Step 1: Stare at the above image and focus on the four dots in the center.

Step 2: Continue to stare for 45 seconds.

Step 3: Slowly find a wall in the room and look close up at it. You should see something on the wall. Try blinking a few times.

Do you see something on the wall? If this doesn't work for you at first keep trying.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!! We wish everyone a wonderful Holiday season and a very Happy New Year!!!

Ignorance Prevailed

Well, friends.....the United Drys won. Alcorn County will remain a dry county...at least as far as liquor is concerned. Beer can still be sold, but as I write this, the United Drys are gathering and getting ready to fight that one, too. It's really sad when you consider this: the Corinth Toys For Tots drive has only produced 7 toys thus far, and there are less than two weeks remaining until Christmas. Furthermore, the Corinth Christmas Basket Fund only has approximately $3,000 in it. If these ignorant people would put half as much effort into helping the poor or homeless or less fortunate as they do in preaching about the evils of alcohol...most of the world's problems could be solved. These are the same people that go to places like Tupelo or Savannah to shop, go out to eat, and DRINK....so that no one in Corinth will see them. Talk about hypocrites. 100% ignorant rednecks. It absolutely angers the hell out of me that people can be such small-minded idiots.

I also heard that over the last few months, nearby towns and counties (that are getting all the revenues from Corinthians that go there to buy liquor) have been taking sides with the Drys...obviously in an attempt to keep Corinth in a timewarp so they can continue to get money that SHOULD be going back into the Corinth community. But NOOOOOO....those stupid, ignorant rednecks are too caught up in their religious BS to understand it's preventing Corinth from becoming more. From becoming a thriving community again.

I would give anything if the O'Reilly Factor would do a segment on the United Drys and Alcorn County. I would love to witness him doing a tap dance on the faces of all the ignorant United Drys. If you ask me, this is right up his alley. Perhaps there are bigger things to debate on his show, but you know as well as I do that he'd love a shot at them...he thrives on ignorant people, and that's exactly what the United Drys are.

Anyway, what's done is done. In another 2 years, perhaps the tables will turn. But who knows. As long as the ignorance continues to spread, things might get worse before they get any better. I guess I don't have anything to complain about here in Atlanta. Most of us moan and groan about not being able to purchase alcohol in stores on Sunday. But at least we can buy it any other day of the week. That's a pretty ignorant law, too...but not nearly as bad as what the Drys are doing to Corinth. Stay tuned....

Ignorance

The year was 1952. Prohibition was a major form of controversy in the Mississippi Legislature. As you can imagine, most local politicians, as well as legislators, were very hesitant to take any kind of stand on the issue. However, one man did indeed speak his mind, and that man was N. S. "Soggy" Sweat, Jr.

At the age of 24, he was elected to the House in 1947, the year my father was born. Although he served only one term, he more than made up for his brief time as a legislator by delivering the famous "Whiskey Speech" during his last year in office.

On April 4th, the tension was extremely high and near fist fights were not uncommon on the streets, much less in the House. There was a banquet held that night at the old King Edward Hotel in Jackson, where Senators and their wives, members of the House, and others had gathered. Rumors had spread about Soggy's philosophy on the subject, and he was called upon to speak his mind that night.

When he began his speech, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. As he finished the first half of the speech, the Drys (those that were against the sale of liquor) stood up and gave him a huge ovation. Unfortunately for them, he was only halfway through his speech. When things were quiet again, he finished his speech and he got yet another ovation from the Wets (those that were for the sale of liquor).

Here is a copy of that famous speech:



In 1966, Mississippi finally legalized the sale of liquor. However, Alcorn County (where I grew up) was a dry county. That is, you couldn't buy beer but you could by liquor. The Tennessee state line was only 2 miles away, and that's where you could go to buy beer. It never really made sense to me, but I was a kid, so I never really thought that much about it. But it really didn't make sense. All that money going to Tennessee....there's absolutely no telling how many people drove up to the state line to buy beer. It's really scary to imagine how much money we gave Tennessee over all those years.

Anyway, in June of 1989, just a week or so after I graduated from high school, Alcorn County voters cast out liquor, ending 21 years of legalized liquor sales. That decision came 5 days after the county seat legalized beer sales. So it flip-flopped....they voted beer in and liquor out. What did that mean? Well, you could now buy beer at grocery stores and convenience stores, but all the liquor stores had to close. And so did the restaurant bars, as well as the bar out at the country club. This obviously caused business at those places to flounder, and most of them closed their doors. The country club memberships also declined to the point that it almost closed down.

So why am I writing about all of this? Funny you should ask. Tomorrow, December 13th, Alcorn County (Corinth) will again vote on the liquor issue:



Corinth is a beautiful little town in Northeast Mississippi. It draws a ton of tourism due to its role in the Civil War and its proximity to Shiloh. It is trying to become a thriving city again, putting a ton of effort into drawing companies and businesses to the area. However, nice restaurant chains and larger businesses do not want to go to a town that doesn't support liquor sales. They make big money selling alcohol, and it makes no sense to go to a town that can't see the light and get with the times.

And that's why the title of this story is IGNORANCE. It's funny how your perspective on people changes as you grow older. As a kid in Corinth, in my mind all adults were smart and wise...it just came with being older. Now that I'm 35, however, I see things differently. Corinth has a shot at being a thriving city again. But the ignorant people are bound and determined to prevent it. They should put up a sign on the outskirts of the city that says "Welcome to Corinth....please set your clocks back 50 years so that you can be ignorant and behind the times like the United Drys!!" Perhaps that sounds harsh, but I don't care. It's not aimed at Corinth in general...it's aimed at those ignorant people in Alcorn County that can't understand economics...the United Drys. They have to make a religious issue out of everything. I saw a bumper sticker the other day...it said "I have nothing against God...it's his fanclub I can't stand." That says it all, right there.

So anyway, for those of you out there that give a damn, Corinth's fate will be determined tomorrow. Cross your fingers that intelligence prevails over ignorance.

Barry Bonds...Eat your heart out!!

Wanna see the future of baseball? That's right, Andrews McIntyre, my sister's oldest child...



This picture was taken right after he hit a triple, and nearly tore the cover off the ball. I'd say that's pretty good for a 7 year old...right?! A homerun is right around the corner, Andrews...keep up the good work!!

St. Louis Snow Bunnies

St. Louis gets some snow, and then what happens? The snow bunnies come out!!!


Bunny Jane, Bunny Martha, and Bunny Anna Scott

Our first tree

I'm embarrassed to admit that this year was the first time in many, many years that I have a Christmas tree. When I moved to Atlanta in 1996, my roommate and I bought a tree at Home Depot, and I think that was the last time I had a tree. Fast forward to last year, and Hadley and I were newlyweds and living in our condo. Our tree was a piece of plywood, painted green, with lights strung across it. Definitely nothing to brag about...

Given the fact that we bought our first house this year, I guess it makes sense that we'd finally get a real Christmas tree. And that's what we did:



There's nothing like the smell of a REAL Christmas tree. For those of you out there that get the fake ones, it's time to step up and get with the program. Now I'm regretting all those years of apparently being a Scrooge!

I must say, however, that finally getting a tree opened my eyes to something--you don't always agree (with your significant other) about how to decorate that damn conifer. Growing up, my family always used the bigger, multicolor FLASHING bulbs. And we obviously hung our own ornaments. This year it wasn't like that. First of all, my ornaments are still used by my parents on THEIR tree. Second of all, the PRINCESS (Hadley) doesn't like BIG bulbs, nor does she like FLASHING bulbs. At least I got one out of three and got to use multicolored ones. And lastly, we always went out and cut our own tree. This was always a family event, and all of us would pile into the truck, trespass onto someone's property, cut down a tree, and get the hell out of dodge before we were caught. Could I convince Hadley...whoops...I mean the Princess, to do that this year? Of course not....we got to go down to Big John's and buy one for $120 like idiots. The funny part is that we were actually on our way to Home Depot to buy one, when we passed by Big John's and assumed the ones there were the same price at Home Depot....and we were wrong. Apparently several of our friends went to Depot and got trees for under $50. Shame on us!

Anyway, at least we have a tree this year. I can't complain. No matter what kind of day I've had, the minute I get home and see and smell that tree, I'm ecstatic. But that happens to me anyway when I get home and see the Princess...right?!

K.D. Sanders

As the article above describes, 20 years ago KD Sanders killed his grandparents and disappeared off the face of the Earth. His grandparents had a cabin out at Pickwick, which is where they lived and were killed. This cabin was down the street from Judy Whitehurst's cabin, where we always congregated once we were old enough to drive and find our way out to Pickwick. When the news of this horrific murder got out, for years we were haunted by KD Sanders. Any time we were camping or out and about late at night and we heard something in the bushes, we immediately thought it was KD coming to kill us all....

Most of my friends from Corinth always comment on how good my memory is....I always seem to remember more than most. But in the case of KD Sanders, when it was announced that he'd been caught, all of my buddies called me and left messages....but I didn't remember anything about it. So for days I kept trying to remember all of this, and it's finally come back to me. KD scared the hell out of all of us....and now he's finally caught....and we can all sleep soundly again....

By the way...

For those of you that were stumped by the "Idiots Guide to Ebay" story last month, here's a clue:

Look on the wall.....

Beat Navy!!

Leave it to a Navy graduate to try to leave his mark in some form or fashion. Since the Army/Navy is this weekend, he decided to put this little statue in our meeting room this morning before our usual Friday morning meeting. Since I got there a little early, I decided to have a little fun with it. Perhaps it's a little politically incorrect, but I couldn't resist...especially since we all know the Navy squids are all women anyway!!!

Skateland

Ok...so I know it's been a while since I updated this thing. Sorry, but things have just been crazy lately. I got a call from my ol' buddy, Bobby "Side" Burns, last night...and he gave me a little grief about not keeping it up-to-date. That said, I promised him I'd do a better job, and here's proof:

Skateland


So on my last trip to Corinth, it hit me that after all the other pictures and stories about that awesome town and all of its memorable spots, I'd forgotten about one key place: Skateland.

Obviously, the picture above indicates that the name has changed. I'm not sure when that happened, but I can tell you that I'm fairly certain it's not the place it used to be "back in the day." I can't remember exactly when Skateland opened in Corinth, but I want to say it was sometime in the mid to late 70's. No matter what the occasion, Skateland was the best venue in the area. When I think back on my first few times there, visions of feathered butt-cut hair-do's come to mind. And let's not forget about the infamous "comb in the back pocket." Regardless of what kind of person you were or what kind of hair-do you had, the cool thing was to have a comb in your back pocket. I distinctly recall people skating around the place with combs in their back pockets. Of course, if you fell, you always ran the risk of landing on your butt and breaking that prized possession. I guess it was worth it, though, because those things were everywhere. Pink, blue, yellow...the handles visible in the back pockets of everyone...

Skateland was also the place to have birthday parties. Up until Jr. High, almost every kid had his or her birthday party at Skateland. As you walked in the place, the consession stand and tables for eating were to the right, and that's where the actual party took place. There were arcade games along the wall in that area, too....Missle Command, Defender, and of course, Pac Man. To the left as you walked in, was the DJ booth, and on the other side of that was the area where you rented your skates. And speaking of skates....

The roller skates you wore were a major fashion statement, as well as a measure of your coolness. The expert skaters would never have "rented" their skates. Oh, no. Rentals were for the amateurs. The skilled "cool" skaters brought their own skates...you know, the ones with the clear wheels or the yellow neon wheels. The girls had white ones with big puff balls on the laces. The fancier the skates, the better the skater. Which is another reason I was a "renter." This was always a pain in the butt for me because my feet were so big...I could rarely find a pair of skates that fit me. Those ugly brown skates with the big orange bumper on the toes...man, they were ugly. But I had no choice....I was a horrible skater, so I couldn't justify having the cool skates.

At these parties, as well as on Saturday afternoons, there would be different kinds of "skates." Not skates as in "roller skates," but skates as in "types of skating." There was the "Snowball Skate" where the boys lined the wall on one end of the rink, and the girls lined the wall at the other end of the rink. A slow song like "Open Arms" by Journey would come on, and the boys would skate to the other end and ask a girl to skate with him. This was always a major drama catastrophy because there would always be one or two girls left after all the guys had chosen their girls. So the ones that were left would sob and totally play the "poor me" card. It was hilarious....and it was usually the same girls every time. Can you imagine?! Then there were the show-off's. Guys like Corey Battles and Michael Brewer who could do all the tricks like skating backwards, jumping stuff, and all that. The girls thought they were the coolest because of their superior skating skills. There was also usually a guy who would act like he crashed into a wall or bench or something and wait for all the girls to rush over to him to make sure he was alright. Michael Nash was pretty good at doing that....

Nothing beat the songs that we usually skated to. Songs like "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen, "Double Dutch Bust" by the Sugar Hill Gang, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, anything by Journey, ABBA, the Bee Gees....every time I hear one of those songs, it immediately takes me back to the good ol' Skateland days.

Anyway, just thought I'd share some memories of good ol' Skateland. If any of you out there remember some things that I've forgotten, just drop me a line and let me know, and I'll post a follow-up story. Skateland stories are too good to not be shared with the rest of the world!!!

Sorry for the lack of updates....

Sorry to be so out of touch with regards to updating the site. Things have been crazy lately, and we're currently out of town for Thanksgiving. But rest assured, I've got plenty of stuff to report on once we get back. Stay tuned!!!

Alabama Bird Dogs

*Thanks to my good ol' buddy Bobby "Side" Burns for this fine display of Southern humor.....

Grocery Store Wars

I've never really been an organic food fan, but after seeing this, I might have to become one. This is hilarious!!!

Happy Halloween!

Idiot's Guide to eBay

Not sure if there's a book like this out there, but if there is....this guy should read it. Can you tell what's EXTREMELY wrong with this picture? I'll give you a hint....when you figure it out, it will be painfully obvious that this table is for sale by a man...

They weren't the first....

Being a kid of the '80's, of course I would think that the New Kids on the Block...and then groups like the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...were the ones that made the concept of "boy bands" successful.

Looks like I was wrong!! Don't believe me? Take this group, for example:

Gert Jonnys

First of all, why does that guy have his arms spread like he's presenting something or performing magic? Second of all, those outfits look like highschool band uniforms. What's with that?! Not only does the guy on the right have a bad hairdo, but he's cross-eyed and has one hell of a gap between his front teeth...

You think that's bad? Keep reading!!!

Jahn Rondhos

First of all, the tall guy in the back looks a little too happy about having his arms around those dudes. The guy below him looks like Napoleon Dynamite's brother, Kip. And the guy on the far right seems a little shy or disengaged....are those bunk beds in the background???

Jan-Werners

I think these guys somehow bypassed the age limit. Looks like Abe Lincoln in the back...and that one dude...is that supposed to be a mohawk? Jesus...they look more like lumberjacks than a band..

Kurt Reines

Hmmm....are those sweatsuits? Is that Jerry "The King" Lawler second from the left? Is that Owen Wilson next to him? I've never seen a sweatsuit with a spread collar like that...have you???

Lennes

Ok. I don't really know what to make of these guys. Pink and white outfits....their shirts remind me of the nun that could fly, for some reason.

Curt Mortenz

These guys should have changed their names to "Camel Toes" and is that Grizzly Adams on the far right? I bet the third guy from the right played bass...

Madox

For some reason, the old 70's show ZOOM! comes to mind here. I'm really confused....what are they getting at here? Stripes and ladders...I don't see the connection...is this supposed to be a Pippi Longstockings cover band?

Tommy Bergs

Why are these guys so happy? They should have named themselves "Arnold Horshack and the Butt Cuts" if you ask me. If I was wearing a green satin shirts, I would definitely not be happy...

Kjell Brooz

I think this is actually a Bill Gates fraternity picture. There's no way these guys were actually in a band. Those shirts are a little too tight, guys!

Inge Lindqvists

These guys have to be related to one another...

Cool Candys

I didn't realize Sting was in a boy band prior to founding the Police....I always heard he was a teacher first. Hmmm. These guys are definitely cool. Especially the guy on the bottom in the glasses. Yellow and denim go well together...

Benny Lawins

I think the guy without his scarf must have put it in his pants...

We Four

First of all, someone can't count. There's six of you, not four! I thought Thelma was part of the Scooby Doo gang, not a boy band?!

Unit Five

Is that Neil Schon from Journey? I didn't know he was in a boy band prior to forming Journey!

Torlenners

Wow! Blue socks with an orange outfit....that guy is rad!! He freakin' rocks the house!!! And the guy in the back....it probably took him 5 hours and 3 cans of vasoline to slick his hair down like that. Talk about dedication!!! Is that a rabbit's foot hanging off his guitar?

Telex

If I knew I was getting my picture taken for my album cover, I would make sure I covered up my hickie!! Wow....matching necklaces....how sweet!!

Simsalabim

Let's go guys...either everyone tucks 'em in, or everyone un-tucks them...but we can't have both. I think the Power Rangers idea stemmed from this album cover, in a weird sort of way...

Patrix

Are all of these guys named Patrick or something? If so, that's such a cool way to name your band! Are we having dinner in the photo, guys? Is that empty bowl indicative of your talent? I really like the tablecloth, by the way...

Opus

Mork? Mork! Are you there? Opus is looking for you!

Norrsken

Cardigan sweaters...suspenders....now these guys are fashion GODS! Pulling your pants way up and then unbuttoning your shirt....that's a great combo. The sunglasses are a nice touch, too. Was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory filmed here, too?

Musikanterna

Richard Simmons and Captain Kangaroo!!! Wow...they were in the same boy band? How come we never knew that? Or is that Pauley Shore? I can't tell...

Macs

Man, don't you think wearing a t-shirt under those jackets would prevent itching or chafing? The two guys in the middle are definitely "special."

Ivan Henrys

Now these guys were certainly swingers. I bet they had ladies anytime they wanted them. The guy on the far right...is that Sam Kinison?

Hjarter Fem

Wow...a Valentine's Day boy band. How cool. Ron Howard's first claim to fame after he left the Andy Griffith show. That IS him on the far right, isn't it?

Gluntan

Boy, those ties do the trick! It wouldn't be complete without the red scarves in your pockets. I have every single album these guys put out. Kind of a combination between The Oakridge Boys and Motorhead. Good stuff...

Drifters

That's "Drifters" without the "The" so you don't confuse them with "The Drifters" since they are so similar in look and sound. As you can see, Napoleon's brother, Kip, also joined this band. These guys really got along well....they enjoyed back rubs. Spandex pants with matching satin shirts made it easier...

Garvis

This band actually took its name from one of the most popular playboys from my hometown of Corinth, MS. Darvis Gallaher was one of the most popular playboys ever. He was a counselor at my high school, and he drove the girls crazy. He had over 275 pairs of ankle boots that zipped on the side. Combined with Sansabelt pants, the boots were the trick. His finely groomed beard and gold jewelry also contributed to his success with the ladies. Anyway, Garvis effectively used that same look to launch themselves onto the music charts. With hits such as "Torn between Polly & Ester," "Put 'Em On, Zip 'Em Up, and Never Look Back," and "You Don't Have to be an Accordian Player to Wear a Pinkie Ring" Garvis made their mark for sure.

Bert Bennys

These guys were a cross between The Beatles and the Statler Brothers. They were more popular in Scandanavia, however.

What I'm listening to these days...

For those of you music freaks out there, here's what's currently on my iPod...



AC/DC - Powerage
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill Acoustic
Al Green - Greatest Hits
The Autumn Defense - Circles
Beanland - Beanland
Beanland - Eye To Eye
Better Than Ezra - Deluxe
Beulah - Yoko
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl
The Black Crowes - Greatest Hits
Blue Merle - Burning in the Sun
Bob Mould - Body of Song
Bob Schneider - Lonelyland
Bob Schneider - I'm Good Now
Brendan Benson - The Alternative To Love
Brendan Benson - Metarie (EP)
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - And This Is Our Music
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Bravery Repetition and Noise
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Bringing It All Back Home
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Give It Back!
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Methodrone
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Strung Out In Heaven
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Take It From The Man
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: A Retrospective
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Thank God for Mental Illness
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - We Are the Radio
The Clash - London Calling
Coldplay - Live 2003
Coldplay - X & Y
Copeland - In Motion
Cracker - Garage d'Or
The Damnwells - Bastards of the Beat
The Dandy Warhols - The Dandy Warhols Come Down
The Dandy Warhols - Dandys Rule OK?
The Dandy Warhols - Odditorium or
The Dandy Warhols - Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia
The Dandy Warhols - Welcome to the Monkey House
Deadman - Our Eternal Ghosts
Deadman - Paramour
Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
The Decemberists - Picaresque
Del Amitri - Hatful of Rain: The Best of Del Amitri
The Detroit Cobras - Baby
Donavon Frankenreiter - Donavon Frankenreiter
Doves - Some Cities
Eisley - Room Noises
Embrace - Out of Nothing
Foo Fighters - In Your Honor
Foo Fighters - One By One
Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
The Freddy Jones Band - The Freddy Jones Band
Fruit Bats - Spelled in Bones
The Gamble Brothers Band - Back to the Bottom
Gingersol - Eastern
Glen Phillips - Winter Pays for Summer
God Street Wine - $1.99 Romances
The Gourds - Blood of the Ram
The Grapes - Private Stock
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
The Hilltops - Big Black River
Holopaw - Quit +/or Fight
Idlewild - Warnings/Promises
Iron & Wine/Calexico - In the Reins
Jack Johnson - On and On
Jackson Browne - Late for the Sky
Jamie Cullum - Twentysomething
The Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Josh Rouse - 1972
Josh Rouse - Nashville
Juliana Hatfield - Made in China
Jupiter Coyote - Cemetaries and Junkyards
Jupiter Coyote - Lucky Day
Jupiter Coyote - Wade
Kasabian - Kasabian
The Kudzu Kings - The Kudzu Kings
The Kudzu Kings - Y2Kow
The Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray
The Libertines - The Libertines
Limbeck - Let Me Come Home
Live - Throwing Copper
Lucero - Nobody's Darlings
Lucero - That Much Further West
Luna - Rendezvous
The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers
Mark Knopfler - Sailing to Philadelphia
Matt Mays - Matt Mays & El Torpedo
Matt Nathanson - Beneath These Fireworks
Mike Doughty - Haughty Melodic
My Morning Jacket - At Dawn
My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves
My Morning Jacket - Z
Nada Surf - The Weight Is a Gift
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die?
Nirvana - Nevermind
North Mississippi Allstars - Electric Blue Watermelon
Oasis - Don't Believe the Truth
Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
Old 97's - Drag It Up
Old 97's - Early Tracks
Old 97's - Fight Songs
Old 97's - Hitchhike to Rhome
Old 97's - Satellite Rides
Old 97's - Too Far to Care
Old 97's - Wreck Your Life
The Orange Peels - Circling the Sun
Pat Green - Three Days
Patrick Park - Loneliness Knows My Name
Pearl Jam - Ten
Pedro the Lion - Achilles Heel
Pernice Brothers - Discover A Lovelier You
Pete Yorn - musicforthemorningafter
Phish - A Live One
Radiohead - OK Computer
R.E.M. - Reckoning
Rhett Miller - The Instigator
Richmond Fontaine - Post to Wire
Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers - Americano!
The Rolling Stones - Forty Licks
Rosavelt - The Story of Gasoline
Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams - Love Is Hell Pt. 1
Ryan Adams - Love Is Hell Pt. 2
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cold Roses
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights
Sam Roberts - We Were Born in a Flame
The Scabs - Freebird
The Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - The Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies
The Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Magnolia
Seal - Live in Paris
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
The Shore - The Shore
Snow Patrol - Final Straw
Son Volt - Trace
Son Volt - Okemah and the Melody of Riot
Soulhat - Experiment on a Flat Plane
Stars - Set Yourself on Fire
Stereophonics - You Gotta Go There to Come Back
The Stone Roses - Second Coming
Stone Temple Pilots - Thank You
Sugar - File Under Easy Listening
The Thrills - So Much for the City
Tim Easton - Break Your Mother's Heart
Tishamingo - Wear N' Tear
Toad the Wet Sprocket - P.S. (A Toad Retrospective)
Uncle Tupelo - 89/93: An Anthology
The Volebeats - Like Her
The Warlocks - Surgery
Wheat - Per Second, Per Second, Per Second...Every Second
Whiskeytown - Pneumonia
Widespread Panic - Jackassolantern
Widespread Panic - Space Wrangler
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco - A Ghost Is Born

Let me know if you want any recommendations...

Interesting article from the Clarion Ledger...

Jackson, MS (AP) - A seven-year-old boy was at the center of a Jackson courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible.

The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him.

After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him. After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Ole Miss Rebels, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.

Women's Language

Thought I would give you a quick lesson on the language that women tend to use. If you don't know these by now, it might not be too late. Take notes!!

FINE

This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

FIVE MINUTES

If she is getting dressed, this is half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given 5 more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

NOTHING

This is the calm before the storm. This means "something," and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with 'Nothing' usually end in "Fine."

GO AHEAD

This is a dare, not permission. Don't do it.

LOUD SIGH

This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing".

THAT'S OKAY

This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

THANKS

A woman is thanking you. Do not question it or faint. Just say you're welcome.

WHATEVER

It's a woman's way of saying *!#@ YOU!

Priceless

Spending your 1st Wedding Anniversary with your lovely wife at the Ritz in Buckhead = $A Nice Chunk of Change$



Complimentary dessert in your honor = $No Charge, but worth every spoonful$



Complimentary champangne waiting for you in the room after dinner = $No Charge, but worth every drop$



Are you ready for the kicker?????



The Ritz staff making a pretty ironic error on the card that came with the champagne, only reminding me of what I feared the MOST about marriage.....PRICELESS!!!!



Oh well.....I still love you, Hadley. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this was, indeed, a mistake on the part of the staff, and not a sign of what the future has in store for me!!!!

Skeleton Man

This little guy can get down!!

OK...I just had to post this...

I'll probably go to hell for this, but you have to admit....it's flippin' hilarious...

DIG!

My good friend Bobby Dunn, from Natchez, and a fellow music fanatic...suggested that I watch the movie DIG! a week or so ago. I had been meaning to rent it, but I couldn't find it in any of the local rental stores. So on Saturday, I stopped by my favorite record store in Atlanta, Criminal Records, and picked up the DIG! 2-DVD Special Edition, and today is Thursday...and I've watched it 4 times thus far.

DIG! is basically a 7-year documentary that chronicles two West Coast bands: The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols.



BJM, from the San Francisco area, is led by Anton Newcombe, a psychedelic and mentally unbalanced musical genius.



The Dandy Warhols are from the Portland area, and they are led by Courtney Taylor-Taylor.




The irony is that Anton was a huge fan of the Dandy's...and when Courtney and his band caught a BJM show in San Francisco one night, they were completely intimidated by Anton and his band. Anyway, the movie basically follows both bands over a 7 year period of time, as they both go for record deals and become serious rivals. Both bands inspire one another, and it's a love/hate relationship to the bitter end. The Dandy's end up with a pretty successful record deal with Capital, and BJM pretty much ends up in the gutter, a result of internal nightmares usually fueled by Anton's drug abuse, fights onstage, etc.

I know this sounds like a terrible plot for a movie, but I'm telling you...if you're a music fan, this is a must-see movie. I've been a fan of The Dandy Warhols for several years, and I have all of their records. But I'd never really heard of BJM until DIG! hit the big screen...and after watching it, I now have every single BJM record and can't stop listening to them.

If you're familiar with the boxing world, then the life of a club fighter is quite familiar. A very talented fighter, but one who will never get a shot at the title...and usually gets pounded in the ring. He fights on a nightly basis, usually for a small sum of prize money, but there's one thing that all prize fighters have in common....heart. To go up against the odds night after night for the paycheck and the love of the sport...now that's dedication.



In my opinion, that's the perfect analogy for Anton Newcombe. The guy is brilliant, and makes some of the best records I've ever listened to. How he can create music that literally sounds like it's straight out of the 60's psychedelic era...just amazes me. The guy is incredibly talented, and still to this day has never had a huge record deal....pretty much because he's more about the music than the money. That's not to say that he hasn't blown his chances....the movie clearly proves that. But Anton is a great song writer, and he can play every instrument known to man. There's no doubt about it....he's amazing.

Anyway, for those of you out there that love music and are open to new things....I highly recommend renting or buying DIG! as soon as possible. There's also a recently released 2-disc collection, if you will, of Anton and BJM's work:



I promise you...buy this album...and you will clearly understand why I took the time to write this. Then call me and thank me for introducing you to a band you'll now become obsessed with.

Tracks you gotta hear:

When Jokers Attack from the album, "And This Is Our Music"


Servo from the album, "Give It Back"