The Trainwreck Union

Share Something with an American You Love

2011-10-12T11:19:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about tea in America. I've been thinking a lot about how Americans drink and maybe just how Americans are.
Before beer and wine and spirits and tea and cola, there was water. Just like animals, the only thing we drank was water, and it was by far the most important thing humans did. The first non-water drinks people got hold of was considered magical or to at least possess supernatural powers and a connection to gods and the cosmos.
Ancient people drank from shared vessels with long straws, and rituals were built around drinks. The vessels were held aloft in a gesture of thanks or offering to the supernatural. Then people shared drinks.
Unlike food, drinks can actually be truly shared. When everything is coming out of the same pot, it's not like cutting up pieces of bread or pizza, where everything is unequal and maybe you got an extra mushroom on yours and I didn't get as much onion on mine. Everything in the pot is the same when it comes to liquid, and when we're drinking from straws, we are literally drinking the same thing.
Eventually ceramics and glass and silver became more readily accessible, and people were all able to afford to drink from their very own cups. When people drank, though, they did it together and when they had their own cups, they raised them up like they did shared vessels and then clinked them together as gesture representing that what they were drinking came from a single vessel.

Drinking is a magical necessity of life. And it's something that we build our cultures around. Everything else can be put on hold as long as you keep drinking. Without drinking, you're dead.

Tea, is still drunk today–for the most part–out of a shared vessel that is displayed on or around the table. If you drink alone, it's still great, but not the same. And this brings me to Americans...
Americans like things in their OWN cups that they pour THEMSELVES. Approximately 85% of tea drunk in America is iced. They drink it in bottles from 7-11and big cups from Hardy's. This separates them from an important part of their humanity because it turns them into islands separated by liquid rather than members of a community that's connected by drink. Drink brings us together, don't let big businesses and corporations and politicians and other interests keep us from that. Share a bottle of something today. Share a pot of tea. Share a carafe. Whatever it is, do it with someone else and have an experience.

Tips on Going Veg

2011-07-19T15:56:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I get questions about going vegetarian. Many people have requested tips on going vegetarian, and I think it's finally time to create a list. I hate lists of things on the internet because it's usually just a play for hits, but I assure you this is not the impetus for this particular list. I have a friend who recently had a brush with death and has decided to take the pledge to go veg, and she asked me for tips. Here we go.

Rejoice in your decision to become a happier, healthier you. You are creating a better, healthier life for yourself.
Remember how many animals your decision is saving every year. Americans can eat up to and over 100 animals a year. Disgusting, right? Well, look at your dog or your cat or a fish or a bird or even a little bunny running in the park, and think about your decision not to destroy it every time you do.
Hang out with people who care about their health as well. People who care about their health are more active and don't criticize one another when it comes to their diets. I have never been around an active, health-conscious person who spoke negatively about my veganism. The only people who do are the fat, mean, lazy ones who laugh at "fags who do yoga" or people like me who "waste their time running around a park in the morning."
Educate yourself. There are tons of things to know about vegetarianism. There's a great Wikipedia page about its history, and there are tons of sites about its health benefits. People will ask you, and they will try to trick you into saying something wrong. Then they will use that to somehow prove that you are wrong about everything.
Admit that you don't know everything. When the haters come at you, they'll be throwing mud because that is the easiest thing for a hater to do. Facts and logic are not the tools of a hater, and hubris and arrogance should not be yours. It's easy to be high and mighty and self-righteous about begin vegan. Don't be so lazy. Be humble: say that you don't know all the answers, but you have simply made a decision to take a more active role in your own personal health and the mitigation of suffering on the planet.
Be vigilant resolute. When your unhealthy friends roll their eyes at you, ignore them. When your unhealthy friends want to go to McDonald's, abandon them. You cannot let others drag you down. If you were giving up heroin, you wouldn't let your junkie friends bring you down, so don't let the unhealthy friends you have do it either. Meat is as dangerous to your health as heroin. That's right. When you eat it, you will feel good in the short term, and then feel shitty all the time thereafter.
Find healthy friends at all cost. There are sites online. There are clubs in every town. There are vegetarian restaurants and hangouts. It's a community, and it's awesome.
Have fun with it. People who are vegetarian have better sex, they are more active, and they smell better. They have more fun and have more energy to do the things that make them happy.
Bring your own meals to holidays. This should be obvious.
Read labels. Gelatin, eggs, milk, and lard are in tons of things. But also, you'll realize that some awesome junk food is totally vegan. I personally love potato chips. I eat too many. Some people go Oreo crazy when they find out America's favorite cookie is also cruelty free.
Don't worry about protein. Vegans don't need to worry about protein unless they're going for the gold medal in weight-lifting or are competing in a body-building competition. Even then, unless they're going for the Ah-nold look, they can ignore the hype. The beef industry started their protein ad campaign years ago, and it totally worked. Don't be fooled: most Americans have too much protein in their diets as is evidenced by the colon cancer, prostate cancer, and heart disease that kills more of us than terrorists every year.
Try not to eat too much processed meat substitutes. Tempeh and TVP are OK, but don't over-do the veggie hot dogs and Boca burgers. The truth about processed food is that you're not getting the nutrients you need in the ways you need them through processed food. But man, veggie burgers are pretty awesome, and you can also make them at home in a jiffy from scratch.
Online blogs and recipes. Read them. Love them. Comment on them and start conversations and ask questions. They are the best lifelines when you feel like you're alone in the world. And if you don't live in the San Francisco bay or in a big city filled with enlightened people, you will probably feel alone pretty often at first.
Know you are not alone. It's a movement. Really smart people are vegan. Really beautiful people are vegan. Titans of industry are vegans. Left-wing hippies are vegans. It's the kind of a movement that transcends social status.

I hope this list helps. Sorry it's so long.

Should I Open a Business in Staunton, VA?

2011-06-03T14:22:00.000-04:00

Here's the question I am asked rather frequently by myself and others: Is Staunton, Virginia a good place to do/open a business?

The answer is a list of pros and cons, a list I will now endeavor to create here and now on my blog. I know this blog has a date stamp on it, but I want to repeat it: June 3, 2011.

Advantages:

The Staunton Creative Community Fund is a very good organization lead by a person in whom I have some confidence (Meghan Williamson). If you're a little savvy and resilient, you can employ this wonderful agency to incur debt. Debt earns a bad name for a variety of reasons, but in business it's often your first step, and a difficult one. SCCF helps you out.
The Tourism Office in Staunton is quite good. They are always attempting to bring people to Staunton and to keep businesses abreast of what's happening in tourism and to keep tourists informed about what's happening in Staunton. People like to visit Staunton, and that's a really fantastic thing.We have a Shakespeare Theatre, two movie houses that show mainstream and art-house fare, sweet architecture, and the Staunton Music Guild, who is attempting to turn Staunton into a music destination.
The Staunton Downtown Development Association is pretty awesome. They sponsor and organize events downtown, help businesses communicate with one another and with the local government, and they serve as a shoulder to cry on. By "they" I mean Julie Markowitz and Karen Lawrence.
The Staunton community, the people who live here, are the best thing about this place. We have a type of diversity that isn't immediately apparent and is unlike any I have experienced in the world.There is a portion of this population who are filled with a special type of fervor for this place. They will stand up to city hall for you, they will come in droves to your business to help you stay in business, and they will RSVP to your Facebook invites and do all sorts of things that really make you feel like you're part of something awesome and serving people who appreciate you.

Disadvantages:

It's hard to get debt in a small city, and even though SCCF is a wonderful resource, many businesses find themselves out of the running. The board is filled with people who don't know much about doing/owning a business in a small city. We're in the "Enterprise Zone" too, and that's supposed to mean we can get cash from the feds and from the state to help us create jobs and improve our buildings, but almost no one is eligible because the rules are made for businesses in bigger places. It's a frustration that makes you want to give up.
The events here that are ostensibly created to bring in outsiders to our area, often just end up bringing the locals out, or people from the county. The worst of these are our music events in the summer that don't seem to be a boon to any business at all. I wish the SDDA or the Tourism Office would just take them over. Also, the park is too far away from downtown, and there is little or no effort to connect it to the businesses in the city. When there are giant events in the park, churches and the like are invited to sell things and advertise there instead of real businesses. We do have one of the most beautiful parks in America that I've seen. Half of it is golf course, but it's enormous, and it's a cool place to hang out all year. It's not being put to use for businesses in any way that I can tell.
Downtown has some empty buildings. The reasons for this are numerous, but some of them can be solved by an active government. Empty buildings are bad for business downtown. I wish real estate people would be more interested in pop-up retail and seasonal leases, too. But this brings us to the next problem.
The building inspector situation here is a shambles. It's a disgrace. Getting something inspected is impossible, getting inspectors to tell you what they want you to do is impossible, getting inspectors on the phone is impossible. If you have to do ANYTHING that involves building inspectors, don't open a business here. They will bankrupt you by keeping you in a holding pattern like a 747 who can't land but is running out of gas. You can't land, you can't leave, and you can't get them on the radio.
The Staunton community is dichotomous. For example, Obama won this town by 12 votes. So, if you can think of a business both sides of that kind of divide would love, good luck. If not, well, good luck. Most businesses try to cater to one side of that, like a "traditional rural/southern/country/old people" business that tourists will also like, or say a "cool/new/edgy/fun/pseudo-urban/hippie/young people" business that tourists will also like. The locals are great, but you can't depend on them to keep you alive, not because they don't want to but because there simply aren't enough of them.

Anyway, that's it for now. I hope this answers the question. . . it probably only broaches it. As you can see, it's a difficult one. Maybe this will help people who want to know.

Factory Farms and the Governments Who Love Them

2011-05-08T13:20:00.001-04:00

You know, sometimes I see these videos, and I don't get angry at the people who are doing these horrible things but at the people who say things like "I don't care." I can't see how you don't care. This is some heinousness going down right under our noses. . . and into most people's stomachs. That's a big deal.

Now states like Florida want to make it so people know even less about what they're eating.

The Murder Bros. are Playing a Show this Saturday

2011-05-05T16:20:00.002-04:00

The Murder Bros. are playing a show this Saturday, and you are welcome to come. It's a birthday party for a young lady who is turning 21. Her name is Lauren Young.

Here's a link to the Facebook Event Page »

Here are directions to the event, which starts at 6:30, but the bands will play at around 8:30:

975 Cottontail Trail- I81 exit 243. Left off ramp onto 11N. Right at next light Pleasant Valley road. Right at next light Early road. Follow back till you see Moose lodge on left. Take that left at Cottontail Trail. Last house on left. Big White scary looking farm house.

You can bring food and roast it in a fire pit, and there will be mud wrestling of some kind if you're into that sort of thing. I think Pablo will be mud wrestling. I hope you can make it.

National Poetry Month and How I Quit Writing Poetry and Killed Osama Bin Laden

2011-05-05T16:05:00.003-04:00

I always write something in April about National Poetry Month. I feel very conflicted about NPH, but this month has been a sort of return to poetry for me.

Sure, I still read and write poetry. I even publish from time to time. But since I've been in a band, writing songs and playing music and doing all the things you have to do to keep a band going has been taking precedence over all other modes of artistic expression and ambition.

This April, we had two poetry readings at the Darjeeling Cafe. I read at one of them. I read a short cycle that has been accepted for publication, and I read another short portion of a poetry book I've been working on. I'm pleased to report that poetry readings, no matter where you go, are the same as they ever were.

People still clap when they're not supposed to. There are still members of the audience that will say "hmm" rather loudly in order to tell others audience members that, yes, they are listening to poems that are affecting them on a level that pushes them to audible response. There are still those well-meaning poetry reading goers who will laugh mercifully at little jokes in poems. Kids still make noises and distract everyone in a charming way that only kids can. I've always loved it when people make noise at poetry readings (except for the hmm's), but there is still the one lady who will "shh" her fellow inhabitants of the temporary holy ground of poetry. There's still the poet who demands people participate by raising their hands or saying something when prompted. There's still wine and wine and wine and wine and purple tongues to prove it. There are poets who read too long and ones who are too nervous. There are poets who don't know what a poem is but have enough money to publish through vanity presses. There are still stacks of books that go unread attractively arranged on a table near the bar where you can buy them for a handsome fee, knowing you'll never read them because there are just too many poems in them, and they aren't organized in a way that makes you want to finish. The pretty people and the ugly people and the over-educated and the wannabes are all still there and make a hodgepodge of who's who that makes you realize everybody's a nobody in the end because the art you're performing fell out of favor long ago and doesn't matter to anyone outside of that room, so you love them all anyway.

Poetry is still dead except during National Poetry Month for most people who have ever read a poem or pretend to care about things like that.
Poetry is still the greatest form of artwork the human race has ever known, forcing it to the privileged few and fringes.

++++++++++++==================+++++++++++++

Someone put together a poetry strike online. I thought it was funny, so I observed it. It happened on May 1. Poets were supposed to not do anything poetic except maybe look at flowers and faint. For the poet, this is very difficult.

One day of not writing poetry, and Osama Bin Laden dies. Coincidence?
Maybe poets should abstain from writing poetry more often.

Osama's death is a very strange thing. It caused many people to cry out in jubilation. I don't feel the way I am supposed to feel about it. I'm supposed to be happy, I guess. I'm supposed to be relieved. But I wonder how much information died with him, and I wonder if knowing more about him and how he became the way he was would be more valuable than his corpse. I've heard why he hates Americans, but I would like to know what made him hate Americans. I wish that that information were more public, and I wish more people would think about what makes a mass murderer. I learned almost nothing from his death, and that's why victory is often empty, and this one seems Pyrrhic if it is a victory at all.

Murder Bros. Perform Wingman

2011-05-05T13:06:00.000-04:00

The Murder Bros. perform their song Wingman at the Blue Nile in Harrisonburg on April 17, 2011. I hope you like this song. Sound is always hard on people's cameras at shows, but I think this came out all right. Thanks for watching.

Life in a Foxhole at Stratton

2011-05-04T19:46:00.001-04:00

The Murder Bros. put these shows together for Stauntonians to experience bands from out of town. We think they're great shows. We have a ton of great bands around here that don't get the notice they deserve. We are going to change that with our efforts.

The Stratton Event Room before Murder Bros. Go on

2011-05-04T19:10:00.001-04:00

The Laundry

2011-05-04T19:07:00.001-04:00

Thoughts about Life at the Laundromat

2011-05-04T19:05:00.001-04:00

Your body is half legs, which means to me that human beings need to be using their legs as much as possible. Run, bike, swim, do anything you can to use your legs. Do these things for long periods of time.

Human beings aren't faster or stronger than most other animals on Earth. We are pretty smart, though, and we have an uncanny ability to keep things in our heads for a long, long time. Plus, we have endurance like nobody's business. It's incredible how far we can push our bodies. We can move ourselves over incredible distances with very little food, and the whole planet knows the sound of our footsteps.

I can run about 15 miles at a go--maybe more if I was chased. I want to run a marathon soon (26.2mi). I think running builds my endurance and makes me a better frontman for my band. I think my running affects every compartment of my existence. I hope to be in the best shape of my life before the end of this year.

Translation Projekt.

2011-04-19T17:42:00.000-04:00

I have an ongoing poetic translation project I thought you might be interested in here. It's a Bertolt Brecht poem called Jacob Applebock, or the Lilies of the Field.

A Typical Conversation I Have with People (Why Some People Think I "Talk Down" to Them)

2011-04-15T11:47:00.000-04:00

Ever since I moved to Staunton, there have been some people who think I talk down to them. I have never had this problem before moving to this town, and I am loath to think that it's a southern thing or that it's a Staunton thing. I have been trying to blame my self for this phenomenon. I get frustrated with certain people, and I think I have a reason. I need to learn to "just let go" and "just forget about it" more. Anyway, here's a typical conversation that gets me going and pushes my buttons and makes me crazy and sticks in my craw (you can change the topic to suit):

Random Person: Moby Dick is about Gays and Gay Rights and Gayness.
Jack Morgan: I've read several critics who think so, and I've sat up nights with scholars arguing about this book and about this issue, but I have to say that I disagree. You see, there's a part where Starbuck--
RP: Why are you talking about coffee, idiot? LOL
JM: Starbuck was the first mate on the Pequod
RP: I don't know or care what a Pequod is, but I know Melville was gay.
JM: Wait a second, have you even read the book? Why don't you go and read the book, and then maybe take a class on it and read some criticism, and then come back and talk with me about it.
RP: I know it's about gays.
JM: Are you just repeating shit you heard on a TV sit. com. or something?
RP: DON'T TALK DOWN TO ME. I HAVE A RIGHT TO MY OPINION.
JM: Yes, you are entitled to an opinion, but your opinion is invalidated by your ignorance on this particular topic.
RP: You're an asshole! You are DEROGATORY!

Then I get all bent out of shape and feel bad, and I lose friends.

This thing in Staunton about the noise ordinance is like this. I've talked with several business owners and venue owners; I've sat down with Julie Markowitz, the SDDA Director, and used her decibel gauge with her; I've talked with cops and council people about this; I've actually operated venues on two continents, and I've been harassed by cops for a 65db law in Staunton's New Town District. I didn't just hear some crap online and join a protest movement. I studied the topic, interviewed people, and deduced. Then I wrote a status on Facebook that said something like this: I wish people would get more involved in local politics so that we can start working on things that matter in this town rather than waste our time and energy on something that doesn't matter. A couple people got upset and said some things that weren't true or were uninformed. Then they said I was talking to them like children.

A child is someone who knows less than you do. You have to talk with them in a way that informs them. I'm not a parent, but I imagine it's a difficult task. It's difficult enough talking with uninformed adults.

But back to me and this being my fault.
I always feel like I'm stupid. I always ask a lot of questions. If I don't know something, I strive to find it out so that I don't feel dumb. It's a curse. I hate feeling stupid. My father called me stupid a lot when I was a kid, and I kind of blame him for my unhealthy intellectual curiosity. But then I meet people who want to argue with me about something I know a lot about, and they don't want to know about it, and they just want to argue. They don't want to ask questions or to find out what the deal is; they just want to oppose something. I'm unbelievably frustrated by this sort of thing. It pains me. And I shouldn't let it.

It's like, read a book on critical thinking, please. Write down your thoughts and try to organize them and surround an issue with them. Explore the issue. Ask questions about it.

And the answer is a shriek, or maybe it's a cry, or it could be only a wail.

Setting up Stratton

2011-04-02T17:21:00.001-04:00

Setting up Stratton W/Zombie Platypus and Murder Bros.

2011-04-02T17:09:00.001-04:00

Stratton Event Room Tonight!

2011-04-02T17:05:00.001-04:00

We are setting up lights and sound for tonight. Zombie Platypus Conspiracy and the Murder Bros. in concert, and it's going to be pretty crazy.

We're at 110 West Johnson St. Doors open at 8.

The Johnny Cash Experiment

2011-03-30T12:33:00.000-04:00

I've now listened to almost all of Johnny Cash's body of work. At first I wanted to listen to every album and write a blog entry about each one, but that became a little too extreme for what I wanted to do. And, I hated just about every album. Each one followed a pretty close formula: an old cover, a new cover, a couple originals that sound like covers of Johnny Cash originals, and something Christian. Johnny Cash was all things to all people. It's remarkable that he was able to criticize the country, be an outlaw, be an American chauvin, a bad ass, a black-wearing drug addict, and a super Christian. And then, to top it all off, he was able to be a renegade and still make Taco Bell commercials. No one, and I mean no one would get away with that shit today. No one ever believes me when I tell them about the Johnny Cash Taco Bell thing, so here's the video. Willie Nelson did one, too.

But despite my hating pretty much every albums as an album, I am still a Johnny Cash fan, and I would list him as one of my biggest influences. Since Johnny Cash is all things to all people, I have to sift through all the Christian stuff (he sings BIBLE TRAIN and has a whole album of hymns his mother taught him) to get to the stuff that I think is quality. Cash had the ability to turn some old Marty Robins tune and turn it into something relevant today, and he was able to take songs we've known for only a few years and turn them into classics that seem to have been with us forever.

Basically, Johnny Cash was the gate keeper of the American music canon. For that, I can deal with his creepy Christianity and his tacky Taco Bell.

This Weekend Was Murder

2011-03-29T16:56:00.000-04:00

This weekend, the Murder Bros. had a busy one. It's a tough life being a rock star. It's also totally awesome and kind of a dream you don't realize you're living.

First, we went to Mary Baldwin College (an all-woman school in Staunton) for their Second Annual School of Rock Concert. We played a great show, I think. The sound was pretty good, and the people there were nice. My guitar strap failed during the performance of our song Fernet again ( I don't know why that song and my guitar strap don't get along), but instead of toughing it out trying to hold the guitar upright or on one foot with my knee there to support it, someone came up from the audience and helped fasten it without even missing a beat. Fucking rock and roll. I gave him a free Murder Bros. T-Shirt.

The next day we played the Rock Town Rollers Roller Derby Bout Halftime Show! How incredible is that? There were a lot of people there, and many of them said it sounded good. We lucked out because Nancy from Courting Harlots happened to show up and had happened to find a bunch of extension chords and power strips the night before so happened to have them on hand. Without her, we would have been pretty crestfallen.

After that, we played the After Party at the Artful Dodger. That was a great time, too. It was our first time playing there, and I think there will be many more. A few people approached us about playing with them or at their venues, so I guess we played really well. The people who work there are fantastic.

Thanks to everyone who came out and to everyone who helped make this weekend really rock for the Murder Bros.

Berkeley Ranks HIGH

2011-03-28T21:22:00.000-04:00

So, UC Berkeley might be the fourth greatest school in the world (which is great and everything), but it's still the first on any list as far as public universities are concerned.

It's harder to be great when you're not funded by a bunch of rich people paying 40k a year to go to your school. Berkeley tuition is *cheap* compared to the other universities at the top of The Times' list.

Dean and Me Is Awesome

2011-03-25T14:43:00.002-04:00

Dean and Me by Jerry Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. It reveals a lot about Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in a way that is often self-effacing and sad. Its tragic end is heart-breaking, and the story is fraught with incredible characters we all feel like we know.

It's a first-hand look at a golden era of American culture from one of its major players.

View all my reviews

Never

2011-03-21T12:03:00.000-04:00

Never fight with a pig; the pig loves it, and all you get is covered in shit

Pissing Cherubs in Rome

2011-03-07T09:58:00.001-05:00

When I was in Rome on my honeymoon with my wife, we went to a restaurant that was obsessed with pissing cherubs.

The Murder Bros. at the Stratton Event Room

2011-01-28T14:08:00.000-05:00

We're playing with Wasted Year and Pete Stallings at 7:30 at the Stratton Event Room at 110 West Johnson St. Staunton, VA, 24401. Check us out this Saturday, January 29, 2011. I think you'll enjoy it.

Johnny Cash at the Library

2011-01-28T13:49:00.000-05:00

I just checked out every Johnny Cash CD available at the Staunton library. I want to write a review of every one like a Johnny Cash marathon on my blog. After all, Johnny Cash was a trainwreck worth watching for sure.

My New Bow Tie

2011-01-11T12:18:00.001-05:00

I learned how to tie a bow tie from Youtube, Playboy, and a little patience.

A friend named John accidentally bought two bow ties with crossed bones and skulls on them. Rather than send one back, he gave it to me. I've been interested in learning to tie a bow tie for some time now, partly because I've been thinking of making some. Now I know how to do it. And I think I look pretty good.

Here's the video I used to learn. It's good because it shows the tie from many angles. It was still hard to learn, but now I have a great new skill, and I'm wearing an awesomely bad ass bow tie.

Gurkha Evil

2011-01-01T00:58:00.001-05:00

A new favorite?

Gurkha Assassin

2010-12-31T21:10:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year.
Gurkha Assassin is being enjoyed by Jack Morgan tonight. My favorite
cigar to date. A very intense flavor. Dry and spicy like me.

The Murder Bros. Played a Show on the 25th of December

2010-12-27T09:50:00.003-05:00

I had the best Xmas I've had in years. I went to the residence of my parents-in-law. They don't appreciate how awesome I am. They have made very clear that I am not considered part of their family. But this time, I didn't have to stay overnight or have to stay late. I had a show to play with the Murder Bros.! And, the last hour I spent there was outside in watching the snow fall, smoking a cigar. It was great.

Then the show was fantastic. I'd like to make it a tradition. Every year on Christmas: Christmas with the Murder Bros.I think there are a lot of people who would rather be out doing something cool, starting their own traditions, rather than sitting around a house listening to Bing Crosby or watching the same movie a dozen times.

Thanks for Being Nice to Animals

2010-12-22T10:20:00.000-05:00

Jarod Kearny built a forge in the wharf

2010-12-22T07:45:00.000-05:00

To build with FIRE!

Walking on walls

2010-12-22T07:42:00.001-05:00

Hipstsamatic

2010-12-20T09:25:00.001-05:00

Mary Morgan likes a vintage camera app she got for her Android. She's crazy about it, taking pictures of the dog and of me and of herself and everyone we know.

Today I found out about the Levi's Hipstamatic Contest.

Isn't it interesting the ways by which we attempt to imbue our industrial, mass-produced products with auras?

I'm not critical of it at all; in fact, I love the sentiment: make things that are essentially as far away from hand-made as possible look hand-made. Fairly incredible if you think about it.

The Parasitic Twin Living inside of Mary Morgan's Head

2010-12-17T16:36:00.000-05:00

I had to write an apology to a friend today. This is an excerpt. I guess I'm a big jerk.

Sorry I joked about the whole parasitic twin living inside of Mary Morgan's head. I thought it would be funny if people all over town believed that she had a dark twin living in her brain making her do mean things. I don't know where the joke became so big in our conversation, but since I thought it was funny, I kept letting you buy into the idea.

Anyway, sorry you took it to heart so much. I didn't mean to upset you.

My friend got really upset because I told her that my wife had a teratoma in her skull that had to be operated out. In reality, she only had a viral infection in her head because she had a sinus infection but refuses to drink more than a glass of water a day or take any vitamins, so it worsened and caused a horrible migraine and she had to go to the hospital. She still won't drink extra water or take vitamins. Why do people think that magic pills are more powerful than water and vitamins? Doctors are not wizards. I had the same viral infection, and I'm fine right now because I drank two (2) pitchers of water and took six thousand milligrams (6000mg) of vitamin C daily until I got better. I also ate a bunch of onions and garlic and spicy stuff, all things that are good against viruses. Getting better from a cold is easy; it's not brain surgery!

Mate

2010-12-09T09:42:00.000-05:00

Snow!

2010-12-04T16:47:00.001-05:00

Pin-up Girl against Fur

2010-12-03T10:11:00.000-05:00

I like the Ink, not mink ads from PETA. I dislike the fur trade intensely.

The bassist in the Murder Bros., Karius Kiracofe, is talking about getting a fanboy tattoo, and I'm trying to convince him to not go through with it. Fanboy tattoos are the kinds of things people regret. I do love tattoos, though, and I support anyone who wants to add a sense of permanency to their lifestyles.

Peanut Butter Month: Peanut Butter and Carrot Cake

2010-11-29T17:18:00.000-05:00

Step 1: Get your wife to make you carrot cake.
Step 2: Cover it in peanut butter.
Step 3: MICROWAVE!
Step 4: Appreciate National Peanut Butter Appreciation Month.

Peanut Butter Blondies with Chocolate Sauce

2010-11-28T10:01:00.000-05:00

I had never had blondies before this peanut butter appreciation month.
They're kind of like brownies but are a little lighter. My wife looked
up a vegan blondies recipe online and I made chocolate sauce with some
cocoa powder.

They tasted unbelievable.

Murder Bros. Show Tonight in Waynesboro

2010-11-27T11:16:00.001-05:00

47 Million Turkeys Will Be Murdered for Tomorrow's "Holiday"

2010-11-24T17:31:00.001-05:00

How to pose with YOUR dead turkey!!!

The Masonic Building

2010-11-22T08:42:00.001-05:00

I used to work on the fourth floor of the Masonic Building in Staunton. It's an interesting, historic building.

Special Occasion at Pompeii

2010-11-20T20:14:00.000-05:00

Squirrel Nut Oatmeal for Peanut Butter Montg

2010-11-20T14:13:00.001-05:00

I invented these things called Squirrel Nuts. When I was on a run I
saw all the squirrels tending their various caches getting ready for
winter and I thought, "they don't put them in trees like in cartoons;
they put them in the dirt; don't they mind their nuts getting dirty?
Why stick them in the ground?" I decided they must like the taste
better after their nuts have been buried.

I took crunchy peanut butter and rolled little balls with my fingers
and a spoon.

Then I rolled the balls in brown sugar (the dirt).

Finally I covered a bowl of oatmeal with them.

Delicious! It tastes kind of like the inside of a butterfinger
candybar. Butterfingers aren't vegan, so I haven't eaten one in many
years, but that's what squirrel nuts reminded me of. Yum!

Fun fact: there is no cholesterol in peanut butter. Some people think
there is, but there isn't. There's no such thing as a vegan food item
with cholesterol, meaning I have not knowingly or purposely consumed
ANY cholesterol for many years. Awesome, right?! Cholesterol kills
more people than cigarettes.

Peanut Butter Month: Red Light / Green Light

2010-11-19T16:02:00.002-05:00

Peanut butter is incredible on rice cakes. You can get the low sodium rice cakes and be happy with your life because you're eating fewer calories and no gluten.

Here, I put old fashion cherry jam and a special green pepper jam that it also "ye olde" on top of the peanut butter to make a kind of open-faced sandwich.

Green pepper jam smells spicy, but it's actually rather sweet, and I'd recommend it to you, but it's hard to find. If you do find some, eat it on crackers with margarine and on rice cakes with peanut butter. Then tell a friend. Everyone like purple grape jelly, but it usually has a ton of HFCS in it, and it's always nice to branch out from the things our mothers fed us as children. We're adults now; time to define and refine our own tastes. Be ADVENTUROUS!

Humane Turkeys

2010-11-18T13:21:00.003-05:00

These are "Certified Humane Turkeys." There are not enough in America to feed all of the Americans who will be celebrating Thanksgiving next week. Most people will be eating force-fed animals that were raised in atrocious conditions, slaughtered in ways that would make you cringe and maybe cry, and pumped full of chemicals and antibiotics.

The word humane is an interesting one. It suggests ethical. Because the best human beings are ethical creatures, humane has come to mean the best of us. It's very strange to me that "humane killing" or "humane slaughter" are combinations that even exist. "Humane war" and "humane rape" should also be considered acceptable following this logic.

I read once that turkeys are the most environmentally friendly animals because they convert grain to meat quite well, thus being energy efficient. Energy efficiency is important since we're running out of oil and everything. But humane?!

Below is what a humane turkey looks like. It's made of soy and wheat. It tastes great. There isn't any POOP in it. Turkeys who once had heads, no matter how clean the slaughterhouse in which they met their doom, all have a little POOP in them. Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo

2010-11-17T13:36:00.002-05:00

Kendra Malone's Book

2010-11-16T14:36:00.003-05:00

I haven't read this book. I want to read this book. Here is a really great review of the book to get you excited about reading it, too. Kendra Malone is pretty fantastic.

Peanut Butter Burrito?

2010-11-10T17:41:00.001-05:00

If you've ever been a poor artist, you've come up with some crazy
combos in the kitchen. When finance limits your arsenal of
ingredients, it's time to experiment. I'm delighted to share one happy
result I have encountered under dire circumstances: the peanut butter
burrito!

It's always reminded me of the crepes served up at Christmas markets
in central Europe.

First, take a tortilla from the cupboard. For some reason, my mom
always kept tortillas in the fridge after she opened them. They got
hard quickly. I discovered by accident that they stay fresher longer
at room temperature in a cupboard or pantry.

Next, put some peanut butter and some kind of preserves or jam in the
middle of your tortilla. I used old fashioned cherry jam here, but be
creative.

Then, get something crunchy and put it on there. I used walnuts this
time, but I've also used breakfast cereal, sesame seeds, and many
other crunchy things over the years.

Roll it all up like burrito.

Last, heat up your oven to about 300 degrees. You can also use a
frying pan or a crepe plate. The key is to heat up the thing quickly.
If you're good at flipping it (about 5 mins each side has always
worked well for me), the peanut butter will get nice and gooey and hot
but the jam will stay firmish.

Soooo good. Trust me on this.

Peanut Butter Month Commences

2010-11-09T12:20:00.000-05:00

Peanut butter and celery is one of the greatest things for you and one
helluva delicious snack or meal. Peanut butter is high in protein but
it also has a few more calories than you probably want if you're on a
diet or something. Celery on the other hand is calorically negative!
Do you know what that means? Subtract calories from the PB when you
spread it on celery. It feels like cheating on an algebra test. A+!

Tip: cut a lot of small celery pieces and stick them in a zip-loc for
later, and deposit a paper towel soaked with water in there too. The
celery will stay fresh for ages that way, always ready to be spread
upon with delectable peanut butter!

Gig in Harrisonburg #1

2010-11-08T15:27:00.004-05:00

The Murder Bros. is having its first gig in Harrisonburg. We're extremely excited about it. Doing a show in Harrisonburg so soon after our show in Staunton is really great, and it gets us going for a goal I've set for us: one gig a month.

The show is free, so if you live in the area, please come!
Also, please find us on Facebook. It would be great to get our "like" number up. Thanks.

Sick. O. Suspension of Peanut Butter Project

2010-11-05T22:05:00.001-04:00

I am sick. And I'm one of those weirdos who can't resign himself to
it. I cannot bare being out of commission for longer than 36 hours. So
instead of peanut butter awesomeness, I have been eating bulbs of
onions and cloves of garlic. I smell like Van Helsing. Garlic and
onions are supposed to beat your cold quickly. I'm hoping to wake up
tomorrow ready for more peanut butter deliciousness.

Something seems off about the Obermann suspension. The truth is I hate
all TV news. Anyone in the news biz is there to rile you up and
confuse you on important issues. I've seen Obermann's show and thought
it was funny, but that was many years ago. All the hate on both sides
of politics these days bothers me. The very notion of a suspension is
a laughable atavism to when equal time was still law and journalistic
integrity was still cherished. If O'Reilly were suspended it'd be just
as laughable. It's like suspending Hulk Hoagan from wrestling because
they found out he knew all along who would win the match, and that
calls into question the integrity of the WWF. Come on.

Jack Morgan
www.trainwreckunion.com

I Would Die for Peanut Butter

2010-11-02T18:15:00.001-04:00

Anyone who loves or loved Atari Teenage Riot understands the title of
this post. Below is chocolate bread pudding with peanut butter sauce
as a topping. This is one of the most delicious vegan deserts I've
ever had.

Mary Morgan made it for me for national peanut butter month. I'd like
to eat it every day. The last of it went late at night. The perfect
late night snack if you ask me.

Peanut Butter Month Begins

2010-11-01T18:07:00.001-04:00

In honor of Peanut Butter Appreciation Month, I'm going to try to post
a new peanut butter wonder every day in November.

Today, preacher cookies my wife made. They're vegan and delicious.
Apparently called preacher cookies because you can make them quickly
when your nose, collared friend shows up unannounced. You don't bake
them; they're served chilled. Delicious with soy milk! I had them for
breakfast today with coffee.

Very addictive.

Me Coming Home in My Favorite Sweater

2010-10-28T19:36:00.000-04:00

I know it's too big now, but Autumn makes me happy because I can wear
my Penguin zipper cardigan. GQ had this short thing about Penguin
coats this month, but this thing is vintage and wonderful.

Murder Your Ear Drums

2010-10-28T15:43:00.000-04:00

The Murder Bros. and The Smell of Death are playing on Saturday for a
Hallow's E'en celebration.

Job Search

2010-10-28T12:39:00.000-04:00

I had a job interview yesterday. This is what I wore. It was a phone
interview, but I dress for those too. I'm really excited about the
job. I think I'd be great at it. Plus, I think I'd enjoy it. I hope I
get it. I feel really good about the interview, so maybe I will.

Our Pumpkin

2010-10-25T09:44:00.001-04:00

I carved it to look like an abstract owl.

Pumpkin Getters!

2010-10-25T09:42:00.001-04:00

Mary and Jack at the "pumpkin patch."

We Bought Pumpkins

2010-10-25T09:37:00.001-04:00

We bought a warty one and a tall skinny one at the Frontier Culture
Museum. 70% of the moola goes to the Navajo tribe. And the rest goes
to an inoffensive church and the museum itself. Nice!

Murder Bros. Recording

2010-10-23T11:13:00.000-04:00

We recorded a demo last night in what once was a fire engine garage.
We recorded on a Korg 3200 that I don't really know how to use at all,
Lee Harris helped out and I hope he'll help us master the thing soon
so we can post it and have it available at our next show: 30th of
October. Excited! We haven't even heard it yet!

Visible Hangman

2010-10-23T02:31:00.000-04:00

Hanging at one of the parties this evening. Hallowe'en.

My favorite sweater

2010-10-22T22:27:00.000-04:00

Even though it doesn't fit anymore, this Penguin sweater I picked up
in Oakland like four years ago in a second hand shop on College Ave
isn't favorite sweater in the world and I will continue to wear it no
matter what.

Murder Bros. Heroes cover

2010-10-21T13:42:00.001-04:00

Another video of the Murder Bros.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFrrN5yJD-c&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Jack Morgan
www.trainwreckunion.com

Murder Bros. Duallah, Don't Do It

2010-10-20T18:09:00.000-04:00

The Murder Bros. Had a visitor with an iPhone 3GS. She took videos in
the murder basement.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqQUSD9CuQQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Jack Morgan
www.trainwreckunion.com

Johnny Knoxville's Jacket

2010-10-19T18:54:00.000-04:00

We saw Jack Ass 3D this weekend. It was delightful in a way that all
the Jack Ass movies and tv episodes and spin-offs are. And, as the
title clues you in for, it's in 3D, which shows you really how far the
Jack Ass empire has come. Oh how the crew has grown up with the likes
of me, hooked at the age of fourteen, the first year my family had MTV
and the first year I heard of Johnny Knoxville and saw his awesome
jacket.

I always thought "what a cool jacket." It looked oddly familiar and I
wanted one. Until this weekend, when in the last scene in what
certainly must be his last Jack Ass movie he wore his famous jacket. I
was like, "Dude! That's the jacket from Easy Rider!"

Looking for a Job, Playing the Blame Game, Getting a Healthy Drummer, and Running for My Life!

2010-10-15T13:34:00.003-04:00

I'm applying for more jobs, some of them seem really awesome, and I can't wait to start working. This week, I've spent a great deal of time looking for jobs that fit my skill sets, but people keep telling me I should apply to do things I don't want to do. I haven't really done that. I just want to do something I'll be good at, and I don't think that's too much to ask.

The Café is still closed. I blame the inspectors of Staunton. It's hard to get them to return calls or just stick to one story. It's very frustrating, and I don't know what to do with that. With any luck, today's meeting with the inspectors will go well, and we will all be happier next week.

Pablo, the drummer for the Murder Bros., is finally getting better. He's been sick all week and unable to practice, which is also a source of frustration because I want our show on October 30th to be perfect. I'm probably stressing a little too much about that, though. I'd really like to be practicing because I feel better about life after playing music.

I've been doing art in my basement. Some pretty cool stuff I can't wait to share with the world.

It's getting colder in Staunton, and I found out today that my running clothes from this time last year are much bigger on me this time this year. It's great that I'm losing flab, but I don't have any money to buy new gear. My gear makes me look a little like Puff Daddy circa 1996. It's not a good look for me, baggy jogging outfits. It's a tough life.

I will run 20 miles this Sunday. That's the plan, weather permitting. I'm going to wake up early and just head out for the longest run of my life thus far. In two weeks, I want to run a marathon. Not a race, but a clean run. I want to get a lot faster before I run in a huge group like the NY Marathon. Plus, the ultimate goal is to rock an Iron Man next year, and I haven't started swimming or cycling due to a lack of funds. I figure, for now, if I get super fast at marathoning, an Iron Man will be that much easier.

Cue Rocky Montage!

Living in Staunton while Fighting with Wife

2010-10-09T20:35:00.000-04:00

Men and women fight. They have bad days for whatever reasons and then
one treats the other like shit, and then they fight. That fact of life
would not be so difficult to cope with were I not living in Staunton.

I feel like I've tried to make the best of living here. I worked in
theatre, started a magazine, managed a political campaign, threw my
name in for city council, had 2 telephone interviews and an all-day
interview with a freaky corporation, helped start the Staunton Young
Dems... I've done a lot. I worked on a carnival and helped at the
cafe. There's been so much going on, and yet, I've got nothing to show
for it. I feel like I'm living in a place where no one appreciates
anything. Where no one cares about anything new or different. Of
course, I'm wrong, but that's how it feels a lot of the time. All
those things I mentioned I've done since living here feel like
failures. Like I'm spinning my wheels.

And I'm broke.

So when I fight with my wife, I can't stay away from repeating this
question in my mind: "what the hell am I doing in a place that makes
me feel this way?"

I love being in the Murder Bros., but we're all so broke it's hard to
get it all together. I don't want to be living the same day every day
of my life, and there are just no opporunities here... so far.

I'm just ranting now, so I'll stop. I'm just another jerk whining
about being poor.

Misfire

2010-10-08T10:20:00.001-04:00

I didn't get the job I really wanted. I guess I did not fit in with their corporate culture. It's difficult to say what they didn't like about me. I thought I would have been a great addition to their team. Anyway, back to the grinders.

Goings on around Here

2010-10-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday I was subjected to the longest interview process I've ever
endured. It was filled with interesting and cool people I hope thought
I was interesting and cool.

I feel like I would really fit in there and that I could do some great
work there. Yesterday, I filled my day worrying about whether they all
liked me. It's difficult to guage how an interview went when it's an
all-day deal with several different stake-holders. My only respite was
Murder Bros. Practice, but even at Pablo's house, I was preoccupied
with thought of how great it would be to land a job I would love.

Jack Morgan
www.trainwreckunion.com

This Weekend's Party

2010-10-04T09:08:00.002-04:00

Marc is uncharacteristically underdressed. I'm wearing my vintage
Italian jacket I picked up in Venice, my new favorite article of
clothing.

I'm holding the longest cigar ever. It's called the AB Maxx, and the
type of cigar is an ego. A great medium interminable smoke (over 2
hours). I forget what Marc is smoking.

This Weekend's Party

2010-10-04T09:01:00.000-04:00

Chris kept blocking a clear shot of his wife, but still there are at
least four bands represented in this pic.

A ton of denim, a green hoodie, a blue one, and band shirts. I've
never had a hoodie that wasn't black, and haven't worn a denim jacket
since jr. high; I think I'd like to change that.

This Weekend's Party

2010-10-04T08:56:00.001-04:00

Kelly S. Looking very fashionable at the end of the night, embracing
the sparkling Virginian white and denim jacket-as-evening-wear trends.

The Walking Dead

2010-09-27T10:25:00.002-04:00

I've been readin "The Walking Dead" for a long time now. I enjoy it
very much. My wife likes it too. The tv show made from it will suck or
be utterly different. If they try to make it identical, it will blow.
But what can they change?The comic seems perfectly made.
Tv is so very rarely very good, I just can't imagine this thing
working out. They're zombies! They don't like vanilla-handed censors.
They Like killing ninety percent of the cast in one episode deep into
the story arc. They don't like to keep the audience in a weird limbo
like Lost and they hate surprise twist endings. There's only one
ending: everybody dies; mostly to rise again.
Your tv and the tv-watching public cannot handle this.
For some of the above reasons, all comic book-inspired movies suck in
one way or another. I want film makers to start backing away from
comics, a true American literary art. That will never happen though.
Is this a great country or what?
Jack Morgan
www.trainwreckunion.com

Movies about Old People

2010-09-26T07:57:00.000-04:00

If you put Robert Duval and Bill Murray in a movie together, you can
prove a hotly disputed theory: good actors can make a bad movie
tolerable. "Get Low" is a movie like that. Even though it's tedious
and slow, it's excedingly pretty and well acted. Even though it
fetishizes the good old days and cold weather in the Midwest, it's
themes are compelling and it's characters are interesting. "Get Low's"
climax is ho-hum and its ending is welcome but easy and sleepy.

There just isn't much there to latch on to. It's unclear if there's a
film here at all or if there's a story worth telling. It's enough
who's telling it I guess. Worthy of a rental when it hits netflix or
the library.

When I left the theater I thought "am I at a strange age where movies
aren't made for me anymore?" Everything seems made for children or
seniors lately. Maybe I'm imagining it.

----()()((()----

Staunton has been enjoying an Indian Summer. I've been interviewing
for jobs. One of the jobs is a dream I don't want to jinx. I'd be
amazing at it. Built for it.

The Darjeeling Cafe is waiting for the building inspector to tell us
we can open. Making rent is difficult without an income at the house
across from the firehouse parking lot. Where we're waking up to the
sound of road work every morning except Sunday. Road work on the
sabbath really pissed Ozzy off.

The Murder Bros. are excited about our show on October 30 with The
Smell of Death. We're practicing our set constantly. We're going to
seriously rock.

I ran 14 miles a couple days ago. It is the longest distance I have
ever run. I'd like to complete a marathon before the year's out. I'm
hoping quite publicly that my stomach will look like a Top Gun fighter
pilot's once I get to that point. Kick the tires and light the fires.

Jack Morgan
www.trainwreckunion.com

Beating a Master

2010-09-25T10:19:00.001-04:00

Last night on a live chess board where people play the pieces, I
destroyed a master chess player, Matt Gaffney, with a checkmate. At
least 100 people witnessed my victory over my friend, who consistently
beats me. Last night just wasn't his night. Maybe he cracked under the
pressure? We had a drink with Gaffs at the Staunton Grocery after the
game and talked about our recent trip to Italy.

Jack Morgan
www.trainwreckunion.com

Carey Grant's Last Movie

2010-09-24T14:21:00.001-04:00

"Walk Don't Run" is Grant's last film. It's good. He plays the best
wingman the world has ever known who helps a wandering American and a
practical Briton find love. George Takei is in it as a Japanese police
officer.

Jack Morgan
www.trainwreckunion.com

2010-09-23T11:07:00.001-04:00

All this week, I've been at funeral events. Viewings, processions,
burials, receptions, and much more. It's all taken a great deal out of
me. My wife's grandmother is gone forever, and that saddens me very
much. An end to a very long, busy summer that I'll never forget.

I'm going to take a day off today from everything. Is autumn
officially here yet?

Jack Morgan
www.trainwreckunion.com

Top hat

2010-09-22T17:02:00.000-04:00

The drinking age

2010-08-19T22:47:00.001-04:00

Does anyone think that the drinking age in this country is the only
reason we have "unforgeable" drivers licenses? How much money do
states waste on this every year? It seems like the age should be
lowered and we could all have paper licenses with numbers cops can
reference with their in-car computers. As it is, we're making these hi-
tec ID's for bartenders. Does this make sense?

Have You Seen Dead Snow?

2010-06-02T11:11:00.005-04:00

A Norwegian Movie about Zombie Nazis? Achtung!

Have you seen Dead Snow or DØD SNØ? Do you think Nazis make good bad guys? Do you think Zombies are great monsters? You need to see this then. Basically, it's a teen horror movie. Put a bunch of kids in an isolated house and systematically kill them off. But the director seems to know what he's doing. . . or seemed to at least have had a great love for that type of film because he kept in all the things that make teen horrors fun and left out all the crap that slows them down or makes them stupid. They don't really explain why the Nazis have remained preserved other than they are imbued with evil. They don't try to teach you something "important" about "humanity" or try to make you "identify yourself" in a particular character. It's just a good horror flick that doesn't try to be more than it is. And if you're into having a good time with a movie, you should like it very much. Scandinavians have been making some pretty awesome movies lately when it comes to horror. I mean, have you seen Let the Right One In?

Try watching it with these frozen brrraaaains!

If you like fun, and you like zombies, and you hate Nazis, you'll love this movie. Check it out. Here's the trailer:

Welcome to the Robot Utopia

2010-06-01T13:00:00.002-04:00

Hello. Welcome to the Robot Utopia.

Another Dat at the Goat Farm

2010-05-30T15:04:00.001-04:00

Friends are getting married here today. What a day to do it!

Big Favor for Jack Morgan

2010-05-25T15:58:00.000-04:00

Would you Tumblrs and FBrs (and other friends and followers) do me a really quick/important favor please?

I want a job with Power Monitors, Inc. as their social media expert. I’m very qualified. I want to show them that I can get some likes on their fb page even before they’re paying me because I’m a social media ninja. They make devices to help people monitor their power use in their homes and buildings. I like that. It’s green.

Anyway, here’s their FB page. There’s nothing on it. I don’t even know why they started it without putting any content on it. Maybe even leave a comment like, “Thanks for introducing me to this company, Jack!” That would be cool.

Reblogging this message would be really cool, too.

Thanks.

People keep leaving sunglasses at the office.

2010-05-25T10:42:00.002-04:00

If these look like your sunglasses, contact the American Shakespeare
Center right away.

At the engagement party.

2010-05-22T19:44:00.002-04:00

I thought I would look cool if I stood near turntables. I guess I was wrong.

Fire Arts at Darjeeling!

2010-05-21T22:24:00.001-04:00

Slomski bros know what to do!

2010-05-21T20:34:00.001-04:00

Jack. Clown. Nose.

2010-05-21T20:04:00.002-04:00

Clown Noses at the Office

2010-05-21T19:03:00.001-04:00

Lately. Happy to Report

2010-05-20T11:59:00.003-04:00

Lately, I've been looking for houses and jobs and helping move a restaurant and plan a wedding.

The wedding is on June 26th, and the engagement party is this weekend. Luckily, my fiance is a master at planning these types of events, so I'm not actually doing much more than designing invitations and helping register and things like that. It's going to be a totally vegan wedding party on a field that's part of a cattle farm. We're hoping to share the space with some fireflies, and we'll have one of the oldest carousels in operation running next to the stage, which will feature the talents of some very good musicians. The vegan component ensures everyone that they will not get food poisoning at an outdoor wedding in the middle of the summer. It also makes our first day together as husband and wife cruelty free, and I like the symbolism of that.

The Darjeeling Café move was written up on the front page of the Staunton News Leader. My fiance looked very pretty in the picture. We're really excited about the move. We're waiting to really go full-steam ahead on it, but when we do, expect downtown Staunton to be a little more awesome than it already is. The community is really behind us, so we're touched. This town has a lot in it to love.

I've officially given notice at the American Shakespeare Center. I'm going to miss it, but I'm trying to start something that resembles a young family, so it's time to stop working for non-profits, and I'd like a job that offers a little more to learn and grow. It was an extremely difficult decision... but timing is everything. The café needs help, and I'm hoping to work on building that while looking for a new position at a for-profit business.

Yesterday, we found a house that really fits us. I don't want to fall in love too quickly with it because real estate games can be heart-breaking, but it's pretty fantastic. It's a small house on a big lot, and it's walking distance to the café. Mary and I are quite excited about it and everything else.

All good things for now! Happy to report.

Survival of the Dead and Where I Can't Go :(

2010-05-13T14:27:00.003-04:00

George A. Romero is doing a Q&A at BAM, and I wish I could go. I hate that things like this are so far away from me these days. I'm really kind of heart broken that I can't go to this. I would trade in all the concerts I've ever been to to go to this.

Petrol free gypsy carnival tour at Darjeeling Cafe

2010-05-12T20:11:00.001-04:00

A Cartoon Elephant for Darjeeling Café

2010-05-12T14:31:00.005-04:00

I drew an elephant girl for the Darjeeling Café. I wanted it to look very non-digital—what the kids call analogue these days. I think it's funny.

Born Empty at Darjeeling Cafe

2010-05-10T20:49:00.001-04:00

Kid:nap:kin at Darjeeling Cafe

2010-05-10T20:02:00.000-04:00

Secret Ninja Death Squad at Darjeeling Cafe

2010-05-10T19:30:00.000-04:00

Floor Plan of the New Darjeeling Café

2010-05-06T17:08:00.003-04:00

The Darjeeling Café is moving, in case you haven't heard. It's going to be bigger, better, and cozier than ever before. You are going to love it more than you have ever loved anything. You need a café to call your own, after all.
These are the preliminary floor plans, how we're laying out the space. Get ready for a full kitchen, people. It's going to be the best food you've ever put past your lips!

I made these at floorplanner.com if you're interested. It's a really good tool.

Darjeeling QR for the Window Display

2010-05-05T22:40:00.003-04:00

So it's CMYK, which might look lame on the monitor since I didn't convert properly. I just wanted to get it up before I got it printed and in the window of the new location of the Darjeeling Café. If only one person knows what the hell a QR code is, this will be worth it. I worked a long time on it.

QR-OK

2010-05-05T10:12:00.003-04:00

I've been writing poetry again. Sort of. I think you could call me an experimental poet again if you wanted to. You need a QR scanner to read this one.

Jack Morgan

2010-05-04T22:50:00.000-04:00

Gpoyw