Blah blah blahg...

An amazing 8-bit version of Converge’s ‘Hell to Pay’, off the Jane Doe album.

Happy birthday JoeMar!!

“ Can you just ask Google? You’re smart and all… but I just think you have no idea what you’re talking about…

— Amy Ploss-Samson

Dunkin' Salads

Amy: I had Dunkin' Donuts this morning!
Me: What?! I want that!
Amy: I mean... I had a salad! At Dunkin' Salads!!

Metallica - Enter Sandman (Smooth Jazz Version)

This might be the funniest thing I’ve seen all year… If not a close second to this…

Before I die, I want to get tattooed by Bob Roberts (above) and Thomas Hooper…

(Note to self: Must save money for tattoo roadtrip)

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

The Suicide File - Now Lie In It

You are who you fuck, or so I am told
In this miserable city, where status is gold
I’ve seen shit-eating people who claw their way up
Looking for the acceptance that they never got
It’s all about winning the meat market games
Among all the rejects, dropouts and fakes
Did everyone give you the attention you seek
Who’s arm are you draped on this fucking week
Trophy boys and trophy girls
Go fuck yourselves, I hate your world
Fair-weather friends are keeping score
Name dropper, name fucker
You’re a fucking whore

it’s raining…

last week was a tough one for amy and i. her grandfather, reese, past away last monday at the age of 81. he was a great man whom we both admired and loved dearly. he was everything to amy, and it broke her heart to have to say goodbye. i started writing this a few days after he died, sitting in my office on a rainy afternoon. it’s not finished yet (i don’t think), but i felt i should post it today anyway…

it’s raining…

“not hard enough.” i think to myself, as i watch the lazy beads slowly trickle down the window panes. a little harder and it may have done the trick. washed it all away - the pain, the anger, the sadness, the emptiness. i watch as she strains with all her might to lift the corners of her mouth, just high enough that she might hide behind them. but her eyes give her away. they always do. perhaps the only flaw i’ve noticed since my obsession with them began so many nights ago. they are big, beautiful. they are trying hard not to blink. they know that would expose her; expose the truth. letting it slowly trickle down her cheeks; glistening banners for all to see. blink…

it’s raining…

“i know it’s hard.” the words fall from my mouth, and i cringe as they shatter on the floor. “you don’t know shit!” i imagine her screaming while picking up the shards and throwing them back in my face. but she says nothing. she slowly walks toward me and buries her face in the side of my neck as she collapses in my arms. she holds me tight. tighter than she ever has before. as if she’s afraid to let go and fall. i try to hold us up, but the weight is too much. we fall. together. the entire world rushes past us and all we can hear is the wind rushing over our ears. i lean in close so my lips touch her salty cheek. i mouth the familiar words knowing that, in this moment, they mean nothing… everything. we fall…

it’s raining…

R.I.P. Reese Allen Drayer

Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Friend, Hero

Breaking The Cycle…

sometimes, the shuffle feature on my ipod is so brilliant. on my extremely short drive to work every morning, it’s rare that i get to hear more than two songs. that is, if i even bother to use my ipod at all. more often than not, i drive in silence. sometimes, those brief few minutes of muffled street sounds are all i need to prep for another attempt at world conquest. and then in the afternoons, to reflect on why world conquest must wait yet another day. other times however, i need a good, old-fashioned kick in the face to find proper motivation. this was one of those mornings. and a band called Modern Life Is War provided the 8-eye, yellow-stitched doc marten boots.

the song is called ‘Breaking The Cycle’. and as i intently listened to its lyrics, i thought of myself and the people i care about who are just like me. people that have grown up angry. angry at world. angry at ourselves. for a million and one reasons. but at some point we realized we couldn’t go on being angst-filled youths forever. the world wasn’t changing and we needed to overcome our rage… transcend the bullshit… break the cycle.

for the most part, i think we’ve all succeeded. i, for one, am at a very positive place in my life and surrounded by so many amazing people. but even still, i think we’d all agree that it’s a constant struggle. and sometimes we need a little positive reinforcement…

This marks the return of a threat
that we should have never taken back:
To live our lives with unwavering intent
and in the spirit of a new romance.
Growing up in an age where monotony reigns
it’s so easy to keep your heart and mind locked away.
And it’s up to you to rise up…
to break away.
We’ve got no more time to spend
spitting ugly words at vicious circles from within.
The time has come to adapt and reinvent.
Let yourself go. Come unhinged.
Claws out, in a place where you don’t fit.
Focus or fold, no more standing on the fence.
Today’s the day we face ourselves and forgive,
‘cause the world won’t wait while we fail to make amends.
Late night adventure. Reckless abandonment.
We’re gonna live our life like it’s our last chance.
Revenge: We’re taking back what they stole.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Modern Life Is War - Breaking The Cycle