Even though it’s really cloudy here today, it’s not supposed to rain. And it is a really mild and quiet morning around here.

Just so peaceful.

We’ll see how long that lasts but I’m feeling pretty good about it.

And I got a lot done yesterday. It was really productive.

Although during the night, I got some disturbing news from my girlfriend who took me to Sunday Mass at the Children of Mary convent the other day.

The Vatican apparently has told the Sisters to disperse and the grounds will be given over to some other Order to help in the work of God blah blah blah…

So fucking sad. I have no idea what really happened there (the announcements on their website don’t give out any real information), but those Sisters built that beautiful place in the woods over the course of 25 years, and now it’s being turned over to greedy land grabbers — Oops! I meant, and now they’re being forced to leave it.

I am so glad I got to at least see it with my own eyes for a few hours.

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Okay.

Well, since I was actually kind of busy yesterday, I don’t have a lot to post about here today.

But I do have this!!!!

The Hollywood Vampires in London last night, singing that awesome Jim Carroll song, “People Who Died” !!!

And it looks like Ronnie Wood joined them onstage — I think they sang “Brown Sugar” but I can’t verify it. (Imelda May was also there, and I believe they sang “Train Kept a-Rollin”):

You can buy tickets here for the Hollywood Vampires Tour of Europe! It resumes on Friday in Cardiff, but I believe that show is sold out.

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And here’s this, just because I love this version so much!! 1956, Johnny Burnette Trio, “The Train Kept a’ Rollin’ “:

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Here’s this!!

Tom Waits smoking with, um, some girl in 1976!!

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Oh, this was nice!!

This is that new bookstore in Old Worthington, Ohio, that let me know recently that they will be carrying my new novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder. (Pre-order HERE!)

The store officially opens on September 3rd!

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Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds play the Oya Festival in Oslo tonight! (Buy tickets here!)

And here’s another Bad Seed (Jim Sclavunos) having a day off in Oslo yesterday!

And here’s another lovely photo of Nick Cave on the rooftop of the record store in Brighton a couple of weeks ago:

Oh, and here’s Nick Cave in London in August, 1986!

And yesterday, there was not only a Total Solar Eclipse in Europe, it was also Nick Cave’s 27th wedding anniversary!

In honor of those things, he answered the 150,000th letter (!!) to the Red Hand Files! (And while he didn’t reply to all 150,000 letters, he claims to have read all 150,000 of them!)

You can read his lovely reply in full HERE.

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Okay!

And if you’re a short story writer–

Kentucky-based Brown Hound Press announces that submissions open September 1st for Season Two of their Short Story series:

“Are you a writer with a short story? Submissions will open September 1st. We look forward to reading your 1,000-3,000 word story. Polish up your best piece and visit brownhoundpress.com/submit during the month of September.

“As always, we pay our writers and we respond to every submission within two weeks.”

And just FYI, gang, the short stories they published in Season One were really top-notch. They have attracted some great storytellers.

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And that is it for now.

The sun is sort of peeking out a little bit, so I’m gonna take a quick walk over to the bank, then walk over to City Hall and pay my water bill. Then just sort of take in this amazing day ahead of me and see where it goes.

Have a beautiful Thursday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Oh!

Look what I just found. Let’s close with this!

Ronnie Wood joins the Hollywood Vampires last night in London. It was indeed “Brown Sugar”!! Enjoy, gang.