my band, "loira burra", has a new record out. this is our cover.



it can be purchased for $10, post paid. contact me for details/instructions.

Sadly, the Obamas have come & gone.

Barack & I never DID get to sit down for a beer & a chat. Our schedules just didn't jibe.

What with Ted dying and tropical storm Danny on the way, it seemed for the best.

Shame though, I was really looking forward to showing him my out of print copy of Stevie Wonder's - "Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants".



Oh Well... maybe next time.

Got myself into a bit of a pickle the other night. Tried to get some close friends to watch the "Neda" video with me.



Yeah, that one.

Having viewed it several times since its release, i've been very effected, and wanted to talk about it.

Giving them a brief description of what they were about to see, they all declined.

This is understandable.  

However, I thought it important enough to press the issue. Considering that, for almost a decade, we weren't even allowed to see this...



No dice. I only succeeded in making everyone feel uncomfortable and eventually abandonded my pursuit.

I'm left with mixed feelings.

Yes, it's horrifying.

But, that's my point. Perhaps we'd all be a little/alot less apathetic if we saw this more often.

What do I know?

nothing. 

Last night, my wife & I had the unenviable task of telling our 6 year old daughter that her grandmother had died earlier that morning. They were close.

She suddenly had a surprised look on her face, then exclaimed, "died?"
As if in a movie, her eyes started to well up and then a tear slowly dropped from each eye. Her expression now replaced with a blank stare.

We continued to stare at her waiting for more, but that was it. We finally asked her if she wanted to talk about it, to which she matter of factly replied, "no". We had a gathering of family later that night and she proceeded to act as if nothing had happened.

Earlier today, we were having lunch, watching some PBS, when out of the blue she said,
"Dad?"
"Yes", I replied.
"Did you know that when you die, you get to start over and become a child again?"
"No, I didn't know that", I replied.

She was silent for a little while then she said,
"Dad?"
"Yes", I replied.
"Did you know that after a while you don't become a child anymore, you become an angel and you live forever?"
"I didn't know that either sweetie", I replied.

There was another moment of silence and then she said,
"Dad?"
"Yes sweetie", I replied.
"I think my grandmother is a child right now."

I'm not a religious person. Therefore, I've never really talked to her about religion, or God.
I was pretty blown away that she was able to come to these conclusions on her own, especially at her age.

This is the reason I haven't posted in a few days. Not sure when I will again either. I've been at my in-laws for several days now, and I'm not sure when I'm coming home.

Thank you, to everyone whose been keeping the place warm for me in my abscence.

Much Love
umd

first of all, i'm suspect of anyone named "rod". i don't mean to sound judgemental... but c'mon, it sounds like a thugs name, or a porn star, at best.

second of all, once i learned his political hero was... wait for it, "richard nixon", and the circumstances he went through to retrieve his "autograph", made me further suspect.
thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, even if everything he says is true, if everyone you work with wants you to go? it's time to go man. right or wrong, like it or not.
further note, i think it's the hair. it's like that "kids in the hall" episode, where the "beard" takes over.
yeah, definitely the hair.
  

amazing, i post this...
so long george, the feeling's mutual.

and everyone applauds...
i post THIS...
good luck, mister president.

i get a ration... and then some.
go figure...
 
 

haven't read fiction in years. the way i see it, between work & hangin' with the kidpies, anything i read, in my "spare" time, should be informative. i.e. non-fiction. this is how i am.

travelling for the "holidays", especially, i always like to bring a book, for the impending "bus-ride" home. in which, i have to return several days before my wife & kids, for work purposes.

this is always sad for me. i miss them so much, & worry about them when they are not "here", with me. this is how i am.

red this book. on the way home.

i'd like to think i'm a "good person". after reading this, i wanted to be "better". we've got one shot at this, the way i see it. all we have is each other.

my apoligies in advance, i don't normally carry on this way.

love
d:)

 

 

a few christmas' ago... my brother in-law gave us a "freud" & a "black jesus" action figure, as presents. needless to say, we were delighted. upon our return home, they quickly became friends with "woody".

my daughter, who was probably 3 at the time, decided it was a good idea to put them all in a salad "spinner"... and, you know, spin them around.

we all rejoiced... and there was music.  

aahhhh, the holidays. i really think "visa" should turn this into a commercial. you know, where the punchline goes something like, "getting to whip your shoes at george w. bush?... priceless."

a couple of things that really strike me about this footage though is...

a.) you gotta hand it to the guy, he's got good reflexes.

b.) more importantly though, even after he's whipped the second shoe, no one's trying to shield bush. no one's tackling him to the ground and covering him with their bodies like we saw when reagan got shot. or swiftly ushering him to safety through the door that's right behind him. i mean, you & i had the benefit of a little set-up. we knew we were about to watch some dude whip his shoes at the president. but "they" didn't know that. hell, the guy could've been throwing a bomb for cryin' out loud.

i think THAT, more than this brave act of protest, speaks volumes.

nevermind... go back to sleep.