This summer has been the wettest I can remember. I do not mind the rain much but would rather sit outside on my balcony reading than be inside. I really need to purchase a few new books because my unread selection is lacking. If I had a couple of grand to drop on books, I would buy everyone on my list and disappear inside them.
Today we didn't get more than a few drops of rain but the humidity is annoying. I suppose in a perfect world it would be 22 or 23 Celsius each day with a little breeze and lots of sun. I have never lived in a perfect world, you might or might have.
I will be happy when the baseball trade deadline passes Friday, all the speculation is getting to be a bit much. I guess because around here it greatly involves a classless bum like J.P. Riccardi and a classy pitcher like Roy Halladay. He should trade him from a baseball business decision but he should never have been allowed to get to this point with this team. Ground Zero is the only hope for the Blue Jays, rebuild and see what happens in 4 or 5 years without Riccardi and Halladay.
I really need to start watching some good movies again, it has been so long. I tend to stay in bubbles longer than necessary, very little gets in and very little gets out.
I wrote the following last night.
Sliver
The night is not for writing
Earth’s moon is but a sliver
Replicate of my confidence
The night is for considering
Tossing and turning in bed
Kept up by Earth’s oceans
The morning is for sleeping
Waking only opens wounds
Earth’s sun is but a mirror
No longer reflecting smiles
I have almost disappeared
Without needing to return
All the dusty books boxed
Fingerprints left on covers
Earth’s satellites spinning
Showing us how far away
We are from anyone else
Dots on various horizons
Spread across landscapes
Drawn, imaged or natural
All the good dreams lost
Heartbreaks left on souls
Earth’s dwellers weeping
The night is not for loving
Nothing but a sliver lasts.
28 July 2009
Below is another 10 set of Counting Crows related live performances, especially of note this time is the poignant and rarely played Carriage aided by Jim Bogios father Chris on trumpet, very moving.
Angels of the Silences
Rotterdam, Netherlands
May 4, 2009
Cowboys
Rotterdam, Netherlands
May 4, 2009
Up All Night (Frankie Miller Goes To Hollywood)
Rotterdam, Netherlands
May 4, 2009
Carriage
Berkeley, California
July 26, 2009
Mercury
Adelaide, Australia
March 26, 2009
Mr. Jones
Berkeley, California
July 26, 2009
Cecilia with Augustana
Berkeley, California
July 26, 2009
Washington Square with Dan Layus of Augustana
Berkeley, California
July 26, 2009
Miami
Berkeley, California
July 26, 2009
(Pay particular attention to the drunken fan who makes it up on stage during the song and also notice how it does not faze Adam at all)
This Land is Your Land with Augustana and company.
Berkeley, California
July 26, 2009
And so another night fades and the moon is yours, should you need it to illuminate something precious in this life.
jr.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Beneath the sun in the summer, a sea of flowers won`t bloom without the rain....
Below is my favourite song of the moment.
Never Forget You by The Noisettes
I wish it was autumn already, the weather this summer has been crummy and at least if it was autumn we would have the colours.
Accepting and letting go of things out of our control is never easy but once we learn how to it makes living slightly easier. The end of anything does not always have to be sad, it can simply be just a phase in our lives. People come and people go, we leave or we stay, it is all rather random.
I wrote the following earlier this afternoon after being forced inside out of the rain. Though I think I had already had enough of a reading a book written by George W. Bush, even if it was written before his presidency. I can only stomach so much of his politics and false modesty.
The Lost Child of Aquarius
I do not live in a fishbowl
You cannot see me drown
There is privacy to protect
You will not hear from me
The lost child of Aquarius
I will carry water to shore
But no more tears for you
Our past should be burned
The smoke suffocating us
I will choke but never die
Breathing alone is simpler
You horded too much air
Oxygen should be shared
Selfishly you never could
Summer is still maturing
I wonder about your life
Without mirrors and sex
Can whores save beauty
For when youth vanishes
The way mine has lately
Without warning or time
A deadly foe like cancer
Black spots on a screen
I wonder about my life
Old friendships leaving
Their relevance passed
Everything runs a course
I would rather walk alone
Before accepting invites
My soul needs its peace
There are old bad habits
Which should be broken.
24 July 2009
Below is another random live set of Counting Crows related clips.
Blues Run The Game
October 2008
New Jersey
Fire
Augustana with Adam Duritz
July 22, 2009
Temecula, California
High Life
July 2009
Somewhere out in America
Goodnight Elizabeth
July 22, 2009
Temecula, California
Miami (acoustic, a song for Amelia)
July 2009
Somewhere out in America
Why Should You Come When I Call
CC with Michael Franti, Spearhead, Augustana and more.
July 21, 2009
Greek Theatre Los Angeles, California
Time and Time Again (for Isaac Hayes)
August 12, 2008
Saratoga, New York
Black and Blue
June 29, 2009
Columbus, Ohio
Angel From Montgomery
CC with Emmy Rossum and Augustana
July 22, 2009
Temecula, California
This Land is Your Land
CC with Michael Franti, Spearhead, Augustana and more.
July 21, 2009
Greek Theatre Los Angeles, California
The intense summer storm of this afternoon is a memory of thunder cracking, rain pelting, hydro flickering and clocks flashing.
john edward charles....
Never Forget You by The Noisettes
I wish it was autumn already, the weather this summer has been crummy and at least if it was autumn we would have the colours.
Accepting and letting go of things out of our control is never easy but once we learn how to it makes living slightly easier. The end of anything does not always have to be sad, it can simply be just a phase in our lives. People come and people go, we leave or we stay, it is all rather random.
I wrote the following earlier this afternoon after being forced inside out of the rain. Though I think I had already had enough of a reading a book written by George W. Bush, even if it was written before his presidency. I can only stomach so much of his politics and false modesty.
The Lost Child of Aquarius
I do not live in a fishbowl
You cannot see me drown
There is privacy to protect
You will not hear from me
The lost child of Aquarius
I will carry water to shore
But no more tears for you
Our past should be burned
The smoke suffocating us
I will choke but never die
Breathing alone is simpler
You horded too much air
Oxygen should be shared
Selfishly you never could
Summer is still maturing
I wonder about your life
Without mirrors and sex
Can whores save beauty
For when youth vanishes
The way mine has lately
Without warning or time
A deadly foe like cancer
Black spots on a screen
I wonder about my life
Old friendships leaving
Their relevance passed
Everything runs a course
I would rather walk alone
Before accepting invites
My soul needs its peace
There are old bad habits
Which should be broken.
24 July 2009
Below is another random live set of Counting Crows related clips.
Blues Run The Game
October 2008
New Jersey
Fire
Augustana with Adam Duritz
July 22, 2009
Temecula, California
High Life
July 2009
Somewhere out in America
Goodnight Elizabeth
July 22, 2009
Temecula, California
Miami (acoustic, a song for Amelia)
July 2009
Somewhere out in America
Why Should You Come When I Call
CC with Michael Franti, Spearhead, Augustana and more.
July 21, 2009
Greek Theatre Los Angeles, California
Time and Time Again (for Isaac Hayes)
August 12, 2008
Saratoga, New York
Black and Blue
June 29, 2009
Columbus, Ohio
Angel From Montgomery
CC with Emmy Rossum and Augustana
July 22, 2009
Temecula, California
This Land is Your Land
CC with Michael Franti, Spearhead, Augustana and more.
July 21, 2009
Greek Theatre Los Angeles, California
The intense summer storm of this afternoon is a memory of thunder cracking, rain pelting, hydro flickering and clocks flashing.
john edward charles....
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Nobody here gets a word that I say and the problems I`m told, are more than medical.......
The Major League Baseball All-Star game was last night and it was actually a rather interesting game. I was going to write enjoyable but my favourite player Roy Halladay got hit hard after getting 5 straight outs before giving up 3 runs. He also had to bat and did not even have his own helmet. As much as he is my favourite player, the Jays need to trade him to get better for the future and he needs to go to a team with a General Manager who knows what he is doing. By the way, the American League won 4-3, and the National League now has not won since 1996.
Below is another 10 set of Counting Crows live performances, the version of a Long December is the best I have heard in years.
When I Dream of Michelangelo
From Sunday Mornings
July 2009 Somewhere out in America
Perfect Blue Buildings
From August and Everything After
August 8, 2007 Tulsa, Oklahoma
Recovering The Satellites
From Recovering The Satellites
May 8, 2009 Dublin, Ireland
New Frontier
From Hard Candy
July 9, 2009 Sarnia, Canada
Hard Candy
From Hard Candy
Summer 2007 Somewhere out in America
Rain King with Augustana
From August and Everything After
September 21, 2008 Seattle, Washington
Daylight Fading
From Recovering The Satellites
May 13, 2009 Birmingham, England
Mr. Jones
From August and Everything After
March 21, 2008 Good Morning America NYC
Miami
From Hard Candy
May 8, 2009 Dublin, Ireland
A Long December
From Recovering The Satellites
August 19, 2008 Toronto, Canada
I wrote the following this afternoon.
Summer is the Currency of the Blowing Breeze
Wrapped up toilet tissues hide our discretions
Polyurethane protecting us from our creations
The barrier between being needy and greedy
A thin walled membrane separating our cells
Defining male and female from boy and girl
The summer children play but eventually age
Their memories are defined by happy or sad
Rarely is a child indifferent like most adults
I am a hoarder of lyrics to my personal songs
A soundtrack for defining moods and seasons
Summer is the currency of the blowing breeze
You might forget but the writer in me cannot
Inspiration visits less frequently than before
I barely recognize myself in the cloudy sky
When the poems are read back to me today
Could a person only script the future to fail
Every potential love dies like vases of roses
Their petals more beautiful as they crumble
Destroying is my answer to others creating
I am a nuance to myself and find it pleasing
This has to be the reason for being faraway
Closeness is like a mirror and they scourge
Emotionally harmful more than physically
The body heals under the sun of a July day
Everything appearing normal on the shore
Under the waves the ocean trembles softly
I walk through the sand leaving footprints
Until the water washes my presence away
The moon is a better friend than the sun
Shadows are more interesting than light
The mind is the mystery worth resolving
Loving will always remain harder for me
Because too much thought has occurred.
15 July 2009
Monday night David Letterman had on a guy who does baseball stances, I found it rather funny.
And last night great music.
You and I Wilco with Feist
Another plane crash today, this time in Iran, it seems it is not safe flying foreign carriers.
Probably just an anomaly.
It has just started to rain here in southern Ontario.
If you are somewhere out in America, check out the circus.
http://www.travelingcircusshow.com/
john.
Below is another 10 set of Counting Crows live performances, the version of a Long December is the best I have heard in years.
When I Dream of Michelangelo
From Sunday Mornings
July 2009 Somewhere out in America
Perfect Blue Buildings
From August and Everything After
August 8, 2007 Tulsa, Oklahoma
Recovering The Satellites
From Recovering The Satellites
May 8, 2009 Dublin, Ireland
New Frontier
From Hard Candy
July 9, 2009 Sarnia, Canada
Hard Candy
From Hard Candy
Summer 2007 Somewhere out in America
Rain King with Augustana
From August and Everything After
September 21, 2008 Seattle, Washington
Daylight Fading
From Recovering The Satellites
May 13, 2009 Birmingham, England
Mr. Jones
From August and Everything After
March 21, 2008 Good Morning America NYC
Miami
From Hard Candy
May 8, 2009 Dublin, Ireland
A Long December
From Recovering The Satellites
August 19, 2008 Toronto, Canada
I wrote the following this afternoon.
Summer is the Currency of the Blowing Breeze
Wrapped up toilet tissues hide our discretions
Polyurethane protecting us from our creations
The barrier between being needy and greedy
A thin walled membrane separating our cells
Defining male and female from boy and girl
The summer children play but eventually age
Their memories are defined by happy or sad
Rarely is a child indifferent like most adults
I am a hoarder of lyrics to my personal songs
A soundtrack for defining moods and seasons
Summer is the currency of the blowing breeze
You might forget but the writer in me cannot
Inspiration visits less frequently than before
I barely recognize myself in the cloudy sky
When the poems are read back to me today
Could a person only script the future to fail
Every potential love dies like vases of roses
Their petals more beautiful as they crumble
Destroying is my answer to others creating
I am a nuance to myself and find it pleasing
This has to be the reason for being faraway
Closeness is like a mirror and they scourge
Emotionally harmful more than physically
The body heals under the sun of a July day
Everything appearing normal on the shore
Under the waves the ocean trembles softly
I walk through the sand leaving footprints
Until the water washes my presence away
The moon is a better friend than the sun
Shadows are more interesting than light
The mind is the mystery worth resolving
Loving will always remain harder for me
Because too much thought has occurred.
15 July 2009
Monday night David Letterman had on a guy who does baseball stances, I found it rather funny.
And last night great music.
You and I Wilco with Feist
Another plane crash today, this time in Iran, it seems it is not safe flying foreign carriers.
Probably just an anomaly.
It has just started to rain here in southern Ontario.
If you are somewhere out in America, check out the circus.
http://www.travelingcircusshow.com/
john.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Have you seen the little pieces of the people we have been.......
I have decided to slightly switch directions in my blog posts. There will be less of my thoughts and opinions on life, except in my poetry, which I will continue to post. I am going to share music I love, mostly live performances by Counting Crows. I hope to capture the diversity of the band through their live performances. With each post you will get a random set of videos, which might not flow like a live concert but will give you some idea of what you might experience at a live concert. My major interests in life right now are music, managing my fantasy baseball team, watching the Toronto Blue Jays, reading and Letterman. So I suppose I might comment on those hobbies, and provide you with links to what I am reading. There is a wide world out there, as most of you know and are living in it. This is a small wave of information in a wide ocean. I am usually drowning but you might be swimming.
Le Ballet D Or
From Sunday Mornings
May 31, 2008 Luxembourg
1492
From Saturday Nights
February 8, 2008 World Cafe Philadelphia
Have You Seen Me Lately
From Recovering The Satellites
February 5, 2008 Fuse Television
Round Here
From August and Everything After
Pinkpop Holland June, 2008
You Ain`t Going Nowhere
Bob Dylan cover
August 19, 2008 Toronto, Canada
Why Should You Come When I Call with Augustana
From Hard Candy
July 2009 Somewhere out in America
Speedway
From This Desert Life
July 9, 2009 Sarnia, Canada
Anna Begins
From August and Everything After
May 26, 2009 Sheffield, England
Colorblind
From This Desert Life
June 27, 2009 Chicago
Come Around
From Sunday Mornings
August 19, 2008 Toronto, Canada
The book I am currently reading is called I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb. It tells the story of two twin brothers, one with schizophrenia and one without. I am about 300 pages through what I think is around 800 pages. A link to information about the book is below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Know_This_Much_Is_True
I wrote the following last night.
The Word Forever Means Very Little To Me
The July sun has begun its daily descent
A fireball of red burning our green trees
I missed its arrival on the wings of birds
Their morning songs no longer wake me
Staying comatose opposes the emptiness
I am safer when my eyes are tightly shut
The love is dried and blotched like skins
Chances are it will never be crystal clear
I have complicated things beyond repair
A shaking hand of nervousness remains
Where firmness and strength are wanted
I rarely venture out to my favourite spots
The river no longer finds me by its banks
Mother Nature has no solace to offer me
I used to memorize landmarks and signs
A collector of resting places for romance
When believing was as easy as breathing
I do not bother anymore with luck games
My karma is inevitably bad in this phase
There might be others after reincarnation
I believe in the nothingness of existence
The insignificance resulting from living
After thousands of years have dissipated
I will not be thought of like every person
Our Earth becoming ashes in outer space
Where our superior technology failed us
I do not want part of the story being told
My mind requires more and craves facts
The word forever means very little to me
I need a fixed date of our supposed return
Life gives a negative return on investment
There is no way any of us are getting rich
I suffer and should not like endless others
While people are silently in physical pain
They have no complaints and are faithful
I wish believing in anything was possible
But for me it will be more than a red sun
Even a woman who cares might fail here
I am far from the person who once cared
Whether being kind was enough for love
History has big screened its inadequacies
I am only here for the music and popcorn.
13 July 2009
Living is a lifetime commitment.
Happy 58th Birthday Dad.
john.
Le Ballet D Or
From Sunday Mornings
May 31, 2008 Luxembourg
1492
From Saturday Nights
February 8, 2008 World Cafe Philadelphia
Have You Seen Me Lately
From Recovering The Satellites
February 5, 2008 Fuse Television
Round Here
From August and Everything After
Pinkpop Holland June, 2008
You Ain`t Going Nowhere
Bob Dylan cover
August 19, 2008 Toronto, Canada
Why Should You Come When I Call with Augustana
From Hard Candy
July 2009 Somewhere out in America
Speedway
From This Desert Life
July 9, 2009 Sarnia, Canada
Anna Begins
From August and Everything After
May 26, 2009 Sheffield, England
Colorblind
From This Desert Life
June 27, 2009 Chicago
Come Around
From Sunday Mornings
August 19, 2008 Toronto, Canada
The book I am currently reading is called I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb. It tells the story of two twin brothers, one with schizophrenia and one without. I am about 300 pages through what I think is around 800 pages. A link to information about the book is below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Know_This_Much_Is_True
I wrote the following last night.
The Word Forever Means Very Little To Me
The July sun has begun its daily descent
A fireball of red burning our green trees
I missed its arrival on the wings of birds
Their morning songs no longer wake me
Staying comatose opposes the emptiness
I am safer when my eyes are tightly shut
The love is dried and blotched like skins
Chances are it will never be crystal clear
I have complicated things beyond repair
A shaking hand of nervousness remains
Where firmness and strength are wanted
I rarely venture out to my favourite spots
The river no longer finds me by its banks
Mother Nature has no solace to offer me
I used to memorize landmarks and signs
A collector of resting places for romance
When believing was as easy as breathing
I do not bother anymore with luck games
My karma is inevitably bad in this phase
There might be others after reincarnation
I believe in the nothingness of existence
The insignificance resulting from living
After thousands of years have dissipated
I will not be thought of like every person
Our Earth becoming ashes in outer space
Where our superior technology failed us
I do not want part of the story being told
My mind requires more and craves facts
The word forever means very little to me
I need a fixed date of our supposed return
Life gives a negative return on investment
There is no way any of us are getting rich
I suffer and should not like endless others
While people are silently in physical pain
They have no complaints and are faithful
I wish believing in anything was possible
But for me it will be more than a red sun
Even a woman who cares might fail here
I am far from the person who once cared
Whether being kind was enough for love
History has big screened its inadequacies
I am only here for the music and popcorn.
13 July 2009
Living is a lifetime commitment.
Happy 58th Birthday Dad.
john.
Monday, June 15, 2009
"Turn the lights down low and close the door, I'm trying to feel the way, I felt before, I'll cry in the middle of the day.........."
A great song from Pete Yorn, Don't Wanna Cry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2j6Zx4GF7c
So the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup Friday night, beating Detroit 2-1 in a rather boring game 7. The game definitely didn't live up to the hype and Sidney Crosby was left watching the end of the game with a knee injury. As deserving as I thought he was of winning the cup after a good playoff, Malkin won the Conn Symthe trophy over an equally deserving Marc-Andre Fleury. I am happy the Penguins won but wasn't pleased with Crosby showing up the Wings by taking his time making it the traditional handshaking. The captain of the Detroit Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom didn't help matters by leaving the ice quickly and not waiting for Crosby, though I don't blame him after being on the losing side. As I get older, I appreciate more and more the greatness of Wayne Gretzky, Gretzky would never have done what Crosby did. Gretzky was classy whether he won or lost. The clip below pretty much sums up Gretzky, it is taken from his final game over ten years ago now, Bob Cole's brilliant narrative accurately describes Gretzky's character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U93zJNDgZcY
Over the weekend Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a nearly 2-1 landslide over reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi. This result is another blow to democracy in the Middle East and has produced protests in Iran not seen since 1979. I am not surprised by the results because I expect nothing but fraud and lies from the Iran and the region as a whole. There are those usually in the majority but holding a minority of power or money who want change but can't foster it because their lives aren't valued. Those with the majority of power will attempt to keep it at all costs and the world of sanctions does nothing to stop them. They can't be removed because the world lacks the courage or the resources. The article below does a job of explaining the situation.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/15/gerges.iran.election/index.html
Today was another fine spring day, there were low and rather large white clouds, they scattered about between blue skies and watched as occasional aircraft passed by. Being close to the airport, albeit not a busy airport, the sky gets interrupted by aircraft from time to time. I saw what looked like a 747, a couple of twin-engined low flyer's, a couple of jets flying high and trailing white vapour and the hospital emergency helicopter, its orangeness is an almost daily sight.
I wrote the following piece late this afternoon after thinking about spring and summer merging, hoping spring's weather would last long into the summer. There of course is a sadness in the piece, like everything I write and the part of about tears, might be true. I really don't know but it fits very well with Mr. Yorn's song.
An Open Palm
Spring will soon arrive at the gates of summer
A pearl reflecting sunlight from an open palm
Offering cool breezes and white wedding days
When August's heat becomes too much to take
Our memories will place us safely in the shade
Where familiar music is played and love made
Until October finally lets us be free in autumn
Pilgrims searching for colours to define beauty
I am a collector of thoughts usually unrelated
They ramble like old drifters between villages
Pursuing a better life or simply growing tired
Restless sleeping under the same roof or stars
No matter the season and its current progress
When the time comes thoughts like people go
Their departure can leave a mysterious aura
Questions with only air to dry them out on
Our eyes are washed clean by psychic tears
Paraded down our cheeks in shameful lines
Crying is absolutely necessary and healthy
There often does not have to be a reason
Beethoven could very easily make us flood
I should take my own advice but rarely do
Stubbornness like emptiness are my fortes
Inspiration is an unknown women smiling
When all around me is my usual frowning
The reflection of myself as a cranky man
After youth has left my side like everyone
Who really mattered through the silences
A string will remain where pearls shined
Their absence is equally as breathtaking.
15 June 2009
I shaved my playoff beard tonight, well it was actually only an 8 day old beard but still it really started itching last night. I can't go more than 2 weeks but my skin is usually better when I don't shave, well better by my standards anyway.
I missed the sunset writing this, which I only decided to do after realizing I had already seen tonight's episode of Big Bang Theory and the rest of CBS' Monday night lineup. I only watch half hour shows, my attention span doesn't last an hour and I don't really like too many of the half hour shows, so I don't really watch much television. I did happen to see the preview below of the Cleveland show coming this fall on FOX, I even laughed at its mention of Adam Duritz as that munch from Counting Crows. The preview is below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT-sNBKpDEo
So why not a couple of Counting Crows clips.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNhJ2s2P4fY
Einstein on the Beach (Fan video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFyBKViaP2I
Baby I'm a Big Star Now (Fan video, not a very good one, scary in fact)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvKk4QxA-H8
Oh La La (Fan video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48sAQnRYMMo
Mr. Jones (acoustic Storytellers)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2YNBveCrLo
When I Dream of Michelangelo (October 2008 NJ)
Well those are my ramblings for this fine June evening, even if I did miss the sun setting and there were no new laughs regarding big bang theories.
john edward charles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2j6Zx4GF7c
So the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup Friday night, beating Detroit 2-1 in a rather boring game 7. The game definitely didn't live up to the hype and Sidney Crosby was left watching the end of the game with a knee injury. As deserving as I thought he was of winning the cup after a good playoff, Malkin won the Conn Symthe trophy over an equally deserving Marc-Andre Fleury. I am happy the Penguins won but wasn't pleased with Crosby showing up the Wings by taking his time making it the traditional handshaking. The captain of the Detroit Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom didn't help matters by leaving the ice quickly and not waiting for Crosby, though I don't blame him after being on the losing side. As I get older, I appreciate more and more the greatness of Wayne Gretzky, Gretzky would never have done what Crosby did. Gretzky was classy whether he won or lost. The clip below pretty much sums up Gretzky, it is taken from his final game over ten years ago now, Bob Cole's brilliant narrative accurately describes Gretzky's character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U93zJNDgZcY
Over the weekend Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a nearly 2-1 landslide over reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi. This result is another blow to democracy in the Middle East and has produced protests in Iran not seen since 1979. I am not surprised by the results because I expect nothing but fraud and lies from the Iran and the region as a whole. There are those usually in the majority but holding a minority of power or money who want change but can't foster it because their lives aren't valued. Those with the majority of power will attempt to keep it at all costs and the world of sanctions does nothing to stop them. They can't be removed because the world lacks the courage or the resources. The article below does a job of explaining the situation.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/15/gerges.iran.election/index.html
Today was another fine spring day, there were low and rather large white clouds, they scattered about between blue skies and watched as occasional aircraft passed by. Being close to the airport, albeit not a busy airport, the sky gets interrupted by aircraft from time to time. I saw what looked like a 747, a couple of twin-engined low flyer's, a couple of jets flying high and trailing white vapour and the hospital emergency helicopter, its orangeness is an almost daily sight.
I wrote the following piece late this afternoon after thinking about spring and summer merging, hoping spring's weather would last long into the summer. There of course is a sadness in the piece, like everything I write and the part of about tears, might be true. I really don't know but it fits very well with Mr. Yorn's song.
An Open Palm
Spring will soon arrive at the gates of summer
A pearl reflecting sunlight from an open palm
Offering cool breezes and white wedding days
When August's heat becomes too much to take
Our memories will place us safely in the shade
Where familiar music is played and love made
Until October finally lets us be free in autumn
Pilgrims searching for colours to define beauty
I am a collector of thoughts usually unrelated
They ramble like old drifters between villages
Pursuing a better life or simply growing tired
Restless sleeping under the same roof or stars
No matter the season and its current progress
When the time comes thoughts like people go
Their departure can leave a mysterious aura
Questions with only air to dry them out on
Our eyes are washed clean by psychic tears
Paraded down our cheeks in shameful lines
Crying is absolutely necessary and healthy
There often does not have to be a reason
Beethoven could very easily make us flood
I should take my own advice but rarely do
Stubbornness like emptiness are my fortes
Inspiration is an unknown women smiling
When all around me is my usual frowning
The reflection of myself as a cranky man
After youth has left my side like everyone
Who really mattered through the silences
A string will remain where pearls shined
Their absence is equally as breathtaking.
15 June 2009
I shaved my playoff beard tonight, well it was actually only an 8 day old beard but still it really started itching last night. I can't go more than 2 weeks but my skin is usually better when I don't shave, well better by my standards anyway.
I missed the sunset writing this, which I only decided to do after realizing I had already seen tonight's episode of Big Bang Theory and the rest of CBS' Monday night lineup. I only watch half hour shows, my attention span doesn't last an hour and I don't really like too many of the half hour shows, so I don't really watch much television. I did happen to see the preview below of the Cleveland show coming this fall on FOX, I even laughed at its mention of Adam Duritz as that munch from Counting Crows. The preview is below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT-sNBKpDEo
So why not a couple of Counting Crows clips.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNhJ2s2P4fY
Einstein on the Beach (Fan video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFyBKViaP2I
Baby I'm a Big Star Now (Fan video, not a very good one, scary in fact)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvKk4QxA-H8
Oh La La (Fan video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48sAQnRYMMo
Mr. Jones (acoustic Storytellers)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2YNBveCrLo
When I Dream of Michelangelo (October 2008 NJ)
Well those are my ramblings for this fine June evening, even if I did miss the sun setting and there were no new laughs regarding big bang theories.
john edward charles.
Friday, June 12, 2009
"You don't need to know that much about me..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USjuOWLyWIQ
You and I is a song that will be included on Wilco (The Album) to be released June 30. The song features classic Wilco guitars, Jeff Tweedy's vocals and vocal help from Canadian "it" girl Feist. I really liked their last collection of music Sky Blue Sky and new Wilco music is always a welcomed addition to my music library.
The date tells me this is my first blog entry in nearly a month. I am really not very interesting and I am really not very social, so there is really not anything exciting for me to write about. Though I suppose I have my ramblings to share.
The hockey season will finally be over tonight. It is longer than the baseball season, for those who like to complain about the length of the baseball season. Hockey starts in early October and will end in early June, lasting over 9 months. You could almost conceive and bear a baby during this time. Whereas the baseball season starts late March or early April and ends late in October, this is only 8 months. You could conceive a child and still get out of town during this time.
Lord Stanley Cup's will be presented tonight to the winner of game 7 between Detroit and Pittsburgh. Detroit won it last year and I am hoping for the major upset tonight. Even all the Crosby haters know that he deserves the cup after his strong playoff performance.
Dave and Conan.
Letterman and Palin.
Where to begin?
Television just before and after midnight has got much more interesting in the past 2 weeks. I am biased towards Dave, always have been and always will be, do I think his jokes about Palin's daughter might have crossed a line, yes I do. But Sarah and her husband's reaction have been extremely over the top, Dave has been on television for 30 years, he isn't out molesting girls or has he ever made suggestions that this was appropriate behaviour. The U.S. media on the right, Fox News in particular, needs someone to attack, and they are doing their best on Dave. Palin needs to get back into the public eye and why not use Dave like he is using her. Other more important people have fought back after being the brunt of Letterman's jokes, and Dave is always ready for a good fight. His relevance goes beyond being funnier or not than any other talk show host, he often says things we wish we could say and explains things better than most newscasters. His show following 9/11 says more about him than anything Palin could ever say. She should get back to governing Alaska because aren't there more important economic issues to focus on rather than a few cheesy jokes. Your daughter was "knocked up" and you do look like a slutty flight attendant at times, get over it. Like him or hate, Dave was making jokes like this in 1982, 1989, 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2009, and if you don't like him you can watch Conan, or Jay at 10 in September.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xut56q77GK0
Dave's comments following 9/11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCO22jxMrrQ
Dave's tribute to Paul Newman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDrxOM3jsxY
Dave's tribute to Johnny Carson.
This is a man who will mean more to the American people than Palin will ever.
As for Conan, I think he is funnier than Dave, except for his interviews, Dave kicks any of the late night hosts asses during interviews. I will watch Conan during commercials or when he is being funny, but I will watch Dave first, until he decides to retire, relevant or not, funny or not. It is what I grew up watching and will continue doing so.
I still read a lot and the last book I finished was 'Tis (A Memoir) by Frank McCourt. I like the following passage from it.
"It's the first time I ever had lemon meringue pie and I'm thinking if this is the way they eat all the time in America I won't be a bit hungry and I'll be fine and fat, as they say in Limerick. I'll have Dostoevsky for the loneliness and pie for the hunger."
I finally wrote something new the other day, and it is below.
No Escape Plan
My unexplainable absences have continued through spring
Summer's coming thunderstorms threaten to obliterate me
I emptied my heart trying to grow old before it was proper
Kindness was never enough for love and beautiful women
The rejection filled my head through every lonely evening
Dreams with happy endings never came but poems stayed
I care very little about them now and beauty is not for me
Ugliness will always remain at the core of my self image
There is nowhere for it to go and it is no longer venomous
Accepting defeat is never easy even if gracefully handled
Embracing silence can eventually bring peace to thoughts
I can be alive without having to worry about living right
Each day is a celebration against death until nothingness
The brilliance of not knowing you were right about God
Scarred skin and strong bones decomposing or burning
Becoming insignificant like the Earth in a blink of time
We are characters in a horror movie with no escape plan
Some of us play starring roles and will be remembered
The gospel according to John says none of us mattered
Beyond the moments of our present and instant futures
Death gives others a chance to mourn until they forget
Nobody who knew Jesus is alive today to tell us truths
Religion preys on the foolish as Marx and Freud knew
Poe saw its evolution out of fear, greed and imagination
You should believe, if you can, because what do I know
You should love, if you can, because maybe I am unable
The elegance and excitement of romance never lingered
My faithful friend melancholy would wait around for me
Together we could watch the full moon and ponder life
I often thought it was better sitting alone consuming tea
There was no drama of hearts mending but trust refusing
Sex being accomplished without love making it special
Mornings of conflicting thoughts and emptied feelings
Warm hands suddenly becoming colder than last winter
Too many questions plague some of us each passing day
All the answers are unsatisfactory and lacking in virtue
I make myself out to be more complex than is necessary
This happens when you are boring, bored and displeasing
A need to be creative, inspiring and attractive takes over.
10 June 2009
A few Counting Crows clips to share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNWIa_A5_8w
Round Here (October 2008 N.J.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIKMIpuUYwk
Anna Begins (May 26, 2009 Sheffield, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzMNbqyPPzo&feature=channel_page
Recovering The Satellites (Dublin 2009)
Today has probably been the nicest day of June so far. The sun is supposed to be out and shining for a few days, but no matter what the weather is, there will always be a little light shining in my heart. Some of you may never see it, some of you might glimpse it, for some of you it might be too bright but for one of you, it might just be right.
john edward charles.
You and I is a song that will be included on Wilco (The Album) to be released June 30. The song features classic Wilco guitars, Jeff Tweedy's vocals and vocal help from Canadian "it" girl Feist. I really liked their last collection of music Sky Blue Sky and new Wilco music is always a welcomed addition to my music library.
The date tells me this is my first blog entry in nearly a month. I am really not very interesting and I am really not very social, so there is really not anything exciting for me to write about. Though I suppose I have my ramblings to share.
The hockey season will finally be over tonight. It is longer than the baseball season, for those who like to complain about the length of the baseball season. Hockey starts in early October and will end in early June, lasting over 9 months. You could almost conceive and bear a baby during this time. Whereas the baseball season starts late March or early April and ends late in October, this is only 8 months. You could conceive a child and still get out of town during this time.
Lord Stanley Cup's will be presented tonight to the winner of game 7 between Detroit and Pittsburgh. Detroit won it last year and I am hoping for the major upset tonight. Even all the Crosby haters know that he deserves the cup after his strong playoff performance.
Dave and Conan.
Letterman and Palin.
Where to begin?
Television just before and after midnight has got much more interesting in the past 2 weeks. I am biased towards Dave, always have been and always will be, do I think his jokes about Palin's daughter might have crossed a line, yes I do. But Sarah and her husband's reaction have been extremely over the top, Dave has been on television for 30 years, he isn't out molesting girls or has he ever made suggestions that this was appropriate behaviour. The U.S. media on the right, Fox News in particular, needs someone to attack, and they are doing their best on Dave. Palin needs to get back into the public eye and why not use Dave like he is using her. Other more important people have fought back after being the brunt of Letterman's jokes, and Dave is always ready for a good fight. His relevance goes beyond being funnier or not than any other talk show host, he often says things we wish we could say and explains things better than most newscasters. His show following 9/11 says more about him than anything Palin could ever say. She should get back to governing Alaska because aren't there more important economic issues to focus on rather than a few cheesy jokes. Your daughter was "knocked up" and you do look like a slutty flight attendant at times, get over it. Like him or hate, Dave was making jokes like this in 1982, 1989, 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2009, and if you don't like him you can watch Conan, or Jay at 10 in September.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xut56q77GK0
Dave's comments following 9/11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCO22jxMrrQ
Dave's tribute to Paul Newman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDrxOM3jsxY
Dave's tribute to Johnny Carson.
This is a man who will mean more to the American people than Palin will ever.
As for Conan, I think he is funnier than Dave, except for his interviews, Dave kicks any of the late night hosts asses during interviews. I will watch Conan during commercials or when he is being funny, but I will watch Dave first, until he decides to retire, relevant or not, funny or not. It is what I grew up watching and will continue doing so.
I still read a lot and the last book I finished was 'Tis (A Memoir) by Frank McCourt. I like the following passage from it.
"It's the first time I ever had lemon meringue pie and I'm thinking if this is the way they eat all the time in America I won't be a bit hungry and I'll be fine and fat, as they say in Limerick. I'll have Dostoevsky for the loneliness and pie for the hunger."
I finally wrote something new the other day, and it is below.
No Escape Plan
My unexplainable absences have continued through spring
Summer's coming thunderstorms threaten to obliterate me
I emptied my heart trying to grow old before it was proper
Kindness was never enough for love and beautiful women
The rejection filled my head through every lonely evening
Dreams with happy endings never came but poems stayed
I care very little about them now and beauty is not for me
Ugliness will always remain at the core of my self image
There is nowhere for it to go and it is no longer venomous
Accepting defeat is never easy even if gracefully handled
Embracing silence can eventually bring peace to thoughts
I can be alive without having to worry about living right
Each day is a celebration against death until nothingness
The brilliance of not knowing you were right about God
Scarred skin and strong bones decomposing or burning
Becoming insignificant like the Earth in a blink of time
We are characters in a horror movie with no escape plan
Some of us play starring roles and will be remembered
The gospel according to John says none of us mattered
Beyond the moments of our present and instant futures
Death gives others a chance to mourn until they forget
Nobody who knew Jesus is alive today to tell us truths
Religion preys on the foolish as Marx and Freud knew
Poe saw its evolution out of fear, greed and imagination
You should believe, if you can, because what do I know
You should love, if you can, because maybe I am unable
The elegance and excitement of romance never lingered
My faithful friend melancholy would wait around for me
Together we could watch the full moon and ponder life
I often thought it was better sitting alone consuming tea
There was no drama of hearts mending but trust refusing
Sex being accomplished without love making it special
Mornings of conflicting thoughts and emptied feelings
Warm hands suddenly becoming colder than last winter
Too many questions plague some of us each passing day
All the answers are unsatisfactory and lacking in virtue
I make myself out to be more complex than is necessary
This happens when you are boring, bored and displeasing
A need to be creative, inspiring and attractive takes over.
10 June 2009
A few Counting Crows clips to share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNWIa_A5_8w
Round Here (October 2008 N.J.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIKMIpuUYwk
Anna Begins (May 26, 2009 Sheffield, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzMNbqyPPzo&feature=channel_page
Recovering The Satellites (Dublin 2009)
Today has probably been the nicest day of June so far. The sun is supposed to be out and shining for a few days, but no matter what the weather is, there will always be a little light shining in my heart. Some of you may never see it, some of you might glimpse it, for some of you it might be too bright but for one of you, it might just be right.
john edward charles.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
"How will you ever know, the way circumstances go, oh its going to hit you by surprise but I know my past....."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw3zreo4ZvQ
Five Days in May by Blue Rodeo
It has been as I predicted a lacklusture Queen Victoria long weekend here. Much like the hockey game this afternoon between the Wings and the Hawks. Detroit's win was tiring to watch and not at all as exciting a game as one would have thought.
I wrote the piece below an hour or so ago.
Bitterly Adult
The days can weave themselves a meaningless pattern
Births, funerals, marriages and divorces unrecognized
People coming and going without remembering either
Our mind conspiring with insanity creating bad karma
Every comment uttered bites back at us full of venom
I am getting very good at being absent but not invisible
The latter is impossible because we are always viewed
Society forces us out into the light and its cruel hunger
Guys devour girls from head to toe and nipple to clitoris
Women steer men towards their own mirrors and vanity
Everywhere is Hollywood and imperfection is nowhere
I am about as completely flawed as anyone can become
There is hardly a day where I am not surprised by living
My confidence does not exist and my nucleus is broken
The heart still beats but unlike earlier it no longer loves
Stubbornness keeps me from dying unnecessarily today
I suppose it will continue until there is sufficient regrets
How can these really be measured one person to another
Spoiled by a calm childhood has made me bitterly adult
The reasons began physically and have become mental
Mannerisms are natural but mine are strangely peculiar
With money I could be eccentric but the poor are weird
I can hear the wind of another cool but sunny afternoon
May is being unpredictable unlike me solemnly writing
There has not been enough rain to wash the street clean
Dirt will last longer than you or me and you will forget
My memories know more about me than you will learn
The elderly couple embraces as they did fifty years ago
Death knocks for one of them but neither one is ready
I am genuinely inspired by their strength but still weak
A year or two of peaceful sleep would do a lot of good
But unfortunately there is waking and everything after.
17/05/09
Obligatory Counting Crows Clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IpfsxszVEQ
A Long December (May 16, 2009 Cardiff, South Wales)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTKbH9gTdmQ
Mr. Jones (May 16, 2009 Cardiff, South Wales)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATboL2bb4Ss
Speedway (May 16, 2009 Cardiff, South Wales)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_qso9x8N7Y
When I Dream of Michelangelo (May 11, 2009 Manchester, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1at1_f218A
Miami (May 14, 2009 Wembley Arena, London, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_G0019pddU
Colorblind (May 11, 2009 Manchester, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ7UQHSHJTw
New Frontier (May 14, 2009 Wembley Arena, London, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmcVSums-_A
Come Around (August 19, 2008 Toronto, Canada)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1huAWlXu8tY
Good Time (May 14, 2009 Wembley Arena, London, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fKpIuWHbLc
Holiday in Spain (May 14, 2009 Wembley Arena, London, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHB5xM_UQXc
Children In Bloom (May 13, 2009 Birmingham, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XNgmM0KJXs
You Ain't Going Nowhere (August 19, 2008 Toronto, Canada)
Those who say knowing is better obviously do not know enough.
jr.
Five Days in May by Blue Rodeo
It has been as I predicted a lacklusture Queen Victoria long weekend here. Much like the hockey game this afternoon between the Wings and the Hawks. Detroit's win was tiring to watch and not at all as exciting a game as one would have thought.
I wrote the piece below an hour or so ago.
Bitterly Adult
The days can weave themselves a meaningless pattern
Births, funerals, marriages and divorces unrecognized
People coming and going without remembering either
Our mind conspiring with insanity creating bad karma
Every comment uttered bites back at us full of venom
I am getting very good at being absent but not invisible
The latter is impossible because we are always viewed
Society forces us out into the light and its cruel hunger
Guys devour girls from head to toe and nipple to clitoris
Women steer men towards their own mirrors and vanity
Everywhere is Hollywood and imperfection is nowhere
I am about as completely flawed as anyone can become
There is hardly a day where I am not surprised by living
My confidence does not exist and my nucleus is broken
The heart still beats but unlike earlier it no longer loves
Stubbornness keeps me from dying unnecessarily today
I suppose it will continue until there is sufficient regrets
How can these really be measured one person to another
Spoiled by a calm childhood has made me bitterly adult
The reasons began physically and have become mental
Mannerisms are natural but mine are strangely peculiar
With money I could be eccentric but the poor are weird
I can hear the wind of another cool but sunny afternoon
May is being unpredictable unlike me solemnly writing
There has not been enough rain to wash the street clean
Dirt will last longer than you or me and you will forget
My memories know more about me than you will learn
The elderly couple embraces as they did fifty years ago
Death knocks for one of them but neither one is ready
I am genuinely inspired by their strength but still weak
A year or two of peaceful sleep would do a lot of good
But unfortunately there is waking and everything after.
17/05/09
Obligatory Counting Crows Clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IpfsxszVEQ
A Long December (May 16, 2009 Cardiff, South Wales)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTKbH9gTdmQ
Mr. Jones (May 16, 2009 Cardiff, South Wales)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATboL2bb4Ss
Speedway (May 16, 2009 Cardiff, South Wales)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_qso9x8N7Y
When I Dream of Michelangelo (May 11, 2009 Manchester, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1at1_f218A
Miami (May 14, 2009 Wembley Arena, London, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_G0019pddU
Colorblind (May 11, 2009 Manchester, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ7UQHSHJTw
New Frontier (May 14, 2009 Wembley Arena, London, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmcVSums-_A
Come Around (August 19, 2008 Toronto, Canada)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1huAWlXu8tY
Good Time (May 14, 2009 Wembley Arena, London, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fKpIuWHbLc
Holiday in Spain (May 14, 2009 Wembley Arena, London, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHB5xM_UQXc
Children In Bloom (May 13, 2009 Birmingham, England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XNgmM0KJXs
You Ain't Going Nowhere (August 19, 2008 Toronto, Canada)
Those who say knowing is better obviously do not know enough.
jr.
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