, they were kids and they did love it. They'd come back for years after, just like for Mr Chips, to visit and let them know how they were doing.

It's alright. She saw more than you or I will likely ever see.

Tennessee is a Very Good Place to Be

The last few days have been difficult but I'm sure I've been in the right place as Lotho and Mrs Lotho and I have talked about many things. Baby Anastasia has offered her thoughts as well but I don't talk baby too well

I'm sure Lotho is going to be ok down here. That's not due to me, I just know it from being here. Barbi sounds ok on the phone but I'd like to see for myself.

I'll be in Cincinnati by mid-afternoon.

As the River Joins the Ocean

Nope, no extra credit if you already know that's from "Supper's Ready" by Genesis. You should have known that (laughs).

I look at my ol' Mother's river and I didn't even see a third of it. I know that third was outrageously cool as in growing up in China and whatnot. As a kid, there were people who specifically had the job to carry her around so her little feet didn't get dirty. (No, I'm not making this up)

So it's a long, long river. I've known ...

(Intervening phone calls)

You can visit with my ol' Mother in the Interview with Bubba. I won't be able to keep it online indefinitely as the file is quite large.

"Just Ask Alice"

Then the Hatter said to Alice
Why's a raven like a writing desk?
I often speak in riddles
but this is not a test.

I've been waiting here for ages
but no time has passed for me
I just can't find the Dormouse
and I'd like a cup of tea.

Alice said, "Don't worry,
The White Rabbit showed the way.
Here's a cup with milk and sugar
It's all you had to say."

She looked around in wonder
as the Hatter took his tea.
He looked up and said, "It's lovely
now that you are here with me."

My time is yours forever
in love, in touch sublime,
and now there is no worry
we're together for all time.

Heading for Cincinnati on Wednesday Morning

I'll roll in the morning and should be there by early afternoon. I know things aren't too good but driving like a maniac won't make them better and the truck doesn't support driving like a maniac anyway.

It does support cushy, tho. Excellent backside comfort in those seats.

I tried to get an appt with a doc earlier and said up-front I'd pay for the office visit but they said they wouldn't even schedule anything without insurance. Um, lady, I said I'd pay for it. Nope.

So I went to an online Canadian pharmacy (i.e. somebody's basement in Bulgaria) and ordered the stuff. It'll be delivered to Cincinnati but I've got misgivings about it. This will be a good time to find the blood pressure cuff in case they screw up and send me a pile of birth control pills or some such.

We'll be skipping the rant on American health care today.

Singing and Barking at the Moon

There's one sure answer to whether you can hit the high notes: don't! (laughs)

You think Leonard Cohen cares about hitting high notes. The only time he ever broke a wine glass was when he threw it against a wall.

You don't have to have 'your key' either. Here's today's Little Musical Trick: think of the drive from New York to L.A. If you're in the key of C, maybe you'd stop in Philly, St Louis, and Salt Lake City. However, if you're in the key of D, maybe you'd stop in Cincinnati, Denver, and Phoenix. The difference between keys is the distance between the notes as those will vary but the trip remains the same. Go for the key of E as that's the one that stops in Vegas, baybeee!

When people are intimidated by the key, it's usually the pitch that's the problem. The singer is hitting notes that you can't reach and you think you suck. Roy Orbison could cover five octaves but most of us sound like frogs. Rather than trying to match him, what you can do is drop the vocal line down an octave and it will still be musically valid. Lots of times I think it sounds better.

The trick is to find tunes that will work with your voice. You want to push your voice to do more than you think it can so you do want to force it somewhat but mostly it's a matter of being at least somewhat realistic about what your voice can do. I'm not at all a singer but I can tell you for sure that you do get some slack for at least having the balls to try it (laughs).

In NASCAR terms, you're looking for the power band as your voice goes from low RPMs to high RPMs. Many times the high RPMs are useless and have the unfortunate side-effect of your motor exploding and, damn, he hit that wall a ton.

Heading Back for Cincinnati

There was another scare with my ol' Mother last night but still what I'm picking up is peace. We thought she was gone and Lotho was disturbed that he wasn't more upset. That's been bothering me in myself also but I think it's coming from her.

So I'll go back up to Cincinnati. There's a possible angle on the blood pressure scrip up there but I'd like to get it done here if there's any immediate way of doing it. There's no option as 200/100 will break something and this is the age my ol' Dad vapor-locked.

I'll take the guitar with me this time as I'll go to see Yevette down in Texas after that. I'm very, very concerned about driving from Texas to Florida later on as that route is where the mirror-sunglass-wearin' cops live. They even busted Willy Nelson!

Leave the drugs behind? Yeah, right (laughs)

The object is to be in Florida by mid-April. I'll definitely do it even if I drive up to Tennessee and back down again.

Maybe you'd get a kick out of the Tour Bus Play List.

Hendrix: Burning of the Midnight Lamp, 1983, Voodoo Chile

Note that none of this is speedball guitar playing. I hardly ever listened to the stuff Hendrix did with Buddy Miles. Lotho and I talked a little bit about "Little Wing" versus "Angel" as the best thing he ever did and there was much coolness in that.

Dave Brubeck: Blue Rondo a la Turk, Take Five

One of only maybe a dozen cool white guys who ever lived.

Alazarin Mondrian: Seven League Boots

He's the riff monster on massive psychedelics. He's got a hellhound synth bass driving this tune and it's got the mega-riff that lets Alazarin go completely berserk on guitars and keys. He's just as fast on keys as he is on guitar. Alazarin is a major wildman.

DiMeola, McLaughlin, de Lucia: Mediterranean Sundance

Virtuoso guitar playing of the flamenco nature. Study from the masters and you'll still think you suck but at least you'll have a reason (laughs).

Ziggy Marley: When the Lights Gone Out

Quite possibly the best jams for floating around on a raft in the water with a nice buzz and the promise of relentless tropical sex somewhere in your near future.

Leann Rimes: Nothing Better to Do

The little puppy is all growed up. Well, pretty much growed up but definitely growed up enough to be hot. This tune pops!

Ozzy Osbourne: Mr Crowley

Checking out Randy Rhodes on lead guitar.

Scorpions: Big City Nights, Rock You Like a Hurricane, No-one Like You

The guys use a kick drum in a way that gets my sub-woofer all sexed-up. These ones are great for the Interstate where there's no way the volume can bother anyone.

Paul Delph: Eternity's Spin

This is one of the few gay tunes that doesn't sound, well, gay.

Neil Young: Welfare Mothers

Well, Neil, I really don't get what you're putting down now. That's why I keep listening to the tune.

Silas: A bunch but the only one I listen to much is the somewhat unplugged version of "Woman in the Snow"

Is it emo crap or a good tune. We shall see (laughs)

Wishbone Ash: Jail Bait

"Warrior" and others were fired for really annoying vocals. The Taylor brothers played guitars so it's kind of silly looking at this as something potentially worth covering as it'd be impossible without recording one of the lead lines and that'd suck.

Tangerine Dream: Lily on the Beach

An always-excellent band. This tune featured a lot when I was getting fixed the first time I smashed my shoulder and I still love it.

Genesis: The Musical Box, Supper's Ready

The best band of all time in all the Universe. Also the same band for which I passed on going down to Nashville to see them and that was the last tour with Peter Gabriel. The good part is that Laughing Gecko saw it.

Spookytooth: Waiting for the Wind, Better By You Better Than Me

Get Lotho to sing them, that's the ticket.

Many of the members of Spookytooth went on to fame in other bands such as Mott the Hoople, Humble Pie, Stealers Wheel. Gary Wright got pretty big on his own.

(Ed: What, Lotho sings??)

Sure, he just doesn't let anyone know. I bet he rips that stuff out while he's in the car (laughs).

Where Will He Pop Up Next

Timing is starting to get a little more clear. I'll go back up to Cincinnati fairly soon but I'm still striking out on the prescription for the blood pressure meds. It's starting to piss me off as I can get reefer on any street corner but they're making this hellacious deal over getting some stuff that has less psychoactive effect than a glass of milk.

Haven't got the lawyer together yet. It shouldn't exactly take F. Lee Bailey to sort things out.

No luck on the guitar synthesizer as it uses a special power supply and I've got loads of spares but not that one. It may not be the power supply that fried but it's most likely. The switch box to let me use the guitar synth without an audio interface works fine. Unfortunately, the guitar synth doesn't (ha).

I'll go down to Florida next month as things are very unclear just now with my ol' Mother. It wouldn't make any difference if I were up there as I can't hold her up. I've got a nice set of whacks on my shin from when I fell out of the truck so I can't even hold myself up (laughs).

Midnight caught me on that one or I would have met the ground in a most unpleasant way.

Barbi, I'll be up there in a few days. If I can't find some way to get the meds down here, I'll go up and pay Kennebeck for an office visit. It's so feckin' stupid. I could get heroin easier than some damn blood pressure meds and you know I really could.

Whoa, whoa...maybe one of those quack online pharmacies. Hmmm...

Punishing the Fingers for Slacking

My fingers must pay for slacking off all this time and they have been but it feels so good, baybeee!!

"I Love Rats" is blasting. I don't know how well something like that would go over for ten or thirty minutes but it's definitely part of the set. I don't usually use a twang bar but it can do spectacular things and it's loads of fun for this tune.

So this is the set I'm thinking would do it

On the Road with a Mouse and a Chicken

This is everything from my ever so tragic story up to the socio-economic tragedy of a world meandering about without a leader. It's like a headless chicken with tanks and nuclear weapons.

Absinthe (you haven't heard it yet and the title will change as I'm still too chicken to drink it)

Context is evolving

Empire

It's about the glory of empire and things that can be achieved ... which is just about anything so long as you set out to achieve it.

Woman in the Snow

This is everything from the blondie crackwhore I see on the way to breakfast to a world that will drive right past her, just as do I. It's about health care and how fifty million people without it is prob'ly enough to populate a small country. If there were a country of fifty million somewhere else, they'd be sending foreign aid and running telethons on TV. I'm not saying that solution is right but what I know is what's happening now is wrong.

Martian Jams (Same chords as "On the Road with a Mouse and a Chicken")

This is to reprise "On the Road with a Mouse and a Chicken" only I play it on the synth. At the cool moment I'll leave the chords running on the looper and then pick up the guitar at which point it's magically revealed what the song was all the time.

That'll take the show out 45 minutes at least. Keep in mind it's not realistic to plan long continuous sets as I'm not exaggerating about the bustage. I've been playing really hard since I got down here and part of that is looking at how long I can go before I hit the sit down or fall down point (laughs).

(So, take a break to sweat and use drugs for a while. Since people are not going to dig it at all if I disappear for any significant period, I'm thinking I need a stool I can bring out near the mike. Then I can do a smoke with the rock god bit and be funny, bitch!)

I Love Rats

I get a kick out of people knowing me in advance and calling out "I Love Rats" and I know it's juvenile but, wtf, it's a smile to me. Ain't no harm in it and even now I still think it's funny.

Ten to thirty minutes

If I do another tune after that one, I'd be mixed as to doing a mushball tune and getting all sweet or trying to out-do "I Love Rats." I do like the idea of closing with Rats as that's the guitar cranked as hard it'll ever go, all the lights flashing, everything I can possibly throw.

Fade to black.

(Flying Without a Parachute is very similar to I Love Rats - No point in doing both)

If Nurse Judi shows up, this is where "It's For You" would go. That'd be holding her for way late in the set but it could give the mega-drama in doing it this way as people would hear the first return and think it's over for sure after that. If I start another break but the lights don't come up they'll hang about for a bit to see what's going on. Whammo, it picks up and, what's this, who's with him up there??

"It's For You" kicks it up pretty good but it's still somewhat L.A. as it ended up more polished than I usually like but that's ok as I gives a good soundbed for Nurse Judi. Since it's somewhat waxed, it'll be needing another tune more hammerheadish in nature after that. I'm thinking "Gimme Shelter" or "Paint It Black" as you don't EVEN know the damage Nurse Judi can do to these tunes

That's not losing track of Silas but rather welcoming guest star Nurse Judi. Be clear on that as there's no time for introspection anymore. The only thing that matters now is showing up in time for the gig (laughs).

I'm looking at what I can load into the RC50 and possibly dispose of the computers altogether for live. That's getting kind of dramatic when really what I want to do is get a gig happening as soon as I can, tho.

Pretty much practical thought going to putting it together for real. There's also some stupid stuff. I was thinking to myself, hmmm, do you listen to this stuff just because you did it or because it's cool to listen to it. I was stoned so I thought about it for a little bit until it dawned on me just the fact of asking the question makes it moot.

See above about no time for introspection. It's all about showing up.

On the Road with a Mouse and a Chicken

At first, after listening to the bands last night, I was thinking, man, you suck. You don't rock like this. You're just a lame-ass old poser. And so on (laughs).

On the Road with a Mouse and a Chicken isn't too bad, tho. I'm still very mixed on how it will carry through a P.A. and I've got to set it up somewhere to find out but that's the opener. That's my feckin' theme!

Scotland Yard gets a bang out of that tune even if only for the title. The don't give a fuck generation understands very well that when there isn't any kind of leadership worth following then a mouse and a chicken will do just fine.

Midnight has revealed that he got a tattoo and I don't mean he got a cute little flower on his butt. The kid went all-out and his folks are not pleased. Right now it kind of sucks to be him and I'm in grave danger of losing my only fan. If he survives, I'll get you a pic. Whoa, they can't croak him. I need him for the video!

As I drove into town yesterday I saw a fireworks store and realized, hmmm, they're legal down here. That would make them legal for video. Yup, that's what it would mean, alright. Lotho is dangerous with fireworks. I mean really dangerous (laughs).

I'll prob'ly shoot for Florida as that's what I originally wanted to do and the leaking / overheating in the truck seems to be fixed. I've got to get some more stuff done here before rolling anywhere. I've been checking off stuff this morning but they're still dancing on the prescription. They've recommended going to the Hope Clinic but what I want is some cash and carry medicine. I've been taking this stuff for twenty years and I don't want analysis from some shavetail. Just write the feckin' scrip and let me get on with my life (laughs).

A.F.I. Blows the Walls Down at RCKTWN in Nashville

The band was hammering from the first chord but, unlike the opening bands, they've got a lot more powerful dynamics. All of them can do 160 beats per minute punkishness but it gets boring after a while. OK, kid, I get it that you're pissed off (laughs).

A.F.I. has got the two killer ingredients that you've got to have. The band has got the beat and the kid has got the voice. Plus he's got the lyrics as you don't hear 'somber resplendence' in too many songs.

The band is very much un-waxed and they're tight and they're hard. They've been touring for years and you can damn sure tell it. Something I liked is that this wasn't at all the same show that we saw up in Cincinnati a few months ago.

There's been more than once that Lotho and I have been to shows for the same band on the same tour and we've been surprised to see some of them doing identical sets with exact choreography. Neither of us thought it was 'live' as the only difference between that and a record is that the concert is louder.

Scarlet Grey opened the show and The Loved Ones followed them. Both were very tight in their changes as well but they didn't have the dynamics of A.F.I.

It was cool to go to the show with Lotho and Midnight and the Pixies. Midnight was hanging with Lotho and I as he didn't care what his friends thought and the Pixies could hang with their friends and pretend they didn't know us, same thing Lotho and I used to do with our parents (laughs).

Don't underestimate the Pixies. If you run into one of them in a mosh pit, you're going to get hit. I have no idea how this mosh pit stuff works, I just know I'm not going into one.

They've got rules, tho:

No stage-diving
No crowd-carrying
No fighting

There were others, also:

Don't take anything into the place

Yes, that's right. It's a simple rule. No cigarettes, lighters, soft drinks, cigarette lighters, chewing gum, guitar picks.

(Ed: What, no guitar picks??)

Right. I had to empty my pockets and the guy had to check with his friend. Are guitar picks ok?

(I only like one type of guitar pick and it has to be a particular thickness so I've always got some in my pockets and I leave a trail of them everywhere I go.)

Prior to getting inside, I'd been advised that nothing goes inside and I, of course, ignored it but they emphasized they're serious that they really will search me. Since I had a joint of the Mondo Ganja, I was damned if I was going to give that up so I figured smoke it or hide it. There was a white Crown Vic with dark windows not far off and those ones always carry the cops that you really, really don't want to meet ... so the joint went back to the car (laughs).

Back in Tennessee

Midnight and I talked a little about the Big Bang Theory and whether I should get Wiley Coyote tattooed on my arm. We didn't reach a conclusion on either matter, tho.

The sun looks glorious out over Lotho's backyard and Midnight showed me a salamander. It seemed like quite a good salamander but my experience with them is limited.

Got to drag them out to see "Alice in Wonderland" as Lotho thinks it's going to suck so I have to do some missionary work here. I must take Lotho to see the Dormouse.

Onward to A.F.I. If you've never heard them then look for "Silver and Cold" - outstanding tune. Lots of bands have singers who sound like they have a larynx they got from a gravel quarry. A.F.I. is not one of those bands. It's good, tight rock. Excellent band.

Get Yerself a Musician

A friend sent me this one:



We can't help being witty, charming, and with a ready supply of drugs. Please ask your boyfriends to stop beating us up (laughs).

Rolling Out Shortly

Lotho won't see this as he's almost certainly already left for work even tho it's ridiculously early. Midnight won't be up out of bed until I get down there so this message is kind of pointless (laughs).

To the family, what you're doing is admirable but not sustainable as there aren't enough bodies to support it. If our ol' Mother is moved back to where she was, Barbi is available immediately as she'll start working from home and I'll move back up here. My guitar playing never bothered her and she feels safer when I'm around. Ask her.

I'm not going to insist on anything. This is simply for you all to consider but I don't see how the arithmetic works any other way.

My fear is that people will relent on the agreement with our ol' Mother that she will never be taken back to hospital. If that thought occurs to any of you, remember what they did to her this last time. No-one screwed up in sending her but it would be a huge mistake to do it again. As you've seen, if I get the call and my truck is running, I won't even wait for my guitar to come up here. I won't come if she's in hospital as I don't ever want to see that again and I'm VERY sure that neither does she.

I've got business I absolutely can't delay and some of it involves doctors so I'm off to Tennessee again. Plus I get to see the band tonight and we can watch NASCAR all week-end (laughs).

You all know how to reach me and I'll be in the wind after I get a shower. I should get to Tennessee somewhat after noon Central Time.

Karl Rove Smells as Bad as Ever

Karl Rove says he and the Bush administration made significant gains toward preventing additional terrorism. I've got to agree as quitting his job made the world safer than it had been in eight years.

He's the same guy who said he was sure of the WMDs possessed by Iraq and suggested they were moved out of that country and into Syria. Um, Karl, boobie, let's think this through. If it was valid to invade Iraq because of the so-called WMDs, why was it not also appropriate to invade Syria if, in fact, the WMDs were the reason for the original invasion.

Karl Rove also said the he was proud of waterboarding because it prevented lots of attacks. Perhaps that's so and I'd like to know of it if it really did but where are the bad guys who were going to commit these acts that he says they prevented. The FBI even grabbed from guys for talking about terrorism on the telephone so how can it be that people who planned to blow up LAX disappeared completely, as did all the others from all the other 'attacks' they say were prevented by US intelligence.

Only one question, Karl: since there's at least a ton of heroin coming into the country every day and prob'ly at least ten to one hundred times more cocaine, just how is that getting past the TSA and other US intelligence agencies, buddy. The US can't grow that stuff so just how does it get here.

What I suggest, Karl, is that you not only didn't stop terrorism but you're making a shitload of money off it so much so that the Russians are complaining about how much heroin is coming out of Afghanistan into their country.

The military was burning up poppy fields in Vietnam all the time. Have you heard of that happening even once in Afghanistan.

Bueller?

Bueller??

Update on Rolling for Tennessee

Tomorrow morning for sure. I told Barbi I'd come back up here after and I don't know if it works to go to Florida in-between. I also want to get down to Texas to see Yevette but there's a lot I have to do in Tennessee before I do anything. That I left the guitar down there shows you how fast I left so that stuff is still waiting (laughs).

Yevette, I've tried calling multiple times. I have no idea why the phone gives the odd messages when you call me. I haven't been talking to anyone very much so I don't know if it's doing that to other people. I checked with AT&T and the autopay stuff is working so there's no reason for the system to be hassling you. Most strange.