On occasion I give the iPod a break, and we listen to FM radio. And when we are in the boonies, that often means country music.

The past month - I seem to keep stumbling across this one particular very catchy, exceedingly romantic song...

Who wouldn't be in the mood for romance after a pickup line like this:

'Cause I'd like to see you out in the moonlight
I'd like to kiss you way back in the sticks
I'd like to walk you through a field of wildflowers
And I'd like to check you for ticks
Oooh, you never know where one might be
And oooh, there's lots of places that are hard to reach

( Full Lyrics to Brad Paisley's Ticks: )

Feeling run down and frustrated today. Annoyed with my broken Mac, long todo lists, and fighting off some mild illness that had Cherie on her ass yesterday. *grumble*

Nothing significantly wrong... Just feeling sort of overcast.

My mental radio tuned to Rush for some uplift:

How It Is
from Vapor Trails (2002)

Here's a little trap
That sometimes catches everyone
When today's as far as we can see
Faith in bright tomorrows
Giving way to resignation
That's how it is
How it's going to be

It's such a cloudy day
Seems we'll never see the sun
Or feel the day has possibilities
Frozen in the moment...
The lack of imagination
Between how it is and how it ought to be

Here's a little trap
That sometimes trips up everyone
When we tire of our own company
Sometimes we're the last to see beyond the day's frustrations
That's how it is
How it's going to be

It's such a cloudy day
Seems we'll never see the sun
I feel the day is all uncertainty
Burning in the moment
Trapped by the desperation
Between how it is and how it ought to be

Foot upon the stair
Shoulder to the wheel
You can't tell yourself not to care
You can't tell yourself how to feel
That's how it is
Another cloudy day

In roughly 24hrs Rush will be hitting the stage at the Concord Pavilion.
I can't wait - I need the inspiration!

So serolynne and I have decided to stop "rushing" around for a bit, and we've accepted an offer to spend two weeks house/cat-sitting for some friends in San Leandro August 3rd - 17th.

And that means we will be in town for my all-time-uber-favorite band!!! Rush is passing through the Bay Area the following dates:

Aug 1 - Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View
Aug 3 - Concord Pavilion

We are considering going to at least one of the shows - probably getting lawn seats for aprox $30.

Anyone interested in joining us?

If there is interest, I may make a pilgrimage to the box office to try and avoid some of the outrageous TicketBastard fees. Let me know ASAP if you'd like me to pick any up. A large group rocking out on the lawn together would be a blast.

And the new Rush album, Snakes & Arrows? Mmmm, good!
I don't think there is any other band that has continued to crank out such amazing music (and lyrics) over such an incredibly long career. And they just keep doing it.

Here's the leadoff track from the new album:

Far Cry - Click through here to rush.com to hear the full song.

Pariah dogs and wandering madmen
Barking at strangers and speaking in tongues
The ebb and flow of tidal fortune
Electrical changes are charging up the young

It’s a far cry from the world we thought we’d inherit
It’s a far cry from the way we thought we’d share it
You can almost feel the current flowing
You can almost see the circuits blowing

One day I feel I’m on top of the world
And the next it’s falling in on me
I can get back on
I can get back on
One day I Feel I’m ahead of the wheel
And the next it’s rolling over me
I can get back on
I can get back on

Whirlwind life of faith and betrayal
Rise in anger, fall back and repeat
Slow degrees on the dark horizon
Full moon rising, lays silver at your feet

It’s a far cry from the world we thought we’d inherit
It’s a far cry from the way we thought we’d share it
You can almost feel the current flowing
You can almost see the circuits blowing

One day I feel I’m on top of the world
And the next it’s falling in on me
I can get back on
I can get back on
One day I Feel I’m ahead of the wheel
And the next it’s rolling over me
I can get back on
I can get back on

It’s a far cry from the world we thought we’d inherit
You can almost see the circle growing
You can almost feel the planets glowing

One day I feel I’m on top of the world
And the next it’s falling in on me
I can get back on
I can get back on
One day I Feel I’m ahead of the wheel
And the next it’s rolling over me
I can get back on
I can get back on

One day I fly through a crack in the sky
And the next it’s falling in on me
I can get back on
I can get back on

Oh oh oh I can get back on I can get back on

That soaring guitar riff - wow. Dangerous while driving, listening to this song easily tacks 10-15mph onto your current speed. But then, that's Rush. *grin*

"A magic day when super-science mingles with the bright stuff of dreams..."



I'm back from a great week cruising the Caribbean with serolynne and the other members of the "Fun Party".

The first night of the voyage was particularly magical. The captain of the Disney Magic waited off shore at Cape Canaveral for the shuttle launch, and we had an AMAZING view from the top deck of the ship across the water towards the launch pad. We were so close that with binoculars you could make out the outline of the shuttle sitting on the pad.

But you did not need binoculars at all for the main event. WOW!

The video I just uploaded can barely capture the magic. The way the clouds continued to glow after the shuttle passed above them is one of the most beautiful and exciting things I have ever seen, with a ghostly steam trail cutting across the dark sky back towards the ground.

This little known gem of a song from Rush captures the magic of a shuttle launch incredibly well:

Countdown
Rush, from Signals.
Words by Neil Peart, Music by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson.

Lit up with anticipation
We arrive at the launching site
The sky is still dark, nearing dawn
On the Florida coastline

Circling choppers slash the night
With roving searchlight beams
This magic day when super-science
Mingles with the bright stuff of dreams

Floodlit in the hazy distance
The star of this unearthly show
Venting vapours, like the breath
Of a sleeping white dragon

Crackling speakers, voices tense
Resume the final count
All systems check, T minus nine
As the sun and the drama start to mount

The air is charged --- a humid, motionless mass
The crowds and the cameras,
The cars full of spectators pass
Excitement so thick --- you could cut it with a knife
Technology --- high, on the leading edge of life

The earth beneath us starts to tremble
With the spreading of a low black cloud
A thunderous roar shakes the air
Like the whole world exploding

Scorching blast of golden fire
As it slowly leaves the ground
Tears away with a mighty force
The air is shattered by the awesome sound

Like a pillar of cloud, the smoke lingers
High in the air
In fascination --- with the eyes of the world
We stare...

Thank you Disney for waiting around for the launch while most other departing cruise ships sailed on. Disney Magic indeed!

The iPod just fed me this song again - I've probably listened to it a few dozen times recently, and every time I love it more. Blues Traveler songs have a way of sneaking up on me like that. I've had this CD for years, but until recently this song never really hit me. Now it blows me out of the water every time I hear it. Conquer Me was another Blues Traveler song that snuck up on me like that and ended up a favorite.

The lyrics alone don't do this song justice. The way the music builds - the hunger and emotion and pain and fear and love in John Popper's voice... You really need to hear this to appreciate it.

*wow*

What an amazing artist.

( Blues Treaveler - Yours )

Last night I took Lindsay to see one of my newest favorite artists - Ben Lee (http://www.ben-lee.com/) in concert.

It was one of the most intense and moving concert experiences I have ever had. The hall was small and not crowded, and we were able to stand only a few feet away from the stage.

The three opening songs left me torn open and crying. I can't remember the last time I've been so emotionally moved at a concert. It was as if each song was directed straight into my heart.

The rest of the show was amazing as well, ending up with Ben Lee perched on the bar completely unplugged and unamplified singing a final quiet song.

He is an amazing artist, and it was an amazing night. Do yourself a favor and buy his newest album - "Awake is the New Sleep", pretty much every song on it has the potential to be a favorite.

Here are the three songs that blew me away at the start of the show...

( Begin )

( Into The Dark )

( Gamble Everything For Love )

And the closing song (before he unplugged and moved to the bar) also blew me away and had tears on my face yet again as the whole room sang along:

( We're All In This Together )