Falling Ice

It's winter. Yay! Yayyyyyy.

Okay, so it's winter. I work in downtown Chicago. It seems like every skyscraper in the downtown area has some variation of the signage above.

These signs have always bothered me. Essentially, they are saying, if you choose to walk here, you may get hit in the head by a hunk of ice falling off our ginormous building. Don't say we didn't warn you!

Is this supposed to be helpful? Is it some attempt at avoiding legal liability for pedestrian injuries or property damage? Do buildings have any liability for damaged sustained from falling ice? How many building-ice injuries are sustained on a yearly basis?

Are these warning signs an indication that one should find another path to a destination? These signs don't seem to have that effect. People don't take them seriously. Also, given the fact that every building seems to put these signs on their sidewalks, I think it would be largely impossible to find a clear non-falling-ice path.

Birthdays

My twins turn 9 tomorrow. I got them two presents each. I hope they like them. They aren't fancy, or big, or expensive, or anything.

This is their first birthday after my divorce. I don't know what it's like growing up with divorced parents. I don't have any idea.

I know people can turn out great growing up in divorced households. I know that what's important is being a loving parent, and giving your kids love, and giving them a safe and happy environment. You don't need to tell me that.

I don't want to be married to the person whom I was married to for 10 years (Fun fact: 10th anniversary happened 6 days before the divorce was final). I don't want her back, ever. She did awful things to me; things I can't forget.

But, here's this. I wish I could have given my kids a mom and dad to grow up with. I wish I could have given them that. I wish, I wish, I wish.

Happy birthday, kids. I love you so much.

This was posted from my phone.

I like my blog. I feel disconnected from the Internet lately.

I don't like Facebook.

Twitter has lost some appeal for me.

I miss my blog.

hey everybody

how's it going

Express Yourself!

Candle

Extinguished

Stop Crying and Listen Track Listing

01 - This Time Tomorrow- the Kinks [denise]
02 - Thing of Beauty - Hothouse Flowers [denise]
03 - Here Comes the Sun - Richie Havens [denise]
04 - Forever Young - Bob Dylan [denise]
05 - If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out - Cat Stevens [denise]
06 - After Hours- The Velvet Underground [denise]
07 - Dog End of a Day Gone By - Love and Rockets [tim]
08 - All Things Must Pass - George Harrison [tim]
09 - Always Look on the Bright Side of Life - Monty Python [tim]
10 - The Funeral - Band Of Horses [tim]
11 - Teardrop - Massive Attack [tim]
12 - How to Disappear Completely - Radiohead [tim]
13 - What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love and Understanding - Elvis Costello [drmvm]
14 - Stupefaction - Graham Parker [drmvm]
15 - Blink of an Eye - The Waco Brothers [drmvm]
16 - Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd [drmvm]
17 - Kiss Me Son of God - They Might Be Giants [drmvm]
18 - Diamonds And Rust - Joan Baez [drmvm]
19 - Here Today, Gone Tomorrow – David Bowie [samuraifrog]
20 - Since You’ve Been Gone – Cherie Currie & Marie Currie [samuraifrog]
21 - Box of Rain – Grateful Dead [samuraifrog]
22 - Surf’s Up – The Beach Boys [samuraifrog]
23 - Fading In and Fading Out – Ringo Starr [samuraifrog]
24 - I’ll See You in My Dreams – R. Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders [samuraifrog]
25 - Moving On Out Boogie - Lightnin' Hopkins [someguy]
26 - West End Blues - Louis Armstrong [someguy]
27 - Waiting For The Great Leap Forward - Billy Bragg [someguy]
28 - Waving My Dick In The Wind - Ween [someguy]
29 - What The Soul Desires - Donovan [someguy]
30 - End Of The Line - The Traveling Wilburys [someguy]
31 - Sunrise - Pulp [matt]
32 - Desperados Under the Eaves - Warren Zevon [matt]
33 - Don't Be Shy - Cat Stevens [matt]
34 - You're No Rock & Roll Fun - Sleater-Kinney [matt]
35 - The Wolf is Loose - Mastodon [matt]
36 - Soggy Tongues - Vic Chesnutt [matt]
37 - 'S Wonderful- Diana Krall [escralan]
38 - Best of All Possible Worlds - The Little Willies [escralan]
39 - Too Much Too Little - Fred Frith [escralan]
40 - Bygones - Sara Watkins [escralan]
41 - Parting Gift- Fiona Apple [escralan]
42 - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) - Talking Heads [escralan]
43 - Ad Ogni Costo - Ennio Morricone [splotchy]
44 - Whatever Happened To Pong? - Frank Black [splotchy]
45 - I Plan To Stay A Believer - Curtis Mayfield [splotchy]
46 - Symphony No.6 aka Pastoral, 1st Movement - Beethoven [splotchy]
47 - The Argument - Splotchy [splotchy]
48 - Slipping Into Something - The Feelies [splotchy]

New Green Monkey Mix!

Hi kids.

Wow, I took a look at the last time I did an installment of the Green Monkey Music Project. It was well over a year ago! Holy disregarded blog, Batman!

I was talking with my Twitter buddy Denise. She found out about the mixes and she dug them, and really wanted to participate in one. She actually suggested a theme that for some reason I never got around to. It was a good enough idea that I decided to get the green monkey out of his bunker and ask him to start up the Mixtape Machine.

Volume 21 of the Green Monkey Music Project will be Stop Crying And Listen.

This mix consists of songs you want to have played at your funeral (Morbidity Alert!). This might sound like a depressing topic for a mix, but I totally disagree. I have always felt that mixtapes are some form of creativity and communication. One can use them to affect the emotional state of the listener, and to transmit some sort of spiritual essence by the sheer choice and ordering of a few songs. I believe this!

So, having a few songs played at your funeral is like a final way of saying goodbye, fuck you, I love you, whatever you want to say. It's your last chance of pushing your imagination and thoughts on the world -- it's your last hurrah.

I'm opening the mix to 8 participants. Denise and I are participating, so that leaves 6 open slots. Please comment on this blog post if you are interested in participating.

All that's required for your participation is simply selecting songs for your mix, and letting me know what they are. For now, all you have to do is say you would like to join in. We'll get to the song selection soon enough.

Thanks, and happy mixing.


PARTICIPANTS:
Denise
Tim
Dr MVM
SamuraiFrog
Some Guy
Matt
escralan
Splotchy

Broken Clouds

Barry and the Setbacks, Episode 2: Barry's Car

Here be Episode 2 of the Barry And The Setbacks series, mateys!

Enjoy! Arrrrrrrr!

Barry & the Setbacks Episode 2

Iced Tea, Ice Water

Okay. I get it now.

Iced tea. Tea starts out hot. You apply ice to it to cool it down. The tea has been iced.

Ice water. It's water with ice.


























However, the water is also iced, isn't it? I'm assuming the water is colder with the ice than it was without. Right?

Anyways, I guess I get it.

I guess.

Next Weekend: Proper Usage

Today is Wednesday, July 27th. Next weekend is August 6-7.

Now, imagine that it's Monday or Tuesday (July 25th/26th). Next weekend is July 29-31.

If it's Saturday - Tuesday, the next Saturday/Sunday encountered (excepting the weekend you are currently experiencing) is "next weekend". In this scenario, "this coming weekend" can also be used. Don't use "this weekend" if the day on which you are commenting happens to be on a Saturday or Sunday. That's confusing. However, if it's a Monday or a Tuesday, you are free to use "this weekend".

If it's Wednesday - Friday, the next Saturday/Sunday encountered will be "this weekend". "This coming weekend" can also be used. "Next weekend" will be the weekend that follows "this weekend" or "this coming weekend".

Well, that's settled.

Two pieces of string walk into a bar in Germany, circa 1942

Two pieces of string walk into a bar in Germany, circa 1942.

The bartender looks at them menacingly and says, "We don't serve your kind here!"

The two strings sit outside on the curb, thirsty and depressed. One of the strings says, "I've got an idea!" He twists and turns, wriggles, and roughs of the threads on his ends.

The other string says, "What are you doing?"

The roughed-up, twisted string replies, "Watch me!"

Both strings walk back into the bar. The bartender, still in a bad mood, sees the two strings sauntering back in.

He reaches under the bar and pulls out a pistol. He shoots one of the strings dead. BANG.

He turns to the roughed-up string and asks, "Well? You're a string too, aren't you!"

The string replies, "I'm afraid, Nazi!"

Barry and the Setbacks Season 1 in Production

Is that what they say? "In Production"? We are making more Barry and the Setbacks episodes.

I think we'll do 5 and then start releasing them. Not sure where they will be hosted, but you'll able to get to them from this blog.

I guess I'm calling this one Season Zero.