Odd Observation

Odd Observation

Current mood:weird

Well, the tornado left about 37.5 million dollars in damage in its wake. Hundreds left homeless, and many of the trailer dwellers and apartment dwellers are uninsured. That is sad, and unfortunate that they did not carry insurance.

Embry Riddle aeronautical university was hit especially hard, with each building taking some damage, as well as 65 of their airplanes being destroyed.

What was weird was that Spruance Hall at Embry Riddle was built around 20 years ago. During the building, someone painted "Merry Christmas" on a girder facing the road in yellow spray paint. The tornado tore the facing off of the building in the exact spot that message was painted, revealing the eerie message some 20 years later on Christmas Day.

I am also amazed at how little national coverage there was for this event. I saw the news cover a small storm in Tallahassee, but have heard no national mention of this tradgedy affecting 100s of people directly, and thousands indirectly on Christmas Day.

F2 Tornado Christmas Day

F2 Tornado comes thru DeLand and Daytona

Current mood:shocked

F2 tornado came thru about 2pm. We dodged a major bullet. About a mile and a half from here, about 200 homes took damage. Major devastation. The place is evacuated as gas lines were ruptured. The images are just getting to the media. The WalMart is being used as a staging area for that area, but the tornado continued east, and did a lot of damage to the residential area by the police station, wiping out an apartment complex and playing havoc with a huge area of the city. The counts are still coming in.

Many people are going to come home on Christmas to no home. We rode thru some of the damaged area on the way home from dinner, and it is amazing. I called my house to be sure the electricity was on, as we had no idea what to expect. Fortunately we have no apparant damage that I can see, and our electricity is on, so that is good!

I had dinner at my brother in laws house, with the whole family there. He owns a business downtown and we feared it was levelled. A friend went down and checked it out, and it appears to have sustained no damage, but everything after 100 feet away is majorly damaged. He has no electricity there, but that is a small issue compared with having damage to the building.

Making for an interesting day. Keep a good thought for those more affected. Tomorrow will probably reveal some big hardships.

Go figger....

Go figger....

Why does everything seem to wait until a holiday to break? Last year we found a plumbing leak and had the TV blow up on Christmas, this year water has come flooding from underneath the kitchen faucet.

The main water supply valve outside is completely buried now that they dont actually look at the meter anymore, so I had to dig that out to shut the water off, since there is not a shutoff valve under the sink. So, now all the water to the house is turned off.

It is going to take a plumber to sort where the leak is coming from, and good luck getting one on a Sunday, Christmas eve. I have one on the way and he should be here by 2...and there will be a $149 Holiday surcharge on top of the bill. Oh well. The floors ought to be dry by the time he gets here anyway.

Whatta Weekend!

Whatta Weekend...

Current mood:accomplished

Hello all! What a whirlwind weekend! I have been so very busy with work that I have been neglecting my blogs, lol.

Yesterday was the Shark House fundraiser at Rossi's to benefit the employee family relief fund. I think it went really well, and we had an unbelievable turnout. I got there at 2 and there were already people there.

Many people ask me where I have had the largest rotation of singers, and for now, the answer will be at the benefit! I stopped counting around the 60's...and at points I know we had over 70 singers in line. Of course, some of the singers had to bail out before their turn...nothing like a 4 or 5 hour wait, LOL!

It was suggested that I was going to charge people to sing...like $5 a song, to raise money. I had a better idea. I would let everyone sing for free, but I would take bribes. A $20 would get you to the front of the line...so if you were the 12th person to hand me a $20, you were the 12th singer...all who handed in a 20 or more went to the front of the list. If you wanted to sing next, just hand me $100.

Now assuming I could get 15 singers an hour in (and that would have been tough with raffles, announcements, etc...) that would have only raised about $75 an hour for the cause. The way I did it, after 4 hours of karaoke, I personally raised $1350.00 in bribes alone! I felt REALLY good about that! I was also able to hand Robin an envelope stuffed with cash when I got there...that came from donations made in cash at my other shows this week! That is money that is above and beyond the other efforts, such as the raffles and auctions and contributions being collected elsewhere. So, I am happy to say that it looks like the efforts are working, and we will be able to help some of these folks who may need it. There are more ways to help and I will put them on my website at www.harryoke.com today.

I ended up shutting down around 10pm...that made a long day, but worth it.

On Saturday I did a corporate holiday party just South of Jax. That went really well...we were in a different room than last year, and they had me on a moveable wall with no electricity. That was the only oversight. Once they got electricity to me all went well. The folks seemed a lot more receptive than they were last year, and I was definitely in my groove with the age group. The other parties around us broke up and we kept it going until midnight...some folks from the other parties were walking by and crashed our dance floor since the DJ seemed to be doing such a good job, (coff-coff), LOL!

I always enjoy the reward of being in the right crowd, playing the right music. When people are up for a party, and receptive to entertainment, and interact by requesting, commenting and dancing, it makes the job eaier for me...and I do a better job. Nothing is worse than being at a party that people are being forced to be at, and they are not music people, or dancers...and you cant really get them going. I tend to take nights like that personally, until I have that really good night to remind me that I may actually know what I am doing to some degree.

DJ jobs are infinitely more difficult to me than Karaoke jobs. With karaoke you definitely use a different side of your brain. Not that karaoke is easy, but you are relieved of the song choice process at least. When you DJ, if you are good at it, you must have a strong working knowledge of songs and be able to know in 15 seconds what the better song to play is going to be, then start thinking of the next one, to keep the people happy, working the ebb and flow of energy.

Well with most of the holiday work behind me, things will get back to normal...although now I will have my Sundays free since the fire. This will be a temporary setback...I am looking forward to having a few Sundays free for now, but I have no illusions that come January or February, Sundays will find me onstage at yet another venue. I have some prospects, but nothing committed, so any rumours to the contrary floating around out there are just speculation. It has been less than a week, and already I hear the rumors on the street of where I am gonna be next, LOL!

All for now, and all the best to you all...

Foster is Sick

Foster

Many of you know my dog Foster (www.myspace.com/fosterthedog ). We have been really preoccupied with worry about him this week as he was very ill. He pretty much lost all his steam, became very lethargic and had no interest in anything. I took him to the vet as we had no clue what the problem could be...anything from bowel obstructions to worms or whatever. The vet didnt think it was a bowel obstruction and was leaning toward a parasite of some type, and treated him accordingly. He has not been NORMAL since I left for work on Sunday.

Yesterday he threw up a copious amount and there were undigested leaves in the vomit. He is prone, as is our other dog Tiny, to graze and eat foliage in the yard. We are thinking he got ahold of something poisonous.,.possibly Lantana, that caused the issue. The more I research the issue on the net, the more convinced I become that he was poisoned by Lantana.

Last night he seemed to be sparking back up...actually moving around and had some interest in his tennis ball. I was relieved to wake up this morning and find him standing at my door waiting for me with his tennis ball in his mouth. We went for a long walk, the first in a couple of days. He seems to be getting back to his old self...and I am not worrying as much.

Thinking of the possibility of him being gone, and seeing him suffer, absolutely broke my heart. He is a good guy.

Remembering Mom

Remembering Mom

Current mood:nostalgic

Today it has been one year since my Mom passed away. It hardly seems that long. I suppose I really should have packed up her house by now, but I just havent gotten around to it...in a year, LOL! At least I have the luxury of not being forced to do it...it isnt hurting anything sitting quietly. I go over every once in a while and putter...and I keep the yard groomed, etc...

I am glad she is not suffering. Each day, when I go to lunch with my brother, I see many elderly people who are suffering, but able to get out and about with help...at least they are LIVING rather than existing. When I get to a point where I am merely existing, I hope that my dispatch becomes prompt and eminent. As much as I miss my Mom, I am glad she is gone and no longer existing to suffer. I lost my Mom long before she ceased breathing.

I called her brother in San Diego the other day to check in on him...hadnt heard anything in awhile and was thinking the worst, but was pleased to get him on the phone and have a pleasant conversation. He is going to be 90 on his next birthday. He is the person in my family that I most relate to...we have similar outlooks, personality, and demeanor. He apparantly needs a procedure similar to my Mom, but is reluctant to do so and I cant blame him...my Mom never recovered, and also, c'mon, how invasive of a surgery does a 90 year old want to prolong his life? He goes to lunch and dinner by himself in the car each day, although he is giving up his license on this birthday. At least he is not stuck in a bed in a home somewhere, incoherant and unable to take care of himself.

That will not be me either, hopefully.

Here's to Mom...I think I will have to go eat at one of her favorite haunts in her honor this weekend.

Strange Turn of Events - Entitlement Part 2

Strange Turn of Events - Entitlement Part 2

Current mood:shocked

This blog entry is in reference to my previous blog titled "Entitlement". Although this gravitates around the incidents involving Allen Buzdigian, my post and blog had nothing to do with him per se, but rather the sense of entitlement from one of his neighbors who wrote a letter to the editor concerning a show of force. I reprinted the letters in my previous blog.

Yesterday I was contacted via MySpace by Allen Buzdigians neice, Jennifer. Her profile was new and had no friends added, so I am assumptive she googled the name and saw my blog entry listed and went on to read and felt compelled to respond. Her responses are available at the comment area of the blog.

Now before I go any further, and those who know me know this already....I am no moral champion...that is, I tend to be a little more live and let live rather than getting uptight over legal issues...my friends come from all walks of life and I am no stranger to people who live off the radar or outside of the boundaries of the law. I dont want any strangers reading this to think I am some middle aged uptight white cheerleader for the law community, that is just not the case. What I AM a cheerleader for is what is right VS what is wrong, and I have the ability to justify that when someone is wrong, the earn a penalty for their decisions...and THAT is a price you pay when you operate outside of the boundaries of law.

What I am finding amazing in this situation is that Allens family apparantly shares the same disdain for law enforcement that Allen did...and they are holding grudges that Allen was murdered by law enforcement, and harassed previously to his death...that the cops had it out for him and were looking for a reason to kill him and finally got their way.

I could go on speculatively, but the facts are public record...Allen stood before a judge and then refused to come to sentencing and when he was being arrested he fought back with bullets. It does not matter what he was being charged with or why...that is a case for the lawyers and the system. NOT for gunfire towards the civil servants keeping the system going.

So without further ado, I invite you to read my previous blog and see Jennifers comments, then read the following message sent to me, and feel free to comment at THIS blog, so that Jennifer may get a bigger picture as to who was right and who was wrong, and that we are not "assholes" for feeling that Allen Buzdigian signed his own death warrant with his first shot.

Quote from Jennifer:

Message 1 of 2

Hello Harryoke,
I have a response to make it regards to your letter to the editor disagreeing with Mrs Haas. I do not agree with you at all I in turn agree with Mrs Haas. the police went way to far that day they KILLED Mr buzdigian. If you would have done some further investigating before putting your 2 cents in you would have found that Mr Buzdigian was a handicapped man with 2 hip replacemants and asthma and that the police were well aware of his conditions as well as they were aware that the force they used that day was not needed . There was no need for him to be gunned down in his living room for not appearing in court. He did not harm anyone the only thing he did was not appear in court o There are plently of people in this state who fail to appear in court and they sure as hell are not hunted down and shot, now are they?
You state they used extraordinary step that day and you are right the steps are extaordinary and were uncalled for. There was no need to use 22 canisters of tear gas concussion devices and all the other assortment of toys to be used that day to draw a handicapped man out of his house, they could have killed a herd of elephants that day! The police need to be the ones scrutinized that day not Allen and people such as yourselve need to do a little investigating before speaking about a subject you know nothing about.
It truly saddens me that peolple have no respect for human life Allen was a kind gentle human who loved life and loved living before he was KILLED. just so you know Al has family and friends who are still grieving and who will miss him very much.
Sincerly
jennifer

Message 2 of 2

Well Harry I find it pretty sad and pathetic that you have nothing else better to do than sit around and gossip on the internet about something you nothing nothing about . As a matter of fact Allen is my Uncle and I do know ALL the facts and the fact is that Murdering a handicapped man which is exactly what the police did that day is wrong. You stated that he did not appear in court for a crime he commited do you even know what crime he supposedly commited I DONOT THINK YOU DO!!! Do you know that the police came to his house in May for no reason at all and harrassed him for trespassing which he didnot do. Since none of this is your buisness and I will not waste my time on you and go into any details on this case but you are saddly mistaken by the fact that the police were in the right. But you are right about 1 thing it would have been sad if something happened to any of the police officers on that day, but they put themselves in that perdicament by harrassing a disabled harmless man.
And as far as their "toys" I believe and so do alot of the other residents in Ormand Beach that the police had a hay day playing with all their so called "nonlethal toys", well they were extremly lethal to my Uncle since he was very asmatic and could bearly breath on his own on a normal day, no matter after 22 canisters of tear gas were used they were well aware that they will Murdering a man and that those methods were extremly lethal so donot preach to me or anyone else about a subject you do not even begin to understand It seems to me you are a simple man with nothing else better to do than pry into other peoples buiseness.
You state they were coming to his house to arrest him I donot know about you but there are plenty of people int his state who have warrants out for their arrests and the police do not knock on their door and shoot and murder them for not appearing in court.The police had it out for my uncle and they were not going to stop until they ended it which they did. And if Al was such a threat to the community why did they let him free on his own recognices on May if he was such a threat and if that is the case then the Judicial System let him down and either way you look at it the police screwed up-if he was so "crazy" and they were so scared of him and his actions and they needed 4 police officers to come to his house to arrest him then maybe they should have kept him in jail in May until his trial. they did not keep him cause they had no reason to they were wrong in arresting him in May and they were wrong for Murdering him in September.
So maybe you yourself should shut up and step back and reevaluate your thoughts and look into the facts a little further than you did because unlike you I know all the facts and have known them for a very long time. So put all your BS to a good use and worry about your own life and problems and stop interfering in our families buisness we are greiving the Murder of our beloved family member.
Sincerly
Jennifer

I just find it sad that perspectives can be so skewed so that the cops are made to look like the bad guys...and it is a social statement about our society that I find interesting...hence why I published this...to create a dialogue. I invite anyone who disagrees with me to post such, and try to convince me why someone who shoots at the cops merely because he does not want to go to jail because he disagrees with the verdict did not deserve to die that day.

For more perspective from the family, visit this forum where the family members discuss the death, and are glad he went out in a blaze It is an interesting read, and a view into a mindset:

http://www.topix.net/forum/city/wesley-chapel-fl/TRLK3JKJG4E409DK3

Again, I repeat, I am not here to judge anyone, let alone Allen, BUT I am discussing the social fallout of responsibility of the citizens to operate within "the system" and the fallout that occurs when they do not, and ultimately, who is responsible.

Checking In - Great Day, and Evening Epiphanies

Checking In - Great Day, and Evening Epiphanies

Current mood:energetic

Hey there...just checking in with a few things going on in life.

The weather is FINALLY getting a little crisper, and that is a welcome change. I am tired of sweating and running the AC. It is nice to have windows open. The last 2 nights it has been 45 while I am driving home, but I am still in my obligatory uniform of shorts, LOL! Will take more adversity to get me into long pants!

Monday was a great day. A friend of mine with no net access, Bobby, had to sell his car. I am good at that kind of thing so I volunteered my services, and was able to locate a buyer in Georgia who is in active duty with the Navy. We agreed to deliver the car, so that was Mondays chore. It was a perfect day to drive, and the change of pace and scenery was very welcome. There is something cathartic about a nice drive. Got to see a lot of things I havent gotten to see in awhile...it has been awhile since I got to explore Jax and points north and the changes were pretty neat to see.

We got the car there with no incident, but I did get a little nervous as we had some difficulty contacting the buyer right away (we were a little early) and I also noticed that whatever the owner used to clean the car was not the best chemical, and by all rights, in my eyes, the car really needed to be re-cleaned as it was not presenting itself in the best light. In my heart I know there is nothing wrong with the car or the paint, but the film of blecch on the paint and windows was getting me worked up. If we were going to be stuck waiting, I wanted to re-detail the car, but when I made that decision the buyer called and was 20 minutes away, so no go. I was just hoping that he wouldnt be a fussy customer.

He was not. A complete gentleman, and instantly fell in love with the car flaws and all. We completed the transaction and hit the road.

When we got just N. of Palm Coast, called by friend Brett to see if he was working so we could have him serve us dinner (he is a waiter). He had the night off, so we invited Jimmy and Brett to join us for dinner at the Outback. Plenty of time to have a nice dinner, like gentlemen, before I had to go to work. We had a nice meal and converstion, and it was fun to be with my friends outside of a work atmosphere.

Headed back to Bobby's to drop him off, then headed to work to set up. Had a decent little turn out, but a little quiet since it was the post biketoberfest crowd so people get a little partied out. A lot of people left early to get rest, etc...which left us with a little intimate crowd at the end of the night. Another one of my friends, Soozi-Q showed up from Ormond...she never gets out on a Monday, but got off work early and decided she needed a break. That was a good night to do that...she comes to my shows and is an excellent singer, but rarely gets in more than 3 songs a night. This night there were periods of time where it was just her and I on the rotation.

In most situations, I would consider packing up a little early to close since the revenue is light, but I stuck around because it was a treat for Sooz, AND the bartender would have to stay there anyway since she is new and has no key, so I played my full show, ultimately yelling to the people to let me know what they wanted to hear and I would sing it. THAT was fun, and their choices were great! Deep Purple, Yardbirds, Bread, lot of classic rock...and I was all over the place before that. I was pretty much committing myself to only new songs I have never done, and I kept pretty good to that commitment. By the end of the night, I remembered what I loved about karaoke, and what got me interested in the first place.

It seems lately I get a little mentally burned out when I am working when it comes to my singing...either I am suffering allergies and cant make my voice work 100%, or it is so busy I pull myself out of the rotation and dont sing at all, or it is busy and it is requested of me to sing songs that I do all the time, such as Hair, Bohemian Rhapsody or Cara Mia. Mind you I love to sing those, but I dont want to be known as a one trick pony, so I try to shake it up when I can. I usually get 2 songs a night at the Shark, opener and the top of the rotation, and it was generally the rule that I would HAVE to sing Hair. That got real predictable real fast, considering there are probably THOUSANDS of other songs I am capable of singing that the people will never hear. So I have been shaking it up there a bit. Sunday I did Bohemian Rhapsody there for the first time...it took a couple of verses for it to sink in, but by the end the reaction was OVERWHELMING. I cant remember getting so many compliments on a performance there, except maybe the first time I did Cara Mia. This was a great preface for Monday night...having people appreciate the performance, reward you with praise, and generally having fun and pushing the boundaries.

THAT is why I discovered karaoke, and that is what I try to get my singers to experience.

So I was feeling pretty good when I left on Monday. Sometimes you need a good slow night to help get your perspective back on track.

And tonight is show #2000! I am looking forward to seeing old and new friends. There have been a lot of faces across the stage since I started...each one with its own drama, and many of them whose lives have been affected in some way, major or minor, by me or their involvement with my show.

Looking forward to the next 2000! Thanks to you all.

Aargh!

Aargh

Current mood:morose

I wondered why my closet in my office smelled musty... I burned a candle in the office to make it smell better... Went in today and the ghost of Loris son's feet was haunting my office (used to be his bedroom). I knew there was nothing organic in my office to make it smell that way...

Lori and her daughter were complaining the living room stank this morning as well...time to investigate.

Lots of flys at the back of the house...time to crawl under the house...

And voila! There was the dead cat. We have a large feral cat community around here. One decided to end it all under my office floor. I had to remove it and then bury it.

THAT was a disgusting task...now if the air would only clear.

Entitlement PART 1

Entitlement

Current mood:quixotic

I had gotten several comments in regard to this subject, so I thought I would document it here in this blog for the heck of it...

As many of you know, there was a situation here last month where a guy who failed to show up in court to answer a charge of battery on a law enforcement officer had a warrant issued for his pickup. When deputies arrived at his house to serve the warrant, he answered the door with threats and gunfire. Officers returned gunfire then retreated to cover and called for backup. SWAT teams arrived and faced a 9 hour standoff, which saw them penetrate the walls of the house to drop tear gas and concussive devices. The surrounding homes were evacuated. This happened in a rather upscale part of town where people tend to be wealthy, long time residents, and they can sometimes appear to have some false sense of entitlement.

For more info on the incident, Google "Allen Buzdigian".

One of the residents wrote the following letter to the editor of the local paper:

'Police state' response shocking

I sincerely hope The News-Journal will demand a full public accounting by an independent source of the events surrounding the death of Allen Buzdigian on Sept. 25 ("9-hour standoff deadly: Man barricades self in Ormond-by-the-Sea home," article, Sept. 26).

As a resident of Hibiscus Drive, I am shocked, appalled and frightened that a "police state" could so quickly be established in a quiet neighborhood, refusing both adults and school children access to their homes for nine hours; sent more than 20 patrol cars to be parked along just one side street, and many more on other streets; called for SWAT reinforcements from a neighboring county (was our SWAT team unable to handle this situation alone?); bombarded a private residence with gas and concussive devices; and then destroyed it with armored vehicles.

This is America, not Iraq. Al may have had some difficulties with the police, may even have had some mental problems, but he was never a threat to the neighborhood. My late husband would spend hours with him sitting on the porch and watching the traffic go by on John Anderson Drive. On more than one occasion, when Al was alone for Thanksgiving, he came and shared a meal with us. He was always clean, well dressed, articulate, friendly and relaxed. He rode his Indian at 10 miles an hour down our street and always had a wave for me when he was standing in the yard, gazing skyward.

Our law enforcement agencies were not protecting us from Al; they were issuing a show of force that I have difficulty wrapping my mind around. Many others share my thoughts and feelings about this infringement on our freedom and the huge expense to the taxpayers.

I understand that officers were put in danger, but did that give them the right to put six blocks of the residents of this neighborhood in danger from their firepower capabilities? Because that is what we needed protecting from, not Allen Buzdigian.

PATRICIA HAAS, Ormond Beach

The sense of entitlement and lack of understanding of the gravity of the situation on her part astounded me. It became a divisive subject of local interest, with most of those who were AGAINST the police not having any real data on the subject, nor an adequate understanding of police tactical procedure.

I sent the following response to the News Journal, which they published:

Police response was appropriate

I am responding to Patricia Haas' letter of Sept. 29 in which she expressed her shock at the "police state" response of local law enforcement to the Allen Buzdigian home in Ormond-by-the-Sea.

What letter would she have written to the newspaper if one of her neighbors or area children had been wounded or killed by crossfire coming from the home?

It appears that law enforcement can't win on this one: The officers are damned for protecting the residents from a credible threat, and had they not taken precautions, they would have been damned for that.

I am sure that Mr. Buzdigian had his merits as a person and a neighbor, but when one bucks the system with a rifle and a pistol, I think it is fair to say that all history is forgotten at that moment.

I am sure Mrs. Haas would expect no less if she were the one in peril. This was an extraordinary circumstance, and extraordinary steps were taken to protect the innocent.

Mrs. Haas asks, "I understand that officers were put in danger, but did that give them the right to put six blocks of the residents of this neighborhood in danger from their firepower capabilities?"

The answer is "yes." The steps taken by law enforcement were calculated to prevent them from having to use firepower. That is why concussion devices, tear gas and other nonlethal methods were employed at first. It was Mr. Buzdigian who was using the firepower, and unfortunately, bullets don't stop at property lines.

HARRY SMITH, DeLand

Relief and Amazement!!

Relief and Amazement!

Current mood:relieved

Long story short, I had a vehicle I needed to sell. I cosigned a loan for a family member 2 years ago, and this person became unable to pay their payments, so I had to take possession of a vehicle I could not use. Fortunately, the vehicle has retained some value, and I got it pretty cheap two years ago.

I listed the vehicle for sale at a high, but fair price. Cars have 4 values...1)retail: that is what you expect to pay at a lot, 2) private party: what you pay on the roadside or from a classified ad, 3) wholesale: what you can get from a dealer as a buyout or trade in, and 4) whatever someone is willing to pay for it, LOL!

I took out a loan to payoff the vehicle to get the title...kind of difficult to sell a vehicle without a title. Once the title came, I lowered the price of the vehicle to assure a quick sale...I was not looking to make money, just wanted the payoff to break even.

It was amazing how many people looked at the low price and still tried to offer me less. Mind you, I wheel and deal as well so I was not insulted, but I know the cars value, and anyone shopping for a vehicle like I had in the condition it was in would have been crazy not to jump on it.

The other problem was people expecting me to hold the note or take payments...who in their right mind would do that for a stranger unless they were in that business? Not to mention, the vehicle was COMPLETELY financeable because of the low price.

I had to sell the vehicle before Oct 1 because the insurance policy was coming due, and I would have been forced to title the vehicle in my name and insure it on my policy, which would have resulted in lots of cost to me, and tied up the title for another month!

I was getting frustrated at all of the lame offers coming my way and was looking at the reality of selling it at a loss to a wholesaler. This was getting to be the first thing on my mind when I woke up in the morning. Then, I met the coolest customer ever.

My phone rang and the fellow on the other end said he was at the vehicle, so I met him there... He opened the door, looked at the dash, looked at the seats, and said he would call back in 10 minutes. He then left with his daughter. A half hour later, his bank called and asked who to make the check out to. His daughter called 5 minutes later and asked to meet back at the car.

The amazing part....I assumed that now would be the test drive and scrutiny, but instead, he pulled up and handed me a certified bank cashiers check for the full asking price. The first time he even started the car was when he drove it away.

He knew what he was looking at, and understood the good value, and apparantly he put some faith in my honesty. He also earned my respect and appreciation. I hope that vehicle serves his daughter for many years.

Another Year Gone By

Another year gone by...

Current mood:nostalgic

Here it is, almost September again, and about 4 days away from the ol b-day. This has got me thinking back over the last couple of years. Saturday, I put my earring in. Lori had mentioned I dont wear it anymore. I had thought the piercing had closed, because I have not worn any jewelry since my accident. She went and got it and put it back in, and that made me think of all of the things that have happened since last I wore it.

I have been blogging for one year this month. My first blog was in September of 2005. Many of you reading blogs at MySpace may not realize there is a button to the left that says "Older and Newer" and that when you hit the end of a blog, there may be older posts lurking. I have 4 pages of content in my blog.

Back in the 90s, I kept journals for several years. I am not sure why I quit, but I did. I have them tucked away...about 5 years of daily handwritten ramblings. I may have to transcribe them to the pc someday. I used to post about what was happening in my life at a karaoke forum I haunted...and it is cool to read the archives and see the drama around the hurricanes, and the accidents, and the deaths... Kind of like an early attempt at blogging, since the public could post responses. I probably should archive them as well incase anything ever happens to their server.

Was looking at some of the old posts about taking care of my Mom and her inevitable demise. While I still think about her daily, I do not miss her suffering, and selfishly, the demands that her care placed on my brother, Lori and I. But I would do it all over again tomorrow if I had to . No complaints here, just observations.

Then there were the hurricanes. The current forecast has me waxing nostalgic over dealing with those things, especially in 2004 when we got the big whammy. I am not ready to face another major hurricane season, but if it comes I suppose I have no choice. Not much of a chicken little here...most of my preparation involved raising my insurance limits.

2004 would have been a good year to be blogging. This month will mark the two year anniversary of my accident. I have come a long way since then, both physically, mentally and financially. I had an amazingly fast recovery, but the full recuperation will take time, and is still ongoing. Still having good days and bad days, and I am sure that I will have lingering effects for the rest of my life.

Financially, it is a pretty hard blow to lose your income, maintain your current expenses, then add in all the medical expenses from the injuries. I managed to keep my head above water thanks to the generosity of my community...friends and strangers alike, who donated to my benefit fund. Now that I am getting on my feet, I find myself with a much more charitable nature. I see the point of helping when I can...that others may need what I have more than I do. It made a profound difference in my life, and I fully intend to pay forward all my contributions made to me 2 years ago. I understand the value of quiet, anonymous benevolence.

I work 6-7 days a week right now, merely because I can, and because the work is there. In my business, it can be feast or famine. All it takes is a change in the public favor, or for a venue to go out of business or change formats to cause you to lose a job. Fortunately things fell into place for me this year at the start with some better paying jobs, and all my days filled. I vowed to try to keep the pace for a year to get my debts in order. I had to do some financial juggling of my resources to make things happen, and now SunTrust has a very big hand held out to me monthly, but, I am aggressively taking care of it, putting every penny I make toward my problem this year. This is my rainy day plan. This way if something comes up in the near future affecting my income, I wont have any pressure immediately. AND, if all goes as planned, maybe next year I can schedule a day off, and the year after that, actually work a shorter work week and smell the roses a bit.

Lots of other personal changes this year, as well as changes involving those around me...friends, family, pets... My little puppy has turned into a lovable moose, lol, my other dog is showing more signs of her age and I think about her emminent passing. She is the Lulu to my Sidney Poitier. Her and I have come a long way, and I am looking forward to getting a similar result from Foster. He is already getting a little more obedient, and I take him outside off the leash. Will look forward to maybe walking him off the leash one day, like I do with Tiny. She was wilder than he was at the start so there is hope.

Samantha's 9 month old is a frequent lodger at the homestead. (I am reluctant to use the g-word...grandfather? LOL!) I am not a big fan of kids, but I will concede that if you had to have one, he is a pretty good specimen. There, how is that for antiseptic praise, LOL!!! No really, he is pretty cool...

Well, I could keep going on, but I think I will save it for another day. Lets see what another year brings in this life. Still feel and look younger than my age, although I have a grey stain on my soul patch that I cant seem to wash out, and Lori loves...I just tell everyone it is dry milk.

Best to you all...

Gas Prices

Gas Prices

Current mood:aggravated

I am confused about the gas market right now. I know gas prices are coming down to bolster consumer confidence. I know gas prices should be going up due to the pipeline problems. Everyone seems to fear coming away from the $3.00 mark. When prices were escalating, everyone was quick to raise the prices, and now that the market seems to be in decline, even though we see a reduction, I am suspect that feet are being dragged.

I travel 600 miles a week or more in commute. I keep tabs on where the cheapest gas is and who is consistantly the most expensive. When the traditionally expensive places are matching the prices of the bargain guys, I just cant help but feel someone is pocketing a large profit margin at my expense.

Hey, this is America...free enterprise and all that. It just irks me to see costs so high when the oil companies are reporting record breaking profits. That is their right, but somehow, in this climate it feels a little unpatriotic for some reason.

We still have it better than most countries, fuel cost wise, then there is Argentina...still supplying its citizens for under a quarter a gallon...and then there is Brazil who responded to the gas crisis in the 70s by becoming self sufficient by planting corn and developing corn based fuels.

And here we are...America...the biggest consumer per person in the world, and we are told by our administration that consumption is the American way and we dont need to stop consuming...and no one seems to be pushing alternative fuels.

Could it be that the powers that be happen to be oilmen? But I digress...

Having been in the fuel business myself for many years, I guess I am just a little more skeptical as well as analytical toward the retail marketplace.

Just venting....

Article In Todays Paper

Article in todays paper...

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Neighbors/NewsTribune/flaNT21080906.htm

August 09, 2006

Karaoke highlights the night life at Beverly Beach

By KENYA WOODARD and LAUREN SONIS
Staff Writers BEVERLY BEACH -- On Saturday night, Pat Mynes and her "buddy" Sid rock the mic at The Shark House in Beverly Beach.

Mynes, who lives in the Hammock, has performed karaoke at the restaurant and bar for the past 12 years -- with dummies. The ventriloquist has performed with dummies for more than 30 years and often at The Shark House with Sid, the old biker, or Joe, the smoking camel who coughs while he sings.

Mynes calls the dummies her "buddies." They sit on her lap and croon along to the songs, she said.

Sid -- who wears a leather vest and sings with a gruff voice -- loves to belt out tunes like "I Love This Bar" by Toby Keith or "I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher, Mynes said.

People who are initially hesitant to sing before crowds often loosen up after they see Sid, Mynes said.

"I bring him out and have him do a song or two," she said "So it kind of breaks the ice."

Mynes, who performs three times a week, said she loves singing karaoke with her "buddies" and the locals who come to The Shark House. "I have a great time," she said.

And so do the regulars. Mike Morgan of Palm Coast is one in a community of singers who takes pleasure in karaoke. The retiree who was in a band "about 100 years ago" is known around Flagler County for his Marvin Gaye renditions.

"I guess it's like how somebody would wear a Dale Earnhardt shirt," he said. "It's just a small way to say, 'Marvin, I miss you.' "

Regulars say about 50 to 200 people or so travel from bar to bar during the week throughout the county. They've become friends from their routine, cheering and slow dancing during the four-hour shows.

Flagler Beach resident Gladdys B. Chesser started singing karaoke when she was 76. Now 80, she's a regular, and residents say they've seen her dancing at a Flagler Beach bar, Finnegan's, until 2 a.m.

And some folks have gotten married, said karaoke show host Harry Smith.

The host runs his show, Harryoke!, six nights a week, a favorite among locals. In 2004, residents had a 12-hour benefit concert for Smith after he broke his neck and split open his head in a car crash. He didn't have health insurance at the time.

And after months of recuperating, Smith is back in action. He said the karaoke industry has changed some over the years.

He's wary of hosts who use pirated music to offer a wider selection. And though television show "American Idol" has encouraged more people to practice their singing, Smith posts an essay on his MySpace Web page about the pitfalls of "American Idol" and how he thinks the contests are rigged.

His waist-length ponytail blows in the air conditioning on stage as he nimbly shuffles through his thousands of songs and calls singers "Angolalala" or "Sassy" onto the stage.

"If you have an interest in getting a tattoo, you'd seek it out," he said, drawing a comparison to the karaoke following. "Other people work up to the idea, and once they get down to it, it becomes a lifestyle."

kenya.woodward@news-jrnl.com

lauren.sonis@news-jrnl.com

Why I Hate American Idol - An Essay

Why I Hate American Idol - An Essay

Current mood:cynical

Why I Hate American Idol - An Essay by Harryoke

I am not a snob. I can appreciate the crappier things in life. Sometimes crappy things can be good...often a hamburger is better than a steak, you can enjoy a cheap beer now and again. Sometimes the simple things can bring you the greatest pleasure. Sometimes riding a moped can be more fun than riding a Harley.

What I don't appreciate, is someone trying to sell me moped and calling it a Harley. Don't present your crap beer as premium, when it really is crap.

America is being sold a bundle of crap called American Idol, and the American public are flocking like lemmings, innocently falling over the edge. Some are aware, some don't care, some enjoy it for the crap that it is, and I can respect THAT. What I cant respect, and detest, are the myriad viewers who think that it is real, who think that nothing is planned, that their vote really counts and that the average TALENTED person on the street has a chance of making it on that show.

American Idol is nothing more than a cash cow for Mr. Simon Cowell. Simon has his fingers in each slice of the pie that is American Idol. It is in his interest to milk as much cash out of the machine as is possible. Can you blame him? Absolutely not, it is free enterprise. Who I can blame are the blinded members of society who think that AI is actually a talent contest, and who buy into it, just as Simon predicts they will. Simon wants into the pocket book of the everyman...Joe and Jane six-pack in the double wide. The type of people who thing wrestling is real...the type of people you see at Wal-Mart, or at McDonalds feeding their 2.3 snotty nosed kids, LOL! The average working class citizen.

Who is Simon to be a judge...what are his credentials?

He was born into a stable family, and took a job in the mailroom of EMI records. At 17 he pestered for a better position, and started an in-house vanity label called Fanfare. In 1988 using his credentials as a bonafide producer, seduced a disco dancer named Sinitta and to sleep with her signed her to the vanity label. Fortunately this was a good move as her single (So Macho) sold millions and he reaped about a 1.5 million reward. Not bad, but he lost it all to a financial error...including his house and car. He went back to live with his parents.

He then took a job with Arista records as an A&R man. Keep in mind, Simon is not about finding the talent, he is about making the money, so he took Arista from the noble task of signing talented acts, to being a vehicle for the sale of crap acts to the general public...novelty acts or fad acts that would appeal to a broad audience of middle America and households with children. Some of his coups were signing The Teletubbies, Power Rangers and WWF Wrestlers. For his efforts, the US press dubbed him "The Antichrist Of The Music Business". He made a move to RCA records. His reigning success was the promotion of the cheesy Irish boyband Westlife.

Britain had already had its own Idol show, and they had another show called Popstars. Simon came up with the idea to one-up it by adding the element of the public vote. He teamed up with Simon Fuller and created Pop Idol in 2001.

Now Simon Cowell was a star in Britain...for his acerbic tongue. He came to America in 2002 to sell his idea to US TV, and sold it to Fox because Rupert Murdoch's daughter was big Pop Idol fan. The rest is American (Idol) history.

Every contestant on the show sells their soul to Simon in exchange for contracts. Any piece of tripe sold after the fact Simon has a piece of. There is a format to who they will and will not let on Idol...those who think it is open to the public are sadly mistaken. Any one of you who have tried out for Idol know what I am talking about. Even the BAD acts on the show are calculated. The voting is open for rigging...the net is rife with info on how to multiple vote. The last winner received more votes than the last president did. That may mean more people voted, or it may mean fewer people know how to vote more often. Like the votes would matter anyway...and no matter who wins, Simon gets the money and the back end.

I will not take anything away from those who have won and gone onto greatness. I just cant buy into the hype machine that takes you to that point.

I cannot take anything from Simon. He deserves credit for being an astute salesman and knowing how to get the money. As a package though, I am resentful at the large number of viewers who think that it is real...those who come to my shows and say that my better singers should go to American Idol. I would not wish that on my friends, LOL! Many of my friends have tried out and been rebuffed for not falling into the profile of who they think an Idol should be. Because, remember, the Idol has to be sold. American Idol is a soap opera. The more the public can relate to the winner, and empathize with the winner, the more records will be sold...and that means more money in the machine. And of course Chris wasn't going to win...he was apparently a star in his own right, and the contracts were already pouring in, so exit Chris...who Simon already owns a piece of...and allow Taylor aboard. Now that is more cash cows! Ca-ching! It is all business baby. And it is all about getting into the melons of the lemmings, keeping the water cooler talk going, promoting and selling those records. But it is not real.

So if you view it, view it for the crap it really is, and understand that there is no basis of reality. More power to you if YOU find it entertaining. Don't believe the hype.

Modern Patriotism

Modern Patriotism

Current mood:cynical

Woke up this morning and was flipping thru the channels to see what the world had to offer before getting up and starting my day. I am a pretty big history buff, especially concerning local history, so I was pleased to find a program discussing Volusia and Flagler county life during WW2, spoken from the perspective of people who are still living who were here during that time. It was a great show, very informative, and accompanied by great visuals.

It was kind of neat getting into the gung ho mind set that Americans shared at that time of life...all the great efforts for the war, and the sense of patriotism and can-do spirit that existed.

At the end of the documentary, at probably the last 5 minutes, they had a montage of the people involved with the documentary speak of the patriotism...that no one felt as if it were a burden to contribute to the effort or sacrifice for the effort because that is what you did. They spoke of only knowing one country, the US, and doing anything they could do to help at wartime.

I was transported back to a simpler time, and it gave me cause to reflect to my own personal history and think back to a simpler time when technology did not exist.

These people were so sheltered, so innocent, and not in the least bit cynical. They were taught that the US is the best, and being attacked, we had to do whatever we were told and do it gladly. That begat the mindset.

That could never happen again. I think the closest we have seen lately is on the day of the World Trade Center events. The rallying patriotism afterward was probably the strongest I think we have or will see for a long time, but it of course was short lived.

We are a cynical lot, and immediately, thanks to modern technology, we are better informed and more deeply informed than our ancestors were in the 40s.

It was refreshing to see the patriotism of those who experienced it in the 30s-50s, but after Vietnam in the 60s, coupled with the better coverage of political events, more open public records and the speed of the internet, I believe the day of that type of blind patriotism that existed for WW2 is now extinct.

We as a society also think more globally than our parents or their parents. We have the world at our fingertips thanks to the net, and satellites which were not available even only a few short decades ago.

This is not a criticism of those who are patriotic, nor a call to arms for those who are not. This is just the observation of a middle aging guy who saw something thought provoking and thought about it.

Thought I would share.

Just imagine if CNN could have covered the crucifixion....hmmm.

Got stoned at home today...and had a visitor.

Got stoned at home today...and had a visitor.

Current mood:accomplished

Those who know me well know I have been getting my house in order...got a nice new paint job, and trying to tighten up a few loose ends appearance wise and fix some things left neglected.

Today's project was planting junipers in the flower beds in front of the house and filling them with red lava rock. It took 20 bags of rock and 22 bags of topsoil to complete! Just loading and unloading the materials was enough work, but Lori and I are both sore and tired, and I imagine I will be hurting tomorrow.

There are a lot of stones around the house, some getting grown over, so I took a bunch of them up and created another patio area in front of the driveway. This will help keep dirt off the house when it rains now, a new problem since I trashed the old gutters. I will have to post some piccys soon to show off the work...

While on the way out of the house to get the materials, a kind woman stopped and was looking at the house and said she used to live there. It happened to be the woman I bought the house from. She lives in Vermont, so I never actually met her. I have had occasion to get to know her son, who is a friend of Loris daughter, but we never got to meet.

We invited her in and showed her what we had done to the place and she told us about some of the history of the house...both archetectural and spiritual. As Lori noted, she came in a stranger, and left a friend. I had always wanted to contact her, but never got a round to it. It was a pleasant surprise for her to show up, and I am so thankful she stopped in.

Now, gonna go lick my wounds and drink Canadian beer...til tomorrow beckons.

Humorous Real Life Anecdote

Humorous Real Life Anecdote

Current mood:amused

True story...the setup: I am working a party and take a break to eat before packing up to move on to the next show. I am at an outdoor table with maybe 9 other people present. The principles to the story are the sweet elderly lady sitting about 3 people to my right, and the overtly, flamboyantly gay Hispanic fellow sitting directly across from me.

Gay fellow has huge salad bowl in front of him. I jokingly say, "My that is some salad you have there, you must be a happy fellow!" to which he replies "Yes, I think I am going to have an orgasm!!".

I reply: " I am not a big fan of that dressing myself!"

The sweet elderly woman innocently chimes in "I dont think I have ever had it."

The guffaws ensued.

Playing Catch-up - The World In My Eyes

Playing Catch-up - The World In My Eyes

Current mood:restless

Hola! Been incredibly busy and doing the 7 day a week gig thing again. Getting ready to go do a wedding now, and had a minute of downtime, so I thought I would send out a quick note of what has been happening in my world....

Got a new computer to eventually replace the old home PC. Fantastic deal! Got it home and configured it, put it online and after about 5 minutes, it LITERALLY caught fire! Took the CPU back and exchanged it and the new one works flawlessly. It took forever for the aroma to get out of the house...that is a memorable smell. A friend on a karaoke forum mentioned that all electrical techs know that all wires are filled with smoke, and once the smoke leaks out, the unit is done, LOL! I needed a new one...technology was passing me by on the old one...and all my resources and storage were maxed out to boot.

At all these parties I have been working I have been able to eat some interesting food. One thing that caught my buds was an appetizer made from hollowed out jalapenos, and the filling was half mozzarella, half chunky peanut butter, with italian spices added...pretty tasty. Got to eat some elk as well...well prepared over Zatarains style cajun rice...the elk on its own was good...not gamey at all...just a bit chewier than well done beef...but not tough at all. Also discovered a tequila I like...a lot... Cuervo Clasico. Very clean buzz and no trouble in the morning. Will be trying that again. Tried a new tequila last night...it is a cuervo that has lime in it already...cant remember the name. I tried it straight, not bad. Brett and Jimmy made margaritas with them and thought they were nice.

MY HOUSE IS FINALLY PAINTED!! Every square inch, and all in a different color...the hideous paint I hated so is now gone, and the house looks like new as well. I will have to get some pics posted. There is a very nice transformation as the colors are very earthy and natural and pull together with the surroundings nicely. No more greys, blues...BLECCH!

I went ahead and formally closed the PO Box we had. The clerk has been there a while. I gave him the number, and the keys and he got the card out of the file. He remembered my Dad...said he was a trip. He remembered that we got a lot of mail from my brother overseas ... who was sitting in the car waiting for me, LOL! I am sure some codger had had a box there longer, but that was a long run. But, it is done, and I dont have to think about it any longer.

My buddy Nilsson is the newest KJ in the UK. He replicated my hardware set up, bought a library of discs and did his first show last night. Cant wait to hear his adventures... Now I may have to book that wedding in Bristol since I know I can nick some familiar equipment there in a pinch, LOL!

All for now...I had better be getting ready to get my show on the road. Memorial day weekend is always a fun weekend...I have a standing order party that I do every year on the Sunday before Memorial Day, and it is always a good party, GREAT food and drink, and of course, quality music and karaoke, LOL!

All the best...more later when there is time.

Closing the PO Box...

Another milestone from the past to get by...

Current mood:melancholy

I have a bill on my desk to pay...or not. It is for a post office box.

It seems at some point after our trek to Florida, my father had a problem with someone leaving a popsicle in our mailbox, or something similar to that effect...and my father also had some issues about privacy, so he secured a post office box at the local mail station. This was probably about 1968.

In 1985 or so I got my own post office box in the same building...

Since I had been taking care of my mothers affairs before her death, I have been checking both boxes, and after her death, one thing niggling the back of my brain, the most smallest detail, was that one day I would have to close that mailbox we have used since 1968.

Today I have that bill on my desk to pay, and I have to decide to close it or sentimentally keep it open for another 6mos or a year. I actually thought about keeping it and changing my address, but I love the fact that I have had the same mailing address since being on my own basically...

It is minutae, I know, but the sentimentality of it all has me waxing a bit nostalgic today, and the inevitable lack of payment to the post office resulting in the closure of the po box will also be some closure to the past 37 years or so... I have already redirected most of her mail to my address, with the exception of the bank statements from her checking account...another chore I have to handle soon...closing the bank accounts.

I suppose sometime soon I should really finish clearing her house out. I kind of put that to the side. Nilsson spent the night in there while here and assures me there are no ghosts, LOL!

Carma Carma Carma Chameleon....LOL

Carma Carma Carma Chameleon....LOL

The car drama never ends. Those who know me well will appreciate this, especially if you have been following my past blogs.

While I was up North in Virginia, I spoke to Lori on the phone and she informed me her van was acting up and that she was driving mine in the interim until I got home and could diagnose hers. I got home last night and tried to figure it out, but it was complicated, and figured it could wait until today. Jacky came home in a borrowed car to tell me her truck was broken as well (brakes) but she supposedly has this under control, BUT she has decided to sell her truck. It is too big for her now that she is commuting to work like the rest of us.

Took Lori's van to a friend who does computer automotive diagnosis, and all the way there, the symptoms Lori described were no longer apparant. He thought the battery might be going and suggested I go to our friend at the auto electric place. Nothing is simple...everything has to be complicated, LOL! So off I went, and we figured the battery was done. I asked him how much it would be just to relace it there...and it was about 15 dollars more than I could have done it myself, BUT, remember....I am a fancy man. LOL!

I had flashbacks of the last 2 battery replacements and spent the money. It was cheaper than the money I would have had to spend on alcohol to get over my anger had something broken while I was changing the battery, LOL!

Fancy-man signing out.

Home Again

Home Again

Current mood:mellow

Back home after my excursion to Virginia for a few days. What a blast! Online friends of mine from all over met there...as far away as England and Oregon, Nova Scotia and all points in the US...converging upon a hotel in Richmond Virginia to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of a forum we haunt online, and sing, and drink and talk shop and socialize. I got in on Thursday afternoon and stayed until Sunday evening. Rented a car while there and spent some time exploring around in the bit of down time I had.

It was just nice to see some old friends again, make some new ones and get a change of scenery and away from work and demands for a few days.

Will probably share more about all that another time...just bloggin for now!

Same old, some new...

Same old, some new...

Current mood:mellow

Hola, just dropping a note in the old blog pile here to fill my friends in on whats up! Havent been in contact much as I have been working so much, and trying to stay caught up on my sleep as well. This leaves not much free daytime or social time. Fortunately I get to see a lot of my friends AT work!

Had my first day off in a while today, thought I would play catch up in the office, but that was not to be. I was informed at 2 pm that the frig was taking a dump. Wasnt about to think about calling a repairman on a holiday weekend, and the frig is pretty old anyway, so replacement was my first thought. I do have a frig in the house next door, but it is old and I fear that moving it will kill it as well, so just gonna use it where it is until the new one is delivered. Got a good deal at the scratch and dent place...stainless steel exterior, pretty much no frills otherwise...just what I wanted at a price well below retail. I am a fancy man and will not pay retail, LOL!

Gearing up to leave for Richmond on the 26th/27th for a few days. Meeting some friends up there to talk shop, gossip and sing and drink and eat. I guess you would call that a convention. Thats what the taxman will be hearing it called, LOL!

Speaking of taxes, got them done and submitted in a timely fashion. Self employment tax is a beeyatch, but pay I do. Had to send in what I owed, PLUS my first estimated payment for 2006.

Preparing to have the house painted. Was hoping it would be done before I left, but not holding out hope...betcha it will happen while I am gone and not here to supervise. I was inspired by a local bank...loved the color combo, and they opened a second branch and I again was enamored of the colors, so that is the combo the house will be painted in.

I also have contracted with someone to re-roof a portion of my house. We got rain this week briefly and SURPRISE! Leaks are here. Patched it once, but just gonna do it right this time.

And people wonder why I work so much, LOL!

Nilsson has left back to England today with the kids. Hopefully he will return again soonly...I believe maybe in October for a week. I really enjoyed the time spent with him...most at work and the commute to and fro, but we did manage some other outings. We have amazing ironies in our lives that lead us to believe we were possibly separated at birth...except that I am older than he, LOL! But, he and I share similar life experiences, goals, and interests. Chicks dig his accent...LOL! Funny stories there...

Oh well, all for now...gotta go get thru some more of this mail and find food...I have sent Lori off for food and a movie for tonight. Tomorrow is Easter. I dont really celebrate it myself, and I have to work tomorrow. Lori is going to her parents for Easter dinner and to celebrate her daughter Samanthas 20th b-day. I will not be attending since I will be getting ready for work.

All the best to you all...more interesting stuff will post when I am inspired.

Happy Easter to those who are observing.

Here is one for the armchair psychiatrists...

Here is one for the armchair psychiatrists...

Current mood:awake

I rarely, if ever remember my dreams. I rarely have nightmares. This morning I awoke from a nightmare, which had pretty defined details until the end...at the end there was a blurry melange of outcomes and no resolution. Curiously, I was able to retain some details, so for grins, I thought I would post them.

I was doing a gig...of course. It was at the Elementary School I attended as a child. That is enough of a nightmare in itself, LOL! KIDS!!!!!! AHHHHH! Anyway, that did not play into it, so I digress...

There were some people there that for some reason were not happy with me. At no time was I remembering doing DJ or Karaoke or working at all, most of my memory is going to and from the van, loading and generally just being there.

I was aware that the people who didnt like me...2 guys in particular, were in from out of town to visit a relative who was either sick or dying in a hospital or rest home. These two guys were giving me constant shit...one skinny muscular guy and a big doofy brute of a guy. They would basically terrorize me to a point to try to get me to do something, but I would not succumb to the bait and hit them or start something they could blame me for. I kept asking for help and no one responded to me.

They started making sexual suggestions and when I got touched inappropriately, I broke away to try and get some help. I went to go to my van and could not find it. In my dream, I could not clearly remember what vehicle I was driving and it was frustrating me that if I had to call the cops, I would not even be clear on what I was driving.

The assholes saw me in the parking lot and the skinny guy said "That van is all the way to Iowa by now, HAHAHA. Youre never gonna see THAT one again."

So I got out of their view and someone gave me a phone. I knew it was time to call 911.

I dialed 911 and got a water softening company. I hung up and dialed 911 again, and got put on hold with a radio talk show. On the third call I got thru, and began to tell the cop my problem...he just kept telling me to calm down, while he was laughing his ass off. I told him they stole my van and he kept laughing.

This is where the dream went blurry with the different endings. I never remember seeing cops..I do remember fighting, I remember a scenario with me killing everyone with an assault rifle, I remember being killed myself, I even had a scenario where I killed myself because of the frustration, and losing all my equipment.

In the middle of one of these scenarios is when I woke up this morning.

Just a weird dream, LOL!

Checking in with the outside world...

Checking in with the outside world...

Current mood:restless

It has seemingly been forever since I blogged anything. Figured I would make up for it by posting a little sumptin sumptin tonight.

It is Bike Week this week in Daytona and surrounding areas. That gives me a few nights off. I have been using my days to get some errands done and catch up with some friends I have not seen lately, then making myself available at home...but as American Idol is on and I have no interest in that, and Samantha is staying here with the baby for a few days, I am kind of in my office with my Mickeys Malt Liquor, and doing some computer stuff.

Car update...took the car to the mechanic for him to make everything right with the world, then sold the car to a neighbor who needed a good deal on a car. No more headache for me...all vans and cars that need to be sold, are. Now just hoping I dont have to repo a car I am holding a note on for someone...that is something I dont want to have to deal with. While I am off I emptied my van and had it detailed inside and out so it is nice and crisp and clean for me to return to work in. That was todays activity.

Speaking of good CARma, long story short, I was in a small town yesterday and did a rolling stop at a stop sign. Got around the corner and saw the cop...now this cop is sitting in the middle of nowhere, a block off the beaten path, and a block from the busiest intersection in town...simply waiting for everyone to roll thru this stopsign. I had a few hundred feet on him and I turned into a convenience store lot to elude him. There was an identical van to mine parked there, so I parked right next to it...dead identical, right down to the metal bulkhead divider and all... I was out of the cops sight for 10 seconds or more, so he could not say a word because he had no way of knowing which van and driver rolled the sign, LOL! What a sigh of relief to see him just keep going. Went around the block after leaving and he was right back in the same perch again. I was cautious to come to a complete stop though, LOL!

Finished up arrangements this week to go to Virginia in April. Leaving the 27th and coming back the 30th. Meeting some online karaoke friends there to sing, eat, talk shop and generally BS. People are coming from all over the world to meet there...as far away as England, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and all points in the US. Will be a nice break from the usual, and it will be good to see some old friends again, and some for the first time in person!

Also looking forward to my friend Nilsson to arrive from England in late March to early April for a stay. Glad our trips did not coincide.

Been trying to find time for a bonfire but with my schedule I have not been able to make that work. I have a pretty good pile going for the next one though.

All for now I do suppose...more as life develops. Hasta la bye bye.

A Day of Diverse Interests

A Day Of Diverse Interests

Current mood:amused

Just thought I would post a blog about my day yesterday. In retrospect, there was nothing too dramatic happening, but when I get outside of my circle of friends, it may seem interesting due to the diversity of our activities, so here we go...

Firstly, I celebrate my anniversary a week after Valentines day. Since it is usually not convenient to celebrate both as they would fall on weekdays, etc, we usually celebrate both on the Saturday between them...which was yesterday.

Secondly, I have a really diverse cross section of society that I consider friends. Given that, here is how I spent my day.

At the restaurant of the golf community I do shows at, a few weeks ago I had what was arguably one of the best meals I ever had. The chef there is a frustrated gourmet who is reigned in my the menu at times, but for specials can let his creativity shine. This was such an occasion. I loved it sooo much, I asked if he could make it again sometime. I called this favor for last nights dinner. So we enjoyed a fantastic dinner, wine and company. (Beef tips prepared with pepperoncini, pepperoni, cheese, tomatoes served over a marinated portobello on a bed of herb mashed potatoes...and trust me the description cannot match the experience of eating it, LOL!!)

I made the reservations early so we had plenty of time to do something afterward, but we were unsure what we wanted to do and figured we would play it by ear. We were reluctant to go to Daytona because of the race traffic, but went anyway...since I know all the backroads.

Last week I got invited to a party. It was from 12 to ? and there was gonna be bands playing and whatever. I said I might make it but it would be late...thought it was on a day I was working...looked at the invite and saw it was going on now, so we decided to go check it out. Wasnt sure Lori would be into it, but she was very receptive to the idea. The party was at the clubhouse for the local Outlaws Motorcycle club, LOL!

We went by, and realizing the club was walking distance to our friends house, we went to see if they wanted to join us. They are very cool people...the kind of folks you want with you if you are partying. Plus, I knew they would appreciate getting invited into the clubhouse. It is not the kind of place you just walk into uninvited. You have to know people, get buzzed in...closed circuit TVs seeing all. No one gets in who is not supposed to be there. So I got everyone in on my cred, and we proceeded to have a fantastic time...cold beer, great jukebox, personable folks. The party was pretty much done, but we stayed anyway to soak it all in. The sergeant at arms gave us a tour of the place (he knows of me, so he got me in). I will probably go back again too...cool experience.

So later we walked our friends home (another adventure itself, LOL) then made our way back to the homestead.

A diverse day of my own creation. LOL!

Friends

Friends....how many of us have them....?

Current mood:contemplative

There are the people we see, the people we know, and the people we consider friends. There are big differences between acquaintences and friends. A lot of times we refer to acquaintences as friends, but there is a big differential in knowing someone and letting someone in your house, LOL!

Anyway, my thought in all of this rambling is this: Isn't that moment of epiphany when you realize that someone you know is really a friend a wonderful thing?

With all of the changes this year and of late, I have met a bunch of people, and I have made several friends. Of late a few folks have gone out of their way for me, and done some nice things. I have some great friends out there, and today I just felt like sharing. One friend in particular stood out to open my eyes to that epiphany, and it just gave me pause to reflect. So reflect I did. Hope you all do too.

Last night was just bizarre...

Last night was just bizarre...

Current mood:indescribable

What a strange night...and not even a full moon. I called and gave my notice to my Sunday employer to let him know I was taking a new job on Sundays in February. I went on to the place, and you know how everything can seem darker when you are blinded by the light at the end of the tunnel?

Seems many people have been complaining about the Sunday night venue, and last night was one of those epiphanys as to why...seems like all the troublemakers were there last night, and I was just too sober to enjoy dealing with it.

At one point I literally just shut everything off and put my feet up while onstage on my stool and waited for anyone to notice. People were just being so rude and arrogant, and when a fight almost broke out, that was when I shut down. Then, when I fired up, I just played slow peaceful songs to see if anyone would get it. When I would sing, people would just come up and start talking , or try to take my mic...and all types of other disrespect.

I thought maybe I was being sensitive since I had already given my notice, but I checked with a couple of patrons and they assured me that it wasnt me, that everyones assholeishness was in overdrive. I saw a lot of issues that I really did not like seeing, and I was weary of being a babysitter more than a KJ/DJ. Like I told Kevin, I am not an artist but I do require some semblance of appreciation or I would just as soon turn on the juke box and go home. At 1:00 when I shut down, then everybody wanted something from me with no regards for me...so I just packed up that much faster. Once all my stuff was in the van I could breathe easier. While I was singing, MarLa got a great shot of me tearing my flyer off of the wall ceremoniously...and I really enjoyed singing Creep by Radiohead and changing the words...the handful of people who caught the changes were laughing with me..

I really dont want to be there anymore. I am going to call to see if I can be replaced ASAP. I am dealing with too many QUALITY folks a week to subject myself to this.

Thanks to all my friends who were there last night to get me thru it...I was pretty close to freaking out in a calm way, but you all being there made the difference. Just seeing the empathy in your eyes when I looked over in frustration got me thru.

On a positive...here is a repost of a bulletin I just posted:

An exclusive release to MySpace...

For my local friends and followers, I am giving up Smiles on Sunday. My reasons for this are many and varied...as many of you know, but the main reason is that I was offerred a position that I could not say no to...and I think you will approve...

EFFECTIVE SUNDAY FEB 12 (That is the Sunday following the super bowl) you can get your Harryoke fix from 5pm to 9pm at the Shark House on A-1-A...right on Beverly Beach! That is just a few miles N. of Finnegans and a few miles S. of the Parkway...right on the beach!! They have great food and accomodations, the hours are great, and it is non smoking for those of you who get choked out... I am going to be a perfect fit at the Shark House...all of the employees already come to my shows, the new owners are friends of mine and most of the singers there already know and like my show, but dont come to the smoking venues, or like the later shows, so this is going to be a hell of a popular show on Sundays.

I will be making a public announcement probably next week, but I wanted the MySpacers to be the first to know, as you all so dilligently support me, and I love ya for that. The rumor has been out that there was a change happening, and this is the confirmation.

I wish everyone at Smiles the best...I will probably still be there until the 5th, unless I can find a replacement before then...we will see. Plan on my being there to the 5th unless I post otherwise.

Thanks Again!!

Harry

SCHED EFFECTIVE 2.12.06:
Sunday - Shark House 5-9
Monday - Mothers 9
Tues - Finnegans Daytona 9
Wed.- Finnegans Beachside 9
Th - Finnegans Beachside 9
Fri - Halifax Plantation 8

The Defeated continue to be mocked...but I am a FANCY man!

The Defeated continue to be mocked...but I am a FANCY man!

Current mood:bitchy

I disposed of my intentions to work on the car today. It is arguably the nicest day of the year...unbelievably great weather.

I was awakened by Loris daughter calling to say her car would not start and where should she go to ... buy a battery.

Now, #1, I know she did not need a battery, so I had to get thru to her that she did not need a battery, she needed someone with some mechanical aptitude to diagnose this properly before the cash started flowing uselessly...

#2, I was aggravated because she still has not gotten a AAA card for road service, and as is always the case in domestic emergency situations, a lack of planning on someone elses part becomes my responsibility.

#3...I know her car has a history with...a loose side post terminal. SIGH! I HATE THESE FU***** THINGS!!!!

We make the long drive over and I assess that the terminal is loose, but I cant tighten it because it is stripped. (See a theme here?). I figure I will get it tight enough to start the truck then get it to my house where I can fix it properly. After many futile attempts, she informs me that "It started last night when the cop jump started us...." . So now I know the battery is dead, so I will have to jump start it, but it wont jump start it because there is no connection, so everything that does not involve fixing that connection is futile. I cannot fix the connection because the bolt is of a specialty size due to the number of connections to the post (ie longer than the bolt I could get for 50 cents at the corner store) and it is sunday morning....

So after many expletives and the clock ticking, I tell them I am done and to do what a FANCY man like me would have done in the first place...call a tow truck and take it to a mechanic and get it done correctly without me having to get my FANCY hands dirty. Keep in mind, my wick is very short after yesterday, and I am doing all I can not to have a meltdown.

The tow truck is called, meanwhile her male friends are showing up thinking they are going to assess it better than me and thinking it is ridiculous to have to tow the truck for this problem. Not ridiculous to a fancy man like me, LOL! I played that card, telling Lori that I was a fancy man and in a station of my life not to have to get my hands dirty doing more than writing a check to someone else to do this. LOL! That was kind of funny, but not too far from how I really feel.

Tow truck shows up and we drop it at the mechanic...it is now 2pm and I get to start my wonderful sunday...and I have to work tonight.

I told Lori if anything happens to her car or my van in the next day in regard to batteries, I just may have a meltdown...and I really mean it. I am sick of car repairs and electrical system problems, especially those compunded by the poor design of sidepost terminals. The tow truck driver thought he was gonna fix it too, and I told him what the problem was, and he said "I hate those side post terminals". Duh, LOL!

AAAAHHHHHHRRRRGGGHHHH!

I Am Admitting Defeat...Carma Continues...

I Am Admitting Defeat...Carma Continues...

Current mood:drained

There was nothing wrong with Loris car. An opportunity arose to get a good deal on a newer one and we took it. This left us with her car here...figured I would keep it and maybe drive it for awhile.

The battery died. Easy enough. BAH! I have NEVER had so many issues changing a damned battery as I have on this. I literally let the car sit for 2 months until I could find the time to work on it. That time was this morning.

Whoever designed side post terminals should be euthanized and all side post terminals should be removed. The cute little nut holding the terminal on strips out so nicely. And it was stripped...and there was not enough cable to cut the terminal off and start properly...and there was a body brace over the battery that needed to be removed...

Then the bracket holding the battery in was rusted and the nuts popped right off...leaving the rusted stud... This is where I walked away 2 months ago...

So I go out today to drill it out to no avail...got a hacksaw and chopped the terminal off. There is no room to work and I got acid all over me. For such a big car, there is no space for the battery at all...it is shoehorned in there.

My back is now throbbing from being bent over...I install a top terminal post to free myself from sidepost hell.

Go to the store and buy a battery, and they do not have a top post that will fit that car, so I have to buy new side post terminals and re-do my recent handiwork.

After fumbling around trying to get the cables on for about a half hour, squeezing the battery in and rigging a book underneath the battery to keep the rusted stud from damaging the new battery, I think I am getting close to done.

I start the car, it starts right up and I am pleased...until it stalls. Then I go back in to start it and I dont even know what the sound I heard is. This happened several times...and the car would not start. I am pretty sure the starter is fried. Of course now it just clicks.

I am in pain...greasy, dirty and have acid on me...and I am lighter in the wallet for the battery, and wasted a perfectly good morning...on a car I dont even drive or have registered...and I cant even sell it if it does not run or start.

Now is the time to see me if you need a car...it can be gotten cheaply. I am defeated for now.