"tell me whose fault is that babe"

I got a really cool tossle cap today. it has a lil red puffball on the top; it's rad. $15 a good deal? I'm stoked to go snowboarding on friday. we're getting there early too, so maybe we'll lay some fresh tracks. either way, my dome will be warm. i'll be grabbing stale in no time. Did you know the John Cash song 'ira hayes' is about a real person? look it up man. Ira Hayes was a Pima indian. He was one of the men who raised the flag on Iwa Jima in that ultra-famous photo. Later, his likeness was cast in stone, or metal or something, in that monument of the same photo. the guy was honored and cheered for awhile when he got home, but he eventually drank himself to death. heavy stuff.

Schumacher Furs, a fixture in Portland for over 100 years has decided to close their doors for a change of location. The family-owned business has endured years of harsh protests. Activists have been hanging around harassing people who go in and out and generally making a scene. I had some time to kill a few months back and went to see what all the hoopla was about. sure enough, a group of people holding signs were sitting on the sidewalk. it was like that seinfeld episode in which Kramer tries to put Kenny Rogers Chicken out of business by taking it to the streets; just yelling random stuff like "bad chicken" at whoever would listen. bad mojo, man. I don't like the fur trade but coon skin hats are pretty boss. hell, i eat meats. I'd read in the newspaper on several occasions how heated things had gotten there. It's looks like the owners, who vowed to hold their ground and remain steadfast, finally got fed up. Even though they said they're moving because of panhandlers pissing in the parking garage, we all know why they're hanging it up. DUH, the protesters were scaring away their customers and making it hard to turn a profit. I bet PETA's stoked. what about the ELF? ever heard of them? there's a fine line between activism and terrorism, but those ELF dudes have seriously taken it too far a couple times.This is the final resting place of my grandparents. They're my dad's folks. People always called Lucille Sal. She was Grandma Sal; a real sweet gal.
On a lighter note, working at costco gives me the distinct privilege of hearing an old guy take a dump at least twice a day. seriously, these old dudes come in to costco, mill about, maybe buy some glucosamine or some bananas and oatmeal and then get a hot dog. these hot dogs, mind you, are not for the faint of stomach. over time, I've built up an immunity to their digestive destruction and the gastrointestinal havoc that they can wreak on the weak-bellied. It seems that the elderly are particularly susceptible. I'll be peeing or washing my hands or something and, without fail, some old dude will hurriedly shuffle in, drop trow and let it fly. Though it may disgust some, I can't help but laugh.

DUDES: CUT THAT PONYTAIL. LiSTEN TO THE ROLLING STONES' AFTERMATH. TOTALLY TOTALITARIAN

fright night

This kid is gonna give me nightmares. http://youtube.com/watch?v=hGOTf3Xl6Qs I think the mask is really what scares me. I remember this odd dude in middle school, long ago, who could do that. he would pass girls and do it very conspicuously. The girls would react in some way and he would stop to perform for them. He could do all the moves this guy does, too. nature, man. bodies and stuff. I just picture his bones being jumbled around. you know how you can sometimes feel your bones moving around? this guy makes it happen on the daily. i suppose if i had some strange affliction, i'd make the best of it too.

I'm working on my capitilization. Time to use them pinkies for something. SHIFT

there once was a man...

That's a Gibson SG. i saw one on antiques roadshow last night appraised at something like $60,000. maybe it was $6,ooo or $16,000. i don't recall exactly, but it was a lot. i took this photo digitally in cory and beej's basement.

As of now, i'm listening iTunes. I always listen to it on shuffle and i'm rarely disappointed. perhaps my constant scrutiny of the contents of my music library have something to do with the fact that I don't dislike one song in the lot. this, of course, results in shuffled glory; never a dull moment. for instance, consider the Steely Dan song that just played. Fire in the Hole is a lost gem, a neglected classic from their oft-forgotten debut. but "my appetite ain't got no heart." different song.

Have you ever listened to James Brown? that dude makes some crazy sounds. sounds that will make you question whether or not they came from a man or an animal.

also, today i was reading the newspaper. there was an article about political figures not reporting trips in which they were wined and dined by lobbyists. awhile back, some oregon dudes got the business for failing to mention that tobacco and alcohol people had been wining and dining them. it's upsetting how easily some people can be bought. don't get me wrong, dough is nice, but if you're elected to represent your constituents and to serve their interests, shouldn't you do so without the influence of these outside forces? after all, they're just trying to make you see things their way.

ignore that last comment; i'm far from informed.

So i'm kind of getting into the hobo look. how cool is it becoming to be rich and look like your poor? the libertines sang about it and now i'm backing it. it reminds me of something i saw that was so out of place but so cool in the metro section today. it was an article about lumberjacks in the 1900s when oregon was hella rugged. these guys worked long days, hiked through thick NW forests, and chopped down trees. they lived in mobile camps, i.e. tents, and were like outlaw gangs. they'd get payed (paid?) on fridays and head to town to get drunk, get laid and get bathed. along the way they'd fight people and generally scare the hell out of the locals. I'd read a Kesey book along the same lines, albeit in a different time period and with somewhat more civilized citizenry, but the themes and ideas remained intact. what i'm trying to say is that i've always admired men who've worked hard and played hard. i'm not condoning their destructive behavior but it's cool for me to think about a crew of haggard mountain men strolling into town from a week of work, their pockets swollen with money to burn, just looking to get wasted and to fuck and fight. it's history man. my great-gramps was one of them loggers (a good one though) and my grandma and her sister were raised in logging camps in oregon and washington. they have some really cool stories about those days. she got polio and won. I think hardship can make a person stronger.

a great song just came on: "i'll be as gone as a wild goose in winter, then you'll understand your man."

READ SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION AND LISTEN TO THE BEATLES.