The Second Day of 2025. . .

. . . began early in the studio, recording some vocals for a SuperWave demo, a cover band I’ve been playing in over the last six months or so, a band that emerged from the ashes of another cover band that three of us had been with for quite some time–for one of us, nearlyContinue reading “The Second Day of 2025. . .”

The First Day of 2025. . .

. . . was spent doing all of the things (or most of the things) I love and want to do more of. To wit, a list: There could almost not be a more perfect day. I would have liked to have spent more time with my parter. But she was super engaged in herContinue reading “The First Day of 2025. . .”

Notes Toward a Musical Autobiography: Volume XVII—Here Comes Everybody into the 21st Century

Note: All of the albums mentioned in this blog post are streaming on your favorite streaming services, but if you are a person who truly supports and loves independent music, and you’d like specifically to support Michael Jarmer and Here Comes Everybody, these albums are available for purchase HERE. Prologue: In February of the yearContinue reading “Notes Toward a Musical Autobiography: Volume XVII—Here Comes Everybody into the 21st Century”

With Just a Tinge of Shame, I Present My Guiltiest Musical Pleasure: Taylor Swift

I have been as surprised as anyone might be who knows anything about my musical tastes to discover that I like Taylor Swift. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not hard core. I own only two of her records on vinyl, the pandemic era mega-hit Folklore, and the 2024 record store day release of The Tortured Poets Department: TheContinue reading “With Just a Tinge of Shame, I Present My Guiltiest Musical Pleasure: Taylor Swift”

Turning 60!

I’m writing on the occasion of my 60th birthday, December 4, 2024. We ascribe a special significance to those birthdays that begin a new decade. Something in us needs a marker, a milestone, a number with a zero at the end. We like that. I think it’s true that the last time I wrote aboutContinue reading “Turning 60!”

#545: How to Move Forward

Today I spent several hours moving the leaves around the yard.Our house is surrounded by gigantic oaks and every year we get absolutely buried. Because I can only afford to hiresomeone a few times a year, every November I begin the workof prepping for leaf removal by a great and laborious shifting. I blow leavesContinue reading “#545: How to Move Forward”

It’s Dark In Here

In his entire history on the planet, he could recall only one day that felt darker than this one, and that was September 11, 2001. He could tell you without hesitation the three darkest days of his life in chronological order: 9/11; the first Trump victory in 2016; and then yesterday, the second Trump victoryContinue reading “It’s Dark In Here”

NaNoWriMo 2024: Adjusting My Expectations

The point of any kind of forced creativity experience or challenge is to simply do the creative thing you want to be doing but perhaps wouldn’t be doing otherwise. I am all for it. I’ve done more than a decade worth of a poem every day in April, I’ve participated in songwriting challenges that resultedContinue reading “NaNoWriMo 2024: Adjusting My Expectations”

It’s National Novel Writing Month!

Here we are on the precipice of another year of attempting to write 50,000 words in a single month for the ritual of NaNoWriMo. This will be my third effort. I go into it this year with a bit of trepidation. I worry that the politics of the nation will be too much of aContinue reading “It’s National Novel Writing Month!”

O, The Humanity: The 2024 Election

I’ve been dreaming about Kamala Harris. Seriously. I’ve watched her speak so many times that I can almost sing along. As a result of this repetition, I can tell you about her policy plans with some amount of detail and specificity. $6,000 child tax credit. $25,000 assistance for first-time home buyers. New affordable housing construction.Continue reading “O, The Humanity: The 2024 Election”