First off, I need to send a shout to my Soul Brutha. Thanks to a new program, Tommy is allowed to receive emails now. Here's the info: (I just cut and pasted from L.T.'s site) www.4inmates.com he was really excited about it and he told me to let everyone know. so now you know, and knowing is half the battle if you want to send him an email through this website, here's some info you will need: Name: Thomas Jewell Facility: Roederer Correctional Complex, LaGrange KY Inmate #: 174893 (end L.T's Whitman-esque transcript. Even her basic fact giving screams of poetic verse). Speaking of, this (here below) doesn't reflect anything I'm going through right now. I just felt like writing it. 40 days in the desert, to face hardship and sin And only when it was over did the angels attend Sun shines during day But disappears from sight When blackness abounds Only sun's reflection gives light. Ah, the poetry of lonliness The beauty of the rain The soliliquies of our sadness That are writing out our pains But if hope can carry the Christ Undeserved of the pain as he was Maybe it can carry me too When I'd much rather just give up. So, that's a poem in 3 minutes. Hope it didn't suck. As for random thoughts, I've been reading a whole hecka lot lately, and I'm very lucky, because it has all been really good stuff. - "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" was an awesome introduction into the world of Stephen King. Once I hit the halfway point, I zipped through the rest. I'm looking forward to tracking down "Cell" next. - "Beethoven, Bach, and the Boys" was something Steph loaned me to read. If you've ever heard me talk about "The 5 Minute Illiad" (and if you know me, you probably have), it's exactly like that, except about music instead of classic literature. It's hilarious so far, and I can't wait to finish. - "Naked" - I'm only one chapter into this, but chapter one was pretty good. This is also my initial intro to David Sedaris. I've heard so many good things about him, so I'm really looking forward to getting deeper into this. - "Possible Side Effects" - This was written by the same guy who wrote "Running With Scissors." I got this before "Naked," so I'm further into it (about a 4th of the way). It's all great stuff so far. I had never thought of the Tooth Fairy (or Tinkerbell) to be such a maniacal creature before this book. However, after reading these horrible, frightening tales of bloody pillows and creepy grandmothers, I must confess that (as they say in the south) "I've been educated on the aforementioned subject matter." Or learned. I always get those two confused. - "A Lion's Tale: Around the World In Spandex" - This was Chris Jericho's book, and since I know most of the people reading this won't care about it (not that you care about any of this anyway), I'll be brief. For the sports entertainment enthusiasts, it's a good read. All the irreverence that comes out in Y2J's character spills all over the pages of this book (I can't count how many times 80s pop music was referenced). On the wrestling front, this was probably the second best autobio I've read (right behind Foley's first book). - In other pop culture news, the new Dashboard Confessional cd was well worth the wait. They went back to their acoustic roots, and the result was another great album. If you'r going to check it out on ITunes, I reccomend Thick As Thieves (because, when you think about it, it probably won't kill that many of us to simply breathe.) - I'm hooked on Pushing Daises. Dudes and dudettes, this is such a fun show. If you haven't watched it yet, give it shot. The storytelling and atmosphere alone are enough to hook you in (and that's all before you get to know the extremely likable characters). - Scrubs is back for its final round I've heard. I'm so glad they're doing one last season for the show. I've read the phrase "sitcom of the decade" tossed around by some entertainment writers, but I'll wait to see if Joey gets brought back before I jump on that bandwagon. - It's old news, but it's still official: no more "Class" for us. It's rather sad, because "The Class" ruled. Network execs on the other hand, suck. - How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and Boston Legal round out my weekly t.v. routine. I kind of like having shows that I watch now. Last year was the first time since high school that I really watched any scripted television show regularly. ("It's still real to me, damn it!") I owe my old roomies (and current friends) Nick & Sabrina a big ole thank you for the awesome family nights that got me into a pattern again. I owe you a pizza...when I get a few bucks to spare...which may not be for a while I'm afraid. - I love my church. They're starting a new series this Sunday if anybody wants to tap dat. By "dat," I mean church, not Mrs. McIver. - I'm making a conscious effort right now to slow down my life. Do less running around, but more emphasis on relaxing activities like taking walks, reading poetry, and just thinking about things instead of doing things. I expected this to help me feel less frantic at times. The unexpected side effect is that I've been a lot more appreciative for some of the things in my life. Yesterday I was thinking about how lucky I was to have a sister. I guess when I stop to think about it, I'm already really blessed, and once I realize that, I start to feel really happy. Maybe Jonathon Livingson Seagull was right - maybe sometimes Heaven really is already surrounding us. We're just to busy to realize it. Or maybe that was just me. (come to think of it, was that J.L.Seagull, or the follow up to it. I can't remember). I guess that's all I'll write about for now. I miss Xanga. Hope everyone is comfy cozy. Enjoy the chills ("baby it's cold outside.") Later sweet potatoes. | 
